A scoping review of the Boxall Profile: a tool to assess and respond to students’ social, emotional and mental health needs

Policy Recommendations to Promote Integrated Mental Health Care for Children and Youth.

Nurses suffering in silence: Addressing the stigma of mental health in nursing and healthcare.

Purpose of review:Mental illnesses, especially depression and anxiety, are common conditions frequently underrecognized and untreated among individuals with end-stage kidney disease. Existing tools/interventions, approaches to care, and resources to support mental health for people treated with dialysis in Canada are not well known. The aim of this scoping review was to systematically describe how mental health care is provided to adults treated with dialysis in Canada. The research questions we sought to answer were the following: (1) What mental health assessment tools and interventions for adults treated with dialysis have been investigated and utilized in Canada? (2) what is the structure and process of mental health care delivered by kidney care to adults treated with dialysis in Canada? and (3) what is the availability of mental health care resources developed for adults treated with dialysis in Canada?Sources of information:Electronic databases included Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science for peer-reviewed literature, and Google search engine for gray literature.Methods:Systematic searches were conducted to identify peer-reviewed and gray literature that focused on mental health care or support offered to adults receiving any form of dialysis in Canadian kidney care settings and/or community organizations. Mental health care and support was defined to include mental health assessment tools, interventions, resources, guidelines, and/or pathways used in dialysis in Canada. Title, abstracts, and full texts were screened independently by 2 reviewers with discrepancies resolved by additional team members. Web sites were screened by individual members. Data from included studies and Web sites were extracted based on the abovementioned research questions.Key findings:We identified 8 peer-reviewed articles from electronic databases, and 28 separate Web site addresses. Of the 8 articles, 4 investigated mental health assessment tools and 4 examined mental health interventions for individuals treated with dialysis in Canada. The mental health assessment tools that have been used are Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Edmonton System Assessment Scale (ESAS), Edmonton System Assessment Scale revised (ESAS-r): Renal, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Distress Assessment and Response Tool (DART), and the nonpharmacological interventions that have been investigated are intradialytic exercise, tai chi exercise program, medical music therapy, and brief mindfulness meditation. Of the 28 Web site addresses, 2 contained clinical tools for kidney care providers for the management of depression and anxiety in individuals treated with dialysis. The 26 remaining Web sites contained mental health resources for individuals with kidney disease, which presented different types of resources, including psychoeducation, peer support, and linkage to other services.Conclusion:In conclusion, we found only a limited number of studies investigating mental health assessment tools and interventions in Canada; there was a paucity of randomized controlled trials. Clinical pathways for the assessment and management of mental illness or symptoms in individuals treated with dialysis in Canada are also limited, and no clinical practice guidelines exist. Several mental health resources for people living with dialysis are available, predominantly focused on psychoeducation and peer support. Despite increasing prevalence of mental health concerns by people treated with dialysis, mental health care remains underaddressed.Limitations:It is plausible that additional literature related to mental health assessment tools, interventions, resources, guidelines, and pathways exists that we did not find during our systematic search, especially in gray literature that was limited to one search engine. In addition, health care agencies or organizations may have developed other mental health resources, which may not be available on the Internet.

Addressing Social Determinants of Mental Health in Pediatrics During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social isolation and mental health in people with MS

Guide Helps Clinicians Manage MH Problems

Background: An unprecedentedly large number of people worldwide are forcibly displaced, of which more than 40 percent are under 18 years of age. Forcibly displaced children and youth have often been exposed to stressful life events and are therefore at increased risk of developing mental health issues. Hence, early screening and assessment for mental health problems is of great importance, as is research addressing this topic. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the reliability and validity of mental health assessment tools for this population. Objective: The aim of the present study was to synthesise the existing evidence on psychometric properties of patient reported outcome measures [PROMs] for assessing the mental health of asylum-seeking, refugee and internally displaced children and youth. Method: Systematic searches of the literature were conducted in four electronic databases: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase and Web of Science. The methodological quality of the studies was examined using the COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist. Furthermore, the COSMIN criteria for good measurement properties were used to evaluate the quality of the outcome measures. Results: The search yielded 4842 articles, of which 27 met eligibility criteria. The reliability, internal consistency, structural validity, hypotheses testing and criterion validity of 28 PROMs were evaluated. Conclusion: Based on the results with regard to validity and reliability, as well as feasibility, we recommend the use of several instruments to measure emotional and behavioural problems, PTSD symptoms, anxiety and depression in forcibly displaced children and youth. However, despite a call for more research on the psychometric properties of mental health assessment tools for forcibly displaced children and youth, there is still a lack of studies conducted on this topic. More research is needed in order to establish cross-cultural validity of mental health assessment tools and to provide optimal cut-off scores for this population. HIGHLIGHTS Research on the psychometric properties of mental health screening and assessment tools for forcibly displaced children and youth is slowly increasing. However, based on the current evidence on the validity and reliability of screening and assessment tools for forcibly displaced children, we are not able to recommend a core set of instruments. Instead, we provide suggestions for best practice. More research of sufficient quality is important in order to establish crsoss-cultural validity and to provide optimal cut-off scores in mental health screening and assessment tools for different populations of forcibly displaced children and youth.

We examined the explanatory roles of social determinants of health (SDOH) for First Nations people using a four-domain model of health and wellness based on the Medicine Wheel (i.e., physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health), including colonial-linked stressors (i.e., historical trauma, childhood adversities, racial discrimination) and cultural resilience factors (i.e., cultural strengths, traditional healing practices, social support). Data were collected in partnership with a First Nation in Ontario, Canada in 2013 through a community survey (n = 194). For each outcome (physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health), a modified Poisson regression model estimated prevalence ratios for the SDOH, adjusting for age, sex, education, and marital status. Negative associations were found for historical trauma with physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health; for childhood adversities with mental health; and for racial discrimination with physical, mental, and emotional health. Positive associations were found for cultural strengths with physical, mental, and emotional health and for social support with physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. We observed negative associations between use of traditional healing practices and mental and emotional health. Our findings suggest that these SDOH may play important roles in relation to wellness through associations with the domains of health modelled by the Medicine Wheel.

Mental and Social Health Are Inseparable from Physical Health.

BACKGROUND Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) models have emerged as a promising and controversial tool for mental health. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences of individuals who used ChatGPT for emotional and mental health support (EMS). METHODS We prescreened 4,387 individuals online and recruited 270 adult participants across 29 countries who have used ChatGPT for EMS recurrently. Participants responded to quantitative survey questions on the frequency and helpfulness of using ChatGPT for EMS, and qualitative items regarding its therapeutic purposes, user emotional experiences, and rationales for helpfulness evaluations, which were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS Most people used ChatGPT for EMS at least 1-2 times per month for purposes spanning traditional mental health needs (diagnosis, treatment, psychoeducation) and everyday personal needs (companionship, relational guidance, well-being improvement, decision-making). Users reported various emotional experiences during interactions (e.g., connected, relieved, curious, awkward, or disappointed). Most users found it at least somewhat helpful for EMS due to perceived changes, emotional support, professionalism, information quality, and free expression, while some found it less helpful because of superficial emotional engagement, limited information quality, and lack of professionalism. CONCLUSIONS Despite lacking ethical regulations for EMS use, GenAI has become a widely used self-help tool for mental health globally, with heterogeneity in emotional experiences and perceived rationales for helpfulness or unhelpfulness. These results highlight the positive, and sometimes idealized view of genAI from the general public for mental health use, and underscore the urgent need to promote AI literacy and ethical awareness among community users and healthcare providers, examine its effectiveness experimentally, and identify who may benefit or be harmed.

BackgroundThe gap between mental health needs and resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the Indigenous people of Australia, is most marked in the prison population. Indigenous people are overrepresented in Australian prisons. In prison, this group experiences mental disorders to a greater degree than non-Indigenous prisoners. This group has also been found to experience mental disorder at a higher rate than Indigenous people in the community. In addition to pre-existing determinants of poor mental health, these high prevalence rates may reflect poor engagement in mainstream interventions or the efficacy of available interventions. In community populations, the use of digital mental health resources may help to increase access to well-being support. However, culturally appropriate digital tools have not been available to Indigenous people in prisons. The absence of feasibility and efficacy studies of these tools needs to be addressed.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of the Stay Strong app as a digital well-being and mental health tool for use by Indigenous people in prison.MethodsDual government agency (health and corrective services) precondition requirements of implementation were identified and resolved. This was essential given that the Stay Strong app was to be delivered by an external health agency to Indigenous prisoners. Then, acceptability at a practice level was tested using postuse qualitative interviews with clients and practitioners of the Indigenous Mental Health Intervention Program. All Indigenous Mental Health Intervention Program practitioners (10/37, 27%) and client participants who had completed their second follow-up (review of the Stay Strong app; 27/37, 73%) during the study period were invited to participate.ResultsOwing to the innovative nature of this project, identifying and resolving the precondition requirements of implementation was challenging but provided support for the implementation of the app in practice. Acceptability of the app by clients and practitioners at a practice level was demonstrated, with nine themes emerging across the interviews: satisfaction with the current Stay Strong app, supported client goal setting, increased client self-insight, improved client empowerment, cultural appropriateness, enhanced engagement, ease of use, problems with using an Android emulator, and recommendations to improve personalization.ConclusionsThe Stay Strong Custody Project is a pioneering example of digital mental health tools being implemented within Australian prisons. Using the app within high-security prison settings was found to be feasible at both strategic and practice levels. Feedback from both clients and practitioners supported the use of the app as a culturally safe digital mental health and well-being tool for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in prison.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic causes concern among patients with autoimmune and rheumatic disease (ARD) due to increased risk of infection and heightened isolation from social distancing.1ObjectivesExamine how mean patient-reported outcome (PRO)...

ObjectiveSince March 2020, millions of children have been confined to their homes and restricted from in-person activities, radically changing the dynamics of parent–child relationships. This study examines the association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) impact and the mental health of parents and school-aged children; specifically, whether qualities of the parent–child relationship moderated the relationship between parents’ emotional health (EH) and children’s emotional and behavioral health (EBH).MethodsData from this Internet-based study of a community sample were collected in March–May 2020. Parents (N = 158, 92.4% White, 96.2% female) reported on COVID-19 impacts, their own EH, perceptions of their relationship with their eldest child between 6 and 12 years-old, and the EBH of that child.ResultsResponses to questions about COVID-19 impact were assigned weighted values and used to create a COVID-19 impact scale. Hierarchical linear regressions revealed that greater COVID-19 impact was associated with greater parents’ EH issues only, and parents’ EH was a significant positive predictor of children’s EBH. Positive qualities and conflict in the parent–child relationship moderated the link between parents’ and children’s EH. At higher levels of relationship conflict and lower levels of positivity, there were stronger positive associations between parents’ and children’s EH. Parent–child relationship quality did not moderate the association between parents’ EH and children’s behavioral health (BH).ConclusionsThese cross-sectional study results suggest that beyond focusing on symptom management, families may benefit from supports targeting the parent–child relationship. Insights and implications for practitioners are discussed.

An international group of clinicians and researchers formed a consortium to advance mental and social health among people seeking musculoskeletal specialty care: The International Consortium for Mental and Social Health in Musculoskeletal Care (I-MESH). As a first step to organize the work of the consortium, we sought to identify important, appropriate, and feasible interventions to address mental and social health. Members of I-MESH responded to a list of 10 queries intended to elicit mental and social health priorities. Open text answers were analyzed by 2 researchers to elicit individual themes. A modified RAND/UCLA Delphi Appropriateness process was conducted of 32 candidate social and mental health priorities using a 15-person panel of I-MESH members, using 2 rounds of independent voting with intervening discussion via surveys and video teleconferences. Panelists rated each potential priority for importance, feasibility, and appropriateness on a 9-point Likert scale. Top level priorities scored both mean and median greater than 7 in all 3 categories. Second level priorities scored a median 7 or greater on the final scoring in all 3 categories. Candidate priorities were organized into 9 themes: viable business model, coordination of specialty and non-specialty care, actionable measurement, public health/cultural interventions, research, adequate and timely access, incorporating assessment in care, strategies to develop the patient-clinician relationship, communication strategies that can directly enhance health, and support for mental and social health. Twelve top level (met mean and median criteria) and 17s level priorities (met median criterion) were identified. Implementing evidence-based strategies to efficiently diagnose, prioritize, and begin addressing mental and social health opportunities has the potential for notable impact on both musculoskeletal and overall health. It is our hope that the results of this Delphi panel will generate enthusiasm and collaboration for implementing the mounting evidence that social and mental health are integral to musculoskeletal health.

This Evidence Check was commissioned by the Ministry of Health to identify validated health assessment tools for physical health, mental health, development, and family violence for the Wellbeing and Health In-reach Nurse (WHIN) Coordinator program. This program is a partnership between NSW Health and the NSW Department of Education which places nurses in NSW schools to identify the health and social needs of students and coordinate early intervention and referral to services and programs. Validated assessment tools will help the nurses to identify children at risk of academic, behavioural, emotional or health-related difficulties. This Evidence Check also aims to describe how they are used in clinical practice and barriers and enablers to their effective use. Seventy-two assessment tools were found, but coverage of the areas affecting children’s wellbeing was uneven. Mental health had several promising tools, as did development for younger children. However, physical health and family violence did not have well-validated tools. There was little information on how they were used in clinical practice. Enablers for use included minimal training requirements, ease of administration and ready availability. Use of parental as well as teacher reports was seen as valuable. There is a need for further work on tools for physical health and family violence. There is also a need for information on the practicalities of the chosen tools (user acceptability, licensing, costs, and training requirements) and for clear practice guidelines.