Abstract
(1) Background: This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge and the perceptions of speech pathology held by a sample of regional mental health practitioners and to explore factors that facilitate understanding of the roles of speech pathologists in mental health. While mental health is recognised as an area of practice by Speech Pathology Australia, the inclusion of speech pathologists in mental health teams is limited. (2) Methods: An anonymous online survey was created using previously validated surveys and author generated questions and distributed to mental health practitioners in Central Queensland, Australia. (3) Results: Mental health practitioners had difficulty identifying speech pathology involvement when presented with case scenarios. Accuracy was poor for language-based cases, ranging from 28.81% to 37.29%. Participants who reported having worked with a speech pathologist were more likely to demonstrate higher scores on the areas of practice questions, [r(53) = 0.301, p = 0.028], and the language scenarios [r(58) = 0.506, p < 0.001]. They were also more likely to agree to statements regarding the connection between speech pathology and mental health, r(59) = 0.527, p < 0.001. (4) Conclusions: As found in this study, contact with speech pathologists is a strong predictor of mental health providers’ knowledge of the speech pathology profession. Thus, the challenge may be to increase this contact with mental health providers to promote inclusion of speech pathologists in the mental health domain.
Highlights
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which an individual realises their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and make a contribution to their community” [1]
The results indicated that participants who had worked with speech pathologists (SPs) before were significantly more confident in referring to a speech pathologist, F(4,56) = 20.075, p < 0.001 and they had a significantly greater self-reported knowledge of speech pathology, F(4,56) = 20.276, p < 0.001
There is a growing body of evidence that supports a diagnostic overlap between communication and mental health disorders, psychosocial comorbidities, and the increased risk of dysphagia in individuals with mental health disorders
Summary
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which an individual realises their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and make a contribution to their community” [1]. Law et al [3] emphasised the importance of speech pathologists (SPs) being included in the public health discourse on the management of mental health, as communicative competence is central to successful relationships, social engagement and employment skills, all key determinants of mental health. Speech Pathology Australia state that “assessment, diagnosis and treatment of communication and swallowing difficulties of individuals with, or at risk of, mental illness is essential and within the scope of practice of speech pathologists” [4]. The promotion of and justification for SPs’ inclusion in interprofessional mental health teams requires an understanding of the complex and multifactorial relationship between communication, swallowing, and mental health disorders and the roles of SPs in their assessment and management [4]
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