Demand For Mental Health Services Research Articles

A protocol for a cross-sectional survey exploring the work lives and wellbeing of the mental health nursing workforce in the UK

Background/Aims Demand for mental health services is high, but so are vacancy levels for registered nurses in mental health. To effectively address the workforce disparity, we need to engage with nurses to understand better the rewards and challenges of being part of the UK's mental health nursing workforce. The aim of the study set out in this protocol will be to identify modifiable workplace factors impacting nurses' work lives and wellbeing. Methods A protocol for an online cross-sectional survey exploring the work lives and wellbeing of registered nurses working in mental health in the UK. Implications This survey will provide an understanding of the daily challenges and rewards of mental health nursing. In understanding the modifiable workplace factors impacting nurses, the authors will provide the evidence and recommendations necessary to develop and implement workplace policies and interventions supporting nurse retention, recruitment and wellbeing.

Therapeutic Improvement in Single-Session Therapy: Innovative Moments as Change Markers.

The growing demand for mental health services, exacerbated by long waiting lists and high psychotherapy dropout rates, highlights the urgent need for brief and effective approaches. The aim of this study was to analyse the presence and impact of change markers in online narrative single-session therapy (NSST) and a change interview 1 month later. The change markers were coded in the NSST and the interview via the innovative moments (IMs) coding system. This coding system allows the identification of IMs (i.e., change markers), differentiating them into three levels of complexity (from lower complexity, Level 1, to the highest complexity, Level 3). Good and poor outcomes were categorized on the basis of the change in presession distress to the distress reported 1 month later at the change interview. Previous research has associated IMs with therapy outcomes, mostly with Level 2 and 3 IMs. In this study, more IMs emerged in the NSSTs of clients with good outcomes. The Level 3 IMs did not emerge in the NSST and only emerged in the change interview. There was a positive correlation between the decrease in distress and the emergence of Level 3 IMs in the change interview. The pattern of the relationship between the IMs in NSST and those in the change interview suggests that, in good outcome cases, there is a positive evolution in the emergence of change markers. These results demonstrate that IMs are produced in NSST, as occurs in regular psychotherapy, and suggest that the change initiated in a single session is expanded until the change interview for good outcome cases. The clinical implications of this study are discussed.

Burnout and Moral Injury Among Black Psychiatrists and Other Black Mental Health Professionals.

This column discusses burnout and moral injury among Black psychiatrists and other Black mental health professionals and highlights the contribution of racism to these outcomes. In the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic and racial turmoil have revealed stark inequities in health care and social justice, and demand for mental health services has increased. To meet the mental health needs of communities, racism must be recognized as a factor in burnout and moral injury. The authors offer preventive strategies to support the mental health, well-being, and longevity of Black mental health professionals.

Exploring the Barriers to Mental Health Care and Mitigation Strategies in Kenya

Barriers to mental health care globally remain a health concern, however, these are more pronounced in low- and middle-income countries. The prevalence of mental illness is approximately 10%. A gap exists between the need or demand for mental health services due to a set of barriers that limit access. Based on this gap, this paper aims to explore barriers to mental health services, treatment and services sought. This might contribute to mitigating them. The barriers include inadequate funds, poverty, stigma attached to mental health conditions, lack of faith in mental health services, high cost of medication, poor awareness, socio-cultural and religious influences and inadequate mental health facilities. These barriers have been shown to affect mental health. After decades of neglect, recent efforts by governments such as in Kenya to address barriers to mental health can demonstrate the growing importance of this issue. Evidence shows that barriers to mental health impacts on mental health in Africa, moreso Kenya and demonstrates that there is need for more contextual awareness and research in this area in Africa to mitigate potential mental health crises in the near future. It is important that institutions and governments in Africa, Kenya to begin paying attention to this emerging threat to the health of the population.

"Shared and Collective Stress"

The confluence of increased demand for mental health services and decreased resources due to the COVID-19 pandemic has created multiple challenges for mental healthcare and social service providers. 2SLGBTQI service providers may be disproportionately impacted by pandemic-related challenges, such as psychological distress, vicarious traumatization, and burnout. However, there are significant knowledge gaps regarding the needs and experiences of 2SLGBTQI and allied service providers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. To address these gaps, we conducted a national survey (N = 304), eight semi-structured focus groups, and five semi-structured interviews (N = 61) with 2SLGBTQI care seekers and service providers across Canada. Based on data from the 106 2SLGBTQI service providers and 3 allied service providers who took part in these research activities, this paper explores the challenges service providers encounter when providing care to 2SLGBTQI individuals as well as their adaptive responses to these challenges. Understanding the experiences of service providers who share lived experiences of discrimination and marginalization with their clients is critical to addressing barriers to affirming mental healthcare, shifting services to meet the evolving needs of both care seekers and providers, and developing upstream, comprehensive solutions to address the causes of 2SLGBTQI mental health disparities.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN FUTURE MENTAL HEALTH INDUSTRY

The high demand for mental health services and scarce supply of healthcare professionals are increasingly suppressing the mental healthcare industry. The emergence of artificial intelligence shows the potential to be able to transform the landscape of this industry. The application of artificial intelligence has offered a promising hope to bridge the gap between the long-lasting demand and supply issues in the industry, and to provide better healthcare support, as it reduces the fear of judgement while increasing self-awareness. Nevertheless, some challenges need to be overcome before the mental healthcare industry can truly capitalise on artificial intelligence.

Cross Sectional study to evaluate Psychosocial impact of Covid 19 among medical students of BMCTH

Introduction: COVID-19, a profoundly contagious viral disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has had a devastating impact globally, leading to over 6 million fatalities worldwide. Covid 19 caused isolation, anxiety, grief, economic stress, and disrupted routines, leading to mental struggles, strained relationships, and increased demand for mental health services globally.
 Objectives: The objectives of this study were to find out psychosocial impact of covid 19 among medical students of BMCTH and to assess the factors associated with psychosocial impact of covid 19.
 Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out among all medical students of Birat medical college teaching hospital from August, 2022 to January 2023. Data was collected from 258 eligible participants using GHQ12 questionnaire. Chi-square test was applied for assessing association between dependent and independent variables and binary logistic regression analysis was used to find the determinants.
 Results: Present study was conducted among 258 medical students. Among them 43.0% had normal psychological status, 27.5% were in borderline 15.5% showed evidence of psychological distress and 14.0% were experiencing severe psychological distress. Bivariate analysis between socio-demographic characteristics and psychosocial status showed gender, work overload, work hours in covid ward, exposure to false covid information and covid quarantine were significantly associated with psychological distress at p- value < 0.05. Further important variables were run for multivariate analysis which revealed age (B=3.46, CI:1.45-8.23 and P=0.005), gender (B=3.20, CI: 1.61-6.37 and P=0.001) and work overload (B=9.63, CI: 4.32-21.49 and P=0.000) were found as significant predictors/determinants of psychological distress. Age greater than 24 years, female gender and higher work load were significantly associated with psychological distress.
 Conclusion: The psychological distress among the medical students due to covid 19 was in appalling situation. The study found age >24 years, female gender and higher workload were the predictor of the psychological distress Integrated efforts from medical college, parents, peers and faculties are to be initiated to address the existing problems.

Seasonal trends in antidepressant prescribing, depression, anxiety and self-harm in adolescents and young adults: an open cohort study using English primary care data

BackgroundThere is an increasing demand for mental health services for young people, which may vary across the year.ObjectiveTo determine whether there are seasonal patterns in primary care antidepressant prescribing and...

Peer helpers at the forefront of mental health promotion at Nelson Mandela University: Insights gained during Covid-19

Student counselling centres are struggling to meet the demand for mental health services, which has intensified in recent years. The increased need for mental health services often needs to be managed with limited resources, posing numerous challenges to addressing the demand for mental health support. This challenge calls for innovative ways to address the mental health needs of students and optimise the limited resources available. During the Covid-19 pandemic the peer helpers at Emthonjeni Student Wellness at Nelson Mandela University, in collaboration with the programme coordinator, introduced innovative psycho-educational workshops, virtually, to support students. In reflecting on our journey, we realise our peer helpers were at the forefront of mental health prevention initiatives at a time when many of our students were in dire need of support. The content discussed in the workshops offered valuable insights and tips and these tips could be applied, by participating students, before their mental health deteriorated. These peer-led initiatives expanded our reach and capacity during a period of great stress brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, and they will continue to do so beyond the pandemic. This reflective paper shares the details of our virtual workshops and the insights gained from the process.

Mental health policy and implementation from 2009 to 2020 in China

Mental health is a major component of overall health. Before 2009, the inequity between supply and demand of mental health services in China was extremely prominent, and the mental health service system faced significant challenges. In 2009, China embarked on its new healthcare system reform. The government attributed much more importance to mental health services and introduced a series of policies and measures to improve the mental health service system, as well as personnel service capability and service models. For example, the Mental Health Law was issued, community mental health services were expanded to the whole country, more psychiatric hospitals and clinics were built, the number of psychiatrists was increased through academic education, and a comprehensive mechanism of interdepartmental cooperation in mental health was established to improve service delivery. Furthermore, the mental health of key groups such as children, adolescents and older people was emphasized, and more attention was gradually paid to patients with common mental disorders to realize the stepwise transformation from an individual-focused mental health approach to a public-focused one. Most of the implementations began with pilot projects that developed practical experience and then expanded all over the country. This article summarizes and analyses the important mental health policies and implementations in China from 2009 to 2020 and prioritizes the next steps.

Child and adolescent mental health and social psychiatry

This article stages a discussion on the role of social psychiatry in present-day child and adolescent mental health care. Taking a broad perspective, it considers the growing demand for mental health services for children and young people and how social psychiatry can be situated in the current framework of psychiatry as a medical specialty as well as within child and adolescent mental health care provision more widely. Avenues available to expand social psychiatry’s reach and impact in the field of child and adolescent mental health are also addressed.

Provision of community mental health care before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A time series analysis in Peru.

A consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic was that the provision of mental health services was reduced in several countries around the world, while the demand for mental health services increased. Our study aims to determine any variation in the number of users served, health appointments, and care activities conducted at 58 Peruvian community mental health centers (CMHCs) between March 2019 and October 2021. Our study used an observational design and analyzed information from the care provided in CMHCs. We evaluate the number of users served, health appointments, and care activities performed per month. The main statistical analysis used segmented regression with Newey-West standard errors, taking into account each month of the evaluation. We had 988,456 unique users during the period evaluated. Regarding diagnoses, 7.4% (n = 72,818) had a severe mental problem, 39.4% (n = 389,330) a common mental problem, and 53.2% (n = 526,308) others health problems. The study found a reduction in the number of users served and health care appointments at the 58 CMHCs in March 2020, the month in which the closure measures were declared to reduce COVID-19 infections in Peru. This reduction was followed by an upward trend in the three variables during the pandemic in the 58 CMHCs studied. In, November 2020, 9 months after the pandemic started, the deficit in the average number of users served per month was recovered. Our study suggests that CMHCs in the Peruvian system were able to regain care capacity approximately 1 year after the pandemic. In addition, we discuss the efforts made to respond to mental health needs in the context of a global health crisis.

The effectiveness of nurse practitioner care for patients with mental health conditions in primary care settings: A systematic review

BackgroundThe nurse practitioner (NP) workforce is key to meeting the demand for mental health services in primary care settings. PurposeThe purpose of this study is to synthesize the evidence focused on the effectiveness of NP care for patients with mental health conditions in primary care settings, particularly focused on primary care NPs and psychiatric mental health NPs and patients with anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders. MethodsStudies published since 2014 in the United States studying NP care of patients with anxiety, depression, or substance use disorders in primary care settings were included. FindingsSeventeen studies were included. Four high-quality studies showed that NP evidence-based care and prescribing were comparable to that of physicians. Seven low-quality studies suggest that NP-led collaborative care is associated with reduced symptoms. DiscussionMore high-quality evidence is needed to determine the effectiveness of NP care for patients with mental health conditions in primary care settings.

Practice Exploration and Satisfaction Comparison Based on TEPS Clinical Psychological Counseling Talent Training Model

With the increasing demand for mental health services in society, due to unclear positioning, inconsistent practice, and imperfect system of clinical psychological counseling professional training, the training of clinical psychological counseling professionals cannot meet the needs of society. In order to improve the training level of clinical psychological counseling, this paper constructs an innovative "TEPS" training model for universities and specialized mental health institutions, which for the first time innovates the internship model, enriches and diversifies practical opportunities, exploits strengths and avoids weaknesses, enhances reputation, and cooperates with medical schools in depth, which not only makes up for the lack of discipline training practice, but also improves the professional practice skills of clinical psychological counseling, and at the same time, 50 psychological interns and trainees from a public psychiatric hospital in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province were selected as research objects by the method of cluster sampling. Questionnaire survey and SPSS analysis were used to compare and analyze the satisfaction survey of students under the model to verify the rationality of the model in talent training. The "TEPS" training model is conducive to linking the training of the discipline with the needs of the profession, so that the overall discipline tends to flourish, but at present, the model also needs to be improved in many aspects.

A Study of Anxiety Symptoms in Children and Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Qatar

Background: There is clear evidence showing an increase in mental health symptoms along with an increased demand for mental health services since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: This study aimed to determine the rates of elevated anxiety symptoms in children during the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of Qatar. It also explored any correlated factors. Method: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study with 199 participants (children aged 6–16 years) consulting a dental care center. We used the original English version as well as a previously validated Arabic version of the Parent Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale to measure anxiety symptoms. Results: A total of 29.6% (n = 59) of our sample met the respective elevated cut-off score for overall anxiety disorder. The largest group among the children was elevated levels of physical injury fears 37.6% (n = 75), followed by Social Phobia 36.1% (n = 72). Younger children showed significantly higher scores for total anxiety, separation anxiety, physical injury fears, and generalized anxiety score. Among the gender groups, females reported significantly higher scores of General anxiety disorder. When comparing natives to expatriates, expatriates showed higher scores for total anxiety, physical injury fears score, social phobia score, and generalized anxiety. Conclusions: Overall, this study shows increased rates of clinically elevated anxiety symptoms in children during the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of Qatar. Younger children, females, and expatriates were more vulnerable to the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study highlights the specific psychological vulnerability of this population group during major health crises like the current pandemic.

Psychological Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Mental Health Practitioners in Selangor, Malaysia

Introduction: The Coronavirus disease pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19) has had psychological implications and altered the public’s well-being. In response to the pandemic, mental health practitioners play an essential role in mitigating the adverse psychological effects among the public. However, as the demand for mental health services increases, the responsibilities of mental health professionals are far stretched from what they can handle. Therefore, this research is aimed to explore the psychological impact of the pandemic on the mental health practitioners in Selangor and their coping strategies. Method: A total of 10 mental health practitioners who are clinical psychologists and counselors participated in the one-to-one interview. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis. Result: The higher client loads, the transition to virtual therapy, burnout, and anxiety were found to have an impact on the mental health practitioners’ well-being. Despite the challenging psychological impact, the mental health practitioners expressed a high level of satisfaction with their jobs, which they attributed to the supportive organisational culture and their intrinsic drive for selecting this profession. The mental health practitioners have reported that perceived organisational support, social support, and self-care approaches are effective coping mechanisms. Mindfulness skills such as breathing techniques and meditation are often practiced by the participants to calm the mind and body from a long day of work. Conclusion: The implication of the study contributes to breaking the stigmatisation of help seeking behaviour among the helping professions, as well as urging the policy makers, governments, and foundations to play a part in providing accessible and quality mental healthcare to the society.

How one Kansas CMHC aims to address workforce challenges

Amid increased demand for mental health services and workforce shortages, the CEO of a rural Kansas‐based community mental health center (CMHC), said they have reason to be encouraged about addressing the challenges. Pawnee Mental Health Services in Manhattan, Kansas, recently received a provisional certification for the CMHC to become a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC).

The impact of technology systems and level of support in digital mental health interventions: a secondary meta-analysis

BackgroundThe majority of people with a chronic disease (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, COPD) have more than one concurrent condition and are also at higher risk for developing comorbidities in mental health, including anxiety and depression. There is an urgent need for more relevant and accurate data on digital interventions in this area to prepare for an increase demand for mental health services. The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of the digital mental health interventions for people with comorbid physical and mental chronic diseases to compare the effect of technology systems and level of support.MethodsThis secondary meta-analysis follows a rapid review of systematic reviews, a virtual workshop with knowledge users to identify research questions and a modified Delphi study to guide research methods: What types of digital health interventions (according to a recognized categorization) are the most effective for the management of concomitant mental health and chronic disease conditions in adults? We conducted a secondary analysis of the primary studies identified in the rapid review. Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts and applied inclusion criteria: RCT design using a digital mental health intervention in a population of adults with another chronic condition, published after 2010 in French or English, and including an outcome measurement of anxiety or depression.ResultsSeven hundred eight primary studies were extracted from the systematic reviews and 84 primary studies met the inclusion criteria Digital mental health interventions were significantly more effective than in-person care for both anxiety and depression outcomes. Online messaging was the most effective technology to improve anxiety and depression scores; however, all technology types were effective. Interventions partially supported by healthcare professionals were more effective than self-administered.ConclusionsWhile our meta-analysis identifies digital intervention’s characteristics are associated with better effectiveness, all technologies and levels of support could be used considering implementation context and population.Trial registrationThe protocol for this review is registered in the National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (NCCMT) COVID-19 Rapid Evidence Service (ID 75).

The Impact of COVID-19 on Access to Mental Health Care Services

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the rate of mental health disorders, as well as demand for mental health services. It remains unclear, however, the extent to which it impacted access to mental health care. Using data from an audit field experiment, which ran from January to May 2020 and overlapped with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we examine the impact of COVID-19 on access to mental health care appointments in the United States. We find that increased intensity of COVID-19–measured by daily cases, daily fatalities, and weekly excess deaths–is associated with decreased access to mental health care appointments.

Do Anthropomorphic Chatbots Increase Counseling Satisfaction and Reuse Intention? The Moderated Mediation of Social Rapport and Social Anxiety.

The growing demand for mental health services and artificial intelligence chatbots to replace human agents have led to increased attention to chatbot anthropomorphizing. This study explored the effect of anthropomorphism on counseling satisfaction and reuse intention for chatbot-led mental health counseling and the mediating role of social rapport in the relationship. This study also examined the interaction effect of anthropomorphism and social anxiety on counseling satisfaction and reuse intention. A total of 374 U.S. adults were recruited from an online crowdsourcing company to simulate user-chatbot interactions in the context of mental health counseling. Two chatbots either with a high anthropomorphic design (i.e., human face) or low anthropomorphic design (i.e., robot face) were developed through Dialogflow-a natural language processing engine-to examine the hypotheses. The results revealed that the high anthropomorphic design produced higher counseling satisfaction and reuse intention than the low anthropomorphic design, while this relationship is mediated by the perceived social rapport between chatbot counselors and users. The results further revealed a significant interaction effect of anthropomorphism and social anxiety on counseling satisfaction and reuse intention. The findings of this study are expected to (a) enhance the understanding of the effect of anthropomorphic chatbots on counseling satisfaction and reuse intention, (b) clarify moderating effects of social rapport and social anxiety, and (c) help mental health practitioners and chatbot designers by providing a psychological mechanism of how anthropomorphism functions in the context of human-chatbot interaction.