Perceptions Of Health Professionals Research Articles

Mental health professionals' perceptions on health promotion needs among people with severe mental health disorders through the co-production approach.

People who suffer from severe mental health disorders are also at high risk of developing other serious health problems. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors combined with low self-care and low health literacy among people with severe mental health disorders highlight the need to design health promotion interventions in this population group. A qualitative study was carried out with the aim of investigating the perceptions among mental health professionals on the health promotion needs of people with severe mental health disorders through the co-production approach. Two focus groups were conducted with 20 mental health professionals working in mental health community settings in Attica, Greece. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Regarding health promotion needs, four major themes emerged: 1) psycho-education, 2) self-care skills, 3) institutional interventions, and 4) experiential education. Concerning co-production in health promotion, three main themes emerged: 1) participatory process, 2) services evaluation, and 3) co-production training. The findings of the study provide valuable insights into the perceptions of mental health professionals and can be taken into account in contributing to the design and implementation of health promotion programs for people with severe mental health disorders.

Perception of Health Professionals on Brain Drain in Nepalese Health Sector

Health workers are professionals who are engaged in the delivery of healthcare services to individuals. They include a wide range of roles such as doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, and support staff who provide clinical services to patients. They also encompass community health workers and public health professionals who work on disease prevention, health education, and improving access to healthcare. Health workers are essential for the functioning of health systems and play a critical role in ensuring the health and well-being of the population. Brain drain is increasing in Nepal day by day due to the many reasons, including the desire for better pay, work conditions, quality of life, high opportunities, more working hours, personal growth that make health workers leave. This situation is creating problem for Nepal’s health services. The main purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of health professionals regarding brain drain in Nepal’s health sector. Through in-depth interviews and focused group discussions with various stakeholders, including doctors, nurses, pharmacist, health informatics, front line manager, the research aims to uncover the underlying factors contributing to emigration of skilled health workers. This study also examines the impact on Nepal’s healthcare system and suggest strategies to mitigate the loss of talent. This research contributes the deeper understanding of brain drain and provides insights for policy development to strengthen Nepal’s health sector.

Environmentally sustainable person-centred care: Occupational therapy students' attitudes, perceptions and self-perceived preparedness for practice.

Climate change threatens the environments in which person-centred occupational therapy occurs. Environmental sustainability is directly linked with the health and wellbeing of current and future generations, presenting occupational therapists with a unique advocacy and activist role. As practitioners of the future, there is an urgent need to understand students' attitudes, perceptions of, and self-perceived preparedness for, dealing with environmental determinants of health and intergenerational occupational and climate justice. A cross-sectional exploratory descriptive survey collected United Kingdom (UK) based allied health professional students' attitudes, perceptions, and self-perceived preparedness for advocating for environmental sustainability in the context of person-centred care. The survey was distributed to 48 gatekeepers in UK institutions with approved allied health professional training programmes (44 offered occupational therapy); 62 occupational therapy students responded. Descriptive and non-parametric inferential statistics were used to analyse quantitative data. Text and short answers were analysed qualitatively via inductive content analysis. The study was co-designed and implemented with MSc (pre-registration) occupational therapy students. Participants (94%) expressed concerns for climate change, with 84% feeling responsible for addressing environmental sustainability in health care. While 64.5% identified climate justice as a top priority, a perceived challenge emerged between person-centred care and sustainability, with only 18% of participants feeling prepared for environmental sustainability in occupational therapy practice. Participants requested education on personal and professional sustainability practices, as well as collective action. Sharing personal climate change experiences, advocating with family and friends, and facilitating connections for collective action were highlighted as potentially transformative educational tools in this area. Occupational therapy curricula should address environmental sustainability through pragmatic, critical, and ethical lenses to enhance students' preparedness for this advocacy and activist role. Reflection and continuous professional development for environmentally sustainable practices is recommended. Occupational therapists believe that it is important to support people to participate in occupations that matter to them. However, the activities that some people choose to participate in may have negative effects on the environment and the planet. It is important to ensure that when occupational therapists support people in their choices of activities, this does not lead to unequal access to healthy and meaningful occupations of others, now or in the future. That is because occupational therapists also have a responsibility to prevent occupational injustice. Occupational therapy students are the professionals of the future, so it is important to include them in research about this topic. They need to develop skills that allow them to simultaneously make sure that they are delivering person-centred care, which is not environmentally detrimental and that does not lead to occupational injustice. Making sure that occupational therapists provide person-centred care while also managing risks of occupational injustice may be seen as a profession-specific dilemma. In this study, occupational therapy students in the UK completed a survey about their feelings, views, and readiness for managing this dilemma. Results showed that most respondents are concerned about climate change, but do not feel that their occupational therapy education sufficiently prepared them to practise in an environmentally sustainable way. They were asked to propose ideas for addressing this issue, and the article discusses how occupational therapy curricula might be changed in accordance.

Health professionals’ perceptions of electronic health records system: a mixed method study in Ghana

BackgroundElectronic Health Record systems (EHRs) offer significant benefits and have transformed healthcare in developed countries. However, their implementation and adoption in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains low due to challenges and competing interests. Health professionals’ perception of EHRs can influence their adoption and continued use. The objectives of this study are to explore the perception of health professionals regarding implemented EHR systems in three hospitals in Ghana and identify factors influencing their perception and satisfaction.MethodsIn this study, we employed a concurrent mixed method design to collect data from study participants from May to June 2023. The quantitative part employed a descriptive-survey and the qualitative (in-depth interview) techniques was applied. After obtaining written informed consent from each respondent, a structured survey questionnaire was filled out by the health professionals from three hospitals. An a priori power calculation was used to determine the sample size for the quantitative component. Two hundred and sixty-three (263) health professionals completed the questionnaire from the three facilities. A purposive sampling technique was used to select fifteen [1] participants for the interviews. A semi-structured interview guide was used for the in-depth interviews. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded into themes using QSR Nvivo 12 software before thematic content analysis.ResultsOur findings revealed that 213 (80.99%) health professionals perceived the EHRs as beneficial to patients and were generally satisfied. An overwhelming majority, 197 (74.90%) of the health professionals, were satisfied with its use and expressed interest in continuing to use the system. The majority of health professionals viewed the EHRs to have improved their work and workflow processes and provided the desired results. However, few other health professionals were dissatisfied with the system because they viewed the EHRs as frustrating due to unstable internet connectivity and power supply. Other concerns were related to the privacy and confidentiality of patient information. They believe access to patient information should be on a need-to-know basis, and patient information should not be accessible to all other clinicians except those involved directly in their care processes.ConclusionThe study revealed that health professionals have a positive perception of the implemented EHRs, are highly satisfied with them, and are interested in continuing to use them. However, health professionals’ concerns about the unstable power supply, poor internet connectivity, security, and confidentiality of patient’s information need attention, to mitigate their frustrations and boost their confidence in the system.

Optimizing e-Learning in CPD: Preferences and Perceptions of Health Professionals.

Continuing professional development for health professionals increasingly relies on e-learning. However, there is insufficient research into the instructional strategies health professionals prefer to engage with in e-learning. An empirical study was undertaken to answer the research question: What instructional strategies do learners prefer in e-learning modules to improve their learning experience? The Department of Health Professions Education at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences developed six, stand-alone, self-paced modules for health professionals focusing on education and leadership. The module evaluation survey consisted of six Likert scale questions and two open-ended questions. Responses from these anonymized module evaluations from 2019 to 2022 were analyzed. Descriptive statistics for the Likert scale questions were calculated. Responses to the two open-ended questions were compiled and analyzed thematically. All survey respondents found the content of the modules helpful and met their stated learning objectives. A majority (94%) agreed or strongly agreed that readings and videos increased their knowledge in the topic area and that quizzes effectively strengthened their understanding of the topics. Four themes emerged from the qualitative data: pedagogical strategies, technology issues, feedback and interaction, and transfer of learning. This study foregrounds the voice of the learner, which emphasizes health professionals' preference for instructional strategies that align with their needs as adult learners. The findings highlight the value of content relevance, expert creation, and authentic examples in enhancing learner satisfaction.

A scoping review exploring people's perceptions of healthcare uniforms.

Healthcare staff uniforms are a subject of debate in the UK, and this is particularly true in the case of less understood roles such as advanced nurse practitioners. Aim: This review explores what is known about people's perceptions of health professionals' uniforms. A mixed methods scoping review following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. Five databases (CINAHL, ASSIA, PsycINFO, and EMBASE) and several search engines were searched. Eligible reports were peer-reviewed English-language studies using any methodology to explore people's perceptions of different uniforms for health professionals. Forty-six studies (mainly from North America) were included, presenting a variety of perspectives on the uniforms worn by doctors, nurses and other health professionals. Culture and context likely influence how uniforms are understood. Practitioners should consider how this may affect communication with both patients and colleagues. What health professionals wear matters, particularly in relation to less well understood roles.

Exploring the Perceptions of Indian Mental Health Professionals Regarding Areca (Betel) Nut Products: A Cross-sectional Study.

Areca nut (AN) and AN products (ANPs) are commonly used as psychoactive substances with marked dependence potential. Scant information exists on the Indian mental health professionals' (MHPs) knowledge of AN-ANPs, attitude toward AN-ANP use/users, and behavior regarding their clients' AN-ANP use. To address this gap, a survey was undertaken to assess MHPs' knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral responses toward AN-ANP use and addiction. We developed a pretested, customized questionnaire and conducted a cross-sectional online survey among a random sample of MHPs. The 209 respondents included 91 psychiatrists, 105 clinical psychologists, and 13 other MHPs from diverse settings. Among them, 46.89% believed that AN-ANP use does not fit the definition of abuse/addiction as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition or International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10)/ICD-11. Among the psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and other MHPs, 60.4%, 48.6%, and 61.5% were unaware of any AN-ANP cessation protocols. The addictive potential of AN-ANP with tobacco was rated as severe by 68.1% of psychiatrists and 51.4% of clinical psychologists; 46.2% of other MHPs rated it as moderate. The addictive potential of AN-ANP without tobacco was rated as moderate by 50.5% of clinical psychologists and mild by 46.2% of psychiatrists. Of the sample, 67.46% discussed the harmful effects of AN-ANPs with clients, while 74.6% said a few or none of their clients sought help for AN-ANP cessation. Major lacunae were detected in the understanding of Indian MHPs about the addictive potential of AN-ANPs, management aspects, etc. An urgent need has been revealed for sensitization programs on AN-ANPs and the development of evidence-based cessation protocols.

Balint groups: an effective tool for improving health professionals’ perceived well-being

BackgroundPhysician burnout is a common problem that negatively impacts their well-being and patient care. Balint groups (BGs) deal with doctor-patient relationships. Previous studies that have demonstrated the positive effects of BGs are descriptive and based on small sample sizes. This study aims to evaluate the perceptions of health professionals who participated in BGs, determine the impact of BGs on their personal and professional well-being, and identify the factors related to these positive outcomes.MethodsOn January and February 2023 the authors have distributed a questionnaire to 142 healthcare providers in a conference and internet networks. Most respondents were family physicians.ResultsParticipation in BGs is seen to have a positive impact on healthcare professionals’ perceived well-being and professional development. Respondents who had participated in the BG reported a reduction in burnout, increased empathy, and enhanced professional identity and relationships with patients and colleagues. The study also highlighted the importance of duration of participation in BG, with attendance longer than 5 years linked to significantly more positive outcomes compared to less than 1 year. In a logistic regression analysis two factors were significantly associated with self-reported well-being: attending BGs for more than five years and perceiving BGs as a means of relieving burnout.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that medical organizations should encourage the regular availability of BGs to support physicians’ well-being.

The Perception and Roles of School Mental Health Professionals Regarding School Bullying (Suluk Audwani) in Oman: A Qualitative Study in an Urban Setting.

With increasing mental health risks among school populations and prevalent bullying, school mental health professionals (SMHP) are crucial globally. This study explores the perspectives of SMHP on bullying in Omani schools, focussing on definitions, types, current practices, and future strategies. Involving 50 Omani SMHP from Muscat Governorate with at least three years of experience, data was collected through structured interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis. Six key themes emerged: The definition of bullying, its components, common types, current anti-bullying practices, challenges, and future suggestions. Bullying, termed "سلوكعدواني" (Suluk Audwani), meaning aggressive behavior, includes five components: perpetrators, victims, harmful behavior, spectators, and psychosocial factors. Verbal bullying, physical bullying, and cyberbullying are common and vary by age. SMHP frequently employ awareness-raising and psychological first aid. Challenges include resistance from students and parents and institutional barriers. In the future, SMHP will emphasize greater awareness to effectively address Suluk Audwani. Oman has adopted international best practices to recruit SMHP. SMHP's perspectives on Suluk Audwani reflect both their training and Omani cultural influences. Future research should explore various social strata to improve evidence-based understanding and prevention of Suluk Audwani.

Responding to the needs of survivors of intimate partner violence in Lithuania: perceptions of mental health and social care professionals

ABSTRACT Around eight-out-of-ten survivors of domestic violence in Lithuania are women, and of those, eight-out-of-ten suffer violence specifically from their intimate partners (IPV). Women who experience IPV are at higher risk of having mental health conditions. This study aims to explore the perspectives of mental health and social care professionals regarding the provision of mental health support to IPV survivors in Lithuania. Four focus groups were conducted among 29 service providers from across the country. Audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically using MAXQDA software. The five main themes derived from the analysis reveal: 1) low levels of IPV awareness among IPV survivors who seek support with their mental health; 2) a lack of specialized training among professionals as a barrier to effective support; 3) a low prioritization on the national level; 4) little inter-sectoral collaboration which undermines the complexity of needed responses; 5) broader systemic problems. The provision of mental health support to IPV survivors lacks the recognition that IPV is gender-based violence and a major public (mental) health problem. The complexity of needed services is absent. Further research needs to explore the utilization of mental health services by IPV survivors and their perceptions concerning it.

Seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii and potential tick vectors infesting domestic ruminants and community perception of the disease in pastoral areas of south Omo zone, southern Ethiopia

BackgroundQ fever is a worldwide occurring neglected zoonotic disease with great economic importance. The etiological agent, Coxiella burnetii, is a bacterium usually associated with subclinical infections in livestock, but may also cause reproductive pathology and spontaneous abortions in artiodactyl species including goats, sheep and cattle which are deemed to be the primary reservoirs of this disease. AimsThe present cross-sectional and questionnaire survey was undertaken in three districts of the South Omo zone with the aims to comprehend the community perception of livestock keepers and professionals about the disease, estimate the seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii) in cattle and small ruminants and to determine the species of potential tick vectors of C. burnetii infesting cattle, sheep and goats. MethodsA standard questionnaire was used to assess the community perception of livestock keepers and animal health professionals in the area about Q fever. Sera samples were collected from 1350 ruminants comprising 450 cattle, 450 goats and 450 sheep to detect C. burnetii antibodies using the ELISA technique. Furthermore, a total of 279 cattle, 197 goats and 73 sheep were examined for the presence of ticks, and overall, 2720 ticks were collected (1299 from cattle, 1020 from goats and 401 from sheep) and identified to the species level using morphologically identification keys. ResultsFindings of the study indicated that 43% of animal owners were aware of the main symptoms of the disease while the remaining 57% did not notice these symptoms in their animals. Additionally, majority of animal health professionals 76.2% in the area reported they were familiar with the causative agent of Q fever, while 23.8% expressed uncertainty regarding the cause of coxiellosis. An overall seroprevalence of C. burnetii of 37.6% in cattle (37.4% in female and 37.8% in male cattle) and 28.7% in small ruminants was recorded (which is significantly higher in goats than in sheep). The study indicated statistically significantly higher seroprevalence of C. burnetii (49.8%) in cattle infested with ticks than in those cattle free of ticks (24.2%), with three times higher seropositivity (OR = 2.97, p = 0.000) as compared to those cattle free of ticks (24.2%). Similarly, statistically significantly higher seroprevalence of C. burnetii was recorded in both sheep and goats infested with ticks (43.6%) as compared to those animals without ticks (22.9%), with the former being twice as likely to test seropositive (OR = 2.15, p = 0.000). A total of nine different tick species were identified, namely Amblyomma variegatum (Am. variegatum) with 26.3% (342; 217 males, 101 females and 24 nymphs), Amblyomma cohaerens (Am. cohaerens) with 47.96% (370 males, 253 females), Amblyomma gemma (Am. gemma) with 4.00% (52; 29 males, 23 female), Rhipicephalus pulchellus (Rh. pulchellus) with 10.6% (138; 87 males, 51 females), Rhipicephalus pravus (Rh. pravus) with 0.2% (3; 2 males, 1 females), Rhipicephalus evertsi (Rh. evertsi) with 4.7% (61; 39 males, 22 females), Rhipicephalus praetextatus (Rh. praetextatus) with 0.8% (10; 7 males, 3 females), Rhipicephalus decoloratus (Rh decoloratus) with 2.9% (38; 4 males, 34 females) and Hyalomma truncatum (Hy. truncatum) with 2.5% (32 females). ConclusionThe present study highlighted the significance of Q fever in ruminants and compiled information about the community perception of livestock keepers and veterinary professionals of the study areas. The role of ruminants and their ticks in the epidemiology of C. burnetii requires further research using molecular tools to better understand appropriate method of intervention that will help to reduce negative impacts on the productivities of livestock and the health of humans in Ethiopia.

An exploratory factor analysis of health professional perceptions of integrating spirituality in daily patient care

Introduction: Spirituality is very subjective, and it is commonly assumed as the modifiable factors that can affect the quality of life among elderly, where elderly is referred to the male or female with the age of above 60 years old. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the perception of nurses toward spirituality in nursing care practice among the patients. Methods: An exploratory sequential design using qualitative study [N=24] by collecting data via face-to-face interview in Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. The spirituality tool was analysed using four categories: 1) Believe, 2) Faith, 3) Emotion and 4) Practice. Results: The reliability of the dimensions was all high as the Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients were above 0.90. Therefore, this spirituality measurement tool can be considered highly reliable. It was found, there was significant relationship between age, ethnicity, religion, versus the four-spiritual dimension. However, the results showed that there is no relationship between gender and spirituality dimension. Conclusion: In conclusion spirituality play large role throughout the individual and variances of cultural and closely context toward nursing. The spiritual care encompasses beliefs that significantly give meaning to the life of an individual, and then able to motivate individuals where may enhance the faith, hope, peace, and empowerment to an individual health. It was used to construct a profile of elderly in Malaysia, and it may be applied to profile elderly in other countries.

Caring for people with non-communicable diseases: the views and experiences of health and social care professionals in Uganda

Resource-limited health systems in sub-Saharan Africa struggle to provide population-wide high-quality primary healthcare, with particular concerns relating to professional workforce issues and the role of family caregivers. This qualitative study design explores the perceptions of (n = 19) health and social care professionals of the challenges they face in caring for individuals living with non-communicable diseases in Uganda. Identified challenges resulted from staffing and resource limitations, with wider issues relating to poverty and the burden placed on carers. As non-communicable diseases continue to rise, these empirical findings can inform developments in policy and service delivery in low and middle-income country contexts.

Continuing Professional Development Program in Health Facilities in Rwanda: A Qualitative Study on the Perceptions of Health Professionals.

Continuous professional development (CPD) is an important pillar in healthcare service delivery. Health professionals at all levels and disciplines must continuously update their knowledge and skills to cope with increasing professional demands in the context of a continuously changing spectrum of diseases. This study aimed to assess the CPD programs available in healthcare facilities (HFs) in Rwanda. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using purposive sampling. Accordingly, the respondents belonged to different categories of health professionals, namely nurses, midwives, laboratory technicians, pharmacists, general practitioners, and specialist doctors. Thirty-five participants from district, provincial, and national referral hospitals were interviewed between September and October 2020. A thematic analysis was conducted using Atlas ti.7.5.18, and the main findings for each theme were reported as a narrative summary. The CPD program was reported to be available, but not for all HPs and HFs, because of either limited access to online CPD programs or limited HF leaders. Where available, CPD programs have sometimes been reported to be irrelevant to health professionals and patients' needs. Furthermore, the planning and implementation of current CPD programs seldom involves beneficiaries. Some HFs do not integrate CPD programs into their daily activities, and current CPD programs do not accommodate mentorship programs. The ideal CPD program should be designed around HPs and service needs and delivered through a user-friendly platform. The motivators for HPs to engage in CPD activities include learning new things that help them improve their healthcare services and license renewal. This study provides an overview of the status and perceptions of the CPD program in HFs in Rwanda and provides HPs' insights on the improvements in designing a standardized and harmonized CPD program in Rwanda.

PERCEPTIONS OF DEATH AND ATTITUDES RELATED TO DEATH WITH DIGNITY OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND CAREGIVERS

Purpose: This descriptive research was conducted to determine the death perceptions and attitudes of healthcare professionals and caregivers. Method: The research was conducted with 56 health professionals and 65 caregivers working in the palliative care unit. As a data collection tool; descriptive characteristics form, "Attitudes Towards Death Scale", "Attitudes Evaluation Scale Towards Respectable Death Principles" were used. Results: The average score of health professionals on the Attitudes Towards Death Scale is 4.3849±1.29288, and the average score of caregivers is 4.4856±0.77818. The average score of health professionals on the Attitude Scale towards Dignified Death Principles is 3.9330±1.0221, and the average score of caregivers is 3.4936±1.4554. Perceptions of health professionals' Attitudes Towards Death and Principles of Dignified Death; It was found that it was affected by having children, education, and the previous loss of a relative, and caregivers were affected by the frequency of thinking about death and their level of education. It was determined that there was a positive, moderate relationship between the Escape Acceptance dimension, which is one of the sub-dimensions of the Health Professionals' Attitudes Towards Death Scale, and the Attitude Towards Respectable Death Principles (p

Health professional attitudes and perceptions of prehabilitation and nutrition before haematopoietic cell transplantation.

Nutritional prehabilitation may improve haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) outcomes, although little evidence exists. The present study aimed to understand healthcare professional (HCP) perceptions of prehabilitation and nutritional care pre-HCT in UK centres. An anonymous online survey (developed and refined via content experts and piloting) was administered via email to multidisciplinary HCPs in 39 UK adult centres, between July 2021 and June 2022. Data are presented as proportions of responses. Routine provision denotes that care was provided >70% of time. Seventy-seven percent (n = 66) of HCPs, representing 61.5% (n = 24) of UK adult HCT centres, responded. All HCPs supported prehabilitation, proposing feasible implementation between induction chemotherapy (60.4%; n = 40) and first HCT clinic (83.3%; n = 55). Only 12.5% (n = 3) of centres had a dedicated prehabilitation service. Nutrition (87.9%; n = 58), emotional wellbeing (92.4%; n = 61) and exercise (81.8%; n = 54) were considered very important constituents. HCPs within half of the HCT centres (n = 12 centres) reported routine use of nutrition screening pre-HCT with a validated tool; 66.7% of HCPs (n = 36) reported using the malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST). Sixty-two percent (n = 41) of HCPs reported those at risk, received nutritional assessments, predominantly by dietitians (91.6%; n = 22) using the dietetic care process (58.3%; n = 14). Body mass index (BMI) was the most frequently reported body composition measure used by HCPs (70.2%, n = 33). Of 59 respondents, non-dietitians most routinely provided dietary advice pre-HCT (82.4%; n = 28 vs. 68%; n = 17, p = 0.2); including high-energy/protein/fat and neutropenic diet advice. Prophylactic enteral feeding pre-HCT was rare, indicated by low BMI and significant unintentional weight loss. Just under half (n = 25 of 59, 42.4%) HCPs reported exercise advice was given routinely pre-HCT. Nutrition and prehabilitation pre-HCT are considered important and deliverable by HCPs, but current provision in UK centres is limited and inconsistent.

Public perception of psychiatry, psychology and mental health professionals: a 15-year analysis.

X (previously known as "Twitter") serves as a platform for open discussions on mental health, providing an avenue for scrutinizing public perspectives regarding psychiatry, psychology and their associated professionals. To analyze the conversations happening on X about psychiatrists, psychologists, and their respective disciplines to understand how the public perception of these professionals and specialties has evolved over the last 15 years. We collected and analyzed all tweets posted in English or Spanish between 2007 and 2023 referring to psychiatry, psychology, neurology, mental health, psychiatrist, psychologist, or neurologist using advance topic modelling and sentiment analysis. A total of 403,767 tweets were analyzed, 155,217 (38%) were in English and 248,550 (62%) in Spanish. Tweets about mental health and mental health professionals and disciplines showed a consistent volume between 2011 and 2016, followed by a gradual increase from 2016 through 2022. The proportion of tweets discussing mental health doubled from 2016 to 2022, increasing from 20% to 67% in Spanish and from 15% to 45% in English. Several differences were observed on the volume of tweets overtime depending on the language they were written. Users associated each term with varied topics, such as seeking for help and recommendation for therapy, self-help resources, medication and side effects, suicide prevention, mental health in times of crisis, among others. The number of tweets mentioning these topics increased by 5-10% from 2016 to 2022, indicating a growing interest among the population. Emotional analysis showed most of the topics were associated with fear and anger. The increasing trend in discussions about mental health and the related professionals and disciplines over time may signify an elevated collective awareness of mental health. Gaining insights into the topics around these matters and user's corresponding emotions towards them presents an opportunity to combat the stigma surrounding mental health more effectively.

The perception of Romanian mental health professionals on electroconvulsive therapy

IntroductionThe journey for the electroconvulsive therapy began in 1938, when convulsive seizures induced by electrical stimulus were used, for the first time, in the therapy of patients diagnosed with Schizophrenia. Over the time, this therapy remains an important one, due to its applicability and necessity in the therapeutic management of patients with psychiatric pathology.ObjectivesElectroconvulsive therapy has evolved as a technique, nowadays being applied under induced intravenous anesthesia with the administration of oxygen on the mask, and from 2001, the sinus electrical stimulus has been replaced by the one in the form of a short pulse, upon the recommendation of professional organizations, in order to increase its therapeutic effectiveness. However, this form of therapy continues to be stigmatized, largely due to the way it is presented in the mass media. The objective of this work was to analyze how mental health professionals perceive electroconvulsive therapy.MethodsWe conducted a study in which we used a questionnaire applied to the Romanian professionals in the field of mental health.ResultsThe results were analyzed in accordance with the objective of the study.ConclusionsThrough this analysis we wanted to understand how electroconvulsive therapy is seen through the eyes of mental health professionals and to identify those aspects that can help us in carrying out information programs, with a major impact on mental health, in order to reduce stigma forasmuch the therapeutic benefits of electroconvulsive therapy outweigh the possible risks.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Evaluation of the Usability of a Serious Game in Virtual Reality with a Focus on the Perception and Experience of Health Professionals for Motor Rehabilitation in Children with Cerebral Palsy.

Introduction: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a nonprogressive neuropathological condition that requires lifelong neurocognitive-motor rehabilitation. Evidences indicate that the use of new technologies to assist in rehabilitation processes, such as serious games in virtual reality (VR), have served as adjuncts to therapy and capable of promoting engagement, motivation, and motor activation for these patients. Objective: To investigate the usability of a serious game in VR to help with the stability and balance of the head and trunk of children with CP, focusing on the perception and experience of health professionals. Methods: The collection was carried out with health professionals, and the results were comprehensively evaluated through viability by means of the total score, number of correct answers, number of errors, and level of difficulty during the execution of the game, which were collected from the performance report generated by the application. System satisfaction was also verified by the System Usability Scale (SUS). Results: The mean obtained from the total score of the SUS was 82.10 ± 12.66 points, being considered of high usability for the suggested purpose. The professionals' opinion about the usability of the system did not change due to the performance during the game. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the developed rehabilitation program has successfully delivered the experience to exercise the head control and trunk balance of subjects with CP.

Perceptions of Mental Health Professionals on Nutritional Psychiatry as an Adjunct Treatment in Mainstream Psychiatric Settings in New South Wales, Australia.

Background Nutritional psychiatry refers to the practice of using food, or nutrition, as alternative or complementary treatment for mental health disorders. It is a growing area of research that has shown links between the biological processes in the gut and how the food we consume can impact cognitive function, which then can impact our mood and behaviour. However, there is a lack of understanding on the knowledge and education of nutritional psychiatry in mental health clinicians, and further, how nutritional psychiatry, if at all, is practised in psychiatric clinical settings. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the perceptions, knowledge, and education of mental health professionals within the state of New South Wales, Australia regarding their clinical practice and knowledge of nutritional psychiatry. Methods In this cross-sectional study, a self-administered structured questionnaire created by the authors was successfully completed by 40 mental health professionals (mental health nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists, medical officers, and other allied health workers) who were working in New South Wales, Australia. 49 questionnaires were attempted with nine excluded due to these being predominantly incomplete, including demographic data only or empty,ensuring integrity of the remaining data and analysis. The questionnaire aimed to uncover their perceptions, knowledge, and education in nutritional psychiatry and its role in mental health settings. The questionnaire included 16 questions that covered various themes such as the frequency and importance of discussing nutrition with patients, nutrition referrals for issues regarding nutrition, the value of including nutritional psychiatry in their clinical practice, and clinician training and willingness to train or gain further education in nutritional psychiatry. Data was analysed through a series of frequency tables to categorise patterns and identify patternsthrough the use of descriptive statistics in our analysis of the distribution of attitudes and practicesamong mental health professionals regarding nutritional psychiatry. Results A total of 40 mental health clinicians successfully completed the survey and their results were analysed. The results suggest that most clinicians (85% to 93%) recognised the importance of nutrition in mental health, however, revealed variousbarriers which hinderedtheir clinical practice such as a lack of time, knowledge, and access to nutritional services. Further, 54% of clinicians rated their knowledge of nutritional psychiatry as low, however, 92% revealed that they would attend nutritional psychiatry training if given the opportunity. Additionally, the clinicians reported varied levels of education in nutrition, with 43% reporting no education at all on nutrition in their preclinical studies. Conclusions Clinicians recognise the importance of nutrition in mental health settings, but revealed lack of time, knowledge, and nutritional services as barriers in clinical practice. Further, clinicians reported a lack of pre-clinical education on nutrition together with an overwhelming interest in engaging with nutritional psychiatry education if it were made available. These conclusions provide important insights for higher education and health policy.