Help For Mental Health Issues Research Articles

Physician Mental Health During COVID-19: A Call to Action

Physician Mental Health During COVID-19: A Call to Action

Help-Seeking for Mental Health Issues in Professional Rugby League Players.

BackgroundDespite the prevalence and negative consequences of mental health issues among elite athletes, studies suggest many do not seek professional help. Understanding barriers and facilitators to help-seeking is imperative to reduce the burden of mental health symptoms and disorders.AimsThis study aimed to elucidate factors associated with actual help-seeking behavior in professional rugby football league (RFL) players in England and one club in France.DesignA mixed-methods cross-sectional online survey design was used, and completed by 167 professional RFL players.MethodsThe survey consisted of measures of mental health, perceived psychological stress, athletic identity, knowledge of player welfare, and actual help-seeking. Additionally, one open-ended question allowed free-text comments about barriers to help-seeking.ResultsThose who had sought help reported significantly higher psychological stress compared to those who had not sought help. Help-seeking was associated with better mental health literacy and higher perceived psychological stress in a multivariate analysis. The qualitative analysis revealed a number of perceived barriers to help-seeking, of which lower mental health literacy and stigma were the most prominent.ConclusionIn one of the first studies to examine actual help-seeking behavior, professional rugby players who had sought help for mental health and personal issues were characterized by having greater mental health literacy and experiencing greater psychological stress. Players also identified feelings of embarrassment, pride, fear and shame act as barriers to seeking help for mental health issues. These results suggest focusing on increasing mental health literacy and reducing stigma may increase help-seeking behavior for mental health symptoms.

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess Feasibility and Acceptability of Telephone-Based Psychosocial Interventions in Individuals who Attempted Suicide.

Background:Brief contact interventions such as telephone-based contacts appear to be useful in individuals who attempted suicide. Most studies of telephone-based contacts in such individuals typically consisted of frequent phone reminders for adherence to treatment and seeking help for mental health issues. Telephone-based psychosocial interventions that incorporate elements of supportive and problem-solving strategies are of interest in Indian settings due to their potential application in mitigating the wide mental health gap. Feasibility studies of telephone-based psychosocial interventions could help ascertain the difficulties that arise in the implementation of such treatments.Methods:A multicentric randomized controlled trial (RCT) is currently underway in general hospital settings in two Indian cities to study the efficacy of telephone-based psychosocial interventions in individuals with a recent suicide attempt, with routine telephone contacts (TCs) serving as the comparator. Prior to that RCT, this feasibility study was conducted to assess the acceptability of the telephone-based intervention and telephone contacts. Feasibility was assessed using dropout rates. Acceptability was assessed using participant-rated Likert-based visual analog scores from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater acceptability.Results:Dropout rates and mean acceptability scores for telephone-based psychosocial interventions were 38.5% and 8.63, while those for TCs were 41.7% and 7.57, respectively.Conclusions:Telephone-based psychosocial interventions are feasible and acceptable in individuals with a recent suicide attempt.

Stigma and self-efficacy as predictors of intention to seek help among American and Japanese college students

The aim of this study was to examine how people within individualistic and collectivistic cultures differ in their intentions to seek professional mental health help. As such, it was crucial to examine possible predictors of intention to seek help for mental health issues. We explored the cultural differences between American and Japanese students and their intentions to seek help from mental health professionals. A total of 155 undergraduate students from America and 116 undergraduate students from Japan participated in this quantitative study. Participants completed surveys regarding public stigma, self-stigma, self-efficacy, confidence in mental health professionals, and intention to seek help. A 2 × 2 MANOVA was performed to test the hypotheses. The American college students had less public and self-stigma and had more self-efficacy, confidence in mental health professionals, and intention to seek help compared to the Japanese college students. Interventions for eradicating public and self-stigma and increasing self-efficacy are further discussed. Key words: Mental health, public stigma, self-stigma, self-efficacy, confidence in mental health professionals, intention to seek help, college students, cross-cultural research.

Trends in the utilization of a peer-supported youth hotline.

Peer-supported youth hotlines have been in operation for many years but studies on the acceptance of this hotline model or on the demographics of the callers are lacking. This study was performed to examine the utilization of a metropolitan peer-supported youth hotline between 2010 and 2016. The change in demographics, contact channels, and the reasons for contact were analyzed with standard linear regression analysis in 67,478 contacts over 7years. The data revealed a significant increase in hotline utilization from 8008 annual contacts in 2010 to 12,409 contacts in 2016 (p=.03). The majority of contacts were made by 15-year-old and 16-year-old girls, but contacts by children aged 13years old and younger have also increased significantly over the years (p=.003). In 2016, anxiety and stress were among the leading reasons for contact (20.14%), followed by sadness and depression (17.21%), suicidal ideation (14.18%), and self-harm (8.15%). Recommendations for follow-up with outside mental health resources were made in 56.22% of contacts. More than 60% of contacts had found information about the hotline on the Internet. More than 30% used text messaging to reach out to the hotline. Our data indicate that adolescents increasingly utilize a peer-supported youth hotline to get help for mental health concerns. Therefore, it should be explored whether this hotline model could also be used for prevention and early intervention. Peer-supported youth hotlines are well accepted and frequently utilized by adolescents to get help for mental health issues. Our data indicate that peer-supported youth hotlines could be utilized to identify youth at risk for depression and suicide. Further research should evaluate whether peer-supported youth hotlines could serve in the prevention and in early mental health intervention, and how they could be effectively linked to other mental health resources in the community.

Care-seeking behavior and disclosure on self-reported mental health among young women in urban Shanghai, China.

Mental health is a major public health concern in China. Help-seeking behavior typically does not involve professionals. Aim of the study was to assess Shanghai women’s care-seeking behavior for common mental health disorders. Using an online survey, fielding questions regarding perinatal mental health status and help-seeking behavior. A total of 487 women participated. One fifth of participants reporting badwell-being did not seek help for mental distress. A total of 82.2 percent seek online support. A majority entrusted in family and avoided professional contact. Mother-in-laws were the least trusted source of support. Shanghai women avoid seeking professional help for mental health issues. Friends, spouses, and online resources are preferred venues.

Applications of Virtual Reality in Mental Health

This objective of this research is to study the application of virtual reality in health care and to especially comprehend its role in mental health care. The methodology employed in qualitative in nature, mainly descriptive that takes in to consideration the databases of various journals and academic websites. The research paper aims at providing a review and analysis on how virtual reality or the artificial environment is used to treat various health related issues, paying specific attention on the mental health and related ailments. Virtual reality has taken a great leap in the past two decades where its various applications are being used to not only treat different medical conditions but also provide training to the medical professionals, thereby reducing the cost of training manifold. The use of artificial environment has improved the quality of health care in the recent years. However, there are still few challenges that the virtual reality world faces and needs to address. The applications of virtual reality need to be communicated widely as to increase the awareness among people and lessen the stigma attached with getting help for mental health issues.

Psychometric properties of the perceived stigma towards substance users scale: factor structure, internal consistency, and associations with help-seeking variables

ABSTRACTBackground: Stigma toward substance users is a barrier to seeking treatment.Objective: The aim for this paper was to examine the psychometric properties of the Perceived Stigma Toward Substance Users (PSAS) and its relationship with help-seeking variables.Methods: College students (N = 791; nfemales = 557, 70%) responded to the PSAS and other help-seeking-related measures in an online study.Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional factor structure and acceptable model fit after modifications (CFI = .961; TLI = .937; RMSEA = .067, 90% C.I. = .050 to .085; SRMR = .035). Results indicated good internal consistency estimates (α = .80; ω = .80). The PSAS was negatively associated with intent to seek treatment for substance issues and willingness to self-disclose negative emotions. The PSAS was also positively correlated with stigma associated with seeking help for mental health issues, attitudes concerning risk associated with help-seeking, self-concealment, anticipated risks associated with seeking treatment. When embedded within a larger path model that predicts intent to seek treatment for substance use issues (CFI = .925; TLI = .895; RMSEA = .061, 90%C.I. = .052 to .069; p close fit = .019; SRMR = .049), the PSAS had an incremental contribution to predicting the criterion variable even after accounting for frequency of alcohol use-related problems, and stigma and attitudes associated with seeking help for general mental health issues.Conclusion: These findings provide further reliability and validity evidence for PSAS, especially in relation to help-seeking variables. Reducing stigma toward substance users can help increase treatment utilization.

Evaluating mental health literacy in medical students in the United Kingdom

PurposeThere is urgent need to explore medical students’ understandings of mental illness to better support this high-risk group. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate mental health literacy in medical students using the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS), and provide validation of the measure.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 251 participants were recruited from medical schools across the UK. Participants completed demographic details and the MHLS. This paper reports total MHLS scores and their relationships with demographics and experiences with mental illness.FindingsThe mean MHLS score was 127.69. MHL was significantly higher in females, and students in later years of study (p<0.05). Over 40 per cent of respondents reported having personal experience of mental illness. This, as well as having a close friend or family member with a mental illness, was associated with higher MHL (p<0.05).Originality/valueThis study is the first to use the MHLS and provide validation of this measure in medical students. Despite high rates of personal experience with mental health issues, medical students’ average MHLS scores were comparable to studies of non-medical student groups. Medical schools should aim to build students’ confidence in recognising and seeking help for mental health issues from the first year of medical training. MHL is a multi-faceted issue; further work is required to improve awareness of risk factors, to better understand why males demonstrate poorer MHL scores than females, and to work towards improving MHL in males.

Can a mobile app improve mental health service use in 16–25-year olds? An analysis of Afloat

BackgroundSeventy-five per cent of mental health conditions arise before the age of 18 years. However, 18–24-year olds are the least likely to receive care. Barriers to accessing treatment in this group are thought to include a lack of awareness of available services and stigma. eHealth is a strong means of connecting with this vulnerable group.AimTo develop a mobile app which facilitates access to mental health care for young people and to assess its potential impact on service use.MethodIn total 127 participants aged 16–25 years and living in the UK were recruited. Questionnaires were used to assess their mental health status, mental health literacy, resource use, barriers to support, and confidence levels. They were then each invited to download the new Afloat app. After using the app for 3 months these parameters were reassessed via follow-up questionnaires.ResultsPreliminary results from 57 participants showed that 50% of users said they would be more likely to seek help for mental health issues and 50% had more confidence to do so as a result of Afloat. The majority of users said that the app had no impact on their service use. For all services including mental health specialist, GP, medication, online support/apps and hospital/A&E Afloat was more likely to increase rather than decrease service use. The remaining responses are being analysed.ConclusionThe app may help to increase mental health service use in this cohort. A longer trial with qualitative analysis would help to ascertain if these changes were sustained and appropriate.

A Web- and Mobile-Based Map of Mental Health Resources for Postsecondary Students (Thought Spot): Protocol for an Economic Evaluation.

BackgroundYouth demonstrate a low propensity to seek help for mental health issues and exhibit low use of health services despite the high prevalence of mental health challenges in this population. Research has found that delivering interventions via the internet and mobile devices is an effective way to reach youth. Thought Spot, a Web- and mobile-based map, was developed to help transition-aged youth in postsecondary settings overcome barriers to help-seeking, thereby reducing the economic burden associated with untreated mental health issues.ObjectiveThis paper presents the protocol for an economic evaluation that will be conducted in conjunction with a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness and cost of Thought Spot compared with usual care in terms of self-efficacy for mental health help-seeking among postsecondary students.MethodsA partially blinded RCT will be conducted to assess the impact of Thought Spot on the self-efficacy of students for mental health help-seeking. Students from 3 postsecondary institutions in Ontario, Canada will be randomly allocated to 1 of 2 intervention groups (resource pamphlet or Thought Spot) for 6 months. The economic evaluation will focus on the perspective of postsecondary institutions or other organizations interested in using Thought Spot. Costs and resources for operating and maintaining the platform will be reported and compared with the costs and resource needs associated with usual care. The primary outcome will be change in help-seeking intentions, measured using the General Help-Seeking Questionnaire. The cost-effectiveness of the intervention will be determined by calculating the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, which will then be compared with willingness to pay.ResultsThe RCT is scheduled to begin in February 2018 and will run for 6 months, after which the economic evaluation will be completed.ConclusionsWe expect to demonstrate that Thought Spot is a cost-effective way to improve help-seeking intentions and encourage help-seeking behavior among postsecondary students. The findings of this study will help inform postsecondary institutions when they are allocating resources for mental health initiatives.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03412461; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03412461 (Archived at WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6xy5lWpnZ)

Teen Depression Groups on Facebook: A Content Analysis

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed disorders in early adolescence and can lead to a multitude of negative life outcomes, highlighting the need for early and effective intervention to mitigate depressive symptoms. Recognizing the preference of youth to seek informal sources of help for mental health issues, which may include the Internet, the social networking site Facebook was investigated as a potential source of support and help for youth suffering depressive symptoms or disorder. This study examined the content of online Facebook support groups targeting adolescents with depression. A total of 508 posts from six Facebook groups were analyzed. The majority of post content on these Facebook groups consisted of self-disclosure (32.48%), feedback between posters (24.80%), and offers and recommendations of help (24.61%). Posters seem to utilize adolescent Facebook depression groups mainly to connect with those who might share a similar experience and to share information about mental health resources. Future studies should investigate the potential to use the information exchange that occurs in these groups to promote traffic to online and offline evidence-based mental health resources.

Health-related behaviours and mental health in Hong Kong employees

Poor physical and mental health in employees can result in a serious loss of productivity. Early detection and management of unhealthy behaviours and mental health symptoms can prevent productivity loss and foster healthy workplaces. To examine health-related behaviours, mental health status and help-seeking patterns in employees, across different industries in Hong Kong. Participants were telephone-interviewed and assessed using the Case-finding and Help Assessment Tool (CHAT) with employee lifestyle risk factors, mental health issues and help-seeking intentions screened across eight industries. Subsequent data analysis involved descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. There were 1031 participants. Key stressors were work (30%), family (19%), money (14%) and interpersonal issues (5%). Approximately 18, 9 and 9% of participants were smokers, drinkers and gamblers, respectively, and only 51% exercised regularly. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were reported by 24 and 31% of employees, respectively. Issues for which they wanted immediate help were interpersonal abuse (16%), anxiety (15%), anger control (14%) and depression (14%). Employees with higher educational attainment were less likely to smoke, drink and gamble than those with lower attainment. Lifestyle and mental health status were not associated with income. Employees in construction and hotel industries smoked more and those in manufacturing drank more than those in other industries. Physical and mental health of Hong Kong employees are concerning. Although employee assistance programmes are common among large companies, initiation of proactive engagement approaches, reaching out to those employees in need and unlikely to seek help for mental health issues, may be useful.

The stigma of seeking help for mental health issues: mediating roles of support and coping and the moderating role of symptom profile

AbstractA key factor to the prevalence of mental illness might be the disinclination to seek help, perhaps owing to the stigma of mental illness. In two studies, the contribution of severity of depressive symptoms, social support, and unsupport, coping strategies, and salience of psychological versus biological features of depression in relation to perceived self‐ and other‐stigma of help‐seeking for mental health issues were examined. Participants were first year students experiencing a transitional stressor, namely entry to university. Together, the findings point to the contribution of social support and unsupportive interactions, and coping methods to the prediction of perceived stigma of seeking help, but that the framing of mental illness can limit or strengthen these relations.

Gendered Manifestations of Depression and Help Seeking Among Men

Men who do not seek help for mental health problems may experience unnecessary suffering which ultimately affects the well-being of themselves and others. Gendered manifestations of depressive symptoms may play an important role in why some men do not seek help for mental health issues. Using data from 2,382 male respondents in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, the authors examined the relationship that both traditional and male-typical symptoms of depression had on the help-seeking behaviors of men. Traditional symptoms increased the odds of seeking help for depression for all men. Male-typical symptoms, however, did not increase the odds of seeking help for depression or another mental health concern. Both traditional and male-typical symptoms increased the odds of initially seeking help from a medical provider, and men with male-typical symptoms had an overall higher likelihood of seeking help from a medical provider. Consequently, it is important that medical professionals assess for depression even when it is not a presenting concern.

Youth Development Program Participation and Changes in Help-Seeking Intentions

An important effect often overlooked in prevention-based programs is the possibility that positive experiences with a youth development program before youth problems arise may influence families’ willingness to seek mental health support in the future. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of one such youth development program on caregivers’ future intentions to seek help for mental health issues. One hundred twenty-four adolescents (M age = 11.98 years; 87.4 % female; 86.6 % African-American) and 135 caregivers (M age = 37.49 years; 82.1 % female; 80.7 % African-American) participated in a 6-week youth development program that included physical activity and a curriculum consistent with typical youth development programs (self-expression, drug awareness, sexual education, and conflict resolution skills). Prior service utilization, program satisfaction, and initial help-seeking intentions were included as predictors of intentions for seeking help after program completion. Families’ willingness to seek help for child mental health trended towards an increase post-program but did not change in a statistically significant way. Contrary to expectations, child and parent program satisfaction did not mediate any change in help-seeking. This study illustrates that satisfaction with an initial low-dose youth development program does not necessarily bolster most families’ interest in accessing future services, but could be a pathway to future services for some. Future evaluations should continue to assess the long-term effects of program participation to better understand causal mechanisms of shifting attitudes towards seeking more help.

Prevalence of mental health disorders in inflammatory bowel disease: an Australian outpatient cohort.

BackgroundThis study aimed to characterize prevalence of anxiety and depressive conditions and uptake of mental health services in an Australian inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) outpatient setting.MethodsEighty-one IBD patients (39 males, mean age 35 years) attending a tertiary hospital IBD outpatient clinic participated in this study. Disease severity was evaluated according to the Manitoba Index. Diagnosis of an anxiety or depressive condition was based upon the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.ResultsBased on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale subscale scores >8 and meeting Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview criteria, 16 (19.8%) participants had at least one anxiety condition, while nine (11.1%) had a depressive disorder present. Active IBD status was associated with higher prevalence rates across all anxiety and depressive conditions. Generalized anxiety was the most common (12 participants, 14.8%) anxiety condition, and major depressive disorder (recurrent) was the most common depressive condition reported (five participants, 6.2%). Seventeen participants (21%) reported currently seeking help for mental health issues while 12.4% were identified has having at least one psychological condition but not seeking treatment.ConclusionWe conclude that rates of anxiety and depression are high in this cohort, and that IBD-focused psychological services should be a key component of any holistic IBD service, especially for those identified as having active IBD.

Psychiatry's Next Generation: Teaching College Students About Mental Health.

The authors describe an integrated area of study for undergraduate college students that targets an increase in knowledge of mental health issues in children, adolescents, and emerging adults; encourages mental health service utilization on college campuses; and exposes young minds to the possibilities of working with children and adolescents in the mental health field. An overview of the program is provided, including the resources required to oversee and manage the program, student requirements, a description of the role that clinicians and researchers play as the program faculty, and an explanation of the tuition model. The program currently includes 40 courses with an annual enrollment of over 3000 students, resulting in departmental revenues that currently exceed $11 million per year. Student evaluations of the courses are very positive, and in a program survey students reported that their participation in the program had a positive impact on their life (84.2%) and impacted their career choice (60.2%). The benefits of the program include a valuable outreach to college students regarding the importance of seeking help for mental health issues, a positive influence on early career decision-making, opportunities for clinical and research educators to develop their scholarly areas of interest, and a significant source of departmental discretionary revenues.

Dilemmas Families Face in Talking With Returning U.S. Military Service Members About Seeking Professional Help for Mental Health Issues

Drawing on Goldsmith’s (2004) normative theory, this article maps dilemmas family members experience when talking with returning service members (SMs) about seeking mental health care. Eighty family members of United States SMs who served in Iraq or Afghanistan read a scenario where their SM was displaying posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression symptoms. Participants described goals they would pursue, barriers they might encounter, and advice they would give others in the situation. Four dilemmas of talking about mental health emerged: (a) getting you to recognize the problem without implying you’re not normal, (b) convincing you to seek help without implying you’re weak, (c) being persistent but patient, and (d) wanting you to open up without implying I can understand. Family members reported using four groups of strategies to manage these dilemmas. Directions for expanding the concept of dilemmas as “paradoxes” and for supporting military families as well as rethinking policy assumptions are discussed.

Creating CHOIS: A Recovery-Oriented PROMIS-Based Measure for Mental Health Screening and Outcomes

The National Institutes of Health Patient Reported Outcomes Medical Information System (PROMIS) measures a few important domains of mental health, but does not yet measure some other important psychiatric symptoms, nor does it include recovery factors and strengths such as social connectedness, self-esteem, and coping ability. The CHOIS is a recovery-oriented PROMIS-based instrument designed to supplement traditional PROMIS administration by attempting to fill in these gaps in mental health assessment. It was cre ated for settings that do not primarily focus on mental health issues such as primary care, non-psychiatric hospitals, and substance abuse services. It adds specific symptoms of mental disorders based on DSM-IV-TR, positive recovery factors that were drawn from focus groups of people with mental illnesses, andresponse inconsistency indicators. We first implemented the measure across 13 Alcohol and Drug Services programs as a screening measure and outcomes tool, and measured internal consistency of the scales among a wide variety of participants. Among the 3,712 people who completed the measure, the internal consistency of the scales was as follows: Depression .93, Anxiety .89, Anger .87, Psychosis .79, Cognition .71, and Recovery Factors .90. All of the scales were significantly correlated with functional limitations and wanting help for mental health issues. The CHOIS could become an important tool for allowing valid and comprehensive immediate use of the still-developing PROMIS in a variety of settings as a mental health screening and outcomes instrument. It works seamlessly as a supplement to the entire PROMIS outcomes system that measures other important health constructs, and creates a more recovery-oriented focus for healthcare systems, even in non-psychiatric settings.