Treatment Of Mental Health Problems Research Articles

Traditional healing in Kisii County, Kenya: a personal narrative.

This article describes the author's experiences growing up in a family of traditional healers, an account of early guidance by her grandmother, a severe illness that influenced her to become a healer and the values that are central to her own work as a traditional healer who specialises in treatment of mental health problems. The impact of colonisation on traditional healing practices in Africa is highlighted.

Suicide among men

Abstract: In the US each year, 80% of suicide deaths occur among men. As primary care is often the front door to identification and treatment of mental health problems, NPs in this setting are poised, with training in appropriate skills and tools, to recognize warning signs and risk factors in these patients as well as deliver necessary care and interventions to them. By being aware of known risk factors, identifying warning signs, communicating in a therapeutic manner, screening with standardized tools, assessing lethal means, developing safety plans, and making treatment referrals, primary care NPs can mitigate suicidal behaviors among men and save lives.

Risks and benefits of pre-delivery taper in pregnant women taking antidepressants.

Serotonin reuptake inhibitors are commonly used for treatment of mental health problems in pregnancy but may cause neonatal adaptation syndrome. It is unknown whether reduction or discontinuation of medication prior to delivery may mitigate this effect. We present a case series of 38 women who either tapered their medication prior to delivery or maintained or increased their dose. Greater reductions in maternal antidepressant dose just prior to delivery were associated with fewer admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for infants. There was a slightly greater increase in depressive symptoms across delivery for women who tapered, which was not statistically significant. NICU admissions may be less frequent among neonates whose mothers tapered their medication prior to delivery. Large prospective randomized trials are needed to further study this practice.

An analysis of Research Published in the Journal of Korean Academy of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing from 2013 to 2022 using Text Network Analysis and Topic Modeling

Purpose: This study aimed to examine research published in the <i>Journal of Korean Academy of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing</i> (JKPMHN) from 2013 to 2022.Methods: Descriptive statistics, text network analysis, and topic modeling were used to analyze 368 articles.Results: The most prevalent research designs in the articles published during the past decade were cross-sectional studies (44.6%) and qualitative research (19.2%). The subjects of the included studies were people with mental illnesses (18.7%), nursing students (11.7%), and psychiatric nurses (8.7%). A text network comprised of the keywords from the research abstracts was constructed and presented. The text network analysis identified the main keywords as: “depression”, “family”, “stress”, “intervention”, “life”, “suicide”, “communication”, “alcoholics”, and “experience”. Seven topics were derived through the topic modeling: nursing intervention for mental health problems, nursing research for patients with mental illnesses, the competency of mental health nurses, the meaning derived from life experience, family in mental health, the mental health of nurses, and the mental health of students.Conclusion: This study determined the recent research trends in the JKPMHN. In psychiatric nursing research, efforts should continue to serve as the basis for practice and produce relevant evidence, and research priorities need to be established.

Conversational Agent Interventions for Mental Health Problems: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Mental health problems are a crucial global public health concern. Owing to their cost-effectiveness and accessibility, conversational agent interventions (CAIs) are promising in the field of mental health care. This study aims to present a thorough summary of the traits of CAIs available for a range of mental health problems, find evidence of efficacy, and analyze the statistically significant moderators of efficacy via a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial. Web-based databases (Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Cochrane) were systematically searched dated from the establishment of the database to October 30, 2021, and updated to May 1, 2022. Randomized controlled trials comparing CAIs with any other type of control condition in improving depressive symptoms, generalized anxiety symptoms, specific anxiety symptoms, quality of life or well-being, general distress, stress, mental disorder symptoms, psychosomatic disease symptoms, and positive and negative affect were considered eligible. This study followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Data were extracted by 2 independent reviewers, checked by a third reviewer, and pooled using both random effect models and fixed effects models. Hedges g was chosen as the effect size. Of the 6900 identified records, a total of 32 studies were included, involving 6089 participants. CAIs showed statistically significant short-term effects compared with control conditions in improving depressive symptoms (g=0.29, 95% CI 0.20-0.38), generalized anxiety symptoms (g=0.29, 95% CI 0.21-0.36), specific anxiety symptoms (g=0.47, 95% CI 0.07-0.86), quality of life or well-being (g=0.27, 95% CI 0.16-0.39), general distress (g=0.33, 95% CI 0.20-0.45), stress (g=0.24, 95% CI 0.08-0.41), mental disorder symptoms (g=0.36, 95% CI 0.17-0.54), psychosomatic disease symptoms (g=0.62, 95% CI 0.14-1.11), and negative affect (g=0.28, 95% CI 0.05-0.51). However, the long-term effects of CAIs for the most mental health outcomes were not statistically significant (g=-0.04 to 0.39). Personalization and empathic response were 2 critical facilitators of efficacy. The longer duration of interaction with conversational agents was associated with the larger pooled effect sizes. The findings show that CAIs are research-proven interventions that ought to be implemented more widely in mental health care. CAIs are effective and easily acceptable for those with mental health problems. The clinical application of this novel digital technology will conserve human health resources and optimize the allocation of mental health services. PROSPERO CRD42022350130; https://tinyurl.com/mvhk6w9p.

Practitioner Review: Differential susceptibility theory: might it help in understanding and treating mental health problems in youth?

Diathesis-stress models conceptualise individual differences in propensity for psychopathology as an interaction between environmental risk factors and intra-individual vulnerabilities. In contrast, the differential susceptibility theory and related frameworks view intra-individual differences as variations in sensitivity to the environments rather than merely vulnerability to them. Specifically, they suggest that more sensitive individuals are more affected by the quality of their context, whether positive or negative, than others who are less sensitive. Empirical research over the last two decades has found support for this notion in that greater sensitivity is associated with a greater risk of psychopathology in adverse contexts, but also with lower risk in positive environments. However, despite growing academic and public interest in this field, it is currently unclear to what extent the differential susceptibility model is relevant, or applicable, to clinical practice. The purpose of this review is to focus on the differential susceptibility theory as an alternative explanation of individual differences in mental health and examine its relevance in the treatment of mental health problems in young people. We provide an overview of differential susceptibility and related theories, and current relevant research in the field. We identify potential implications of differential susceptibility models for understanding and treating mental health problems in young people, whilst also highlighting important gaps in research that limit their application at present. Finally, we suggest directions for future research that will assist in the translation of differential susceptibility theories into clinical practice.

Risk factors of and interventions for mental health problems in learning disabilities: a systematic review of psychological therapies for parents and children

Risk factors of and interventions for mental health problems in learning disabilities: a systematic review of psychological therapies for parents and children

Understanding components and predictors of delay of first treatment for mental health problems: A hospital-based study in China.

Understanding components and predictors of delay of first treatment for mental health problems are crucial to inform interventions for earlier treatment. However, Chinese-context knowledge of this theme is still limited. We conducted an inpatient survey among 206 patients with various mental disorders in China. Delay of first utilization of mental healthcare (Delay-Total) and its two components of help-seeking delay (Delay-H) and referral delay (Delay-R) were assessed in terms of occurrence and duration. Binary logistic regression was performed to test predictors of Delay-Total, Delay-H and Delay-R, and multiple linear regression was used to test predictors of delay durations. Overall, 66.0% patients experienced Delay-Total, with a duration range of 0 to 353 months; 49.5% patients had Delay-H (duration range = 0-207 months) and 29.6% with Delay-R (duration range = 0-323 months). Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that the diagnosis of severe mental disorders was a consistent predictor for a reduced chance of Delay-Total, Delay-H and Delay-R. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that younger age of disorder onset and disorder onset before 2016 were significantly associated with longer delay. Delay of first treatment for mental health problems is still common in China. However, the development of mental health policy and services promotes shorter treatment delay. The diagnosis of common mental disorders and younger age of onset are risk factors of the occurrence and duration of delay, respectively. Thus, education of the public and non-mental-healthcare professionals are needed for better disorder recognition and more efforts should be inputted to support youngsters' utilization of mental healthcare.

Psychological resilience and cognitive reappraisal mediate the effects of coping style on the mental health of children.

This study explored the effects of coping style and two potential intermediately factors (cognitive reappraisal and psychological resilience) on the mental health of middle school students during the normalization of epidemic prevention and control in China. Answers on questionnaires designed to assess coping style, cognitive reappraisal, psychological resilience, and mental health among 743 middle school students (386 boys, 357 girls, 241 first graders, 235 second graders, and 267 third graders) were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that coping style, cognitive reappraisal, and psychological resilience directly predicted mental health. The negative effect of a negative coping style on mental health was significantly stronger than the positive effect of a positive coping style. Coping style affected mental health through the independent mediating effects of cognitive reappraisal and psychological resilience and through their chain mediation. The use of positive coping styles by most students led to greater cognitive reappraisal, strengthened psychological resilience, and thus few mental health problems. These findings provide empirical evidence and may guide educators in the prevention and intervention of mental health problems among middle school students.

Effectiveness of a Brief Engagement, Problem-Solving, and Triage Strategy for High School Students: Results of a Randomized Study

Schools offer an advantageous setting for the prevention, early identification, and treatment of mental health problems for youth. However, school mental health (SMH) services are typically not based on evidence for effectiveness, nor are they efficiently delivered, with SMH practitioners (SMHPs) able to only treat a small number of students in need. The current study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, efficiency, and outcomes of a four-session assessment, engagement, problem-solving, and triage strategy for SMHPs that aimed to improve efficiency while being based on elements of evidence-based care. The study, conducted in 15 US school districts in three states, used stratified random assignment to assign 49 high schools and their participating SMHP(s) to either the Brief Intervention for School Clinicians (BRISC; N = 259 students) or services as usual (SAU; N = 198 students). SMHPs implemented BRISC elements with adequate to excellent fidelity and reported the strategy was feasible and well-aligned with presenting problems. Students assigned to BRISC reported significantly greater engagement in SMH at 2 months and completion of SMH treatment by 6 months. BRISC-assigned SMHPs reported significantly greater treatment completion after four sessions (53.4%) compared to SAU (15.4%). Students in the BRISC condition also reported significantly greater reduction in problem severity as evaluated by the Youth Top Problems Assessment. No differences were found for anxiety or depression symptoms or overall functioning. Results indicate that BRISC is a feasible early intervention and triage strategy that may aid in more efficient provision of SMH services with no compromise to SMH effectiveness.

Culturally Responsive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Ethnically Diverse Populations.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is often referred to as the "gold standard" treatment for mental health problems, given the large body of evidence supporting its efficacy. However, there are persistent questions about the generalizability of CBTs to culturally diverse populations and whether culturally sensitive approaches are warranted. In this review, we synthesize the literature on CBT for ethnic minorities, with an emphasis on randomized trials that address cultural sensitivity within the context of CBT. In general, we find that CBT is effective for ethnic minorities with diverse mental health problems, although nonsignificant trends suggest that CBT effects may be somewhat weaker for ethnic minorities compared to Whites. We find mixed support for the cultural adaptation of CBTs, but evidence for cultural sensitivity training of CBT clinicians is lacking, given a dearth of relevant trials. Based on the limited evidence thus far, we summarize three broad models for addressing cultural issues when providing CBT to diverse populations. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, Volume 19 is May 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Student mental health and dropout from higher education: an analysis of Australian administrative data

Understanding the drivers of student dropout from higher education has been a policy concern for several decades. However, the contributing role of certain factors—including student mental health—remains poorly understood. Furthermore, existing studies linking student mental health and university dropout are limited in both methodology and scope—for example, they often rely on small and/or non-representative samples or subjective measures, and focus almost exclusively on main effects. This paper overcomes many of these shortcomings by leveraging unique linked administrative data on the full population of domestic students commencing undergraduate studies at Australian universities between 2012 and 2015 (n = 652,139). Using these data, we document that approximately 15% of students drop out of university within their first academic year. Critically, students receiving treatment for mental health problems are 4.3 (adjusted) to 8.3 (unadjusted) percentage points more likely to drop out of higher education. This association remains in the presence of an encompassing set of potential confounds, and is remarkably uniform across segments of the student population determined by individual, family, and programme characteristics. Altogether, our findings call for increased policy efforts to improve student mental health and to buffer against its deleterious effects on retention.

A latent class analysis of hopelessness in relation to depression and trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic in China

BackgroundHopelessness is closely related to depression, trauma, and some organic diseases. Yet our understanding of the heterogeneity of hopelessness is limited. This study aimed to explore the heterogeneity of hopelessness, how it corresponds to the severity of depression, and the effect of traumatic experiences on it during COVID-19. MethodThe current study measures 28,360 Chinese college students (67.4 % of women) with the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Trauma Experience Questionnaire, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The method of latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify different sub-groups of hopelessness with differences in emotion, motivation, and cognition. Logistic regression and analysis of variance were used to determine the characteristics of different sub-groups. ResultsThree latent classes were identified: Negative affective cognition class (C1, N = 5940, 20.9 %), Negative thought cognition class (C2, N = 1358, 4.8 %), and Low hopelessness class (C3, N = 21,062, 74.3 %). Gender, only child or not, birthplace, family economic status, and grade are predictors of the latent category of hopelessness. There are significant differences in depression among different latent classes, and C1 > C2 > C3 (p < 0.001). Traumatic experience is a risk factor for the hopeless latent classes (OR > 1, P < 0.001). LimitationsResearch findings may not be applied to other populations and rely on subjective reports. Ignore the effects of other protective and risk factors. Lack of longitudinal research, unable to explore causality. ConclusionsThe current study provides evidence for the heterogeneity of hopelessness and informs targeted interventions for mental health problems (hopelessness) in college students.

Maternal mental-health treatment moderates the association between psychological distress and harsh parenting: A prospective cohort study.

Parental psychological distress (depression, anxiety) is detrimental to child mental health. A key reason for this is that depressed and anxious parents are at risk of engaging in more negative, reactive and harsh parenting. While treatment for psychological distress has a long history of success in adults, less is known about how treatment for parental psychological distress may positively influence parenting behaviours, particularly in the general population. We examined the moderating role of mothers receiving treatment for depression or anxiety on the longitudinal relationship between maternal psychological distress and the development of harsh parenting (smacking and shouting) across early childhood (ages 3 to 7). Using prospective data from 16,131 families participating in the UK's Millennium Cohort Study, we conducted moderator analysis within a multilevel repeated measures model to test whether receiving treatment for mental health problems could protect mothers with high psychological distress from engaging in harsh parenting. In each wave, about 7% of mothers reported undergoing treatment for depression or anxiety at that time. Maternal psychological distress was associated with increased use of harsh parenting and that, adjusting for psychological distress, receiving psychological treatment was related to decreased use of harsh parenting. Importantly, receiving psychological treatment buffered the negative effect of psychological distress on harsh parenting. In early-to-middle childhood, mental health treatment may help mothers with depression or anxiety to be less harsh toward their children, thereby benefiting their child's psychological adjustment.

Accessible mental well-being intervention for adolescents in school settings: a single-group intervention study using a pretest–post-test design

BackgroundA growing number of adolescents seek treatment for mental health problems, a circumstance that stresses the importance of implementing accessible treatment options. This study evaluates the impacts of brief, mental well-being intervention for adolescents in a school environment. As mental health interventions are often targeted at specific disorders, we sought a comprehensive approach to reach adolescents with a range of mental health symptoms.MethodsSingle-group intervention study with a pretest–posttest design was utilized and conducted in lower, upper secondary, and vocational schools on adolescents ages 12–18 who sought medical attention for mental health symptoms. The cut-off point for inclusion was ≥ 14, for the Young Persons Clinical Outcomes for routine Evaluation (YP-CORE) measurement. The intervention included six face-to-face visits implemented by psychiatric nurses who received a 3-day training course. The impacts were evaluated after 6 weeks (n = 87) and again at 6 months (n = 68) and assessed using the YP-CORE, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS).ResultsThe participants reported significant levels of mental distress at baseline with a YP-CORE mean score = 21.48, a BDI-II mean score = 23.60, OASIS mean score = 10.98. Post-intervention results at 6 weeks for the primary outcome YP-CORE showed a significant (p < .001) mean score decrease of − 3.82, a medium effect size d = .627. For participants attending upper secondary and vocational schools the YP-CORE scores changed significantly from baseline to 6-weeks (p = .005) and from baseline to 6-months (p < .001). Long-term outcomes at 6-months showed a − 1.14 decrease (p = non-significant), effect size d = .175. After the 6-week intervention, 12% of the participants were assessed as not requiring additional visits.ConclusionsThis easily accessible intervention in a school setting indicated improvement for those participants with mild to moderate mental disorder symptoms and attending upper secondary and vocational schools. After the 6-week intervention, significant positive effects were observed. Participants reported substantial levels of mental distress at the baseline, which could contribute to the decline of symptoms and need for extended care during the 6 months follow-up.Trial registration Retrospectively registered with Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT05356949

Needed adaptations in psychological treatments for people with vision impairment: A Delphi study, including clients, relatives, and professionals.

In this study, we aimed to identify the themes that should be addressed when adapting mental health treatments for adults with a visual impairment. A Delphi study was conducted among 37 experts, including professionals, persons with a visual impairment, and relatives of clients with a visual impairment. The Delphi consultation revealed seven categories (factors) that were identified as important in the treatment of mental health problems for clients with a visual impairment: the visual impairment, environment, stressors, emotions, the professional's role and attitude, treatment setting, and accessibility of materials. Factors regarding the clients' visual impairment, such as the severity of the impairment, influence the extent to which adjustments are needed in treatment. During treatment, the professional plays an important role in explaining any visual elements that a client with a visual impairment may miss. In psychological treatment, clients require individual adaptations for their specific visual impairment.

From neural circuits to communities: an integrative multidisciplinary roadmap for global mental health

Suffering due to mental health problems is rising inexorably in all regions of the world. One major reason is that our understanding of the causation, prevention and treatment of mental health problems has been hindered by an over-reliance on diagnostic categories. Yet there is growing evidence for alternative approaches from across multiple disciplines, including neuroscience, which elucidates neural regions and networks underlying specific mental health experiences; cognitive science, which identifies cognitive functions and impairments relevant to mental health; clinical science, which identifies symptom patterns associated with cognitive dysfunctions; developmental science, which identifies environmental influences on brain development in early life; social science, which identifies sociocultural influences on mental health; intervention science, which identifies the ‘active ingredients’ of psychological interventions; and implementation science, which designs scalable interventions to effectively deliver these active ingredients. We propose an integrative model that converges these diverse disciplinary perspectives, from neural circuits to interventions, that can be delivered at scale, with a potential for higher coverage, greater personalization and greater efficacy than traditional diagnostic approaches. This integrative approach can lead to a radical opportunity to shift the needle on mental health-related suffering globally.

Digital Interventions for Mental Health Problems

Digital Interventions for Mental Health Problems

Impact of COVID-19 on mental health of adolescents: A theoretical perspective

This theoretical paper examines the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of adolescents. The pandemic has brought about unprecedented changes in daily life and led to increased levels of anxiety and depression among adolescents. The paper explores potential long-term effects, including social anxiety, avoidant personality traits, PTSD, and other trauma-related disorders. Strategies for prevention and treatment of mental health problems during and after the pandemic are discussed, including community-based approaches and mental health education programs. The paper draws on studies by Loades et al. (2020), Xiong et al. (2020), Patrick et al. (2021), and Lee et al. (2020) to provide insights into the impact of the pandemic on adolescent mental health.

Efforts To Enhance Mental Health Among School-Aged Children During The Covid-19 Pandemic Through The Teacher And Parent Empowerment

School-aged children, as a developmental stage, are a group at high risk for mental health issues, particularly during this pandemic of COVID-19. Children may be perpetrators, witnesses, or victims of violence or irregularities perpetrated directly or through social media. This community service activity is designed to improve the mental health of children during the COVID-19 pandemic through early detection, prevention and early treatment of mental health issues through parental and teacher empowerment programs. When children learn online and do more activities at home with their families, there are many factors that affect children's mental health. For instance, cyberbullying, addiction to gadgets and the Internet, withdrawing from family interactions, anxiety, dishonesty and discipline in the performance of duties and children as witnesses and victims of abuseby those closest to them. This is not widely known by the school, teachers, counsellors and parents clearly, which results in the state of the child getting worse. Through an empowerment program that was conducted with socialization and training on early detection, preventive efforts and early treatment of mental health problems among school-aged children, they can discover early deviations that occur and take preventive measures with early treatment efforts. Henceforth, through this empowerment program, teachers and parents work together to carry out counselling activities and reflection sessions to understand the issues faced by students so that they can intervene immediately. Teachers and parents can work as a team to help children improve physical and mental health through online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic