Mental Health Care Support Research Articles

Human Trafficking of Boys and Young Men: A Systematic Literature Review of Impacts on Mental Health and Implications for Services in Post-Trafficking Settings

The share of boys and men among detected victims of human trafficking is increasing globally, yet there is limited evidence on the specific experiences of these populations. The knowledge gap on mental health outcomes and support needs is particularly salient, which is problematic given the importance of psychological and emotional stabilisation in promoting recovery and avoiding re-victimisation. This systematic review reports on mental health outcomes identified in boys and young men who have experienced human trafficking. By describing the implications for services, the review seeks to identify challenges and opportunities in accessing and delivering mental health care and support to this population in post-trafficking settings. The review includes 31 papers published in English after 2000 and identified through database and grey literature searches. Despite significant limitations, such as a lack of gender-disaggregated results and imbalanced sample composition, which limit the possibility of extracting male-specific findings, the review highlights several mental health symptoms commonly described in the literature (e.g., depression, anxiety, PTSD, lack of self-esteem, lack of self-control). Regarding mental health care support, the review further identifies challenges specific to boys and young men (e.g., poor identification as trafficking victims) and challenges that disproportionately impact this population (e.g., confidentiality concerns; reluctance to seek help; trust issues).

The Impact of Job Stress on Job Satisfaction among Nurses during Covid-19 Pandemic: The Moderating Role of Psychological Capital

The COVID-19 disease is a calamity that may leave a dreadful psychological indentation on nurses. Nurses take all the necessary measures to protect themselves physically and psychologically. This global pandemic demands a firmly secured nursing staff engagement in clinical management in pursuance of public safety. In the interest of sustaining psychological and physical well-being, nurses should be entitled to fair compensation, access to counseling for mental health care support, and provide job satisfaction, empowering these professionals to survive this crisis and beyond. This study is proposed to provide baseline information on the impact of job stress on Al Dhafra hospitals nurses' job satisfaction during the covid-19 pandemic and the effect of psychological capital as a moderator. Furthermore, the study will open a new aspect for further research to improve and reduce its adverse effects. In addition, it can be used as a reference to create, improve, or modify guidelines and existing protocols, and it can also serve as a reasonable contribution study for further nursing management in future crises. The study employed a quantitative correlation research design, and an online survey was conducted and participated in by 255 nurses who are in direct contact with COVID-19 patients in Al Dhafra hospitals in UAE. The present study's findings indicate a negative relationship between job stress and job satisfaction; on the other hand, The findings also revealed a positive moderating effect of psychological capital on the relationship between job stress and satisfaction. The current study has important implications for hospitals in developing managerial, training, and strategic policies. According to the findings of this study, job stress has a significant impact on nursing satisfaction. In light of this study, hospitals can improve their job satisfaction. Furthermore, this study can be applied to other cultural and demographic contexts to reduce employee stress.

Integration Telemental Health to Reach Out Patients at Community Mental Health Services: A Systematic Review

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) need to digitize mental health services to address disparities and improve access to healthcare. This study systematically reviewed the digitalization of integration mental health services that can reach interactions between service providers and recipients with media such as telemental health and mobile health. A literature search was conducted in March 2023. Randomized controlled trial (RCT) data were used from available studies. RCT data sources were obtained from internationally reputable journal articles with the theme of telehealth. The literature used was obtained from the databases Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. Integration digitalized mental healthcare system under the auspices of the Ministry of Health that reach-nationally, official psychiatrists and other professional mental healthcare that provides mental healthcare support to areas lacking specialists consisting crisis and emergency, stable conditions, as well as the process of counseling and follow-up therapy with telemental health and mobile health media. Telemental health plays a major role in mental health services and modality therapy that can be accessed effectively and efficiently, especially for mental patients in remote areas who experience barriers to attending in person.

Mental Health Care Support in Rural India

More than 150 million people in India need mental health care but few have access to affordable care, especially in rural areas. To determine whether a multifaceted intervention involving a digital health care model along with a community-based antistigma campaign leads to reduced depression risk and lower mental health-related stigma among adults residing in rural India. This parallel, cluster randomized, usual care-controlled trial was conducted from September 2020 to December 2021 with blinded follow-up assessments at 3, 6, and 12 months at 44 rural primary health centers across 3 districts in Haryana and Andhra Pradesh states in India. Adults aged 18 years and older at high risk of depression or self-harm defined by either a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item (PHQ-9) score of 10 or greater, a Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 item (GAD-7) score of 10 or greater, or a score of 2 or greater on the self-harm/suicide risk question on the PHQ-9. A second cohort of adults not at high risk were selected randomly from the remaining screened population. Data were cleaned and analyzed from April 2022 to February 2023. The 12-month intervention included a community-based antistigma campaign involving all participants and a digital mental health intervention involving only participants at high risk. Primary health care workers were trained to identify and manage participants at high risk using the Mental Health Gap Action Programme guidelines from the World Health Organization. The 2 coprimary outcomes assessed at 12 months were mean PHQ-9 scores in the high-risk cohort and mean behavior scores in the combined high-risk and non-high-risk cohorts using the Mental Health Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior scale. Altogether, 9928 participants were recruited (3365 at high risk and 6563 not at high risk; 5638 [57%] female and 4290 [43%] male; mean [SD] age, 43 [16] years) with 9057 (91.2%) followed up at 12 months. Mean PHQ-9 scores at 12 months for the high-risk cohort were lower in the intervention vs control groups (2.77 vs 4.48; mean difference, -1.71; 95% CI, -2.53 to -0.89; P < .001). The remission rate in the high-risk cohort (PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores <5 and no risk of self-harm) was higher in the intervention vs control group (74.7% vs 50.6%; odds ratio [OR], 2.88; 95% CI, 1.53 to 5.42; P = .001). Across both cohorts, there was no difference in 12-month behavior scores in the intervention vs control group (17.39 vs 17.74; mean difference, -0.35; 95% CI, -1.11 to 0.41; P = .36). A multifaceted intervention was effective in reducing depression risk but did not improve intended help-seeking behaviors for mental illness. Clinical Trial Registry India: CTRI/2018/08/015355.

Voice Assistants for Mental Health Services: Designing Dialogues with Homebound Older Adults.

The number of older adults who are homebound with depressive symptoms is increasing. Due to their homebound status, they have limited access to trained mental healthcare support, which leaves this support often to untrained family caregivers. To increase access, a growing interest is placed on using technology-mediated solutions, such as voice-assisted intelligent personal assistants (VIPAs), to deliver mental health services to older adults. To better understand how older adults and family caregivers intend to interact with a VIPA for mental health interventions, we conducted a participatory design study during which 6 older adults and 7 caregivers designed VIPA-human dialogues for various scenarios. Using conversation style preferences as a starting point, we present aspects of human-likeness older adults and family caregivers perceived as helpful or uncanny, specifically in the context of the delivery of mental health interventions, which helps inform potential roles VIPAs can play in mental healthcare for older adults.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude, anxiety level and perceived mental healthcare needs toward mpox infection among nursing students: A multi-center cross-sectional study

BackgroundDespite the crucial role of nursing students in managing public health crises, their understanding and attitudes towards monkeypox (mpox) remain underexplored. This study aims to assess nursing students' knowledge, attitudes, anxiety levels, and perceived need for mental healthcare support related to mpox across the UAE, Iraq, and Egypt. MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1,386 nursing students from three universities using non-probability purposive sampling. Participants completed a structured questionnaire covering sociodemographic information, knowledge of mpox, attitudes towards the disease, levels of anxiety, and perceived mental healthcare needs. Knowledge was categorized into poor, fair, and good, attitudes into negative, neutral, and positive, and anxiety into low, moderate, and high levels. Data were analysed for correlations using Pearson's correlation coefficient and statistical tests. We performed multivariate regression analysis to find odd ratios of assessed parameters against several sociodemographic variables. ResultsAmong the participants, 21.8 % demonstrated good knowledge of mpox, while 53.4 % had moderate or fair knowledge and 24.8 % had poor knowledge. Attitudes were predominantly neutral (44.7 %) or negative (36 %), and 57.2 % reported moderate anxiety. Approximately 33 % of students felt a significant need for mental healthcare support. Knowledge correlated positively with attitudes and negatively with anxiety and perceived mental healthcare needs. Attitudes also negatively correlated with perceived mental healthcare needs. ConclusionThe neutral or negative attitudes towards mpox suggest a need for enhanced educational interventions. Addressing these gaps through targeted training programs could improve knowledge, foster positive attitudes, and mitigate anxiety, thereby better preparing future healthcare professionals for emerging health threats.

Preventive mental health care: A complex systems framework for ambient smart environments

We offer a framework for the design and use of Ambient Smart Environments (ASEs) for preventive mental health care support. Drawing from Complex Systems Theory (CST) and ‘E’ Cognitive Science (ECS), we claim that ASEs have the potential to act in a preventive capacity in support of good mental health, i.e. supporting dynamics that avoid so-called “struck states” (which are, according to CST, thought generally to underpin forms of psychopathology). Here, we frame our discussion with what has recently been termed the “mind-technology problem”. We define and characterise ASE systems, present some examples, and briefly survey some existing theoretical work. After introducing the essential CST terminology, the paper goes on to apply CST to explain developmental adaptation to continuously changing (smart) environments. Understanding the ASE’s navigation in terms of a dynamic geometry between attracting and repelling points (or local minima/local maxima), allows us to develop neurotechnology that can augment clinical interventions by predicting upcoming shifts for good symptomatic outcomes, i.e. when a preventive intervention (i.e. destabilisation) should take place. We further offer clear directions for the development and design of such neurotechnology.

Maternal Mental Health of Children with Special Needs

Purpose: Having a child with special needs can put a significant strain on a family and have a detrimental effect on everyone's quality of life. Therefore, mothers require resilience to lessen the impact of such challenges and setbacks. The purpose of this research was to examine depression, anxiety, and stress levels, as well as the impact of social support, among mothers raising children with disabilities.&#x0D; Methodology: All UAE mothers with children who have special needs were included in the statistical sample. Purposive (Non-random) sampling was used to choose 200 willing participants for the sample. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were used as research instruments.&#x0D; Findings: SPSS (version 26) was used for the statistical analysis through which it was observed that mothers of challenged children were more likely to report lower levels of social support and a higher prevalence of mental health problems such as sadness, anxiety, and stress. Additionally, Pearson correlation analysis showed that stress, anxiety, and sadness were positively and significantly related. Furthermore, linear regression analysis revealed that mothers' social support accounts for explaining and predicting 63% of the variance in their mental health problems associated with raising a child with special needs. The results were presented with the help of tables.&#x0D; Recommendations: Future research on the psychological and social well-being of mothers and the impact of mental health-care support on the well-being of mothers having special children should be conducted. The research will help in spreading awareness among people for prioritizing the mental health support of mothers of children with special needs.

Exploring mental health challenges and coping strategies in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study in Dhaka city, Bangladesh.

Mental health challenges have emerged worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. University students experienced changes in their lifestyles, academic life, family relationships, earning capacity, and support systems. This study explores the common mental health challenges in university students and their coping strategies using social support in the first wave of lockdowns in Dhaka city in 2020. By learning from young people's impacts and coping responses, we can help build an improved strategy for future events of this magnitude. A qualitative study design was employed to conduct 20 in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions with students from purposively selected three public and three private universities in Dhaka city and five key informant interviews with different stakeholders. We used inductive reflexive thematic analysis and applied six phases of the thematic analysis. Codes retrieved from two differently prepared codebooks were merged and compared to identify themes for a fair interpretation of the underlying data. Data were manually indexed, summarized, and interpreted to categorize codes into sub-themes leading to themes. Financial constraints, academic pressure, learning resources shortages, losing confidence, relationship breakup, excessive internet dependency, and traumatic experiences challenged the mental health conditions of the students unevenly across universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Expressed mental health well-being impacts ranged from anxiety, stress, and depression to self-harm and suicidal ideation. Family bonding and social networking appeared as robust social support mechanisms to allow students to cope with anxiety, stress, and depression. Partial financial subsidies, soft loans to purchase electronic resources, faculty members' counseling, and sessional health counseling contributed to minimizing the mental health impacts of COVID-19. Mental health is still not a resourced area of health and well-being in Bangladesh. Concentration on developing strong social support and improving increased financial subsidies, including learning resources, can be effective in assisting students in coping with the common mental health burdens during pandemic periods. A national intervention plan should be immediately designed and implemented by engaging different stakeholders including healthcare professionals and establishing effective mental healthcare support centers at universities to avoid immediate and prolonged negative mental health impacts.

Youth care in time of COVID-19: Experiences of professionals and adolescent clients with telehealth

Measures aimed at preventing the COVID-19 virus from spreading restricted all aspects of public life, including possibilities for meeting in-person. Youth care professionals were forced to turn to telehealth tools, such as video calling and e-health methods, to be able to continue support and treatment of children, adolescents, caregivers, and families. This study consists of two qualitative interview studies on the experiences with and transition to telehealth during COVID-19: (1) interviews with youth care professionals (N = 20), and (2) interviews with adolescents who used mental health care support (N = 14). We specifically asked participants about five themes which were selected based on pre-COVID literature on telehealth: (1) tools (i.e., which programs are being used), (2) privacy, (3) methods (i.e., what was the same and what was different compared to in-person sessions), (4) relationship/therapeutic alliance, and (5) effectiveness (i.e., what was their impression of effectiveness of telehealth). The majority of professionals reported that they had very little to no experience with telehealth prior to the pandemic. Both professionals and adolescent clients mentioned benefits and limitations of telehealth. On several themes professionals and adolescent clients mentioned similar barriers in the transition to telehealth during COVID such as limitations of the available hard- and software (theme 1: tools); forced changes in the content and methods of the sessions (theme 3: methods); and difficulties with non-verbal communication (theme 4: alliance). However, whereas most professionals expressed the intention to keep using several aspects of telehealth after restrictions due to COVID are lifted, most adolescent clients expressed they see telehealth as a temporary solution and prefer meeting professionals in person. Their experiences and the barriers and enabling aspects they mentioned may provide important insights in the acceptability and usability of telehealth for youth care organizations, youth care professionals, researchers and higher educational training programs.

Prevalence of Loneliness and Its Association With Suicidality in the General Population: Results From a Nationwide Survey in Korea.

Although it is known that a substantial proportion of the population experience loneliness, the consequence of loneliness remains unclear by countries and ages. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess the association between loneliness and suicidality in the general population of Korea. A total of 5,511 Koreans aged 18-79 completed a tablet-assisted personal interview using the Korean version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and responded to questions about loneliness and lifetime suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts. A logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between loneliness and suicidality. Approximately one-third of the Korean general population reported loneliness. Being older, never married, widowed, separated, or divorced, unemployed, and having a part-time job were all significantly related to loneliness. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, individuals with loneliness were significantly associated with increased suicidal ideation (adjusted odd ratio [aOR], 4.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.36-4.88), suicidal plans (aOR, 4.91; 95% CI, 3.34-7.21), and suicidal attempts (aOR, 4.82; 95% CI, 3.03-7.66). Even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors and mental disorders, suicidality remained statistically significant. Moreover, frequent, moderate-to-severe, and long-term loneliness were all associated with increased ORs for suicidality, regardless of sociodemographic factors and mental disorders. Loneliness was associated with suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts. This study lays the foundation for public health policymakers to establish early intervention and mental health care support for lonely people.

'I Doubt Myself and Am Losing Everything I Have since COVID Came'-A Case Study of Mental Health and Coping Strategies among Undocumented Myanmar Migrant Workers in Thailand.

Migrant populations have always been vulnerable to a high burden of social exclusion, mental disorders, physical illnesses, and economic crises. The current COVID-19 pandemic has further created a frantic plight among them, particularly for undocumented migrant workers in the global south. We have conducted a mixed method study among the undocumented Myanmar migrant workers (UMMWs) in Thailand to explore how the COVID-19 disruption has impacted their mental health and what coping strategies they have adopted. Following the onset of COVID-19 and the recent coup d'état in Myanmar, our current study is the first attempt to understand the mental health status and predicament of this neglected migrant group. A total of 398 UMMWs were included in the online survey, of which 23 participated in qualitative interviews. The major mental health issues reported by the study participants were depression, generalized anxiety disorder, frustration, stress, and panic disorders, while loss of employment, worries about the pandemic, social stigma, lack of access to healthcare, lockdown, and fear of detention were the predominant contributing factors. In response, we identified two key coping mechanisms: coping at a personal level (listening to music, playing online game, praying, and self-motivation) and coping at a social level (chatting with family and friends and visiting religious institutions). These findings point to the importance of policy and intervention programs aimed at upholding mental health at such humanitarian conditions. Sustainable institutional mental health care support and social integration for the migrant workers, irrespective of their legal status, should be ensured.

The knowledge, barriers and opportunities to improve nutrition and physical activity amongst young people attending an Australian youth mental health service: a mixed-methods study

BackgroundMental illnesses are the leading cause of disability in young people, and lifestyle interventions in young people at risk of mental illness remain a priority. Opportunities to improve nutrition and physical activity among young people through youth mental health services remain unclear. This study aimed to determine the knowledge and behaviors towards nutrition and physical activity, the barriers and enablers to improving behaviors, and the preferred providers and sources of information for nutrition and physical activity among a sample of young people attending a youth mental health service.MethodsA mixed-method study was conducted in regional Tasmania, Australia in a sample of young people (15–25 years) attending a youth mental health service (headspace). A quantitative survey (n = 48) determined young people’s nutrition and physical activity knowledge, behaviors, barriers and enablers to achieving recommendations, and their preferred providers and sources of information. Structured interviews and a focus group further explored these concepts (n = 8), including the role of the mental health service as a provider of this support.ResultsThe majority of participants did not meet national recommendations for nutrition and physical activity, despite possessing a high level of knowledge regarding their importance for mental health. Improving mental health was a common enabling factor for participants choosing to alter diet and physical activity habits, but also the leading barrier for participating in physical activity. Young people wanted to receive information from reputable health providers, ideally through social media sources. headspace was seen as an important potential provider of this information.ConclusionsOur results indicate that there is a clear need to improve diet and physical activity habits to enhance mental and physical health outcomes in this at-risk group, and youth mental health services could provide further interventions to support their clients. Specialized staff (e.g. dietitians and exercise physiologists) may provide additional benefits alongside existing mental health care support.

Young mothers’ use of and experiences with mental health care services in Ontario, Canada: a qualitative descriptive study

BackgroundDespite the high prevalence of mental health issues among young mothers, their subsequent needs for mental health care support does not correlate with their access and use of services. The purpose of this study, grounded in the experiences of young mothers living in Ontario, Canada, was to describe their experiences of using mental health services during the perinatal period, and to identify the attributes of services and professionals that influenced their decision to engage with mental health services.MethodsAs the qualitative component of a sequential explanatory mixed methods study, the principles of qualitative description informed sampling, data collection, and analysis decisions. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 29 young mothers (≤ 21 years) who met diagnostic criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder, and who were ≥ 2 months postpartum. Interview data were triangulated with data from ecomaps and a sub-set of demographic data for this purposeful sample from the survey conducted in the quantitative study component. Qualitative data were analyzed using both conventional content analysis and reflexive thematic analysis; the subset of survey data extracted for these 29 participants were analyzed using descriptive statistics.ResultsYoung mothers identified the need to have at least one individual, either an informal social support or formal service provider who they could talk to about their mental health. Among participants deciding to seek professional mental health support, their hesitancy to access services was grounded in past negative experiences or fears of being judged, being medicated, not being seen as an active partner in care decisions or experiencing increased child protection involvement. Participants identified organizational and provider attributes of those delivering mental health care that they perceived influenced their use of or engagement with services.ConclusionOrganizations or health/social care professionals providing mental health services to young pregnant or parenting mothers are recommended to implement trauma-and violence-informed care. This approach prioritizes the emotional and physical safety of individuals within the care environment. Applying this lens in service delivery also aligns with the needs of young mothers, including that they are actively listened to, treated with respect, and genuinely engaged as active partners in making decisions about their care and treatment.

Public assistance program and depressive symptoms of the recipient: a cross-sectional Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study

BackgroundMental health conditions among older recipients of public assistance should be considered because it has been reported that public assistance recipients tend to have higher risks of morbidity than non-recipients, and mental health is strongly related to frailty. We aimed to examine whether older recipients of public assistance were more likely to have depressive symptoms compared to non-recipients.MethodsData were obtained from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, a 2016 community-based study of older adults. Poisson regression analyses with a robust error variance using fixed effects were conducted to examine the relationship between receiving public assistance and depressive symptoms controlling for sociodemographic factors. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale 15.ResultsWe found that the older recipients of public assistance were 1.57 times (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.47, 1.67) more likely to have depressive symptoms compared to non-recipients. We also found that, when additionally adjusting for indicators of social participation, this relationship was slightly attenuated; however, the recipients still had worse mental health issues (Prevalence ratio: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.25, 1.42).ConclusionsEven after controlling for sociodemographic factors, older recipients of public assistance tended to be more depressed than non-recipients. However, our findings also indicated that social participation could slightly attenuate the negative relationship between receiving public assistance and depressive symptoms. Therefore, the public assistance program needs to consider the inclusion of mental healthcare support in addition to financial support.

Introducing Conversation Tasks Based on the Solution Focused Approach to a Chatbot for Personalized Mental Health Care Support

Introducing Conversation Tasks Based on the Solution Focused Approach to a Chatbot for Personalized Mental Health Care Support

Suicides among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Bangladeshi press reports

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic responses forced the authority to shut the educational institutions since March 17, 2020, in Bangladesh. Physical distancing, social isolation, and quarantine have become regular norms in our daily life due to the pandemic crisis. This extended shutdown separated the students from their academic life, increasing anxiety concerning their future education, personal and professional aspirations, and expectations. Such disruptions might increase vulnerability towards suicidal ideation among university-level students. Therefore, here we aim to assess the prevalence and related risk factors of suicides among university students in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 lockdowns. We conducted a comprehensive Google search to gather information from secondary sources. In total, 22 university students committed suicide from March 17, 2020, to June 10, 2021, in Bangladesh. The frequently reported causes of these suicides were depression, frustration, financial crisis, troubled love affairs, and family disputes, indicating an elevated prevalence of psychological distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic among students at all levels in Bangladesh. Based on the present findings, we suggest that the effective implementation of online education, financial support to families, mental healthcare support to this vulnerable group, and mutual understanding among the family members might reduce this death toll. The present findings might help researchers to understand students’ mental health and design programs accordingly to prevent future incidents.

Proof-of-Concept Support for the Development and Implementation of a Digital Assessment for Perinatal Mental Health: Mixed Methods Study.

BackgroundPerinatal mental health symptoms commonly remain underdiagnosed and undertreated in maternity care settings in the United Kingdom, with outbreaks of disease, like the COVID-19 pandemic, further disrupting access to adequate mental health support. Digital technologies may offer an innovative way to support the mental health needs of women and their families throughout the perinatal period, as well as assist midwives in the recognition of perinatal mental health concerns. However, little is known about the acceptability and perceived benefits and barriers to using such technologies.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to conduct a mixed methods evaluation of the current state of perinatal mental health care provision in the United Kingdom, as well as users’ (women and partners) and midwives’ interest in using a digital mental health assessment throughout the perinatal period.MethodsWomen, partners, and midwives were recruited to participate in the study, which entailed completing an online survey. Quantitative data were explored using descriptive statistics. Open-ended response data were first investigated using thematic analysis. Resultant themes were then mapped onto the components of the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation Behavior model and summarized using descriptive statistics.ResultsA total of 829 women, 103 partners, and 90 midwives participated in the study. The provision of adequate perinatal mental health care support was limited, with experiences varying significantly across respondents. There was a strong interest in using a digital mental health assessment to screen, diagnose, and triage perinatal mental health concerns, particularly among women and midwives. The majority of respondents (n=781, 76.42%) expressed that they would feel comfortable or very comfortable using or recommending a digital mental health assessment. The majority of women and partners showed a preference for in-person consultations (n=417, 44.74%), followed by a blended care approach (ie, both in-person and online consultations) (n=362, 38.84%), with fewer participants preferring online-only consultations (n=120, 12.88%). Identified benefits and barriers mainly related to physical opportunity (eg, accessibility), psychological capability (eg, cognitive skills), and automatic motivation (eg, emotions).ConclusionsThis study provides proof-of-concept support for the development and implementation of a digital mental health assessment to inform clinical decision making in the assessment of perinatal mental health concerns in the United Kingdom.

Gender differences in barriers to mental healthcare for UK military veterans: a preliminary investigation

IntroductionLimited UK research focuses on female military veterans’ gender-related experiences and issues when accessing civilian mental healthcare support. This study sought to illuminate a preliminary understanding of any gender differences...

A mixed methods evaluation of the current state of perinatal mental healthcare and users’ acceptability of a digital assessment for perinatal mental health

IntroductionPerinatal mental health symptoms commonly remain underdiagnosed in maternity care settings in the UK, with the COVID-19 pandemic having further disrupted access to adequate care provision. Digital technologies may offer innovative ways to support the mental health needs of women and partners and assist midwives in recognition of concerns.ObjectivesWe set to investigate the current state of perinatal mental healthcare provision in the UK and the acceptability of a digital mental health assessment.MethodsThe study entailed completing an online survey. 829 women, 103 partners, and 90 midwives participated in the study. Quantitative data were explored using descriptive statistics. Open-ended responses regarding the perceived benefits and barriers to using a digital mental health assessment were investigated using thematic analysis. Resultant themes were then mapped onto the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation Model of Behaviour (COM-B model).ResultsThe provision of perinatal mental healthcare support was limited and varied across respondents, particularly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a strong interest in using a digital mental health assessment placed within maternity healthcare settings to screen, diagnose, and triage concerns (Figure 1). In-person and blended care approaches (i.e., in-person and remote support) were preferred by women and partners in the event of further care being advised (Figure 1). Identified barriers and benefits mainly related to physical opportunity (e.g., accessibility), psychological capability (e.g., cognitive skills) and automatic motivation (e.g., emotions).ConclusionsThis study provides proof-of-concept support for the development of a digital mental health assessment to inform clinical decision-making for perinatal mental health concerns.DisclosureNMK has financial interest in Psyomics Ltd., a company developing digital diagnostic devices for neuropsychiatric disorders.