Mental Health Counseling Research Articles

Role of lactation specialists in maternal health and improvement of maternal mental health

Lactation specialists, comprising certified lactation consultants or counselors, play a significant role in fostering and safeguarding maternal mental health throughout the perinatal period. Their expertise in breastfeeding support transcends mere technical guidance, extending into the realm where emotional support and mental health advocacy converge. During consultations, lactation specialists create a safe, empathetic space, allowing mothers to openly discuss concerns and challenges related to breastfeeding. This nurturing environment fosters trust and confidence, which is crucial for mothers navigating the complex journey of breastfeeding. Importantly, breastfeeding itself is deeply intertwined with maternal mental health. Lack of milk, lack of breastfeeding support, and painful experiences all negatively affect maternal mental health greatly. Lactation specialists, attuned to emotional cues and stressors during breastfeeding interactions, play a critical role in identifying signs of distress or anxiety. They offer compassionate listening and, when necessary, provide resources or referrals to mental health professionals for specialized support. Moreover, these specialists serve as educators, equipping mothers with knowledge about the emotional aspects of breastfeeding and its potential impact on mental well-being. By empowering mothers with information and strategies to manage stress or challenges, lactation specialists contribute significantly to mitigating potential mental health concerns during the perinatal period. Beyond individual consultations, lactation specialists often facilitate support groups or communities for breastfeeding mothers. These forums create a sense of camaraderie and solidarity among mothers, alleviating feelings of isolation, which is a common trigger for maternal mental health challenges. Their multifaceted approach emphasizes the holistic nature of breastfeeding support, recognizing its impact on both the physical health of the child and the mother’s mental well-being. By providing comprehensive care that combines technical guidance with emotional support, lactation specialists play a vital role in promoting and preserving maternal mental health during the transformative phase of childbirth and early motherhood.

From theory to practice: challenges and rewards of implementing ketogenic metabolic therapy in mental health.

This perspective article delves into the implementation of Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy (KMT) by a mental health counselor who attempts to bridge the gap between emerging research and real-world clinical application. Grounded in the author's clinical experiences, the article communicates the potential of KMT in mental health care, highlighting both its therapeutic promise and the insights gained from hands-on patient interactions. While the adoption of KMT necessitates adjustments in societal, emotional, and dietary domains, especially within diverse mental health contexts, these challenges are surmountable with appropriate guidance and support. The article encourages the capture of qualitative data alongside quantitative measures and advocates for an approach that considers the broader implications of improved mental well-being on families and communities. As the field advances, interdisciplinary collaborations between researchers and clinicians will be pivotal in refining and expanding the application of KMT, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and elevating the standard of mental health care.

"The Double Whammy Effect of Climate Change: The Environmental and Mental Health Manifestations. A Call to Action by the Global Alliance for Mental Health Advocates (GAMHA)"

"The Double Whammy Effect of Climate Change: The Environmental and Mental Health Manifestations. A Call to Action by the Global Alliance for Mental Health Advocates (GAMHA)"

Approaches to Successfully Delivering Rehabilitative Services in Prison: Perspectives from Non-Uniform Correctional Staff in Eight States

Non-uniform staff help create prison social climate by providing services that include educational and vocational classes, mental health counseling, employment and reentry preparedness, and family-strengthening activities. The present study examines how non-uniform correctional staff perceive their association with successful delivery of rehabilitative services in correctional settings. After accompanying hundreds of non-uniform prison staff throughout their daily professional routines and conducting interviews with them in institutions supervised by eight different U.S. state prison systems, a threefold typology of approaches to successfully delivering rehabilitative services in prison was identified: holistic, pragmatic, and community-oriented.

School Safety and Mental Health Awareness: Recommendations from K-12 Texas Public School Teachers.

Mass school shootings have created fear in the American public. The results of this fear have been the hardening of schools, lockdowns, and active shooter drills, yet the mass shootings have not ended. The goal of this study was to analyze the mental health awareness of K-12 public schools teachers in Texas with a goal to identify the connections between mental health awareness and school safety. Data were used from an archival database of K-12 teacher responses in the 2020 Texas Educators' Needs Assessment Regarding School Safety and Victims Services to assess the current state of student mental health concerns and the connection of these concerns to school safety. This needs assessment included one mixed methods survey that was collected from Texas K-12 educators and Texas educators working in higher education in 2020. The original study included 25,161 usable responses (6.1%). For the purpose of this study, only K-12 teacher responses were used in the analysis. The K-12 teacher participants (n = 19,888) included the following institutional levels: (a) special setting, 2,919 (14.7%); (b) elementary school, 6,813 (34.3%); (c) middle/intermediate school, 4,189 (21.1%); (d) high school, 5,864 (29.5%); and (e) district level, 103 (0.5%). A total of 8,053 participant's qualitative responses and 10 of the original quantitative survey questions from the archival data were used to identify all findings in the study. Collected qualitative and quantitative participant responses' outlined a need to improve student mental health by strengthening the focus on supporting all stakeholders (e.g., teachers, parents, counselors, and students) in mental health awareness and education. Participant comments focused on the lack of training, counselor support, and community support regarding the mental health needs of their students. Recommendations to improve student mental health that were developed from this study identified key goals in school counselor role and responsibility to student mental health, increased involvement of community agencies, and improvement to in-school mental health counseling. Final recommendations of this study were focused on the need to improve student mental health if stakeholders want to develop a positive school environment. The failure to build an environment that is focused on student mental health will continue to affect the goal to improve overall school safety.

The integration strategy and effect evaluation of art teaching and mental health counseling in preschool education

As the foundation period of primary education, preschool education is an indispensable part of the national education system, which plays a significant role in the physical, psychological, and physiological aspects of individuals. As an essential introductory course of preschool education, art education not only bears the responsibility of aesthetic education but also plays an essential role in the development of mental health because of its disciplinary characteristics. In this paper, the control group will receive traditional art education and mental health counseling separately, while the experimental group will be provided with a holistic art education program and integrated counseling for mental well-being. The experimental results will have specific practical significance for improving children's art education and promoting children's mental health development.

Mental Health Counseling From Conversational Content With Transformer-Based Machine Learning

Use of asynchronous text-based counseling is rapidly growing as an easy-to-access approach to behavioral health care. Similar to in-person treatment, it is challenging to reliably assess as measures of process and content do not scale. To use machine learning to evaluate clinical content and client-reported outcomes in a large sample of text-based counseling episodes of care. In this quality improvement study, participants received text-based counseling between 2014 and 2019; data analysis was conducted from September 22, 2022, to November 28, 2023. The deidentified content of messages was retained as a part of ongoing quality assurance. Treatment was asynchronous text-based counseling via an online and mobile therapy app (Talkspace). Therapists were licensed to provide mental health treatment and were either independent contractors or employees of the product company. Participants were self-referred via online sign-up and received services via their insurance or self-pay and were assigned a diagnosis from their health care professional. All clients received counseling services from a licensed mental health clinician. The primary outcomes were client engagement in counseling (number of weeks), treatment satisfaction, and changes in client symptoms, measured via the 8-item version of Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8). A previously trained, transformer-based, deep learning model automatically categorized messages into types of therapist interventions and summaries of clinical content. The total sample included 166 644 clients treated by 4973 therapists (20 600 274 messages). Participating clients were predominantly female (75.23%), aged 26 to 35 years (55.4%), single (37.88%), earned a bachelor's degree (59.13%), and were White (61.8%). There was substantial variability in intervention use and treatment content across therapists. A series of mixed-effects regressions indicated that collectively, interventions and clinical content were associated with key outcomes: engagement (multiple R = 0.43), satisfaction (multiple R = 0.46), and change in PHQ-8 score (multiple R = 0.13). This quality improvement study found associations between therapist interventions, clinical content, and client-reported outcomes. Consistent with traditional forms of counseling, higher amounts of supportive counseling were associated with improved outcomes. These findings suggest that machine learning-based evaluations of content may increase the scale and specificity of psychotherapy research.

Informing adolescent substance misuse prevention: A parent focus group perspective

AbstractSubstance misuse during adolescence is an issue, and engaging parents in prevention efforts has significant positive impacts; yet barriers to engagement exist. The purpose of this qualitative parent focus group study was to understand the perspectives of participants (n = 5) about information and delivery platforms that will promote, engage, and support parents in prevention efforts. Thematic analyses identified five key themes from the semistructured interview: (1) educational support, (2) community support, (3) venues and platforms, (4) influences of other countries, and (5) potential barriers. Implications for clinical mental health and school counselors, and future research are discussed.

부모와의 상호작용과 또래애착에서 정신건강과 공동체의식의 매개효과

Objectives This study analyzed whether the mediating effect of mental health and sense of community was sig-nificant in the relationship between parents-children interaction and peer attachment of mid. adolescents, and whether having the multiple mediating effects of parents-children interaction on peer attachment through mental health and sense of community.
 Methods For the purposes, 6,429 cases, taken from the 7th wave data(high school 2nd year) of KELS2013 were used. A survey of parents-children interaction, mental health, sense of community, and peer attachment was conducted. Bootstrapping analysis was performed using the SPSS Macro Process to examine the mediating effects.
 Results The direct effects of parents-children interaction, mental health, and sense of community on peer at-tachment were significant. The each mediating effect of mental health and sense of community was significant in the relationship between parents-children interaction and peer attachment. As s result of analyzing the multiple mediators of mental health and sense of community in the effect of parents-children interaction on peer attach-ment, a sequential multi-mediation functions appeared between the two variables.
 Conclusions Parents-children interaction influences mid. adolescents’s peer attachment formation through bol-stering mental health and sense of community. This implies that mental health counseling and sense of commun-ity training helps the formation of the mid. adolescents’s peer attachment.

Clinician Perspectives on Virtual Specialty Palliative Care for Patients With Advanced Illnesses.

Background: Patients with serious illnesses have unmet symptom and psychosocial needs. Specialty palliative care could address many of these needs; however, access varies by geography and health system. Virtual visits and automated referrals could increase access and lead to improved quality of life, health outcomes, and patient-centered care for patients with serious illness. Objectives: We sought to understand referring clinician perspectives on barriers and facilitators to utilizing virtual tools to increase upstream access to palliative care. Design: Participants in this multisite qualitative study included practicing clinicians who commonly place palliative care referrals across multiple specialties, including hematology/oncology, family medicine, cardiology, and geriatrics. All interviews were transcribed and subsequently coded and analyzed by trained research coordinators using Atlas.ti software. Settings/Subjects: This study included 23 clinicians (21 physicians, 2 nonphysicians) across 5 specialties, 4 practice settings, and 7 states in the United States. Results: Respondents felt that community-based specialty palliative services including symptom management, advance care planning, physical therapy, and mental health counseling would benefit their patients. However, they had mixed feelings about automated referrals, with some clinicians feeling hesitant about not being alerted to such referrals. Many respondents were supportive of virtual palliative care, particularly for those who may have difficulty accessing physician offices, but most respondents felt that such care should only be provided after an initial in-person consultation where clinicians can meet face-to-face with patients. Conclusion: Clinicians believe that automated referrals and virtual palliative care could increase access to the benefits of specialty palliative care. However, virtual palliative care models should give attention to iterative communication with primary clinicians and the perceived need for an initial in-person visit.

Demands, resources and institutional factors in the work of academic staff in Central and Eastern Europe: results of a qualitative research among university teachers in five countries

IntroductionThe increased stress, pressure, and organizational change draw attention to the importance of doing research on workplace stress and resources, as well as other sources of stress among university teachers. Based on the job demands-resources theory (JD-R theory) this paper investigates the workplace factors affecting the health and wellbeing of Central and Eastern European (CEE) academics. A further question is, what are the institutional factors that (could) improve or worsen their wellbeing, as well as how they are able to cope with the stress on an individual level.MethodsFor the analyses, seven focus group interviews were conducted with academics from nine higher education institutions in Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, and Serbia (N = 41).ResultsAccording to our results of the focus group interviews the most important workplace difficulties, challenges, and resources are related to teaching roles, interpersonal relationships, support by the management, and infrastructural conditions.DiscussionInstitutions can contribute to the wellbeing and health of the academics primarily by offering free or at least discounted participation in sports, cultural and leisure events, as well as mental health counseling, but it is important for these not to be self-serving (the colleagues from the university should not participate in the programs to make up for the missing audiences of the otherwise overfunded organizations of the institution) and haphazard: without a targeted health strategy, these are not sufficiently effective.

THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ENHANCING MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

This systematic review explores the evolving landscape of mental health advocacy through the lens of technology, investigating its role, impact, and future directions. Tracing historical perspectives, from grassroots movements to digital revolutions, the review analyzes the integration of social media, mobile applications, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence in advocacy efforts. Identified factors influencing effectiveness include accessibility, user engagement, privacy, cultural sensitivity, integration with traditional approaches, and collaborative partnerships. Privacy protection, inclusivity, quality assurance, stigma reduction, and user autonomy are ethical considerations. Future directions emphasize personalized AI interventions, gamification, VR/AR applications, telehealth integration, and community-centric platforms. Balancing innovation with ethical practice is critical for realizing technology's potential in fostering a more connected, informed, and supportive mental health advocacy landscape.
 Keywords: Mental Health Advocacy, Technology, Digital Innovation, Ethical Considerations, Inclusivity.

Willingness to use mental health counseling in diverse groups of Asian Americans.

Responding to the underutilization of mental health services in Asian American communities, we examined factors associated with their willingness to use mental health counseling. Applying Andersen's Behavioral Health Service Model, we focused on the role of mental health needs and prior use of mental health counseling in shaping the attitudes toward mental health counseling of diverse groups of Asian Americans. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from 2,609 Asian Americans aged 18 or older who participated in the Asian American Quality of Life (AAQoL) survey conducted in central Texas. Logistic regression models of willingness to use mental health counseling were tested with predisposing (age, gender, marital status, education, nativity, and English-speaking ability), mental health needs (mental distress and self-rated mental health) and enabling (prior use of mental health counseling) variables. About 67% of the overall sample indicated their willingness to use mental health counseling. Individuals who met the criteria for mental distress showed 17% lower odds of willingness to use mental health counseling. The enabling role of prior use of mental health counseling was supported; those who had used counseling were over three times more likely to be willing to use counseling in the future than their counterparts without such an experience. Given the inverse association between mental health needs and the willingness to use mental health counseling, further attention should be paid to improving Asian Americans' recognition of mental health symptoms and awareness of the benefit of mental health services. The enabling role of prior use of counseling also highlights the importance of increasing the exposure to mental health services for Asian Americans. In efforts to promote mental health literacy, reduce cultural stigma, and advocate for mental health service use, consideration of cultural and linguistic diversity within the Asian American population is imperative.

Provider-Perceived Impacts of Social Vulnerability on Patients’ Access to Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: To study the provider-perceived impacts of social vulnerability on patients’ access to care during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Data Sources and Study Settings: Survey data was collected from healthcare providers in a medium-sized county within a south-eastern state in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study Design: A cross-sectional mixed-method survey design was utilized to collect qualitative and quantitative data from study participants. Data Collection: Healthcare providers were recruited from all major healthcare-related state licensure boards, including nurses, physicians, psychologists, social workers, and mental health counselors. The final study sample consisted of 141 licensed healthcare providers. Principal Findings: Healthcare providers in our study indicated that the social vulnerability factors impacted patients’ access to care. This study provides recommendations for improving access to care among socially vulnerable populations during pandemics as a means to reduce health disparities. The study also identifies areas for future research.

Factorial Invariance of Scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire–9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7 With Adults in the United States

Depressive and anxiety disorders are two common presenting concerns among adults in the United States who seek mental health counseling services. Mental health counselors need screening tools with validated scores for detecting their clients’ symptoms of depression and anxiety. The Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7 (GAD-7) are popular screening tools for measuring symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively. However, the literature is lacking temporally valid research on these popular screening tools, which is concerning, as the psychometric properties of instrumentation can vary substantially over time. We tested the psychometric properties of the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 with a national stratified random sample (N = 1,812) of adults in the United States. The results were promising and begin to address the temporal validity gap in the extant literature regarding the psychometric properties of GAD-7 and PHQ-9. Collectively, findings supported the utility of the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 for enhancing the practice of mental health counselors.

Advances in Psychodermatology: Pediatric Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania (TTM) is a complex disease that often presents first to pediatric dermatologists. Despite its high prevalence in childhood, limited recommendations and treatment modalities are available for pediatric TTM. While Habit Reversal Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy are the most commonly used treatments for children with trichotillomania, pediatric dermatologists are more likely to prescribe medications as a primary treatment modality. Mind-skin disorders, now referred to as psychodermatologic or psychocutaneous disorders, affect the pediatric population in both a visible and psychological manner. The rise of psychodermatology in pediatric dermatology provides the opportunity to not only address any visible skin conditions such as TTM, but also any additional psychological aspects of the disorder. This review focuses on the differences in treatment modalities for children with trichotillomania utilized by pediatric dermatologists and behavioural health specialists, as well as the most recent recommendations for dermatologists and mental health providers working in conjunction with a shared goal of providing the best long-term support for these patients. Objective: Discuss the differences in treatment modalities for children with trichotillomania by pediatric dermatologists and behavioural health specialists, as well as the most recent recommendations for dermatologists and mental health providers working in conjunction with a shared goal of providing the best long-term support for these patients Raise awareness of the discrepancies that exist between pediatric dermatologists and behavioural health specialists (psychologists, mental health counsellors, school counsellors) in the treatment of trichotillomania in children Facilitate further discussion between pediatric dermatologists and behavioural health specialists when treating trichotillomania in the pediatric population.

Developing a Theoretical Framework for Strategic Visual Content in Mental Health Campaigns

This conceptual paper explores the impact of strategic visual content in mental health awareness campaigns. Utilizing a theoretical framework based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), Visual Rhetoric Theory, and Visual Communication Theory, this study synthesizes existing literature to propose guidelines for effective visual content. The findings suggest that engaging visuals can enhance emotional involvement, reduce stigma, and promote mental wellness. Future research should empirically validate this framework to optimize visual communication in mental health advocacy.

Impact of Transportation Barriers on Telehealth Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Telehealth use among individuals with and without transportation challenges remains understudied. This study aims to compare telehealth utilization and types of healthcare services between subjects with and without transportation challenges. Using data from the 2021 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), we identified telehealth use for office visits by adults (≥18 years old) in 2021, categorizing the type of healthcare services received, such as checkups and mental health counseling. Weighted logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with telehealth usage. The total population analyzed was 204 621 985 (unweighted n = 17 674). The average (SD) age of the subjects was 49 (18) years old, and 53% were female. On average, individuals with transportation challenges had 1.40 telehealth visits, while those without such challenges had 0.87 visits (P = .03). Additionally, individuals with transportation challenges had more visits related to behavioral health compared to those without transportation challenges (22% vs 11%, P < .01). Those facing transportation challenges were 40% more likely to use telehealth compared to those without transportation challenges (OR = 1.40, P = .01). The findings suggest that telehealth could serve as a viable solution to overcome transportation barriers and improve access to care. However, it is crucial to assess access to care through telehealth to enhance the health outcomes for individuals facing transportation challenges.

Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder and Reproductive Justice: Examining Unmet Needs for Mental Health and Social Services in a National Cohort.

Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) are the most common complications during the perinatal period. There is limited understanding of the gaps between need and provision of comprehensive health services for childbearing people, especially among racialized populations. The Giving Voice to Mothers Study (GVtM; n=2700), led by a multistakeholder, Steering Council, captured experiences of engaging with perinatal services, including access, respectful care, and health systems' responsiveness across the United States. A patient-designed survey included variables to assess relationships between race, care provider type (midwife or doctor), and needs for psychosocial health services. We calculated summary statistics and tested for significant differences across racialized groups, subsequently reporting odds ratios (ORs) for each group. Among all respondents, 11% (n=274) reported unmet needs for social and mental health services. Indigenous women were three times as likely to have unmet needs for treatment for depression (OR [95% confidence interval, CI]: 3.1 [1.5-6.5]) or mental health counseling (OR [95% CI]: 2.8 [1.5-5.4]), followed by Black women (OR [95% CI]: 1.8 [1.2-2.8] and 2.4 [1.7-3.4]). Odds of postpartum screening for PMAD were significantly lower for Latina women (OR [95% CI]=0.6 [0.4-0.8]). Those with midwife providers were significantly more likely to report screening for anxiety or depression (OR [95% CI]=1.81 [1.45-2.23]) than those with physician providers. We found significant unmet need for mental health screening and treatment in the United States. Our results confirm racial disparities in referrals to social services and highlight differences across provider types. We discuss barriers to the integration of assessments and interventions for PMAD into routine perinatal services. We propose incentivizing reimbursement schema for screening and treatment programs; for community-based organizations that provide mental health and social services; and for culture-centered midwife-led perinatal and birth centers. Addressing these gaps is essential to reproductive justice.

Teaching Mindfulness in Class, Bringing Mindfulness to Life: A Tribute to Charity Scott's Impact on Mental Health and Well-Being in Law School and Legal Practice.

This is how Georgia State University College of Law Professor Charity Scott introduced the concept of mindfulness to numerous law students and lawyers. Aware that her skeptical, mind-driven audience needed a clear definition for a practice that seemed curious, at best, and esoteric, at worst, she immediately gave us the very lawyerly task of "pars[ing] each of these phrases to understand their importance and relevance to the legal profession"2 and applying them to our own experience of studying or practicing law. Using scientific evidence, she described the benefits of mindfulness and then invited us to try it and decide for ourselves. Charity was a superb teacher, who knew how to impart knowledge skillfully, and a brilliant lawyer, who could present and defend her case exceptionally well. In fact, "Charity Scott owned the subject matter so deeply that she was able to engage lawyers who otherwise would never have given the concept of mindfulness any credence in a million years. In a way that's hard to describe, she didn't brook any resistance on the topic and, as a result, was able to move the needle on well-being for lawyers at a time when, as far as I can tell, she was the only one doing the lifting," reflects Lynn Garson, health care attorney and mental health advocate. But I believe Charity Scott's true mastery and impact came from her embodiment of mindfulness itself. In her presence, mindfulness ceased to be a mere concept, but instead became her way of being that illuminated her words and actions, nourished her relationships, and changed lives.