Mental Health Disciplines Research Articles

Revalidating the religious/spiritually integrated practice assessment scale for educators across four mental health disciplines

ABSTRACT This paper describes the validation of the Religious/Spiritually Integrated Practice Assessment Scale for Educators (RSIPAS-EDU) with a diverse sample of faculty in social work, counseling, marriage and family therapy, and psychology. Full-time faculty at accredited graduate schools across disciplines were invited to participate in an online survey that included the RSIPAS-EDU, and 1,742 completed it. Results support the RSIPAS-EDU as a reliable and valid tool to assess mental health educators’ self-efficacy, attitudes, perceived feasibility, behaviors, and overall orientation toward training students to integrate clients’ religion/spirituality in treatment, and identify faculty development needs. Implications and recommendations for future studies are discussed.

“Mirroring” the World Versus “World-Making”: The Crisis of Ethics in Indian Mental Health Systems

In the context of neoliberalism and increasing globalization, technocratization, and scientification of mental health care, people suffering from socio-politico-economic problems ranging from poverty to structural violence are often transmogrified into “patients” with mental health problems to be “treated” with psychopharmaceuticals and individualized psychological therapies. Drawing from three socio-political issues India witnessed in the past 3 years, concerning three marginalized sections, namely, farmers, LGBTQIA+ people, and migrant workers, I illustrate the silence of mainstream mental health disciplines in India on sheer instances of structural violence and social suffering. Deflection of attention from human rights violations by mainstream mental health systems raises critical questions about the ethics and politics of mental health disciplines. The social, political, and material contexts that are central to lived experiences are almost always unaccounted in mental health academia, research, and practice. Engaging people with lived experiences advances equity by breaking down power dynamics, establishing collaborative decision-making, and improving equitable outcomes. Thus, knowledge production in mental health becomes irrelevant to political action and transformative policies that are crucial for positive mental health outcomes. By ignoring and thus implicitly sanctioning discriminatory, exploitive neoliberal architecture, mental health systems maintain the very upstream factors that cultivate and sustain mental distress. In this way, mainstream mental health practice in India fails to undertakeworld-making, raising deeper questions in public mental health ethics.

Çocukluk Çağı Travmalarının Yetişkinlerde Psikolojik Esneklik ve Alkol Kullanımı Arasındaki İlişkide Aracı Rolü

Childhood trauma (CST) is a type of trauma that is often inflicted on children by people they know, has long-term effects, and is difficult to identify and treat. According to the World Health Organization, CST is any intentional or unintentional behavior by adults that negatively affects the health, physical and psychosocial development of children. The impact of VAC transcends cultural, social and economic boundaries and is a widespread problem. The effects of VAC on children's physical and mental development can lead to various psychosocial problems in childhood and adulthood. For this reason, it is of great importance to prevent child maltreatment, to address it with a multidisciplinary approach when it occurs, and to follow it up for a long period of time. This review aims to examine all aspects of CSA in the light of the studies conducted and to provide guidance to professionals working in the field of mental health and other disciplines. It also focuses on the mediating role of MTT in the relationship between psychological resilience and alcohol use in adults. In this context, the effects of MTT on psychological resilience and its relationship with alcohol use in adults are discussed in detail, and the potential links and interactions between these two factors are examined. Keywords: Childhood Traumas, Psychological Resilience, Alcohol Use

Helpful and Harmful Approaches to Integrating Religion and Spirituality into Mental Health Care: A National Survey of Current Clients' Experiences in the United States.

This article describes a national sample of 989 current mental health clients' views regarding whether and how their mental health care providers integrated the client's religion/spirituality (RS) into treatment. Within the online Qualtrics survey, two open-ended items asked respondents what (if anything) the client perceived their therapist having done regarding the client's RS that was (1) helpful/supportive or (2) hurtful/harmful. Participants also reported various ways therapists included the topic of RS in practice, if any. Nearly half freely described helpful ways their providers integrated the client's RS, and half indicated it was not discussed or applicable. Although 9.6% described hurtful experiences, most indicated their provider had not done anything harmful related to integrating RS. Implications for practice and training across mental health disciplines are discussed.

Training guidelines and competencies for serious mental illness (SMI) psychology.

Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) face unique and significant challenges that require evidence-based practices and clinicians who have advanced, comprehensive training to provide them. SMI affects about 5.5% of the U.S. population and results in serious health, social, and economic burdens. Despite advancements in treatment over the past 50 years, training programs for psychologists and other mental health providers have failed to keep up with these advances, underutilizing evidence-based assessments and interventions developed specifically for this population and found to be efficacious. To address this, the SMI Psychology Specialty has developed Training Guidelines to establish consistent, high-quality, and evidence-based training for postdoctoral psychologists. This article highlights selected features of the Training Guidelines for SMI Psychology. Although these were developed for postdoctoral training programs in SMI Psychology, they are applicable to training programs at all levels, and we hope that training programs in psychology and other mental health disciplines will incorporate these advances into their curricula. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

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

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

Rating Patients in Different Languages: Reliability and Validity.

Research outcomes in mental health disciplines are usually assessed using rating instruments that were developed as English language versions. However, in countries such as India, English is not the native language, and patients at even a single research center may speak in different regional tongues. It is permissible to assess such patients using rater-administered English language instruments designed to be scored after an unstructured interview conducted in the patient's preferred language. For many reasons, related to reliability and validity, it is not permissible to assess such patients in their preferred language by translating, impromptu, from English language versions of instruments that were designed to be self-administered or administered as a structured interview. In such situations, standardized, local language versions of the instruments should be used; that is, local language versions with established reliability and validity.

Abstract WP90: Participants With Complex Impairment Profiles Are Systematically Excluded From Stroke Psychosocial Support Research: A Scoping Review

Introduction: Disability after stroke often requires mental health treatment, but contradictorily, also restricts access to it. People with cognitive, motor, language, and perceptual impairments have been excluded from research on psychosocial supports like psychotherapy, support groups, and meaningful life activities. This exclusion adds to the inequitable distribution of benefits, including fewer treatment options and less knowledgeable providers. Very little is known about who is excluded from stroke psychosocial support research, why they are excluded, and how exclusion occurs. Methods: Exclusionary practices were investigated using a Johanna Briggs Institute-method scoping review. Independent reviewers screened searches of CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, and PsychInfo, resulting in 101 included studies. Content analysis was used to analyze studies following an a priori coding framework, which included: Design, inclusion/exclusion criteria, stroke impairment, psychiatric comorbidity, and psychosocial support type. Results: Samples were commonly limited to mild cognitive impairment, with other subpopulations under-represented. Moderate-to-severe cognitive and language impairments were systematically excluded from psychotherapy studies. In contrast, support group and meaningful life activity studies more often included a range of impairments, but also more often excluded psychiatric comorbidity. Studies with rigorous designs rarely included complex impairment profiles. Reasons for exclusion were seldom provided, and participant characteristics were routinely underreported. Conclusion: By including only people with mild and uncomplicated impairment profiles, the field risks neglecting the complex realities of others who arguably have even greater need for support. This scoping review offers recommendations for stroke research and practice, including: The inclusion of a range of stroke impairments in research samples, adapting procedures using compensatory strategies to facilitate inclusion, and greater cross-pollination between mental health and rehabilitation disciplines. This review serves as a call to action to make psychosocial supports equitable and accessible for all people, regardless of ability.

Abstract HUP13: Participants With Complex Impairment Profiles Are Systematically Excluded From Stroke Psychosocial Support Research: A Scoping Review

Introduction: Disability after stroke often requires mental health treatment, but contradictorily, also restricts access to it. People with cognitive, motor, language, and perceptual impairments have been excluded from research on psychosocial supports like psychotherapy, support groups, and meaningful life activities. This exclusion adds to the inequitable distribution of benefits, including fewer treatment options and less knowledgeable providers. Very little is known about who is excluded from stroke psychosocial support research, why they are excluded, and how exclusion occurs. Methods: Exclusionary practices were investigated using a Johanna Briggs Institute-method scoping review. Independent reviewers screened searches of CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, and PsychInfo, resulting in 101 included studies. Content analysis was used to analyze studies following an a priori coding framework, which included: Design, inclusion/exclusion criteria, stroke impairment, psychiatric comorbidity, and psychosocial support type. Results: Samples were commonly limited to mild cognitive impairment, with other subpopulations under-represented. Moderate-to-severe cognitive and language impairments were systematically excluded from psychotherapy studies. In contrast, support group and meaningful life activity studies more often included a range of impairments, but also more often excluded psychiatric comorbidity. Studies with rigorous designs rarely included complex impairment profiles. Reasons for exclusion were seldom provided, and participant characteristics were routinely underreported. Conclusion: By including only people with mild and uncomplicated impairment profiles, the field risks neglecting the complex realities of others who arguably have even greater need for support. This scoping review offers recommendations for stroke research and practice, including: The inclusion of a range of stroke impairments in research samples, adapting procedures using compensatory strategies to facilitate inclusion, and greater cross-pollination between mental health and rehabilitation disciplines. This review serves as a call to action to make psychosocial supports equitable and accessible for all people, regardless of ability.

The 2nd Alarm Project: Bridging Social Work and Public Health to Improve Mental Wellness in the Fire Service

ABSTRACT Firefighters are trained to respond to a wide range of emergencies, and over the course of responding to emergencies, are exposed to a variety of potentially traumatic events. Repeated exposure to traumatic events may adversely impact firefighters’ mental health. Combined with stigma surrounding help-seeking, lack of systematic resources and referral programs, and other barriers to care, firefighters do not routinely receive a continuum of trauma informed, assessment and treatment services from trained professionals. The purpose of this paper is to describe an evidence-informed approach to a reciprocal, collaborative model among social work and public health practice, policy, and research; and to offer a framework for researchers, clinicians, and policy advocates to more effectively achieve goals of preventing and treating trauma exposure in firefighters. This paper provides a comprehensive literature review, as well as describes a case study of a successful public health intervention for mitigating exposure to trauma among a population of firefighters. The significant contribution of mental health issues to the burden of disease among our firefighters is a matter of considerable public health concern. Effective approaches to mitigating behavioral health needs must bridge both mental health disciplines and public health to minimally, include access to evidence-based assessment and treatment, peer support capacity building, widely available mental health education, and leadership development to promote culture change. When considering a model for services with firefighters, reciprocal collaboration among researchers, health care professionals, first responder organizations, families, and other relevant community stakeholders is essential for success.

VALIDAÇÃO DE TECNOLOGIA EDUCACIONAL COMO RECURSO DIDÁTICO NO ENSINO DE ENFERMAGEM EM SAÚDE MENTAL

ABSTRACT Objective: to validate an educational technology as a teaching resource for teaching mental health nursing. Method: this is a methodological study, carried out through agreement among expert judges and the target audience, for content validity and appearance assessment of an educational game. A total of 11 expert judges and 114 students from two universities participated in the study. For validity, the Content Validity Index was used. Results: the teaching-pedagogical resource assessment reached an overall Content Validity Index equal to 88.5%. Items 7 and 9 obtained an Individual Content Validity Index of less than 78%. In view of this, these items were reassessed and adjusted according to suggested changes. For the domains assessed regarding educational game appearance, percentages were obtained that were between 85.9% and 97.3%. Conclusion: the assessments triggered adjustments to the game’s theoretical-scientific content, making it capable of being used as an educational resource for the mental health discipline in nursing courses.

BUILDING FOUNDATIONAL COMPETENCIES IN OLDER ADULT MENTAL HEALTH: VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON TRAINING

Abstract Designed to develop foundational knowledge competencies for generalist clinicians, this program was created by a team of geropsychologists, geriatric social workers, geriatric psychiatrists, and neuropsychologists, who reviewed competencies of multiple mental health disciplines, and identified 14 key areas of knowledge for clinicians. Content was created by Rush faculty, externally peer-reviewed, and developed into two versions. The 14-hour online version includes knowledge checks and national expert videos to provide multiple perspectives and voices of experience. Of the first 176 learners in the online version, 96.8% rated the overall program as excellent, with strong agreement (97.4 – 98.3%) that the training was applicable to practice, expectations were met, and learners had intention to apply the knowledge. All learners are required to achieve a minimum of 75% on knowledge post-test to complete each module. The three-day in-person program provided 25 diverse clinicians representing every HHS region with didactic content, interactive exercises, discussion, and a simulated patient experience to practice skills with live expert feedback. Participants demonstrated 14% improvement in knowledge (p<.01). Didactic lectures were rated 100% extremely or very helpful; 82% rated group learning exercises extremely helpful; 100% rated the simulation lab as extremely or very helpful. Balance between activities and match with learning style were rated good to very good. All participants rated the likelihood of recommending the program to a colleague as extremely or very likely. Evaluation of skill implementation is ongoing. Implications for expanding generalist competencies in older adult mental health will be discussed.

Mental health professionals’ perspectives on the relevance of religion and spirituality to mental health care

BackgroundA large body of evidence indicates that spiritual and religious backgrounds, beliefs, and practices (SRBBPs) are related to better psychological health. Spirituality and religion (R/S) are also important aspects of multicultural diversity. There is evidence that clients would like to talk about their spirituality, and that including it in assessment and treatment planning can be beneficial. However, the extent to which practicing mental health professionals view SRBBPs as relevant to mental health and clinical practice is unclear.MethodsA survey examining several aspects of addressing SRBBPs in clinical practice was distributed to 894 professionals across mental health disciplines, including psychiatry, psychology, social work, marriage family therapy, licensed professional counselors, certified chemical dependency counselors, and psychiatric mental health nurses.Results89% of mental health professionals agreed that clinicians should receive training in R/S competencies. There were no differences between mental health disciplines in ratings of importance of such training. Younger individuals and those who identify as more spiritual were more likely to consider R/S training as important. Although 47.1% of professionals had not received much R/S training, many perceived themselves to be highly competent in R/S clinical integration practices (57.8% considered themselves able to display them very much or completely). In addition, respondents with more R/S training evaluated themselves as more proficient in R/S clinical integration. Nearly two-thirds (65.2%) of respondents reported encountering few to no barriers to engaging in R/S competent mental health care.ConclusionsThere is a growing consensus among mental health care professionals that mental health professionals should be trained in R/S competencies. Strong agreement exists that basic R/S competencies include respect, empathy, examination of bias, and routine assessment of R/S in mental health care. Four in five of those surveyed agree that more active competencies, such as identifying and addressing religious and spiritual struggles and problems and helping clients explore and access R/S strengths and resources should be included, whereas one in five report less comfort with these competencies.

Virtual care delivery of whole family assessment and intervention with infants and preschoolers: a thematic analysis of clinician and family experiences

AbstractIn this study, we explore family and clinician experiences with virtual care delivery of whole family assessment and therapy developed for infant and preschool‐aged children and adapted during the COVID‐19 pandemic. A clinical case study is also presented. Between September and November 2020, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with four clinicians working with families with children in the 0 to 5 population and with four caregivers with children aged 4–6 years (M = 5.3) involved in whole family assessment and intervention (i.e., Lausanne Trilogue Play [LTP]; Reflective Family Play [RFP]) at a community mental health facility. Clinicians represented various mental health disciplines. Qualitative data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis with intercoder reliability established. Analysis of interviews generated nine themes organised within two conceptual frameworks, accessibility and efficacy. Accessibility included the themes: (1) flexibility, (2) privacy, and (3) resources. Efficacy comprised: (4) effects of technology, (5) home environment, (6) feasibility of therapy tasks, (7) parent alliance, (8) clinician fatigue, and (9) overall evaluation. Home environment was further divided into three subthemes: (5.1) disruptions, (5.2) boundaries, and (5.3) naturalistic observation. While participants reported benefits and challenges uniquely related to virtual care, both caregivers and clinicians expressed overall satisfaction with virtual whole family assessment and therapy. This study provides a rich exploration of the perspectives of caregivers and clinicians engaged in virtual whole family mental health care during the COVID‐19 pandemic. With adequate technology and privacy, whole family assessment and therapy, such as the LTP and RFP, provided via video teleconferencing facilitated accessible and effective care for families of young children with moderate to severe mental health challenges. Evidence suggests in‐person and hybrid approaches to whole family assessment and therapy could be further tailored to meet the needs of families with young children and infants.

How do speech and language therapists enact aphasia psychosocial support in Ireland? A cross-sectional online survey informed by normalization process theory.

Supporting psychosocial well-being in aphasia is necessarily person-centred, interdisciplinary and coordinated. Shortcomings in such support are described in Ireland and elsewhere. Speech and language therapists (SLTs) are integral; and describing current practice and barriers they experience is important for enhancing service delivery. To understand how SLTs enact, and are supported to enact, aphasia psychosocial care in Ireland. This is a cross-sectional, online, self-administered clinician survey targeting SLTs working minimally 1 year post-qualification with persons with aphasia of any aetiology in Ireland. The survey questions were charted against key constructs of the implementation science framework, normalization process theory (NPT), and descriptive statistics were applied. A total of 54 eligible datasets were included. SLTs believed psychosocial support to be part of their role, but perceived multiple barriers in enacting it. These included a lack of training, clinical supervision, management support, role recognition, and access to and joint working with mental health professionals and services. SLTs in Ireland face a range of individual and structural barriers, including care coordination and resourcing. There is a clear need not only for training, upskilling and mentorship, but also for wider changes around access to mental health professionals and clarity around the processes of referral, coordination and integration of aphasia care across settings. These findings comprise preliminary insights into current practices. Further research is needed as well as clarity on best-practice pathways for different aetiologies of aphasia. Articulating current practices using NPT may have utility for developing empirically informed and principled interventions to improve service delivery. What is already known on this subject People with aphasia of all aetiologies are at risk of psychosocial problems. Shortcomings in access and the availability of appropriate support have been documented both internationally and in Ireland. To address this issue, an important first step is to understand how SLTs in Ireland currently enact and are supported to enact aphasia psychosocial care. What this study adds to the existing knowledge The findings describe the potential levers and barriers to progressing aphasia psychosocial care in Ireland. A range of individual, team and structural factors were identified. These were locally contextualized but similar issues are reported in other countries. Linking attitudes with NPT constructs provides a first step for further principled implementation projects. What are the practical and clinical implications of this study? Addressing psychosocial problems is perceived as a legitimate part of the speech and language therapy role. SLTs in Ireland enact a range of therapeutic approaches but may need opportunities for formal training and supervision, and for better coordination and integration with other mental health services and disciplines. Understanding differences in care pathways across the range of aphasia aetiologies is additionally important given the emphasis on post-stroke aphasia in the literature.

Community-based care for autistic youth: community providers' reported use of treatment practices in the United States.

To illustrate the landscape of community-based care for autistic youth in the United States, we identified transdisciplinary psychosocial intervention practice sets that community providers report utilizing to care for this population, and examined characteristics associated with provider-reported utilization. The Usual Care for Autism Study (UCAS) Survey assessed provider demographics and provider-reported use of transdisciplinary practices for common ASD co-occurring problems: social difficulties, externalizing behaviors, and anxiety. Community practitioners (N = 701) from allied health, behavioral, education, medical, mental health and other disciplines who treat or work with autistic youth (7-22 years) participated. Exploratory factor analysis yielded four factors: Consequence-Based Strategies (CBS), Cognitive-Behavioral and Therapy Strategies (CBTS), Antecedent-Based Strategies (ABS), and Teaching Strategies (TS). Providers across disciplines reported utilizing ABS more often than other sets. Providers from behavioral disciplines, with less than 4-year or Master degrees, or with more experience reported the most use of ABS, CBS and CBTS. Medical and behavioral providers reported the most use of TS. Setting and child characteristics were associated with practice set use, indicating variability by disability and client socioeconomic status. Findings reflect the complexity and inconsistency of the service landscape for autistic youth across the U.S. Only by understanding the service landscape and predictors of practice utilization, can researchers, policymakers, provider groups, and the autistic community facilitate effective implementation strategy development and use to ultimately improve community-based care.

Factors influencing acceptance and trust of chatbots in juvenile offenders' risk assessment training.

Research has identified simulation-based training with chatbots and virtual avatars as an effective educational strategy in some domains, such as medicine and mental health disciplines. Several studies on interactive systems have also suggested that user experience is decisive for adoption. As interest increases, it becomes important to examine the factors influencing user acceptance and trust in simulation-based training systems, and to validate applicability to specific learning tasks. The aim of this research is twofold: (1) to examine the perceived acceptance and trust in a risk assessment training chatbot developed to help students assess risk and needs of juvenile offenders, and (2) to examine the factors influencing students' perceptions of acceptance and trust. Participants were 112 criminology students in an undergraduate course in a Canadian university. Participants were directed to use a custom-designed chatbot with a virtual 3D avatar for juvenile offenders' risk assessment training, to complete online questionnaires and a risk assessment exercise. Results show satisfactory levels of acceptance and trust in the chatbot. Concerning acceptance, more than half appeared to be satisfied or very satisfied with the chatbot, while most participants appeared to be neutral or satisfied with the benevolence and credibility of the chatbot. Results suggest that acceptance and trust do not only depend on the design of the chatbot software, but also on the characteristics of the user, and most prominently on self-efficacy, state anxiety, learning styles and neuroticism personality traits. As trust and acceptance play a vital role in determining technology success, these results are encouraging.

Mental health clinicians’ reflections on working with child welfare cases: challenges and suggestions

ABSTRACT While mental health clinicians have played an important role in helping families involved with child protective services (CPS) in various ways, their voices continue to be underrepresented in the child welfare literature. To fill this gap and expand the current knowledge base, this study explored clinicians’ reflections on working with CPS-involved families. Thematic analysis revealed their experience of challenges in providing counseling/therapy and collaborating with CPS and legal systems, as well as suggestions that could help resolve those challenges. The findings suggest that there may be an underlying issue regarding workflow and role expectations across the CPS and mental health disciplines, and problem resolution should thus involve systemic changes.

Black women's help‐seeking and self‐care strategies: A phenomenological exploration

AbstractWithin counseling and other mental health disciplines, Black women are underserved, psychologically misdiagnosed, and one of the least researched minoritized cultural populations. We used a hermeneutic phenomenological study to understand the lived experiences of 16 Black women who experienced mental health stress to understand their mental health needs, barriers to mental health care, and help‐seeking and self‐care practices. Findings included the following four themes: perspectives on oppression on mental health, socio‐cultural messages about self‐care and help‐seeking, perspectives about self‐care, and perspectives about professional counseling. Implications for counselors are discussed.

The Medical Metaverse, Part 1: Introduction, Definitions, and New Horizons for Neuropsychiatry.

The Medical Metaverse, Part 1: Introduction, Definitions, and New Horizons for Neuropsychiatry.