Mental Health Education Program Research Articles

Schizophrenia: jinn, magic or disease? Experiences of family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in Baloch ethnicity.

Cultural and religious beliefs are effective on people's attitudes towards schizophrenia and their help-seeking behaviors. This study aimed to explain the experiences of family caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in Baloch ethnicity. This is a qualitative study with conventional content analysis approach. Purposive sampling was used and 21 participants, including family caregiver for patients with schizophrenia, a psychologist, a prayer-writer, and a normal person were interviewed in Sistan and Balochistan province in the southeast of Iran. Qualitative data were analyzed by Granheim and Lundman method. One main theme, three categories, and 10 Sub-categories were extracted from analysis of interviews. "Immersion in the cultural beliefs" was the main theme of the study with categories of "Belief in the superstitious and supernatural nature of the psychological disease", "Superstitious beliefs, an attempt to free the patient", and "Conflict between cultural beliefs and science". Help-seeking behaviors of family caregivers in Baloch ethnicity are influenced by their religious, superstitious, and cultural beliefs. Psycho-education should be part of all mental health education programs in these communities, as delays in treatment worsen the prognosis of people with schizophrenia. Training the medical staff to consider the culture, religion and therapeutic preferences of the Baloch people can be effective in advancing the goals. In addition, local influencers should stress the importance of health care alongside harmless local remedies.

Effect of a mental health education intervention on children's life satisfaction and self-confidence in rural China.

Children living in rural areas may potentially experience low levels of life satisfaction and face challenges in developing self-confidence. The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of a mental health education intervention on the life satisfaction and self-confidence of children residing in rural areas of China. A total of 1,001 children from grades 4 to 6 were randomly assigned to an intervention group (475 children, 250 boys, M = 11.57 years, SD = 1.082 years) and a control group (526 children, 279 boys, M = 11.38 years, SD = 0.980 years). Over 16 weeks, the intervention group received a mental health education program, while the control group did not. The levels of life satisfaction (including five dimensions: family, school, environmental, friends, and self-satisfaction) and self-confidence (including three dimensions: self-efficacy, self-assurance, and self-competence) were rated by all children at baseline and post-intervention. Results from paired samples t-test showed that post-intervention, the intervention group exhibited significant improvements in the areas of family, environmental, school, and self-satisfaction as well as self-efficacy, self-assurance, and self-competence. However, there was no significant improvement in friend satisfaction. Conversely, the control group showed decreases in school, environmental, and friend satisfaction, along with decreases in self-efficacy, self-assurance, and self-competence. No significant change was observed in family and self-satisfaction in this group. These findings emphasize the importance of implementing mental health education interventions for rural children, who are at risk for low life satisfaction and self-confidence. Some specific recommendations are provided for policymakers and practitioners.

A qualitative exploration of young people’s mental health needs in rural and regional Australia: engagement, empowerment and integration

BackgroundAustralian rural and regional communities are marked by geographic isolation and increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters such as drought, bushfires and floods. These circumstances strain the mental health of their inhabitants and jeopardise the healthy mental and emotional development of their adolescent populations. Professional mental health care in these communities is often inconsistent and un-coordinated. While substantial research has examined the barriers of young people’s mental health and help-seeking behaviours in these communities, there is a lack of research exploring what adolescents in rural and regional areas view as facilitators to their mental health and to seeking help when it is needed. This study aims to establish an in-depth understanding of those young people’s experiences and needs regarding mental health, what facilitates their help-seeking, and what kind of mental health education and support they want and find useful.MethodWe conducted a qualitative study in 11 drought-affected rural and regional communities of New South Wales, Australia. Seventeen semi-structured (14 group; 3 individual) interviews were held with 42 year 9 and 10 high school students, 14 high school staff, and 2 parents, exploring participants’ experiences of how geographical isolation and natural disasters impacted their mental health. We further examined participants’ understandings and needs regarding locally available mental health support resources and their views and experiences regarding mental illness, stigma and help-seeking.ResultsThematic analysis highlighted that, through the lens of participants, young people’s mental health and help-seeking needs would best be enabled by a well-coordinated multi-pronged community approach consisting of mental health education and support services that are locally available, free of charge, engaging, and empowering. Participants also highlighted the need to integrate young people’s existing mental health supporters such as teachers, parents and school counselling services into such a community approach, recognising their strengths, limitations and own education and support needs.ConclusionsWe propose a three-dimensional Engagement, Empowerment, Integration model to strengthen young people’s mental health development which comprises: 1) maximising young people’s emotional investment (engagement); 2) developing young people’s mental health self-management skills (empowerment); and, 3) integrating mental health education and support programs into existing community and school structures and resources (integration).

Effect of music breathing, a program based on mindful breathing and music listening therapy for promoting sense of coherence in young people: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThe negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on public health have affected people socially, psychologically, and physically. Young people particularly are having to adjust many aspects of their personal lives: including transitions to work, college, and independent living. Personal resources are important in mitigating stress and improve mental well-being during pandemic. Sense of coherence—an orientation to life—could be considered as a personal resource. Currently, a number of interventions have been developed to target the reduction of stress in young people. Little emphasis has been placed on developing sense of coherence to reduce stress and promote mental well-being among young people. Young people consider music as a preferred leisure activity and an important means of stress relief in their daily lives. However, little research concerning music therapy and sense of coherence exists.MethodsIn the proposed randomized controlled trial, a sample of 290 young people (aged 18–30) will be recruited and allocated randomly into one of two groups: the experimental group and the control group. Participants in the experimental group will participate in a 6-week Music Breathing program that will include music listening and mindful breathing guided by a certified music therapist. Participants in the control group will receive a control condition for 6 weeks Mental Health Education Programme. The primary outcome of the study will be measured using Sense of Coherence Scale. The secondary outcomes will be measured using the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, BBC Subjective Well-being scale, and salivary cortisol levels. Repeated measures analysis will be used to compare the outcomes between the two groups.DiscussionThe results will inform practice in coping with stress through promoting sense of coherence. Individuals will benefit from the long-term effect of this intervention to enhance their sense of coherence to cope with stressful events and promote better mental well-being.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05655234. Registered on December 8, 2022.

“We’re not educated on that enough, and we really should be”: adolescents’ views of mental health service education

ABSTRACT Purpose Despite the susceptibility to the experience of mental distress during adolescence, this population often demonstrate poor help-seeking behaviours. Efforts have been made by schools to address adolescents’ knowledge around mental health; less focus has been given to addressing their knowledge of mental health services and avenues for help-seeking. This study aimed to explore adolescents’ views of mental health services education. Methods An interpretive descriptive design was adopted. Thirty adolescents from Ireland participated in individual interviews. Data were analysed using content analysis. Two themes were identified Recognizing Gaps in Knowledge about Mental Health Service Education, and Enhancing Mental Health Service Education for Young People. Participants reported gaps in their knowledge about mental health services and were uncertain how to access help. Current strategies (e.g., print media) were considered tokenistic and ineffective; instead, multimedia (film/TV) approaches were recommended. Results Two themes were identified: Recognizing Gaps in Knowledge about Mental HealthService Education, and Enhancing Mental Health Service Education for YoungPeople. Participants reported gaps in their knowledge about mental healthservices and were uncertain how to access help. Current strategies (e.g., print media) were considered tokenistic and ineffective; instead, multimedia (film/TV) approaches were recommended. Conclusions Current mental health education programmes need to expand their focus beyond social/emotional well-being, providing adolescents with the knowledge they need to access appropriate supports. Considering traditional print media was viewed as ineffective, while film/TV had an influence on perceptions of mental health services, a multimedia approach to education may be an effective way of engaging this population.

Stigmatizing attitudes toward mental disorders among non-mental health nurses in general hospitals of China: a national survey.

Negative attitudes of nurses toward mental disorders have been reported in various countries. Nurses' stigmatizing attitudes can harm patients with mental disorders (PWMD), thereby delaying the provision of help to patients and leading to decreased quality of care. In this study, we aimed to assess Chinese nurses' stigmatizing attitudes toward patients with mental illness and provide a basis for future development and testing of appropriate and culturally adapted interventions to reduce it. This study aimed to assess the attitudes of Non-mental Health Nurses (NMHNs) in general hospitals in China toward the stigma of PWMD and determine the factors influencing them. A cross-sectional survey of NMHNs in general hospitals were conducted. A self-designed WeChat-based questionnaire was used that included demographic information about the need for training on mental health issues. Participants were provided with a vignette of a depression case with suicidal thoughts. The Depression Stigma Scale (DSS) and Social Distance Scale (SDS) were used to assess attitudes toward mental disorders. Nine questions on the adequacy of knowledge about anxiety and depression and the current status of scale use were used to assess the current status of training needs for mental disorders. Descriptive analysis, chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression were used for the table. A total of 8,254 nurses in non-mental health professions participated in this study. The mean DSS score of NMHNs was (17.24 ± 6.700), and the SDS score was (10.34 ± 3.154). The total detection rate of stigma among the survey respondents was 13.40% (1,107/8254). Multivariate logistic regression showed that age between 30 and 39 years [p = 0.001, OR = 1.427 (1.154-1.764)], 4 years of work experience and above [p = 0.018, OR = 1.377 (1.056-1.796)], having a bachelor's degree [p < 0.001, OR = 0.742 (0.647-0.851)], adequate psychological knowledge [p < 0.001, OR = 1.567 (1.364-1.799)], full knowledge of communication with patients with anxiety and depression [p < 0.001, OR = 1.848 (1.389-2.459)], and the need to acquire skills to identify anxiety and depression were the influencing factors associated with stigma [p < 0.001, OR = 0.343 (0.236-0.499)]. Stigmatizing attitudes toward PWMD exist among NMHNs in general hospitals in China. Thus, more mental health education programs for NMHNs are needed. Factors associated with higher morbidity stigma can be used to develop appropriate interventions to improve NMHNs' stigmatizing attitudes and provide better quality care to PWMD.

Kemurungan dan Lain-lain Komorbiditi Penyakit dalam Kalangan Wanita yang Terlibat dalam Aktiviti Pelacuran di Kuala Lumpur

This manuscript aims to examine depression and the relationship between depression and other comorbidity diseases among women involved in prostitution in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 126 women were interviewed face to face using a structured questionnaire. The M.I.N.I Neuro-Psychiatric Interview Diagnostic Test Tool 6.0 Bahasa Malaysia Version was used to measure depression among women involved in prostitution in Kuala Lumpur. Meanwhile other comorbidity diseases were measured based on the women’s infectious disease status such as Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Hepatitis, HIV and AIDS. The results of study were analysed using SPSS software version 21. Descriptive tests were used to determine the status of depression among women involved in prostitution. The Chi-square test was used to identify the relationship between the status of other comorbidity diseases and depression among women involved in prostitution. The results of the descriptive analysis revealed that 92 out of the 126 women who were interviewed reported suffering from depression. In fact, the results of Chi Square test (p≤0.05) analysis showed that there was a significant relationship between the status of other comorbidity diseases especially Hepatitis C and depression among women involved in prostitution in Kuala Lumpur. The findings of the study indicated that women s who were positive with Hepatitis C were more prone to report depressive disorders. Therefore, mental health education program and treatment specially for women involved in prostitution need to be integrated into the prevention programs of the infectious diseases.

코로나19 시기, 성인 장애인의 일상생활활동 어려움 비교 분석 : 국가 단위 실증 조사 자료 기반으로

Objectives: This study purposed to analyzed of safety awareness, quarantine, and difficulties in daily life activities experienced by people with disabilities in the COVID-19 situation by type of disability. It is an empirical analysis study to derive what the country needs to improve in the COVID-19 pandemic by type of disability. Methods: The 2020 Survey on the Status of Persons with Disabilities a large-scale sample data at the national level was used. 4,590 external physical disabilities, 1,191 internal organ disabilities, and 879 mental disabilities were studied. Using the SPSS 26.0 program, frequency analysis and chi-square test were used to analyze. Results: First, there was a statistically significant difference in safety awareness from disasters and accidents by disability type. It was recognized that external physical functional disabilities and mental disabilities were relatively dangerous compared to internal organ disabilities. Second, people with mental disabilities had relatively greater difficulties in obtaining information and purchasing and using quarantine equipment than other types of disabilities. Third, due to COVID-19, it was found that people with disabilities have great difficulties in daily activities such as going out, medical use, and emotional difficulties. Fourth, during the COVID-19 period, the people with disabilities had the largest support for quarantine products. Fifth, the demand for facilities and equipment in preparation for disasters considering the characteristics of disabilities was the highest as a national improvement to resolve the difficulties of people with disabilities. Conclusion: People with disabilities are suffering from difficulties in their daily lives activity such as going out, medical use, and emotional difficulties during the COVID-19 period, and more support for mental health-related health education programs is required.

Mental Health of Primary and Secondary School Teachers in the Remote Mountain Areas.

Background and objective: Teaching is widely recognized as a highly stressful profession. Job stress leads to emotional exhaustion, which in turn triggers teacher attrition. The cost is estimated as USD 2.2 billion annually for teacher dropouts. It is therefore important to understand the mental state of teachers and the factors that may influence it in order to provide the appropriate early intervention. In the past, more attention has been paid to the mental status of teachers in economically developed cities, but less research has been conducted in remote cities. In this study, we selected primary and secondary school teachers in a typical area to assess their mental health, thereby contributing to the development of effective mental health education programs for teachers in primary and secondary schools. Materials and methods: In this study, 1102 teachers from a typical city in Ningxia Province, characterized by remote mountain areas, minority communities, and a low economic level, participated. The mental status of the teachers was assessed by a Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). The effects of gender, age, level of education, place of work, and marital status on the total SCL-90 score were recorded and compared. The subscale scores of the SCL-90 and the differences among the respondents with various characteristics were analyzed. Results: In total, 1025 data were valid and used for statistical analysis. The effective rate of this study was 93.01%. The analysis showed that 25.17% of the subjects had possible mental problems. There were significant differences in age and marital status (p < 0.001). The score of teachers less than 30 years old was lower than that of other teachers (p = 0.001 vs. 30-39; p < 0.001 vs. 40-49; p < 0.001 vs. ≥50). The no-marriage teachers had the lowest score than the married group or others (p < 0.001 vs. married; p < 0.05 vs. others). Compared to the norm, teachers' mental status was poor, especially in somatization (p < 0.001), obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p < 0.001), depression (p < 0.001), anxiety (p < 0.001), hostility (p < 0.001), phobic anxiety (p < 0.001), and psychosis (p < 0.001). There were gender differences in obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p < 0.05) and depression (p < 0.05). Conclusions: These data indicate that the mental status of these teachers is not optimistic, and married female teachers aged 40-55 years need to be given more attention. Mental health examinations can be incorporated into daily physical examination items to facilitate the timely detection and early intervention of negative emotions.

The well-being of Iranian adult citizens; is it related to mental health literacy?

Subjective well-being (SWB) is a fundamental concept in the definition of mental health and is a significant health indicator for individuals and societies. Mental health literacy (MHL) is a modifiable variable with known effects on mental health, but its relationship with SWB is not recognized. In this study, the SWB is measured, and its relationship to MHL is investigated. In this cross-sectional study conducted in Iran in 2019, 1,682 individuals participated using a convenient sampling method. Participants with a basic ability to use internet were included. A simple online form was used to collect data. SWB and MHL were measured with three questionnaires: WHO-5 Well-Being Index, Mental Health Literacy Scale, and Mental Health Positive Knowledge. Most of the participants were young (mean age 25.99, SD 9.14), female (71.9%), and had a university degree (78.5%). The mean SWB was 50.19 out of 100 (SD 20.92). More than half of the participants (50.4%) were screen-positive for clinical depression regarding their low well-being. Significant but very small correlations were detected between SWB and both MHL measures. The well-being of half of the educated Iranian citizens who participated in this study was poor and lower than previous measurements. No strong correlation is detected between SWB and MHL measures in this study. This suggests that people's well-being cannot be improved by merely implementing mental health educational programs.

A Systemwide Postpartum Inpatient Maternal Mental Health Education and Screening Program

ObjectiveTo expand a hospital system’s maternal mental health program to standardize screening for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. DesignQuality improvement initiative using a continuous Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) cycle. Setting/Local ProblemIn a hospital system consisting of 66 maternity care centers across the United States, there was significant variation in maternal mental health screening, referral, and education practices. The COVID-19 pandemic and increasing rates of severe maternal morbidity further elevated system-level concern about the quality of maternal mental health care being provided. ParticipantsPerinatal nurses. MethodsAn “all-or-none” bundle methodology was used to measure adherence to a system standard for maternal mental health screening, referral, and education. InterventionsA toolkit was designed internally to support streamlined implementation and ensure standardization for screening, referral, and education. This comprehensive toolkit includes screening forms, a referral algorithm, staff education, patient education literature, and a community resource list template. Training on how to use the toolkit was provided to nurses, chaplains, and social workers. ResultsThe initial system bundle adherence rate was 76% (2017) in the first year of the program. The following year, the bundle adherence rate increased to 97% (2018). Despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this mental health initiative has maintained an overall adherence rate of 92% (2020–2022). ConclusionThis nurse-led quality improvement initiative has been successfully implemented across a geographically and demographically diverse hospital system. The initial and sustained high rates of adherence with the system standard for screening, referral, and education illustrate perinatal nurses’ commitment to the delivery of high-quality maternal mental health care in the acute care setting.

Effect of health education program on improving knowledge and atitude towards mental health stigma and professional help-seeking among adolescents

BackgroundEngaging adolescents in mental health education programs can markedly improve their knowledge, decrease stigma, and enhance professional help-seeking. Two-step study was carried out. The first step was applied to 416 secondary school students in two Egyptian Governorates, using an adapted version of a questionnaire used to survey beliefs and attitudes towards mental illness and professional help-seeking. The second step, a health education program, was implemented upon 224 students; they were classified into intervention and control groups. The program was done to improve their knowledge and attitude.ResultsAbout 8% of participants had positive findings suggestive of mental illness; the commonest disorder was anxiety disorder (3.9%). Although most of the participants had a positive attitude towards a mentally ill person, 70.7% of them considered mentally ill persons dangerous, and 60.3% will be ashamed if they/their relatives have a mental illness. The main station of seeking help if having a mental trouble was friends (38.9%). The intervention succeeded to change the belief that mental illness is like any other illness from 46.4 to 96.4%. It decreased the belief that mental illness is an evil spirit from 38.4 to 6.3%. Attitude was improved after intervention for all items except in the point of marrying a person with mental illness. Help-seeking from family members or healthcare workers was significantly improved after the intervention.ConclusionsAnxiety was the commonest mental disorder among the studied group. Negative attitude and wrong beliefs can be changed with health education. Low professional help-seeking may arise the need for more effective professional interventions.

Challenges of a Program for Public Mental Health Education with an Emphasis on Self-Care in Primary Health Care: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Mental health education aims to increase mental health literacy plays a crucial role in community members mental health, but its implementation in primary health care faces obstacles and problems. Therefore, this study was conducted to explain the challenges of the public mental health education program with an emphasis on self-care in Iran primary health care.&#x0D; Methods: The present study was a qualitative study with a content analysis approach. Research sample consisted of 20 stakeholders through purposive sampling with maximum diversity. This study was conducted in Tehran and Alborz, Iran. Data were collected through in-depth and semi-structured interviews and analyzed by Graneheim and Lundman approach.&#x0D; Results: By analyzing the data, the challenges were categorized into six main themes and 15 categories. The six main themes included educational challenges, Inefficiency of the Educational Method, Unsuitable intersect oral collaboration, infrastructural challenges, inadequate resources and barriers to participation in education.&#x0D; Conclusions: Considering the key role of mental health education in promoting mental health literacy and prioritizing prevention in the field of mental health in primary health care, especially achieving universal health coverage; Given multidimensionality challenges and obstacles, reform and adoption of appropriate implementation methods using mental health experts seem necessary. Future research and policies could explore ways to optimize program implementation in primary health care.

Application Research of Music Therapy in Mental Health of Special Children

A healthy psychological state is the premise for children to carry out various activities. Previous surveys have shown that children with special needs are affected by their own obstacles and are more prone to psychological problems such as sensitivity, low self-esteem, and impulsiveness. Therefore, it is necessary to provide more systematic mental health education support for special children. Mental health education programs are an efficient form of maintaining children’s mental health. However, in the field of special education, the number of mental health education courses developed according to the physical and mental characteristics and developmental needs of special children is relatively small, and there are many difficulties in the implementation process. Autism disorder (ASD) is a kind of pervasive developmental dysfunction that is relatively common and representative in clinical practice. In recent years, the number of autistic children has continued to surge, and has gradually expanded from a family problem to a serious social problem. At present, the evaluation of the effect of autism intervention mainly relies on various behavioral scales, which are subjective to a certain extent. At the same time, due to the unclear pathogenesis of autism, the treatment of autism cannot be predicated on the right medicine, and can only be intervened in various ways. The purpose of this paper is to explore the difference between the EEG signals of autistic children and typically developing control (TD) children through the analysis method of EEG signals, and based on the analysis of EEG signals from an objective point of view, to study whether the music therapy method of Chinese Zither playing training can effectively Improving the brain functional status of children with autism yields positive therapeutic outcomes. The experimental results show that the complexity of brain electrical signals of ASD children is much lower than that of TD children, and there is a significant difference in the brain functional state between the two. The music therapy method based on Chinese zither playing training can improve the brain function of autistic patients, and there is a positive therapeutic effect. And with the extension of the training period, the effect may be more significant. Chinese zither playing training can provide a new direction for the intervention of autism.

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

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

Effects of a web-based education for community mental health case managers on physical healthcare for clients with severe mental illness.

This study aimed to develop and verify the effects of a web-based physical healthcare education program for community mental health case managers during the time of COVID-19. Six modules of mental health case management physical health education program were developed and provided using the EdWith education platform, which enables real-time streaming, lecture participant management and whether participants have watched the video and watch time. A total of 51 community mental health case managers participated in the study. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 software. Participants of the physical healthcare education program testified increased performance in, as well as enhanced attitudes toward physical healthcare. Their confidence in physical healthcare increased significantly from that of the individuals in the control group. The web-based educational program for mental health case managers in physical healthcare may be beneficial to improving the physical health of clients with chronic mental illness.

Difficulties in Adapting at School Among Nepalese Immigrant Children in Japan.

Japan has experienced a shift toward a multicultural society, and an increasing number of immigrant children have enrolled in its educational systems. Unforeseen experiences may affect the mental well-being of these children and undermine their holistic development; however, research is scarce. This article explores parents' concern on Nepalese children's experiences in Japanese schools. We aim to reveal the issues that may inform healthcare professionals and schools in best supporting immigrant students. Qualitative survey methods were adopted in an online survey tool to access and collect data from 13 Nepalese parents whose children (age 6-18 years) attended the schools (elementary or junior high school) in four prefectures of Japan. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The following four themes were identified: (i) interaction and relationship; (ii) feeling different and meals at school; (iii) academic exclusion-lack of assistance/review at home; and (iv) emotional distress, peer exclusion, and bullying. Our findings suggest that because of the linguistic and cultural differences, children had difficulty communicating, leading to poor interpersonal relationships. Subjects reported changes in daily living patterns at home and school, and children felt different, shy, and unable to make friends or get involved. There were problems with school meals as well, and parents expressed concern over a lack of academic assistance. Some noteworthy emotional aspects were inability to be happy at school and bullying or exclusion from peers. They did, however, express the impression that Japanese students and teachers are cooperative. Overall, these findings have implications for schoolteachers, nurses, health personnel, parents, and others who promote the mental well-being and holistic development of children. This study provides a basis for mental health educational programs targeting the relationship between migrant and native students to create an inclusive society for all.

РОЗВИТОК НАВИЧОК САМОДОПОМОГИ У КОНТЕКСТІ ПРАКТИЧНОЇ ПІДГОТОВКИ МАГІСТРІВ ФАРМАЦІЇ З ПИТАНЬ ПСИХІЧНОГО ЗДОРОВ'Я

Background. The aftermath of the war in Ukraine highlights the harmful effects of stressful situations on both the local population and pharmaceutical professionals. Undertaking preventative measures to maintain the mental well-being of the population, while also establishing selfhelp mechanisms in the workplace for issues related to mental health, will improve the quality of pharmaceutical care in the field of drug sales and curb early professional burnout among pharmacists. The purpose of this study is to perform a comparative analysis of educational and professional programmes in the specialty of 226 Pharmacy, Industrial Pharmacy, with the objective of assessing the level of masters of pharmacy training in facilitating their own mental health. The study will further investigate the incorporation of relevant course components in the curriculum. Methods. To attain the research goal, the authors utilized scientific literature, worldwide documents, official websites of academic Hiher education institutions, educational and professional programmes within the specialty of 226 Pharmacy, Industrial Pharmacy employing comparative analysis, systematisation, and generalisation methods. Results. The article presents a comparative analysis of educational and professional courses for Masters of Pharmacy in the 226 Pharmacy, Industrial Pharmacy Speciality. The documents and research findings of international scholars have been systematised to tackle the training of pharmacists to handle stressful situations and emergencies. Conclusions. The research conducted indicates that self-help in the workplace of pharmacists is a prevalent global practice, and it has been incorporated into specialised mental health education programmes in various countries. The authors believe that incorporating the best educational practices from Masters of Pharmacy training to include self help for mental health issues in the workplace into national educational and professional programmes in the 226 Pharmacy, Industrial Pharmacy specialty shows promise.

Sexting at an Early Age: Patterns and Poor Health-Related Consequences of Pressured Sexting in Middle and High School.

Sexting is sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually explicit messages, images, or videos through electronic means. Research has examined sexting in high school and college students. This study seeks to add to the existing literature by exploring the nature of pressured or problematic sexting in middle school-aged subjects. We asked participants in public colleges in Massachusetts, Colorado, and Virginia, to recall their sexting-related experiences in middle and high school. We utilized an online survey tool for data collection. We performed bivariate quantitative statistical analyses to examine attitudinal and behavioral differences, as well as motivations and consequences of adolescent sexting. The study revealed unique patterns of early-onset sexting compared to sexting in later adolescence. Early-onset adolescents typically start sexting before they become sexually active and are at a higher risk for poor outcomes associated with sexting, they are more likely to seek therapy. Early sexting is significantly more pressured than sexting in later adolescence. The study is an important contribution to the existing research on pressured sexting. Exploring pressured sexting at very early ages finds that early sexting activity is more likely pressured, creates more stress than later in life, and hence, it needs attention from school mental health professionals and education programs. The authors suggest that comprehensive sex education, including sexting should begin earlier than middle school to prevent risky online sexual behavior and provide for learning coping mechanisms for adolescents.

The efficacy of the “Talk-to-Me” suicide prevention and mental health education program for tertiary students: a crossover randomised control trial

Despite suicide ideation being one of the most frequently reported health issues impacting tertiary students, there is a paucity of research evaluating the efficacy of preventive interventions aimed at improving mental health outcomes for students studying at two tertiary institutes. The current study evaluated the efficacy of the “Talk-to-Me” Mass Open Online Course (MOOC) in improving tertiary students’ abilities to support the mental health of themselves and their peers via a randomised controlled trial design, comparing them to a waitlist control group. Overall, 129 tertiary students (M = 25.22 years, SD = 7.43; 80% female) undertaking a health science or education course at two Western Australian universities were randomly allocated to either “Talk-to-Me” (n = 66) or waitlist control (n = 63) groups. The participants’ responses to suicidal statements (primary outcome), knowledge of mental health, generalised self-efficacy, coping skills, and overall utility of the program (secondary outcomes) were collected at three timepoints (baseline 10-weeks and 24-weeks from baseline). Assessment time and group interaction were explored using a random-effects regression model, examining changes in the primary and secondary outcomes. Intention-to-treat analysis (N = 129) at 10-weeks demonstrated a significant improvement in generalised self-efficacy for “Talk-to-Me” compared to the control group (ES = 0.36, p = .04), with only the “Talk-to-Me” participants reporting increased knowledge in responding to suicidal ideation (primary outcome). This change was sustained for 24 weeks. Findings provide preliminary evidence suggesting that the “Talk-to-Me” MOOC can effectively improve tertiary students’ mental health and knowledge of how to support themselves and others in distress. ACTRN12619000630112, registered 18-03-2019, anzctr.org.au.