Mental Health Leadership Research Articles

Former teachers’ perceptions of psychosocial supports leading to attrition

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine how former K-12 teachers’ perceptions of psychosocial support led to their decision to leave the profession.Design/methodology/approachThe researcher conducted eight interviews with former teachers who had been in the profession for 1.5–26 years and asked them about their thoughts on mental health interventions, leadership and collegial support and the stressors of teaching. The data were analyzed by qualitative analysis.FindingsFormer teachers had varying responses, and some of the biggest takeaways were the importance of strong leadership support, the request for more time and overall changes to the system and how teachers are supported overall. Results indicate the ultimate impetus for exiting the profession was not directly the result of mental health support or the lack thereof, yet support for well-being did play a role in job dissatisfaction with the teaching role.Originality/valueTeacher attrition is a significant issue in many countries. This study focuses on teachers in South Carolina, USA, yet the literature indicates similar problems across the USA and globally. The focus on former teachers was compelling, as most studies focus on current teachers.

A community center to mobilize public policies and human rights in mental health: “the door is always open”

PurposeThis study aims to describe the perceptions of some participants from a community mental health center in the Department of Chocó, Colombia.Design/methodology/approachA case study with a qualitative approach was carried out in 2023. Focus groups were conducted with mental health leaders and members of a community mental health center. The data were analyzed using a thematic analysis.FindingsTwo categories emerged: characterize the Community Mental Health Center of Chocó and Reaffirm human rights. In the first category, the community center is described as a place of recovery that mobilizes social services and works to increase agency capacity. In the second category, the human rights were assumed as part of community services, not only to eliminate coercive practices but also to support the increase of autonomy.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of this study are the analysis of strategies from the perspective of global politics, without delving into the structure of community actions themselves, which are not necessarily based on global recommendations.Practical implicationsDespite the design and development of public policies the study of their implementation still poses several challenges. The strategies carried out by regions that follow evidence-based practices and participation routes are not officially recognized as good practices in mental health and, therefore, independently supported to be sustained.Originality/valueA community mental health center is described that manages to be implement and deliver a service despite not being able to be financed by current national regulations. This indicates, apart from a need, the capacity of the regions to build their solutions beyond regulations.

Suicide Prevention by Peers Offering Recovery Tactics (SUPPORT) for US Veterans With Serious Mental Illness: Community Engagement Approach.

Peer specialists are hired, trained, and accredited to share their lived experience of psychiatric illness to support other similar individuals through the recovery process. There are limited data on the role of peer specialists in suicide prevention, including their role in intervention development. To better understand peer specialists within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), we followed partnership community engagement and a formative research approach to intervention development to (1) identify barriers, facilitators, and perceptions of VHA peer specialists delivering a suicide prevention service and (2) develop and refine an intervention curriculum based on an evidence-informed preliminary intervention framework for veterans with serious mental illness (SMI). Following the community engagement approach, VHA local and national peer support and mental health leaders, veterans with SMI, and veteran peer specialists met to develop a preliminary intervention framework. Next, VHA peer specialist advisors (n=5) and scientific advisors (n=6) participated in respective advisory boards and met every 2-4 months for more than 18 months via videoconferencing to address study objectives. The process used was a reflexive thematic analysis after each advisory board meeting. The themes discussed included (1) the desire for suicide prevention training for peer specialists, (2) determining the role of VHA peer specialists in suicide prevention, (3) integration of recovery themes in suicide prevention, and (4) difficulties using safety plans during a crisis. There were no discrepancies in thematic content between advisory boards. Advisor input led to the development of Suicide Prevention by Peers Offering Recovery Tactics (SUPPORT). SUPPORT includes training in general suicide prevention and a peer specialist-delivered intervention for veterans with SMI at an increased suicide risk. This training aims to increase the competence and confidence of peer specialists in suicide prevention and the intervention supports veterans with SMI at an increased suicide risk through their recovery process. This paper intends to document the procedures taken in suicide prevention intervention development, specifically those led by peer specialists, and to be a source for future research developing and evaluating similar interventions. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05537376; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05537376.

Background and Rationale - CDC Guidance for Communities Assessing, Investigating, and Responding to Suicide Clusters, United States, 2024.

To assist community leaders in public health, mental health, education, and other fields with developing a community response plan for suicide clusters or for situations that might develop into suicide clusters, in 1988, CDC published Recommendations for a Community Plan for the Prevention and Containment of Suicide Clusters (MMWR Suppl 1988;37[No. Suppl 6]:1-12). Since that time, the reporting and investigation of suicide cluster events has increased, and more is known about cluster risk factors, assessment, and identification. This supplement updates and expands CDC guidance for assessing, investigating, and responding to suicide clusters based on current science and public health practice. This report is the first of three in the MMWR supplement that describes an overview of suicide clusters, information about the other reports in this supplement, methods used to develop the supplement guidance, and the intended use of the supplement reports. The second report, CDC Guidance for Community Assessment and Investigation of Suspected Suicide Clusters - United States 2024, describes the potential methods, data sources and analysis that communities can use to identify and confirm suspected suicide clusters, and better understand the relevant issues. The final report, CDC Guidance for Community Response to Suicide Clusters - United States, 2024, describes how local public health and community leaders can develop a response plan for suicide clusters. The guidance in this supplement is intended as a conceptual framework that can be used by public health practitioners and state and local health departments to develop response plans for assessing and investigating suspected clusters that are tailored to the needs, resources, and cultural characteristics of their communities.

State policy teams probe strategies to address crisis in children's care

This month's convening of child‐serving agency officials from nine states offered a rare opportunity for policy leaders in mental health, child welfare and Medicaid to strategize together toward system improvement. Attendees of the Children's Behavioral Health State Policy Lab reported that while the nine state teams identified some immediate steps that they can take to improve service coordination, the most impactful actions to improve child outcomes would likely take shape over a much longer period.

Delivering Medicaid Mental Health Services and Supports in Schools: Current Landscape and Opportunities to Expand.

Medicaid is a key policy lever for expanding access to mental health services and supports for children in schools, especially low-income and minority children. This study examines how Medicaid finances mental health promotion and prevention (tier 1), screening and selected interventions (tier 2), and treatment (tier 3) in schools, informing policy recommendations to expand school mental health. Seventeen key informant interviews were conducted virtually from March to October 2022 with research, practice, and policy leaders in school mental health and Medicaid. Interview transcripts were thematically coded to inform recommendations. Interview themes included that Medicaid is a key funder of mental health services, primarily in tier 3, and that braiding and blending funds is necessary to support services across all tiers in schools. Interviewees underscored the need to expand tier 2 in schools, to expand and diversify the behavioral health workforce (including via non-licensed providers, aligning school-employed provider licensure and billing requirements and building school-community referral relationships), strengthen teaming structures (including state children's cabinets, student case management, and education/Medicaid agency coordination), and leverage technical assistance and training to speed up adoption of new policies (including via guidance and templates that facilitate billing for school health services). Policymakers, practitioners, and advocates can use these findings to identify policies and strategies to expand school mental health and reduce inequities.

Patrick J. Kennedy to lead national MH, addiction policy practice

Former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy has been named as a partner with Healthsperien, LLC, the leading national health care policy consulting firm announced Jan. 24 in a news release. Healthsperien plans to establish and lead a new national mental health and addiction policy practice. Rep. Kennedy will bring his decades of national leadership, advocacy, and expertise in mental health to advise a diverse array of clients, focusing on mental health and addiction, community‐based services and supports, and the need for health system transformation, officials announced. Rep. Kennedy will provide guidance on policy development, strategic advice and lobbying to clients — including patient groups, providers, employers, innovator companies, payors and more — to advance innovative approaches and improve access to high‐quality, affordable mental health and addiction care for individuals and their caregivers in the United States. Issues to be addressed include.

Development and validation of the University of Tokyo Occupational Mental Health leadership checklist among occupational health specialists

Recently, occupational health specialists (OHS) are expected to exert leadership to develop high-quality occupational health activities. This study aimed to develop and investigate the reliability and validity of a scale to measure leadership preparation among OHS (The University of Tokyo Occupational Mental Health [TOMH] Leadership Checklist; TLC). Based on literature reviews and interviews among OHS, we created potential items consisting of 54 items with six factors (10 items for self-awareness, 10 items for situational awareness, 9 items for vision, 12 items for mindset, 3 items for performance of one's duties, and 10 items for relationship-building). An online survey was conducted with 300 OHS in Japan to verify the scale's reliability and validity. Consequent to the exploratory factor analysis, using the principal factor method and promax rotation, 51 items across the following five factors were identified; "self-awareness", "situational awareness", "vision", "mindset", and "performance of one's duties". The confirmatory factor analysis showed good fit indices; CFI = 0.877, SRMR = 0.050, and RMSEA = 0.072. Cronbach's α ranged from 0.93-0.96. Additionally, the scores of the TLC were significantly positively correlated with work engagement, job satisfaction, and self-efficacy; contrastingly, they were significantly negatively correlated with psychological distress (p < .05). Furthermore, the participants who had experience leadership without authority indicated significantly higher scores of the TLC and its subscales than those who did not (p < .001). The newly developed TLC appeared to have acceptable levels of reliability and validity. It would be beneficial for OHS to show good leadership.

Feasibility of a family-involved intervention to increase engagement in evidenced-based psychotherapies for posttraumatic stress disorder: A pilot study.

To assess the feasibility of a family-involved intervention, family support in mental health recovery (FAMILIAR), for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) seeking psychotherapy at a single Veterans Administration Health System. This mixed-methods study reports qualitative and quantitative findings from a single-group pilot of 24 veterans and their support partners (SPs) about experiences with the intervention and interviews with eight VA mental health clinicians and leaders and the study interventionist to explore intervention feasibility. Findings across data sources were merged within domains of Bowen and colleagues' pilot study feasibility framework. Out of 24 dyads, 16 veterans and 15 associated SPs completed the intervention. Participants viewed the intervention to be valuable and feasible. Veterans and SPs reported that they enrolled in the study to develop a shared understanding of PTSD and treatment. While participants identified few logistical barriers, finding a time for conjoint sessions could be a challenge. Veterans, SPs, and providers discussed benefits of the intervention, including that it facilitated conversation between the veteran and SP about PTSD and mental health care and helped to prepare the dyad for treatment. Providers noted potential challenges integrating family-involved interventions into clinical workflow in VA and suggested the need for additional training and standardized procedures for family-centered care. Our study identified potential implementation facilitators (e.g., standard operating procedures about session documentation, confidentiality, and family ethics) and challenges (e.g., clinical workflow integration) that require further study to bring FAMILIAR into routine clinical care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Effect of Individual Mental Health, Individual Learning, Information Technology Capability, and Servant Leadership on Individual Performance

The existence of the Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity (VUCA) era resulted in market shocks and changed the nature of competition in several business sectors, especially in higher education. The effect of competition requires university employees to have good individual performance. This research fills a gap, namely lack of research that examines how and what factors influence employee performance in higher education. The implication of this research is a conceptual model that describes the relationship between factors that influence individual performance based on previous research, namely individual mental health, individual learning, IT capability, and servant leadership.

Informing the development of a fit-for-purpose mental health nursing curriculum: A survey of mental health nurse academics in Australia.

Inadequate mental health nursing content in pre-registration nursing curricula has been the topic of debate and concern since the introduction of comprehensive nursing education in Australia. Government-initiated inquiries and the efforts of mental health professional organizations and leaders have not successfully addressed this problem. The aim of the current study was to garner the perspectives and experiences of mental health nurse academics regarding the adequacy of mental health content in producing graduates able to work effectively in mental health settings and identify barriers and enablers to implementing and sustaining sufficient mental health content in pre-registration programs. A survey was distributed to mental health academics in Australian universities offering pre-registration nursing degrees. In total, 44 complete responses were included in the analysis. The results demonstrated the following: Most participants considered the current mental health content, theory and clinical hours insufficient to prepare graduates for practice in mental health settings. They reported a scarcity of tenured mental health nurse academics to deliver content effectively. Most participants were dissatisfied with the comprehensive approach to nurse education and preferred a double degree (nursing and mental health nursing), or a direct entry mental health nursing program. These findings provide further evidence for the current crisis in mental health nursing education and highlight the need for urgent action. People accessing health services have the right to receive high-quality care from appropriately qualified nurses. The inadequacy of mental health content in these programs effectively denies vulnerable people the standard of care and treatment they should be entitled to.

The Role of Muslim Religious Leaders in Mental Health: A Community-Based Participatory Research Study in the San Francisco Bay Area

The Role of Muslim Religious Leaders in Mental Health: A Community-Based Participatory Research Study in the San Francisco Bay Area

A National Program to scale up investment and reducing the gap in mental health in Somaliland: first year achievements

In Somaliland, mental health has been a neglected sector since the inception of the country almost 30 years ago. Only two years ago, there was no office, no staff, and no funding for mental health. Public mental health services were confined to five public in-patient facilities within the regional general hospitals, with a total bed capacity of 216 beds for a population of 4 million people. All the facilities experienced severe shortages of human and material resources, and proper supervision or control by the ministry did not exist. Lack of adequate and good quality-public mental health services has encouraged the opening of a plethora of unregulated private mental health facilities with poor records of human rights and services. One of the major impediments to improving mental health in the country was a lack of financial resources. In recognition of the deteriorating situation of mental health in the country and public pressure to do something about the problem. In late 2020, the government decided to scale up mental health services through khat taxation. Tax collection started in January 2021, and the first funds were released for use in July 2021. A five-year national program on mental health was then launched on August 1, 2021 underpinned by four main objectives: 1) establishment of leadership and governance in mental health; 2) strengthening existing mental health services and their integration into primary health care; 3) development of human resources in mental health; and finally 4) setting up a mental health information and research system. In this paper, we present early program achievements and their relevance to public health for other countries with similar settings looking to improve their mental health through effective mobilization of local resources.

Mental Health and Public Health: Improving Mental Health and Well-being of Communities in the Modern World: A Pragmatic Approach Using the Global Mental Health Assessment Tool/PC

The World Health Organization report of 2022 on mental health highlights the slow progress in reducing the treatment gap for people with mental illness worldwide. It emphasizes that everyone should participate in improving the mental health and well-being of the communities. The governments should put their act together and all agencies should work in coordination to address the mental health needs of their population. They should also focus on mental health promotion, early intervention, and prevention of suicide. The Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2030 outlines the importance of leadership and governance for mental health in providing comprehensive, integrated, and responsive mental health and social care services in community-based settings. Stigma, human resource shortages, fragmented service delivery models, and poor commitment of authorities for mental health are some of the factors for the ongoing service gap in mental health. Providing mental health knowledge and assessment skills to frontline workers, supporting frontline workers by mental health specialists using their leadership skills, and fully utilizing mobile and Internet technology in providing education and training as well as providing services could bring down the treatment gap of mental disorders worldwide. The Global Mental Health Assessment Tool for Primary Care and General Health Setting (GMHAT/PC)-based training package has been developed and successfully implemented in training frontline health workers in different parts of the word. The authors propose that this may be a pragmatic way to integrate mental health in public health by skilling frontline workers in assessing mental health along with physical health and by providing holistic care.

The Impact of Mental Health Leadership on Teamwork in Healthcare Organizations: A Serial Mediation Study

Background: There is compelling evidence to suggest that leadership behaviour and teamwork are critical success factors in healthcare organisations facing increasingly complex demands and limited resources. Effective teamwork is essential to deliver high-quality care, requiring integrating different professionals in the healthcare sector. Leaders play a significant role in facilitating teamwork by managing conflicts and promoting cooperation among team members. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of leadership in supporting the mental health and well-being of team members. Methods: A cross-lagged research design was used to examine the relationship between mental health-specific (MHS) leadership and teamwork. Participants were 118 healthcare professionals (76.3% female; 44.9% aged between 45 and 54 years old). Results: A serial mediation model was confirmed, showing an indirect effect of mental health leadership on teamwork through interpersonal conflict and cooperation. Conclusions: Effective (MHS) leadership can positively impact the teamwork of healthcare professionals, particularly during times of crisis.

The therapy capability framework and mapping process: perspectives of mental health clinical case managers

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of a workforce leadership initiative, the Therapy Capability Framework (TCF), designed to enhance the provision of evidence-informed psychosocial therapies by publicly funded mental health case managers. To understand the experiences and perceptions of ‘first-time users' of the TCF was conceived as an important first step to help guide service-wide implementation. Method: In 2018, a qualitative descriptive research methodology using two in-depth focus groups with frontline mental health clinicians in case management roles was adopted to explore their perceptions and experiences of the TCF and TCF Process across Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Services in Brisbane, Australia. An inductive approach to thematic analysis guided the generation of themes and subthemes. Results: Participants understood the purpose of the TCF; however, they identified several factors influencing their experience, including specific features of the framework; how it was used; and organisational, workforce, and leadership factors that restricted its potential utility and impact. Discussion: Clinicians reported the TCF as having the potential to facilitate incremental change in the existing case management model. This paper represents a phase of evaluation and continuous improvement of the TCF, which can assist publicly funded mental health leaders to augment the provision of evidence-informed psychosocial therapies.

Access, retention, and effectiveness of Individual Placement and Support in the U.S.: Are there racial or ethnic differences?

BACKGROUND: Increased federal attention to advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities suggests the need for data on racial and ethnic differences in evidence-based employment services for people with serious mental illness. Individual Placement and Support (IPS) is an evidence-based model of supported employment for this population. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to identify differences based on race and ethnicity in IPS services. METHODS: This narrative review examined the empirical literature on IPS services in the U.S., assessing evidence of differences in access, retention, and effectiveness for Black and Hispanic IPS clients, relative to non-Hispanic Whites. RESULTS: We identified 12 studies examining racial and ethnic differences in access (4 studies), retention (3 studies), and effectiveness (6 studies). The findings for access to IPS were mixed, with two studies showing no differences, one finding less access for Blacks, and another finding greater access for Blacks but less access for Hispanics. Three studies found better retention rates for clients enrolled in IPS regardless of race or ethnicity. Compared to clients receiving usual vocational services, all studies found better employment outcomes for IPS clients regardless of race or ethnicity. CONCLUSION: Unlike for most of health care, few racial and ethnic differences have been found for IPS employment services in the U.S. Access to IPS is inadequate for all groups, with conflicting evidence whether Blacks and Hispanics have even less access. Based on the available evidence, Black and Hispanic clients have comparable retention and employment outcomes in IPS as non-Hispanic White clients. State and local mental health leaders responsible for monitoring IPS outcomes should routinely report statistics on race and ethnicity. They should also give active attention to client needs and equity. Research designs should answer multifaceted questions regarding disparities for historically underserved populations.

I’m not faking being sick, I’m faking being well: The need for leadership in mental health for policing

The prevalence of mental illness amongst law enforcement officers is increasing despite genuine intent by leaders, policy makers and practitioners to combat this public health epidemic. Significant gaps exist in understanding mental health leadership, governance, education, and training, and the influence police culture has on help-seeking behaviours. This paper argues that introducing constructive and actionable processes to address these gaps will benefit greater productivity, lower levels of absenteeism, lower insurance premiums, reduce risk factors for illnesses, improve quality of life and sense of well-being, elevate cognitive performance, and reduce levels of stress. This will encourage investment in mental health, strengthen police employee– employer relationships, and save many relationships and lives.

From the Editor-in-Chief's Desk

Journal of Child and Adolescent PsychopharmacologyVol. 33, No. 1 EditorialFree AccessFrom the Editor-in-Chief's DeskHarold S. KoplewiczHarold S. KoplewiczChild Mind Institute, New York, New York, USA.Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:14 Feb 2023https://doi.org/10.1089/cap.2022.29234.editorialAboutSectionsPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail To Our Readers:I hope the beginning of 2023 has brought joy and a renewed sense of purpose to everyone! The first thing I would like to share is an exciting update from the Child Mind Institute. I am pleased to announce our latest initiative in collaboration with the State of California, the Youth Mental Health Academy.In its inaugural year, the academy will identify and support 2500 talented and diverse high school students with an interest in child and adolescent mental health, and engage them in summer internships with stipends, peer mentorship, and professional development. Recruitment for the academy will be from groups under-represented in our field today, including young people of color and LGBT youth. While moving our field toward being more representative and understanding of the populations in need of our services, we will inspire and cultivate the mental health leaders of tomorrow.I would like to highlight two articles in this issue of the journal. In “Efficacy of Amphetamine Extended-Release Oral Suspension in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Effect Size Across the Day,” Faraone et al. report evidence of this treatment's usefulness in children ages 6–12 years. Their study applies a post-hoc analysis to a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled assessment to evaluate outcomes at different timepoints from morning through evening.The authors emphasize the need for medication that works throughout the day, pointing out the pervasive effects of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children's lives both in the classroom and outside of school. The analysis yielded a large and consistent effect size across the day. But they point out two limitations to their promising findings: the nature of the analysis is posthoc and the sample size is relatively small.The second article I would like to highlight discusses a study that sets out to determine any effects on the cognitive, emotional, and physical development of children ages 6–16 years after treatment with sertraline for up to 3 years. In their article titled, “Effects of Long-Term Sertraline Use on Pediatric Growth and Development: The Sertraline Pediatric Registry for The Evaluation of Safety (SPRITES),” Kolitsopoulos et al. explain that their study compared 695 participants who were exposed to sertraline with or without psychotherapy with 245 participants who were exposed to psychotherapy alone.Of the original participants, 432 completed the full 3-year study. A small but statistically significant increase in weight was observed in the participants exposed to sertraline, but otherwise, results for the group exposed to sertraline displayed normal development and showed no significant changes over time.I hope you find the articles in this issue helpful and informative. Welcome to the new year!Harold S. Koplewicz, MDEditor-in-ChiefFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 33Issue 1Feb 2023 InformationCopyright 2023, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishersTo cite this article:Harold S. Koplewicz.From the Editor-in-Chief's Desk.Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.Feb 2023.1-1.http://doi.org/10.1089/cap.2022.29234.editorialPublished in Volume: 33 Issue 1: February 14, 2023PDF download

Empirical evidence for climate concerns, negative emotions and climate-related mental ill-health in young people: A scoping review.

Climate change represents a serious threat to human health, including mental health, due to both the traumatizing effects of extreme climate events and the psychological effect of worry about climate change. This scoping review aims to search the literature for original research investigating mental health and climate-related negative emotions in young people. Findings will help to understand the current landscape, gaps in the literature, and provide recommendations for future youth mental health research and practice. A scoping review of the literature examining negative emotions associated with climate change in young people was undertaken. Studies published prior to March 2022 were included if they examined mental ill-health (e.g., symptoms of depression or anxiety) or negative emotions (e.g., distress, worry, concern) associated with the threat of climate change. Of 3939 articles screened, 26 met the inclusion criteria. Together, studies show that young people are worried about climate change. Negative emotions about climate change were correlated with symptoms of mental ill-health. Studies also explored coping strategies young people use to manage their distress caused by climate change. The limited literature in this area indicates a key gap in youth mental health research. While available evidence suggests that young people are concerned about climate change, more research is needed on the relationship between climate-related negative emotions and mental ill-health. Clinicians should assess for and address climate-related negative emotions in young people. Mental health leaders are urged to advocate for actions to mitigate the mental health impact of climate change.