Mental Health Support System Research Articles

The Psychiatrists Premier League: A Unique Opportunity for the Evolution of Sports Psychiatry in India

The field of sports psychiatry has gained recognition in recent years for its vital role in supporting the mental health and well-being of athletes. In India, where sports are becoming increasingly popular and competitive, there is a growing need for specialized mental health professionals to address the unique mental health challenges faced by athletes. This article details the origin and evolution of the psychiatrists premier league (PPL), a cricket tournament and highlights this as a unique opportunity to leverage the expertise of psychiatrists and drive the evolution of sports psychiatry in India. The PPL aims to establish a platform that brings together psychiatrists, mental health professionals, and other stakeholders in a collaborative environment. Through the PPL, psychiatrists can gain first-hand expertise in the mental health of athletes in addition to their overall well-being and performance. Furthermore, the PPL can act as a catalyst for research in sports psychiatry in India. It can encourage collaborative studies, outcome evaluations, and the development of standardized assessment tools. The league can also facilitate partnerships with sports organizations, enabling research projects to be conducted within the sporting community. The evolution of sports psychiatry in India through the PPL has the potential to positively impact the overall well-being of athletes and contribute to their success. By integrating mental health professionals into the sporting ecosystem, the PPL can help break the stigma surrounding mental health issues in sports and promote a holistic approach to athlete care. As the field of sports psychiatry continues to grow, the PPL can serve as a model to enhance mental health support systems within the realm of sports in India.

Analysis of the Relationship between Mental Health and Social Support Systems in Old Age

This study selected 200 elderly people in province A to understand how the social support system affects the mental health of the elderly. Data were collected using scales and in-depth interviews and analyzed using SPSS and AMOS. The results showed that social support, especially from family and friends, had a significant positive impact on the mental health of the elderly. Relatively contrast, the impact of community support is limited. These findings have important practical and theoretical significance in the Chinese cultural context, and provide a direction to further improve the mental health of the elderly.

PHQ-aware depressive symptoms identification with similarity contrastive learning on social media

Depressive symptoms identification on social media aims to identify posts from social media expressing symptoms of depression. This can be beneficial for developing mental health support systems and for understanding the symptoms of depression. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is an instrument that healthcare professionals widely use to assess and monitor symptoms of depression. However, most existing models only consider capturing semantic information from posts, without considering PHQ-9 descriptive information related to symptoms. In addition, they are not devised to capture features that are specific to each symptom, especially in the case of multi-label symptoms identification. To tackle these challenges, we present a Span-based PHQ-aware and similarity contrastive network (SpanPHQ). We first adopt a novel span-based framework casting depressive symptoms identification task as a span-prediction problem. Then, we introduce context-aware and PHQ-aware self-guided cross-attention modules to enhance the model’s ability to consider both semantic contextual information and PHQ-9 descriptive information. Besides, a similarity contrastive learning is designed to effectively utilise the label information in identifying class-specific features. Our model is evaluated on two depressive symptoms identification datasets, i.e., the D2S dataset with 1,850 Twitter posts and the PRIMATE dataset with 2,000 Reddit posts. Moreover, our model achieves competitive performance compared to existing models on both datasets, with macro-F1 of 63.22%, 68.84%, micro-F1 of 73.34%, 75.92%, weighted-F1 of 72.86%, 76.65%, JacS of 69.94%, 63.82% and HamL of 0.0665, 0.1832 on these two datasets, respectively. The ablation study further provides evidence of the effectiveness of each module we proposed. Furthermore, we include visualisations and case studies verifying the ability of our model to learn PHQ information and its superior performance over existing baselines. Our work is expected to help the future identification and analysis of depressive symptoms on social media.

Mental Wellbeing among Children with Cancer during COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected both physical and mental aspect of people worldwide, especially the high-risk group such as pediatric cancer patients. Children with cancer were considered both clinically and mentally vulnerable during this pandemic. They were also affected by the self-isolation, quarantine, and social distancing policy taken as a respond to public threat. Objectives To evaluate the impact of social distancing and health protocol during COVID-19 on the mental health profile of children with cancer in Indonesia. Methods A cross-sectional study evaluating the mental health of children with cancer during COVID-19 pandemic was conducted in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia from June to September 2020. An online questionnaire was used to collect demographics of parents and children, children's Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) score, and parents' Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ). SDQ score consists of five subscales, including the emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer relationships problems and prosocial behavior. Cancer types were grouped into retinoblastoma, nonretinoblastoma (other solid tumors), and leukemia. Results There were 156 valid responses, consisting of 42 patients with retinoblastoma, 34 patients with nonretinoblastoma (other solid tumors), and 80 patients with leukemia. Pandemic-related lifestyle changes did not significantly impact emotional or behavioral problems. Children with normal total SDQ (odds ratio [OR]: 473, p = 0.001) and emotional scores (OR: 3.19, p = 0.07) had parents with normal SRQ scores (<6). Leukemia patients with shorter diagnosis period had worse hyperactivity score (p = 0.01). On the contrary, leukemia inpatients had better prosocial scores than outpatients (p = 0.03). More bilateral retinoblastoma patients (p = 0.04) with longer duration of cancer diagnosis (p = 0.03) faced peer problems. Conclusions Our study revealed that lifestyle changes during early COVID-19 pandemic were not major factors impacting emotional and behavioral problems in children with cancer. However, disease-related factors pose great challenges; thus, a holistic mental health support system should be available to both children and parents.

MP66-01 EFFECT OF COMPLICATIONS ON UROLOGY TRAINEES: AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEY

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP66-01 EFFECT OF COMPLICATIONS ON UROLOGY TRAINEES: AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEY William Du Comb, Brittany Milliner, Joshua Palka, and Kristina Suson William Du CombWilliam Du Comb More articles by this author , Brittany MillinerBrittany Milliner More articles by this author , Joshua PalkaJoshua Palka More articles by this author , and Kristina SusonKristina Suson More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003329.01AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Death, taxes and surgical complications are all guarantees for urologists. Trainees are taught to diagnose and operate; however, little formal education is provided on coping with surgical complications. As such, we also sought to assess how prepared trainees feel to handle complications upon completion of their programs. METHODS: After obtaining IRB approval, an electronic survey was distributed to all ACGME accredited urology programs via email. The survey consisted of 15 questions regarding surgical complications. RESULTS: Overall, 106 residents and fellows responded. Average age of responders was 31 years old. Senior level residents (PGY4-6) comprised the majority (58.5%) of responses. Junior residents (PGY2-3) and interns (PGY1) represented 29.3% and 8.5% of respondents, respectively. Fellows accounted for 8.5% of responses. Discussion of the case among peers was the main coping mechanism (98.1%), while 83% stated they discussed the case with faculty. Over a quarter (26.4%) of trainees used alcohol to cope with their complication, and 38.7% utilized exercise. Thirty percent of trainees were uncertain or denied existence of a mental health support system at their institution. Surgical complications affected trainees by causing performance anxiety (70%), loss of confidence (70.7%), and excessive thoughts regarding the complication (70%). Trainees also expressed emotional damage including feelings of anxiety/fear (72%), sadness/grief/depression (68%), and feelings of being overwhelmed, helpless, or hopeless (51.5%). Just over half of responders lost sleep over their complications. Thirty-seven percent of trainees felt they were unsure or did not feel prepared to handle complications upon graduation. CONCLUSIONS: Although complications are inevitable for urologists, residents may suffer psychologic consequences when they occur and often feel unsure/unprepared for managing them upon graduation. Further research into didactic complication preparation is warranted. Source of Funding: None © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e931 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information William Du Comb More articles by this author Brittany Milliner More articles by this author Joshua Palka More articles by this author Kristina Suson More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Психічне здоров’я українських військових під час війни

On February 24th lives of more than seven hundred thousand Ukrainians have changed, they joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to protect the Motherland. Managers, programmers, farmers became servicemembers (riflemen, mortarmen, unit commanders), and only a quarter had combat or service experience. The soldiers went through all the stages of psychological response to extreme stress: the rise of the first days, a decline on the 40-45th day, stabilization and then decline around the 4-5 month. Adjustment disorder following acute concussion due to mine-explosive injuries are quite common mental health issue among military in Ukraine. The System of mental health care and rehabilitation in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is under construction and at the initial stage. However, we cannot just mimic a mental health support system of NATO countries. The number and funding for psychiatrists and psychologists in the Ukraine Armed Forces is insufficient. Uniqueness of current situation is that we are fighting on our territory, where military personnel also assisted by civilian doctors within the framework of a single medical space. Mental health support in Ukraine undergoes important reforms as well and it is being rebuilt according to the principles of the WHO Optimum Composition of Service with the focus on the provision of mental health service on the primary care level (Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, 2017). According to the intervention pyramid (IASC, 2007), the provision of mental health support and additional training level by level should be: • Psychoeducation, a digital self-help tools, chatbot for wide service population; • mhGAP training for general practitioners at the primary care level (including modules on acute concussion management), and psychological recovery skills training at the level of medical centers of units; • First Psychological Aid training, psychological self-help training with a focus on resilience at the level of the Moral and Psychological Support Service; • Specialized mental health aid, training of psychological recovery skills for military hospital staff; • Rehabilitation programs in rehabilitation center; Reconstruction of the field of mental health in the army requires effort and financial support, but it creates additional opportunities.

Mental Health Support in Higher Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study and Recommendations for Practice

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in the lives of many university students around the globe, including students at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland. Isolation, a sense of threat, and the transition to remote learning resulted in numerous, mainly psychological, negative consequences for students. The university aimed to provide students with effective assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The question now is whether it has succeeded or failed. This study demonstrates good practices in mental health support at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University during the pandemic and post-pandemic period. Methods: The study was conducted between October and December 2022. The case study method and purposive sampling were used in the study. A total of 19 participants took part in this study. Of the respondents, 16 were females, 3 were males. Ages ranged between 26 and 55 years. Results: Research has shown that the university provided students with various forms of mental health support. During the COVID-19 pandemic, in the 2020/2021 academic year, students and university staff were provided with pedagogical, psychological, and/or psychotherapeutic consultations. Among the main problems reported by students and staff were anxiety, lowered mood, depressive conditions, failure to cope with stress, relationship problems at university, a spectrum of pandemic-related problems, life crises, and discrimination related to sexual orientation. Support was provided via web platforms, social networking websites, and by phone, directly and free of charge. Conclusions: The impact of the pandemic has exposed strengths and weaknesses in the management of the mental health support system at the university. It also showed new needs and directions of support. The university has new goals; one of the greatest is preparing students for the challenges of the future.

Factors Associated with Intention to Resign among Medical Residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: A Cross-sectional Study.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly affected healthcare workers' mental health worldwide, leading to the intention to resign. Japanese medical residents were no exception to the impact of COVID-19. This study aimed to illustrate how the COVID-19 pandemic affected medical residents' intention to resign. A cross-sectional study was conducted for Postgraduate Year (PGY)1-5 medical residents in Japan using an internet survey from March 11 to March 18, 2021. During this survey, the Japanese government declared a second-time state of emergency on January 7, 2021, and all restrictions were expanded nationwide until March 21, 2021. Medical residents were categorized into two groups (intention to resign group [IR] or no intention to resign group [NIR]) based on their intention to resign. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to elucidate the risk factors for the intention to resign. 354 medical residents were enrolled in this study (response rate: 40.2%). Ninety-two medical residents (26.0 %) were categorized into IR and 262 (74.0%) into NIR. According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, those who did not have mental support at their hospital had 2.95 times greater chance of intending to resign (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.42-6.15]). Medical residents who engaged in patients with COVID-19 (AOR = 2.13, 95% Cl [1.08-4.18]) and PGY5 (AOR = 3.38, 95% Cl [1.51-7.56]) had a higher likelihood of intending to resign among residents in all PGY. One in four medical residents intended to resign during the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly, PGY5 and medical residents who treated patients with COVID-19 were found at risk of having the intention to resign. At times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 epidemic, establishing a mental health support system that targets high-risk residents is critical.

Relationships Between Psychosocial Factors and Mental Health Among Nurses Working With COVID-19 Patients in Japan

Background Nurses who work with COVID-19 patients may suffer high levels of work-related stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. These impacts raise concerns about the deterioration of their mental health during this time. Objective This study examines the relationships between psychosocial factors (health, behavior, social, and economic factors) and mental health on among nurses working in a COVID-19 ward in Japan. Design A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study design was adopted. Methods We randomly selected 41 general hospitals that had over 400 beds. The participants were nurses who cared for COVID-19 patients at five hospitals. The questionnaire was completed by 56 nurses (seven men and 49 women) (response rate 46.6%). The survey asked participants about their basic attributes (gender, age, years of experience). It also included the Japanese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Japanese version of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, the Japanese version of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey to measure depression, anxiety, trauma experience, and burnout, respectively. To determine psychosocial factors, perception of damage from harmful rumors, nurses’ intention to quit their jobs, working environment changes, and changes in daily life were measured. Results Intention to quit was specifically associated with “wanting to continue nursing,” the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom of avoidance, depression, anxiety, and burnout. Nurses who had experienced the impact of harmful rumors in the workplace had high levels of PTSD symptoms, including intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal, as well as depression, anxiety disorder, and burnout cynicism. Regarding changes in the working environment, significant differences were confirmed in PTSD symptoms including intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal, as well as depression. We also examined the relationship between changes in daily life and mental health. We found that answering affirmatively to “the family income has decreased,” “I’ve had family problems,” and “I cannot do housework” related to mental health disorders among the nurses. Consideration: Psychosocial factors that may have been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic were found to affect nurses’ mental health. Thus, reducing these psychosocial factors and building a mental health support system for nurses is crucial.

Social trauma and disaster psychology: The impact of earthquakes on children’s mental health from the perspective of dissoanalysis theory and modern psychotraumatology

Earthquakes are devastating natural disasters that can have significant impacts on the psychological well-being of children. This article reviews the literature on the psychological effects of earthquakes on children’s mental health from the perspective of modern psychotraumatology and dissoanalysis theory. The article discusses the short-term and long-term adaptive strategies employed by children in response to social traumas and grief, as well as the emergence of psychopathologies such as dissociative disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder when traumatic experiences are not metabolized and neutralized in a timely manner. It highlights the importance of immediate institutionally supportive and structured crisis and disaster psychology-oriented mental health support systems in nations where mass traumatizing events occur. The authors suggest that effective interventions in both social traumas and crisis situations and trauma-centered psychotherapies can enable traumatized and/or dissociated children, adolescents, and adults to return to their daily lives in an integrated manner as soon as possible. The article concludes by highlighting the need for mental health experts to be sent to the field through associations and non-governmental organizations to provide psychological first aid and disaster psychology practices immediately after earthquakes.

Experience of homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tower Hamlets, London: a health needs assessment

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected people experiencing homelessness in multiple ways. The Everyone In initiative during 2020 was initially transformative in providing short-term accommodation for this group but was accompanied by major disruptions to treatment and support services. Understanding how these changes have affected health needs of people experiencing homelessness in the inner-city London Borough of Tower Hamlets can inform future service commissioning. MethodsWe conducted a focussed health needs assessment of people experiencing homelessness in Tower Hamlets. Quantitative data were gathered from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN), local authority housing services, primary care datasets, and substance dependency services. These data were combined with qualitative data from stakeholder meetings, facility visits, and lived experience insight from service users through interviews and focus groups. Analysis was targeted towards identifying gaps in existing commissioning. FindingsWe gathered data from 80 service users experiencing homelessness in Tower Hamlets between Sept 1 to Dec 31, 2021. Participants reported the largest impact of the pandemic being on their mental health. For people registered with specific homeless primary care services, 26·3% were experiencing depression and 12·8% other severe mental health issues. Service users with lived experience of homelessness described feeling let down by mental health support systems, describing that, despite positive experiences of individual staff, they felt the system as a whole was not well integrated. Specific issues were identified in hostel-based accommodation, where poor psychological and physical safety during lockdowns contributed to declines in mental health. InterpretationUsing a health needs assessment, a necessity was identified to support the mental health of people experiencing homelessness in Tower Hamlets emerging from pandemic restrictions. People with lived experience of homelessness attributed deteriorations in mental health to extended time in inadequate accommodation, and reported that environments that take account of emotional and psychological needs were required. Provision of psychologically-informed accommodation environments and improved support service integration must be priorities for future local authority commissioning. FundingNone.

Compassion Fatigue and Coping Mechanisms of Laboratory Animal Professionals from Europe, China, and Japan.

Laboratory animal professionals (LAP) may experience situations that contribute to compassion fatigue (CF). The goal of this research was to better understand CF in LAP in and across employment categories. Surveys were distributed through LAP organizational listservs in the European Union (EU), China, and Japan, and results were analyzed to identify CF prevalence, personal and work-related factors, coping mechanisms, and beneficial work-support programs. Independent χ²-tests compared personal and work-related factors and feelings of CF. Feelings of CF and coping mechanisms were compared with personality scores using independent sample t tests. There were 302 respondents from the EU, 39 from China, and 77 from Japan. Over half of respondents from the EU (52%) and China (56%) reported experiencing CF (52%), with fewer (32%) reporting CF in Japan. No major differences were found based on employer type. Personality scores were significantly related to feelings of CF and preferred coping mechanisms. Work-related factors that contributed to feelings of CF in over half of respondents included staffing levels, workplace relationships, and availability of programs geared to address CF. Across regions, talking to someone, physical activity, getting away from work, and self-care were effective coping mechanisms in over 50% of respondents. Fewer than 30% of respondents indicated that their place of employment had CF support programs, and even fewer (8% to 28%) indicated that these programs were helpful. The study results suggest that to be effective, employer CF programs for LAP should consider providing quiet places at work and programs for self-care, promoting physical and mental health and social support systems, and establishing opportunities to memorialize animals.

A Comprehensive Framework and Approaches for Enhancing Mental Health in Medical Students

Research suggests that medical students frequently experience mental health problems such as stress, burnout, and depression, which may, in turn, affect suicidal ideation and behaviors. Since mental health problems profoundly impact academic achievement and professionalism, it is vital to understand factors influencing students’ mental health and identify strategies to provide the necessary support. Some relevant influencing factors range from the personal level, including gender, personality traits, perfectionism, and social support, to the environmental level, including the grading system, educational phases, exposure to patients’ death, mistreatment, and culture of medicine. In this regard, a comprehensive mental health support system that encompasses environmental interventions, as well as personal-level support, is needed. Simultaneously, proactive approaches that address the improvement of self-care and alleviation of systemic burdens are essential, together with the predominant reactive approaches focusing on problems and deficits. Altogether, we proposed a framework for enhancing mental health constructed by four categories (personal-reactive, environmental-reactive, personal-proactive, environmental-proactive) based on the intervention level and goal of support. All four categories have important implications, and one cannot replace the other, but expanding environmental-proactive support will allow more students to learn how to pursue health independently. We expect that this comprehensive framework for enhancing mental health could expand support systems for medical students’ personal and professional development.

Cultural adaptation of the guidelines for offering mental health first aid to a person after a potentially traumatic event: a delphi expert consensus study in Brazil

Background:Traumatic events increase the risk of mental disorders. In a country with relatively under-developed mental health support systems, services to assist people who have experienced potentially traumatic events may be unavailable. In such situations, people in the community become key sources of support. However, they do not always have the knowledge and skills to offer effective help. This study reports on the cultural adaptation for Brazil of the English-language mental health first aid guidelines for helping someone who has experienced a potentially traumatic event.Methods:A Delphi expert consensus study with two expert panels, one comprising health professionals with experience in the treatment of trauma (n = 33) and the other comprising people with lived experience, (n = 29) was conducted. A questionnaire containing 131 statements from the English language guidelines was translated into Brazilian Portuguese. Participants were asked to rate the importance of actions to be taken to help a person who has experienced a potentially traumatic event and to suggest new items where appropriate.Results:Data were collected over two survey rounds. A total of 149 items were included in the final guidelines (110 items from the English-language guidelines and 39 new items created from expert panel comments, in the second round). Immediate action items were endorsed by both panels, while items related to encouraging victims were rejected by the professional panel. The suggested statements mostly related to providing psychological support and attending to the person’s subjective experience rather than providing material or structural support.Conclusion:While there were many similarities with the English-language guidelines for high-income countries, the guidelines also incorporate actions of importance for Brazil, including the emphasis on the first aider’s management of the person’s subjective experiences. These guidelines may inform Mental Health First Aid training for Brazil and may also be used as standalone resources.

Factors Associated with Coping Strategies Due to COVID-19 Pandemic-related Stressors among Omani Adults.

ObjectivesWe sought to examine stressors and coping strategies adopted by Omani adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and explore the relationships between coping strategies (avoidant and approach coping) and sociodemographic characteristics.MethodsThis national cross-sectional survey was conducted throughout Oman between September and December 2020. An online questionnaire was distributed to collect information concerning sociodemographic characteristics, potential stressors experienced during the pandemic, and coping strategies.ResultsA total of 790 Omani adults submitted completed questionnaires (response rate 88.4%). High, moderate, and low stress were reported by 492 (62.3%), 139 (17.6%), and 159 (20.1%) participants, respectively. Approach coping mechanisms received a higher mean score than avoidant mechanisms (22.01±6.55 vs. 8.88±4.80). Regarding specific coping strategies, planning had the highest mean score (5.15±1.31), followed by acceptance (4.95±1.34), religion (4.56±1.52), and positive reframing (4.28±1.89), while substance use (0.01±0.19) was the least reported followed by humor (0.86±1.43), denial (0.97±1.56), and behavioral disengagement (1.02±1.60). Associations were observed between the different coping strategies and participants’ gender, age, marital status, exercise level, and stress level (p ≤ 0.05).ConclusionsDuring a large-scale pandemic, the psychological impact on the general population is significant, even among individuals not infected with the disease. These results underscore the need for a mental health support system in Oman that can address the general population’s needs. Public education on coping strategies and stress management may be helpful.

Utilization of Mental Health Support Systems in the Aftermath of Disasters in Japan: Statistical Data of the Miyagi Disaster Mental Health Care Center.

Large-scale natural disasters have a significant effect on residents’ mental health. The Miyagi Disaster Mental Health Care Center (DMHCC) was established as a long-term mental health care center in response to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (GEJE). Although six DMHCCs have been established in Japan, their exact role and functioning are still unclear. This study aimed to explore which population used the center in each recovery phase. Logistic regression was performed to identify the residents’ characteristics according to the consultation pathways using the data collected by the Miyagi DMHCC. These data included personal information of the residents who were supported by the center from 2013 to 2018. The working-age unemployed men sought help by themselves, and the isolated older females were supported by home visits through the health survey. Long-term mental health care centers should observe community recovery and provide appropriate support. The implications of this result and future research directions are discussed.

Mental Health Prevention and Promotion-A Narrative Review.

Extant literature has established the effectiveness of various mental health promotion and prevention strategies, including novel interventions. However, comprehensive literature encompassing all these aspects and challenges and opportunities in implementing such interventions in different settings is still lacking. Therefore, in the current review, we aimed to synthesize existing literature on various mental health promotion and prevention interventions and their effectiveness. Additionally, we intend to highlight various novel approaches to mental health care and their implications across different resource settings and provide future directions. The review highlights the (1) concept of preventive psychiatry, including various mental health promotions and prevention approaches, (2) current level of evidence of various mental health preventive interventions, including the novel interventions, and (3) challenges and opportunities in implementing concepts of preventive psychiatry and related interventions across the settings. Although preventive psychiatry is a well-known concept, it is a poorly utilized public health strategy to address the population's mental health needs. It has wide-ranging implications for the wellbeing of society and individuals, including those suffering from chronic medical problems. The researchers and policymakers are increasingly realizing the potential of preventive psychiatry; however, its implementation is poor in low-resource settings. Utilizing novel interventions, such as mobile-and-internet-based interventions and blended and stepped-care models of care can address the vast mental health need of the population. Additionally, it provides mental health services in a less-stigmatizing and easily accessible, and flexible manner. Furthermore, employing decision support systems/algorithms for patient management and personalized care and utilizing the digital platform for the non-specialists' training in mental health care are valuable additions to the existing mental health support system. However, more research concerning this is required worldwide, especially in the low-and-middle-income countries.

COVID-MENTA: an integrated mental health protection system for pandemic frontline healthcare workers

IntroductionAt Kiskunhalas Semmelweis Hospital, a special mobile container hospital was set up to care for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the first wave of the pandemic.ObjectivesWe aimed to create a proactive integrated mental health protection system for the frontline healthcare workers that provides an opportunity for psychophysiological monitoring of stress and crisis during shifts, as well as providing staff with more lasting methods of coping with difficulties.MethodsFrom the ascending branch of the second wave, every two weeks on the workers’ rest day, mental helpers initiated a phone call to each employee participating in the program. If it was necessary, we provided psychological counseling, crisis intervention, brief psychotherapy, and psychopharmacotherapy. In addition, self-operated psychophysiological screening devices were used at the frontline work site, which provided an opportunity for continuous telemedicine monitoring.ResultsIn our department, three psychologists and three psychiatrists kept in touch with an average of 150 frontline workers per month. Interventions were needed for a total of over 24% in December and January, over 17% in February and March, almost 9% in April, and only 4% in May. Helpers rated an average of two-thirds of these cases as moderate. They faced severe stress 2-3 times a month in sum, and for 2-3 workers needed medication.ConclusionsWithout a mental support system, self-report-based data suggest that nearly half of responders working at the frontline reached the threshold of clinically significant mental syndromes (Greenberg et al, 2021). Using our mental health support system, one-fifth of the workers needed intervention.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

The Professional Identity and Career Attitude of Chinese Medical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey in China.

BackgroundAlthough professional identity is a strong predictor of career choice, only a few studies have reported on medical students' career attitude during a public health emergency. This study investigates the changes in medical students' professional identity and career attitude during the COVID-19 pandemic, evaluates their mental health and social support system under stress, and explores the relationship between their career attitude and other factors.MethodsAn online survey of 6,226 Chinese medical students was conducted to collect information on demographics, professional identity, and career attitude. The collected data were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and the Social Support Rating Scale.ResultsThe results revealed that most (80.8%) of the participants did not change their career attitude and the professional identity of most participants strengthened, and they preferred to participate on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic. The prevalence of depression and anxiety among medical students was 22.86% and 35.43%. Low social support, depressive symptoms, male gender, and higher grades were factors that negatively affected career attitude.ConclusionsAfter the outbreak of the pandemic, it was necessary to conduct diversified professional identity research to support medical students, especially those with low social support and depressive symptoms.

Examining anxiety and stress regarding virtual learning in colleges of health sciences: A cross-sectional study in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia

BackgroundStress and anxiety are relatively common, particularly in females and college students. Stress can impact students’ overall performance and their physical and mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of life and is associated with high levels of psychological distress. It has considerably affected the education sector, not only locally but worldwide, forcing a shift in the education system from on-site to virtual learning. This cross-sectional study was undertaken to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety and stress regarding virtual learning among health sciences college students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) after introducing blended virtual classes and exams and in-person laboratory training. The study was carried six months after the COVID-19 outbreak. MethodologyParticipants were recruited by convenient sampling and snowballing strategies. Our study was conducted between November 18 and December 6, 2020. Questionnaires were employed; they included the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale and focused on the participants’ attitudes toward virtual learning. The present research was validated by a pilot study, followed by implementing some amendments. ResultsA total of 418 health sciences college students, aged 18–27 (M = 20.88, SD = 1.97), participated in the study. Our analysis indicated that more than half the sample (51.44%) reported a risk of moderate to severe GAD. Anxiety was recognized more frequently in women (72.09%) than in men (27.91%). Interestingly, our Χ2 analysis revealed an association between marital status and anxiety, with a higher risk of GAD found in single people (compared with married). In addition, we found that the risk of anxiety increased in junior students (1st-3rd year) compared to senior students (4th-6th year). ConclusionOur study highlights the need to establish gender-based tailored mental health support systems that provide preventive measures. The study findings also recommend that institutions develop programs and platforms that safely support students to interact and seek guidance, particularly those at higher risk of stress, such as females and first-year students. Overall, our study underlines the need to pursue an understanding of the complicated nature of anxiety disorders..