Prevalence Of Mental Health Disorders Research Articles

Applying an osteopathic intervention to improve mild to moderate mental health symptoms: a mixed-methods feasibility randomised trial.

The increasing prevalence of mental health disorders in the United Kingdom necessitates the exploration of novel treatment modalities. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a randomised controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the efficacy of four osteopathic interventions on psychophysiological and mental health outcomes. A mixed-methods feasibility study with an explanatory sequential design was implemented. The quantitative phase involved randomising 42 participants into four intervention groups: (1) high-velocity and articulation techniques (HVAT), (2) soft-tissue massage (STM), (3) craniosacral therapy (CST), and (4) a combination approach. Primary outcome measures encompassed recruitment rate, assessment duration, questionnaire completion, intervention attrition, and adverse events. Secondary outcomes included validated assessments of depression, anxiety, stress, psychological flexibility, heart rate variability (HRV), and interoception, administered pre- and post-intervention. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to evaluate pre-post intervention changes. The qualitative phase comprised semi-structured interviews analysed using thematic analysis. The study achieved a recruitment rate of 21 eligible participants per month, with 54.8% of respondents meeting eligibility criteria. All 33 participants who completed the study underwent interventions and assessments within the allocated one-hour timeframe, with full questionnaire completion. The attrition rate was 21%. No adverse events were reported. Qualitative analysis revealed positive participant experiences, with themes highlighting good practitioner communication, intervention accessibility, and increased bodily awareness. Some participants found the questionnaire battery burdensome. Exploratory quantitative analyses showed variations in effects across interventions for heart rate variability, interoceptive accuracy, and mental health measures, but these results should be interpreted cautiously due to the small sample size. This study provides evidence supporting the feasibility and acceptability of a larger-scale RCT investigating osteopathic interventions for individuals presenting with mild psychological symptoms. The preliminary findings suggest potential efficacy in improving mental health outcomes, warranting further investigation. Trial registration NCT05674071, registered 06/01/2023.

Study on the Mechanism of Dictyophora duplicata Polysaccharide in Reducing Depression-like Behavior in Mice.

Depression is a prevalent worldwide mental health disorder that inflicts significant harm to individuals and society. Dictyophora duplicata is an edible fungus that contains a variety of nutrients, including polysaccharides. This study aims to investigate the monosaccharide composition and molecular weight of the Dictyophora duplicata polysaccharide (DDP-B1), followed by an exploration of its antidepressant effects in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mice. Dictyophora duplicata was purified using a DEAE-52 column and an S-400 column to obtain DDP-B1. The monosaccharide composition and molecular weight of DDP-B1 were investigated via high-performance gel permeation chromatograph. Six-week-old C57BL/6 male mice were utilized for the CUMS modeling to evaluate the antidepressant efficacy of DDP-B1. Fluoxetine served as the positive control group. The depressive-like behaviors and brain pathology of mice were evaluated. Immunofluorescence (IF) staining, metabolomics analysis, and western blot were employed to further investigate the underlying mechanisms. DDP-B1 significantly alleviated the depression-like behavior of CUMS mice and increased the expression of SYN and PSD-95 in the mice's brains, which was further validated by western blot. Metabolomics analysis indicated a reduction in serum glutamate in CUMS mice following DDP-B1 treatment. Moreover, DDP-B1 treatment led to an increase in levels of GABAAR, BDNF, p-TrkB and p-p70S6K. DDP-B1 regulated abnormalities in the glutamatergic system, subsequently activated the BDNF-TrkB-mTOR pathway and mitigated the pathological manifestations of CUMS mice. This study validated the potential of DDP-B1 as an antidepressant medication and established a theoretical foundation for the development of fungi with similar properties.

Screening for Depression Using Natural Language Processing: Literature Review.

Depression is a prevalent global mental health disorder with substantial individual and societal impact. Natural language processing (NLP), a branch of artificial intelligence, offers the potential for improving depression screening by extracting meaningful information from textual data, but there are challenges and ethical considerations. This literature review aims to explore existing NLP methods for detecting depression, discuss successes and limitations, address ethical concerns, and highlight potential biases. A literature search was conducted using Semantic Scholar, PubMed, and Google Scholar to identify studies on depression screening using NLP. Keywords included "depression screening," "depression detection," and "natural language processing." Studies were included if they discussed the application of NLP techniques for depression screening or detection. Studies were screened and selected for relevance, with data extracted and synthesized to identify common themes and gaps in the literature. NLP techniques, including sentiment analysis, linguistic markers, and deep learning models, offer practical tools for depression screening. Supervised and unsupervised machine learning models and large language models like transformers have demonstrated high accuracy in a variety of application domains. However, ethical concerns related to privacy, bias, interpretability, and lack of regulations to protect individuals arise. Furthermore, cultural and multilingual perspectives highlight the need for culturally sensitive models. NLP presents opportunities to enhance depression detection, but considerable challenges persist. Ethical concerns must be addressed, governance guidance is needed to mitigate risks, and cross-cultural perspectives must be integrated. Future directions include improving interpretability, personalization, and increased collaboration with domain experts, such as data scientists and machine learning engineers. NLP's potential to enhance mental health care remains promising, depending on overcoming obstacles and continuing innovation.

Past-year mental health issues: discrepant survey & administrative data

Abstract Introduction Accurately measuring mental health disorder prevalence is crucial for public health planning. Administrative and survey data are common methods, but often yield differing results. This study compares case identification of mental health issues across these data sources in Slovenia. Methods We linked the 2019 European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) with three Slovenian health administrative databases: the National Hospital Health Care Statistics Database, Outpatient Prescription Drugs Database, and Absence From Work Database. Case identification utilized self-report of any mental health issue in the past 12 months and healthcare utilization records in 12 months preceding participation in EHIS. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the association between socio-demographic factors and case identification across data sources. Results Significant differences were found in 12 month prevalence of any mental health issue estimates between data sources. Only 45.9% of self-reported cases were identified in administrative data, and 36.6% of administrative cases self-reported mental health issues (Kappa = 0.302). Socio-demographics, including age, gender, education, and employment status, were significantly associated with the likelihood of identification in specific data sources. Discussion Our findings underscore the importance of data source and assessment tool selection on mental health prevalence estimates. Variations in identification across population subgroups could reflect differences in healthcare access and self-disclosure biases. Linking data sources and considering their inherent limitations is crucial for accurate burden estimation. Key messages • Data source and assessment methods significantly impact how we identify individuals with mental health issues in the past year. • Combining data sources and understanding their limitations is essential for improving mental health burden estimation.

Association Between Diet and Mental Health Outcomes in a Sample of 13,887 Adolescents in Canada.

The high prevalence of mental disorders among adolescents calls for community-based and population-level prevention strategies. Diet is an important intervention target for primary prevention of mental disorders among adolescents. We used data from a large longitudinal study of Canadian adolescents (aged 14-18 y) to examine prospective associations between diet and mental health outcomes. We estimated the effect of diet (ie, consumption of vegetables and fruit and sugar-sweetened beverages [SSBs]) at baseline on depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and psychological well-being (measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 scale, and Flourishing Scale, respectively) and at 1-year follow-up in a sample of 13,887 Canadian secondary school students who participated in the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 cycles of the Cannabis, Obesity, Mental health, Physical activity, Alcohol, Smoking, and Sedentary (COMPASS) behavior study. We applied linear mixed-effects methods informed by a directed acyclic graph. Sensitivity analyses assessed the robustness of the effect estimates to unmeasured confounding variables. Baseline SSB consumption was associated with greater severity of depressive (β = 0.04; 95% CI, 0.01-0.06) and anxiety (β = 0.02; 95% CI, 0-0.05) symptoms, particularly among male students, and poorer psychological well-being (β = -0.03; 95% CI, -0.05 to -0.01) at follow-up. Baseline vegetables and fruit consumption was positively associated with psychological well-being (β = 0.06; 95% CI, 0.03-0.10) but not other mental health outcomes at follow-up. Our results support the notion that diet should be part of comprehensive mental health prevention and promotion interventions to reduce the prevalence of mental health disorders among adolescents.

Detecting the Severity of Depression in Online Forum Data by Leveraging Implicit Semantic Inferences

Depression, a prevalent mental health disorder with global implications, exerts a profound negative influence on individuals’ lives. While the prediction of depression (as a binary classification task) is a well-established research area, depression severity detection is a new research direction with limited studies. In the context of detecting the severity of depression through online forum data, this research endeavors to offer two distinct solutions by employing Ada embeddings, GPT 3.5 Turbo, and LIWC as feature engineering techniques, while AutoSklearn serves as the ensemble learning algorithm. Notably, the outcomes of this study significantly outperform existing state-of-the-art models on both depression severity annotated datasets used in this research. The results also showcase the potential reuse nature of the proposed models in diverse data sources due to their high performance in both datasets. Furthermore, as a valuable practical outcome, a software prototype has been developed, capable of providing the depression severity level, along with associated symptoms and keywords, upon inputting an online forum post.

Canadian Provincial and Territorial Correctional Worker Mental Health and Well-Being Study (CWMH): Navigating Practical and Unanticipated Methodological Challenges

Previous research assessing correctional worker (CW) mental health has seldom assessed for differences based on jurisdiction or diverse occupational categories. The current study was designed to provide a nuanced quantitative examination of mental health disorder prevalence and related problems among CWs and to qualitatively explore the varying social contexts surrounding CW well-being. We reflect on how we overcame unanticipated challenges and disruptions (e.g., technology, COVID-19 pandemic) throughout the design, launch, and analysis of the survey, and illustrate how our national study, driven by a rigorous methodological approach and collaborative research design, builds on the extant CW mental health and wellness literature.

Preoperative Anxiety: An Important Risk Factor of Postoperative Adverse Events and Increased Reoperation Rates in Patients Undergoing Single-Level Anterior Cervical Diskectomy and Fusion

Introduction: With the rising prevalence of mental health disorders, it is important to consider their correlation with surgical outcomes. Anxiety has been associated with adverse events after many surgical procedures, but its relationship relative to anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF) regarding medical complications has not previously been assessed in a large database study. Methods: The 2010-Q3 2022 PearlDiver Mariner161 database was used to identify patients undergoing single-level ACDF. Those with versus without preoperative anxiety were matched 1:1 based on age, sex, and Elixhauser Comorbidity Index. Rates of 90-day adverse events were compared by multivariate regression analyses, and 5-year cervical revision surgery rates were compared. Results: Of 287,278 ACDF patients, preoperative anxiety was identified for 36.73%. After matching, patients with anxiety had greater odds ratios of all assessed individual 90-day adverse outcomes, as well as any (OR: 3.09), severe (OR: 2.07), and minor (OR: 3.39) adverse events (P < 0.0001 for all). Those with preoperative anxiety had slightly greater 5-year rates of subsequent cervical spine surgery than those without (P < 0.0001, at 5 years 12.9% versus 11.7%). Discussion: ACDF patients with a history of anxiety had higher odds of many 90-day adverse outcomes and slightly higher 5-year revision surgery rates. These findings may inform patient counseling and risk management strategies.

Differential prevalence of psychiatric disorders and mental health characteristics associated with lifetime suicide attempts in the Asian American and Pacific Islander adult population

BackgroundAsian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) adults are an understudied group in terms of their mental health and mental healthcare needs. This has been complicated by the difficulty of recruiting adequate national samples of AAPI adults for research. ObjectiveThis study aimed to analyze national data to examine the lifetime prevalence of major psychiatric disorders among AAPI adults relative to non-AAPI adults, as well as to identify and compare sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with lifetime suicide attempts among AAPI and non-AAPI adults. MethodsCross-sectional data on 36,109 adults, including 1801 AAPI adults, from the National Epidemiological Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III), were analyzed with a series of chi-square and logistic regression analyses. ResultsWe found a significantly lower lifetime prevalence of mental health disorders in the AAPI versus the non-AAPI population nationally, including 2% of AAPI adults reporting lifetime suicide attempts as compared to about 5% of non-AAPI adults. Female sex and a history of major depressive disorder diagnosis were associated with lifetime suicide attempts in the AAPI and non-AAPI populations. Several unique factors were associated with having a history of suicide attempts in only the AAPI population, including a military service history and a diagnosis of panic disorder. DiscussionOur analysis demonstrated the significant sectors of the AAPI population that merit research, support, and intervention, including the AAPI veteran population. This study identifies several characteristics among AAPI adults that may make them particularly vulnerable to psychiatric problems and suicide risk, which may inform targeted prevention and efforts to provide culturally competent care to this population.

Prevalence of anxio-depressive disorders, insomnia and self-esteem in a Moroccan population addicted to cannabis and/or alcohol: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Background Addiction to cannabis and alcohol is a global public health concern, linked to significant mental health impairments such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, and low self-esteem. This study, conducted in Marrakech’s addiction treatment centers, aims to assess the prevalence of mental health disorders, insomnia, and self-esteem among individuals seeking treatment for alcohol and/or cannabis addiction. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1 2023 to January 1 2024. Depression, anxiety, insomnia, and self-esteem were assessed using the HADS, ISI, and Rosenberg scale. Results Anxiety prevalence for cannabis, alcohol, and both substances was 57.9%, 55.2%, and 59.2%, respectively. Depression prevalence was 71.7% (cannabis), 73.1% (alcohol), and 75% (both substances). Sub-clinical insomnia (mild) prevalence for the three groups was 65.4%, 71.6%, and 77.6%. Low self-esteem was observed at 59.1%, 64.2%, and 60.5% for cannabis, alcohol, and both substances, respectively. No significant association has been found between the type of product consumed (cannabis, alcohol, cannabis and alcohol) and anxiety, depression, insomnia and self-esteem. Conclusions These findings highlight prevalent mental health disorders in cannabis and alcohol addiction, underscoring the need for comprehensive, multidisciplinary treatments, including regular mental health screenings, quarterly follow-ups, and family involvement in group therapies at Moroccan addiction centers.

Effect of a targeted health education program on nurses’ awareness about postpartum depression

BackgroundPostpartum depression (PPD) is a prevalent mental health disorder that affects women after giving birth. It seriously harms the mother–child bond. As nurses' expertise can have a significant impact on women after childbirth, this study aimed to compare the knowledge of nurses at the Maternity Hospital of Ain Shams University (ASU) before and after the implementation of an educational program regarding PPD.MethodsA pre-and post-quasi-experimental study was conducted among 63 nurses at ASU Maternity Hospital. A self-administered questionnaire was used to evaluate nurses' knowledge of PPD symptoms, diagnosis, risk factors, treatment, and consequences before and one month following an educational program that comprised PowerPoint, posters, and videos.ResultsThe mean age of nurses was 23.17 ± 1.45. About 76% had previously heard of PPD, and the most frequent sources of their information were nursing studies followed by conferences. After the intervention, there was a significant improvement in the knowledge score regarding PPD symptoms and diagnosis, with a mean score of 7.23 ± 1.32 compared to 6.13 ± 1.97 before the intervention. The knowledge score of PPD risk factors showed a considerable improvement, with a mean score of 11.52 ± 1.49 as compared to 9.69 ± 1.94 previously. There was a significant improvement in the knowledge scores regarding PPD treatment and consequences. Overall, the PPD total knowledge score of nurses improved significantly after the intervention, from 19.56 ± 3.49 to 23.2 ± 2.5 (p-value < 0.001).ConclusionThis study demonstrates the positive impact of a targeted health education program on enhancing nurses’ awareness about PPD. The program effectively increased knowledge levels among participating nurses, empowering them with essential skills to recognize, assess, and respond to PPD in their clinical practice. The improvement in awareness signifies the importance of implementing focused educational interventions to enhance nurses’ ability to identify this critical maternal mental health issue.ImplicationsBeyond the direct effect of this study on nurses' awareness, it has wider implications for patient care, healthcare policies, professional development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and public health awareness related to PPD.Trial registrationIt was registered on clinicaltrials.gov with identifier number NCT06424496.

Preoperative Mental Health Disorders Affect Opioid Consumption and Perioperative Complications After Total Shoulder Arthroplasty.

Limited evidence exists regarding the influence of mental health disorders (MHDs) on opioid use and complications after total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). We aimed to identify the prevalence of common MHDs among patients undergoing anatomic TSA (aTSA) and reverse TSA (rTSA). The Premier Healthcare Database was queried for patients undergoing primary aTSA and rTSA from 2016 to 2020. International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, diagnosis codes were used to identify MHDs. Primary outcomes included the prevalence of MHDs, perioperative opioid consumption, and 90-day risk of postoperative complications, revision, and readmission. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to assess 90-day risk of primary endpoints while controlling for potential confounders. Statistical significance was defined as P<.05. From 2016 to 2020, 49,997 of 144,725 (34.55%) patients undergoing primary TSA had at least one diagnosed MHD. The most prevalent were depression (17.03%), anxiety (16.75%), and substance use disorder (10.20%). Patients with a MHD had higher mean hospital costs ($75,984±$43,129 vs $73,316±$39,046, P<.0001), longer mean length of stay (1.95±2.25 days vs 1.61±1.51 days, P<.0001), and higher mean total postoperative opioid use (72.00±231.55 morphine milligram equivalents [MMEs] vs 59.32±127.31 MMEs, P<.0001). Periprosthetic fractures (odds ratio, 1.20; P=.041), dislocation (odds ratio, 1.12; P=.042), and 90-day readmission rates (odds ratio, 1.26; P<.001) were significantly higher among patients with a MHD. This study found that MHDs are associated with significantly increased perioperative opioid consumption, medical and surgical complication rates, and risk of readmission after TSA. Recognition and optimization of MHDs is critical to minimizing complications and opioid consumption after TSA. [Orthopedics. 202x;4x(x):xx-xx.].

Public safety personnel’s perceptions of mental health training: an assessment of the Emotional Resilience Skills Training

ABSTRACT Public safety personnel (PSP) work experiences necessitate diverse and frequent exposures to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs) and other occupational stressors, which may explain the higher prevalence of mental health disorders and suicidal ideation among PSP relative to the general population. Consequently, PSP require emotional coping skills and evidence-informed mental health training to navigate arduous situations. The Emotional Resilience Skills Training (ERST) is a pilot 13-week mental health training program led by a peer and based on the robustly evidenced Unified Protocol for the Transdiagnostic Treatment of Mental Disorders. The study assessed whether PSP: perceived the ERST as improving their mental health or their management of stressors; applied the associated knowledge and skills; and would recommend ESRT to other PSP. Data were collected using a self-report survey and focus groups. A total of 197 PSP (58% male) completed a self-report survey and 72 PSP (33% female) participated in a sector-specific focus group to assess the ERST. The results indicate that PSP perceived ERST as helpful when applied. Almost all participants would recommend the training to other PSP. PSP expressed the ongoing need for mental health skills and knowledge, but also identified mental health training gaps during early-career training and stages.

Vitamin D Mitigates Depression-related Disorders in an Animal Model of Depression: A Behavioral, Anatomopahtological, and Molecular Investigation, Implicating the Hippocampal BDNF Signaling Pathway

Background: Major depressive disorder represents a complicated mental disorder characterized by persistent feelings of unhappiness and loss of interest. More evidence suggests a high potential correlation between vitamin D deficiency and depression. However, the underlying mechanisms and the therapeutic potential of vitamin D supplementation are still not properly understood. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on depressive behaviors using a rat model of depression and explore the potential mechanisms involved. Depression is a prevalent mental health disorder that significantly impacts the quality of life of individuals. Despite the availability of various treatment options, many patients still experience suboptimal outcomes, highlighting the need for further exploration of novel therapeutic approaches. In recent years, the importance of vitamin D in mental health, particularly in depression, has gained considerable attention. Methods: In this project, we propose to utilize an animal model of depressed rats to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on depressive behaviors. We employed a range of well-established behavioral tests to assess changes in depressive-like behaviors following vitamin D supplementation. Additionally, histopathological examinations of the hippocampal region, known to be involved in mood regulation, were performed to assess structural alterations and cellular changes associated with depression and vitamin D supplementation. Results: The findings demonstrate the therapeutic potential of vitamin D supplementation by improving neuronal reorganization and proliferation in the hippocampus, suggesting an interest in investigating other mechanisms of interaction. Conclusion: The findings of this research will provide valuable insight into the therapeutic potential of vitamin D in depression and shed light on the underlying mechanisms involved.

Earth observation data uncover green spaces’ role in mental health

The prevalence of mental health disorders, a key disability cause, is linked to demographic and socioeconomic factors. However, limited data exists on mental health and the urban environment. Urbanization exposes populations to environmental stressors, particularly affecting low-middle-income countries with complex urban arrangements. We used remote sensing and census data to investigate potential connections between environmental factors and mental health disorders. Land cover variables were assessed using the European Space Agency (ESA) global WorldCover product at 10 m resolution together with the database of mental health diagnosed cases (n = 5769) from the Brazilian Unified Health System’s Department of Informatics (DATASUS) from every health facility of the city of Porto Alegre. The association of mental health data with land cover was established with machine learning algorithms and polynomial regression models. The results suggest that higher trees cover at neighborhood level was associated with better mental health index. A lower mental health index was also found to be associated with an higher Human Development Index. Our results highlight the potential of greenness in the city environment to achieve substantially better mental health outcomes.

Niveles de estrés, ansiedad y depresión en población con hipertensión arterial

Long-term illnesses, including high blood pressure (HTN), are associated with a variable prevalence of mental health disorders, due to the restrictions they generate in daily life, uncertainty about the future, social isolation and the feeling of blame. The objective of the article is to know the prevalence of depression, stress and anxiety among adults with a diagnosis of primary HTN; as well as the factors associated with these mood disorders. A systematic review of publications from specialized databases such as APA PsycNet, Pubmed and Cochrane Library was carried out. Mesh terms and Boolean operators were used. Observational publications from 2019 to 2024 with adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) with primary HTN were included. Traceability data was extracted from the articles: author(s), year, country, DOI. The quality of the articles was evaluated using the STROBE checklist for observational research. 11 articles were included. Depression was evaluated in 9, anxiety in 5 and stress in two. Depression had a prevalence from 5.2% - 64.1%. Anxiety, 25% - 100%, while psychological stress was 60% - 71.5%. The factors related to these disorders were female sex, marital status, comorbidities, not having a job, low socioeconomic and educational level. The relationship between HTN and these disorders appears to be bidirectional. With a bidirectional relationship, the adult population with primary HTN experiences a variable prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress. It is necessary to further study this relationship.

TEAM-CBT for Adolescents and Young Adults With Depression and Anxiety: Testing Short-Term Impact and Within-Session Change

The prevalence of mental health disorders has shown a notable rise in adolescents and young adults (Parodi et al., 2022). These developmental stages, adolescence and young adulthood, are peak periods for emerging mental health disorders, affecting around 49.5% of young individuals. Anxiety and depression have significant adverse and long-term effects that interfere with developmental tasks if not successfully treated (Merikangas, 2010).An evidence-based model, TEAM-CBT, incorporates the following treatment components: testing, empathy, agenda setting, and methods. The model’s impact on depression and anxiety was tested in a naturalistic study of adolescent and young adult clients in a group practice setting. T-tests and ANOVAs were used to test treatment effects, including changes between the first and final sessions, within-session changes, and the treatment response pattern.A total of N = 116 patients’ data was included in the analysis. Both depression and anxiety scores were significantly lower at posttest compared to pretest. The majority of adolescents and young adults achieved clinically significant improvement: 80% of youth no longer met criteria for clinically significant symptoms of depression symptoms, and 87% of youth for anxiety symptoms. No correlation was found between the number of sessions received and the treatment outcome. Within-session symptom reduction was clinically significant in each of the 10 sessions. The largest symptom reductions occurred over the first five sessions. Findings, recommendations, and implications are discussed.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychotropic prescribing: a systematic review

ObjectivesThe global prevalence of mental health disorders has risen significantly since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has additionally caused disruption to mental health services, leading to a...

Navigating Mental Health Challenges in Conflict Zones: A Mixed Method Literature Review

According to the World Mental Health Report (2022), 22% of the population living in conflict-afflicted areas have mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Mental health disorders are one of the most serious and underrepresented effects of surviving in conflict-afflicted areas. To investigate the prevalence of mental health disorders and potential risk factors that impact individuals residing in conflict regions and explore their lived experiences. A mixed-method literature review of the studies was conducted between January 2015 to August 2024. It combined substantial evidence from 15 quantitative (n=8) and qualitative (n=6) studies that were exposed to large-scale conflicts in the past ten years. The data was gathered through a range of databases (Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO. Initially, 187 studies were identified, and 51 remained after screening. In total, 15 studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results suggested that individuals in conflicted areas have a high prevalence of severe mental health disorders like PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Moreover, some risk factors that contributed were persistent exposure to violence, loss of livelihood, and displacement. Consequently, religious and psychosocial coping mechanisms did provide some relief. However, these mechanisms dominated the treatment-seeking decisions and prevented individuals from opting for biomedical healthcare practices. Conclusion: This review highlighted the need for a multidisciplinary approach to curb these areas' growing mental health imbalance. In addition to being a humanitarian right and necessity, providing adequate mental health facilities is a vital component of rebuilding and recovering the affected communities.

Chemodenervation is Associated With Reduced Mental Health Disorders in Patients With Synkinesis.

To compare the prevalence of mental health disorders in individuals with facial synkinesis, facial paralysis alone, and the general population. Retrospective cohort. Eighty-two health care organizations across the United States. The TriNetX Research Network was queried from 2011 to 2021 for patients with facial paralysis without synkinesis, facial paralysis and documented synkinesis, and controls, matched for age, sex, race, and ethnicity. Cases included infectious, iatrogenic, or idiopathic facial paralysis. Patients with pre-existing depression or anxiety were excluded. Two-year rates of newly diagnosed depression, anxiety, and mental health prescriptions were compared. Among 127,573 patients with facial paralysis, 92.5% (n = 117,976) had facial paralysis alone, and 7.5% (n = 9597) also had documented synkinesis. Compared to controls, patients with facial paralysis alone had increased risks of new depression (8.9% vs 7.3%, P < .001) and anxiety (10.1% vs 9.6%, P < .001), with higher mental health medication rates (16.6% vs 13.1%, P < .001). Patients with documented synkinesis, in comparison to controls, had the highest risks of depression (19.8% vs 8.6%, P < .001), anxiety (20.5% vs 10.5%, P < .001), and prescriptions (28.1% vs 15.8%, P < .001). The 27.8% (n = 2669) of synkinetic patients treated with chemodenervation had lower rates of depression (8.5% vs 23.5%, P < .001), anxiety (9.0% vs 23.8%, P < .001), and prescriptions (21.6% vs 30.0%, P < .001) compared to synkinetic patients who were not. Facial paralysis, particularly synkinesis, is linked to increased mental health disorders. Integrating mental health screening and treatment into a comprehensive approach is crucial. Chemodenervation is associated with decreased mental health disorders in synkinesis, highlighting its therapeutic potential.