Provision Of Psychological Services Research Articles

Provision of educational psychological services under a high inflationary environment in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe

The study employed a qualitative research approach using a phenomenological research design since the lived experiences of educational psychologists in Masvingo Province were scrutinized with the intention of establishing the extent to which educational psychologists matched the laid down specifications pertaining to their professional operations during a high inflationary environment. Three males and two females were purposely selected and in-depth interviews were utilized. Four themes emerged from the study: (a) vital roles, successful, and unsuccessful experiences, (b) diverse views on major policy documents, (c) barriers in rendering support services, and (d) perceived solutions. Results indicated that policy documents are outdated and need revision. Human and material resources were viewed a barriers to performance and perceived solutions included multidisciplinary team work, decentralization and increasing the number of psychologists, training of psychologists and reduced continuous professional development points. Educational psychologists focused more on diagnostic and behavioral consultations in urban schools. They distributed schools in urban areas depending on psychologists’ place of residences. Rural schools were minimally assessed with little provision of intervention, prevention, and health promotion services. The results provide important implications for resource provision and policy formulation.

Healthcare professionals' views on psychological support for children and families affected by skin conditions in the UK: A qualitative study

AbstractBackgroundSkin conditions can have a psychological impact on a child and their caregivers, however, support is not equally distributed between geographical regions in the United Kingdom (UK).ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the experience of National Health Service (NHS) healthcare professionals (HCPs) of addressing the psychological needs of children with skin conditions and their families, and gain expert opinion as to how services need to further develop.DesignHCPs were recruited to a qualitative study with an advert posted on social media.MethodsFifteen HCPs took part in interviews, including dermatologists (n = 4), dermatology nurse consultants/specialists (n = 4), clinical psychologists (n = 4), liaison psychiatrists (n = 2), and a children's psychological well‐being practitioner (n = 1).ResultsThematic analysis revealed children often presented with anxiety, depression, self‐harm and suicidal ideation. The impact on caregivers was equally profound. There were differences in service provision across the UK and all HCPs recognised the urgent need for psychological support to be integrated into standard care. Participants described how a range of interventions are typically required including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and systemic approaches, as well as mindfulness/third‐wave approaches. Barriers to the delivery of psychological services were associated with a lack of funding and training opportunities for core and specialist staff alike. However, in some instances, participants had overcome these challenges to be able to deliver unique services.ConclusionsThere exist several barriers to providing paediatric psychological interventions, and many locations across the UK remain vulnerable as a result of continuing lack of national guidelines for the provision of psychological services.

The effectiveness of mindfulness training on social adjustment, self-esteem, and hope among transgender individuals in Tehran

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of mindfulness training in enhancing social adjustment, self-esteem, and hope in transgender individuals. Methodology: This research employed a quasi-experimental design, incorporating pre-test and post-test measures, along with a control group. The study population comprised transgender individuals receiving support from one of the social support centres under the auspices of the Tehran Municipality in the year 1401 (2022). Fourteen participants from this population were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two groups: an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group underwent eight sessions of mindfulness training. Subsequently, during the post-test phase, both groups completed questionnaires. Data analysis involved multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance. Results: The research findings revealed a statistically significant difference in mean scores of social adjustment, self-esteem, and hope between the control and experimental groups during the post-test phase. Mindfulness training contributed significantly to elevating the levels of these variables within the experimental group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: In light of the research outcomes, mindfulness training emerges as a promising intervention for positively influencing social adjustment, self-esteem, and hope among transgender individuals. Consequently, this educational program is recommended for the provision of psychological services within the target community.

Guidelines for the Provision of Remote Psychological Services

Abstract: Albeit the benefits of delivering psychological services remotely using digital technologies (eMental Health) were established in the literature in the past years, its integration into clinical practice was slow. The COVID-19 pandemic marked an abrupt change, with eMental Health being almost the only way to provide psychological support worldwide. New competencies were demanded from psychologists, accompanied by a growing number of guidelines to support their practices. This work’s main goal was to summarize the available guidelines for the practice of remote psychological services. A scoping literature review was conducted until March 2022. All documents that provided guidelines for the remote provision of psychological services were analyzed. A deductive thematic analysis, followed by an inductive thematic analysis, was conducted. The most unanimous result was the importance of incorporating the guidelines available for the presential provision of psychological services in eMental Health services. Additional procedures were suggested, namely, to ensure the privacy and security of the information, therapeutic boundaries and therapeutic setting, and the safety of the clients. Furthermore, aspects such as risk assessment and management, managing interruptions and exits in sessions, multicultural competence of psychologists, and specificities of remote psychological assessment shall be considered before beginning the therapeutic process. This scoping review presents a summary of the available guidelines for the provision of remote psychological services and can be used by Psychologists to make informed decisions regarding their remote practices. It highlights the need to develop specific competencies related to the remote environment, which reinforces the need for formal training and adapting the training curricula of new psychologists.

Psychosocial Experiences in an Australian Rural Cancer Service: Mixed-Method Insights into Psychological Distress and Psychosocial Service Barriers

Purpose. To examine psychosocial and well-being concerns throughout the cancer experience, from prediagnosis to survivorship. Whilst most oncology research focuses on patients, the role and experiences of families and caregivers are increasingly recognised as a core component of health service delivery. Moreover, research suggests that geography is an important consideration, with evidence of rural inequities in health service provision and access. Aims. (i) To examine the unique patient and caregiver experiences of rural people in three rural cancer treatment centres in New South Wales (NSW) and (ii) to examine the barriers to rural patients and caregivers accessing psycho-oncological support in NSW. Methods. A convergent parallel mixed-method evaluation of the psychosocial experiences of rural patients and caregivers accessing cancer services through three health services in rural NSW was undertaken (N = 125). Measures of psychological distress as well as quantitative and qualitative barriers data were collected. Results. Approximately, one-third of the participants reported moderate to severe distress. Patients and caregivers reported systemic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and pandemic-specific barriers in accessing quality psychosocial healthcare. Conclusions. These results suggest that cancer patients and caregivers in rural NSW may experience elevated levels of psychological distress and barriers in accessing psychosocial care. The combination of high psychological need for patients and caregivers with reduced availability of psychosocial support services has substantial implications for psychological wellbeing and service provision. Underdetection of psychosocial need and a lack of support services pose a significant challenge for rural people with cancer and for those who care for them; this must be an urgent priority for quality improvement and equitable healthcare provision.

“I Realized It Was a Different Kind of Culture to Other Sports”: An Exploration of Sport Psychology Service Provision and Delivery in Gaelic Games

In this article, we present two studies that provide the first evidence on sport psychology services in Gaelic games. In Study 1, 36 participants providing support for mental aspects of performance in Gaelic games completed a survey that ascertained an initial insight into practitioners and the services they provided in this context. Findings of Study 1 suggested considerable engagement with psychology support in Gaelic games but also highlighted a range of challenges with service delivery. In Study 2, we interviewed 11 sport psychology consultants to understand the active ingredients that contribute to context-driven sport psychology in Gaelic games and the role of contextual intelligence. Findings from Study 2 offered insights into how participants shaped their services to the context and how the active ingredients for effective service delivery, including working alliances, buy-in, and engagement with individuals within the performance environment, could be enabled or constrained in this context.

Online Psychological Care and Psychotherapy: Reality, Evidence, and Indicators

The provision of psychological care in its various forms using the Internet has been associated with the emergence of the Internet and the developments seen by various digital media. Multiple justifications exist for using media, including limited resources and difficulty accessing mental health services. The use of remote psychological care has significantly increased during the Covid-19 crisis. The references abound with various discussions and studies on the effectiveness and effects of this type of therapy, the differences from face-to-face therapy, and the qualification requirements of providers. Today, many studies and meta-analyses have examined the effectiveness of internet-based therapy, most likely cognitive-behavioral therapy. The matter still needs more research due to the variety and interrelatedness of the issues raised in this context, especially with reference to the effectiveness of different psychological trends, whether within the same direction or in different directions. It can be concluded that online psychological services are effective, and interventions that combine internet-based elements with organized face-to-face communication have equivalent effects to traditional therapy. Remote psychotherapeutic services should not replace traditional therapy. The provision of psychological services in most Arab countries in its various forms suffers from multiple problems, such as the lack of professional organization and randomness, the absence of philosophy oriented to the humanities and psychology. This review aims to supply a picture of several of the issues raised in the field of psychological services using the Internet and some supporting and opposing points of view without claiming inclusiveness in this presentation.

A systematic review of dentists' psychological wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges to healthcare workers worldwide, including the effect on the psychological wellbeing of dentists.Aims To evaluate the impact of the early phases of the pandemic on the psychological health, long-term wellbeing and clinical service provision of dentists, as well as the identification of the key risk and protective factors for adverse mental health outcomes (MHOs) in this group.Methods A systematic review of cross-sectional studies (n = 53) from public and private dentistry sectors was employed to delineate the risk and protective factors for adverse MHOs.Results Self-reports from these studies (1 December 2019 to 31 December 2021), involving 45,671 dentists worldwide were analysed. Study findings were classified according to their psychological impact (as risk or protective factors), categorised as 'operational' or 'organisational' and subdivided into 'psychosocial', 'occupational', 'sociodemographic' and 'environmental' elements. A GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations) certainty of evidence score was calculated for all the identified factors.Conclusions This review confirmed the negative impact of the pandemic on the MHOs of dentists worldwide. Pivotal risk factors included fear of infection, transmission to families, lack of personal protective equipment and possible direct contact with infected patients. Enhanced infection control protocols, individual resilience and organisational support were identified as important protective factors.

The Perception of Spirituality and Its Assessment among Those with Different Health Statuses in Saudi Arabia.

This study compares the perception of spirituality among individuals with different health statuses. It also describes the spiritual services and religious support in the healthcare system that are recommended by the community. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted in Riyadh during the year 2021. A face-to-face questionnaire was used to obtain data from seriously ill inpatients (N = 132), chronically ill outpatients (N = 202), and healthy individuals (N = 283), which is an assessment tool designed by the investigators to meet the purpose of the study. This study was conducted in two tertiary hospitals and in the community. Participants were randomly selected using a stratified random sampling technique. The study was performed on 635 participants. A significant number of the participants agreed that the provision of spiritual services has a positive effect on patient condition. The rural population had a higher mean value on limiting the concept of spirituality to religious aspects. There is a clear tendency from all categories toward religious services. The majority of the participants support the provision of psychological services, especially if it is provided by specialized and expert spiritual care providers. The positive perception of participants about spiritual care has been reflected on the tendency toward providing spiritual services. The provision of spiritual care in healthcare systems is expected to be a necessity and not a luxury.

Psychological service provision in Australian Palliative Care Services.

Psychological distress is common among palliative care patients. Despite this, little is known about the availability of psychological services to support palliative care patients within Australia. This study aimed to determine the level of psychological support services available within Australian Palliative Care Services. The study was based on a similar study in Australia by Crawford in 1999, allowing differences over time to be examined. A 12-item online survey was distributed to adult Palliative Care Services throughout Australia from November 2021 to January 2022. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of responses was conducted, with comparisons made with the 1999 study using a 2-proportions z-test. Social workers were the most available professionals delivering psychological care (prevalence of 94.1%), followed by spiritual care workers (62.5%), creative therapists (43.8%), counselors (36.4%), psychiatrists (31.3%), complementary therapists (28.1%), and psychologists (25.0%). Nearly 60% of services had no access to a psychiatrist or a psychologist. The proportion of Palliative Care Services that had access to a psychiatrist, psychologist, or counselor was significantly less in 2021/22 compared to 1999, with differences of 29.4% (p=0.002), 23.4% (p=0.015), and 26.1% (p=0.006), respectively. Lack of access to psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors in Australian Palliative Care Services remains a significant issue and has become more prevalent since 1999. Ongoing advocacy and increased government funding to enable psychological health professionals to be readily employed in Palliative Care Services is vital.

Законодавче регулювання проблем гендерно зумовленого, домашнього та сексуального насильства

The article analyzes international and national legislation in the field of prevention and counteraction of gender-based violence, sexual and domestic violence. It has been established that the Istanbul Convention is the main source that contains the most comprehensive list of measures aimed at protecting persons affected by gender-based violence, as well as providing them with appropriate services. International documents have a clear emphasis on two types of violence - domestic violence and crimes in the name of so-called "honor" - the victims of which are mainly women, who, accordingly, suffer disproportionately compared to men. It was concluded that during the years 2018–2021, in Ukraine as a whole, the legislative framework in the field of prevention and counteraction of domestic violence and gender-based violence and the provision of medical, social, psychological, and legal assistance and services to the victims has been sufficiently developed, which includes about thirty normative legal acts and continues to develop.

Rehabilitation nurses’ knowledge, experiences, and perceptions of the provision of psychological care to stroke patients: Systematic Review

Introduction: Depression and/or anxiety is associated with sub-optimal recovery and a reduction in quality of life for patients following a stroke. However, the literature suggests that the psychological needs for patients post stroke are insufficient with poor provision of psychological services. Aim: To examine HCPs knowledge, experiences, and perceptions of the provision of psychological care to patients post stroke. Methods: A systematic review referenced to PRISMA guidelines was used. The studies were retrieved from six databases (CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Science Direct, Wiley Online library and Ovid SP). Twelve studies were included in the final analysis. Results: Findings demonstrate that HCPs have a basic understanding of the psychological/emotional problems associated with stroke. Psychological care was identified as been given a low priority within stroke rehabilitation services and described as inconsistent, uncoordinated, and ad hoc. Barriers to providing psychological care included: poor access to specialist expertise; lack of resources and poor managerial support. Furthermore, the need for specialist supports via case discussion and reflective practice was identified. Conclusions: This review suggests that improvements in terms of psychological care and services offered to patients post stroke is needed as is the value of support from managers to provide sufficient resources. This review has the potential to assist policymakers to understand the barriers and potential facilitators to psychological care provision to patients post stroke.

Asset-based community development approaches to resilience among refugees and recent migrant communities in Australia: a scoping review

PurposeResilience is an increasingly important concept that contributes to sustainability and wellbeing of a community. Asset-based community development (ABCD) may offer promising approaches to boosting community resilience in Australia, especially within marginalised groups.Design/methodology/approachA scoping review was conducted to conceptualise existing literature on ABCD approaches to building resilience. Research databases were searched with relevant details.FindingsThirty-three sources were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria and were reviewed in terms of six themes: integration and identity, health, mental health, education, employment and community planning. Issues identified by the literature within these themes can be alleviated through asset-based approaches. Implications for planning of asset-based programs and policy change are discussed in light of the findings.Practical implicationsThe results of this study provide several implications for practise, policy recommendations and future research into this area. Results suggest that increasing capacity around asset-based coping mechanisms, such as support networks through religious and cultural groups, would promote community development and foster resilience. Furthermore, policy on refugees in multiple areas, such as psychological service provision and employment, should be redesigned in a way that acknowledges their complex and diverse needs and facilitates their integration into the community. Though multiple ways to achieve this goal have been explored in literature, a sustained and broader approach is necessary to see widespread change. Further research and funding are required to explore and implement appropriate responses. Based on the findings and discussion above, the authors make the following policy recommendations. Service providers need to be aware of and incorporate culturally appropriate programs in the areas of mental health assessment and intervention, education and employment. The trauma-informed approach should be used when dealing with refugee groups and other groups who have faced hardships. Government policy should focus on improving community engagement to create and strengthen social networks, which are vital in boosting integration into the community and increasing health education and access to services. Government should focus on asset-based approaches in designing education and employment integration programs to promote social belonging and community engagement, and thus, community resilience, which will consequently have beneficial individual and group outcomes. The current governmental policy surrounding refugees should be overhauled with the goal of successful refugee integration in mind, such as incorporating the ability for refugees to access vital services such as employment and skills transferability programs. Due to current policy, these services are inaccessible to a large portion of refugees, hindering their integration. Government needs to create specific guidelines for the provision of psychological services to refugees to improve the quality of mental health services available to this group.Originality/valueThis paper comprises an original data analysis of the relevant existing literature by the project team. The process was rigorous, and no content of the analysis has been published previously except the material published by other authors. All previously published materials were duly acknowledged.

Perlindungan Hukum terhadap Keluarga Justice Collaborator


 The purpose of writing this article is to identify and analyze how legal protection and rights are regulated for families with Justice Collaborator status in an effort to uncover criminal acts. The method in this study uses a normative juridical approach. From the research conducted, the authors obtained results in the form of legal protection for Justice Collaborator families who have protection and have rights including supervision and escort, provision of body security equipment, provision of medical and psychological services, reimbursement of living expenses during the protection period, reimbursement of accommodation costs and transportation during the protection period, protection provided in a safe house, relocation and a new identity in accordance with Undang Undang No 31 Tahun 2014 Pasal 5 concerning the protection of witnesses and victims.
 Keywords: legal protection, justice collaborator, crime.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological service provision, mental health practitioners, and patients in long-term care settings: Results from a rapid response survey.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological service provision, mental health practitioners, and patients in long-term care settings: Results from a rapid response survey.

MODERN APPROACHES RELATED TO THE MANAGEMENT OF SOCIOPSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES

The article discusses measures aimed at improving management processes in the provision of social and psychological services to people with mental health problems, as well as measures necessary to improve the social and psychological state and stabilize the mental condition of people with mental health problems. The emphasis is mainly on organizing this process, on issues of a comprehensive assessment of the needs and capabilities of this group of people and providing them with targeted measures and social services, adequate to their capabilities, aimed at developing their social activity. Attention is paid to the issues of psychological and social adaptation of older people, which is currently relevant for the entire society, and its solution is mainly the strategic task of gerontopsychology. The current state of the system of mental health and social protection services is presented from the point of view of the need to create alternative forms of services. Based on advanced international experience and work carried out in Armenia, the article pays attention to the importance and necessity of introducing and developing new forms and types of psychological and medical-social assistance to people with mental health problems. Data from studies both conducted by the author and those conducted on his initiative are presented. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations are made on the measures necessary to improve the social and psychological state of people with mental health problems.

The Specifics of the Provision of Psychological Services to the Population in the Era of Digitalization

This article presents and analyzes the opinions of practicing psychologists on the effectiveness of providing a psychological service and remote form mainly using the Internet. The authors also have presented the results of their own research, based on the implementation of a program for correcting non-optimal types towards pregnancy (depressive, anxious and ambivalent choices) through psychological support of women using remote format. In the pilot’s study, we have used a specially developed program to improve the emotional well-being of pregnant women with non-optimal type of attitude towards pregnancy. The women gave their consent to participate in the study during a scheduled to visit to the clinic. Sixty participants were Involved into the study, all the people were divided into two groups control and experimental. Both groups included 30 persons. In the study we have used 37 indicators. There no were statistically significant differences between the levels of indicators of the diagnosed characteristics of experimental and control groups before the formative stage of the study. Those differences appeared after the using the developed program in the online format.

Parental migration and left-behind children in Georgia – school teachers’ experience and perception: a qualitative study

IntroductionGeorgia, like other Eastern European countries, showed a dramatic increase of international labour emigration after becoming independent in 1991. The collapse of the Soviet Union caused economic instability, unemployment and poverty resulting in labour migration. Since then, thousands of children have been left behind in the care of extended family members while their parents work abroad. The aim of this study is to explore schoolteachers’ perceptions on parental migration and left-behind children (LBC) in Georgia as schoolteachers are the main contact persons for LBC and their caregivers. MethodsWe conducted six focus-group discussions with public school teachers, namely class-tutors and six in-depth interviews with school principals from two migrant sending regions. We applied reflexive thematic analysis to systematically analyse the data and identify main and sub-themes. The contextual model of family stress underpins this study.ResultsWe identified the following themes expressed by both, teachers, and school principals: social and economic impact of migrant labour and relationships between schools and migrant families. School teachers and principals acknowledged some positive aspects of migrant labour, but primarily perceived parental migration as a negative experience for children leading to problems in mental health, well-being, and academic performance. Structural factors, lack of support and lack of community involvement were expressed to further worsen the situation. Teachers saw themselves as one of the main supporters for LBC while they described the role of caregivers ranging from caring to unhelpful or even destructive. School principals stated mitigating the situation by regular meetings with class tutors, extra-tutoring for LBC, psychological counselling, and developing/enacting internal guidelines.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that LBCs and transnational families could benefit from the provision of psychological services at schools.

Nurses' Experiences, Fear of COVID-19, and Death Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study From Turkey

According to the literature, fear affects death anxiety, and there is a strong relationship between death anxiety and psychopathology. Using a cross-sectional design, the current study investigated the experiences of nurses (N = 250) working in health institutions in Turkey during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the correlation between fear and death anxiety. It was determined that nurses were exposed to many negative psychosocial changes during the pandemic. A moderate positive correlation was found between fear of COVID-19 and death anxiety scores. Initiatives to help control nurses' fear and death anxiety, a reasonable shift schedule, and provision of psychological counseling services are recommended. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 60(12), 39-48.].

Pediatric Consultation-Liaison Psychology: Insights and Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

COVID-19 has presented a variety of challenges to the provision of psychology services. In the first month of the pandemic, pediatric consultation–liaison (CL) psychologists reported significant changes in methodology of service delivery (Steinberg et al. in Clin Pract Pediatr Psychol 9:1, 2020). To better understand how and if these changes persisted, as well as other emerging trends, a follow-up study examined changes and challenges six months into the pandemic. An anonymous questionnaire assessed topics related to pediatric CL psychology including practice changes, perception of changes, and institutional support. The questionnaire was sent to the APA Society of Pediatric Society’s special interest group listservs. Thirty responses were analyzed. Quantitative results showed participants’ beliefs that telemedicine is equally efficacious to in-person services for outpatient psychological care, but less effective for inpatient care. Participants reported their perception of how institutions supported their safety, psychology trainee safety and training goals, and patient care. Qualitative results demonstrated that most psychologists experienced changes related to their dynamics with medical teams, which included changes in team efficiency, workload, transition, and team collaboration.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10880-022-09887-4.