Mental Health Research Articles

Mortality Risk for Individuals With Cocaine Use Disorders: Clients and Non-Clients of Public Treatment Centres for Drug Addiction

BACKGROUND: This study targeted individuals who turned for the first time to health services following problems caused by cocaine use (CUD). Our aim was to estimate mortality risk for individuals who were clients of PATS (public addiction treatment services) and never-PATS (those who were not). METHOD: Follow-up study. People resident in Emilia Romagna Region (Northern Italy), aged 18 years and older who for the first time turned to a HOS (hospital ward), an ED (emergency department), a MHS (community mental health centre) or to a PATS for cocaine use disorder were selected. The reference period was between 01/01/2009 and 31/12/2019 and the territory was the metropolitan area of Bologna. CMR (Crude mortality rates) per 1000 PY (Person Years) and SMRs (standardized mortality ratios) were calculated. RESULTS: The cohort was made up of 3,196 subjects. CMR was 4.5 (95% CI 3.6-6.6) per thousand patient/years, SMRs were 4.3 (95% CI 3.5-5.4). The results highlight high CMRs (5.5, 95% CI 3.8-8.1) and SMRs (4.7, 95% CI 3.2-6.9) for individuals who never accessed PATS. Higher and statistically significant incidence rate ratios were found from the multivariate analysis among females and natives, in patients never accessed to PATS, aged more than 35 years and reporting using alcohol or opioids at first admission. CONCLUSIONS: Innovative strategies to facilitate the reduction of barriers to access and to facilitate taking charge in PATS for people with cocaine use disorders must be identified.

Exploring the Link between Xerostomia and Oral Health in Mental Illness: Insights from Autism Spectrum Disorder, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia

Background: The relationship between mental disorders and oral health is complex, involving behavioral, biological, and psychosocial factors. This review aims to investigate the impact of mental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, on oral health outcomes. Methods: A comprehensive review of existing literature was conducted to analyze the oral health outcomes associated with each mental disorder. The focus was on examining dietary habits, oral hygiene behaviors, physiological changes, and medication side effects that contribute to oral health issues. Results: The findings indicate that individuals with ASD often exhibit unique dietary habits and reduced oral hygiene capabilities due to sensory sensitivities, leading to a higher prevalence of dental caries and periodontal diseases. Depression and bipolar disorder are associated with physiological changes such as reduced saliva production and poor oral hygiene behaviors, increasing the risk of oral health problems. Medications used for these conditions exacerbate issues like xerostomia, further elevating the risk of dental diseases. Schizophrenia poses additional challenges, including cognitive impairments and medication side effects that hinder effective oral care, heightening susceptibility to oral diseases. Conclusions: This review highlights the specific oral health challenges associated with different mental disorders and emphasizes the need for tailored dental care strategies that integrate mental health considerations. The study contributes to the literature by demonstrating the unique oral health impacts of these disorders. However, the findings are limited by the scope of available cross-sectional data and the absence of longitudinal studies. Future research should focus on longitudinal and intervention-based studies to explore causal relationships and develop effective treatments.

MindMendor: An AI-Driven Approach for Mental Health Support through NLP and Machine Learning

MindMendor: An AI-Driven Approach for Mental Health Support through NLP and Machine Learning

Debate: Bridging the gap - role of nonspecialists in child and adolescent mental health care.

The first point of contact for patients and families seeking professional help for health problems is often in nonspecialist community healthcare settings that vary widely across the countries in funding sources, resources and support from specialist services. They typically involve general practitioners, family physicians, general and community paediatricians, and nonphysician health workers such as nurses, social workers and public health professionals. This article discusses the role of nonspecialists in addressing the challenges of limited resources in Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) care services as healthcare systems struggle to meet the high demand. Stakeholders and decision-makers need to reconsider traditional healthcare models and service delivery. Integrating nonspecialist community care can be a potential solution but is beset with ethical, geopolitical, practical and economic challenges. The urgency and complexity of the issue are highlighted, emphasising the need for global discussion around CAMH care.

Assessment of psychological resilience in a large cohort of the general population: Validation and norm values of the RS-5.

Psychological resilience is known as a protective factor against mental health disorders for which valid measures are indispensable. The present work aims to evaluate the Resilience Scale-5 (RS-5) psychometrically, and provide norm values. Data from the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS), encompassing 7,496 participants aged 25 to 86, spanning the years 2017 to 2022, was used. Selectivity, item difficulty, internal consistency, construct and factor validity, as well as factorial invariance were tested. Additionally, correlations and associations with depression, anxiety, and sociodemographic factors were determined. Furthermore, norm values were provided. The RS-5 displayed robust psychometric properties. Participants reported an average resilience score of 28.94 (SD = 5.53, median = 30, IQR = 6, range = 5-35), with those aged ≥75 exhibiting the highest resilience levels (M = 30.21, SD = 5.75, median = 32, IQR = 7). The RS-5 displayed a very good model fit, affirming measurement invariance across sex and age decades. Construct validity found support through anticipated intercorrelations with related psychological constructs. Significant correlations (p < .001) linked higher resilience with female gender, advanced age, higher education, elevated household income, and diminished psychological distress. The RS-5 emerged as a reliable and economic instrument for assessing psychological resilience in individuals aged 25 to 86. The study unraveled distinct sociodemographic characteristics significantly tied to resilience levels within this cohort. In contributing recent norm values tailored to the German population, this research enhances the practical applicability of the RS-5 across diverse contexts and enriches our comprehension of the demographic nuances associated with psychological resilience.

Barriers to accessing perinatal mental health services and suggestions for improvement: qualitative study of women of Black and south Asian backgrounds.

Maternity outcomes for women from certain ethnic groups are notably poor, partly owing to their not receiving treatment from services. To explore barriers to access among Black and south Asian women with perinatal mental health problems who did not access perinatal mental health services and suggestions for improvements, and to map findings on to the perinatal care pathway. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2020 and 2021 in the UK. Data were analysed using the framework method. Twenty-three women were interviewed, and various barriers were identified, including limited awareness of services, fear of child removal, stigma and unresponsiveness of perinatal mental health services. Whereas most barriers were related to access, fear of child removal, remote appointments and mask-wearing during COVID-19 affected the whole pathway. Recommendations include service promotion, screening and enhanced cultural understanding. Women in this study, an underrepresented population in published literature, face societal, cultural, organisational and individual barriers that affect different aspects of the perinatal pathway.

White matter alterations associated with chronic cannabis use disorder: a structural network and fixel-based analysis

Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is associated with adverse mental health effects, as well as social and cognitive impairment. Given prevalence rates of CUD are increasing, there is considerable efforts, and need, to identify prognostic markers which may aid in minimising any harm associated with this condition. Previous neuroimaging studies have revealed changes in white matter (WM) organization in people with CUD, though, the findings are mixed. In this study, we applied MRI-based analysis techniques that offer complimentary mechanistic insights, i.e., a connectome approach and fixel-based analysis (FBA) to investigate properties of individual WM fibre populations and their microstructure across the entire brain, providing a highly sensitive approach to detect subtle changes and overcome limitations of previous diffusion models. We compared 56 individuals with CUD (median age 25 years) to a sample of 38 healthy individuals (median age 31.5 years). Compared to controls, those with CUD had significantly increased structural connectivity strength (FDR corrected) across 9 edges between the right parietal cortex and several cortical and subcortical regions, including left orbitofrontal, left temporal pole, and left hippocampus and putamen. Utilizing FBA, WM density was significantly higher in those with CUD (FWE-corrected) across the splenium of the corpus callosum, and lower in the bilateral cingulum and right cerebellum. We observed significant correlation between cannabis use over the past month and connectivity strength of the frontoparietal edge, and between age of regular use and WM density of the bilateral cingulum and right cerebellum. Our findings enhance the understanding of WM architecture alterations associated with CUD.

A Study on the Relationship Between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression and Anxiety Symptoms and the Quality of Life of Syrian Refugees: Case Study for the Province of Kayseri.

The aim of this study is to investigate the factors related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety mental disorders, as well as the quality of life of Syrian refugees and to examine the relationships between mental health disorders and the quality of life of Syrian refugees. Data were collected via face-to-face surveys with 613 adult Syrian refugees in an urban setting. Brislin's methodology was used for translating scale items, involving initial translation, back-translation and review by another professional translator. The study utilised the PTSD Scale, Beck Anxiety Scale, Depression Scale and Quality of Life Scale (QOLS). Descriptive, correlational and multivariate regression analysis were applied. Findings of correlational analysis indicate that PTSD levels among Syrian refugees are significantly related to gender, income level and employment. Depression levels are significantly associated with trauma history, healthcare service use, marital status and employment. Anxiety levels are significantly related to gender, trauma history, healthcare service use, employment and income. According to the findings of the regression analyses, the relationships between depression, quality of life and PTSD are complex. Meanwhile, anxiety decreases quality of life and increases PTSD. Quality of life moderates the relationship between depression and PTSD, as well as between anxiety and PTSD. The study concludes that the mental disorder levels of Syrian refugees, in terms of PTSD, depression and anxiety, are linked to their socio-demographic characteristics. These results highlight the importance of social, economic and cultural factors, healthcare and social services and the socio-demographic characteristics of the region where refugees have settled after displacement.

California ballot item could reduce major mental health funding source

California ballot item could reduce major mental health funding source

Development and validation of the RQLQ: a Raynaud's disease-specific measure of health-related quality of life.

The aim of this study was to develop and validate the Raynaud Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) for assessing health-related quality (HRQOL) of life in patients with Raynaud's disease (RD). The questionnaire was developed and validated in three stages. Initially, semi-structured interviews with 28 RD patients identified domains of everyday life affected by RD, leading to the creation of the initial RQLQ. In the first quantitative stage, 101 patients completed the RQLQ, and exploratory factor analysis assessed dimensionality and factor structure. After removing poorly performing items, the final RQLQ was tested with 102 patients. This stage also evaluated convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity, as well as internal reliability. From the interviews, 135 items were generated, with factor analysis refining the measure to 29 items across five subscales, showing good internal consistency. The RQLQ demonstrated significant correlations with self-rated quality of life and physical and mental health outcomes, confirming convergent and divergent validity. It also showed discriminant validity for different levels of disease activity. The RQLQ is the first specific HRQOL measure for RD patients, proving to be a psychometrically sound, reliable, and valid tool for clinical research and practice. Key Points • The Raynaud Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) is an important scale that evaluates the quality of life of patients with Raynaud's disease. • The questionnaire showed good validity and reliability a capturing disease-specific quality of life. • This tool may aid in clinical research and practice.

Integrating longitudinal mental health data into a staging database: harnessing DDI-lifecycle and OMOP vocabularies within the INSPIRE Network Datahub

Integrating longitudinal mental health data into a staging database: harnessing DDI-lifecycle and OMOP vocabularies within the INSPIRE Network Datahub

The professional responsibility of doctors and psychiatrists in mental health protection

The history of madness is neither the history of medicine nor that of psychiatry but, to some extent, a non-marginal part of the history of mankind and its societies as they have changed over time, albeit Vichiana-like, with recurring and permanent motifs.

Young adults, particularly young women, account for an increasingly large share of Dutch mental healthcare expenditure over the period between 2015 and 2021.

There is increasing concern over the mental distress of youth in recent years, which may impact mental healthcare utilisation. Here we aim to examine temporal patterns of mental healthcare expenditures in the Netherlands by age and sex in the period between 2015 and 2021. Comprehensive data from health insurers in the Netherlands at the 3-number postal code level were used for cluster weighted linear regressions to examine temporal patterns of mental healthcare expenditure by age group (18-34 vs 35-65). The same was done for medical specialist and general practitioner costs. Additionally, we examined interactions with gender, by adding the interaction between age, year and sex to the model. Mental healthcare costs for younger adults (18-34) were higher than those for older adults (35-65) at all time points (β = 0.22, 95%-CI = 0.19; 0.25). Furthermore there was an increase in the strength of the association between younger age and mental healthcare costs from β = 0.22 (95%-CI = 0.19; 0.25) in 2015 to β = 0.37 (95%-CI = 0.35; 0.40) in 2021 (p < 0.0001) and this was most evident in women (p < 0.0001). Younger age was associated with lower general practitioner costs at all time points, but this association weakened over time. Younger age was also associated with lower medical specialist costs, which did not weaken over time. Young adults, particularly young women, account for an increasing share of mental healthcare expenditure in the Netherlands. This suggests that mental distress in young people is increasingly met by a response from the medical system. To mitigate this trend a public mental health approach is needed.

Contributions of a time use perspective in community mental health practice: a scoping review

Contributions of a time use perspective in community mental health practice: a scoping review

Pathway Selection for Enhancing the Efficiency of Psychological Crisis Intervention Resource Integration during Major Emergencies: Evidence from China

In major emergencies, psychological crisis intervention plays a critical role in safeguarding public mental health and supporting post-disaster recovery. However, uneven resource allocation underscores the urgent need for more efficient resource integration pathways. This study, based on data from Chinese governmental and health departmental reports in 2022, employs a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and a fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to evaluate the efficiency of psychological crisis intervention resource integration across various regions. It investigates the combined effects of internal and external factors on improving integration efficiency through a configurational approach. The findings reveal that while the overall efficiency of resource integration is relatively high, there are notable differences between institutions. The analysis identifies five key pathways: policy support-driven (H1), professional capability-driven (H2), comprehensive synergy-driven (H3), resource optimization (NH1), and community empowerment (NH2). Despite regional disparities, effectively integrating key resources can enhance overall efficiency. Coordinating internal and external factors and optimizing essential resources are crucial for improving the effectiveness of psychological crisis interventions. This research offers actionable insights into integration strategies to strengthen psychological crisis intervention during emergencies. The findings also provide practical solutions to improve disaster preparedness and intervention efficiency, addressing a key gap in crisis resource management research.

Perceptions of the Use of Mobile Technologies for Smoking Cessation: Focus Group Study With Individuals of Low Socioeconomic Status Who Smoke.

The use of mobile technologies to deliver behavioral health interventions, including smoking cessation support, has grown. Users' perceptions are important determinants of the adoption and use of new technologies. However, little is known about users' perceptions of mobile technologies as smoking cessation aids, particularly among disadvantaged individuals who smoke. This study aimed to examine the acceptance of mobile technologies for smoking cessation among young adults with low socioeconomic status who smoke. In total, 38 current cigarette smokers, 18 to 29 years old, who wanted to quit and did not have a 4-year college degree nor were enrolled in a 4-year college, participated in 12 semistructured digital focus groups. The moderation guide was guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Discussions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded for the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology constructs (ie, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, performance expectancy, and social influence), sentiment (ie, negative, neutral, and positive), and purpose of using mobile technologies (ie, lifestyle and health management and smoking cessation) following a deductive thematic analysis approach. Participants had positive experiences using mobile technologies for lifestyle and health management, primarily for fitness and dietary purposes. Salient themes were facilitating conditions of use (44/80, 55%), with prior experiences and costs subthemes, followed by perceived usefulness of mobile technologies in helping users attain health goals (22/80, 27.50%), which were generally positive. Ease of use (11/80, 13.75%) and social influences (3/80, 3.75%) were minimally discussed. Conversely, participants had limited awareness of smoking cessation uses of mobile technologies, which was the primary barrier under facilitating conditions discussed (33/51, 64.70%). Participants expressed skepticism about the usefulness of mobile technologies in helping them quit smoking (14/51, 27.45%). Effort expectancy was not discussed, given participants' limited prior use. Social influences on mobile technology use for smoking cessation were minimally discussed (4/51, 7.84%). The use of mobile technologies for smoking cessation was unknown to young adults with low socioeconomic status who smoke. To reduce cigarette smoking and associated health disparities, increasing awareness and use of evidence-based mobile-based smoking cessation interventions are needed. Smoking cessation interventions should incorporate features perceived as useful and easy to use to capitalize on positive user experiences and the acceptability of mobile technologies for lifestyle and health management.

Investigating the effects of indoor lighting on measures of brain health in older adults: protocol for a cross-over randomized controlled trial

BackgroundThe worldwide number of adults aged 60 years and older is expected to double from 1 billion in 2019 to 2.1 billion by 2050. As the population lives longer, the rising incidence of chronic diseases, cognitive disorders, and behavioral health issues threaten older adults’ health span. Exercising, getting sufficient sleep, and staying mentally and socially active can improve quality of life, increase independence, and potentially lower the risk for Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. Nonpharmacological approaches might help promote such behaviors. Indoor lighting may impact sleep quality, physical activity, and cognitive function. Dynamically changing indoor lighting brightness and color throughout the day has positive effects on sleep, cognitive function, and physical activity of its occupants. The aim of this study is to investigate how different indoor lighting conditions affect such health measures to promote healthier aging.MethodsThis protocol is a randomized, cross-over, single-site trial followed by an exploratory third intervention. Up to 70 older adults in independent living residences at a senior living facility will be recruited. During this 16-week study, participants will experience three lighting conditions. Two cohorts will first experience a static and a dynamic lighting condition in a cluster-randomized cross-over design. The static condition lighting will have fixed brightness and color to match lighting typically provided in the facility. For the dynamic condition, brightness and color will change throughout the day with increased brightness in the morning. After the cross-over, both cohorts will experience another dynamic lighting condition with increased morning brightness to determine if there is a saturation effect between light exposure and health-related measures. Light intake, sleep quality, and physical activity will be measured using wearable devices. Sleep, cognitive function, mood, and social engagement will be assessed using surveys and cognitive assessments.DiscussionWe hypothesize participants will have better sleep quality and greater physical activity during the dynamic lighting compared to the static lighting condition. Additionally, we hypothesize there is a maximal threshold at which health-outcomes improve based on light exposure. Study findings may identify optimal indoor lighting solutions to promote healthy aging for older adults.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05978934.

Mental Health and Suicide Risk Among High School Students and Protective Factors - Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2023.

Adolescent mental health and suicide risk remain substantial public health concerns. High pre-COVID rates of poor mental health and suicide-related behaviors have continued to rise, highlighting the need to identify factors that might foster positive mental health outcomes and reduce suicide-related behaviors at population levels. Using CDC's 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, CDC analyzed the prevalence of mental health and suicide risk indicators and their associations with individual-, family-, and school- or community-level protective factors. Prevalence estimates were calculated for each of the mental health and suicide risk indicators by demographic characteristic. Prevalence ratios adjusted for sex, sexual identity, grade, and race and ethnicity were calculated to examine the association between protective factors and mental health and suicide risk indicators. Overall, 39.7% of students experienced persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness, 28.5% experienced poor mental health, 20.4% seriously considered attempting suicide, and 9.5% had attempted suicide. Mental health and suicide risk indicators differed by sex, sexual identity, grade, and race and ethnicity. All protective factors were associated with lower prevalence of one or more risk indicators. Findings from this report can serve as a foundation for the advancement of research on protective factors and for the development and implementation of programs, practices, and policies that protect and promote mental health and emotional well-being among youth.

Learning About Mental Health Lived Experience in Social Work Education

ABSTRACT Lived experience education occupies an increasingly important space in mental health education for social workers. Despite being plagued by practices that continue to be discriminating and exclusionary, the mental health policy and practice context demand robust attention to the meaningful inclusion of service users and their families to achieve genuine partnership, reciprocity, and equality in mental health service provision. For social work educators, lived experience education is now an indispensable component of a critically informed mental health curriculum and pedagogy. Framed within an appeal for epistemic justice, this article reports on qualitative survey data from social work students who experienced teaching from people with lived experience. Findings show that students greatly valued lived experience education, as it created opportunities for authentic and more diverse understandings of mental health that fostered critical reflection. A curriculum that supports epistemic equality and a social justice agenda would help scaffold lived experience expertise for student learning. IMPLICATIONS Mental health lived experience education positively impacts social work students’ values and attitudes towards mental health service users. Lived experience education supports social work students to expand their understandings of mental health and recovery beyond dominant biomedical perspectives. Genuine valuing of lived experience knowledge and expertise in social work education helps address epistemic injustice.

The Basic Needs in Games Model of Video Game Play and Mental Health

Abstract Existing theories of how game use relates to mental health have important limitations: few account for both quantity and quality of use, differentiate components of mental health (hedonic wellbeing, eudaimonic wellbeing and illbeing), provide an explanation for both positive and negative outcomes or readily explain the well-evidenced absence of playtime effects on mental health. Many also lack the specificity to be readily falsifiable. In response, we present the Basic Needs in Games (BANG) model. Grounded in self-determination theory, BANG proposes that mental health outcomes of game use are in large part mediated by the motivational quality of play and the extent to which play quantity and quality lead to need satisfaction or frustration. We show how BANG addresses the limitations of current theories and aligns with emerging evidence on the etiologies of disordered play. Thus, BANG advances HCI theory on the impact of games and other interactive technologies on mental health.