Mental Health Research Articles

Identification of mental disorders among adolescents based on Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) in Kendari, Indonesia

According to Basic Health Research, the prevalence of mental health disorders in Indonesia increased to 9.8% in 2018. Meanwhile, in Southeast Sulawesi Province, the prevalence of mental disorders reached 11% with a total of 14,819 cases. The highest cases occurred in Kendari City, namely 2,249 people with a percentage of 12.17%. This study aimed to identify the mental health disorders among adolescents in Kendari City. A descriptive cross-sectional design was conducted in this study. The population was all students of Vocational School 1 in Kendari and the sample size was 49 respondents selected by accidental sampling. Data was collected through filled out questionnaires that adopted from Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) in 2021. Data analysis was carried out univariately using the epi info 7 application. The results of the study showed that majority of respondents (79.5%), 2% of respondents had attempted suicide. The implementation of stress management in schools was in the poor category (73.5%) and 89.8% of respondents have parents who play an active role in their lives. It was concluded that the majority of students experienced mental disorders and there was even students who have suicide attempt. Lack of implementation of stress management in schools. However, most of the respondents' parents contribute active in their lives. Therefore, it is necessary to implement stress management in schools regularly such us health education, counseling and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) involving all school officials, students and parents.

Psychosocial factors in chronic disease management: Implications for health psychology

Chronic diseases present significant challenges to individual well-being, necessitating comprehensive management strategies that extend beyond medical treatments. This paper explores the crucial role of psychosocial factors in chronic disease management, highlighting their impact on treatment adherence, quality of life, and overall health outcomes. It delves into various psychosocial elements such as social support, coping mechanisms, health beliefs, and mental health comorbidities, discussing their implications for health psychology interventions. Through the synthesis of current research and illustrative case studies, this paper aims to deepen the understanding of these factors and advocate for holistic approaches in chronic disease management. By integrating psychosocial and medical interventions, healthcare providers can enhance patient well-being and optimize long-term health outcomes, ultimately fostering resilience and empowering individuals to effectively manage their chronic conditions.

Young adults in pandemic financial hardship: implications of the social determinants of mental health

ABSTRACT Using a nationally representative sample of U.S. young adults aged 18–29-year-old, this study investigated the relationship between COVID-induced financial hardship and depression (N = 1080). About 40% of the sample had one or more financial hardships, a quarter reported depressive symptoms. The positive association between financial hardship and depression was cumulative: Those who had four different hardships were almost five times more likely to report depressive symptoms than those reported no hardship. Findings highlight the need to include financial stressors in mental health assessment and suggest a comprehensive policy response to mental health crisis among young adults.

Using Implementation Outcomes to Inform Implementation of Suicide Risk Screening with Juvenile Legal-Involved Youth: Considerations for Task-Shifting Suicide Screening to Juvenile Legal Staff

ABSTRACT Youth in the juvenile legal system (JLS) are at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Examine the acceptability, feasibility, and appropriateness of imbedding suicide screening and intervention in the JLS. The current study involved formative semi-structured interviews with key JLS stakeholders (n = 37) from two states, one in the Northeast and one in the Midwest, to determine whether suicide screening and intervention could be integrated into the role of juvenile probation officers. Stakeholders discussed perspectives on the acceptability (perceived JLS staff comfort with suicide screening and a brief intervention), feasibility (improving comfort of staff, youth, and families), and appropriateness (perceived impact on youth and families). Qualitative data suggested acceptability of suicide screening was mitigated by staff comfort and perceived support of available clinical resources. Feasibility of improving staff comfort to conduct suicide screening and a brief intervention revolved around logistical, training, and supervisory support. Barriers to the appropriateness of suicide screening and intervention with youth in the JLS suggest concerns about how youth’s distrust of the JLS and mental health stigma might impact engagement in suicide screening and intervention efforts. We conclude with implementation strategy considerations to enhance successful suicide screening and intervention by JLS staff.

Responding to the needs of survivors of intimate partner violence in Lithuania: perceptions of mental health and social care professionals

ABSTRACT Around eight-out-of-ten survivors of domestic violence in Lithuania are women, and of those, eight-out-of-ten suffer violence specifically from their intimate partners (IPV). Women who experience IPV are at higher risk of having mental health conditions. This study aims to explore the perspectives of mental health and social care professionals regarding the provision of mental health support to IPV survivors in Lithuania. Four focus groups were conducted among 29 service providers from across the country. Audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically using MAXQDA software. The five main themes derived from the analysis reveal: 1) low levels of IPV awareness among IPV survivors who seek support with their mental health; 2) a lack of specialized training among professionals as a barrier to effective support; 3) a low prioritization on the national level; 4) little inter-sectoral collaboration which undermines the complexity of needed responses; 5) broader systemic problems. The provision of mental health support to IPV survivors lacks the recognition that IPV is gender-based violence and a major public (mental) health problem. The complexity of needed services is absent. Further research needs to explore the utilization of mental health services by IPV survivors and their perceptions concerning it.

Operational mental health. . .what practitioners and commanders should know.

Mental Health support to military operations is well established as an integral part of military medicine. Unfortunately, Commanders often receive little or no training in how best to use their mental health assets or what their capabilities are. Conversely, members of a Field Mental Health Team frequently have no operational experience and try to merely translate their civilian practice onto the battlefield. This article describes what mental health professional can, and should do on military deployments and calls for greater training and awareness of both Mental Health professionals and Operational Commanders to foster mutual understanding and use the Field Mental Health Team to best effect. The paper drawson the experience of working in a Field Mental Health Team on six operational deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Military mental health professionals work mostly in peacetime and this work ill prepares them for the very different type of work required of them on operations. More training is required to prepare both practitioners and commanders for the mental health issues that confront them on operational deployments.

Change in Depression Severity Among Depressed Older Crime Victims.

The crime rates in urban centers are rising. The psychological impact of crime can range from distress to longstanding mental health impairment. Despite the rising crime rates and psychological impact on victims, little research has been conducted on older adult crime victims' mental health. In this manuscript we describe the profile of older adult crime victims in New York City referred for mental health services, their rates of depression, and the preliminary outcome data from a brief therapy intervention (PROTECT) targeting depression among victims. Building on prior research demonstrating the efficacy of PROTECT for depressive symptom reduction in elder abuse victims, the present study hypothesized elder crime victims who completed PROTECT therapy would demonstrate clinically meaningful depression symptom reduction as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Additionally, it was hypothesized that these clinically significant depression symptom reductions would be demonstrated regardless of sex, gender, victimization type, victimization frequency, or living status. The results demonstrate that 67.7% (21/31) of participants had a clinically significant reduction in PHQ-9 scores (≥5 points) upon completion of PROTECT. There were no significant group differences in clinically significant depression symptom reduction, suggesting that PROTECT is an effective intervention for a diverse sample of elder crime victims. Future research should focus on the mental health impact of crime against older adults and explore reductions in anxiety and PTSD symptoms among crime victims. Through our partnerships we aim to bridge the divide between victim service providers, and mental health service providers to assist victims to recover, heal, and thrive.

Mind the Gap: Understanding Palliative Care Clinician Attitudes Toward Mental Health Training.

Background: Palliative care (PC) clinicians provide mental healthcare to individuals with serious illnesses. Despite this, there is limited knowledge regarding their mental health training opportunities. Methods: To identify predictors of satisfaction with mental health training opportunities and assess the relationship between training opportunities and clinician comfort in managing mental health comorbidities, we conducted a secondary analysis of a nationwide survey involving 708 PC clinicians. Results: Satisfaction with mental health training was moderate (M = 2.75/5, SD = .915). Access to lectures/webinars was the most common training opportunity (54%). Significant predictors of satisfaction with training included access to lectures/webinars (β = .328, P <.001) and case discussions (β = .231, P = .007). Academic practice settings and satisfactory mental health referrals were associated with a greater number of different training opportunities. Clinicians in academic settings had higher odds of accessing various training opportunities, such as lectures/webinars (OR = 2.58, P <.001) and longitudinal training pathways (OR = 4.51, P <.001). A moderate, positive correlation was found between training satisfaction and comfort in managing mental health comorbidities (r = .30, P <.001). Discussion: This study is among the first to elucidate factors influencing PC clinicians' satisfaction with mental health training. Low-resource training opportunities, such as webinars and lectures, significantly predict satisfaction, suggesting the potential of these scalable solutions to enhance training. The findings underscore the importance of expanding evidence-based mental health training for PC clinicians to improve patient care.

Positive affect is indirectly related to symptoms of anxiety in tertiary education students via coping resources

ABSTRACT Objective Mental illnesses disproportionately affect young people, and tertiary education students experience higher levels of mental illness compared to other young people. Preventive strategies would be useful for improving tertiary students’ mental health. Method The current study utilises structural equation modelling in order to measure the indirect relationship between positive affect and life engagement, mindful attention, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and resilience in 1,027 Australian tertiary students. Results Positive affect had both direct and indirect relationships with resilience and symptoms of depression, and an indirect relationship with symptoms of anxiety. The indirect relationships between positive affect and depression and resilience partially depended on mindfulness and purpose in life. Additionally, the pathway from positive affect to symptoms of anxiety completely depended on the relationship between positive affect and mindfulness and purpose in life. Conclusions The results indicate that positive affect may be useful for improving resilience and reducing symptoms of depression in tertiary students but may only alleviate symptoms of anxiety through its relationship with coping resources.

Client perspectives on creating supportive sexual health environments for people with persistent anxiety: a qualitative study

ObjectivesWe sought to explore sexual health service clients’ perspectives, preferences and suggestions for how to better address or alleviate anxiety among clients of sexual health services (eg, sexually transmitted infection...

The Effects of Polyvictimization and Cultural Connectedness on Indigenous Youth’s Mental Health and Negative Coping Mechanisms

ABSTRACT There is a dearth of research that assesses the impact of experiencing multiple types of victimization (i.e. polyvictimization) on marginalized populations such as Indigenous youth. The present study utilizes a sample from the Tribal Youth Victimization Survey (N = 359) to examine if polyvictimization (conceptualized two different ways) effects Indigenous youth’s mental health and participation in negative coping mechanisms (e.g. substance misuse, self-harm). Culturally integrated variables such as connection to culture, land, and support systems were evaluated as potential protective factors against these negative outcomes. Regardless of the way polyvictimization was conceptualized, most of the participants in the study were polyvictims, experiencing victimization in two or more of the victimization domains (62.95%) or experiencing four or more of the 33 victimization types (52.37%). Polyvictims had significantly more negative mental health experiences, more post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms, higher suicidality, and participated in more negative coping mechanisms than non-polyvictims. Polyvictimization was also a significant predictor of all four negative mental health outcomes. However, most of the culturally integrated variables were not protective against these negative outcomes. Implications and directions for future research on polyvictimization that are grounded in Indigenous culture are discussed.

Review of EmPATH Units for Behavioral Health Casualties in Prolonged Field Care Environments.

Psychiatric conditions are one of the leading non-battle injury diseases resulting in medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) from combat environments. The challenge of limited MEDEVAC capability necessitating prolonged field care in future large-scale combat operations must be addressed. Therefore, a robust program is needed to address frontline care of behavioral health (BH), maximizing service members returning to duty and minimizing MEDEVAC. This review summarizes the literature on the impacts of the Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment, and Healing (EmPATH) Unit program as a solution to the challenges of treating behavioral health in future wars. We conducted a systematic literature search and review, and a non-systematic literature critique. We then used the Johns Hopkins evidence appraisal tool to appraise the strength and quality of the evidence. The following electronic databases were utilized for the search: Google Scholar, Embase, CINAHL, and PubMed. Search terms included: included "EmPATH," "prolonged field care," and "operational," alone and combined. The literature review found that the EmPATH unit, a recently developed civilian hospital-based program, can work with higher acuity psychiatric crisis patients who would otherwise be admitted to an inpatient unit, showing promising results in avoiding the need for inpatient hospitalization. EmPATH units help decrease hospitalization rates, reduce restraints and violence, and shorten the patients' boarding time in a holding area. Such findings support the use of the EmPATH unit as a tactic for prolonged field care of psychiatric patients in a combat operational environment. This is the first literature review to consider EmPATH units for psychiatric prolonged field care based on its advantages demonstrated in the civilian sector. Studies have yet to be done on EmPATH units' usefulness in the military, showing a knowledge gap in current evidence supporting its suitability. Thus, this review recommends further studies of EmPATH units in military settings, especially prolonged field care environments.

Adaptive and Maladaptive Exercise in Eating Disorders.

While exercise is generally associated with positive health outcomes, in the context of eating disorders, exercise has high potential to become maladaptive. Maladaptive exercise is compelled or compulsive in nature for the purposes of weight and shape control or to obtain/avoid other eating disorder-relevant consequences. A transdiagnostic eating disorder feature with moderate-to-high prevalence across restrictive- and bulimic-spectrum eating disorders, maladaptive exercise is often associated with negative mental and physical health sequalae. Several proposed threat- and reward-related biobehavioral mechanisms may initiate or perpetuate maladaptive exercise. While exercise is generally contraindicated during periods of acute medical concern, adaptive forms of exercise are also present among those with eating disorders, and facilitation of adaptive exercise has potential to promote physical and mental health benefits during eating disorder recovery. Detailed assessment and targeted interventions are needed to address the clinical conundrum of how and when to integrate exercise into eating disorder treatment.

The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Mental Health and Cognitive Function in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

To assess whether mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) affect mental health and cognitive abilities in older adults. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar up to June 2023. Weight mean difference and 95% confidence intervals were provided as summary statistics. In total, 26 articles were eligible. Overall, MBIs showed a statistically significant improvement in depression, anxiety, quality of life, and working memory compared to controls. However, no significant effects of MBIs on other cognitive parameters were found. In moderator analysis, less than eight weeks of MBIs showed greater improvement in anxiety and quality of life than longer periods. There was no evidence for publication bias. Mindfulness-based interventions can be an encouraging alternative in place of conventional treatments in improving depression, anxiety, quality of life and working memory in cognition among older adults. However, findings strongly recommend future research to have definite conclusion.

The Placebo Effect in Exercise and Mental Health Research.

This chapter describes the placebo effect in the context of physical activity and mental health. Following a brief historical overview, definitions for placebos, placebo effects, and related terminology are discussed. Next, three major methodological challenges posed from studying the placebo effect in the context of exercise are described. Additionally, the role of a primary psychological mechanism of placebo and nocebo effects - expectations - will be summarized through the lens of key terminology. Findings from relevant chronic and acute exercise studies that have measured or manipulated exercise-associated expectations will be presented. The chapter concludes with recommendations for controlling or quantifying the placebo effect in exercise and mental health research and its implications in clinical practice.

Religious Coping, Resilience, and Military Spouse Mental Health.

Military spouses play a key role in the military family and contribute to military readiness. Despite their influence, they are an understudied population. Previous research has identified military spouses as a vulnerable group considering their unique life stressors and high mental distress; thus, it is critical to identify potential protective factors for military spouses. However, there is a lack of research exploring the role of religious coping and resilience in mental health outcomes of military spouses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of religious coping on depression, anxiety, and stress, and the extent to which the effect is mediated by resilience. A total of 1,079 military spouses completed self-administered surveys online. The questionnaires assessed demographic factors, depression, anxiety, stress, religious coping, and resilience. Zero-order correlations and descriptive statistics were analyzed. Additionally, multiple linear regression was utilized to investigate the extent to which resilience mediated the relationship between religious coping and mental health outcomes. The results indicate high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among military spouses. Religious coping had significant effects on mental distress, such that increases in religious coping corresponded to decreases in depression (β = -3.30), anxiety (β = -1.89) and stress (β = -1.58). Mediation analyses indicated resilience significantly mediated the relationship between religious coping and depression (95% CI [-1.38, -.431]), anxiety (95% CI [-1.23, -.376]), and stress (95% CI [-1.328, -0.420]). For military spouses, religious coping was associated with increased resilience, which was subsequently associated with reduced mental distress. This study draws attention to the role of religious coping and resilience in mental health outcomes for military spouses. Considering the role of military spouses in supporting service members, future research should explore how to strengthen military spouses' religious coping and resilience to mitigate mental distress, thereby facilitating service member success and military readiness.

Characteristics of children with a psychiatric disorder in 1999, 2004 and 2017: an analysis of the national child mental health surveys of England.

While research has described the profile of children with poor mental health, little is known about whether this profile and their needs have changed over time. Our aim was to investigate whether levels of difficulties and functional impact faced by children with a psychiatric disorder have changed over time, and whether sociodemographic and family correlates have changed. Samples were three national probability surveys undertaken in England in 1999, 2004 and 2017 including children aged 5-15 years. Psychiatric disorders were assessed using the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA), a standardised multi-informant diagnostic tool based on the tenth International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). The impact and difficulties of having a disorder (emotional, behavioural or hyperkinetic) were compared over time using total difficulty and impact scores from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Analyses explored the impact of having any disorder, as well as for each disorder separately. Regression analyses compared associations between disorders and sociodemographic factors over time. Parent- and adolescent-reported total SDQ difficulty and impact scores increased between 1999 and 2017 for children and adolescents with disorders. No differences were noted when using teacher ratings. No differences in total SDQ difficulty score were found for children without a disorder. Comparison of sociodemographic correlates across the surveys over time revealed that ethnic minority status, living in rented accommodation and being in the lowest income quintile had a weaker association with disorder in 2017 compared to 1999. Our study reveals a concerning trend; children with a disorder in 2017 experienced more severe difficulties and greater impact on functioning at school, home and in their daily lives, compared to children with a disorder in earlier decades. Research is needed to identify and understand factors that may explain the changing nature and level of need among children with a disorder.

Relationship of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics to mechanical restraint used in a psychiatric hospital in Spain.

Coercive measures have been applied in mental health fields throughout history, denying people with mental illness the ability to decide, even though there is increasing evidence that these measures bring few benefits to these individuals. The objective of this study was to analyse the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics most likely associated with the use of mechanical restraints (MRs) in psychiatric hospital settings. This was a descriptive, comparative and analytical cross-sectional study in people with mental disorders who were hospitalized in two hospitals in the Autonomous Valencian Community (Spain). We included a total of 91 participants who completed the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Barrat's Impulsiveness Scale and the Hamilton Anxiety Scale. The results we collected indicated that the patients most likely to be mechanically restrained were younger people with less awareness of their symptoms and disease, previous admissions to a psychiatric hospital and cohabitation with parents and/or family. In addition, having been admitted involuntarily, previously having had MRs applied, presenting more positive psychotic symptoms and habitual caffeine consumption all predicted the use of MRs. The variables that were able to predict MR were involuntary admission, previous use of MR, the presence of positive psychotic symptoms and caffeine consumption. Evaluation of the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients can help health professionals, especially nurses, to recognize patients who are at risk of requiring MR. This allows mental health practitioners to take these factors into account during interventions or when implementing programmes designed to reduce the use of coercive measures in psychiatric hospital settings. What problem did the study address? Coercive measures have been applied in mental health fields throughout history, with no benefits to these patients. What were the main findings? There are studies that relate some variables to MR in psychiatric settings, but we have been able to find variables capable of predicting MR such as involuntary admission, previous use of MR, the presence of positive psychotic symptoms and caffeine consumption. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? The findings of this study allow for the reduction of MRs in psychiatric units. The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics found to be related to MR will help professionals identify when a patient is admitted in order to use specific interventions aimed at preventing the use of MRs during admission. This is the first study to indicate a relationship between caffeine consumption and the use of MRs. Further studies will be necessary to verify if controlled caffeine supplementation during admission to psychiatric units could become an additional strategy contributing to preventing the application of MR specifically in individuals who habitually consume coffee or caffeine-containing beverages daily. We have adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines using the STROBE reporting method. No patient or public contribution.

Intergenerational effects of racism on amygdala and hippocampus resting state functional connectivity

Racism is an insidious problem with far-reaching effects on the lives of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). The pervasive negative impact of racism on mental health is well documented. However, less is known about the potential downstream impacts of maternal experiences of racism on offspring neurodevelopment. This study sought to examine evidence for a biological pathway of intergenerational transmission of racism-related trauma. This study examined the effects of self-reported maternal experiences of racism on resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) in n = 25 neonates (13 female, 12 male) birthed by BIPOC mothers. Amygdala and hippocampus are brain regions involved in fear, memory, and anxiety, and are central nodes in brain networks associated with trauma-related change. We used average scores on the Experiences of Racism Scale as a continuous, voxel-wise regressor in seed-based, whole-brain connectivity analysis of anatomically defined amygdala and hippocampus seed regions of interest. All analyses controlled for infant sex and gestational age at the 2-week scanning session. More maternal racism-related experiences were associated with (1) stronger right amygdala rsFC with visual cortex and thalamus; and (2) stronger hippocampus rsFC with visual cortex and a temporo-parietal network, in neonates. The results of this research have implications for understanding how maternal experiences of racism may alter neurodevelopment, and for related social policy.

Assessment of Caregiver Burden, Depression and Quality of Life Levels Among Mothers of Children with Chronic Kidney Disease.

The causes of mental health problems among mothers of children with chronic kidney diseases (CKD) associated with childcare are still not fully understood. This study, thus, has aim to assess the intensity of caregiver burden, depression and quality of life levels in mothers of children with CKD compared to a control group. It also aims to identify determinants associated with mental health outcomes. Mothers of children diagnosed with CKD who were followed up in Pediatric Nephrology outpatient clinics were included as the case group. Mothers with similar demographic characteristics were taken as the control group. During the study, 72 children with CKD, 78 control children and their mothers were enrolled. The study data was obtained using the Sociodemographic Data Form (SDF) developed by the researchers, the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-Bref). The groups did differ significantly in terms of maternal psychopathology (p = .024). The most common maternal psychopathology among mothers was Major Depressive Disorder. Mothers of children with CKD had significantly higher level of caregiver burden and depression levels. Quality of life levels among mothers of children with CKD were significantly decreased compared to controls. Caregiver burden was found to predict quality of life in mothers of children with CKD (β = -0.539; p < .050). Caregiving burden, depression, and poor quality of life are common among mothers of children with CKD. Addressing caregiver burden may be beneficial for quality life of mothers.