Mental Well-being Support Research Articles

Promoting Indigenous Culture Using AI Algorithms on Social Media: Effective Strategies for Improving Mental Health among Canadian Youths

This study explores the intersection of culture, technology, and mental health in the digital age, focusing on the impact of promoting Indigenous culture on social media to support Canadian youths' psychological well-being. Recognizing the historical marginalization of Indigenous narratives, it investigates how AI algorithms integrated into social media platforms enhance the dissemination and engagement of cultural content. A controlled experiment was conducted where two groups of youths engaged with either a traditional or AI-powered platform promoting Indigenous culture. Over five days, their mental health and cultural engagement were assessed. Results revealed that the AI-powered platform significantly improved participants' cultural identity, sense of belonging, and mental health compared to the traditional platform. These findings suggest that AI technology can play a transformative role in delivering culturally relevant content, offering a promising approach to addressing mental health disparities in Indigenous communities and beyond. The study contributes to understanding how AI can enhance digital cultural promotion and support mental well-being.

What's in a pledge? A qualitative analysis of a global public marketing campaign to support cancer survivors at work.

212 Background: Employment provides both integral psychological and financial benefits to cancer survivors and their caregivers. Yet cancer survivors often face employment disruptions, leading to worse financial hardship and deteriorated quality of life. In 2023, an advertising and public relations company launched the “Working with Cancer” global initiative, calling on companies across the globe to reduce the stigma of cancer in the workplace by pledging their commitment to building the most open, supportive and “recovery-forward” work cultures for their employees. This study examines the company pledges made in the “Working with Cancer” campaign. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional, qualitative analysis of Working with Cancer campaigns for companies. In January 2024, we identified all campaigns through web scraping. Data from a total of 1,151 employer campaign pledges were extracted, and we recorded several variables including the company location, business sector, number of employees, the pledge signer and title/role, and the action/pledge the company stated they will take to support cancer survivors at work. Campaign pledges were imported into ATLAS.ti where we performed a content analysis. Results: We collected 1,151 company campaigns in total, 46 of which (4%) were Fortune 500 companies. Of the Fortune 500 companies (n=46), themes described the commitment to taking care of employees including the offering of comprehensive benefits including include paid leave for both patients and caregivers, guaranteed pay, and mental wellbeing support. Several companies described specific initiatives their organization provided, and many described how reducing the stigma of cancer at work required an open dialogue between all employees in an organization. In addition, companies pledged to know their own specific policies, make their employees aware of their commitment, and track their progress in improving the work experiences of cancer survivors. Conclusions: Employers play a significant role in the healthcare decisions made by employees, and are increasingly responsible for determining health plan benefits, providing resources and navigating care, and otherwise supporting employees as they navigate the complexities of a healthcare system. This global initiative provides a unique opportunity to identify issues related to working with cancer, and intervene at the employer level. More research is needed on employer-led initiatives to improve employment outcomes in cancer survivors and caregivers.

Transforming Challenges to Victories: An Inquiry on Transformational Leadership of School Leaders in the Public Elementary Schools

This study narrated the lived experiences of school heads in public elementary schools on transformational leadership. This employed qualitative phenomenological research. Ten transformational school leaders as participants, provided rich narratives that coalesced around three primary themes: fostering shared vision, setting high expectations and motivation, and innovative teaching practices. Alongside, coping strategies for the challenges associated with transformational leadership revealed three major themes: individualized support, collaboration and team building, and continuous professional development. Furthermore, the study identified two overarching learning insights derived from school heads' lived experiences: the need of emotional and mental well-being support. The Department of Education officials are urged to leverage the study's findings to refine its leadership programs and cultivate a leadership culture that aligns with contemporary educational needs and aspirations. Teachers, in turn, should understand the impact of transformative leadership style, be inspired with this approach, and appreciate that this could contribute to their growth, job satisfaction, and adaptability. Finally, school leaders must embrace transformational leadership approach. This approach not only fosters a positive and dynamic work culture but also contributes to improved teacher performance, student achievement, and overall educational success within the school community.

Comparison Analysis of HSV Method, CNN Algorithm, and SVM Algorithm in Detecting the Ripeness of Mangosteen Fruit Images

Mangosteen contains a substance known as Xanthone, a phytochemical compound with the distinctive red component in mangosteen that is known for its properties as an anticancer, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory agent. Additionally, Xanthone has the potential to strengthen the immune system, promote overall health, support mental well-being, maintain microbial balance in the body, and improve joint flexibility. The mangosteen fruit is consumable when it reaches maturity, displaying a dark purplish-black color. Besides the edible part of the fruit, the peel also possesses remarkable medicinal properties. To detect whether the fruit is ripe or not, this research employs image processing techniques. The study utilizes the HSV (Hue, Saturation, and value) color space method, CNN (Convolutional Neural Network) algorithm, and SVM (Support Vector Machine) algorithm. These methods and algorithms are chosen for their relatively high accuracy levels. The dataset used in this research is obtained from mangosteen datasets available on Kaggle. The results of this study indicate that the HSV method achieved an accuracy of 86.6%, SVM achieved an accuracy of 87%, and CNN achieved an accuracy of 91.25%. From the achieved accuracies, it is evident that the CNN algorithm yields higher accuracy compared to the others.

Ensuring Student Mental Wellbeing whilst introducing Block Mode Intensive Learning and Teaching

As De Montfort University, a UK-based University, introduced block delivery across the undergraduate portfolio the University sought to maintain a continued focus on, and commitment to, an institution-wide approach to embedding mental wellbeing. With mental wellbeing relevant to the whole university community and recognising the power of transformational change to impact wellbeing, the university cross-examined student feedback to understand and ensure mental wellbeing. An intensive block model was introduced at De Montfort University (DMU) from the start of the academic session 2022-23. Undergraduate student experiences and learning from the initial months, focused on those in the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Media, are presented alongside an examination of the methods and impact of embedding mental wellbeing in this new intensive mode; ensuring the continued institutional approach to embedding mental wellbeing in the curriculum, providing inclusive support for all learners. The learning and impact identified from initial experiences indicate areas of strength and areas for development, enhancement and growth. This article presents educational practice implications for other providers exploring and implementing block delivery in intensive learning and teaching modes. The University’s HealthyDMU philosophy recognises mental wellbeing is relevant to all, informed by a social model of wellbeing, in which a student’s experience of mental wellbeing is directly related to their environment and experiences, based on the five ways to wellbeing (Aked, Marks, Cordon & Thompson, 2008). Embedding this throughout the curriculum reduces wellbeing barriers to facilitate student success, establishing pro-active approaches to mental wellbeing and a health promoting environment. This article provides a unique focus on student experience from the position of mental wellbeing embedded in curriculum design and delivery. This paper presents an exploration of student responses to the introduction of intensive delivery at undergraduate level within a UK university, positioned around support for mental wellbeing.

Mindcraft, a Mobile Mental Health Monitoring Platform for Children and Young People: Development and Acceptability Pilot Study.

Children and young people's mental health is a growing public health concern, which is further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mobile health apps, particularly those using passive smartphone sensor data, present an opportunity to address this issue and support mental well-being. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a mobile mental health platform for children and young people, Mindcraft, which integrates passive sensor data monitoring with active self-reported updates through an engaging user interface to monitor their well-being. A user-centered design approach was used to develop Mindcraft, incorporating feedback from potential users. User acceptance testing was conducted with a group of 8 young people aged 15-17 years, followed by a pilot test with 39 secondary school students aged 14-18 years, which was conducted for a 2-week period. Mindcraft showed encouraging user engagement and retention. Users reported that they found the app to be a friendly tool helping them to increase their emotional awareness and gain a better understanding of themselves. Over 90% of users (36/39, 92.5%) answered all active data questions on the days they used the app. Passive data collection facilitated the gathering of a broader range of well-being metrics over time, with minimal user intervention. The Mindcraft app has shown promising results in monitoring mental health symptoms and promoting user engagement among children and young people during its development and initial testing. The app's user-centered design, the focus on privacy and transparency, and a combination of active and passive data collection strategies have all contributed to its efficacy and receptiveness among the target demographic. By continuing to refine and expand the app, the Mindcraft platform has the potential to contribute meaningfully to the field of mental health care for young people.

Changes in physical activity, diet, sleep, and mental well-being when starting university: A qualitative exploration of Australian student experiences

Objective: To explore young adult’s experiences of how starting university influenced their physical activity, diet, sleep, and mental well-being, and barriers and enablers to health behavior change. Participants: University students aged 18–25 years. Methods: Three focus groups were conducted in November 2019. Inductive thematic approach was utilized to identify themes. Results: Students (female: n = 13, male: n = 2, other gender identity: n = 1, 21.2 (1.6) years) reported mental well-being, physical activity levels, diet quality and sleep health were negatively affected. Stress, study demands, university timetabling, not prioritizing physical activity, cost and availability of healthy foods, and difficulty falling asleep were key barriers. Health behavior change interventions aiming to support mental well-being need to include both information and support features. Conclusions: There is a significant opportunity to improve the transition to university for young adults. Findings highlight areas to target in future interventions to improve physical activity, diet, and sleep of university students.

Neuro patience: report of the 2018/19 national neurology patient experience survey

The Neurological Alliance’s 2018/19 National Neurology Patient Experience Survey presents a compre- hensive picture of the experiences of people in England living with a neurological condition. The survey ran online and in select neurology clinics between July 2018 and March 2019. The research covers a wide range of topics including diagnosis and information, hospital care, support for mental wellbeing, and access to social care, welfare and employment. With 10,339 responses, it is the largest ever survey of people with neurological conditions in England.The results show that people with neurological conditions are facing long waiting times, poor access to specialists and a lack of personalised care. The survey also found evidence of failings in the social care and welfare systems, and discrimination in the workplace.Overall, the findings suggest that care and support for people with neurological conditions must be:Accessible: the speed of access to specialists must improve overall and should not vary depending on where you livePersonalised and tailored to the needs of each individualHolistic, addressing people’s mental health, social care needs, and their financial security.The results are also broken down to regional (STP) level, revealing wide regional variation across all three themes.georgina.carr@neural.org.uk

Evaluation of a Programme of Online Arts Activities for Patients with Kidney Disease during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Patients living with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) have been seriously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As these patients are considered extremely clinically vulnerable, they were advised to ‘shield’ at home, with limited face-to-face contact and support for the duration of the pandemic. Living with ESKD impacts heavily on patients’ mental health and wellbeing, and this extended period of isolation and loneliness is likely to have a further negative effect on patients’ mental wellbeing. The Renal Arts Group (RAG), Queen’s University Belfast, aims to improve the quality of life of those living with ESKD and the extended renal community through engagement with the arts. We developed an initiative, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, and carried out an evaluation. The initiative included a programme of online arts-based activities that built upon the work of RAG and provided mental wellbeing support for patients who faced an extended, lonely period of self-isolation. We worked with experienced arts practitioners to identify appropriate activities and developed five workshops and tutorials that were delivered online. We received positive feedback from participants who found the activities to be enjoyable, beneficial to their mental wellbeing and were interested in undertaking further activities online. We conducted interviews with the arts facilitators and identified three themes for consideration when developing online arts activities for the renal community. Participants reported that the activities benefited their mental wellbeing, were enjoyable and provided an opportunity to meet others with shared interests. The arts facilitators reported experiences around accessibility, audience engagement, impact on health and wellbeing and facilitator experience, that should be considered when developing online arts activities for the renal community. This evaluation will inform future work in this area, and the arts tutorial videos developed as part of this project will remain available online for members of the renal community to access.

Correction to: Chatbots to Support Mental Wellbeing of People Living in Rural Areas: Can User Groups Contribute to Co-design?

Correction to: Chatbots to Support Mental Wellbeing of People Living in Rural Areas: Can User Groups Contribute to Co-design?

Chatbots to Support Mental Wellbeing of People Living in Rural Areas: Can User Groups Contribute to Co-design?

Digital technologies such as chatbots can be used in the field of mental health. In particular, chatbots can be used to support citizens living in sparsely populated areas who face problems such as poor access to mental health services, lack of 24/7 support, barriers to engagement, lack of age appropriate support and reductions in health budgets. The aim of this study was to establish if user groups can design content for a chatbot to support the mental wellbeing of individuals in rural areas. University students and staff, mental health professionals and mental health service users (N = 78 total) were recruited to workshops across Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland, Finland and Sweden. The findings revealed that participants wanted a positive chatbot that was able to listen, support, inform and build a rapport with users. Gamification could be used within the chatbot to increase user engagement and retention. Content within the chatbot could include validated mental health scales and appropriate response triggers, such as signposting to external resources should the user disclose potentially harmful information or suicidal intent. Overall, the workshop participants identified user needs which can be transformed into chatbot requirements. Responsible design of mental healthcare chatbots should consider what users want or need, but also what chatbot features artificial intelligence can competently facilitate and which features mental health professionals would endorse.

Innovative Strategies to Support Mental Wellbeing

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has adversely affected many people’s mental wellbeing. COVID-19 has led healthcare organizations to reconceptualize and reform healthcare through an innovative lens that will foster resilience. Finding strategies to support mental wellbeing, especially for frontline clinicians, is crucial to ensure a comprehensive recovery. This manuscript describes innovative strategies implemented within one healthcare organization in the Southeastern United States to nurture mental wellbeing for the community and frontline healthcare clinicians.

Remarkable lives: Charlotte Wall in conversation with Jerome Carson

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of Charlotte Wall. Design/methodology/approach In this case study, Charlotte provides a short account of her background and is then interviewed by Jerome. Findings Charlotte took comfort in being given a diagnosis of bipolar; it helped explain a lot of her problems. Research limitations/implications It is easier to identify with a single case study and person’s story than anonymised group research data. Each have their place in helping us understand mental health problems. Practical implications Transitions are not always bad. Charlotte talks about how her life changed for the better when she went to sixth form college. The onward transition to university has also been a positive experience for her. This needs to be remembered. Social implications As everyone is currently living through the Covid-19 pandemic, Charlotte’s perspective on the importance of social support for mental well-being is critical. Thankfully, she has loving parents and a partner. There are others less fortunate. Originality/value Charlotte shows us how she embraced her diagnosis of bipolar and her “weirdness”.

Beyond risk: the importance of adventure in the everyday life of young people

ABSTRACT Adventure and extreme sports (AESs) are associated with high risk of injury and even death. This has important ramifications for sport, education, medical and health professions and has led to discussions about the appropriateness of AESs for young people. For some, participation in AESs reflects social deviance. Research from this perspective has focused on testing this notion. However, in recent years research has questioned the perceived link to risk arguing that many acceptable activities might be ‘riskier’. Research from this perspective focuses on the positive side of AESs. Evidence points to a growing interest in AESs by young people and that AES activities might be useful to enhance the uptake of and adherence to physical activity, and support mental wellbeing in young people. This perspective suggests (1) AESs are important for the overall development of young people, (2) policy makers across sectors should recognize AESs when considering future interventions.

Supporting mental wellbeing.

Supporting mental wellbeing.

BioEssence: A Wearable Olfactory Display that Monitors Cardio-respiratory Information to Support Mental Wellbeing.

This work introduces a novel wearable olfactory display that provides just-in-time release of scents based on the physiological state of the wearer. The device can release up to three scents and passively captures subtle chest vibrations associated with the beating of the heart and respiration through clothes.BioEssenceiscontrolledviaacustom-madesmartphone app that allows the creation of physiological rules to trigger different scents (e.g., when the heart rate is above 80 beats per minute, release lavender scent). The device is wireless and lightweight, and it is designed to be used during daily life, clipped on clothes around the sternum area or used as a necklace. We provide a description of the design and implementation of the prototype and potential use cases in the context of mental wellbeing.

Music-making for health and wellbeing in youth justice settings: mediated affordances and the impact of context and social relations.

Young people in the criminal justice system experience significant health and wellbeing issues that often stem from poverty and disadvantage and, in turn, are linked with offending and reoffending behaviour. There is ongoing interest in interventions such as participatory music programmes that seek to foster social reintegration, support mental wellbeing and equip young offenders with life skills, competencies and emotional resilience. However, there is a need for a situated understanding of both positive and negative experiences that shape potential outcomes of music projects. This article reports on a research study undertaken between 2010 and 2013 with 118 young people aged 13-21years across eight youth justice settings in England and Wales. Using mixed methods we explored the experiences of young people and their responses to a participatory music programme led by a national UK arts charity. Here, we explore the impact of young people's encounters with music and musicians with reference to the notion of 'musical affordances' (DeNora , ). We examine the ways that such affordances, including unintended outcomes, are mediated by features of the youth justice environment, including its rules and regulations, as well as issues of power, identity and social relations.

Guidance and support for mental wellbeing

David Bartram considers some of the support mechanisms available to veterinary surgeons