Mental Health Training Research Articles

Impact of COVID-19 on ophthalmology residency training - can it be swept under the rug?

Dear Editor, The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted and altered the way residency training is imparted. Online webinars to substitute clinical learning and wet labs to substitute surgical training have been adopted by institutions to mitigate the losses from hands-on clinical and surgical exposure for residents.[1,2] Amongst this, the losses incurred by the 2019 batch of admitted residents, in particular, have arguably been the most detrimental with 18 months of a 36-month training period clashing with the pandemic (March 2020 to September 2021, the waning of the second wave).[3] With this forethought, we circulated an online questionnaire via Google Forms to all the 2019 batch of Ophthalmology residents (who have taken their final MS/DNB examinations between April and June 2022) with relevant questions about their perception of their current clinical and surgical training status, the effect of COVID-19 on their residency training and overall mental health. The questionnaire was distributed in the eight medical colleges and training institutes in Pondicherry. No personal details or identity were asked to ensure accurate reporting. Out of a total of 38 residents, 35 responded to the questionnaire. Among the respondees, 71% (n = 25) were females, while 29% (n = 10) were males. A staggering 80% (n = 28) and 75% (n = 26) of residents felt that COVID-19 affected their clinical and surgical training respectively in some way. Meanwhile, 88.5% (n = 31) felt that mitigative measures like online webinars were of benefit to them [Figure 1]. However, in this regard, a considerable 57.5% (n = 20) residents are fearful of a prolonged training period post-residency and 71.5% (n = 25) feel a dip in their confidence owing to a loss in clinical and surgical exposure, 51.5% (n = 18) attributing it solely to the pandemic.Figure 1: (a) Residents response to COVID 19 affecting clinical and surgical training. (b) Pie chart representation of benefits with online webinar in residency trainingThough the limitations of a self-reported questionnaire are applicable, the aftermath of COVID-19 and its domino effect, particularly impacting the mental health of residents cannot be overlooked. Institutions conducting further training, are urged to consider this aspect and incorporate facilities and opportunities for further teaching to continue the high standard of Ophthalmic care. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.

Effectiveness of Mental Health Training Program on Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of ASHA workers of selected rural areas of Jabalpur: A Pilot Study

Introduction and background: One of the major challenges of successful integration of mental health into Primaryhealth care is the lack of adequate knowledge, positive attitude, and skills for mental health service of communityhealth professionals like ASHA participating in the care and treatment of people at primary health care levels.Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) may play a significant role in the early identification of mental healthissues and in enhancing community health status.Objective- The objective of the study was to assess effectiveness of mental health training program on knowledge,attitude and practices of ASHA workers of selected rural areas of Jabalpur.Methodology- A quasi experimental pre-test post-test control group design was used to collect data from22 ASHA workers who were selected using non probability purposive sampling technique. The Mental healthtraining program was administered to experimental group for two days. Pre and Post Test knowledge, attitudeand Practice was assessed using a structured knowledge questionnaire, attitude assessment scale and self-reportedpractice assessment scale respectively. The gathered pilot study data was analysed using descriptive and inferentialstatistics.Results: There was a statistically significant improvement in knowledge, attitude and Practice of ASHA workersafter intervention.Conclusion: The findings of the pilot study revealed no ambiguity and the tools were feasible to conduct the mainstudy.

Specialist mental health training pathway for pharmacists in England extended by two years

A funded training programme for pharmacists in England has been extended by a further two years, with the aim of better supporting people with complex mental illnesses in the community. The 12-month ‘Specialist mental health pharmacist training pathway’ launched in 2021, funded by Health Education England (HEE) and delivered by the University of Bradford. The […]

A Brief Reflection on Paper Titled “Mental Health Training of Primary Health Care Workers: Case Reports from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Jordan”

A Brief Reflection on Paper Titled “Mental Health Training of Primary Health Care Workers: Case Reports from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Jordan”

The assessment and diagnosis of mental illness by Black Pentecostal pastors in Polokwane, Limpopo Province.

In Africa, there is a dearth of Mental Health Professionals (MHCP’s) which results in a shortage of those who formally diagnose, assess, and treat people suffering from mental illnesses. Thus, many individuals consult with their spiritual leaders (pastors) when experiencing mental health challenges before they consult MHCPs. While mental illness is mainly clinically assessed and diagnosed by MHCPs using the DSM-5 and ICD-10 codes, not much is known in the South African context regarding how Black Pentecostal pastors specifically recognise, assess, and diagnose mental illness. This study explored how Pentecostal pastors assess and recognise mental illness. This was a qualitative exploratory study. Nineteen Black Pentecostal pastors were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using Thematic Analysis (TA). Findings showed that Black Pentecostal pastors hold varying views regarding how mental illness should be assessed and diagnosed. Participants in this study admitted that they had not received any formal mental health training and would love to be suitably equipped to function in that field. Some of the participants believed that they were spiritually gifted and were skilled to assess, recognise and diagnose mental illness using the following methods: prayer, discernment, observing behaviour and interviewing. The study concluded that Black Pentecostal pastors play a significant role in the assessment and diagnosis of mental illness. Therefore, there is a need for a meaningful exchange and sharing of knowledge between Black Pentecostal pastors and MCHPs through a collaborative strategy.

Socio-demographic and clinical profile of a population of patients coming for consultation to the psychiatric department of a general hospital in southern Tunisia

mental disorders are a very common health condition and a major public health issue. The purpose of this study was to examine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients coming for consultation to the psychiatric department of the Regional Hospital of Gabes, and to identify risk factors for the main mental disorders. we conducted a retrospective study, including all patients consulting the psychiatry department of Gabes for the first time between 01/01/2010 and 31/12/2013. Diagnoses were classified according to the 10th reversion of the WHO International Classification of Diseases (ICD10). one thousand one hundred and one consultation cases were included in this study. The sex ratio (M/F) was 0.96. The average age of patients was 34 years (IQR=24-47.5 years), the median time between symptom onset and consultation to the psychiatric department was 1 year (IQR=3months-2 years). The three most common diagnosed were depressive disorders (21%), followed by schizophrenia (10.6%) and mental retardation (9.7%). Depressive disorders were significantly more common among female patients (p<0.001), married patients (p<0.001) and middle-aged adults (40-65 years) (p<0.001). The prevalence of these disorders was not significantly associated with either educational level, professional activity or socio-economic level. the knowledge of the socio-demographic and clinical profile of the most frequent mental disorders and factors associated with them would make it possible to better adapt the supply of care to the demand and to identify the needs in terms of mental health training in South-East Tunisia.

Recommendations for Optimizing xaʔtus (First Face) for Mental Health Training: Insights from Key Informants.

Native adolescents experiencing mental health challenges, including substance misuse, often prefer to seek support from their peers and other informal sources, which may be due to lack of access to, and cultural fit with, professional behavioral health services. xaʔtus (First Face) for Mental Health is a Tribal community-based intervention designed to strengthen networks of informal mental health support and open pathways to more formal support. We sought insights from key informants to optimize the planning, promotion, and delivery of First Face trainings to seven Tribal communities in the Northwest United States. We conducted three focus groups with (1) teens completing a residential chemical dependency program at the Healing Lodge of the Seven Nations (n = 10), (2) clinical staff representing the Healing Lodge's Behavioral Health Department (n = 9), and (3) community members representing educators and social service professionals at five of the Tribal nations that support the Healing Lodge (n = 6). Discussion generated planning, promotion, and training recommendations. Planning recommendations focused on showing respect for trainees' time by holding the training during convenient times and factoring in trainees' commitments to work and family, integrating the training into high school science or health education classes, and taking steps to protect trainees' physical safety in the age of COVID while avoiding "Zoom fatigue." Promotion recommendations highlighted community members' possible reluctance to become a First Face due to fear about the responsibilities associated with taking on this role and the need to emphasize the personal relevance of First Face training. In terms of training delivery, participants emphasized the importance of including engaging, interactive activities; instructing future First Faces in self-care; and acknowledging the impact of traumatic contemporary experiences on mental health, while at the same time preventing heated and distressing political debates. We describe our response to participants' recommendations and the rationale for those responses.

Assessing the method of providing health services to at-risk groups during natural events (earthquake): A systematic review.

Disasters create a large amount of human needs. Health services in natural disasters are considered the main factor of human survival. The present study was conducted to determine the method of providing health services to at-risk groups during natural events such as earthquakes in 2022. This systematic review was conducted based on English and Persian studies published in Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct, and PubMed databases, as well as internal databases including SID, Magiran in the fields of title, abstract, and keywords such as natural disaster, earthquake, health services, mental health services, psychosocial support system, nursing services, relief, mental and physical health, and its MeSH equivalents with all of the possible combinations. Finally, 11 studies were identified as eligible among the 48 ones found in the initial search. To examine the quality of studies, the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and STROBE evaluation checklists were used. Based on the results, 1834 studies were found after screening and investigating the inclusion criteria, among which 237 and 1549 were excluded due to repetition and unrelated titles, respectively. Then, 48 studies remained after reviewing their abstracts, resulting in including 11 in English (N = 10) and Persian (N = 1) from different countries during 2003-2020. The reviewed studies included semi-experimental and experimental (N = 5) and descriptive ones (N = 6). A large number of studies (N = 21) were related to providing services in the event of multiple disasters and were excluded. About 92% (N = 10) of the studies were conducted in English and more than 90% were related to providing services after the earthquake including providing mental health services (N = 6), the cognitive behavioral intervention (N = 3), rapid assessment of needs (N = 1), as well as mental health services and disaster education (N = 1). The vast majority of studies demonstrated improvement in psychosocial functioning, facilitation of children's normal development, and successful adaptive functioning with an intervention. Based on the results, mental health training affects more when local people are trained to assess the victims based on mental and psychological status. Earthquake is regarded as an opportunity that allows professionals to discover and introduce intervention combination modules to provide mental health services while helping victims who need emotional support and comfort. However, various types of services should be provided, especially in earthquake-prone areas before and after the earthquake in order to achieve a life with fewer complications and a higher quality considering the amount of trouble created by such disaster as a special condition.

Biofeedback and Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder.

Empirically validated treatments for borderline personality disorder rely on fostering self-awareness of one's internal experience for treatment success, yet these treatments do not include objective tools to assess self-awareness. Integrating biofeedback into empirically supported treatments provides a way to objectively measure physiological correlates of emotional states, thereby enhancing accurate self-assessment. By using biofeedback, individuals with borderline personality disorder may gain skills to increase self-awareness, improve emotion regulation, and enhance behavioral control. The authors propose that biofeedback can be used to objectively measure fluctuating emotional intensity, thereby facilitating structured self-assessment of emotions and enabling more effective use of interventions for emotion regulation; can be delivered by trained mental health professionals; and may even be considered as a stand-alone intervention replacing alternative, more costly, treatments.

Cutting Edge - an innovative psychosocial training program for healthcare professionals who provide appearance-altering procedures

Access to psychosocial care is considered a fundamental part of the care for conditions that result in a visible difference, such as cleft lip and palate. At the same time, there is a shortage of trained mental health professionals and structural resources, making it challenging to implement the psychosocial component of care for many healthcare providers worldwide. Therefore, there is a need to find innovative ways to facilitate psychosocial support. This article aims to describe the Cutting Edge Training program that was developed to increase the psychosocial understanding of healthcare professionals who provide care for patients undergoing appearance-altering procedures. The program consists of five modules, with a particular emphasis on social determinants and the impact of living in an appearance-focused society. The developed training program does increase knowledge and awareness of the negative impacts of appearance-related distress and how to improve patient care for those undergoing appearance-altering procedures. Furthermore, it promotes a broader social dialogue about the need to encourage positive attitudes towards diversity in appearance, thus enhancing the future social integration of those who are affected by visible differences.

LETTER TO EDITOR

Pakistan has been listed as a developing country by the UNO for several decades now. However, in terms of accredited opportunities for further specialisation abroad by students gaining their MBBS in Pakistani medical colleges and universities, it is evident that mental health and psychiatric training is not at par with, say, medicine and surgery entry pathways. The reasons for this lag are likely to be multifactorial including but not limited to, the lack of attention by the Pakistani educational institution in developing the training pathways within Pakistan; the stigma attached to mental illness including the cultural and sub-cultural aspects of guilt and shame experienced by the families of the persons suffering mental illnesses and disorders; as well as the lack of interest in bright students having an ambition towards specialising in this field; lack of funding and resources; and lack of alignment with international institutions. Remember: mental illness does not discriminate and can affect anyone; it is best countered by the professionals with the same discrimination-free approach.

Assessments of Depression Anxiety and Stress among Volunteers Health Workers in Lagos, Nigeria

This study aimed at investigating the prevalence and factors associated with depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among volunteers who volunteered to carry out free health services in Lagos, Nigeria. It was a cross-sectional survey. The secondary objective was to determine whether there were differences between individuals who were experiencing depression, anxiety, or stress and those who were not. One hundred and sixty-three consecutive health workers were invited to take part in the study. Sociodemographic and clinical data were gathered using a semi-structured proforma. Assessments were further done using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. According to the DASS-21 scale, 30.3% had various levels of depression, and various levels of anxiety were detected in 47.5% of participants. Similarly, various levels of stress were detected in 29.5% of the participants. There were significant associations between the sub-domains of depression anxiety and stress. High levels of depression, anxiety and stress were detected among the participants. The higher degree was evident, particularly among the single, female participants. The results will serve as supporting evidence for the timely intervention of further planning of preventative mental health services by the supervising ministry for volunteer health workers within the public and private health sectors. This implicates the need for mental health training. Hospital management and medical policymakers should continue to provide various types of therapies to increase the emotional resilience and coping skills of healthcare workers.

Need for routine mental health training and evaluation of school teachers

Background: In working towards the goal of Universal Health Coverage, mental health is often neglected in terms of awareness, human resources, and health care facilities. This pandemic has increased the awareness regarding the importance of mental health. Methods: Every occupation is subjected to mental stress, but a field of particular importance is a teacher. During the ages 5-15, the teacher’s effect on the growing child is unique as they take part in building the academics and the personality of a student. Results: Teachers themselves are often subjected to high work pressure, low pay, and other challenges and their mental health is often overlooked. Hence there is a profound need for training the teachers on detection of early signs of mental disorder and also incorporating their routine mental health examination. The close bonding between the teachers and students can be utilized to generate awareness and help in early diagnosis. Conclusion: From this we have concluded that the preserving the teacher’s mental health will benefit the teacher and their students the future of the nation. Keywords: teachers mental health, teachers-student dyad, training of teachers, mental disorders

Post-War Ukrainа: Psychological and Psychotherapeutic Perspectives

Increased funding: one of the biggest problems facing psychologists in Ukraine is the lack of resources and funding. Increased funding for mental health services and training could help improve the quality of care that psychologists can provide to their patients. The necessary recognition of mental health and the role of psychologists in providing care can help reduce stigma and increase collaboration between psychologists and other health professionals. More resources and educational materials in Ukrainian are needed to improve access to information and resources for Ukrainian psychologists, and to support the development of a strong, locally focused research base. Creating more jobs for psychologists, especially in underserved areas, can help increase access to mental health services for those who need them. Continuous education: psychologists. Education and public awareness can help encourage more people to seek help from psychologists and other mental health professionals. Of course, these steps are only a starting point and a solution to the complex problems faced by psychologists in Ukraine

A journey of holistic research and training in mental health

My early exposure to mental illness in our community, the plight of mentally ill people and their families drove me to seek postgraduate training in psychiatry in India. I realized early on that only research could make an impact on the scale that was needed. My contacts with thoughtful scientists and mentors helped me understand that by training enthusiastic individuals – especially women, multi-focussed research could make a substantial impact and have a multiplier effect. I thus devoted my life not only to research, but research-based training. I outline below our training programs and their outcomes.

Comparison of attitudes to media representation of mental illness between journalists and mental health professionals in Russia with German-speaking countries of Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.

The media are an important source of information on mental health. They are often implicit in reinforcing negative stereotypes of people with mental health problems. There are no studies in German-speaking countries or Russia on media attitudes to mental health and mental health professionals' (MHP) attitudes to the media. This study explored journalists and MHPs attitudes to mental health media reporting in the German speaking countries of Switzerland, Germany, and Austria and in Russia. A cross-sectional online internet survey, of ten Likert scale statements to ascertain perceptions of stigma, role, and training needs following the STROBE guidance was conducted among journalists and MHPs via their professional organizations. A non-discriminatory exponential snowballing technique leading to non-probability sampling was used. Descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis, and a post hoc Dunn's multiple comparisons test using Bonferroni adjustment were used to analyze data. A total of 106 German-speaking and 78 Russian journalists, 109 German-speaking, and 82 Russian MHPs fully answered the survey. Journalists felt the media were more balanced about mental health than MHPs, and MHPs were wary of engagement with the media. Small minorities of journalists had engaged with mental health training, similarly few MHPs had engaged with media training, but both groups were interested in doing so in the future. Significant differences between German and Russian speaking respondents were found on a range of issues (e.g. stigmatization, image about psychotherapy, the media/MHPs, and their own role in engaging with the media/MHPs). Russians were more likely to know specialized (media/mental health awareness) training compared to German-speaking MHPs and journalists. There are potential opportunities to engage journalists and MHPs in training about each other's worlds and reducing stigma toward mental illness through engaging MHPs with the media.

Doctoral researchers’ mental health and PhD training satisfaction during the German COVID-19 lockdown: results from an international research sample

Academia has been facing a mental health crisis particularly affecting early career researchers (ECRs). Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic posed an unprecedented burden on the mental health of many individuals. Therefore, we cross-sectionally investigated how doctoral researchers (N = 222) evaluate their mental health status and satisfaction with their PhD training before and during the pandemic. As compared to self-reported, retrospective evaluations about the pre-pandemic state, we found decreased satisfaction with PhD training and overall well-being. The whole sample exhibited high levels of personal and work-related burnout, a fifth indicated clinically meaningful levels of depressive symptoms and almost 25% experienced severe loneliness. When exploring predictors of depression, anxiety, and burnout, we identified low satisfaction with PhD training as the most prominent predictor for poor mental health, suggesting a link between the doctoral work and their mental health status. Females vs. males and doctoral researchers in individual doctorate vs. structured PhD programs reported higher symptoms of burnout. Our study replicates previous findings of poor mental health in doctoral researchers and indicates further decreases of mental wellbeing under the influence of the pandemic. Systematic adjustments in academia are required to improve the mental health of ECRs.

Articulating biological and social approaches in child and adolescent psychiatry

Child and adolescent psychiatry has been based on numerous fields of research and theories, including neuroscience, physiology, psychology (developmental, psychodynamic, systemic, cognitive-behavioral, etc.), anthropology, sociology, and education sciences. Integrating transdisciplinary knowledge in multi-level models is an ongoing challenge for the future that is not immediately applicable in clinical practice and research. Articulating, i.e., to connect, to be jointed, (psycho)biological and (psycho)social approaches in child and adolescent psychiatry is a daily challenge for clinicians and researchers. Research is often limited to specific fields whereas real-life clinical practice needs a pluralistic approach. Research designs, tools, and clinical training need to provide knowledge applicable to the necessarily pluralistic daily clinical practice. This article provides some perspectives on how to articulate biological and social approaches, from research to clinical practice, and discusses the concept of pluralistic approaches, multimodal interventions, and how to provide articulated mental health care and training. Suggestions to better articulate biological and social approaches are provided: (I) State that the research object can be approached from different theoretical, research and clinical angles and explain the one chosen; (II) Propose synthesis articles that articulate biological and social knowledge; (III) Design biological studies that take into account social factors, and design social studies that take into account biological factors; (IV) Design transcultural tools; (V) Build pluralistic interventions, i.e., therapeutic modalities and mental health care settings that articulate biological and social approaches; (VII) Develop training in pluralistic articulated care.

DEVELOPMENT OF PODCAST IN SERVICE OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF GEROPSYCHOLOGISTS

Abstract The current geropsychology workforce falls woefully short of meeting the mental healthcare needs of older adults, with only 3% of licensed psychologists identifying Geropsychology as their primary or secondary specialty. Formal training in geriatric mental health is extremely limited. Out of the over 400 APA-accredited doctorate-level psychology programs in the U.S., only five provide specialty training in Geropsychology. Consequently, the vast majority of psychologists who treat older adults have never received formal education or training in geriatrics. It is imperative that evidence-based geropsychology education is disseminated to a wide audience of mental health providers across all levels of training and career development. The Geropsychology Podcast was developed to address this gap as a novel pedagogical resource commensurate with educational competencies established by the ‘Pikes Peak Model for Professional Geropsychology.’ Topics include geriatric assessment methods, intervention, consultation, and foundational knowledge on adult development and aging. The feasibility and acceptability of the podcast was evaluated with a two-year pilot study from 2019 to 2021. During this time, eleven episodes were published across multiple podcast platforms. Preliminary results found the episodes were downloaded by over 1,500 unique listeners across 34 countries. These results indicate that The Geropsychology Podcast is scalable, acceptable, and potentially fulfilling an educational need that people are actively seeking. This poster describes the podcast’s model of curriculum development and ongoing quality metrics and impact analysis. Future work holds that this podcast will continue to be a vital resource for the field.

LONELINESS ACROSS THE LIFE COURSE; LIFE STORY INTERVIEWS WITH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES USERS

Abstract Introduction The complexity of loneliness and its negative impact on our health and wellbeing is well established. However, the qualitative experience of loneliness over the life course is poorly understood. Method: This presentation, based on 18 life story interviews, with a sample of older adults, who were attending a mental health service and objectively defined as lonely, provides an insight into the personal experiences of loneliness as well as the situations and factors associated with loneliness across the life course. Results The analysis identified three distinct typologies of loneliness; those who experienced (1) chronic loneliness across their life (2) those whose loneliness became chronic after a transition e.g. bereavement (3) those whose loneliness remained situational/transitional. Conclusions The insights are important to inform both general loneliness services and policy as well as specialist mental health services and training. The presentation demonstrates the importance of a life course approach to addressing and understanding loneliness.