Treatment Of Mental Health Issues Research Articles

The role of intergenerational family stories in mental health and wellbeing.

Patterns of memory sharing begin early in one’s life, informing relationships, one’s history, and one’s sense of cultural belonging. Memory sharing among families has been the focus of research investigating the relationship between mental health and intergenerational memory. A burgeoning body of research is showing that intergenerational knowledge of one’s family history is associated with positive mental health and wellbeing. However, research on the specific mechanisms and potential applications of such findings are just beginning to emerge. In particular, studies examining intergenerational storytelling point to the importance of culture and gender as critical factors underlying how stories are told and the extent to which these stories are associated with wellbeing. Such findings hold important promise for the pentation and treatment of mental health issues. As research in this area continues to evolve, the identification and characterization of factors and mechanisms underlying intergenerational family stories and wellbeing may help to guide the integration of family stories into mental health interventions.

The Impact of Childhood Psychological Maltreatment on Mental Health Outcomes in Adulthood: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and childhood emotional neglect (CEN) are the least well-studied forms of childhood maltreatment due to challenges in their definition and in detection. However, the available evidence suggests associations with multiple adulthood mental health problems in clinical and non-clinical populations. This systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO registration number CRD42020197833) explored the associations between CEA and CEN and a range of adulthood mental health problems based on systematic searches of eight databases. In total, 79 English and 11 Chinese studies met our inclusion criteria. Results suggested that CEA and CEN had positive associations with various adulthood mental health problems (d = 0.02-1.84), including depression, anxiety, substance abuse, suicidal ideation or attempts, personality disorders, eating disorders, and other psychological symptoms in the general population and across different geographic regions. Furthermore, findings suggested that compared with the non-clinical population, individuals in clinical populations were more likely to have experienced emotional abuse and neglect during childhood. The review highlights the need for more research on emotional abuse and emotional neglect. Furthermore, future research should include more populations from non-western countries and non-college populations. They further underline the importance of addressing issues related to CEA/CEN experiences in the prevention and treatment of mental health issues in adulthood.

Cultural idioms of distress among displaced populations: A scoping review.

Armed conflicts and natural disasters can cause significant psychological and social challenges for affected populations. Displaced populations are extremely heterogeneous in terms of culture, language, and experiences of crises. Current diagnostic criteria is insufficient when evaluating the symptoms and treatment of mental health issues across contexts. This scoping review presents information about cultural idioms of distress across displaced populations. The review includes aspects of etiology, symptomology, and proposed intervention methods. I conducted a Boolean search of academic and grey literature for studies that described cultural idioms of distress among displaced populations. Results were analyzed using thematic analysis and grounded theory. A shared sense of injustice, spirit possession, and karma are common etiologies for mental distress among displaced populations. Symptoms include somatic complaints, 'thinking a lot', and interpersonal challenges such as social isolation and a fear of others. Potential interventions are likely on a community-level, including the generation of community mechanisms for conflict-resolution, reconciliation, and culturally grounded healing rituals. It is vital to understand the ways displaced communities conceptualize their mental health in order to develop appropriate culturally grounded interventions. Understanding the etiology, symptoms, and proposed interventions can inform and improve humanitarian aid delivery of mental health and psychosocial support services.

Bangladeshi Health Practitioner Knowledge, Confidence in Diagnosis, and Treatment of Mental Health Disorders in People with Intellectual Disabilities

ABSTRACT Background Intellectual disability and mental health disorders constitute a major health problem globally with higher economic burden in low- and middle-income countries such as Bangladesh. In 2017, the World Bank estimated that 85% of the global population lived in low-middle-income countries. Limited research has explored health practitioner knowledge and/or confidence in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues in persons with intellectual disabilities (IDs) in low-income countries such as Bangladesh. Method One hundred and ninety-seven Bangladeshi-based health practitioners were grouped into 7 main professional groups according the current Bangladeshi health hierarchy (psychiatrists; traditional healers and community workers; medical doctors; nurses; psychologists; allied health: speech therapists, occupational therapists, social workers; and others: teachers physiotherapists, administration staff). A 34-item online survey was completed, which included questions measuring symptoms of common mental health disorders with reference to the Psychiatric Assessment Schedule for Adults with Developmental Disabilities, and questions measuring confidence working with persons with IDs from the Therapy Confidence Scale-Intellectual Disabilities. Results Participants demonstrated low knowledge of symptomology but were “confident” working with people with IDs. Kruskal–Wallis H tests indicated a significant effect of professional group on both overall knowledge and confidence levels, respectively. Traditional healers and community health workers had significantly more knowledge of symptoms than all other practitioners for obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, psychosis, and hypomania. Conclusion Participants demonstrated confidence, but low knowledge, in treating individuals with IDs. The development of training programs to address specific deficits in knowledge of mental health symptoms, and confidence in using assessment and assessment-based communication, is recommended.

Modern methods of Stress Management and its benefits for psychological well-being

Stress, isolation, sadness, anxiety, relationship issues, loss of a loved one, sorrow, suicidal thoughts, addiction, mood disorders, and a wide range of other mental diseases, as well as learning difficulties, can all take a toll on a person's mental health. Counseling, therapy, and medication are all tools in the toolbox of therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurse practitioners, and doctors for the treatment of mental health issues. Hundreds of thousands of people have lost their employment as a result of the recent economic turmoil, which has been caused by downsizing, layoffs, mergers, and bankruptcies. Those who have lost their jobs may experience physical disease, marital strife, anxiety, sadness, and even suicidal thoughts as a result of the stress they are under. What time you wake up in the morning, who you see, and what you can afford to do all change when you lose your work. This article's goal is to help readers learn the fundamentals of treating stress and taking the steps they need to take to reduce their own stress levels.

Understanding Suicide Risk in People with Dementia and Family Caregivers in South Korea: A Systematic Review.

Dementia-related suicide is not well known. This study aimed to understand the characteristics of suicide risk among people with dementia and dementia family caregivers in South Korea. According to a systematic review of PRISMA guidelines, six electronic databases were searched for research published from 2010 to 2021. Ten studies were included. Among the included studies on people with dementia, one study (25%) showed no increase in the death risk of suicide, while three studies (75%) revealed suicide risk. Furthermore, in the dementia family caregivers, one study (17%) reported suicides and five studies (83%) reported suicide ideation (SI). Early dementia and independence or partial dependence in activities of daily living and home-based care are related to suicide risk in people with dementia. Meanwhile, suicide risk in dementia family caregivers is related to care burden, dementia severity, and poor approaches to coping with the family member’s dementia. The studies reviewed, which demonstrate heterogenous methodologies, suggest that both people with dementia and dementia family caregivers face suicide risk. The results of the current study offer insights useful for the prevention and treatment of mental health issues in both groups.

EVIDENCE-BASED PEDIATRIC COPING STRATEGIES FOR THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

While minimally susceptible to COVID-19, the pediatric population is most vulnerable to the psychosocial repercussions of this pandemic as they have faced setbacks and struggle to maintain normality in nearly every aspect of their lives. Duration of quarantine, fear of infection, limited social interaction, and more have had a significant positive correlation with poorer mental health, PTSD, anxiety, and anger. Young people have been burdened mentally and emotionally by the stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been thrown off their regular course and expected to quickly adapt to new parameters, restrictions, and limitations. The pandemic has undoubtedly had a significant impact on shaping their childhood trajectory as it has interrupted regular milestones and life checkoffs. In an aim to heal and ameliorate COVID-related anxiety, stress, and negative mental health consequences, utilization of appropriate coping strategies is encouraged and particularly important for disadvantaged groups who report multiple obstacles to pursuing treatment for mental health issues.

Cultural Affiliation and Mental Health Disruptions of Second Generation Asian Americans in College

The subject of mental health is something that is often stigmatized and overlooked in conversations, and this holds especially true for people of immigrant backgrounds coming from places and cultures in which mental health is a topic that is not discussed and has not been widely recognized and regularly treated in the mainstream, such as in many Asian cultures. In my research, through literary analysis and four qualitative interviews, I delve into how the cultural identity of Second Generation Asian Americans (SGAA) plays a role in their mental health states as well as in their mental health care as they go on their journey in higher education in pursuit of “the American Dream”. Without proper recognition, prioritization, and treatment of mental health issues and without ways to find the root of a problem and address it in order to find better ways to cope, 2nd generation immigrant youths are at large risk to fall into harmful cycles that can be detrimental and injurious to their progress and their lives. I will delve into the how factors such as immigration stress, assimilation, cultural differences, dual identity, family pressures, racialization, and the model minority myth contribute to the higher risk of mental health complications for SGAA in college, threatening their ability to thrive and sometimes even to survive. Hopefully, with a better understanding of the social conditions that SGAA face in college, better systems of mental health support and treatment can be widely circulated to help future generations of SGAA understand and cope with their unique predicaments.

Consequences of serious parental health events on child mental health and educational outcomes.

I show that serious, yet common, parental health events in childhood have immediate and lasting effects on mental health and educational outcomes for children. Following a parental health event, the children are more likely to receive therapy and consume anti-depressant (AD) medication. More so, the children achieve lower test scores and have lower school enrollment rates. The effect immediately occurs following the event and persists at least into early adulthood. I find that the effect on test scores doesn't differ significantly across family income, but that children from low-income families are more likely to be prescribed ADs following the event, while children from high-income families are more likely to receive therapy. Exploiting differences in general practitioners' behavior in prescribing AD and referring children to therapy, I find suggestive evidence that children who are more exposed to medical treatment of mental health issues have lower educational attainments in early adulthood.

The Impact of Psychology

Improving our understanding of why people behave as they do as well. Understanding the different factors that can impact the human mind and behavior. Understanding issues that impact health, daily life, and well-being. Improving ergonomics to improve product design. Psychology is both an applied and academic field that benefits both individuals and society as a whole. A large part of psychology is devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the impact of psychology.

Real-Time Mental Health Analytics Using IoMT and Social Media Datasets: Research and Challenges

Feelings of physical and mental well-being are fundamental to the overall health of an individual. Mental health is one of the most neglected areas of public health and is a critical part of overall wellness, early detection and providing the right healthcare facilities is essential. Diagnosis and treatment for mental health issues should therefore be the focus for global health. A real-time health system acquires, accrue, analyze and transform clinical and operational intelligence into actionable information through digital technology. Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices like monitoring tools, wearables, and other sensors capture the patient's data, and the use of smart algorithms for IoMT data analytics provide healthcare providers with valuable insights that may help in faster diagnosis and in providing more targeted treatment plans for mental well-being. Similarly, mental health can be determined using social media data where psycholinguistic features can be extracted and analyzed from social big data like posts, comments, videos, etc., that exhibit their disposition and sentiments to determine behavioral patterns for early detection of mental health issues. This work presents an overview of the research conducted in the domain of real-time mental health analytics on two key datasets, i.e., IoMT and social media datasets. The study demonstrates the research community's keenness within the domain and eventually helps to establish the primary challenges in real-time mental health analytics.

Depression Screening and Rates of Mood Disorder Diagnosis and Suicide in Younger and Older Adults

Rates of suicide are elevated among older adults in the U.S. and around the world, with the highest rates in older men (CDC, 2019; WHO, 2014). More than half of older adults who die by suicide were in contact with a primary care physician within the month prior to death, and almost one-third within the prior week (Luoma et al., 2002; Stene-Larsen & Reneflot, 2019), demonstrating the importance of better identification and treatment of mental health issues among older adults across healthcare systems. Depression, a well-established risk factor for suicide, goes under-diagnosed and under-treated, especially among older adults (Bryant, 2010). The University of Rochester Medical Center has led integration of patient-reported outcomes assessment via large-scale implementation of PROMIS measures across multiple departments. We compared results of PROMIS depression screening from 1/1/2015 to 8/31/2019 with mood disorder diagnoses within the year prior and year following screening. Twenty-six percent (39491/154669) of adults under age 65 and 23% (11694/51702) of those age 65 and older screened positive for mild, moderate, or severe depression. Whereas 29.0% of younger adults who screened positive received mood disorder diagnoses, 22.1% of older adults received a diagnosis (χ2(1)=214.69, p<.001). Suicide outcomes using National Death Index data will also be reported. Results confirm depression is underdiagnosed (and, by extension, likely undertreated) at all ages, but show a distinct disparity for older adults, which may put them at greater risk for negative outcomes such as suicide.

Help-Seeking Attitudes and Distress Disclosure Among Syrian Refugees in Germany

Many refugees experience a wide range of mental health problems, but typically use mental health services less often than settled residents. Practical constraints like limited access to mental health care and language barriers largely account for this discrepancy. However, little is known about the psychological aspects explaining this difference in mental health service usage, like attitudes toward psychological help-seeking and the disclosure of distress. The present study compares German residents’ and Syrian refugees’ attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help ( N = 384). Refugees reported more depressive symptoms and functional impairment than residents. Crucially, refugees also held more negative attitudes toward professional psychological help-seeking than residents. These group differences in attitudes were to a large part mediated by distress disclosure. We conclude that it is important to achieve a thorough understanding of how to address help-seeking attitudes and to encourage distress disclosure to promote treatment of mental health issues among many refugees.

Barriers and facilitators of videoconferencing psychotherapy implementation in veteran mental health care environments: a systematic review

BackgroundWhilst treatment for mental health issues has traditionally been conducted in-person, advances in technology has seen a recent growth in the use of online video therapy services to help overcome access-to-care barriers faced by those living in rural locations and those unable to travel. These barriers are particularly apparent in the case of veteran populations, which is the focus of this review. Whilst the research investigating the efficacy of online video therapy to treat mental health issues among veterans is promising, widespread adoption and utilisation of this modality remains low with efforts often failing to progress past the pilot phase to implementation. This review focuses on the implementation of online video therapy in veteran mental health care settings and aims to identify the potential barriers and facilitators relevant to implementing the modality in military organisations.MethodsA systematic search of three databases (PsycInfo, PubMed, and Web of Science) was conducted. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to investigate the challenges, lessons learnt, or factors operating as barriers and/or facilitators to the implementation of online video therapy in veteran health care systems.ResultsThe initial search revealed a total of 202 articles. This was reduced to 133 when duplicates were removed. After screening the titles and abstracts a further 70 articles were excluded leaving 63 to be retrieved for full review. A total of 10 studies were included in this review. The most commonly reported barriers were related to clinician concerns, logistical problems, and technology. Other barriers included access to resources as well as challenges posed by collaborations, policy and recruitment. Facilitators included experience using the modality and having dedicated staff responsible for promoting and managing the new service (e.g., on-site champions and telehealth technicians).ConclusionsThis review suggests that numerous barriers must be identified and addressed before attempting to implement an online video therapy service in veteran organisations. Further research is needed to establish best practice for implementation, particularly across geographically dispersed sites. It is hoped that the findings of this review will be used to help inform future implementation efforts and research initiatives in this space.

Patient-Reported Mental Health Score Influences Physical Function After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty

BackgroundDespite the effectiveness of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), patients often have lingering pain and dysfunction. Recent studies have raised concerns that preoperative mental health may negatively affect outcomes after TKA. The primary aim of this study investigates the relationship between patient-reported mental health and postoperative physical function following TKA. MethodsA retrospective study of 1392 primary TKA patients was performed. Mental health and physical function scores were measured using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global Health, and PROMIS Physical Function 10a and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Physical Function (KOOS-PS) short forms. These assessments were completed preoperatively and up to 1-year postoperatively. Patients were stratified based on preoperative mental health scores into five distinct categories ranging from “Poor” to “Excellent.” Locally estimated scatter plot smoothing curves (LOESS) were fit to the data examining physical function score trends over time. ResultsPatients with higher mental health scores before surgery demonstrated better preoperative and postoperative physical function scores. However, all patients experienced similar gains in physical function following surgery. Despite this early improvement, patients with the worst mental health scores experienced a sharp decline in physical function approximately a year after surgery and did not appear to recover. ConclusionsPoor mental health should not be a contraindication for performing TKA. For patients with the lowest mental health scores, physicians should account for the possibility that physical function scores may deteriorate a year after surgery. Tighter follow-up guidelines, more frequent physical therapy visits, or treatment for mental health issues may be considered to counter such deterioration.

The UK National Homicide Therapeutic Service: A Retrospective Naturalistic Study Among 929 Bereaved Individuals.

Homicidal bereavement puts survivors at risk of developing a broad range of lasting and severe mental health problems. Previous research has often relied on relatively small and homogenous samples. Still, little is known about what factors influence the expression of symptoms following homicidal bereavement. Preventive and curative treatments often do not consider the complex coherence between the emotional, judicial, financial, and societal challenges that likely arise following a homicide. Despite the severity of its consequences on mental health, no gold standard for the preventative and curative treatment of mental health issues in homicide survivors exists. We aimed to introduce a time-limited, traumatic grief-focused outreaching model of care designed specifically for homicide survivors, and to examine its potential effectiveness. Furthermore, we aimed to investigate what factors influence the severity of mental health problems and response to treatment. In the current study, self-reported data on five different outcome measures, namely, symptoms of posttraumatic stress, prolonged grief, depression, anxiety, and functional impairment were available from 929 homicidally bereaved treatment receiving adults. We used Latent Growth Modeling to analyze our repeated measures data and to classify individuals into distinct groups based on individual response patterns. Results showed that the current model of care is likely to be effective in reducing mental health complaints following homicidal bereavement. Having a history of mental illness, being younger of age and female, and having lost either a child or spouse consistently predicted greater symptom severity and functional impairment at baseline. For change in symptom severity and functional impairment during treatment, having a history of mental illness was the only consistent predictor across all outcomes. This study was limited by its reliance on self-reported data and cross-sectional design without a control group. Future prospective, longitudinal research across different cultures is needed in order to replicate the current findings and enhance generalizability. That notwithstanding, findings provide a first step toward evaluating a novel service-delivery approach for homicide survivors and provide further insight in the development of mental health complaints following bereavement by homicide.

Consideraciones sobre la salud mental en la pandemia de COVID-19

Since December 2019, 414,179 cases of people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported. As a result of the rapid increase in confirmed cases and deaths, population and health personnel, have experienced psychological problems, such as anxiety, depression, and stress. Although scientific information on COVID-19 is constantly increasing, it mainly focuses on genetic, epidemiological aspects, and public health measures, leaving aside possible effects on mental health. In order to summarize the current evidence, we present a narrative review of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. So far, the presence of anxiety, depression, and stress has been reported mostly in general population. Nonetheless, mental health issues have also been reported in health care workers, especially among female professionals, nurses, and those who work directly with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19. In efforts to reduce the spread of the disease, attention should be paid to the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues. We believe that addressing them adequately will empower Peru to contain and eradicate COVID-19.

Health practitioner knowledge and confidence in diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues in people with intellectual disabilities

ABSTRACT Background: There is limited Australian research investigating health practitioner knowledge and/or confidence in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders in people with intellectual disabilities (IDs). Method: Ninety-three health practitioners from four professional groups (primary health practitioners, psychologists, mental health practitioners, and alternative therapies) completed a 34-item online survey comprising questions designed to identify participant knowledge of disorders described in the Psychiatric Assessment Schedule for Adults with Developmental Disabilities and the Therapy Confidence Scale-Intellectual Disabilities. Results: Participants demonstrated low knowledge of symptomology and were “moderately confident” to “confident” working with people with IDs. Whilst professional group showed a significant main effect on confidence levels, post-hoc analysis did not detect significant differences between the individual professional groups. Conclusions: Australian participants demonstrated confidence, but low knowledge, in treating individuals with IDs. The development of training to address deficits in practitioner knowledge of symptomology, assessment, and assessment-based communication is recommended.

Addressing the need for forensic psychological evaluations of asylum seekers: The potential role of the general practitioner

Asylum seekers who have survived torture and other abuses may experience a wide range of psychological symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder. During the asylum process, attorneys might refer their clients to clinicians who document these psychological sequelae of human rights violations. However, the need for forensic psychological evaluations exceeds the number of mental health clinicians available to provide these assessments. It has been suggested that primary care physicians, professionals who already play essential roles in the identification and treatment of mental health issues, may be able to conduct these evaluations. Yet, there is little empirical knowledge of what prior training and clinical experiences support mental health and non-mental health professionals who engage in this work, and what is needed to prepare general practitioners to provide forensic psychological evaluations to asylum seekers. This pilot study found non-mental health practitioners with experience in psychological forensic evaluations reached a level of confidence in conducting evaluations of asylum seekers comparable to general mental health practitioners. The study also identified clinicians’ perceptions of training that supports them in their forensic psychological evaluations, their professional development needs, and the potential for general practitioners to leverage their current skill sets in this work.

Correction to: Testing competing mediators of the association between pre-conception maternal depression and child health-related quality of life: the MatCH study.

The current sentence is in the discussion (sub-section The role of pre-conception maternal depression) and reads: "Pre-conception treatment of mental health issues is also associated with substantial savings in health care costs (Chojenta et al., 2018)."