Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Preliminary evidence for the role of newsprint media in encouraging males to make contact with helplines
- Authors:
- MACHLIN Anna, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 19(2), 2017, pp.85-103.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This study explored the preliminary evidence for a relationship between constructive and affirming newsprint stories about depression or anxiety in males and use of helpline services by males. With the help of a Consumer Reference Group, the authors identified ten positive newsprint stories about males and depression or anxiety. They then obtained phone contact data from four national helplines in Australia: Lifeline, MensLine Australia, SANE Australia, and beyondblue. For each contact, the study extracted the date, location and gender of the caller. Poisson regression analysis was used to determine the change in contact volume in the two weeks following each story, as compared to the two weeks prior to the story. Contact volume from males increased significantly in the two weeks after four of the ten stories, decreased after one story with no change after five of the stories. The stories that were associated with increased contacts were about men (including publicly revered role models) that male readers could identify with and tended to be stories of hope and recovery. The findings suggest newsprint media can positively influence male help-seeking and point to a need for articles to provide accurate representations of depression and anxiety, whilst maintaining an optimistic focus on recovery. (Edited publisher abstract)
Reducing the barriers to accessing psychological therapies for Bengali, Urdu, Tamil and Somali communities in the UK: some implications for training, policy and practice
- Authors:
- LOEWENTHAL Del, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 40(1), February 2012, pp.43-66.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Those from minority groups are generally under-represented in mental health services. This study examined the feasibility of achieving Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) for people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities living in the UK. There was with specific reference to Bengali, Urdu, Tamil and Somali speaking communities. Focus groups were carried out with each of the communities to investigate how they conceptualise and experience mental health issues and what they do when faced with what they regard as these issues. Participants recruited through Bengali, Urdu, Tamil and Somali community groups. Focus groups were held with 14 Bengali speakers, 21 Urdu, 18 Tamil, 24 Somali, and interviews were held separately with 6 people from each group. Findings revealed that the participants did not fully understand common conceptualisations about mental health issues, nor did they know how to seek mental health support. Implications of cultural barriers and recommendations for IAPT outcomes are presented.
Premature termination of short-term inpatient psychotherapy: client's perspectives on causes and effects
- Authors:
- THUNNISSEEN Moniek, REMANS Yole, TRIJSBERG Wim
- Journal article citation:
- Therapeutic Communities: the International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, 27(2), Summer 2006, pp.265-273.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This study investigates what motivated patients to end their treatment prematurely, and to give recommendations for changes in the policy. Between May 1999 and December 2001, 24 patients were dropouts from a three-month in-patient psychotherapy programme in the Netherlands. The authors held interviews with 16 of them. The aim was to find out what they experienced during the treatment, which factors (from the patient's point of view) led to their leaving and how they functioned after they left the institution. Nearly half of the dropouts reported that they ended treatment in the first two weeks because of very high levels of anxiety. The remaining dropout patients reported more diffuse motives. Most patients recommended more supportive elements in the treatment to prevent dropout. As a result of the study, staff changed its attitude and endorsed a more supportive approach, especially in the first weeks of the treatment. In the next period from January 2002 till May 2003 the dropout rate was reduced from 16% to 8%.
Influences on participation in a programme addressing loneliness among people with depression and anxiety: findings from the Community Navigator Study
- Authors:
- FRERICHS Johanna, et al
- Journal article citation:
- BMC Psychiatry, 20(565), 2020, Online only
- Publisher:
- BioMed Central
- Place of publication:
- London
Background: Loneliness is associated with negative outcomes, including increased mortality and is common among people with mental health problems. This qualitative study, which was carried out as part of a feasibility trial, aimed to understand what enables and hinders people with severe depression and/or anxiety under the care of secondary mental health services in the United Kingdom to participate in the Community Navigator programme, and make progress with feelings of depression, anxiety and loneliness. The programme consisted of up to ten meetings with a Community Navigator and three optional group sessions. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with participants (n = 19) shortly after programme completion. A co-produced two-stage qualitative approach, involving narrative and reflexive thematic analysis, was undertaken by members of the study’s working group, which included experts by experience, clinicians and researchers. Results: The narrative analysis showed that individuals have varied goals, hold mixed feelings about meeting other people and define progress differently. From the thematic analysis, six themes were identified that explained facilitators and challenges to participating in the programme: desire to connect with others; individual social confidence; finding something meaningful to do; the accessibility of resources locally; the timing of the programme; and the participant’s relationship with the Community Navigator. Conclusions: This study found that people with severe depression and/or anxiety supported by secondary mental health services may want to address feelings of loneliness but find it emotionally effortful to do so and a major personal challenge. This emotional effort, which manifests in individuals differently, can make it hard for participants to engage with a loneliness programme, though it was through facing personal challenges that a significant sense of achievement was felt. Factors at the individual, interpersonal and structural level, that enable or hinder an individual’s participation should be identified early, so that people are able to make the best use out of the Community Navigator or other similar programmes. (Edited publisher abstract)
Help-seeking and receipt of treatment among UK service personnel
- Authors:
- IVERSEN Amy C., et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 197(2), August 2010, pp.149-155.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
It is inevitable that some armed forces personnel will develop post-conflict mental disorders, and therefore data on help-seeking behaviour and receipt of treatment for mental disorders are important for both research and policy. This study examines mental healthcare service use and receipt of treatment in a sample of the UK military. The participants were drawn from an existing UK military health cohort. The sample was stratified by reserve status and by participation in the main war-fighting period of the Iraq War. A total of 821 participants completed a telephone-based structured diagnostic interview comprising the Patient Health Questionnaire and Primary Care Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Screen (PC–PTSD), and a series of questions about service utilisation and treatment receipt. The results showed that only 23% of those with common mental disorders and still serving in the military were receiving any form of medical professional help. Non-medical sources of help such as chaplains were more widely used. Among regular personnel in receipt of professional help, most were seen in primary care (79%) and the most common treatment was medication or counselling/psychotherapy. Few regular personnel were receiving cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). These findings are comparable with those reported for the general population.
Health status and suicide in the second half of life
- Authors:
- CONWELL Yeates, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 25(4), April 2010, pp.371-379.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This paper examines the associations of suicide in older people with medical and psychiatric illness and functional limitations. A retrospective case-control design was used to compare 86 people over 50 who committed suicide with a comparison group of 86 participants that were individually matched on age, gender, race, and locality. Findings showed that suicide victims had mood and anxiety disorders, worse physical health status, and greater impairment in functional capacity. They were more likely to have required psychiatric treatment, hospitalisation in the last year, and a visiting home care service. In a multivariate model, the presence of any active disorder and any impairment in instrumental activities of daily living made independent contributions to suicide risk. The authors concluded that mental and physical illness along with functional impairments increased risk of suicide in this age group. In addition to individuals with psychiatric illness, those with severe or comorbid physical illness and functional disability who require inpatient and home care services should be targeted for screening and preventive interventions.
Utilization of emergency center services by older adults with a psychiatric diagnosis
- Authors:
- CULLY J. A., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 9(2), March 2005, pp.172-176.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Information regarding older adult emergency center (EC) patient characteristics remains limited, despite its increasing importance in health care delivery systems. This retrospective study encompasses all EC visits over an eight-year period (n?=?825,682) to a large urban county hospital. Only participants with a primary psychiatric diagnosis were examined, and included a total of 53,894 adults, 18–64 years old and 1,478 adults, =65 years old. Despite an increasing aging population, EC visits for older adults with psychiatric disorders did not increase over time. Within the older adult sample, cognitive, psychotic, and bipolar disorders were associated with higher rates of admission to the hospital, while substance use, depressive, and anxiety disorders were associated with lower numbers of inpatient admissions. African-Americans were over-represented in the EC and admitted to the hospital at higher rates, compared to other ethnic groups. Caucasian patients were the group most frequently diagnosed with a substance use disorder. In conclusion, differences in race, and diagnosis support the idea that such variables directly relate to utilization rates, presentation, and disposition within the EC.
“Just keep pushing”: Parents' experiences of accessing child and adolescent mental health services for child anxiety problems
- Authors:
- CROUCH Lauren, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child: Care, Health and Development, 45(4), 2019, pp.491-499.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: Anxiety disorders are among the most common psychopathologies in childhood; however, a high proportion of children with anxiety disorders do not access effective treatments. The aim of the present qualitative study was to understand families' experiences of seeking help and accessing specialist treatment for difficulties with childhood anxiety. Methods: Parents of 16 children (aged 7–12 years) referred to a child mental health service for difficulties with anxiety were interviewed about their experiences of seeking and accessing treatment within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). All interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed for similarities and differences in families' experiences. Results: Factors that helped and/or hindered families accessing treatment related to (a) parental recognition, (b) contact with professionals, (c) reaching CAMHS, (d) parental effort, and (e) parental knowledge and concerns. High demands on services and parents' uncertainty surrounding the help‐seeking process presented key hurdles for families. The critical role of parental persistence and support from general practitioners and school staff was evident across interviews. Conclusions: Findings highlighted the need for information and guidance on identifying child anxiety difficulties and professional, peer, and self‐help support, and ensuring sufficient provision is available to allow families prompt access to support. (Edited publisher abstract)
Health and social outcomes and health service experiences of UK military veterans: a summary of the evidence
- Authors:
- FEAR Nicola, WOOD Dan, WESSELY Simon
- Publisher:
- King's College London. King's Centre for Military Health Research
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 82p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
Each year approximately 24,000 men and women leave the British Armed Forces and return to civilian life. There is increasing international recognition, both within the military and in civilian society, of the health and social needs of ex-Service personnel, in particular mental health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and social exclusion. This report reviewed the available evidence on the health and social outcomes, and the health experiences, of former members of the Armed Forces. Key findings included that, whilst in general the health of the veteran community is comparable with that of the general population, rates of heavy drinking are more prevalent among both serving and ex-serving personnel. The most common mental health problems for ex-Service personnel, along with alcohol problems, were depression and anxiety disorders. While the overall rate of suicide is no higher in UK ex-Service personnel than it is in the UK general population, men aged 24 or younger are, however, at an increased risk relative to their general population counterparts. This study also identified barriers to accessing healthcare for both groups, especially the stigma of admitting a need for help, with veterans reporting an additional problem of not knowing where to go for help. The authors also made several recommendations for further research, such as studies should be planned in which data collection starts before either in-Service or post-Service adverse outcomes have occurred, and that evidence on health related outcomes and experiences among ex-Service personnel is reviewed periodically.