scholarly journals Mental health among clinicians: what do we know and what can we do?

Author(s):  
Mittal Patel ◽  
Steven Swift ◽  
Alex Digesu

AbstractMental health and mental health disorders among clinicians remain a taboo, despite increasing evidence showing the direct impact on medical teams and patient care. This editorial is aimed at increasing awareness of mental issues amongst healthcare professionals, identifying perceived barriers to seeking help, and suggesting ways in which to seek help. Mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression, are prevalent from medical school, leading to increased burnout and suicide risks at later stages of a clinician’s career. There is often a reluctance to seek help, particularly amongst the surgical specialties, caused by self-criticism, lack of convenient access and the potential negative impact on medical licensure. This editorial has been written in loving memory of our colleague, friend and board member Dr. Nikolaus Veit-Rubin, who sadly passed away at the beginning of the year. It is written in the hope of highlighting the importance of maintaining mental wellbeing amongst the medical team, supporting help-seeking behaviour and changing attitudes toward mental health disorders amongst clinicians.

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Długosz

Abstract: Background: All over the world, the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children and adolescents’ mental health is observed. The conducted research aims to verify whether returning to schools, to the education inside the classroom in the company of their peers, improved or undermined the students’ mental health. Metods: The study was carried out on a sample of students inhabiting rural areas in a borderland region. The research sample was collected using purposive sampling and consisted of 552 respondents from 7th and 8th grades of primary school. An auditorium questionnaire was used to gather the research material. Results: Three months after returning to school, the students are in a bad mental condition. 61% of the respondents are satisfied with their lives, 52% of the respondents show symptoms of depression measured with the WHO-5 index, whereas 85% of them have average and high stress levels as measured with the PSSC scale. Higher levels of mental disorders was observed among females, the students inhabiting villages and evaluating their financial status as worse. Conclusions: Returning to schools failed to have a positive impact on the students’ mental health. Disorders occurring at a large scale will have a negative influence on the students’ performance and hinder their re-adaptation to school. Educational authorities shall immediately provide the students with support and monitor the situation in the next months.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sasha Stark ◽  
Heather Wardle ◽  
Isabel Burdett

Purpose & Significance: Despite the popularity of lottery and scratchcards and some evidence of gambling problems among players, limited research focuses on the risks of lottery and scratchcard play and predictors of problems, especially among young people. The purpose of this project is to examine whether lottery and scratchcard participation is related to gambling problems among 16-24 year olds in Great Britain and whether general and mental health and gambling behaviours explain this relationship. Methodology: Samples of 16-24 year olds were pooled from the 2012, 2015, and 2016 Gambling in England and Scotland: Combined Data from the Health Survey for England and the Scottish Health Survey (n=3,454). Bivariate analyses and Firth method logistic regression were used to examine the relationship between past-year lottery and scratchcard participation and gambling problems, assessing the attenuating role of mental wellbeing, mental health disorders, self-assessed general health, and playing other games in past year. Results: There is a significant association between scratchcard play and gambling problems. The association somewhat attenuated but remained significant after taking into account wellbeing, mental health disorders, general health, and engagement in other gambling activities. Findings also show that gambling problems are further predicted by age (20-24 years), gender (male), lower wellbeing, and playing any other gambling games. Implications: Results are valuable for informing youth-focused education, decisions around the legal age for National Lottery products, and the development of safer gambling initiatives for high risk groups and behaviours, such as scratchcard play.


PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Einar B. Thorsteinsson ◽  
Natasha M. Loi ◽  
Kathryn Farr

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a prevalent mental illness affecting women, and less commonly, men in the weeks and months after giving birth. Despite the high incidence of PPD in Australia, rates for help-seeking remain low, with stigma and discrimination frequently cited as the most common deterrents to seeking help from a professional source. The present study sought to investigate PPD stigma in a sample of parents and to examine the effects of an intervention on stigma and help-seeking behaviour. A total of 212 parents aged 18–71 years (M = 36.88, 194 females) completed measures of personal and perceived PPD stigma and attitudes towards seeking mental health services and were randomly assigned to one of four groups: an intervention group (video documentary or factsheet related to PPD) or a control group (video documentary or factsheet not related to PPD). Results showed that there were no effects for type of intervention on either personal or perceived PPD stigma scores. No effect was found for help-seeking propensity. Males had higher personal PPD stigma than females and older age was associated with lower personal PPD stigma. Familiarity with PPD was associated with perceived PPD stigma in others but not personal PPD stigma. More work needs to be conducted to develop interventions to reduce PPD stigma in the community.


2021 ◽  
pp. 025371762110345
Author(s):  
Jemimah A. Johnson ◽  
Prachi Sanghvi ◽  
Seema Mehrotra

Background: Despite the high prevalence of mental health disorders worldwide, a significant proportion of distressed individuals do not seek professional help. Digital technology can be a potential bridge to reduce the treatment gap for mental disorders. A systematic review was undertaken to examine the technology-based interventions aimed at improving help-seeking attitude, intention, or behavior for mental health concerns. Methods: The literature search was conducted in January–February 2020 through various e-databases using relevant keywords that targeted help-seeking interventions for mental health disorders via different technology modes. Results: 21 studies (15 randomized controlled trials and six non-randomized studies) were reviewed. The included studies were published between April 2006 to February 2020. Majority of the interventions led to an increase in the help-seeking variables. The crucial role of online delivery, participant involvement, and embedded links to professional services in encouraging help-seeking is highlighted. The review emphasizes the need for understanding utility of multicomponent interventions with personalized elements targeting help-seeking behavior, particularly in low-middle-income countries, and studies involving longer duration follow-ups. Conclusion: This systematic review is the first of its kind to examine technology-based interventions to improve help-seeking for mental health and suggests that such interventions play a crucial role in positively impacting help-seeking. The complex interplay between the relevant variables such as mental health literacy, stigma, help-seeking attitude, intention and behavior, and the intervention components that may have a differential bearing on these variables are issues that merit urgent attention in further research.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shameran Slewa-Younan ◽  
Pilar Rioseco ◽  
Maria Gabriela Uribe Guajardo ◽  
Jonathan Mond

Abstract Background Refugees are particularly vulnerable to poor mental health outcomes due to exposure to pre migration trauma and post migration stressors. Research has demonstrated evidence to suggest that the professional help-seeking among refugee groups is low or problematic. This study seeks to examine help-seeking for emotional problems in two large samples of Iraqi and Afghan refugees in Australia. Methods This study uses data from two waves of the Building a New Life in Australia, the longitudinal study of Humanitarian migrants. The data was collected face-to-face between 2013 and 2016, among humanitarian migrants. All participants held a permanent protection visa and had arrived in Australia or been granted their visa between period of May to December 2013. The study sample included 1288 participants born in Iraq and Afghanistan (aged 15 and over). In the Wave 3 interview (2015–2016) participants reported on professional help received to deal with emotional problems. Results Approximately 36 and 37% of the Iraqi and Afghan groups respectively, reported seeking help for emotional problems. Within the Iraqi group, associations between mental health status, namely general psychological distress and PTSD and help-seeking were found but this was not present in the Afghan group, where age seemed to play a role in help-seeking. Frequency of help received was low with approximately 47% of the Iraqi and 57% of the Afghan groups reporting having received help 5 times or less in the last 12 months. Conclusions Findings from this study provide clear directions on areas where culturally tailored mental health promotion programs should target in these two refugee communities. Further, the differences in help-seeking behaviour of these communities should be noted by both clinicians and policy makers as efforts to provide culturally responsive mental health services.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-20
Author(s):  
Khalifatul Azwin ◽  
Muhamad Fathul Muin

The student’s mental health has been a global issue. Students from various regions in Indonesia are more likely to be affected by mental health disorders caused by encountering an unfamiliar environment. Therefore, this study aims to determine the effect of culture shock and social support on depression, anxiety, and stress that is experienced. This research is a cross-sectional study using primary data taken from Polytechnic of Statistics students in the academic year of 2018/2019. The questionnaire refers to DASS-21, MOS Social Support, and 12 cultural concussion items formed by Taft and Mumford. The data obtained were analyzed by the PLS-SEM method. The results found that the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress experienced by students are 25.36%, 58.41%, and 17.20%, respectively. In addition, the high occurence of culture shock makes the depression, anxiety and stress experienced increased. Conversely, there was no significant effect between social support and culture shock, depression, anxiety, and stress. The high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress experienced by students have a negative impact. All related parties are expected to help overcome students' mental health disorders.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ru Jia ◽  
Kieran Ayling ◽  
Trudie Chalder ◽  
Adam Massey ◽  
Norina Gasteiger ◽  
...  

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had profound immediate impacts on population mental health. However, in whom the effects may be prolonged is less clear. Aims: To investigate the prevalence, incidence, prognosis, and risk factors for depression and anxiety reported in a UK cohort over three distinct periods in the pandemic in 2020. Method: An online survey was distributed to a UK community cohort (n=3097) at three points: April (baseline), July-September (T2) and November-December (T3). Participants completed validated measures of depression and anxiety on each occasion and we prospectively explored the role of socio-demographic factors and psychological factors (loneliness, positive mood, perceived risk of and worry about COVID-19) as risk factors. Results: Depression (PHQ-9 means - baseline: 7.69, T2: 5.53, T3: 6.06) and anxiety scores (GAD-7 means -baseline: 6.59, T2: 4.60, T3: 4.98) were considerably greater than pre-pandemic population norms. Women reported greater depression and anxiety than men. Being younger, having prior mental health disorders, more negative life events due to COVID-19, as well as greater loneliness and lower positive mood at baseline were significant predictors of poorer mental health outcomes. Conclusion: The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health has persisted to some degree. Younger people and individuals with prior mental health disorders were at greatest risk. Easing of restrictions might bring the opportunity for a return to social interaction, which could mitigate the risk factors of loneliness and positive mood.


2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (8) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Birutė Pitrėnaitė-Žilėnienė ◽  
Vilma Miglinė

It is forecasted that in the coming decades, Europe will inevitably be affected by very important natural and social upheavals, which can significantly affect public welfare, physical and mental health disorders. That is why it is important to prepare properly. In this context, the emphasis is to be able to effectively adapt to a rapidly changing world. Because of geophysical situation changes, a target would be to create a resistant society, which would be able to neutralize any upheaval impact and timely recover from it. War, armed conflicts, natural and technological disasters have a major psychological and social impact on the affected population. After each disaster, many people experience emotional trauma. Strong emotional upheaval can be experienced not only by those directly involved in the event and/or physical trauma victims, but also by their relatives or even an event unrelated individuals.<br />The purpose of this article is to analyze the current scientific literature, highlight the negative impact on the mental health of the risk factors during the emergency and substantiate the necessity to plan mental health related preventive measures.<br />One of the most common mental health problems after a disaster is a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Various factors may increase the risk of the development of the PTSD. Social factors play a significant role among them. Psychological resistance is strongly influenced by the perception that during emergency, support to the victims will be provided not only by family, but also by the competent authority which will properly take care of the physical and psychological comfort reset. That is why the emergency plans should include not only search, rescue and other means related to saving lives and physical health, but also means related to psychosocial support services.<br />It is hardly possible to develop precise scenarios/prognosis of a disaster. Therefore, flexibility, regular checking and update are essential requirements for emergency management planning. Individuals who participate in actions in response to an emergency must have a clear understanding of their role. When planning a response to the disaster, it is necessary to ensure the availability of mental health services and psychosocial support to the affected communities, according to the risk factors, which influence the development of mental health disorders. Therefore, it is extremely important to create a long-term communitybased mental health care system for response during and recovery after disasters.


Author(s):  
Surendran Venkataraman ◽  
Rajkumar Patil ◽  
Sivaprakash Balasundaram

The magnitude of mental disorders is a growing public health concern. An increasing amount of research globally has attempted to understand the reasons for poor help-seeking for different mental health disorders. A segment of work has focused on ‘mental health literacy’ (MHL) defined as knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders which aid their recognition, management & prevention. Studies on mental health literacy, people’s knowledge of, and attitude towards mental illness, and beliefs about mental health treatment were obtained through a review of literature in PubMed databases using the medical subject headings (MeSH) terms and unpublished, grey literature during the year 1995 to 2018. Nearly 50 of the eligible articles were included for the final report. Findings revealed that the general public have relatively poor recognition of the symptoms of mental health disorders and appear to emphasise self-help over standard medical treatments. Negative attitudes toward mental illness that hinders individuals from seeking professional treatment, and help-seeking are the common themes that emerge from the findings. Findings also revealed that treatment seeking, attitudes and beliefs toward mental illness are related to mental health literacy. Several different factors that influence have been identified, including gender, culture, age, educational qualifications, and personality. MHL in general remains at a relatively low level. There is an urgent need to improve awareness of mental illness and mental health literacy among the general public. Future research for improving MHL are required. 


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