Introduction to special collection on mental health and psychosocial issues in transplantation: Moving the field forward

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe an intervention with a group of homeless men from the Horn of Africa, service users of the Horn of Africa Health and Wellbeing Project in London. The group was conceived by the second author who noted the presence of significant psychosocial issues for her clients, but equally their reluctance to access mainstream mental health or social care services. Design/methodology/approach Designing the group and introducing it to the men involved threw up some challenges which are explored, and the impact of the group on participants is evaluated. Findings Overall both the participants and the facilitators evaluated the group positively and it appeared to have led to lasting change for some of the group members, and this is described. The authors argue that this sort of group may be a more acceptable way to work on psychosocial issues than something more directly focused on mental health intervention. The group protocol is outlined along with suggestions for future work in this area. Originality/value This intervention represents a creative alternative to more mainstream psychological interventions for homeless or exiled men.

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Exploring links between common mental health problems, alcohol/substance use and perpetration of intimate partner violence: A rapid ethnographic assessment with men in urban Kenya

Global Mental Health ◽

10.1017/gmh.2017.25 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

A. Schafer ◽

P. Koyiet

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Substance Use ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Marital Conflict ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

High Stress ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Psychosocial Issues

Introduction:Kenya has some of the highest rates of gender-based violence (GBV) in the world, particularly intimate partner violence. World Vision completed a rapid ethnographic assessment to explore common problems faced by men and local perspectives about the links between men, mental health, alcohol use and GBV.Methods:Data from community free-listing surveys (n = 52), four focus group discussions and two key informant interviews formed the basis for thematic analysis and findings.Results:Lack of jobs, ‘idleness’ and finances were viewed as top priority concerns facing men; however, alcohol and substance use were equally prioritised. Family problems, crime and general psychosocial issues (e.g., high stress, low self-esteem) were also reported. Men withdrawing socially, changing behaviour and increasing alcohol consumption were described as signs that men were experiencing mental health challenges. The community observed alcohol use as the biggest cause of GBV, believing men resorted to drinking because of having ‘too much time’, marital conflict, psychosocial issues and access to alcohol. The findings theorise that a circular link between unemployment, alcohol and crime is likely contributing to familial, psychosocial and gender concerns, and that men's mental health support may assist to re-direct a trajectory for individuals at risk of perpetrating GBV.Conclusions:Data confirmed that GBV is a major concern in these Kenya communities and has direct links with alcohol use, which is subsequently linked to mental health and psychosocial problems. Attempting to disrupt progression to the perpetration of violence by men, via mental health care interventions, warrants further research.

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Psychosocial Issues Related to Genitourinary Injury

10.1093/med/9780190461508.003.0006 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Suzanne M. Waddingham

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Operation Iraqi Freedom ◽

Operation Enduring Freedom ◽

Treatment Intervention ◽

Psychosocial Issues ◽

Mental Health Providers ◽

Health Providers ◽

Psychosocial Impacts ◽

Iraqi Freedom

Given the incidence of genitourinary trauma in service members surviving severe injury in Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom, all health care and mental health providers attending this population need to have an awareness of the extent of injury, the physical and psychosocial impacts, and the resulting approaches to care. It is also important that clinicians are comfortable with assessment for issues relating to sexual health and intimacy, capable adequately addressing these issues, familiar with military culture as a component to these issues, and familiar with treatment, intervention, and resources available to this population for these very specific and critical needs.

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Children and Adolescents With Medical Conditions

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190634841.013.38 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Ashley N. Marchante-Hoffman ◽

Annette M. La Greca

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Family Conflict ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Psychosocial Issues ◽

Medical Conditions ◽

Cell Disease ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Future Work

Physical health concerns are common among youth and are linked to mental health. Attention to the interplay between physical and mental health is critical for healthcare providers. This chapter highlights crosscutting issues, assessments, and interventions relevant to child health populations. To understand the interaction between medical and psychological health in youth, chronic pediatric conditions (Type 1 diabetes and sickle cell disease) are described as prototypes for understanding psychosocial issues (e.g., adherence, pain management) that affect youth with medical conditions. Evidence suggests that these children with medical conditions, especially those poorly managed or controlled, are at greater risk for psychosocial issues (e.g., stress, comorbid psychological concerns, family conflict) compared to the general population. Careful risk assessment and individual or family interventions are critical for these youth and are a focus here. Well-established interventions for diverse youth with medical conditions are discussed, and recommendations for future work in this area are provided.

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Pediatrician Interview Style and Mothers' Disclosure of Psychosocial Issues

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.93.2.289 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 93 (2) ◽

pp. 289-295

Author(s):

Lawrence S. Wissow ◽

Modena E.H. Wilson ◽

Debra L. Roter

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Primary Care ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Primary Care Clinic ◽

Health Problems ◽

Physical Punishment ◽

Pediatric Primary Care ◽

Psychosocial Issues ◽

City Hospital ◽

Care Clinic

Objective. Primary care pediatricians play an important role in the detection, diagnosis, treatment, and referral of children with mental health problems. Some parents, however, are reluctant to discuss behavioral and emotional symptoms with their child's pediatrician. Studies of patient-physician communication suggest that specific aspects of pediatrician interview style (asking questions about psychosocial issues, making supportive statements, and listening attentively) increase disclosure of sensitive information. We hypothesized that disclosures of parent and child psychosocial problems would be more likely to occur during visits when pediatricians used these techniques. Design. Cross-sectional analysis of a systematic sample of pediatric primary care visits. Population. Two hundred thirty-four children ages 6 months to 14 years and their mothers or female guardians attending an inner-city hospital-based pediatric primary care clinic; 52 physicians in their second or third year of pediatric residency training. Methods. Visits audiotaped and dialogue coded using the Roter Interactional Analysis System. Independent variables included counts of pediatrician utterances in the following categories: (a) questions about psychosocial issues, (b) statements of support and reassurance, and (c) statements indicating sympathetic and attentive listening. Dependent variables were the disclosure of information about: (a) parental medical or emotional impairment, (b) family disruption, (c) use of physical punishment, and (d) aggressive or overactive child behavior. Results. Use of psychosocially oriented interviewing techniques was associated with a greater likelihood of disclosure for all four of the topic areas studied. Odds ratios for disclosure, adjusted for parental concerns and child age, ranged from 1.09 to 1.22 depending on the interview technique and outcome involved. Positive associations were observed both for topics raised primarily in response to pediatrician questions (family and parent problems) and for topics raised primarily by mothers (behavior and punishment). Conclusions. Three simple communication skills were associated with disclosure of specific concerns relevant to child mental health. Training pediatricians to use these skills would help to better detect and diagnose children's mental health problems.

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Practical Report on Long-term Disaster Mental Health Services Following the Great East Japan Earthquake: Psychological and Social Background of Evacuees in Sendai City in the Mid- to Long-term Post-disaster Period

Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness ◽

10.1017/dmp.2016.157 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 439-450 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Masatsugu Orui ◽

Shuichiro Harada ◽

Mizuho Hayashi ◽

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Issues ◽

Psychosocial Support ◽

Alcohol Problems ◽

Great East Japan Earthquake ◽

Psychosocial Issues ◽

Disaster Mental Health ◽

Stress Symptoms ◽

Post Disaster

AbstractObjectiveThe Great East Japan Earthquake, which occurred on March 11, 2011, caused unprecedented damage. To address evacuees’ psychosocial issues, our disaster mental health team provided psychosocial support in the form of careful listening and providing information for reconstruction.MethodsTo summarize evacuees’ psychosocial issues, we reviewed records of our daily activities and analyzed factors related to continuation or termination of support. Terminated support was defined as the resolution or improvement of psychological issues relative to the time of initial support.ResultsBased on logistic regression analysis, living in prefabricated temporary housing (odds ratio [OR]: 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.19-0.72), a high number of improved stress symptoms (0.81; 95% CI: 0.67-0.99), and higher support frequency (0.84; 95% CI: 0.78-0.90) were significantly associated with a lower likelihood of continuing support. Conversely, economic and resettlement issues (2.75; 95% CI: 1.63-4.64) and high numbers of stress symptoms (1.24; 95% CI: 1.06-1.45) were strongly and significantly associated with continuing support, particularly in the mid- to long-term phase following the earthquake (ie, after August 1, 2011). No significant association was found between support status and alcohol problems or disaster-related experiences (eg, loss of family or housing).ConclusionOur findings highlight the need to be aware of evacuees’ social issues such as resettlement in the mid- to long-term post-disaster phase. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:439–450)

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HIV/AIDS Education Survey for Mental Health Professionals

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1998.82.3.887 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 82 (3) ◽

pp. 887-897 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Freddy A. Paniagua ◽

Richard M. Grimes ◽

Michael O'Boyle ◽

Karen D. Wagner ◽

Victor L. Tan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Educational Programs ◽

Aids Education ◽

Hiv Positive ◽

Psychosocial Issues ◽

Professional Counselors ◽

Licensed Professional Counselors ◽

Hiv Aids

A total of 6804 mental health professionals, e.g., licensed and certified psychologists, licensed professional counselors, in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas were mailed a questionnaire regarding HIV/AIDS topics professionals might recommend for educational programs. Participants were asked to rate how strongly they would recommend each topic. The return rate was 31% (2121). The percentage of participants who did not recommend the topics was low (0.7%–10.9%). Most topics were either recommended (6.5%–50.2%) or strongly recommended (29.0%–92.8%). Topics with ratings of 80% of participants endorsing the strongly recommended rating included psychological crises associated with learning one is HIV positive, psychosocial issues, and counseling dying clients regarding grief, loss, and legal issues. The results are discussed in terms of continuing to develop educational programs targeting mental health professionals.

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Mental health status and psychosocial issues during Nationwide COVID-19 quarantine in Iran in 2020: A cross-sectional study in Mazandaran Province

Current Psychology ◽

10.1007/s12144-021-02011-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Maryam Hasannezhad Reskati ◽

Misagh Shafizad ◽

Mohsen Aarabi ◽

Akbar Hedayatizadeh-Omran ◽

Sahar Khosravi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Status ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Mental Health Status ◽

Psychosocial Issues ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Mazandaran Province ◽

Cross Sectional

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Psychosocial research with children in Iraq: current health practice and policy in a context of armed conflict

International Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/s1749367600003921 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 72-74 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Abdul Kareem Al Obaidi ◽

Tim Corcoran ◽

Leslie Scarth

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Armed Conflict ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Psychosocial Issues ◽

Culturally Appropriate ◽

Population Parameters ◽

Health Practice ◽

High Quality ◽

Current Health ◽

Research With Children

There is a need to show how psychosocial issues affect children in conflict areas like Iraq. Raising knowledge and awareness of children's mental health status in Iraq has been difficult and the knowledge base has been limited by the shortage of resources, international sanctions and the isolation of Iraqi scholars. Many obstacles to research in Iraq exist but an agenda should be developed emphasising the need for high-quality contextualised psychosocial research. Health researchers in the country need to clarify basic population parameters and to provide culturally appropriate, evidence-based interventions for practitioners.

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