The impact of mental health support for the chronically ill on hospital utilisation: Evidence from the UK

Abstract Purpose The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has put a great strain on people’s mental health. A growing number of studies have shown worsening mental health measures globally during the pandemic. However, there is a lack of empirical study on how people support their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to examine a number of formal and informal mental health support. Further, it explored factors that might be associated with the use of different types mental health support. Methods Data from 26,720 adults in the UCL COVID-19 Social Study were analysed between 13th April 2020 and 3rd July 2020. Data were analysed using logistic and Poisson regression models. Results About 45% of people reported talking to friends or family members to support their mental health, 43% engaging in self-care activities, 20% taking medication, 9% speaking to mental health professionals, 8% talking to a GP or other health professional, and another 8% using helpline or online services. Gender, education, living status, loneliness, pre-existing mental health conditions, general depression and anxiety, coping and personality were found to be associated with the use of mental health support. Conclusion While the negative impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are inevitable, people can play an active role in managing their mental health. Understanding the patterns and predictors of various kinds of mental health support during the pandemic is crucial for future service planning and delivery through recognising potential barriers to mental health care faced by certain groups.

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COVID-19 Suicide Survivors—A Hidden Grieving Population

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2020.626807 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Sara Pinto ◽

Joana Soares ◽

Alzira Silva ◽

Rosário Curral ◽

Rui Coelho

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Social Stigma ◽

Complicated Grief ◽

Health Staff ◽

Suicide Survivors ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Mental Health Support ◽

Health Support ◽

The Impact

Present time has been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. People are grieving several non-death related situations: the loss of a job, of a status, of a role, of their life. Restrictive measures and uncertainty about the future makes individuals vulnerable to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Mental health support has been hindered and teams are reinventing themselves to reach people in need. Nevertheless, decompensation of previous psychiatric disorders, increasing levels of depression and anxiety, economical handicaps and fear of the infection, are prompting several cases of COVID-19 related suicides worldwide. Every suicide affects between 5 and 80 individuals, which are known as suicide survivors. Suicide grief is particularly challenging, with rates of complicated grief as high as 40%. Suicide survivors are at increased risk of developing depression, anxiety disorders and of suicidal behaviors. Moreover, feelings of guilt and shame, as well as social stigma, are major obstacles for them to reach form help. This article aims to review the existing literature on COVID-19 related suicides, complicated grief in suicide survivors and highlight modifiable risk factors for both conditions, as well as propose some public health measures to reduce the impact of the pandemic context on self-inflicted harm and its consequences on families, friends and the community. Obstacles to access to mental health support need to be overcome through the use of technology. Technicians should actively approach populations more vulnerable to develop suicidal ideation. Social media have the obligation to provide accurate an non-sensationalistic information. Families and friends should maintain social proximity, despite the need for physical distancing. When a suicide death occurs, police forces and health staff should be prepared to share the news with the family using an empathic and humane approach and providing psychological support. Funerals, memorials and other services should be held as much as possible. Closer contacts should be signalized and closely followed in order to detect the need for specific interventions. Help seeking behaviors should be promoted. Additionally, people should be educated on suicide and its impacts, in order to reduce stigma.

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Student perspectives on mental health support and services in the UK

Journal of Further and Higher Education ◽

10.1080/0309877x.2019.1579896 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 44 (4) ◽

pp. 483-497 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rachel Batchelor ◽

Emma Pitman ◽

Alex Sharpington ◽

Melissa Stock ◽

Eilidh Cage

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Student Perspectives ◽

Mental Health Support ◽

Health Support ◽

The Uk

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The Psychological Impact of Coronavirus on University Students and its Socio-Economic Determinants in Malaysia

INQUIRY The Journal of Health Care Organization Provision and Financing ◽

10.1177/00469580211056217 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 58 ◽

pp. 004695802110562

Author(s):

Muhammad Irfan ◽

Faizah Shahudin ◽

Vincent J. Hooper ◽

Waqar Akram ◽

Rosmaiza B. Abdul Ghani

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

University Students ◽

Family Income ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Anxiety Level ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Mental Health Support ◽

Health Support ◽

The Government ◽

The Impact

The objective of this article is to examine the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) upon university students’ anxiety level and to find the factors associated with the anxiety level in Malaysia. We collected data from 958 students from 16 different universities using an originally designed questionnaire. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale 7-item (GAD-7) was used to estimate the anxiety. Then we applied the ordered logit model to calculate the odds ratios (OR) and factors associated with the anxiety level. We find that 12.3% of students were normal, whereas 30.5% were experiencing mild anxiety, 31.1% moderate anxiety, and 26.1% severe anxiety. Surprisingly, only 37.2% of students were aware of mental health support that was provided by their universities. However, age above 20 years (OR = 1.30), ethnicity Chinese (OR = 1.72), having any other disease (OR = 2.0), decreased family income (OR = 1.71), more time spent on watching COVID-19-related news (OR = 1.52), and infected relative or friends (OR = 1.62) were risk factors for anxiety among students. We conclude that the government of Malaysia should monitor the mental health of the universities’ students more closely and universities should open online mental health support clinics to avoid the adverse impacts of anxiety.

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The psychological impact of coronavirus on university students and its socio-economic determinants in Malaysia

10.1101/2020.10.27.20220723 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Muhammad Irfan ◽

Faizah Shahudin ◽

Vincent James Hooper ◽

Waqar Akram ◽

Rosmaiza Binti Abdul Ghani

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Anxiety Disorder ◽

University Students ◽

Family Income ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Economic Determinants ◽

Mental Health Support ◽

Health Support ◽

The Government ◽

The Impact

AbstractThis article examines the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) upon university students’ anxiety level and finds the factors associated with the anxiety disorder in Malaysia. We collected data from 958 students from 16 different universities using an originally designed questionnaire. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale 7-item (GAD-7) was used to estimate the anxiety. We find that 12.3% students were normal, whereas 30.5% were experiencing mild, 31.1% moderate, and 26.1% severe anxiety. Surprisingly, only 37.2% of students were aware of mental health support which was provided by their universities. Moreover, it was found that gender as male (Odds Ratio (OR= 0.798, 95% Confidence Interval (CI)= 0.61 - 1.04)) and having internet access (OR = 0.44, 95% CI= 0.24 - 0.80) were alleviating factors for the anxiety. Whereas, age above than 20 years (OR= 1.30, 95% CI= 0.96 - 1.75), ethnicity Chinese (OR=1.72, 95% CI= 0.95 - 3.1), any other disease (OR=2.0, 95% CI=1.44 - 2.79), decreased family income (OR=1.71, 95% CI=1.34 - 2.17), more time spent on watching COVID-19 related news (OR=1.52, 95% CI=1.17 - 1.97), and infected relative or friends (OR=1.62, 95% CI=1.06 - 2.50) were risk factors for anxiety among students. We suggest that the government of Malaysia should monitor the mental health of the universities’ students more closely and universities should open online mental health support clinics to avoid the adverse impacts of the anxiety disorder.

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Assessment of the Impact of a Daily Rehabilitation Program on Anxiety and Depression Symptoms and the Quality of Life of People with Mental Disorders during the COVID-19 Pandemic

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18041434 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 1434

Author(s):

Joanna Smolarczyk-Kosowska ◽

Anna Szczegielniak ◽

Mateusz Legutko ◽

Adam Zaczek ◽

Łukasz Kunert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mental Health ◽

Rehabilitation Program ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Sf 36 ◽

Mental Health Support ◽

Health Support ◽

The Impact

Community psychiatry is a modern and effective form of care for patients with mental disorders. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of a rehabilitation program at the Mental Health Support Centre in Tarnowskie Góry (Poland) on reducing severity of anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as improving overall quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved 35 patients, examined with an authors’ questionnaire on sociodemographic data, the Hospital Scale of Anxiety and Depression (HADS) and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Data was obtained during the first national lockdown and compared to data gathered before the pandemic on the same study group. Imposed restrictions, negative emotional state during lockdown, subjectively assessed higher health risk and a low level of knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly correlate with a severity of depression and anxiety, as well as general quality of life. However, the comparison of the results obtained in HADS and SF-36 scales show a significant improvement in both categories. Rehabilitation activities, including physical training, cognitive exercise and social therapy, reduce the severity of the symptoms and have a positive effect on the overall quality of life in patients suffering from schizophrenia and affective disorders. Therefore, holistic mental health support services may positively affect building an individual resilience. The severity of anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic shows a negative correlation with the patient’s age.

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Self-harm presentations to Emergency Departments and Place of Safety during the ‘first wave’ of the UK COVID-19 pandemic: South London and Maudsley data on service use from February to June 2020

10.1101/2020.12.10.20247155 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Eleanor Nuzum ◽

Evangelia Martin ◽

Gemma Morgan ◽

Rina Dutta ◽

Christoph Mueller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Service ◽

Health Service ◽

Service Use ◽

Substantial Impact ◽

Mental Health Support ◽

Self Harm ◽

Health Support ◽

Clinical Records ◽

The Impact

AbstractThe lockdown and social distancing policy imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on both mental health service delivery, and the ways in which people are accessing these services. Previous reports from the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM; a large mental health service provider for around 1.2m residents in South London) have highlighted increased use of virtual contacts by mental health teams, with dropping numbers of face-to-face contacts over the first wave of the pandemic. There has been concern that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic would lead to higher mental health emergencies, particularly instances of self-harm. However, with people advised to stay at home during the ‘first wave’ lockdown, it is as yet unclear whether this impacted mental health service presentations. Taking advantage of SLaM’s Clinical Records Interactive Search (CRIS) data resource with daily updates of information from its electronic mental health records, this paper describes overall presentations to Emergency Department (ED) mental health liaison teams, and those with self-harm. The paper focussed on three periods: i) a pre-lockdown period 1st February to 15th March, ii) a lockdown period 16th March to 10th May and iii) a post-lockdown period 11th May to 28th June. In summary, all attendances to EDs for mental health support decreased during the lockdown period, including those with self-harm. All types of self-harm decreased during lockdown, with self-poisoning remaining the most common. Attendances to EDs for mental health support increased post-lockdown, although were only just approaching pre-lockdown levels by the end of June 2020.

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Impact of Stigma in Covid-19 Patient: A Litteratur Review

JOURNAL FOR QUALITY IN PUBLIC HEALTH ◽

10.30994/jqph.v4i1.133 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 161-164

Author(s):

Arif Nurma Etika ◽

Endang Mei Yunalia ◽

Erik Irham Lutfi ◽

Wiwin Sulisyawati

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mortality Rate ◽

Literature Review ◽

Search Engine ◽

Health Workers ◽

Negative Impact ◽

High Virulence ◽

Mental Health Support ◽

Health Support ◽

The Impact

Background: Covid - 19 is a disease that has a high virulence so it is easily transmitted, even now it has become a pandemic. Because the impact is mainly for people who have comorbid and also the mortality rate in patients and misleading media, so many people who give stigma to patients and their families. The stigma given to patients suffering from Covid-19 is thought to have a significant impact on the patient. Purpose: Aim of this study to analyze the impact of stigma on patients with Covid-19 Methods: the method used in writing this article is literature review. By using the google scholar search engine, Pubmed, DOAJ, Science Dirrect, Research Gate, with the keywords Covid, impact and Stigma, in 2020, the articles that meet the criteria are 6 articles. Results: Based on the existing analysis, it was found that stigma, both internal stigma and external stigma can affect the mental health of patients with co-19, in addition to other impacts also caused among them are socioeconomic problems Conclusion: It is recommended for health workers to provide mental health support for patients with Covid-19, in addition it is also necessary to have a policy that minimizes the negative impact caused

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Types of social support associated with depression in the UK adult population

Environment and Social Psychology ◽

10.18063/esp.v0.i0.831 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

SOO YIN TAN 1 ◽

SOO Shi Hui Joy 1 ◽

Keming YANG 3

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Social Relations ◽

Adult Population ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Health Support ◽

Health Support ◽

The Uk ◽

Sociological Studies ◽

Mental Well Being

Many well-established sociological studies pertaining to the salubrious link between social relations and mental health have been published. In particular, numerous researchers address the issue of how social isolation and lack of family support and social ties can adversely affect one’s mental well-being. In this paper, we seek to identify and explore the relationships between people who were clinically diagnosed with depression and the aspects of their social environment, namely their social and family circumstances in the UK adult population. One hundred and ten blogs mentioning depression as their main condition were selected from a mental health support website, Time-to-Change, for analysis. As not many studies have analysed such narratives, we expected the analysis to provide a fresher and deeper understanding of the experiences of those afflicted with depression. We observed that there is a consistent discourse emphasising the importance of social support from close loved ones, in particular friends and family members. There is evidence that social circumstances can be mediating factors in depression.

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Understanding Mental Health: What Are the Issues for Black and Ethnic Minority Students at University?

Social Sciences ◽

10.3390/socsci7100196 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (10) ◽

pp. 196 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Jason Arday

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Ethnic Minority ◽

Minority Students ◽

Ethnic Minorities ◽

Racial Inequality ◽

Culturally Appropriate ◽

Mental Health Support ◽

Health Support ◽

The Impact ◽

Culturally Appropriate Services

Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities continue to experience inequalities within the United Kingdom (UK) mental health system despite major government policy initiatives. Access to higher education for many ethnic minorities remains problematic. Within higher education, BME students consistently face barriers in terms of accessing culturally appropriate services including a lack of cultural understanding, communication issues, and where and how to seek help. This paper attempts to address the problems facing ethnic minorities with regard to accessing mental health services at university. Importantly, this paper highlights that barriers to accessing mental health support for ethnic minorities directly impact upon attainment outcomes and psychological well-being. This study utilizes the narratives of 32 BME university students to examine the impact of negotiating racial inequality and discrimination at university and the impact upon mental health. Aspects examined considered the impact of belonging, isolation, and marginalization on mental health and how this consequently affects university participation for BME students. Utilizing a thematic analysis paradigm, the key findings presented point towards differential healthcare outcomes for ethnic minority university students experiencing mental illness. The empirical findings in this paper suggest that currently ethnic minority service users experience overt discrimination and a lack of access to culturally appropriate services that are cognizant of the racialized plights faced by BME individuals. These findings inform an overarching dialogue, which suggests that mental health service providers need to work more collegially with people from BME communities prior to service design and delivery. Furthermore, the findings suggest that, upon presenting mental health issues, information should be made available in appropriate languages for ethnic minorities to support understanding about their illnesses and how they can seek professional intervention and help. Conclusions and recommendations provided advocate greater diversification of mental health support systems for ethnic minority students within universities. Conclusions drawn will also consider how existing systems can function to dismantle racial inequality within the mental health profession.

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