scholarly journals Strategies to improve access to mental health services: Perspectives of African migrants and service providers in South Australia

2021 ◽  
pp. 100058
Author(s):  
Nelsensius Klau Fauk ◽  
Anna Ziersch ◽  
Hailay Gesesew ◽  
Paul Russell Ward ◽  
Lillian Mwanri
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
South Australia ◽  
African Migrants ◽  
Improve Access

scholarly journals Migrants and Service Providers’ Perspectives of Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Services in South Australia: A Case of African Migrants with a Refugee Background in South Australia

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 8906
Author(s):  
Nelsensius Fauk ◽  
Anna Ziersch ◽  
Hailay Gesesew ◽  
Paul Ward ◽  
Erin Green ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health System ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Mental Health Stigma ◽  
African Migrants ◽  
Stigma And Discrimination

International mobility has increased steadily in recent times, bringing along a myriad of health, social and health system challenges to migrants themselves and the host nations. Mental health issues have been identified as a significant problem among migrants, with poor accessibility and underutilisation of the available mental health services (MHSs) repeatedly reported, including in Australia. Using a qualitative inquiry and one-on-one in-depth interviews, this study explored perspectives of African migrants and service providers on barriers to accessing MHSs among African migrants in South Australia. The data collection took place during the COVID-19 pandemic with lockdown and other measures to combat the pandemic restricting face to face meetings with potential participants. Online platforms including Zoom and/or WhatsApp video calls were used to interview 20 African migrants and 10 service providers. Participants were recruited from community groups and/or associations, and organisations providing services for migrants and/or refugees in South Australia using the snowball sampling technique. Thematic framework analysis was used to guide the data analysis. Key themes centred on personal factors (health literacy including knowledge and the understanding of the health system, and poor financial condition), structural factors related to difficulties in navigating the complexity of the health system and a lack of culturally aware service provision, sociocultural and religious factors, mental health stigma and discrimination. The findings provide an insight into the experiences of African migrants of service provision to them and offer suggestions on how to improve these migrants’ mental health outcomes in Australia. Overcoming barriers to accessing mental health services would need a wide range of strategies including education on mental health, recognising variations in cultures for effective service provision, and addressing mental health stigma and discrimination which strongly deter service access by these migrants. These strategies will facilitate help-seeking behaviours as well as effective provision of culturally safe MHSs and improvement in access to MHSs among African migrants.

Recovery Star: validating user recovery

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoff Dickens ◽  
Judy Weleminsky ◽  
Yetunde Onifade ◽  
Philip Sugarman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Mental Health Recovery ◽  
Addictive Behaviour ◽  
Health Service Providers ◽  
The Uk

Aims and methodMental Health Recovery Star is a multifaceted 10-item outcomes measure and key-working tool that has been widely adopted by service providers in the UK. We aimed to explore its factorial validity, internal consistency and responsiveness. Recovery Star readings were conducted twice with 203 working-age adults with moderate to severe mental health problems attending a range of mental health services, and a third time with 113 of these individuals.ResultsMental Health Recovery Star had high internal consistency and appeared to measure an underlying recovery-oriented construct. Results supported a valid two-factor structure which explained 48% of variance in Recovery Star ratings data. Two Recovery Star items (‘relationships’ and ‘addictive behaviour’) did not load onto either factor. There was good statistically significant item responsiveness, and no obvious item redundancy. Data for a small number of variables were not normally distributed and the implications of this are discussed.Clinical implicationsRecovery Star has been received enthusiastically by both mental health service providers and service users. This study provides further evidence for its adoption in recovery-focused mental health services and indicates that items relating to addictive behaviour, responsibilities and work could be further developed in future.

Preferred Terms for Users of Mental Health Services Among Service Providers and Recipients

2000 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Verinder Sharma ◽  
Diane Whitney ◽  
Shahé S. Kazarian ◽  
Rahul Manchanda
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Service Providers

Novel research on transition from child to adult mental health services in Europe: The MILESTONE project

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S58-S59 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Tuomainen ◽  
S.P. Singh ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Care Pathway ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Adult Mental Health ◽  
Related Service ◽  
Competing Interest

IntroductionCurrent service configuration of distinct Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) and Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) is considered the weakest link where the care pathway should be most robust. Transition-related discontinuity of care is a major health, socioeconomic and societal challenge for the EU.ObjectivesThe overall objective of the MILESTONE project is to improve transition from CAMHS to AMHS in diverse healthcare settings in Europe.AimsTo improve the understanding of current transition-related service characteristics, and processes, outcomes and experiences of transition from CAMHS to AMHS using a bespoke suite of measures; to explore the ethical challenges of providing appropriate care to young people as they move to adulthood; to test a model of managed transition in a cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) for improving health, social outcomes and transition to adult roles; and to develop training modules for clinicians and policy guidelines.MethodsData will be collected via systematic literature reviews; bespoke surveys to CAMHS professionals, experts and other stakeholders; focus groups with service providers and users and members of youth and mental health advocacy groups; and a longitudinal cohort study with a nested cRCT in eight EU countries (Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, UK) involving over 1000 CAMHS service users, their parents/carers, and clinicians, with assessments at baseline, 9, 18 and 27 months.ResultsFirst results are expected in 2016 with further major findings following in 2019.ConclusionsThe MILESTONE project will provide unprecedented information on the nature and magnitude of problems at the CAMHS-AMHS interface, and potential solutions to overcome these.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Approaches to Delivering Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: The South Australian Experience

1995 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 230-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Gifford Sawyer ◽  
Robert John Kosky
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
Child And Adolescent ◽  
The South ◽  
Number Of Children

Approximately 10% of children and adolescents experience mental health problems, however only a small proportion receive specialised help. Identifying approaches which can provide a balanced and effective service for the large number of children and adolescents with problems is currently a major challenge for child and adolescent mental health services in Australia. In South Australia, following a review in 1983, child and adolescent services were reorganised into two separate but closely related services. This paper draws on experience in South Australia over the last decade to identify approaches which can be employed in six key areas that significantly influence the effectiveness of child and adolescent mental health services. The paper also describes the specific features which were included in the South Australian child and adolescent mental health service to address these issues.

Enhancing Successful Employment Outcomes for People with a Psychiatric Disability

1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-64
Author(s):  
Maxie Ashton ◽  
Josephine Dowsett
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Psychiatric Disability ◽  
Rehabilitation Services ◽  
Important Goal ◽  
Rehabilitation Process ◽  
Successful Employment

Work, for most people with psychiatric disability, is their most important goal and yet they often have more difficulty getting work and maintaining work than other disability groups. Six focus groups were held with consumers of mental health services to explore the reason for this and identify what rehabilitation services should do about this problem. The groups recommended many strategies which have been divided by the authors into three rehabilitation phases. Three check lists have been developed to assist service providers address the range of needs with consumers during the rehabilitation process and to identify service gaps.

Evaluating models of working at the interface between mental health services and primary care

1997 ◽  
Vol 170 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Gask ◽  
Bonnie Sibbald ◽  
Francis Creed
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Psychiatric Nurses ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Secondary Health Care

BackgroundThis paper examines the feasibility of evaluating innovative models of working at the interface between primary care and secondary mental health services.MethodMethodological problems relevant to evaluation of innovative models of working at the interface are discussed.ResultsAlthough there is some evidence that neurotic disorders can be more cost-effectively treated in primary care, many general practitioners (GPs), and possibly some patients, prefer referral to community mental health teams and community psychiatric nurses, which are provided by the secondary health care services. Since the latter are provided with the intention of improving serious mental illness their involvement in the care of neurotic illness can lead to tensions between GPs, local health authorities and service providers. There is little evidence to suggest that psychiatrists working in health centres using the ‘shifted out-patient’ model have eased this problem. By contrast the ‘consultation-liaison’ (C-L) model has a number of theoretical advantages; referrals to secondary care should be limited to those most in need of this level of expertise and GP management skills should improve, so leading to better quality of care for patients who are not referred.ConclusionStudies comparing the different models of service delivery are required to address the tensions that have arisen following changes in government policy. Further work is also needed to develop the necessary research tools.

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