Problematic cannabis use amongst those with severe mental health problems in an inner city area of the UK

Research reports high levels of mental health problems faced by young people in the UK. Schools provide a range of mental health support services, although these are often not robustly evaluated. This paper aims to explore the mental health provision of secondary schools across two large regions in the North of England and provide comparisons to the mental health questionnaire scores of their pupils. Results are part of a wider study providing an overview of the mental health of secondary school pupils. Measures include the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, distributed to year 8, 9, and 11 pupils attending secondary schools and a bespoke mental health service provision questionnaire for school staff at the same schools. A total of 6328 pupil questionnaires and 36 staff questionnaires were returned from 21 schools. Results showed a non-significant correlation between provision and young people’s mental health scores and highlight a range of factors to take into consideration. There is a need to improve the evaluation and recording of school-based mental health provision. Mental health difficulties in young people are prevalent in schools. Future research is needed to elucidate which types of services are most helpful in preventing, supporting, and signposting those with mental health problems.

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MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AT WORKPLACE: AN OVERVIEW OF LAW AND POLICY IN MALAYSIA AND UNITED KINGDOM (UK)

International Journal of Law, Government and Communication ◽

10.35631/ijlgc.5210026 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (21) ◽

pp. 316-329

Author(s):

Ruzita Azmi ◽

Siti Nur Samawati Ahmad ◽

Bidayatul Akmal Mustafa Kamil

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Comparative Method ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Legal Framework ◽

Health Problems ◽

Comparative Approach ◽

Research Approach ◽

Law And Policy ◽

The Uk

Surveys showed that workers in Malaysia are at high risk of health problems including mental health problems that stemmed from the rising stress level at work. Despite having employees’ safety, health, and welfare being codified, depression will be a major mental health illness among Malaysian by 2020. The Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA 1994) that caters to legislative framework in terms of securing safety, health, and welfare among Malaysian workforces has no provisions to provide a supportive environment for mental health wellbeing at the workplace as well as support for employees with a mental health problem. Furthermore, OSHA 1994 is self-regulated, causing fewer employers to develop OSH codes of practice and guidelines. This is among the weaknesses of OSHA 1994. This paper aims to examine the existing law and policy in Malaysia on mental health at the workplace. It also aims to compare the policy and legal framework in developed commonwealth countries such as the UK. This paper applies qualitative and comparative methods, consisting of a doctrinal legal research approach to understand the principles of law and policies dealing with mental health. A comparative method is employed in order to compare the policies and legal frameworks of mental health wellbeing in developed countries such as the UK. The comparative approach involves an examination of the similarities and dissimilarities between situations within the same legal system. The paper concludes that in order to support mental health and wellbeing at the workplace, a comprehensive legal framework and effective policy are needed especially for Malaysia. Compared with the UK, Malaysia is still lagged behind and has so much to learn from UK’s experiences to tackle issues on mental health.

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Maternal mental health and childhood injury: evidence from the UK Millennium Cohort Study

Archives of Disease in Childhood ◽

10.1136/archdischild-2017-313809 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 104 (3) ◽

pp. 268-274 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Steven Hope ◽

Jessica Deighton ◽

Nadia Micali ◽

Catherine Law

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Maternal Mental Health ◽

Health Problems ◽

Millennium Cohort Study ◽

Childhood Injury ◽

Explanatory Factors ◽

Uk Millennium Cohort Study ◽

The Uk

ObjectiveWe assessed whether maternal mental health problems increased rates for child injury during the preschool years and mid-childhood, and the extent to which associations could be accounted for by a range of potential explanatory factors.DesignWe analysed the UK Millennium Cohort Study, a nationally representative sample with data collected throughout childhood. Multinomial regression was used to investigate whether two measures of maternal mental health (diagnosed depression/anxiety and psychological distress) were associated with subsequent childhood injury. Models adjusted for sociodemographics, parenting and child externalising behaviours.Main outcome measureMaternal report of unintentional injuries (none, 1, 2+) recorded at three data collection periods (3–5 years; 5–7 years; 7–11 years).ResultsThe analytic sample comprised n=9240 families who participated 3–11 years with complete data on exposures and outcomes (multiply imputing missing covariates). Exposure to maternal mental health problems was associated with increased rates of subsequent childhood injuries. Associations attenuated after adjustment for potential explanatory factors, although they remained elevated. For example, high maternal distress was associated with injuries 3–5 years (adjusted relative risk ratio (aRRR): 1 injury=1.18, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.61; 2+ injuries=2.22, 95% CI 1.22 to 4.02); injuries 5–7 years (aRRR: 1 injury=1.31, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.76; 2+ injuries=1.84, 95% CI 1.09 to 3.09); and injuries 7–11 years (aRRR: 1 injury=1.03, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.31; 2+ injuries=1.33, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.81).ConclusionsChildren exposed to mothers with mental health problems had higher rates of childhood injury than those not exposed. If further investigation of this association suggests causality then it will be important to test measures that address mothers’ mental health issues with a view to reducing injuries among their children.

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Academics’ perceptions and experiences of working with students with mental health problems: insights from across the UK higher education sector

Higher Education Research & Development ◽

10.1080/07294360.2020.1798887 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Sara Spear ◽

Yvette Morey ◽

Tommy van Steen

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Higher Education ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Education Sector ◽

The Uk ◽

Uk Higher Education

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How prevalent is mental ill-health in the workplace – and how can employers help workers who are suffering?

Development in Learning Organizations An International Journal ◽

10.1108/dlo-02-2019-0046 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (6) ◽

pp. 4-7

Author(s):

Zain Sikafi

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Online Survey ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Common Knowledge ◽

Health Problems ◽

Significant Rise ◽

Full Time ◽

Content Type ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

The Uk

Purpose This research was commissioned by Mynurva in October 2018. The independent, nationally representative survey was conducted among more than 2,000 UK adults to uncover the number of full-time workers who suffer from mental health problems, how many of them seek help for their issues, and the main barriers that hold them back from doing so. Design/methodology/approach A nationally representative sample of 2,003 adults in employment were surveyed about their mental health. Via an online survey, employees responding that they had experienced mental health problems were asked to respond further to a series of statements. Contingency tables were then produced, revealing what percentage of respondents agreed or disagreed with each statement that was presented to them. Findings Almost a third (32 per cent) of full-time employees have suffered from mental health problems in the workplace. More than one in three workers suffering from mental health symptoms have never sought any professional help, and at 42 per cent, male workers were more likely than female workers (32 per cent) not to seek help. In total, 44 per cent have never disclosed their issues to a manager at work. Of those struggling with their mental health, the authors found that 55 per cent of workers fear admitting their problems to a manager would hinder their chances of a promotion. A majority (59 per cent) also believe that if their mental health problems became common knowledge in the office, then it would negatively affect their relationships with colleagues. This figure rises to 71 per cent among workers of age 18-34. Confidentiality was cited as a key obstacle for employees, with 58 per cent worrying that their mental health problems would not remain confidential if they were to discuss them in the workplace. There was a significant rise among millennials, 68 per cent of which shared these sentiments. Originality/value The authors commissioned Opinium to conduct independent research in the UK.

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Is there a relationship between cannabis use problems, emotion dysregulation, and mental health problems among adults with chronic pain?

Psychology Health & Medicine ◽

10.1080/13548506.2019.1653485 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (6) ◽

pp. 742-755 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michael F. Orr ◽

Andrew H. Rogers ◽

Justin M. Shepherd ◽

Julia D. Buckner ◽

Joseph W. Ditre ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Chronic Pain ◽

Emotion Dysregulation ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Cannabis Use

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The prevalence of hazardous and harmful drinking in the UK Police Service, and their co-occurrence with job strain and mental health problems

Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences ◽

10.1017/s2045796021000366 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

Author(s):

P. Irizar ◽

S. H. Gage ◽

M. Field ◽

V. Fallon ◽

L. Goodwin

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Health Problem ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Job Strain ◽

Reference Group ◽

Health Problems ◽

Police Service ◽

The Uk

Abstract Aims Due to the stressful nature of policing, police employees are at risk of mental health problems and problematic alcohol use. We aim to determine the prevalence of hazardous and harmful alcohol use in the UK Police Service, and to explore the associations with job strain and mental health problems. Methods Cross-sectional data from the Airwave Health Monitoring Study (N = 40 986) included measures of alcohol consumption (total units in past week), mental health (depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) and job strain. The associations between mental health and job strain with alcohol consumption (i.e. abstinence, low-risk [<14 units per week, reference group], hazardous [>14 to 35 units for women, >14 to 50 units for men], harmful [>35 units for women, >50 units for men]), were analysed using multinomial logistic regressions, adjusting for potential confounders (i.e. age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, children under 18, income and smoking status). Results A total of 32.6% of police employees reported hazardous drinking, with 3.0% drinking at harmful levels. Compared to those without a mental health problem, police employees with depression, anxiety or PTSD were twice as likely to be harmful drinkers and were also 1.3 times more likely to report abstinence. Those reporting low strain (reference group) were more likely to drink hazardously compared to those reporting high strain, which was statistically moderated by mental health. When the sample was stratified by mental health status, the association between low strain (compared to all other categories) and hazardous drinking, was significant only in those without a mental health problem. Conclusions These findings indicate that police employees may be an occupational group at risk of alcohol harm, with one-third drinking hazardously. The J-shaped relationship between mental health and alcohol use highlights a need for an integration of mental health and alcohol services, tailored for the UK Police Service.

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Help Seeking and Access to Primary Care for People from “Hard-to-Reach” Groups with Common Mental Health Problems

International Journal of Family Medicine ◽

10.1155/2011/490634 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2011 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

K. Bristow ◽

S. Edwards ◽

E. Funnel ◽

L. Fisher ◽

L. Gask ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Primary Care ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Care Givers ◽

Common Mental Health Problems ◽

Access To Primary Care ◽

The Uk

Background. In the UK, most people with mental health problems are managed in primary care. However, many individuals in need of help are not able to access care, either because it is not available, or because the individual's interaction with care-givers deters or diverts help-seeking. Aims. To understand the experience of seeking care for distress from the perspective of potential patients from “hard-to-reach” groups. Methods. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews, analysed using a thematic framework. Results. Access to primary care is problematic in four main areas: how distress is conceptualised by individuals, the decision to seek help, barriers to help-seeking, and navigating and negotiating services. Conclusion. There are complex reasons why people from “hard-to-reach” groups may not conceptualise their distress as a biomedical problem. In addition, there are particular barriers to accessing primary care when distress is recognised by the person and help-seeking is attempted. We suggest how primary care could be more accessible to people from “hard-to-reach” groups including the need to offer a flexible, non-biomedical response to distress.

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