The impact of a tragic accident on mental health professionals

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1078-1078
Author(s):  
K. Papanikolaou ◽  
N. Voura ◽  
N. Darai ◽  
G. Koukoulas ◽  
P. Roboti ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo investigate the psychological impact of the tragic accident in Tempi which cost of 21 students’ life (2003), on mental health professionals (MHP).MaterialBDI and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) scores of PHPO MHP (psychiatrists/child-psychiatrist/psychologies/social workers) who offered support to victims’families/teachers/rest of the students.Method/resultsThe personnel were deployed to the area exposed to witnessing experiences/impressions of the accident. Participants responded to BDI 10 days and IES-R 9–10 months past-accident. There was an IES-R retest 7 years later. The response rate was 100%. All achieved mild depression scores. As for IES-R, common qualities of conscious experience were found among them, though with different personality styles. Two major response sets, intrusion (unbidden thoughts/troubled dreams/waves of feelings/repetitive behavior) and avoidance (denial of the meanings of the event/behavioral inhibition/counterphobic activity/emotional numbness) were abstracted from evaluation.No sex differences were mentioned as there was only one male in the group.A correlation of 0.42 (p > 0.0002) between intrusion and avoidance subscale scores indicated that the two subsets were associated, though not measuring identical dimensions.7 years later the mean score of the personnel on IES-R was 23: Impact Event: may be affected. All achieved a quite high score on the response ‘any reminder brought back feelings about it’.ConclusionMHP face additional emotional strain often over extended periods of time. There is a need to develop strategies such as insight oriented training. Research is imperative and an ethical requirement to find ways to protect the health of the carers and so their patients.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Babak Hemmatian ◽  
Sze Yu Yu Chan ◽  
Steven A. Sloman

A label’s entrenchment, its degree of use by members of a community, affects its perceived explanatory value even if the label provides no substantive information (Hemmatian & Sloman, 2018). In three experiments, we show that laypersons and mental health professionals see entrenched psychiatric and non-psychiatric diagnostic labels as better explanations than non-entrenched labels even if they are circular. Using scenarios involving experts who discuss unfamiliar diagnostic categories, we show that this preference is not due to violations of conversational norms, lack of reflectiveness or attentiveness, and the characters’ familiarity or unfamiliarity with the label. In Experiment 1, whether a label provided novel symptom information or not had no impact on lay responses, while its entrenchment enhanced ratings of explanation quality. The effect persisted in Experiment 2 for causally incoherent categories and regardless of direct provision of mechanistic information. The effect of entrenchment was partly related to induced causal beliefs about the category, even when participants were informed there is no causal relation. Most participants in both experiments did not report any effect of entrenchment and the effect was present for those who did not. In Experiment 3, mental health professionals showed the effect using diagnoses that were mere shorthands for symptoms, despite a tendency to rate all explanations as unsatisfactory. The data suggest that bringing experts’ attention to the manipulation eliminates the effect. We discuss practical implications for mental health disciplines and potential ways to mitigate the impact of entrenchment.


Author(s):  
Ryan P. Kilmer ◽  
Virginia Gil-Rivas ◽  
Steven J. Hardy

This chapter seeks to help teachers and school mental health professionals understand the needs of students who have faced a disaster or terrorism and identify strategies for school-based responses. The chapter provides an overview of the effects of these events on school children and youths, including relevant developmental and cultural considerations, and the impact on the school setting. Then, the discussion emphasizes recommendations for, and possible responses by, teachers, school-based mental health professionals, and administrators. Indeed, just as these traumas can affect multiple levels of school children’s lives, the needed response of school-based professionals can be framed as multi-level, ranging from curricular modification to interventions specifically targeting youngsters’ socio-emotional needs. The sections that follow seek to inform and guide responses for school personnel and provide clear, “actionable” recommendations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 2011-2029 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Ivanova ◽  
Adela Grando ◽  
Anita Murcko ◽  
Michael Saks ◽  
Mary Jo Whitfield ◽  
...  

Integrated mental and physical care environments require data sharing, but little is known about health professionals’ perceptions of patient-controlled health data sharing. We describe mental health professionals’ views on patient-controlled data sharing using semi-structured interviews and a mixed-method analysis with thematic coding. Health information rights, specifically those of patients and health care professionals, emerged as a key theme. Behavioral health professionals identified patient motivations for non-sharing sensitive mental health records relating to substance use, emergency treatment, and serious mental illness (94%). We explore conflicts between professional need for timely access to health information and patient desire to withhold some data categories. Health professionals’ views on data sharing are integral to the redesign of health data sharing and informed consent. As well, they seek clarity about the impact of patient-controlled sharing on health professionals’ roles and scope of practice.


2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 616-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bonnet ◽  
Nicola Moran

Abstract The number of people detained under the 1983 Mental Health Act has risen significantly in recent years and has recently been the subject of an independent review. Most existing research into the rise in detentions has tended to prioritise the perspectives of psychiatrists and failed to consider the views of Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs), usually social workers, who ultimately determine whether detention is appropriate. This mixed-methods study focused on AMHPs’ views on the reasons behind the rise in detentions and potential solutions. It included a national online survey of AMHPs (n = 160) and semi-structured interviews with six AMHPs within a Community Mental Health Team in England. AMHPs reported that demand for mental health services vastly exceeded supply and, due to inadequate resources, more people were being detained in hospital. AMHPs argued that greater investment in preventative mental health services and ‘low intensity’ support would help to mitigate the impact of social risk factors on mental health; and greater investment in crisis services, including non-medical alternatives to hospital, was required. Such investment at either end of the spectrum was expected to be more effective than changes to the law and lead to better outcomes for mental health service users.


1996 ◽  
Vol 169 (4) ◽  
pp. 430-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen L. Chubb ◽  
Jonathan I. Bisson

BackgroundThe impact of major trauma on individuals with pre-existing and enduring mental health difficulties is poorly understood.MethodTwenty individuals with pre-existing and enduring mental health difficulties were assessed with the Clinician Administered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale, the 28-item version of the GHQ, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Impact of Event Scale between four and eight weeks after their involvement in a major coach accident.ResultsTen (50%) individuals satisfied the full DSM–IV criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD. The questionnaire scores indicated a high level of psychological suffering among the group. On dividing the sample into those individuals with previous diagnoses of anxiety or depressive disorders and those with a previous diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia, the schizophrenia group displayed less marked psychological sequelae on all measures.ConclusionThere was a high incidence of early psychological sequelae among the group as a whole. Some diagnoses (e.g. depression and anxiety) may predispose to psychological sequelae while others (e.g. chronic schizophrenia) may not.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 115-123
Author(s):  
Jonas Osmann ◽  
Abdul Mujeeb Khalvatgar ◽  
Anthony Feinstein

Purpose Afghanistan is one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists. There are, however, no data on the mental health of Afghan journalists covering conflict in their country. The study aims to determine the degree to which Afghan journalists are exposed to traumatic events, their perceptions of organizational support, their rates of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, their utilization of mental health services and the effectiveness of the treatment received. Design/methodology/approach The entire study was undertaken in Dari (Farsi). Five major Afghan news organizations representing 104 journalists took part of whom 71 (68%) completed a simple eleven-point analog scale rating perceptions of organizational support. Symptoms of PTSD and depression were recorded with the Impact of Event Scale – Revised (IES-R) and the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), respectively. Behavioral comparisons were undertaken between those journalists who had and had not received mental health therapy. Findings The majority of journalists exceeded cutoff scores for PTSD and major depression and reported high rates for exposure to traumatic events. There were no significant differences in IES-R and CES-D scores between journalists who had and had not received mental health therapy. Most journalists did not view their employers as supportive. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to collect empirical data on the mental health of Afghan journalists. The results highlight the extreme stressors confronted by them, their correspondingly high levels of psychopathology and the relative ineffectiveness of mental health therapy given to a minority of those in distress. The implications of these findings are discussed.


2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 345-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Young ◽  
Jill Fuller ◽  
Briana Riley

The expectation that police officers can address every need in every situation is daunting and unrealistic. Recognizing this, some police departments have instituted special training or used other resources to better serve the needs of citizens. One example is an on-scene crisis counseling unit comprised of volunteer mental health professionals who respond to calls with police officers. These counselors provide mental health services that police officers cannot. This article explains the usefulness of this type of program, and crisis counseling in general, for both officers and victims as they deal with crises like domestic violence, homicide, suicide, and sexual assault. The study examines survey results from victims and police officers about the impact of this intervention. The data support the helpfulness of the program. Implications and recommendations for further research are included.


2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Patterson ◽  
Pauline Ford

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to inform education of non-mental health professionals who provide care to people with severe mental illness; to describe dentistry students’ knowledge and views about mental illness, including willingness to engage in various social situations with a person hospitalised for mental illness; and to assess and understand the impact of a targeted lecture on views and attitudes. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employed mixed methods to examine dental students’ knowledge and views about mental disorder before and after a seminar covering mental disorder, disadvantage and oral health. Findings from a bespoke questionnaire administered to third-year dental students were triangulated with qualitative data gathered in interviews with a subsample. Findings – Students understood mental disorder broadly, employing diverse causal models. Although knowledge was typically grounded in media stereotypes, attitudes were benevolent and most students reported willingness to provide dental care to affected individuals. The seminar, especially the consumer delivered section, was valued and associated with increased appreciation of the impact of mental disorder on oral health and need for assertive action to promote access to care. However, students reported being reluctant to disclose their own mental health problems for fear of being considered a professional or personal failure. A minority knew how to seek support if a friend talked of suicide. Research limitations/implications – This study highlights the need for further investigation of the knowledge and attitudes of dentistry students pertinent to provision of care to people with mental illness and to examine the links between attitudes and practice. The paper also provides a useful foundation for development of brief educational interventions, particularly the value in integrating the service user perspective, and their evaluation. Research should also examine the impact of mental health education on practice. Practical implications – A single inexpensive educational session, such as the one the paper developed may support reconsideration of often unconscious views of mental illness which might affect practice. Social implications – If people with mental illness are to receive equitable access to health care, non-mental health professionals should be supported to develop knowledge and attitudes which are conducive to inclusive treatment. An education session such as this could be helpful. Originality/value – There is scant literature examining attitudes of dentistry students and no reports of mental health-specific education with this population.


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