EPA-0400 – Non-adherence in mental health disorders: strategies to enhance patient adherence to treatment used by mental healthcare professionals

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
A.M. Cardoso ◽  
J. Souta ◽  
M. Xavier
Author(s):  
Jody Epstein

<p class="normal">The goal of this article is to provide an overview of epidemiology of mental health disorders in Latin America, discuss unique issues in mental health faced by rural Latin American communities, summarize the history of Latin American healthcare systems, and describe current strategies to improve and innovate mental health service delivery in Latin America.  </p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam D. Brown ◽  
Katharina Schultebraucks ◽  
Meng Qian ◽  
Meng Li ◽  
Danny Horesh ◽  
...  

Abstract Background United Nations (UN) personnel address a diverse range of political, social, and cultural crises throughout the world. Compared with other occupations routinely exposed to traumatic stress, there remains a paucity of research on mental health disorders and access to mental healthcare in this population. To fill this gap, personnel from UN agencies were surveyed for mental health disorders and mental healthcare utilization. Methods UN personnel (N = 17 363) from 11 UN entities completed online measures of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma exposure, mental healthcare usage, and socio-demographic information. Results Exposure to one or more traumatic events was reported by 36.2% of survey responders. Additionally, 17.9% screened positive for GAD, 22.8% for MDD, and 19.9% for PTSD. Employing multivariable logistic regressions, low job satisfaction, younger age (<35 years of age), greater length of employment, and trauma exposure on or off-duty was significantly associated with all the three disorders. Among individuals screening positive for a mental health disorder, 2.05% sought mental health treatment within and 10.01% outside the UN in the past year. Conclusions UN personnel appear to be at high risk for trauma exposure and screening positive for a mental health disorder, yet a small percentage screening positive for mental health disorders sought treatment. Despite the mental health gaps observed in this study, additional research is needed, as these data reflect a large sample of convenience and it cannot be determined if the findings are representative of the UN.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jody Epstein

The goal of this article is to provide an overview of epidemiology of mental health disorders in Latin America, discuss unique issues in mental health faced by rural Latin American communities, summarize the history of Latin American healthcare systems, and describe current strategies to improve and innovate mental health service delivery in Latin America.


BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S18-S19
Author(s):  
Mikaela D'Arcy-Smith ◽  
Marta Buszewicz

AimsTo assess the impact of common mental health disorders (CMHDs) on university students’ function and wellbeing. To understand the barriers to receiving adequate support for CMHDs during both adolescence and at university. To provide feedback to healthcare professionals about how young people perceive the support provided when initially seeking help for psychological distress. To explore which forms of support students find the most useful.MethodA literature review was initially undertaken, identifying the lack of prior research in this area. The current study addressed the gap by considering the needs of students with CMHDs in the context of primary care services, with a retrospective exploration of their views about support received during adolescence. 15 semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with both current university students and recent graduates from across the UK, transcribed verbatim and subjected to thematic analysis. The study population included 7 men and 8 women, between the ages of 18–25 years.ResultFive main themes emerged from the data:The Journey to Disorder – Explored the difficulties faced by adolescents, and how these might contribute to their experience of CMHDs and their management.Attitudes Towards Help-Seeking – Many participants had little trust in healthcare professionals as adolescents. This contributed to limited trust in university support systems as young adults.Primary Care Support - Perceived effectiveness of General Practitioner (GP) support during adolescence in this cohort was highly variable. Although some participants described good experiences, others felt their views were ignored, with responsibility diverted to their caregivers. A lack of understanding from GPs about CMHDs in adolescents resulted in trust issues for them as young adults.Recommendations for Change - Participants reflected on their previous and current experiences to inform suggestions for changes to tackle issue of psychological distress in adolescents.ConclusionPrevious experiences of the care they had received when presenting with CMHDs during adolescence potentially affected the long-term wellbeing of university students and graduates; the initial support received was inconsistent with the needs of this age group. Recommendations for change included a greater emphasis on the importance of adolescent mental health education, tailoring interventions to personal growth and maturity, and ensuring primary healthcare providers are equipped with the skills required to manage psychological distress in young people.


2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sevag Kaladchibachi ◽  
Abdulwahab M Al-Dhafiri

A number of international studies have highlighted the prevalence of mental health disorders, and the combined lifetime incidence of mental illnesses has been estimated to be as high as 30 percent worldwide. Due to geopolitical, economic, cultural, and religious factors, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have been recognized as being particularly susceptible to the socioeconomic impact of mental health disorders, and our report examines the current state of mental healthcare policies in the Arab world and discusses the administrative/infrastructural and social/cultural challenges faced in the provision of adequate mental health care in Kuwait.


Author(s):  
Neil Jordan

Social and community psychiatry is a subspecialty within psychiatry focused on identifying and treating mental health disorders in community-based settings. This subspecialty emerged as a direct consequence of several factors including deinstitutionalization, increased focus on biological aetiologies and treatment of mental health disorders, and the change in the nature of funding for mental healthcare. This chapter highlights several important issues related to community-based delivery of psychiatric care including: accurate assessment of the prevalence of mental health disorders and use of mental health services across all components of the mental health system of care; the evolution of office-based psychiatric practice, from lengthier psychotherapy visits toward shorter visits and greater use of psychotropic medications; the evolution of depression treatment in primary care; and understanding the relationship between culture and psychiatric illness.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Chivilgina ◽  
Bernice S. Elger ◽  
Fabrice Jotterand

Abstract While the implementation of digital technology in psychiatry appears promising, there is an urgent need to address the implications of the absence of ethical design in the early development of such technologies. Some authors have noted the gap between technology development and ethical analysis and have called for an upstream examination of the ethical issues raised by digital technologies. In this paper, we address this suggestion, particularly in relation to digital healthcare technologies for patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The introduction of digital technologies in psychiatry offers a broad spectrum of diagnostic and treatment options tailored to the health needs and goals of patients’ care. These technologies include wearable devices, smartphone applications for high-immersive virtual realities, smart homes, telepsychiatry and messaging systems for patients in rural areas. The availability of these technologies could increase access to mental health services and improve the diagnostics of mental disorders. Additional Instruction Abstract In this descriptive review, we systematize ethical concerns about digital technologies for mental health with a particular focus on individuals suffering from schizophrenia. There are many unsolved dilemmas and conflicts of interest in the implementation of these technologies, such as (1) the lack of evidence on efficacy and impact on self-perception; (2) the lack of clear standards for the safety of their daily implementation; (3) unclear roles of technology and a shift in the responsibilities of all parties; (4) no guarantee of data confidentiality; and (5) the lack of a user-centered design that meets the particular needs of patients with schizophrenia. mHealth can improve care in psychiatry and make mental healthcare services more efficient and personalized while destigmatizing mental health disorders. To ensure that these technologies will benefit people with mental health disorders, we need to heighten sensitivity to ethical issues among mental healthcare specialists, health policy makers, software developers, patients themselves and their proxies. Additionally, we need to develop frameworks for furthering sustainable development in the digital technologies industry and for the responsible usage of such technologies for patients with schizophrenia in the clinical setting. We suggest that digital technology in psychiatry, particularly for schizophrenia and other serious mental health disorders, should be integrated into treatment with professional supervision rather than as a self-treatment tool.


2021 ◽  
pp. BJGP.2021.0164
Author(s):  
Katrien PM Pouls ◽  
Monique CJ Koks-Leensen ◽  
Mathilde Mastebroek ◽  
Geraline Leusink ◽  
Willem Assendelft

Background: General practitioners (GPs) are increasingly confronted with patients with both intellectual disabilities (ID) and mental health disorders (MHD). Currently, the care provided to these patients is found to be insufficient, putting them at risk of developing more severe MHD. Improving the quality of GP care will improve the whole of mental healthcare for this patient group. Therefore, an overview of the content and quality of care provided to them by the GP might be helpful. Aim: To provide an up-to-date literature overview of the care provided by GPs to patients with ID and MHD, identify knowledge gaps, and inform research, practice, and policy about opportunities to improve care. Design: Scoping review. Method: Pubmed, PsychINFO, Embase, and grey literature were searched for publications concerning patients with ID, MHD, and primary care. Selected publications were analysed qualitatively. Results: One hundred publications met the inclusion criteria. Five overarching themes were identified: GP roles, knowledge and experience, caregiver roles, collaboration, and a standardized approach. The results show GPs’ vital, diverse, and demanding roles in caring for patients with both ID and MHD. GPs experience problems in fulfilling their roles, and gaps are identified regarding effective GP training programmes, applicable guidelines and tools, optimal collaborative mental healthcare, and corresponding payment models. Conclusion: The improvement required in the current quality of GP care to patients with ID and MHD can be achieved by bridging the identified gaps and initiating close collaborations between care professionals, policymakers, and organizational managers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fenne M. Smits ◽  
Guido J. de Kort ◽  
Elbert Geuze

Abstract Background Noninvasive brain stimulation techniques like transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) offer potential new approaches to treat stress-related mental health disorders. While the acceptability of tDCS as a treatment tool plays a crucial role in its development and implementation, little is known about tDCS acceptability for users in mental healthcare, especially in the context of stress-related disorders. Methods Using a mixed-methods approach, we investigated tDCS acceptability among 102 active duty and post-active military patients with stress-related symptoms (posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety and impulsive aggression) who participated in a 5-session tDCS intervention. Quantitative dropout and adverse effects data was collected for all patients involved in the sham-controlled tDCS intervention. We additionally explored perspectives on the acceptability of tDCS treatment via a theory-based semi-structured interview. A subgroup of patients as well as their caregivers were interviewed to include the views of both patients and mental healthcare professionals. Results Quantitative outcomes showed minimal tDCS-related adverse effects (mild itching or burning sensations on the scalp) and high tDCS treatment adherence (dropout rate: 4% for active tDCS, 0% for sham). The qualitative outcomes showed predominantly positive attitudes towards tDCS interventions for stress-related disorders, but only as complementary to psychotherapy. Remarkably, despite the perception that sufficient explanation was provided, patients and caregivers stressed that tDCS treatment comprehension was limited and should improve. Also, the travel associated with frequent on-site tDCS sessions may produce a significant barrier to care for patients with stress-related disorders and active-duty military personnel. Conclusions Acceptability numbers and perspectives from military patients and caregivers suggest that tDCS is an acceptable complementary tool in the treatment of stress-related disorders. Critically, however, if tDCS is to be used beyond scientific studies, adequately educating users on tDCS working mechanisms is vital to further improve its acceptability. Also, the perceived potential barrier to care due to frequent travel may favor home-based tDCS solutions. Trial registration The tDCS intervention was part of a sham-controlled trial registered on 05-18-2016 at the Netherlands Trial Register with ID NL5709.


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