P376 Prevalence and treatment of severe mental health symptoms at 120 cystic fibrosis centres: clinician preparation to intervene and sustain mental health screening

Abstract Background Mental health screening in the workplace aims to identify employees who are becoming symptomatic, in order to provide timely support and evidence-based interventions to those affected. Given the stigma associated with mental illness, accurate disclosure of mental health symptoms cannot be assumed. The present study sought to investigate factors associated with the accurate reporting of mental health symptoms amongst police officers. Methods A total of 90 serving police officers completed identical mental health screening surveys, one administered by the employer and the other anonymously by an independent organisation. Responses were then linked to compare differences in the number and severity of mental health symptoms reported on each questionnaire. Results Comparisons of matched self-report scores indicated that employees under-reported symptoms of mental health disorders when completing screening administered by their employer, with only 76.3% of symptoms declared. Under-reporting occurred regardless of gender and symptom type. Less senior staff (p = 0.05) and those with the most severe post-traumatic stress disorder and common mental disorder symptoms (p = 0.008) were significantly more likely to under-report symptoms. Conclusions Employer-administered mental health screening is not able to accurately capture all mental health symptoms amongst first responders. The fact that the severity of symptoms predicted the level of under-reporting means that simple changes to cut-off values cannot correct this problem.

Download Full-text

Assessing the Mental Health of Refugees Using the Refugee Health Screener-15

Western Journal of Nursing Research ◽

10.1177/0193945920906210 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 42 (11) ◽

pp. 910-917

Author(s):

Martha B. Baird ◽

Rebecca Cates ◽

Marjorie J. Bott ◽

Carol Buller

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Primary Care ◽

Primary Care Clinic ◽

Health Screening ◽

Mental Health Screening ◽

Refugee Health ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Symptoms ◽

Care Clinic ◽

Health Symptoms

In 2017, 352 refugees were relocated to the Kansas City, Kansas area. As part of the relocation process, newly arrived refugees receive physical and mental health screenings. This study is a retrospective analysis of the results of 92 Refugee Health Screener-15 (RHS-15) surveys collected from February to December 2017 and interviews with the healthcare providers who administered the surveys in a primary care clinic. The most commonly reported mental health symptoms included the following: too much thinking or too many thoughts; muscle, bone, or joint pain; and crying easily. Thirty-seven refugee surveys (40%) indicated the need for follow-up mental health screening. A significant small correlation ( r = .22, p = .03) was found between female gender and the depression subscale of mental health symptoms. Provider interviews revealed challenges associated with conducting mental health screening of newly arrived refugees in a primary care setting.

Download Full-text

Perceptions of Recidivism Among Incarcerated Youth: The Relationship Between Exposure to Childhood Trauma, Mental Health Status, and the Protective Effect of Mental Health Services in Juvenile Justice Settings

Advances in Social Work ◽

10.18060/21305 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 250-269 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jamie R. Yoder ◽

Kelly Whitaker ◽

Camille R. Quinn

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Status ◽

Service Delivery ◽

Juvenile Justice ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Health Screening ◽

Mental Health Screening ◽

Mental Health Symptoms ◽

Health Symptoms

Research suggests that youth involved the juvenile justice system have trauma histories that are two times higher than the general youth population. Juvenile justice-involved youth also have high rates of mental health symptoms. Fewer studies have examined how trauma links to mental health symptoms among youth offenders, and even less research focuses on how mental health status and service delivery can impact their perceived likelihood for success. This study examines the effects of mental health screening and service delivery on perceived future criminal justice interactions— arrest and incarceration—among adjudicated youth (n=7,073) housed in correctional facilities. Secondary data were used to examine trauma histories, mental health needs, and mental health screening and service delivery. Significant relationships between traumatic events and mental health problems were found, along with relationships between mental health problems and mental health screening and service delivery. Most interestingly, results pointed to the strong inverse relationship between mental health service delivery and youth’s perceived likelihood for recidivism. These findings show the promise of juvenile justice systems appropriately responding to the mental health concerns of youth.

Download Full-text