scholarly journals 4151 Understanding barriers and solutions towards access to mental health among rural adolescents

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (s1) ◽  
pp. 150-151
Author(s):  
Brandy Davis ◽  
Kimberly B. Garza ◽  
Salisa Westrick ◽  
Edward Chou ◽  
Cherry Jackson

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: There are two objectives: 1) To identify healthcare providers’ (HCP) barriers and potential solutions towards rural adolescents’ access to mental healthcare. Healthcare providers include pharmacists, physicians, and mental healthcare providers (MHPs). 2) To identify rural high schoolers’ barriers and potential solutions towards access to mental healthcare. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Fifteen HCPs will be recruited via email listserv and the snowball method. Perceived barriers of rural adolescents, personal barriers, current practices to address mental health in adolescents, and preferred solutions will be discussed. Twenty student and parent dyads will be recruited using fliers in school systems and will be interviewed individually outside of class time on school grounds or over the phone. Barriers to care and preferred solutions will be discussed. All interviews will be semi-structured, recorded, conducted in person or over the phone, and last for 30 minutes to an hour. Compensation will be $25 for students and parents each, $50 for pharmacists and mental health providers and $100 for physicians. Thematic qualitative data analysis will be performed using Atlas.ti software. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Data collection is ongoing. Anticipated results for barriers include absence of mental healthcare providers in rural areas, inability to access mental healthcare providers further away, stigma towards mental healthcare, and lack of knowledge of mental health conditions and treatment. Anticipated results for potential solutions may include promoting mobile applications to assist with telehealth and self-care. Other solutions may be collaboration among rural healthcare providers for adolescents with mental health conditions. Preferred solutions may also include pharmacists disseminating knowledge to rural adolescents and their parents or referrals to mental healthcare providers. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: This project will identify barriers and solutions to access to mental healthcare among rural adolescents. These solutions can then be applied towards the creation of programs that address salient issues within rural communities with a greater chance of uptake and use so that rates of depression and suicide will decrease. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DESCRIPTION: Funding through UAB TL1 award.

Numerous challenges have limited access to mental health services in rural areas. Some of these barriers have included transportation, number of providers, poverty, and lack of insurance. The purpose of this review was to identify and coalesce the benefits of telepsychiatry for adults living in rural communities in the United States to determine if telepsychiatry has improved access and quality of care. The methodology for this study was a literature review that followed a systematic approach. It was found that several studies supported that telepsychiatry has improved access and quality of care available in rural environments. Simultaneously, telepsychiatry in mental healthcare has not been utilized as it should in rural adult populations due to lack of access, an overall shortage of providers, and poor distribution of psychiatrists. While there are still barriers that prevent widespread utilization, telepsychiatry can improve mental health outcomes by linking rural patients to high-quality mental healthcare services that follow evidence-based care and best practices.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 205520761876220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Verran ◽  
Ayesha Uddin ◽  
Rachel Court ◽  
Frances Taggart ◽  
Paul Sutcliffe ◽  
...  

Objective To describe the latest evidence of effectiveness and impact of networked communication interventions for young people with mental health conditions. Methods Searching five databases from 2009 onwards, we included studies of any design investigating two-way communication interventions for the treatment of young people (mean age 12–25) with a chronic mental health disorder. The data were synthesised using narrative summary. Results Six studies met the inclusion criteria, covering a range of mental health conditions (depression, psychosis, OCD). Interventions included an online chat room ( n = 2), videoconferencing ( n = 3) and telephone ( n = 1). Where studies compared two groups, equivalence or a statistically significant improvement in symptoms was observed compared to control. Views of patients and clinicians included impact on the patient-clinician interaction. Clinicians did not feel it hindered their diagnostic ability. Conclusion Networked communication technologies show promise in the treatment of young people with mental health problems but the current available evidence remains limited and the evidence base has not advanced much since the previous inception of this review in 2011. Practice implications Although the available research is generally positive, robust evidence relating to the provision of care for young persons via these technologies is lacking and healthcare providers should be mindful of this.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 29-30
Author(s):  
Ana Jessica Alfaro ◽  
Rachel Rodriguez ◽  
Michele Karel

Abstract The drastic demand for geriatrics-trained providers in medical and mental healthcare persists years after the Institute of Medicine first highlighted this need (2008; 2012). New innovative approaches must instead optimize the current workforce through leveraging existing geriatric experts’ knowledge and skills related to working aging adults. This symposium will highlight four approaches spanning post-licensure education to using technology to deliver specialized services and training. First, Dr. Gregg will discuss the evaluation of an advanced topics workshop in Geropsychology which has significantly enhanced depth of Geropsychology competencies for psychologists working in primarily rural areas. Next, Dr. Asghar-Ali will describe the multi-modal interactive geriatric educational opportunities for interprofessional staff developed by the South East Texas Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (SETx GWEP). He will discuss how these training opportunities have been tailored to address the impact of COVID-19 and healthcare disparities among older adults. Third, Dr. Filips will present an evaluation of a consultation model in which a geriatric psychiatrist provides tele-consultation in a 5-state region to rural aging Veterans with complex medical and behavioral comorbidities. Finally, Dr. Beaudreau will describe adaptations to a national VA Problem Solving Training program for mental health clinicians of older Veterans with complex comorbidities. Dr. Karel, VA National Geriatric Mental Health Director, will serve as discussant and comment on the ways in which these novel approaches are meeting the ever-growing need for competent geriatric mental health providers.


2020 ◽  
pp. 002076402098386
Author(s):  
Dana Alonzo ◽  
Marciana Popescu ◽  
Pinar Zubaroglu – Ioannides

Background: Resources for mental healthcare are lacking in Guatemala, yet rates of mental illness and suicide are quite high. Mental healthcare providers often lack the knowledge needed to effectively work with young at-risk of suicide. To address this gap, we developed a training program for mental health professionals focused on increasing knowledge and understanding of engaging and working with youth at risk of suicide and present its acceptability and preliminary effectiveness. Methods: Mental health providers ( N = 17) from a low SES community participated in the training, Formacion CUIDAR (Comunidades Unidos para Individuales De Alto Riesgo; CARE Training; Communities United for Individuals at High Risk). Mixed methods were used to explore outcomes including, self-reported knowledge and understanding of warning signs; risk and protective factors; effective risk assessment; and, techniques for working with at-risk youth. Results: Findings indicate that the training was effective at increasing all targeted domains of knowledge ( t = 2.46, p < .05, Cohen’s d = .56). Acceptability was also rated as high. Conclusion: Scarcity of mental health specialists and lack of training on suicide assessment and management have resulted in inadequate resources for at-risk youth in need of mental health services in Guatemala. Results of our study demonstrate that our training is an acceptable, effective program for practicing mental health providers to address their lack of specialized training on how to work with individuals at risk of suicide. Further examination of the training in a larger RCT is required to attain more robust indictors of effectiveness and to assess long-term impact.


2022 ◽  
pp. 114-137
Author(s):  
Tara Renee Fox

Providing telehealth is often a means to increase the accessibility to and availability of clinical mental healthcare services. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has been globally implemented into healthcare systems. Today, almost 390 million individuals have at least one mental illness. There are many challenges to seeking clinical mental healthcare, including availability and accessibility, anonymity, finances and insurance, stigma, and travel and transportation. Due to these barriers, many individuals have untreated mental health conditions, which can burden healthcare systems. By utilizing innovative delivery models such as telehealth technologies, the disparities experienced by individuals when attempting to seek clinical mental healthcare services can decrease.


2022 ◽  
pp. 171-192
Author(s):  
Jagrika Bajaj ◽  
Aparna Sahu

The advancements in immersive technologies have impacted various sectors, with mental healthcare being one of them. The subsequent interaction between immersive technologies, particularly virtual reality and mental health, has created interesting effects that call for a closer look. This chapter intends to provide a comprehensive picture of mental health conditions, namely anxiety and related disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and major depressive disorder, as tackled by VR-based therapy. The focus is on its effectiveness and how the results compare to the traditional modes of treatment in terms of efficacy. The impact of user experience towards this approach of intervention and the importance of ethical consideration when VR intersects with the field of mental health are addressed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula M. Karnick

Childhood should be a carefree and happy time. Some children, however, experience feelings of sadness, depression, anxiety, and other behavioral and mental health conditions. Healthcare providers need to develop a keen eye and an understanding demeanor to aid children and identify their needs and concerns. By providing a warm, inviting area for children to express their feelings and being with them in true presence, children may be more forthcoming in providing information about what they value.


Author(s):  
Michelle M Pebole ◽  
Elizabeth E VanVoorhees ◽  
Nivedita Chaudhry ◽  
Karen M Goldstein ◽  
Jillian Thompson ◽  
...  

Abstract The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is undergoing a transformational shift from disease-focused care to a Whole Health model that emphasizes physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being. As this shift is occurring, women veterans using VHA services face challenges navigating a system that has historically served a primarily male demographic, without consistent consensus on which services require specialization by gender. A quality improvement project was conducted to solicit feedback on VHA behavioral and wellness programs from women veterans enrolled in VHA mental healthcare services. A multi-disciplinary work group of clinical researchers and healthcare providers developed a needs assessment survey to assess patient needs and preferences for behavioral health services. A convenience sample of female veterans using VHA mental healthcare services within a comprehensive Women’s Health Clinic were invited to complete this anonymous survey. 107 women Veterans 18–65+ years old (65.3% African American; 5.9% LatinX; 54.2% aged under 55) completed the survey. Over 50% of patients endorsed relationships, physical activity, sleep/nightmares, pain management, anger, or spiritual/moral pain as top wellness priorities. Programatic preferences included location (located at the main VA Hospital) and gender composition (female only group formats). Schedule conflicts were the most frequently cited barriers. Results from this quality improvement project highlight considerations for tailoring the content and delivery of behavioral services for women veterans with mental health conditions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 5770-5784
Author(s):  
Esther Ndewa Mulwa ◽  
Ruth Simiyu ◽  
Peter Odera

Challenges faced by International non – governmental organizations (INGOs) on enhancement of refugees’ wellbeing were complex. Mostly refugees’ experiences were debilitating as they struggled with stigma due to mental health conditions, poor social networks due to discrimination faced in the host country, disorientation and insufficient language to communicate or initiate conversations. This study was guided by Trauma Theory and it employed descriptive research design. Both primary and secondary data were utilized in the study. Data collection utilized questionnaires, interviews, Focus group discussions and Observations checklist on accessibility and safety of INGOs’ interventions. Data was analysed by statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS 22). Data was presented in tables, bar graphs and pie charts. The findings of the study demonstrate that INGOs faced language barriers, financial barriers, lack of culturally responsive psychosocial interventions, insufficient security and long-term mental health conditions in enhancement of wellbeing of refugees in Dadaab camp. Most refugees reported their trauma occurrences to INGOs. The study concluded that cultural stereotypes, stigma, fear, Limited knowledge and information about mental healthcare, limited clinical competency and language barrier were major challenges faced by INGOs in enhancement of refugees’ wellbeing.


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