Mental health nurses’ beliefs about likely outcomes for people with schizophrenia or depression: A comparison with the public and other healthcare professionals

Objective: The main objective of this paper was to investigate and compare mental health nurses' beliefs about interventions for schizophrenia and depression with those of psychiatrists and the public. Factors affecting nurses' beliefs were also investigated. Method: This research used methods employed in previous surveys of professional and public beliefs. A postal survey of 673 Australian mental health nurses was carried out. The survey was comprised of a vignette describing a person with either depression or schizophrenia. Participants rated whether particular medical, psychological and lifestyle interventions were helpful, harmful or neither. Factors examined included: nurses' age, sex, degree of contact with similar problems, work setting, level of highest qualification and whether their education was hospital-based or completed within the tertiary sector. Results: The nurses agreed with psychiatrists (but not the public) about the interventions most likely to be helpful, such as antidepressants for depression and antipsychotic medication for schizophrenia. However, there were many differences between nurses, psychiatrists and the public. Nurses were more likely than psychiatrists to believe that certain non-standard interventions such as vitamins, minerals and visiting a naturopath would be helpful. Nurses' beliefs tended to form a bridge between the attitudes of psychiatrists and the public for some of these non-standard interventions. Age, work setting and qualifications were related to nurses' intervention beliefs. Conclusions: Mental health practitioners need to be aware of a range of beliefs within mental health services. The acknowledgement of differing belief systems is important for high quality, integrated care.

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Switching antipsychotics to support the physical health of people with severe mental illness: a qualitative study of healthcare professionals’ perspectives

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042497 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. e042497

Author(s):

Annabel Nash ◽

Tom Kingstone ◽

Saeed Farooq ◽

Jessica Tunmore ◽

Carolyn A Chew-Graham

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Decision Making ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Side Effects ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Physical Health ◽

Severe Mental Illness ◽

Secondary Care ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Mental Health Nurses

ObjectivesThe side effects of antipsychotic medications (APs) can increase the risk of developing physical health conditions. Some APs pose a higher risk than others. Evidence suggests switching to lower risk APs can support physical health outcomes. We sought to explore the views of healthcare professionals about switching antipsychotics to support physical health in people with severe mental illness (SMI).DesignA qualitative study with semi-structured interviews conducted with general practitioners (GPs), psychiatrists and mental health nurses. The main focus was to explore participants’ views on the physical health of people with SMI, the impact of APs and decision-making about switching medication to support physical health. Data were analysed thematically using principles of constant comparison.SettingsParticipants recruited through primary care and one mental health trust in the West Midlands.ParticipantsInterviews were conducted with 9 GPs, 10 psychiatrists and 4 mental health nurses.ResultsAwareness and knowledge of AP side-effects and risk profiles varied considerably between primary and secondary care clinicians. GPs reported limited awareness, while psychiatrists and nurses demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of AP risk profiles and side-effects. Mental health and control of symptoms were prioritised. Switching to promote physical health was considered as a reactive intervention, once side-effects or complications developed. There were a range of views over where responsibility lay for monitoring physical health and consideration of switching. Collaboration between primary and secondary care was identified as a way to address this.ConclusionsThis study presents multidisciplinary perspectives on awareness, decision making, perceived responsibility and barriers to switching APs to support physical health. Collaborative approaches that involve liaison between primary and secondary care, but tailored to the individual patient, may support switching, and present an opportunity to intervene to address the physical health inequalities experienced by individuals with SMI.

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Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on a mental health educational campaign for the public

Health Education Journal ◽

10.1177/0017896917696121 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 76 (4) ◽

pp. 479-491 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Shane Ashley Pawluk ◽

Monica Zolezzi

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

The Public ◽

Educational Campaign

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Turkey’s response to COVID-19 in terms of mental health

Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/ipm.2020.57 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 37 (3) ◽

pp. 222-225 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hakan Öğütlü

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

General Population ◽

Health System ◽

Mental State ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

The Public ◽

The World ◽

The Many ◽

Intrinsic Strength

Coronavirus disease (also known as COVID-19) continues to spread throughout the world. In Turkey, which has a strong health system, most hospitals have been turned into pandemic hospitals, elective procedures have been postponed, and doctors have been reassigned to treat COVID-19. Efforts to limit spread of COVID-19 have been effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Behind this success was not only the intrinsic strength of the health system but also the strict changes in everyday life wrought by the crisis. It is an inescapable fact that these new measures, such as the imposition of curfew and lockdown, have had a significant effect on the mental health of the general population. Anxiety caused by COVID-19 has spread to the mental state of everyone. Although coronavirus-related diseases will end soon, it is predicted that serious psychiatric disorders will be a lasting consequence of the pandemic. Despite the many negatives brought by COVID-19, it has led to a positive unity between the public and healthcare professionals, and in spite of significant risks to their own health, healthcare workers have risen to the challenge of COVID-19.

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Exploring the Baseline Knowledge and Experience of Healthcare Professionals in the United Kingdom on Novel Psychoactive Substances

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci10030142 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 142

Author(s):

Camille Ramos ◽

Amira Guirguis ◽

Nigel Smeeton ◽

Hadar Zaman ◽

Anna-Marie Felice ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

United Kingdom ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Novel Psychoactive Substances ◽

Psychoactive Substances ◽

Mental Health Nurses ◽

Related Information ◽

Continued Education ◽

Service Staff ◽

Baseline Knowledge

Objective: This survey aimed to explore knowledge and experience on novel psychoactive substances (NPS) of healthcare professionals (HCPs). The study also aimed to assess how HCPs would like to improve their knowledge of NPS. Methods: Seventy paper questionnaires were disseminated in 2017 within continuing education events to pharmacists, nurses and general practitioners (GPs). Additionally, 127 online surveys were completed using the Qualtrics platform by other HCPs and mental health nurses in six United Kingdom (UK) independent mental health hospitals long-stay in-patient rehabilitation services. Two educational sessions involving pharmacists and GPs were also held in late 2017 and mid-2018. Knowledge of NPS by HCPs was evaluated prior to the start of the educational events. Evaluation forms were handed out post-sessions to garner feedback, especially on areas for improvement for future sessions. Statistical analysis of data was undertaken using SPSS (V.25). Results: Most HCPs reported only ‘basic’ to ‘intermediate’ NPS knowledge. Substance misuse service staff felt more informed, were more often consulted and had greater confidence regarding NPS compared to hospital and primary care professionals. A negative association was found between the age of the HCP and knowledge of NPS. Most participants expressed a need for regular training and updates as insufficient NPS-related information is currently received. Conclusions: An improvement within the self-reported knowledge of HCPs on NPS is evident in comparison to previous studies. Continued education of HCPs on NPS is fundamental for the provision of improved harm reduction services, which can enhance overall care for NPS service users.

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Evaluation of a mental health first aid workshop for healthcare professionals

BJPsych Open ◽

10.1192/bjo.2021.67 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (S1) ◽

pp. S1-S1

Author(s):

Sara Abou Sherif ◽

Sachin Patel

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Effective Means ◽

First Aid ◽

Mental Health First Aid ◽

Mental Health Nurses ◽

Strongly Agree ◽

Training Programmes ◽

The Uk

AimsAnnually, 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem. Alongside the approach of increasing awareness of the issue amongst the general population, there is a drive to deliver training and education on the recognition and management of mental health crises. Limited resources exist to aid healthcare professionals in delivering mental health first aid (MHFA), with the vast majority focussing on lengthy training courses. Small group problem-based learning (PBL) is utilised widely in medical education and this modality offers advantages in deliverability, audience participation and experiential learning. Our aim was to deliver and explore the effectiveness of a PBL MHFA workshop to various healthcare professionals.MethodAs part of an Emergency Medicine Mental Health Education day, we delivered four 30-minute PBL MHFA workshops. These involved an introduction to MHFA, followed by an interactive discussion of 4 mental health simulated cases, whereby participants anonymously answered a range of questions using the web-based platform Mentimeter. We devised a simple MHFA A,B,C,D,E acronym to bring structure to problem solving. Pre- and post-workshop questionnaires were used to assess outcomes using Likert scales to measure various aspects of MHFA (1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree). Statistical significance was calculated using T-Test with P < 0.05 defining statistical significance.ResultA total of 28 professionals attended the workshops, 20 (72%) completed both the pre and post workshop questionnaire. 19 (76%) were nurses (5 Registered Mental Health Nurses and 14 Registered General Nurses), 3 (12%) were doctors, 2 (8%) were HCA's and 1 was a policeman. 15 (75%) of the participants reported historically having had the need to deliver MHFA but only 3 (15%) had previously received training. After the workshop, participants reported significantly increased understanding [3.0 to 4.3 (p < 0.05)] and confidence in delivering MHFA [3.05 to 4.30 (p < 0.05)]. There was significantly improved confidence in assessing risk [3.03 to 4.05], calling for appropriate help [3.45 to 4.35] and de-escalation techniques [3.05 to 4.15].ConclusionTo our knowledge this is the first mini PBL-based MHFA workshop. We have demonstrated that the PBL workshop setup is an effective means to deliver training on MHFA. We recognise the importance of MHFA training reaching a larger audience and its potential value if incorporated into national healthcare training programmes and made available to the general public.

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