scholarly journals Implementation and Effectiveness of Interpersonal Psychotherapy in a Community Mental Health Service

2003 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 284-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Reay ◽  
Scott Stuart ◽  
Cathy Owen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Interpersonal Psychotherapy ◽  
Community Mental Health Service ◽  
Community Practice ◽  
Empirically Supported

Objective: Although the efficacy of a number of psychotherapeutic interventions has been well established in tightly controlled, randomized trials, there remains a paucity of literature examining the effectiveness of these interventions in community practice settings. In light of this, the Australian Capital Territory Mental Health Services (Canberra, ACT) set out to investigate the effectiveness of an empirically supported psychotherapeutic intervention, interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT). The present study describes a pilot evaluation of the training programme for health professionals and the IPT treatment programme. Methods: Forty community mental health professionals participated in intensive IPT training. Clinicians who completed a course of supervision were asked to apply the treatment with non-psychotic acutely depressed patients. Measures of patients’ health outcomes were taken before and after treatment using a standardized outcome measure. Results: A total of 17 out of 21 patients who were selected completed a course of 12–16 weeks of IPT. The majority of the patients had a depression originating in the post-partum period. A comparison of pre- and post-treatment scores of treatment completers revealed a significant decrease in mean depression scores. Clinicians who completed a course of training and supervision found that they were able to confidently apply IPT in a clinical setting. Conclusions: Although there were a number of barriers and obstacles to the introduction of an evidenced-based treatment, the results are promising and demonstrate that IPT can be readily taught to experienced mental health professionals. Further study is required to determine the feasibility of IPT in other non-academic settings using larger sample sizes and homogenous groups of patients.

scholarly journals Building capacity to provide innovative interventions for early psychosis in mental health professionals

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Poli ◽  
M. Ruggeri ◽  
C. Bonetto ◽  
K. De Santi ◽  
E. Miglietta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Early Psychosis ◽  
Skills Acquisition ◽  
Italian Community

Abstract Despite international guidelines, cognitive behavioural therapy for early psychosis (CBTep) is still under-used in daily clinical practice, mainly due to the lack of specific skills among mental health professionals. The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a CBTep training course and to investigate the impact of trainees’ variables on the level of skills acquisition. An intensive and graded CBTep training programme consisting of 112 hours of plenary lectures, 30 hours of group supervision and 3 months of practical training was offered to mental health professionals of 65 Italian community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs). CBT expert psychologists were used as the comparison group. Participants underwent pre-planned exams to test the level of skills acquisition and were requested to complete a satisfaction survey. The vast majority of participants (93%) completed the training with medium–high evaluation scores and reported to be highly satisfied with the course. CMHCs staff members achieved high scores in the examinations and no major differences between them and CBT expert psychologists were found in most of the final exam scores. Our results support the feasibility and the efficacy of the training to build specific CBTep capacity in a large cohort of professionals working in Italian Generalist Mental Health Services. Key learning aims (1) To understand the capacity building of a short training programme in CBT for early psychosis dedicated to community mental health professionals. (2) To consider the optimal characteristics of a CBT training programme for early psychosis. (3) To reflect on the feasibility of a CBT training programme for early psychosis in the context of Italian Community Mental Health Services.

scholarly journals Oral health promotion practices of Australian community mental health professionals: a cross sectional web-based survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roisin McGrath ◽  
Rodrigo Marino ◽  
Julie Satur
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Oral Health Promotion ◽  
Mental Health Consumers ◽  
Australian Community ◽  
Health Support

Abstract Background This study explored the oral health promotion practices of Australian community mental health professionals working with people living with severe mental illness (SMI). Methods An anonymous cross-sectional web-based survey was distributed to all Community Rehabilitation and Support Workers (CRSWs) working at Neami National (n = 471), an Australian community mental health service. The validated questionnaire assessed participants’ self-rated oral health knowledge and confidence (7 questions); their perceived barriers (9 questions) and attitudes (5 questions) to oral health promotion; and their oral health promotion practices (7 questions). Differences in responses between groups were analysed using Chi-square, Fisher’s exact and Mann–Whitney U tests. Logistic Regression Analysis served to explore the probability of providing oral health support to mental health consumers. Results A total of 141 CRSWs were included in this study, achieving a response rate of 30 percent. Roughly two-fifths (39.0%) of participants had oral health training in the previous 12-months. The majority of CRSWs (89.3%) believed (‘Agreed’ or ‘Strongly agreed’) that mental health support workers have a role to play in promoting oral health. However, less than half (44.0%) of CRSWs practiced oral health promotion activities when working with mental health consumers. When asked about barriers to promoting oral health, ‘lack of consumer interest’ was the most prevalent issue. CRSWs who had oral health training were over three-times (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.25–9.83, p = 0.017) more likely to provide oral health support. Results showed the provision of oral health support was most strongly associated with self-rated knowledge and confidence (OR 4.089, 95% CI 1.629–10.263, p = 0.003) and attitudes to oral health promotion (OR 3.906, 95% CI 1.77–8.65, p = 0.001). Conclusion The results of this study suggest that mental health support workers who have more positive attitudes to oral health promotion and who have higher self-rated oral health knowledge and confidence are more likely to provide oral health support in their professional role. Training for community mental health professionals is essential to build confidence and skills to promote oral health for mental health consumers.

scholarly journals The Greek Hybrid Version of the Assertive Community Treatment Model: A Perspective View between Challenges and Limitations

Psych ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 792-799
Author(s):  
Vaios Peritogiannis ◽  
Fotini Tsoli
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Assertive Community Treatment ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Community Treatment ◽  
Community Mental Health Service ◽  
Perspective View

The Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model of care has been long considered to be effective in the management of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) in most Western countries. The implementation of the original ACT model may be particularly challenging in rural and remote communities with small and dispersed populations and lack of adequate mental health services. Rural programs may have to adapt the model and modify the ACT fidelity standards to accommodate these limitations, and this is the rationale for the introduction of more flexible, hybrid ACT models. In rural Greece, the so called Mobile Mental Health Units (MMHUs) are well-established community mental health services. For patients with SMI that have difficulties engaging with treatment services, the new hybrid ACT model has been recently launched. The objective of this manuscript is to present the recently launched hybrid ACT model in rural areas in Greece and to explore the challenges and limitations in its implementation from the experience of a team of mental health professionals with ACT experience. Referral criteria have not been strictly set, but the number of previous relapses and hospitalizations is taken under consideration, as well as the history of poor treatment adherence and disengagement from mental health services. The main limitation in the implementation of the hybrid ACT service is that it has been introduced in several areas in the absence of a pre-existing community mental health service. This may impact referrals and limit focus on the difficult cases of patients with SMI, thus making the evaluation of the model inapplicable.

Work challenges negatively affecting the job satisfaction of early career community mental health professionals working in rural Australia: findings from a qualitative study

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 173-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Cosgrave ◽  
Myfanwy Maple ◽  
Rafat Hussain
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Physical Geography ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Critical

Purpose Some of Australia’s most severe and protracted workforce shortages are in public sector community mental health (CMH) services. Research identifying the factors affecting staff turnover of this workforce has been limited. The purpose of this paper is to identify work factors negatively affecting the job satisfaction of early career health professionals working in rural Australia’s public sector CMH services. Design/methodology/approach In total, 25 health professionals working in rural and remote CMH services in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, for NSW Health participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Findings The study identified five work-related challenges negatively affecting job satisfaction: developing a profession-specific identity; providing quality multidisciplinary care; working in a resource-constrained service environment; working with a demanding client group; and managing personal and professional boundaries. Practical implications These findings highlight the need to provide time-critical supports to address the challenges facing rural-based CMH professionals in their early career years in order to maximise job satisfaction and reduce avoidable turnover. Originality/value Overall, the study found that the factors negatively affecting the job satisfaction of early career rural-based CMH professionals affects all professionals working in rural CMH, and these negative effects increase with service remoteness. For those in early career, having to simultaneously deal with significant rural health and sector-specific constraints and professional challenges has a negative multiplier effect on their job satisfaction. It is this phenomenon that likely explains the high levels of job dissatisfaction and turnover found among Australia’s rural-based early career CMH professionals. By understanding these multiple and simultaneous pressures on rural-based early career CMH professionals, public health services and governments involved in addressing rural mental health workforce issues will be better able to identify and implement time-critical supports for this cohort of workers. These findings and proposed strategies potentially have relevance beyond Australia’s rural CMH workforce to Australia’s broader early career nursing and allied health rural workforce as well as internationally for other countries that have a similar physical geography and health system.

The Fragmented Personality

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dragan M. Svrakic ◽  
Mirjana Divac Jovanovic
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Interpersonal Psychotherapy ◽  
Mental Functioning ◽  
Compensatory Strategies ◽  
New Model ◽  
Core Deficit ◽  
Cross Match

This book pioneers a new model of personality disorder primarily intended to serve mental health professionals, those already in practice and equally those in training. In contrast to the static concepts of mental normalcy and pathology, the presented nosology is dynamic (accounts for the reversibility of mental functioning) and personalized, context- and time sensitive. In a 3D diagnostic cylinder, the coordinates cross match the person’s common level of mental functioning (vertical diagnosis) with his or her behavior style (horizontal diagnosis) at a point in space and a unit of time, giving the clinician precise milestones to monitor changes in diagnosis and progress in therapy. The central problem with persons suffering from personality disorder does not rest in their extreme behaviors but rather underneath the surface, in the fragmented substrate of personality (a core deficit sine qua non shared by all individual variants), while extreme behaviors merely represent variable compensatory strategies. Based on this model, mechanism-based treatments are outlined: reconstructive interpersonal psychotherapy (a novel, integrative, transtheoretical approach which relies on psychoanalytic and humanist traditions) and mechanism-based pharmacotherapy of neurobiological vulnerabilities associated with excessive temperament traits.

Morale and job perception of community mental health professionals in Berlin and London

2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Priebe ◽  
Walid K. H. Fakhoury ◽  
Karin Hoffmann ◽  
Richard A. Powell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals
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