scholarly journals Contexts between mental health of fledged people and compassion competence in the care

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Steiner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Clinical Context ◽  
Doctoral Thesis ◽  
Positive Sense ◽  
Screening Scale

Abstract The aim of this doctoral thesis is to investigate the extent to which the competence compassion has a positive influence on the mental health of refugees. The research question was raised in a first step by means of a questionnaire by Mohr & Müller, ‘Depression tendencies in the non-clinical context’. Eighty asylum seekers were questioned in a total of seventeen lodgings. In addition, a survey was conducted with employees and volunteers in refugee care. This survey included 102 people who were assessed using the standardized BOSS1 Burnout Screening Scale. With the help of the Santa Clara Briefing Scale, the differences in the population between people who are not volunteering and those who volunteer in refugee care are being investigated through an online survey. There were 818 people attending. The evaluation of the data showed that the competency compassion lowers the depressive tendencies among the refugees and they have a more positive sense of integration and hope for a better life. The competency of compassion reduces burnout factors and people who have committed themselves voluntarily have significantly higher values in compassion competency. Thus compassion can be confirmed as a valuable competence in refugee care, not only among the refugees, but also among employees and volunteers. Key messages The present study has shown that empathy skills reduce depressive tendencies in people who have escaped. Associations of compassion and low burnout factors confirmed by the study showed that persons with high compassion skills have low burnout scores.

scholarly journals Co-creating a local environmental epidemiology study: the case of citizen science for investigating air pollution and related health risks in Barcelona, Spain

2022 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Florence Gignac ◽  
Valeria Righi ◽  
Raül Toran ◽  
Lucía Paz Errandonea ◽  
Rodney Ortiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Environmental Health ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Environmental Epidemiology ◽  
Research Questions

Abstract Background While the health risks of air pollution attract considerable attention, both scholarly and within the general population, citizens are rarely involved in environmental health research, beyond participating as data subjects. Co-created citizen science is an approach that fosters collaboration between scientists and lay people to engage the latter in all phases of research. Currently, this approach is rare in environmental epidemiology and when co-creation processes do take place, they are often not documented. This paper describes the first stages of an ongoing co-created citizen science epidemiological project in Barcelona (Spain), that included identifying topics that citizens wish to investigate as regards air pollution and health, formulating their concerns into research questions and co-designing the study protocol. This paper also reflects key trade-offs between scientific rigor and public engagement and provides suggestions to consider when applying citizen science to environmental health studies. Methods Experts created an online survey and analyzed responses with descriptive statistics and qualitative coding. A pop-up intervention was held to discuss with citizens their concerns about air pollution and health. Later on, a community meeting was organized to narrow down the research topics and list potential research questions. In an online survey, citizens were asked to vote for the research question they would like to investigate with the experts. A workshop was held to choose a study design in which citizens would like to partake to answer their preferred research question. Results According to 488 respondents from the first survey, cognitive and mental health were the main priorities of investigation. Based on the second survey, with 27% of the votes from 556 citizens, the most popular research question was, “How does air pollution together with noise and green/blue spaces affect mental health?”. The study design selected was an observational study in which citizens provide daily repeated measures of different cognitive and mental health outcomes and relate them to the air pollution concentrations. Conclusions Based on the co-creation activities and the results obtained, we conclude that applying citizen science in an environmental health project is valuable for researchers despite some challenges such as engaging citizens and maximizing representativity.

scholarly journals Digital Mental Health Resources for Asylum Seekers, Refugees, and Immigrants: Protocol for a Scoping Review (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buaphrao Raphiphatthana ◽  
Herdiyan Maulana ◽  
Timothy Howarth ◽  
Karen Gardner ◽  
Tricia Nagel
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Full Text ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Gray Literature ◽  
Scoping Reviews

BACKGROUND Asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants experience a number of risk factors for mental health problems. However, in comparison to the host population, these populations are less likely to use mental health services. Digital mental health approaches have been shown to be effective in improving well-being for the general population. Thus, they may provide an effective and culturally appropriate strategy to bridge the treatment gap for these populations vulnerable to mental health risks. OBJECTIVE This paper aims to provide the background and rationale for conducting a scoping review on digital mental health resources for asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants. It also provides an outline of the methods and analyses, which will be used to answer the following questions. What are the available digital mental health resources for asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants? Are they effective, feasible, appropriate, and accepted by the population? What are the knowledge gaps in the field? METHODS The scoping review methodology will follow 5 phases: identifying the research question; identifying relevant studies; study selection; charting the data; and collating, summarizing, and reporting the results. Searches will be conducted in the following databases: EBSCOhost databases (CINAHL Plus with Full Text, MEDLINE with Full Text, APA PsycArticles, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and APA PsycInfo), PubMed, and Scopus. Additionally, OpenGrey, Mednar, and Eldis will be searched for gray literature. All primary studies and gray literature in English concerning the use of information and communication technology to deliver services addressing mental health issues for asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants will be included. RESULTS This scoping review will provide an overview of the available digital mental health resources for asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants and describe the implementation outcomes of feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of such approaches for those populations. Potential gaps in the field will also be identified. CONCLUSIONS As of February 2020, there were no scoping reviews, which assessed the effectiveness, feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the available digital mental health resources for asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants. This review will provide an extensive coverage on a promising and innovative intervention for such populations. It will give insight into the range of approaches, their effectiveness, and progress in their implementation. It will also provide valuable information for health practitioners, policy makers, and researchers working with the population. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT PRR1-10.2196/19031

scholarly journals Out of touch: Touch deprivation and affective touch perception during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Lauren Meijer ◽  
Birgit Hasenack ◽  
Jonas Kamps ◽  
Andy Mahon ◽  
Guilia Titone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Affective Touch ◽  
Interpersonal Touch ◽  
Touch Perception ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Interpersonal touch and affective touch play a crucial role in social interactions and have a positive influence on mental health. The social distancing regulations related to the COVID-19 pandemic have reduced the ability to engage in interpersonal touch. This could cause touch deprivation, and it might alter the way in which affective touch is perceived. To investigate this, we conducted an online survey with 2348 participants, which contained questions regarding the COVID-19 regulations, touch deprivation and the perceived pleasantness of affective and non-affective touch. Results showed that participants reported feelings of touch deprivation. This significantly increased with the duration and severity of the COVID-19 regulations. Participants who experienced more touch deprivation rated videos of affective and non-affective touch as more pleasant. Current results provide insight in the impact of sudden and prolonged COVID-19 regulations and show that increasing the duration and severity of these regulations is associated with a higher desire for touch, which leads to increased perceived pleasantness of touch.

scholarly journals Digital Mental Health Resources for Asylum Seekers, Refugees, and Immigrants: Protocol for a Scoping Review

10.2196/19031 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. e19031
Author(s):  
Buaphrao Raphiphatthana ◽  
Herdiyan Maulana ◽  
Timothy Howarth ◽  
Karen Gardner ◽  
Tricia Nagel
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Full Text ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Gray Literature ◽  
Scoping Reviews

Background Asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants experience a number of risk factors for mental health problems. However, in comparison to the host population, these populations are less likely to use mental health services. Digital mental health approaches have been shown to be effective in improving well-being for the general population. Thus, they may provide an effective and culturally appropriate strategy to bridge the treatment gap for these populations vulnerable to mental health risks. Objective This paper aims to provide the background and rationale for conducting a scoping review on digital mental health resources for asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants. It also provides an outline of the methods and analyses, which will be used to answer the following questions. What are the available digital mental health resources for asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants? Are they effective, feasible, appropriate, and accepted by the population? What are the knowledge gaps in the field? Methods The scoping review methodology will follow 5 phases: identifying the research question; identifying relevant studies; study selection; charting the data; and collating, summarizing, and reporting the results. Searches will be conducted in the following databases: EBSCOhost databases (CINAHL Plus with Full Text, MEDLINE with Full Text, APA PsycArticles, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and APA PsycInfo), PubMed, and Scopus. Additionally, OpenGrey, Mednar, and Eldis will be searched for gray literature. All primary studies and gray literature in English concerning the use of information and communication technology to deliver services addressing mental health issues for asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants will be included. Results This scoping review will provide an overview of the available digital mental health resources for asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants and describe the implementation outcomes of feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of such approaches for those populations. Potential gaps in the field will also be identified. Conclusions As of February 2020, there were no scoping reviews, which assessed the effectiveness, feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the available digital mental health resources for asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants. This review will provide an extensive coverage on a promising and innovative intervention for such populations. It will give insight into the range of approaches, their effectiveness, and progress in their implementation. It will also provide valuable information for health practitioners, policy makers, and researchers working with the population. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/19031

scholarly journals Mental Health, Information and Being Connected: Experiences of Social Media use during the Covid-19 Pandemic from a Trans-National Survey

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariyana Schoultz ◽  
Janni Leung ◽  
Tore Bonsaksen ◽  
Mary Ruffolo ◽  
Hilde Thygesen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Research Question ◽  
National Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Information

Background Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the strict national policies regarding social distancing behavior in Europe, America and Australia, people became reliant on social media as a means for gathering information and a tool for staying connected to family, friends and work. This is the first trans-national study exploring the experiences and challenges of using social media while in lockdown or shelter in place during the current pandemic. Methods This study was part of a wider cross-sectional online survey conducted in Norway, UK, USA and Australia during April/May 2020. The research question was to explore the experiences and challenges of social media users during the Covid-19 pandemic. 3810 people took part in the survey and 1991 responses were included in the analysis . Thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers. Results Three overarching themes identified were: Emotional/Mental Health, Information and Being Connected. Participants experienced that using social media during the pandemic amplified anxiety, depression, fear, panic, anger, frustration and loneliness. They felt that there was information overload and social media was full of misleading or polarized opinions from which was difficult to switch off. Nonetheless, participants also thought that there was an urge for connection and learning which was positive and stressful and the same time. Conclusion Using social media while in shelter in place or lockdown could have a negative impact on the emotional and mental health of the population. These findings give a clear insight into practical recommendations for policy and practice on the importance of strengthening mental health care in the community and investing in health workers to support the mental health needs of the public.

Psychiatry Trainees in Turkey Considers Leaving the Country

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S491-S491
Author(s):  
O. Kilic ◽  
E. Sonmez ◽  
S. Guloksuz ◽  
M. Pinto da Costa
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Brain Drain ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
European Federation ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
The Brain

IntroductionThe brain drain of mental health professionals is an important issue especially for developing countries with inadequate recruitment rates. The European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT) investigated the extent of migration among trainees across Europe by Brain Drain research project. Results from a non-EU country, with the lowest number of mental health professionals per 100 000 population across OECD countries might provide important clues.ObjectiveTo identify attitudes towards and behaviors towards international migration among psychiatry trainees from Turkey.MethodAn online survey was conducted among psychiatry trainees from Turkey in 2013, as part of the EFPT Brain Drain Research Project.ResultsOf 107 trainees surveyed, 74% considered living abroad. However, the rate of having even short mobility experience was just 13%, and these were mainly educational visits. More than half of those who visited a foreign country reported to have a satisfactory experience, which might explain the positive influence of these visits on attitudes towards migration. Responders perceived academic conditions as the most important aspect of training that needs to be improved, in line with the fact that inadequate training programs were important reasons for migrating.ConclusionOverall, psychiatry trainees in Turkey tend to remain in their country of origin, which may protect healthcare system against the detriment of workforce loss. The relatively low rate of migration may also reflect the legislative barriers (e.g. being o non-EU country) impeding migrating. Our findings also suggest that the unmet educational needs of trainees require immediate attention.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Cultural Values Influence Mental-Health Help-Seeking in Asian and Latinx College Students

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elayne Zhou ◽  
Yena Kyeong ◽  
Cecilia Cheung ◽  
Kalina Michalska;Michalska
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Ethnic Group Membership

The current study examined the influence of cultural values on mental health attitudes and help-seeking behaviors in college students of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Asian and Latinx college students (N = 159) completed an online survey in which they reported their adherence to cultural values and general attitudes towards mental health and help-seeking behavior. Factor analysis revealed two common factors of cultural values irrespective of ethnic background: Interdependent Orientation (IO) and Cultural Obligation (CO). Regardless of ethnicity, the more students endorsed IO values, the less likely they were to perceive a need for mental health treatment. IO value adherence also predicted more negative attitudes towards mental health. CO values were not predictive of perceived need or help-seeking behaviors. Findings highlight the importance of assessing certain cultural values independently from ethnicity and considering how the multidimensionality of culture may help explain shared mental health behaviors across ethnic group membership.

Overcoming the deficiency of refugee mental health research

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Kalfic ◽  
Glenn Mitchell ◽  
Lezanne Ooi ◽  
Sibylle Schwab ◽  
Natalie Matosin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Scientific Discovery ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Psychiatric Research ◽  
Risk And Resilience ◽  
Refugee Mental Health ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers

The growing number of refugees and asylum seekers are one of the most significant global challenges of this generation. We are currently witnessing the highest level of displacement in history, with over 65 million displaced people in the world. Refugees and asylum seekers are at higher risk to develop mental illness due to their trauma and chronic stress exposures, and particularly post-migration stressors. Yet global and Australian psychiatric research in this area is greatly lacking, particularly with respect to our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of risk and resilience to mental illness in traumatised populations. In this Viewpoint, we explore the reasons behind the lack of refugee mental health research and use this context to propose new ways forward. We believe that scientific discovery performed with a multidisciplinary approach will provide the broad evidence-base required to improve refugee mental health. This will also allow us to work towards the removal of damaging policies that prolong and potentiate mental health deterioration among refugees and asylum seekers, which impacts not only on the individuals but also host countries’ social, economic and healthcare systems.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in Taiwan: An Facebook Online study on Concern/Fear Regarding the Disease and General Anxiety and Relevant Factors (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng-Wei Wang ◽  
Wei-Hsin Lu ◽  
Yi-Lung Chen ◽  
Dian-Jeng Li ◽  
Yu-Ping Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
World Health ◽  
Regional Government ◽  
General Anxiety ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Health Organization

BACKGROUND The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a ‘public health emergency of international concern. Both worry and anxiety are the common psychological impact during the pandemic. The level of and determinants for worry and anxiety during COVID-19 are not well explored. OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to explore the associations of demographic and environmental factors with worry toward COVID-19 and general anxiety among people in Taiwan. METHODS In total, 1970 respondents were recruited through a Facebook advertisement and completed an online survey on worry toward COVID-19, general anxiety during the pandemic, and individual and environmental factors. RESULTS In total, 51.7% and 43.4% of respondents reported high levels of worry toward COVID-19 and general anxiety, respectively. Worse self-rated mental health, lower self-confidence in COVID-19 management, and insufficient mental health resources were significantly associated with high levels of both worry toward COVID-19 and general anxiety. Lower perceived confidence in COVID-19 management by the regional government was significantly associated with a higher level of worry toward COVID-19. Lower perceived social support was significantly associated with a higher level of general anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS The results showed that high levels of worry toward COVID-19 and general anxiety were prevalent during the disease outbreak. Multiple individual and environmental factors related to worry toward COVID-19 and general anxiety were identified. CLINICALTRIAL

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