scholarly journals Challenges and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic for perinatal mental health care: a mixed methods study of mental health care staff

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire A Wilson ◽  
Christian A Dalton-Locke ◽  
Sonia Johnson ◽  
Alan Simpson ◽  
Sian Oram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Health Care Staff ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Perinatal Women

Purpose: the aim of this study was to explore staff perceptions of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health service delivery and outcomes for women who were pregnant or in the first year after birth (perinatal women). Methods: secondary analysis of an online mixed-methods survey open to all mental health care staff in the UK involving 363 staff working with women in the perinatal period. Results: staff perceived the mental health of perinatal women to be particularly vulnerable to the impact of stressors associated with the pandemic such as social isolation (rated by 79.3% as relevant or extremely relevant; 288/363) and domestic violence and abuse (53.3%; 192/360). As a result of changes to mental health and other health and social care services, staff reported feeling less able to assess women, particularly their relationship with their baby (43.3%; 90/208), and to mobilise safeguarding procedures (29.4%; 62/211). While 42% of staff reported that some women engaged poorly with virtual appointments, they also found flexible remote consulting to be beneficial for some women and helped time management due to reductions in travel time. Conclusions: delivery of perinatal care needs to be tailored to the needs of women; virtual appointments are perceived not to be appropriate for assessments but may be helpful for some women in subsequent interactions. Safeguarding and other risk assessment procedures must remain robust in spite of modifications made to service delivery during pandemics.

scholarly journals Challenges and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic for perinatal mental health care: a mixed-methods study of mental health care staff

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Wilson ◽  
C. Dalton-Locke ◽  
S. Johnson ◽  
A. Simpson ◽  
S. Oram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Health Care Staff ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Perinatal Women

AbstractThe aim of this study was to explore staff perceptions of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health service delivery and outcomes for women who were pregnant or in the first year after birth (‘perinatal’ women). Secondary analysis was undertaken of an online mixed-methods survey open to all mental health care staff in the UK involving 363 staff working with women in the perinatal period. Staff perceived the mental health of perinatal women to be particularly vulnerable to the impact of stressors associated with the pandemic such as social isolation (rated by 79.3% as relevant or extremely relevant; 288/363) and domestic violence and abuse (53.3%; 192/360). As a result of changes to mental health and other health and social care services, staff reported feeling less able to assess women, particularly their relationship with their baby (43.3%; 90/208), and to mobilise safeguarding procedures (29.4%; 62/211). While 42% of staff reported that some women engaged poorly with virtual appointments, they also found flexible remote consulting to be beneficial for some women and helped time management due to reductions in travel time. Delivery of perinatal care needs to be tailored to women’s needs; virtual appointments are perceived not to be appropriate for assessments but may be helpful for some women in subsequent interactions. Safeguarding and other risk assessment procedures must remain robust in spite of modifications made to service delivery during pandemics.

scholarly journals Impact on mental health care and on mental health service users of the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods survey of UK mental health care staff

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Johnson ◽  
Christian Dalton-Locke ◽  
Norha Vera San Juan ◽  
Una Foye ◽  
Sian Oram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Service Users ◽  
The Impact

AbstractPurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has potential to disrupt and burden the mental health care system, and to magnify inequalities experienced by mental health service users.MethodsWe investigated staff reports regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in its early weeks on mental health care and mental health service users in the UK using a mixed methods online survey. Recruitment channels included professional associations and networks, charities and social media. Quantitative findings were reported with descriptive statistics, and content analysis conducted for qualitative data.Results2,180 staff from a range of sectors, professions and specialties participated. Immediate infection control concerns were highly salient for inpatient staff, new ways of working for community staff. Multiple rapid adaptations and innovations in response to the crisis were described, especially remote working. This was cautiously welcomed but found successful in only some clinical situations. Staff had specific concerns about many groups of service users, including people whose conditions are exacerbated by pandemic anxieties and social disruptions; people experiencing loneliness, domestic abuse and family conflict; those unable to understand and follow social distancing requirements; and those who cannot engage with remote care.ConclusionThis overview of staff concerns and experiences in the early COVID-19 pandemic suggests directions for further research and service development: we suggest that how to combine infection control and a therapeutic environment in hospital, and how to achieve effective and targeted tele-health implementation in the community, should be priorities. The limitations of our convenience sample must be noted.

Measuring Attitudes of Mental Health Care Staff Toward Suicidal Patients

2002 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Marie Aish ◽  
Inga-Lill Ramberg ◽  
Danuta Wasserman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Health Care Staff ◽  
Suicidal Patients

Prevalence of reported suicidal behaviour in the general population and mental health-care staff

2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 1189-1196 ◽  
Author(s):  
INGA-LILL RAMBERG ◽  
DANUTA WASSERMAN
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
General Population ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Suicidal Behaviour ◽  
Suicide Attempts ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Health Care Staff ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
Age And Sex

Background. Higher rates of suicidal behaviour have been reported among staff in mental health care than in the general population. However, no studies of these two groups have been carried out simultaneously, using the same methods. This study aims to investigate whether they differ in terms of age- and sex-standardized prevalence of suicidal behaviour.Methods. Identical questions about suicidal behaviour were addressed in the same year to a random sample of the general population and to mental health-care staff in Stockholm. Life weariness among the latter was also investigated.Results. Age- and sex-standardized past year prevalences of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts were found to be similar among mental health-care staff and the general population. Lifetime prevalence of both suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts was significantly higher among mental health-care staff than among the general population. Psychologists/social workers have a higher probability of: lifetime thoughts of life is not worth living; death wishes; and, suicidal thoughts, than nurses/assistant nurses.Conclusions. Reports on lifetime prevalence of suicidal behaviour may be biased in populations that are not reminded of these problems in everyday life. Data on past year prevalence of suicidal behaviour show clearly the similarity between the general population and the mental health-care staff.

scholarly journals Changing practices in mental health care: a lesson from America

1990 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 730-732
Author(s):  
Tom Butler ◽  
Philip Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Social Care ◽  
The Political ◽  
Rehabilitation Services ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Changing Practices

Health and social care in Britain is undergoing the most profound changes in its structure and organisation since its inception (Griffiths, 1988); indeed, some would argue that it is about to change beyond recognition. The purpose of this article is to describe contemporary developments in the delivery of such services in the USA. Given that many of the political changes here have been directly influenced by thinking and practice in that country, it is argued that there are two important lessons to be learnt. The first concerns the coordination of service delivery between different agencies, the second involves an emphasis on the delivery of acute and rehabilitation services in the community. In short the traditional distinctions between the two would be blurred.

scholarly journals Impact of district mental health care plans on symptom severity and functioning of patients with priority mental health conditions: the Programme for Improving Mental Health Care (PRIME) cohort protocol

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily C. Baron ◽  
Sujit D. Rathod ◽  
Charlotte Hanlon ◽  
Martin Prince ◽  
Abebaw Fedaku ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Alcohol Use Disorder ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Health Care Staff ◽  
Care Plans ◽  
Primary Health

Abstract Background The Programme for Improving Mental Health Care (PRIME) sought to implement mental health care plans (MHCP) for four priority mental disorders (depression, alcohol use disorder, psychosis and epilepsy) into routine primary care in five low- and middle-income country districts. The impact of the MHCPs on disability was evaluated through establishment of priority disorder treatment cohorts. This paper describes the methodology of these PRIME cohorts. Methods One cohort for each disorder was recruited across some or all five districts: Sodo (Ethiopia), Sehore (India), Chitwan (Nepal), Dr. Kenneth Kaunda (South Africa) and Kamuli (Uganda), comprising 17 treatment cohorts in total (N = 2182). Participants were adults residing in the districts who were eligible to receive mental health treatment according to primary health care staff, trained by PRIME facilitators as per the district MHCP. Patients who screened positive for depression or AUD and who were not given a diagnosis by their clinicians (N = 709) were also recruited into comparison cohorts in Ethiopia, India, Nepal and South Africa. Caregivers of patients with epilepsy or psychosis were also recruited (N = 953), together with or on behalf of the person with a mental disorder, depending on the district. The target sample size was 200 (depression and AUD), or 150 (psychosis and epilepsy) patients initiating treatment in each recruiting district. Data collection activities were conducted by PRIME research teams. Participants completed follow-up assessments after 3 months (AUD and depression) or 6 months (psychosis and epilepsy), and after 12 months. Primary outcomes were impaired functioning, using the 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS), and symptom severity, assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (depression), the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUD), and number of seizures (epilepsy). Discussion Cohort recruitment was a function of the clinical detection rate by primary health care staff, and did not meet all planned targets. The cross-country methodology reflected the pragmatic nature of the PRIME cohorts: while the heterogeneity in methods of recruitment was a consequence of differences in health systems and MHCPs, the use of the WHODAS as primary outcome measure will allow for comparison of functioning recovery across sites and disorders.

scholarly journals Person-centred mental health care: the challenge of implementation

2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Gask ◽  
P. Coventry
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Unique Experience ◽  
Three Dimensional Models ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

Within mental health care, ‘person-centredness’ has been generally interpreted to convey a holistic approach with an attitude of respect for the individual and his/her unique experience and needs. Although it has been possible to demonstrate that professionals can acquire such skills through training, the impact on clinical outcomes has been more difficult to demonstrate in randomized controlled trials. Indeed what is becoming increasingly apparent in the literature is the need to acknowledge and address the degree of complexity that exists within the health care system that militates against achieving satisfactory implementation and outcomes from person-centred mental health care. In addressing this, we must develop and work with more sophisticated and three-dimensional models of ‘patient-centredness’ that engage with not only what happens in the consulting room (the relationship between individual service users and healthcare professionals), but also addresses the problems involved in achieving person-centredness through modifying the way that services and organizations work, and finally by engaging families and communities in the delivery of health care. A truly meaningful concept of ‘people-centredness’ encompasses how the views of the population are taken into consideration not only in healthcare but also in health and social care policy, and wider society too.

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