scholarly journals “Breaking the silence”: Sexual victimisation in an old age psychiatry patient population in Flanders

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Nobels ◽  
Ines Keygnaert ◽  
Egon Robert ◽  
Christophe Vandeviver ◽  
An Haekens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Screening Tools ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Old Age Psychiatry

AbstractBackgroundSexual violence (SV) is linked to mental health problems in adulthood and old age. However, the extent of sexual victimisation in old age psychiatry patients is unknown. Due to insufficient communication skills in both patients and healthcare workers, assessing SV in old age psychiatry patients is challenging.MethodsBetween July 2019 and March 2020, 100 patients at three old age psychiatry wards across Flanders participated in a face-to-face structured interview receiving inpatient treatment. The participation rate was 58%. We applied the WHO definition of SV, encompassing sexual harassment, sexual abuse with physical contact without penetration, and (attempted) rape.OutcomesIn 57% of patients (65% F, 42% M) SV occurred during their lifetime and 7% (6% F, 9% M) experienced SV in the past 12-months. Half of the victims disclosed their SV experience for the first time during the interview. Only two victims had disclosed SV to a mental health care professional before.InterpretationSexual victimisation appears to be common in old age psychiatry patients, yet it remains largely undetected. Although victims did reveal SV during a face-to-face interview to a trained interviewer, they do not seem to spontaneously disclose their experiences to mental health care professionals. In order to provide tailored care for older SV victims, professionals urgently need capacity building through training, screening tools and care procedures.

Education on Old Age Psychiatry at Europe: Facts and Proposals

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Firmino ◽  
L. Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Older People ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Educational Training ◽  
Old Age Psychiatry

Old Age Psychiatry is a branch of psychiatry and forms part of the multidisciplinary delivery of mental health care to older people.The specialty of psychiatry of the elderly requires a grounding in general psychiatry and in general medicine as well as training in the specific aspects of both psychiatric and medical conditions as they occur in older people. Psychiatry of the elderly should be taught in the variety of settings in which it is practised.Training in mental health care of older people should be offered at both undergraduate and postgraduate level and also during continuing professional development.It is important to recognise that in some countries, resources, especially in terms of mental health professionals, are very limited. In these countries it will be necessary to establish sensible priorities for mental health problems of the elderly.In this presentation we goes to consider some ideas to develop educational training at European Countries.

scholarly journals Combining online and offline peer support groups in mental health care: A qualitative study of service users� experiences (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Strand ◽  
Deede Gammon ◽  
Lillian Sofie Eng ◽  
Cornelia Ruland
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Individual Interviews

BACKGROUND Peer support groups for people with long-term mental health problems are at the heart of recovery-oriented approaches in mental health care. When conducted face-to-face (offline) or on the Internet (online), peer support groups have proven to have differing strengths and weaknesses. Little is known about the benefits and challenges of combining the two formats. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to gain insights into the benefits and challenges of combining online and offline peer support groups facilitated through an Internet intervention designed to support recovery processes. METHODS In this exploratory and descriptive study, an e-recovery portal called ReConnect was used by service users in two mental health communities in Norway for 6-12 months. The portal included an online peer support forum which also facilitated participation in local in-person ReConnect-cafés. Both formats of peer support were facilitated by an employed service user consultant with lived experience of mental health problems and with training in peer support. Qualitative data about service users’ experiences of using the portal were collected through focus groups and individual interviews and inductively analyzed thematically with focus on benefits and challenges of peer support online and offline. RESULTS A total of 14 service users 22-63 years of age with various diagnoses, receiving services at both primary and specialist levels of mental health care participated in three focus groups and 10 individual interviews. Two main themes were identified in the analysis: 1) balancing anonymity and openness, and 2) enabling connectedness. These themes are further illustrated with the subthemes: i) dilemmas of anonymity and confidentiality, ii) towards self-disclosure and openness, iii) new friendships, and iv) networks in the local community. Three of the subthemes mainly describe benefits. Challenges were more implicit and cut across the subthemes. Identified challenges were linked to transitions from anonymity to revealing one’s identity, how to protect confidentiality, or to participation at face-to-face meetings in the local community. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that online peer support groups and offline meetings complement each other, and the combination is mainly beneficial to users. The identified benefits appeared to arise from participants’ options of one format or the other, or that they could combine formats in ways that suited their individual values and comfort zones. We also identified challenges related to combination of formats, and both formats require appropriate facilitation of peer support. Combining online formats that enable anonymity, a non-judgmental atmosphere, and 24/7 accessibility regardless of location, with offline formats that foster local, in-person community ties, is a promising concept for facilitating recovery-oriented care, and warrants continued research.

scholarly journals Romanian GPs Involvement in Caring for the Mental Health Problems of the Elderly Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raluca Sfetcu ◽  
Daciana Toma ◽  
Catalina Tudose ◽  
Cristian Vladescu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Early Recognition ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
National Society

The mental health of the elderly is a matter of increased concern in the context of an aging population since currently only a small fraction of this population is receiving adequate care. The provision of treatment in primary care by the General Practitioners (GPs) has been proposed for over a decade as a potential solution, as services offered by GPs are more accessible, less susceptible to stigma, and have a more comprehensive view of the other health care problems that the elderly might suffer from. In this study, we explored the perception of Romanian GPs regarding their practice and roles in caring for the mental health of the elderly as well as the willingness to increase their future involvement in the management of dementia and other mental health problems. Data was collected via an online questionnaire structured on four dimensions: (1) GPs' sociodemographic profile and practice characteristics, (2) GPs assessment of the services available for elderly with mental health problems, (3) GPs current involvement in mental health care for different categories of problems, and (4) factors that might influence the future involvement of GPs in providing care for elderly with mental health problems. The survey was sent via the member mailing lists of the National Society for Family Medicine. Results show that GPs are currently limited by prescribing possibilities, available resources and knowledge in the area, but they are willing to expand their role in the areas of early recognition and prevention of mental health problems as well as providing disease management and collaborative care. An improved communication with mental health care professionals, a better access to resources and having more financial incentives are the three most important categories for GPs to increase their involvement. In conclusion, increasing the access to personal and professional resources and setting up functional communication channels with specialized mental health care could motivate GPs to provide timely mental health support to elderly patients.

High variability of the current mental health practices around the globe: Twenty days in the lives of psychiatrists and other mental health care professionals from all over the world

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reinhard Heun ◽  
Jibril Ibrahim Moussa Handuleh ◽  
Juan Evangelista Tercero Gaitán Buitrago ◽  
Melvin S. Marsh ◽  
Vitalii Klymchuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Health Practices ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Future ◽  
Mental Health Practices

AbstractIntroductionThe present is the future of the past, and the past of the future. This journal as well as this paper endeavour to document the lives and practices of psychiatrists and other mental health care professionals for the future mental health community and to help the clinicians of the future to understand the history and practice of psychiatry and mental health care in 2019/20. We, therefore, report the current days in the lives of psychiatrists and other mental health care professionals.Material and MethodsTo obtain reports of days in the lives of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals, we published the request on eight occasions from May 2019 to May 2020. We invited the prospective respondents/participants to send a relevant report of their psychiatric practice in a day with a maximum word count of 750 words.ResultsWe received 20 reports of variable lengths from 10 countries from six continents, including from psychiatrists, psychiatrists in training, clinical psychologists and from medical students about their psychiatric training. The reports revealed a wide and highly variable range of psychiatric and mental health practices, experiences and expectations. Last but not least, the reports we received were informative and provided much information to reflect on.ConclusionsThere is a common strong commitment to support patients with mental health problems, but the ways this is achieved are so diverse that generalisations about a typical common practice seem impossible. Future studies should focus more systematically on the procedures and practices applied in helping patients with mental health problems in different countries and communities. This knowledge might eventually help identify the procedures and services that are most efficient and helpful in various clinical contexts.

Developing Legal Trends in Psychiatric Malpractice

1981 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis J. Horan ◽  
Marianne E. Guerrini
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Expert Testimony ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Therapeutic Value ◽  
Malpractice Claims ◽  
Innovative Techniques

Innovative techniques in psychiatric therapy–-particularly those involving physical contact between doctor and patient–-have formed the basis for a growing number of malpractice claims brought against psychiatrists and other mental health care professionals. After a review of the standard of care by which the law judges a psychiatrist, this article will present an overview and analysis of the various legal theories that may subject a psychiatrist to civil liability for professional malpractice. The article will conclude that the psychiatrist faced with such a suit must be prepared to offer justification and expert testimony to support the therapeutic value of any physically invasive therapeutic techniques employed.

434 LOOK OUT! VISUAL ASSESSMENT TOOL: UTILITY IN OLDER PERSON’S MENTAL HEALTH CARE SETTINGS

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii1-ii4
Author(s):  
S Hussain ◽  
C Thavachelvi ◽  
E Ruiz-Mendoza
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Visual Assessment ◽  
Mental Health Settings ◽  
Risk Of Falls ◽  
Old Age Psychiatry ◽  
The Look

Abstract Introduction Patients on old age psychiatry wards are at high risk of falls. It has been shown that poor visual acuity significantly increases the risk of recurrent falls in the elderly. The National Audit of Inpatient Falls (NAIF) Report 2015 found that vision was poorly assessed. The Look Out! Visual assessment has been developed for patients over 65 to receive visual screening on admission to reduce the risk of falls. To date, there has been no research into the applicability of the Look Out! test in mental health settings. Our aims are two-fold: (i) To investigate how often vision is assessed for inpatients on old age psychiatry wards and (ii) To identify the challenges of visual assessment in a mental health care setting. Methodology Data was collected at a mental health unit with two wards dedicated to old age psychiatry patients. Data was collected for patients admitted from May 2020 to July 2020 and analysing qualitative and quantitative data. Results From the 30 patients reviewed, 27% of patients had ophthalmic history, such as glaucoma or cataracts, 23% of patients had a fall during admission, yet only 43% of patients had a Look Out! vision assessment completed and documented. 54% of patients who had a Look Out! Assessment were found to have an abnormality; of those with an abnormality detected on Look Out!, 57% were new presentations of an eye abnormality. On questionnaires, we found it more challenging to complete assessments of patients that were agitated or with advanced dementia but assessments were fully completed if more time was dedicated. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that the Look Out! test is applicable in mental health settings, helping to identify those with visual impairments and raising the need to complete the screening tool in all patients admitted to inpatient mental health facilities.

Disaster Management in Rural and Remote Primary Health Care: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 362-369
Author(s):  
Katie A. Willson ◽  
Gerard J. FitzGerald ◽  
David Lim
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Rural And Remote ◽  
Primary Health

AbstractObjective:This scoping review aims to map the roles of rural and remote primary health care professionals (PHCPs) during disasters.Introduction:Disasters can have catastrophic impacts on society and are broadly classified into natural events, man-made incidents, or a mixture of both. The PHCPs working in rural and remote communities face additional challenges when dealing with disasters and have significant roles during the Prevention, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (PPRR) stages of disaster management.Methods:A Johanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review methodology was utilized, and the search was conducted over seven electronic databases according to a priori protocol.Results:Forty-one papers were included and sixty-one roles were identified across the four stages of disaster management. The majority of disasters described within the literature were natural events and pandemics. Before a disaster occurs, PHCPs can build individual resilience through education. As recognized and respected leaders within their community, PHCPs are invaluable in assisting with disaster preparedness through being involved in organizations’ planning policies and contributing to natural disaster and pandemic surveillance. Key roles during the response stage include accommodating patient surge, triage, maintaining the health of the remaining population, instituting infection control, and ensuring a team-based approach to mental health care during the disaster. In the aftermath and recovery stage, rural and remote PHCPs provide long-term follow up, assisting patients in accessing post-disaster support including delivery of mental health care.Conclusion:Rural and remote PHCPs play significant roles within their community throughout the continuum of disaster management. As a consequence of their flexible scope of practice, PHCPs are well-placed to be involved during all stages of disaster, from building of community resilience and contributing to early alert of pandemics, to participating in the direct response when a disaster occurs and leading the way to recovery.

Perceived need for mental health care: influences of diagnosis, demography and disability

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. MEADOWS ◽  
P. BURGESS ◽  
I. BOBEVSKI ◽  
E. FOSSEY ◽  
C. HARVEY ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Affective Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Composite International Diagnostic Interview ◽  
Detailed Examination ◽  
Perceived Need ◽  
Co Morbidity

Background. Recent major epidemiological studies have adopted increasingly multidimensional approaches to assessment. Several of these have included some assessment of perceived need for mental health care. The Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, conducted in 1997, included a particularly detailed examination of this construct, with an instrument with demonstrated reliability and validity.Methods. A clustered probability sample of 10641 Australians responded to the field questionnaire for this survey, including questions on perceived need either where there had been service utilization, or where a disorder was detected by administration of sections of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The confidentialized unit record file generated from the survey was analysed for determinants of perceived need.Results. Perceived need is increased in females, in people in the middle years of adulthood, and in those who have affective disorders or co-morbidity. Effects of diagnosis and disability can account for most of the differences in gender specific rates. With correction for these effects through regression, there is less perceived need for social interventions and possibly more for counselling in females; disability is confirmed as strongly positively associated with perceived need, as are the presence of affective disorders or co-morbidity.Conclusions. The findings of this study underscore the imperative for mental health services to be attentive and responsive to consumer perceived need. The substantial majority of people who are significantly disabled by mental health problems are among those who see themselves as having such needs.

Mental Health Problems and Help-Seeking among Adolescents

2021 ◽  
pp. 189-202
Author(s):  
E.V. Rezun ◽  
◽  
H.R. Slobodskaya ◽  
N.B. Semenova ◽  
T.O. Rippinen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽  
Seeking Help

The mental health problems among adolescents have long-lasting effects throughout life. However, research evidence indicates that only 10–30% of adolescents who needed mental health care had received specialized help. The present study reports the prevalence of mental health problems and help-seeking among adolescents, taking into account gender and age differences. The sample included 1752 adolescents (47 % boys,) aged 12-17 years. Data were collected on in two Siberian cities (Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk) using an international self-report questionnaire developed for the school-based Eurasian Child Mental Health Study. Participants were recruited from 18 schools, students completed questionnaires anonymously during school lessons. Statistical analysis included analysis of variance (ANOVA), multiple regression analysis, and crosstabs using a chi-squared test. The level of emotional and behavioral problems in Siberian adolescents was slightly higher than that found in European and Asian countries. Twenty three percent of adolescents reported frequent headaches (at least once a week), 11 % reported frequent abdominal pain and 14% suffered from frequent sleep disturbances (3–5 times a week or more). Girls reported a significantly higher level of problems than boys, with the largest gender differences for emotional problems, recurrent pains and sleep disturbances. Weekly consumption of alcohol and daily use of nicotine among boys was more common than among girls (3 % and 6 %, respectively), whereas less frequent use of alcohol and nicotine was commoner in girls (16 %) than in boys (10 %); 7 % of boys and girls had tried drugs at least once. Suicidal thoughts were reported by 22 % of adolescents, 6 % reported suicide attempts and 6 % reported repeated self-harm. One third of adolescents considered seeking outside help and 9 % had actually done so. Girls reported more help-seeking than boys; older girls sought help more often than younger and middle-aged ones. Around one third of adolescents sought help from their relatives; 26 % from friends, the Internet or other non-professional sources; 5 % reported seeking help from a doctor or nurse, and 3 % from a psychologist. The most important independent predictors of seeking help were emotional symptoms, suicidal ideation and hyperactivity/inattention. The results suggest a need for future investigation of the factors associated with help-seeking behavior among adolescents. It is also necessary to develop mental health promotion programs for adolescents, interventions to improve mental health literacy and access to mental health care.

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