Research watch: Coronavirus (COVID-19), mental health and social inclusion in the UK and Ireland

Purpose This paper aims to examine recent papers on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, including implications for some of the groups of people already less included in society. Design/methodology/approach A search was carried out for recent papers on mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings Two papers describe surveys of adults in the UK and Irish Republic in the first days of lockdown. Low income and loss of income were associated with anxiety and depression. These surveys could not examine distress in Black and minority ethnicities, who have higher death rates from COVID-19. Two surveys of children and young people report distress and what can help. One paper summarises a host of ways in which the pandemic may affect mental well-being in different groups, and what might help. Another calls for research to understand how to protect mental well-being in various groups. Originality/value These five papers give a sense of the early days of the pandemic, especially in the UK. They also highlight the needs of some specific groups of people, or the need to find out more about how these groups experience the pandemic. They suggest some ways of trying to ensure that everyone has the best chance to thrive in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Download Full-text

Promoting mental health of immigrant seniors in community

Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care ◽

10.1108/eihsc-11-2013-0048 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 146-156 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Sharon D. Koehn ◽

Pavlina Jarvis ◽

Sharanjit K. Sandhra ◽

Satwinder K. Bains ◽

Madeleine Addison

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

Service Providers ◽

Community Organizations ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Determinants ◽

Content Type ◽

Economic Determinants ◽

Mental Well Being

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore if and how community organizations providing services to late-in-life Punjabi immigrants in British Columbia, Canada, offer services with the potential to promote their mental health or well-being. The authors also wanted to know how Punjabi seniors perceived available services and if they supported their mental well-being. Design/methodology/approach – To guide the research, the authors used the VicHealth Framework, which identifies three overarching social and economic determinants of mental health: social inclusion (SI), freedom from violence and discrimination, and access to economic resources and participation. This mixed methods study combines descriptive survey and qualitative focus group data with input from Punjabi seniors and community service providers. Findings – All three mental health determinants were identified as important by service providers and seniors, with SI as the most important. Family dynamics (shaped by migration and sponsorship status) influence all three determinants and can promote or diminish mental well-being. Research limitations/implications – The pilot study is limited in sample size and scope and further inquiry with different groups of immigrant older adults is warranted. Practical implications – Service providers assert that more outreach and sustainable funding are needed to reach the majority of potential beneficiaries unable to participate in community programmes. Information on mental well-being of seniors should be targeted at both seniors and their families. Originality/value – The VicHealth Framework provided a unique lens through which to explore the contributions of community organizations to mental health promotion for immigrant older adults.

Download Full-text

Sporting memories & the social inclusion of older people experiencing mental health problems

Mental Health and Social Inclusion ◽

10.1108/mhsi-06-2015-0024 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 202-211 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Michael Clark ◽

Charlie Murphy ◽

Tony Jameson-Allen ◽

Chris Wilkins

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older People ◽

Case Studies ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Problems ◽

Community Settings ◽

Content Type ◽

Mental Well Being

Purpose – Social exclusion and isolation of older people and their mental health are likely to be more significant, interlinked issues for society as countries experience an ageing demographic profile. The authors urgently need to identify effective ways of addressing these challenges that can be easily mobilised to meet diverse needs in different settings. The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of sporting memories (SM) work as one approach to help meet this need. This SM work entails the use of sports-based reminiscence to engage with older people experiencing mental health problems. To date this has especially focused on people living with dementia in institutional and in community settings. Design/methodology/approach – The paper sets out the SM idea and discusses lessons learnt from case studies of its application to meet the inclusion and mental health needs of different older people in institutional and community settings. Findings – The evidence from the application of SM work to date is that it is an effective and flexible means of engaging people to improve their social inclusion and mental well-being. It can be readily deployed in various care and community settings. Research limitations/implications – The evidence to date is of case studies of the use of SM work, and, although these are now extensive case studies, further research is needed on the costs and impacts of SM work. Practical implications – SM work is a flexible and readily adoptable intervention to engage older people and help improve their social inclusion and mental well-being. Social implications – SM work can be an important part of meeting some of the challenges society faces with an ageing population profile. Originality/value – This is the first paper to set out the SM work.

Download Full-text

Creative practice in a group setting

Mental Health and Social Inclusion ◽

10.1108/mhsi-04-2015-0014 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 141-147 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Elaine Argyle ◽

Gary Winship

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

Service Use ◽

Relevant Literature ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Health Service Use ◽

Group Setting ◽

Content Type ◽

Creative Practice ◽

Mental Well Being

Purpose – Involvement in creative practice is commonly regarded as “therapeutic” but what is actually meant by this and how does this work promote social inclusion and mental well-being, particularly when performed in a group setting? Drawing on the findings of a research project called Clay Transformations (AHRC), the purpose of this paper is to consider these questions. The project involved running a series of clay workshops aimed at people with experience of mental health service use and those who work with them. Design/methodology/approach – In order to explore the significance of art involvement to people who use mental health services, qualitative research findings are presented. These are then linked to relevant literature in order to consider the way in which workshop participation helped to promote social inclusion and mental well-being. Findings – Many benefits were gained from workshop attendance deriving from involvement in the process and the outcome of art creation. These benefits were enhanced by the group context in which the work took place and the mutual support and interaction arising from this group membership. Originality/value – The recognition of the therapeutic value of creative practice has been accompanied by the emergence of the notion of “mutual recovery” which extends the concept of recovery beyond an individualised focus. The positive findings of this project uphold these developments and suggest that mental health practice should address the wider social contexts that can facilitate the promotion of mental well-being.

Download Full-text

The mental health of NHS staff during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-wave cohort study

10.1101/2021.06.17.21259076 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Johannes H. De Kock ◽

Helen Latham ◽

Richard Gregory Cowden ◽

Breda Cullen ◽

Katia Narzisi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Longitudinal Design ◽

Well Being ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Health Board ◽

Health And Social Care ◽

The Uk ◽

Mental Well Being ◽

Over Time

Abstract: Background Health and social care workers(HSCWs) are at risk of experiencing adverse mental health (MH) outcomes (e.g., higher levels of anxiety and depression) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This can have a detrimental impact on quality of care, the national response to the pandemic and its aftermath. Aims A longitudinal design provided follow-up evidence on the MH(changes in the prevalence of disease over time) of NHS staff working in a remote health board in Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigated the determinants of MH outcomes over time. Method A two-wave longitudinal study was conducted from July to September 2020. Participants self-reported levels of depression(PHQ-9), anxiety(GAD-7), and mental well-being(WEMWBS) at baseline and again 1.5 months later. Results The analytic sample of 169 participants, working in community(43%) and hospital(44%) settings reported substantial levels of probable clinical depression, anxiety and low mental well-being(MWB) at baseline(depression:30.8%, anxiety:20.1%, low-MWB:31.9%). Whilst the MH of participants remained mostly constant over time, the proportion of participants meeting the threshold for clinical anxiety increased to 27.2% at follow-up. Multivariable modelling indicated that working with, and disruption due to COVID-19 were associated with adverse MH changes over time. Conclusions HSCWs working in a remote area with low COVID-19 prevalence, reported similar levels of substantial anxiety and depression as those working in areas of the UK with high rates of COVID-19 infections. Efforts to support HSCW MH must remain a priority and should minimize the adverse effects of working with, and the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Download Full-text

Politics and policy of mental health

International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare ◽

10.1108/ijhrh-05-2017-0022 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 160-162 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Norman Lamb

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Personal View ◽

Children And Young People ◽

Content Type ◽

Political Issues ◽

Scarce Resources ◽

The Individual ◽

The Uk

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the issues for mental health in the UK. Design/methodology/approach It is a personal view of the political issues facing the UK in recent years. Findings The fight for true parity of esteem for mental health is one where some progress has been made, but it is also a fight that we are still too far from winning. The battle for equality continues, but it must not detract from the need to innovate and to use scarce resources more effectively to improve people’s lives. Originality/value It is an attempt by the author to tackle mental health problems in children and young people at the individual, and larger population, and policy level.

Download Full-text

Micro‐enterprise:

Journal of Integrated Care ◽

10.1108/14769011311305558 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 26-33 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sian Lockwood

Keyword(s):

Health Inequalities ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Social Care ◽

Community Support ◽

Well Being ◽

Local Health ◽

Content Type ◽

Local Case ◽

The Uk ◽

Health And Well Being

PurposeThis paper seeks to explore the potential of micro‐enterprises to assist local health and well‐being boards in delivering their strategies, especially in relation to tackling health inequalities, prevention and community support.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on experience gained by Community Catalysts from its work supporting social care and health micro‐enterprise across the UK. There has been little formal research into social care and health micro‐enterprise and so the paper relies heavily on data gathered by Community Catalysts in the course of its work and uses local case studies to illustrate points.FindingsThe paper explains the importance of social care and health micro‐enterprise to the work of health and well being boards, emphasising its potential to help tackle health inequalities and contribute to effective health and well‐being strategies.Originality/valueThere are no examples as yet of imaginative health and well‐being boards engaging effectively with micro‐providers, but boards can draw on learning from local authorities actively stimulating and supporting local micro‐enterprise.

Download Full-text

London Fire Brigade's screen and treat approach to the Grenfell Tower incident

International Journal of Emergency Services ◽

10.1108/ijes-07-2020-0036 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Craig Steel ◽

Zoe Travers ◽

Lynette Meredith ◽

Deborah Lee ◽

Michael Conti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

National Guidelines ◽

Line Managers ◽

Content Type ◽

Health Response ◽

The Uk ◽

Post Disaster ◽

Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose is to report on the mental health response to the Grenfell incident within the London Fire Brigade (LFB).Design/methodology/approachThe LFB implemented screening for the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at 28 days, 3 months and 6 months for all personnel directly involved in the incident.FindingsThe prevalence of PTSD within frontline personnel was 13.4% at 28 days, falling to 7.6% at 6 months. The LFB's internal Counselling and Wellbeing Service offered treatment to those scoring above the cut-off for PTSD along with accepting self-referral and referrals from line managers and occupational health. There were 139 referrals within the 12-month period following the incident.Research limitations/implicationsThe outcomes for those who engaged in treatment are broadly in line with other studies evaluating post-disaster interventions. Issues for consideration within national guidelines are discussed.Practical implicationsThe screen and treat approach adopted by LFB was shown to be a feasible approach to use within such a scenario.Originality/valueThe current study reports on a screen and treat approach to one of the largest single incidents in the UK in recent years.

Download Full-text

Service user and carers perspectives of joint and integrated working between health and social care

Journal of Integrated Care ◽

10.1108/jica-10-2013-0042 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 62-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Ailsa Cameron ◽

Lisa Bostock ◽

Rachel Lart

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Social Care ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Integrated Services ◽

Content Type ◽

Policy Debates ◽

Health And Social Care ◽

The Uk ◽

The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an update to a review of the joint working literature in the field of health and social care for adults, with particular emphasis given to the experiences of users and carers. Design/methodology/approach – The aims of the literature review remained largely the same as those of the original, they were to identify: models of joint working, evidence of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness and the factors promoting or hindering the models. However, to reflect the growing interest in the experiences of users and carers a fourth aim was added to map these experiences. Given their prominence in terms of policy debates about integration, the review focused on jointly organised services for older people and people with mental health problems in the UK only. Findings – The review demonstrates tentative signs that some initiatives designed to join-up or integrate services can deliver outcomes desired by government. Importantly some studies that report the experiences of users of services and carers suggest that they perceive benefits from efforts to join-up or integrate services. However it is our contention that the evidence is less than compelling and does not justify the faith invested in the strategy by current or previous governments. Originality/value – The study updates our knowledge of the impact of joint working in the field of health and social care for adults. Importantly the paper highlights what is known about the experiences of users and carers of joint/integrated services.

Download Full-text

Children, housing and health

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy ◽

10.1108/01443330610680416 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 26 (7/8) ◽

pp. 326-341 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

J. Stewart ◽

M. Rhoden

Keyword(s):

Public Health Policy ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Well Being ◽

Content Type ◽

Bed And Breakfast ◽

The Uk ◽

The Relationship ◽

Practical Implications ◽

Review Current ◽

Exhaustive List

PurposeTo consolidate and review current literature that relates children's health to their housing and living environments.Design/methodology/approachA range of published sources which review the relationship between children, housing and health. The sources consolidate research that applies specifically to children and their domestic situation. The paper also reviews literature around municipal tower block estates and the unique health/architecture relationship before turning to children living in temporary bed and breakfast accommodation. An overview of current public health policy that seeks to reintegrate housing and well‐being is undertaken.FindingsDecent housing lies at the heart of health for all. Generally, the picture is more positive, but action remains slow. Children's needs must be given a higher priority in housing in future to promote physical and emotional well‐being.Research limitations/implicationsIt is not an exhaustive list and the sources are mainly UK publications.Practical implicationsThe UK approach to children, housing and health may be of interest to a number of overseas countries in Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia.Originality/valueThis paper fulfils an identified information/resources need and offers readers such as students, academics and practitioners an overview of the UK approach.

Download Full-text