Public health nurses’ perinatal mental health training needs: A cross sectional survey

Abstract Anxiety and depression commonly emerge during adolescence and secondary schools are well placed to recognise deteriorations in young people’s mental health. In Australian secondary schools, Year Advisors (or year co-ordinators), have been identified as key teaching staff for assisting students with their mental health and facilitating help-seeking. However, there is little understanding of the responsibilities of this role and the mental health training needs of these educators. In December 2017, 12 secondary school Year Advisors from NSW, Australia, took part in a one-day co-design workshop that explored their current role in caring for student mental health and developed a resource that matched their training needs. This paper explores the insights generated from this workshop and outlines a way to engage end-users in the design of mental health training programs. The workshop attendees strongly supported the development of an adolescent mental health training program that was specific to the Year Advisor role, improved their knowledge of adolescent mental health, and developed their skills and confidence to support students in need.

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Exposure to mental health training in schools of public health.

American Journal of Public Health ◽

10.2105/ajph.63.8.710 ◽

1973 ◽

Vol 63 (8) ◽

pp. 710-714 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

E Padilla ◽

S E Goldston

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Training ◽

Health Training ◽

Schools Of Public Health

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Mental illness among the homeless: prevalence study in a Dublin homeless hostel

Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0790966700017560 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 22-26 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Bernice Prinsloo ◽

Catherine Parr ◽

Joanne Fenton

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Mental Health Training ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Addiction Services ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Current Axis ◽

Axis I ◽

Staff Research

Objective: To determine the prevalence of mental illness among the residents of a homeless hostel in inner city Dublin.Method: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among hostel residents, as previous studies have indicated that homeless hostel-dwelling men in Dublin constitute the largest single grouping of homeless Irish people. All agreeable residents were interviewed by the authors over an eight-week period using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) Clinical Version. For each disorder, the current (30-day) and past prevalence was determined.Results: A total of 38 residents were interviewed, resulting in a response rate of 39.2% for the study. A total of 81.6% of residents had a current Axis I diagnosis; this number increased to 89.5% when combining current and past diagnoses. Only four residents had no diagnosis. There was considerable comorbidity between disorders, with a significant number of residents experiencing both mental illness and substance use problems. When considering lifetime diagnoses, 31.6% had a single diagnosis only; 57.9% had two/more diagnoses. Twelve residents (31.6%) had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital during their lifetime. The most prevalent disorders during the past month were Alcohol Dependence (23.7%), Opioid Dependence and Major Depressive Disorder (both 18.4%), Opioid Abuse and Alcohol-Induced Depression (both 7.9%). Only 23.7% of interviewed residents were attending psychiatric or addiction services. A significant number of residents who did not wish to participate in the study were identified by hostel staff as having a confirmed psychiatric diagnosis.Conclusion: The survey demonstrated a very high prevalence of mental disorders among homeless hostel residents. The high prevalence of dual diagnosis highlights the need for greater collaboration between psychiatric services and addiction services. The outcome also points to the importance of providing mental health training to emergency shelter/hostel staff. Research into the mental health status of the homeless should be undertaken regularly if services are to be planned to meet the needs of this vulnerable group.

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