scholarly journals Clinical or gimmickal: The use and effectiveness of mobile mental health apps for treating anxiety and depression

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie M Marshall ◽  
Debra A Dunstan ◽  
Warren Bartik
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
World Health ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Tablet Devices ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
History Of ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Mobile Mental Health

Objectives: The increase in ownership of smartphones and tablet devices has seen a worldwide government push, championed by the World Health Organization, towards digital healthcare services generally. Mental health has been a strong presence in the digitisation of healthcare because of the potential to solve some of the difficulties in accessing face-to-face services. This review summarises the recent history of e-mental health services and illuminates two very different paths. The first is the considerable amount of research that has proven the effectiveness of many online mental health programmes for personal computers and laptops, resulting in widespread acceptance of their ability to make a contribution in an individual’s recovery from anxiety and depression. The second is associated with the more recent development of apps for smartphones and tablet devices and the contrasting paucity of research that has accompanied this burgeoning area of e-mental health. This review also outlines the current state of play for research into the effectiveness of mobile mental health apps for anxiety and depression, including issues associated with methodology, and offers sources of practical advice for clinicians wanting more information about these new digital tools. Conclusion: Research into the effectiveness of mental health apps is lacking, and the majority have no evidence of efficacy. Clinicians need to be aware of what apps have such evidence and should exercise caution when recommending apps to patients. Suggestions are offered on the direction of future research, including an appeal to further include clinicians in the development and efficacy testing of mental health apps.

Kesehatan Mental Mahasiswa Fakultas Kedokteran Di Masa Pandemi COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 113-120
Author(s):  
Athaya Taufiqy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Learning Material ◽  
Learning Programs ◽  
Learning Platforms ◽  
Health Organization

December 2019, COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a worldwide pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has focused attention on the mental health of the various affected populations, medical students being one of the more vulnerable groups. Therefore, this literature review aims to find out how the mental health of Faculty of Medicine students during the COVID-19 pandemic, so that it can be used as learning material to always maintain mental health stability. The method used in this study is a literature review and literature search which was carried out by collecting several electronic journals such as PubMed, NCBI and Google Scholar. Conducted by reviewing journals related to the mental health of medical faculty students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study involved 49 library sources from 2018-2020. From 7,143 students, 0.9% of them experienced severe anxiety, 2.7% moderate, and 21.3% experienced mild anxiety. In addition, delay in academic activities is a risk factor for experiencing symptoms of anxiety. 40% of students also experience financial difficulties, in terms of e-learning platforms, this problem is a challenge for medical students because financial and social factors can be an obstacle to the development and implementation of effective online learning programs. Future research is urgently needed to provide a better explanation of the tips needed for students in adapting to the changes that occur in order to lead a mentally healthy life in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Long-term Benzodiazepine Treatment in Patients with Psychotic Disorders Attending a Mental Health Service in Rural Greece

2016 ◽  
Vol 07 (S 01) ◽  
pp. S026-S030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vaios Peritogiannis ◽  
Thiresia Manthopoulou ◽  
Venetsanos Mavreas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Treatment Regimen ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Population Based ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Future Research ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Mobile Mental Health

ABSTRACT Introduction: Long-term benzodiazepine (BZD) treatment in patients with mental disorders is widespread in clinical practice, and this is also the case of patients with schizophrenia, although the evidence is weak and BZD prescription is discouraged by guidelines and medical authorities. Data on BZD prescription are usually derived from national or regional databases whereas information on the use of BZD by patients with schizophrenia and related psychoses in general population-based samples is limited. Materials and Methods: Information for 77 patients with psychotic disorders who were regularly attending follow-up appointments with the multidisciplinary Mobile Mental Health Unit of the prefectures of Ioannina and Thesprotia, Northwest Greece, during 1-year period (2015) was obtained from our database. Results: From the total of 77 engaged patients, 30 (39%) were regularly prescribed BZDs in the long term, as part of their treatment regimen. Prescribed BZDs were mostly diazepam and lorazepam, in 43.3% of cases each. The mean daily dose of these compounds was 13 mg and 3.77 mg, respectively. Statistical analysis showed a correlation of long-term BZD use with the history of alcohol/substance abuse. Most patients were receiving BZD continuously for several years, and the mean dose was steady within this interval. Conclusions: A large proportion of patients with psychotic disorders were regularly prescribed BZD in long term. It appears that when BZDs are prescribed for some period in the course of a psychotic disorder, their use commonly exceeds the recommended interval and then becomes a regular part of the chronic treatment regimen. Future research should address the factors that may be related to the long-term BZD use by patients with psychotic disorders. Interventions for the reduction of regular BZD prescription should target the primary care setting and all those who treat first episode patients.

scholarly journals A brief-review of the risk factors for covid-19 severity

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 60 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. Rod ◽  
Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios ◽  
Javier Cortes-Ramirez
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
World Health ◽  
Future Research ◽  
C Reactive Protein ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
History Of ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
High Consistency ◽  
D Dimer

The World Health Organization has emphasized that one of the most important questions to address regarding the covid-19 pandemic is to understand risk factors for disease severity. We conducted a brief review that synthesizes the available evidence and provides a judgment on the consistency of the association between risk factors and a composite end-point of severe-fatal covid-19. Additionally, we also conducted a comparability analysis of risk factors across 17 studies. We found evidence supporting a total of 60 predictors for disease severity, of which seven were deemed of high consistency, 40 of medium and 13 of low. Among the factors with high consistency of association, we found age, C-reactive protein, D-dimer, albumin, body temperature, SOFA score and diabetes. The results suggest that diabetes might be the most consistent comorbidity predicting disease severity and that future research should carefully consider the comparability of reporting cases, factors, and outcomes along the different stages of the natural history of covid-19.

scholarly journals Pentingnya Menjaga Kesehatan Jiwa saat Pandemi Covid 19

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 178
Author(s):  
Dwi Kartika Pebrianti ◽  
Armina Armina
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Healthy Lifestyle ◽  
The Body ◽  
World Health ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Corona Virus ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The City

The case of the Corona Virus is known through a mysterious disease that paralyzed the City of Wuhan, China. The tragedy at the end of 2019 has continued until the spread of the Corona virus has spread throughout the world. Quoted from CNN, here are some things that must be known about the development of the Corona virus, which is commonly called the Corona virus or COVID-19, until it broke out and became a pandemic. Everyone needs to maintain mental health to avoid physical complaints that arise due to stress. Because when someone is stressed, the immune system in the body will decrease. This will cause the body to be susceptible to disease. Realizing that anxiety due to COVID-19 has pervaded many communities, the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020 released a guide for people to jointly maintain mental health. Through community service activities by directly interacting with the community while still implementing the COVID-19 protocol, socialization was carried out about the importance of maintaining mental health in the community during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Community service at RT 30 Recognize Besar, the community can know, recognize and overcome how to recognize mental health disorders including anxiety and depression, it is hoped that the community will always think optimistically in facing the Covid-19 pandemic, by implementing health protocols, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, always think positively, maintain communication with family and friends

scholarly journals Mental healthcare in Kenya: Exploring optimal conditions for capacity building

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elijah Marangu ◽  
Natisha Sands ◽  
John Rolley ◽  
David Ndetei ◽  
Fethi Mansouri
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Capacity Building ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
World Health ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Global Action ◽  
Health Organization

The global burden of disease related to mental disorders is on the increase, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that over 450 million people are affected worldwide. The Mental Health Global Action Program (mhGAP) was launched by the WHO in 2002 in order to address the widening gap in access to mental healthcare in low-income countries. Despite these efforts, access to mental healthcare in low-income countries remains poor and is often described as inadequate, inefficient and inequitable, with an 85% estimated treatment gap in low-income countries, as compared with 35% to 50% in high-income countries.In this article, the authors argue that integrating mental health services into primary healthcare settings through capacity building is vital with regard to achieving mhGAP goals. The article explores the challenges to and potential enablers for the improvement of the delivery of broad-based mental healthcare services in Kenya. The authors propose the integration of the conceptual dimensions of both the cosmopolitanism and capabilities approaches as a combined strategy for dealing with capacity building in heterogeneous settings such as Kenya.

scholarly journals Apps With Maps—Anxiety and Depression Mobile Apps With Evidence-Based Frameworks: Systematic Search of Major App Stores (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie M Marshall ◽  
Debra A Dunstan ◽  
Warren Bartik
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Dialectical Behavior Therapy ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
App Store ◽  
Published Evidence

BACKGROUND Mobile mental health apps have become ubiquitous tools to assist people in managing symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, due to the lack of research and expert input that has accompanied the development of most apps, concerns have been raised by clinicians, researchers, and government authorities about their efficacy. OBJECTIVE This review aimed to estimate the proportion of mental health apps offering comprehensive therapeutic treatments for anxiety and/or depression available in the app stores that have been developed using evidence-based frameworks. It also aimed to estimate the proportions of specific frameworks being used in an effort to understand which frameworks are having the most influence on app developers in this area. METHODS A systematic review of the Apple App Store and Google Play store was performed to identify apps offering comprehensive therapeutic interventions that targeted anxiety and/or depression. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) checklist was adapted to guide this approach. RESULTS Of the 293 apps shortlisted as offering a therapeutic treatment for anxiety and/or depression, 162 (55.3%) mentioned an evidence-based framework in their app store descriptions. Of the 293 apps, 88 (30.0%) claimed to use cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, 46 (15.7%) claimed to use mindfulness, 27 (9.2%) claimed to use positive psychology, 10 (3.4%) claimed to use dialectical behavior therapy, 5 (1.7%) claimed to use acceptance and commitment therapy, and 20 (6.8%) claimed to use other techniques. Of the 162 apps that claimed to use a theoretical framework, only 10 (6.2%) had published evidence for their efficacy. CONCLUSIONS The current proportion of apps developed using evidence-based frameworks is unacceptably low, and those without tested frameworks may be ineffective, or worse, pose a risk of harm to users. Future research should establish what other factors work in conjunction with evidence-based frameworks to produce efficacious mental health apps.

scholarly journals Apps With Maps—Anxiety and Depression Mobile Apps With Evidence-Based Frameworks: Systematic Search of Major App Stores

10.2196/16525 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. e16525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie M Marshall ◽  
Debra A Dunstan ◽  
Warren Bartik
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Dialectical Behavior Therapy ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
App Store ◽  
Published Evidence

Background Mobile mental health apps have become ubiquitous tools to assist people in managing symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, due to the lack of research and expert input that has accompanied the development of most apps, concerns have been raised by clinicians, researchers, and government authorities about their efficacy. Objective This review aimed to estimate the proportion of mental health apps offering comprehensive therapeutic treatments for anxiety and/or depression available in the app stores that have been developed using evidence-based frameworks. It also aimed to estimate the proportions of specific frameworks being used in an effort to understand which frameworks are having the most influence on app developers in this area. Methods A systematic review of the Apple App Store and Google Play store was performed to identify apps offering comprehensive therapeutic interventions that targeted anxiety and/or depression. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) checklist was adapted to guide this approach. Results Of the 293 apps shortlisted as offering a therapeutic treatment for anxiety and/or depression, 162 (55.3%) mentioned an evidence-based framework in their app store descriptions. Of the 293 apps, 88 (30.0%) claimed to use cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, 46 (15.7%) claimed to use mindfulness, 27 (9.2%) claimed to use positive psychology, 10 (3.4%) claimed to use dialectical behavior therapy, 5 (1.7%) claimed to use acceptance and commitment therapy, and 20 (6.8%) claimed to use other techniques. Of the 162 apps that claimed to use a theoretical framework, only 10 (6.2%) had published evidence for their efficacy. Conclusions The current proportion of apps developed using evidence-based frameworks is unacceptably low, and those without tested frameworks may be ineffective, or worse, pose a risk of harm to users. Future research should establish what other factors work in conjunction with evidence-based frameworks to produce efficacious mental health apps.

A brief recent history of the epidemiology of congenital syphilis in the United Kingdom

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 1110-1119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Simms ◽  
Beng T Goh ◽  
Patrick French ◽  
Lesley A Wallace ◽  
Neil Irvine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Congenital Syphilis ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
World Health ◽  
Quality Healthcare ◽  
Life Chances ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
History Of ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Uk

Within a century, congenital syphilis has been reduced from a major cause of morbidity and mortality to a condition rarely seen in the UK. Here, newly-derived literature and information searches were used to create a contemporary overview of the epidemic, including its epidemiology. Although constrained by high-quality healthcare services and with an incidence below the World Health Organization elimination threshold, congenital syphilis still has the potential to cause major consequences for the health and life chances of affected infants. If the complex challenges presented by this preventable disease are to be resolved, intervention strategies need to be optimised, rigorously assessed and extended across Europe.

scholarly journals Considerations for assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (11) ◽  
pp. 1067-1071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric J Tan ◽  
Denny Meyer ◽  
Erica Neill ◽  
Andrea Phillipou ◽  
Wei Lin Toh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Future Research ◽  
First Case ◽  
Essential Services ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

During this unprecedented novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, there is an urgent need for empirical data to characterise its impact on the mental health and well-being of Australians. In this viewpoint, we outline a number of considerations for research on this topic, highlighting areas necessitating special attention, consideration of particular vulnerable groups and the need for longitudinal studies to track mental health fluctuations in the general population. We conclude by introducing the COLLATE (COvid-19 and you: mentaL heaLth in AusTralia now survEy) project, outlining its aims, addressing some considerations raised herein and detailing avenues for future research. Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 30 January 2020 (WHO, 2020), the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major upheaval both in Australia and globally. While the search for a vaccine continues, current efforts towards tackling the virus and limiting contagion in several nations have focused on social distancing and the shutdown of non-essential services. In Australia, the first case was reported on 13 January 2020 (COVID-19 National Incident Room Surveillance Team, 2020), the first death occurred on 24 February and a spate of progressive restrictions were enforced throughout the 2 weeks leading up to 31 March 2020 (COVID-19 National Incident Room Surveillance Team, 2020a).

The EPA Guidance Project: Guidance for Mental Healthcare in Europe

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (01) ◽  
pp. 5-11
Author(s):  
I. Großimlinghaus ◽  
J. Zielasek ◽  
W. Gaebel
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Graduate Training ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Stakeholder Involvement ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
World Health ◽  
Post Graduate Training ◽  
Health Organization

Summary Background: The development of guidelines is an important and common method to assure and improve quality in mental healthcare in European countries. While guidelines have to fulfill predefined criteria such as methodological accuracy of evidence retrieval and assessment, and stakeholder involvement, the development of guidance was not standardized yet. Aim: In 2008, the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) initiated the EPA Guidance project in order to provide guidance in the field of European psychiatry and related fields for topics that are not dealt with by guideline developers – for instance due to lack of evidence or lack of funding. The first three series of EPA Guidance deal with diverse topics that are relevant to European mental healthcare, such as quality assurance for mental health services, post-graduate training in mental healthcare, trust in mental health services and mental health promotion. Results: EPA Guidance recommendations address current and future challenges for European psychiatry. They are developed in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) European Mental Health Action Plan.

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