Promoting and Protecting Mental Health: A Delphi Consensus Study for Actionable Public Mental Health Messages

2021 ◽  
pp. 089011712199853
Author(s):  
Josefien J. F. Breedvelt ◽  
Jade Yap ◽  
Dorien D. Eising ◽  
David D. Ebert ◽  
Filip Smit ◽  
...  

Purpose: Public health campaigns are still relatively rare in mental health. This paper aims to find consensus on the preventive self-management actions (i.e. “healthy behaviors”) for common mental health problems (e.g. depression and anxiety) that should be recommended in mental health campaigns directed at the general public. Approach: A 3-round Delphi study Participants: 23 international experts in mental health and 1447 members of the public, most of whom had lived experience of mental health problems. Method: The modified Delphi study combined quantitative and qualitative data collection: 1) online qualitative survey data collection thematically analyzed, 2) recommendations rated for consensus, 3) consensus items rated by public panel on a Likert scale. Results: Expert consensus was reached on 15 behaviors that individuals can engage in to sustain mental health. Eight were rated as appropriate by more than half (50%) of the public panel, including: avoiding illicit drugs (80%, n = 1154), reducing debt (72%, n = 1043), improving sleep (69%, n = 1000), regulating mood (65%, n = 941), having things to look forward to (60%, n = 869). Conclusions: A series of healthy behaviors for the promotion and protection of mental health received expert and public consensus. To our knowledge, this is the first study to offer a set of actions for public health messaging for the prevention of poor mental health. Future research should focus on evaluating effectiveness of these actions in a universal primary prevention context.

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Ratanasiripong ◽  
Orawan Kaewboonchoo ◽  
Nop Ratanasiripong ◽  
Suda Hanklang ◽  
Pornlert Chumchai

Globally, graduate students have been found to have high prevalence of mental health problems. With increasing severity of mental health problems on university campuses and limited resources for mental health treatment, alternative interventions are needed. This study investigated the use of biofeedback training to help reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. A sample of 60 graduate students in public health nursing was randomly assigned to either the biofeedback intervention or the control group. Results indicated that biofeedback intervention was effective in significantly reducing the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression over the 4-week period, while the control group had increases in symptoms of anxiety and depression over the same timeframe. As future leaders in the public health nursing arena, the more psychologically healthy the graduate students in public health nursing are, the better the public health nursing professionals they will be as they go forth to serve the community after graduation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Granrud ◽  
A Anderzen-Carlsson ◽  
B Bisholt ◽  
A K Steffenak

Abstract Background Mental health problems among adolescents account for a large portion of the global burden of disease and affect 10 - 20 % of children and adolescent worldwide. The public health nurse in the school health services is in the forefront for adolescents and play an important role in providing mental health. In order to identitfy and help the adolescents in secondary school with mental health problems the public health nurses are dependent on collaboration with other professionals. The aim of this study was to describe the variation in public health nurses perceptions of interprofessional collaboration related to mental health problems among adolescents in secondary school. Methods This study has a qualitative design and individual interviews were analyzed with a phenomenographic approach. Eighteen public health nurses working in school health services, strategically selected from different counties, both urban and rural areas, were included to ensure variation in the phenomena. Findings The analysis resulted in three descriptive categories: ’The formal structure has an impact on the interprofessional collaboration’, ’The public health nurse is an important but not always self-evident partner in interprofessional collaboration’ and ’The primary players are the teachers in collaboratioń. Conclusions The findings demonstrated that public health nurses are important but not always included in interprofessional collaboration and they were dependent especially of teachers to achieve good collaboration. There were variations in how public health nurses perceived interprofessional collaboration from school to school, which may give the adolescents with mental health different services. The knowledge from this study may be essential to strengthen public health nurses positions and presence in the school health service, which will benefit the adolescents with mental health problems. Key messages The public health nurse need to work actively to be included in interprofessional collaboration. The public health nurse are dependent on teachers and principals to achieve good collaboration.


2015 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gleb P. Shumyatsky ◽  
Tanja Jovanovic ◽  
Talma Handler

AbstractQuantifying resilience allows for several testable hypotheses, such as that resilience is equal to the number of mental health problems given a known quantity of stressor load. The proposed model lends itself well to prospective studies with data collection pre- and post-adversity; however, prestressor assessments are not always available. Challenges remain for adapting quantifying resilience to animal research, even if the idea of its translation value is significant.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 193-197
Author(s):  
Eirini Kotsalou ◽  
Evanthia Sakellari ◽  
Areti Lagiou ◽  
Evaggelia Kotsalou

Objective: The university medical services vary around the world (even within each university), but there are only a few publications on the utilization of these services by the students. The available on-campus services of public health care might include general health care, women’s centers, mental health care, disability services, wellness resource centers, career counseling, and alcohol and other drug education programs. Evidence Acquisition: This paper reviews the current literature on the overtime and current (due to Covid-19 pandemic) public health needs of college students based on studies that report the commonest specific diagnostic reasons for using the on-campus health care services. Results: Special reference is done on mental health problems among students generally and the students of health professions fields (a specific category themselves). Besides, other issues of interest are the substance-related problems among students and their perceptions about mental health problems and on- campus help- seeking services. Conclusions: It is unanimous that we need further educational and promotional campaigns to enhance the students; help-seeking behaviors, reduce stigmatizing behaviors and create more preventive public health services on campus, but also out-campus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Narusyte ◽  
P Svedberg

Abstract Background Mental health problems among young adults is a public health problem as well as increasing work incapacity in terms of sickness absence (SA) due to mental diagnoses in Sweden. SA levels among those working in the public sector tend to exceed those working in the private sector. Knowledge is however lacking on whether experiencing mental health problems in young years can contribute to the association. The aim was to examine the association between type of employment and sickness absence among women and men, also adjusting for previously experienced depression and anxiety as well as for familial factors. Methods The study included data on 25,496 twins born in Sweden 1959-1990. Information on depression and anxiety as well as on type of employment was obtained from a web-based survey conducted in 2005. Twins were followed prospectively until 2013 through national register data on SA. Logistic regression analyses were run with adjustment for familial factors, such as common genetics and environmental factors related to the family. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) are presented. Results Higher rates of SA in the public (59%) as compared to the private (50%) sector were observed among women. There were 29% and 30% of men in public and private sectors, respectively, that have had at least one SA spell during the follow-up. Preliminary results showed that working in the private sector was associated with a higher risk for future SA among women (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.14-2.33) but not among men (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.41-1.07). The results changed only slightly after adjusting for previous depression or anxiety as well as for familial factors. Conclusions Higher rates of SA among women working in the public as compared to the private sector were not explained by previously experienced depression or anxiety disorders. Key messages Higher rates of SA were observed among women working in public as compared to private sector. Previously experienced depression and anxiety were of similar importance for future SA in both public and private sectors.


2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul McCrone ◽  
Martin Knapp ◽  
Mary Henri ◽  
David McDaid

SummaryAims– This paper seeks to provide a methodology to assess the cost-effectiveness of anti-stigma campaigns for people with mental health problems.Methods– The costs of running a national campaign in Scotland were obtained and combined with the number of adults in the Scottish population and the estimated number of people with improved attitudes towards people with mental health problems. A decision model was constructed to estimate the economic impact of a campaign in terms of increased use of services by people with depression and increased work time.Results– If the campaign caused 10% of changed attitudes then it was estimated to cost £35 per one less person who felt that people with mental health problems were dangerous and £186 per one less person who felt the public needs protection from people with mental health problems. The decision model suggested extra economic benefits (employment gains minus service costs) as a result of an anti-stigma campaign compared to the absence of a campaign.Conclusions– Data on the economic impact of anti-stigma campaigns are scarce and evaluation is intrinsically difficult. We have demonstrated a method to conduct such analyses. The model proposed here should be tested further as data become available.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document