A hotel room on Mars: quarantine and the psychological view from the virtual front line

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 624-626
Author(s):  
Matthew Modini ◽  
Lil Vrklevski

Objective: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of quarantine for returning travellers and the effect this has on people’s mental health has become a topical issue. This article briefly describes the historical context of quarantine, research around its impact on people’s well-being, and the experiences of a clinical psychologist providing support to people in quarantine. Conclusions: Mental health professionals are in a unique position to assist people in quarantine, both in terms of counselling and ongoing research.

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0261818
Author(s):  
Laurence Fond-Harmant ◽  
Hélène Kane ◽  
Jade Gourret Baumgart ◽  
Emmanuel Rusch ◽  
Hervé Breton ◽  
...  

Objective Our project aims to provide: an overview of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the field of mental health professionals in 23 countries; a model of recommendations for good practice and proposals for methods and digital tools to improve the well-being at work of mental health professionals and the quality of services offered during crisis and post-crisis periods; an in-depth ethics review of the assessment of the use of numerical tools for psychiatry professionals and patient support, including teleconsulting. Methods This is a large international survey conducted among 2,000 mental health professionals in 23 countries over a 12-month period. This survey will be based on 30 individual interviews and 20 focus group sessions, and a digital questionnaire will be sent online to 2,000 professionals based on the criteria of gender, age, professional experience, psychiatric specialty, context of work in psychiatry, and geographical location. Regarding the development of telepsychiatry during the COVID-19 pandemic, a pilot study on the use of digital tools will be carried out on 100 clients of psychiatry professionals in France and Belgium. Discussion-conclusion This study will contribute to the co-construction of an international organization and monitoring system that takes into account psychiatric health professionals as major resources to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and to develop efficient processes for preparing and anticipating crises by reducing psychosocial risks as much as possible. This project also aims to design tools for remote medicine and to develop the use of numerical tools for monitoring and supporting professionals and helping professionals to build the conditions for satisfactory operational work during crises and post-crisis situations, using adapted organizational methods. Our ongoing research should support professionals in the search for existing concrete solutions to cope with emergency work situations while maintaining an optimal quality of life.


BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Billings ◽  
Camilla Biggs ◽  
Brian Chi Fung Ching ◽  
Vasiliki Gkofa ◽  
David Singleton ◽  
...  

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is having a well-documented impact on the mental health of front-line health and social care workers (HSCWs). However, little attention has been paid to the experiences of, and impact on, the mental health professionals who were rapidly tasked with supporting them. Aims We set out to redress this gap by qualitatively exploring UK mental health professionals’ experiences, views and needs while working to support the well-being of front-line HSCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method Mental health professionals working in roles supporting front-line HSCWs were recruited purposively and interviewed remotely. Transcripts of the interviews were analysed by the research team following the principles of reflexive thematic analysis. Results We completed interviews with 28 mental health professionals from varied professional backgrounds, career stages and settings across the UK. Mental health professionals were motivated and driven to develop new clinical pathways to support HSCWs they perceived as colleagues and many experienced professional growth. However, this also came at some costs, as they took on additional responsibilities and increased workloads, were anxious and uncertain about how best to support this workforce and tended to neglect their own health and well-being. Many were professionally isolated and were affected vicariously by the traumas and moral injuries that healthcare workers talked about in sessions. Conclusions This research highlights the urgent need to consider the mental well-being, training and support of mental health professionals who are supporting front-line workers.


Author(s):  
Xu Jiang ◽  
Kristin L. Otis ◽  
Marco Weber ◽  
E. Scott Huebner

This chapter begins with a description of the tenets of hope theory and then addresses the importance of hope during adolescence from a developmental perspective. Next, two accompanying instruments for measuring hope in adults and adolescents, the Adult Hope Scale and the Children’s Hope Scale, are described. Then the chapter summarizes the research findings on the relations between hope and adolescent mental health, focusing on the findings related to emotional, psychological, and social well-being, respectively. In addition, the Making Hope Happen intervention is introduced. Finally, the chapter explores future directions in adolescent hope research, along with implications for use by mental health professionals.


Author(s):  
Philip J. Lazarus ◽  
Shannon M. Suldo ◽  
Beth Doll

In this introduction, the authors discuss the purpose of this book, which is (a) to provide school-based mental health professionals with the knowledge and tools to help promote students’ emotional well-being and mental health, (b) to describe how to implement new models of mental health service delivery in schools, and (c) to prescribe practical strategies that bolster the likelihood that our youth will thrive in school and in life. The authors recommend conceptualizing student mental health through a dual-factor model that encompasses both promoting wellness and reducing pathology. They advocate for a change in educational priorities—one that supports the whole child, in mind, body, and spirit. They then discuss the prevalence of psychological distress in youth, risk and resilience research, the dual-factor model of mental health, happiness studies, new frameworks for the delivery of services, and the organization and structure of the text.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dori Zener

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the barriers that girls and women face in receiving an accurate and timely autism diagnosis. The journey to late-in-life diagnosis will be explored with a focus on mental health and well-being. The aim is to improve the awareness of the female autism phenotype to provide access to early identification and appropriate supports and services.Design/methodology/approachThe author’s clinical experience as an individual, couple and family therapist specializing in girls and women with autism informs the paper. Research on co-occurring mental health experience and diagnoses are reviewed and combined with case examples to outline the themes leading to and obscuring autism diagnosis.FindingsFemales with autism are less likely to be diagnosed or are identified much later than their male counterparts. Living with unidentified autism places significant mental strain on adults, particularly females. Achieving a late-in-life diagnosis is very valuable for adults and can improve self-awareness and access to limited support.Practical implicationsMental health professionals will develop a better understanding of the overlap between autism and psychiatric conditions and should consider autism in females who are seeking intervention.Originality/valueThis paper provides a clinical approach to working with autistic girls and women. This knowledge can complement the existing research literature and help build the foundation for a greater understanding of the female autism phenotype.


2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 486-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arumugam Moorthy ◽  
Thangasamy K Sankar

Abstract Background Coronavirus infection Disease 19 impacted every part of the world and routine life. Recent report from the Office of national statistics in UK reported disproportionate death among Black Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) population. NHS is heavily relied on the BAME work force both in front line and in the community. We attempted to explore the beliefs and perception about reported worrying issue among BAME health work force in a Diverse city of Leicester. Methods This is a cross-sectional survey using 20 questions in an electronic format. The target population was identified through Leicester Asian Doctors Society and Leicester Asian Nurses Society. The questionnaire was then distributed electronically to the members. Survey questionnaire was accessed by 372, incomplete response (172) were excluded and 200 completed responses were analysed. Results Majority of BAME workforce are routinely involved in front line duties. More than 70% were anxious about their role during this pandemic. The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supply was adequate, and the support received from the local healthcare providers was more than satisfactory. The work force perceived co-morbidity, lack of PPE and testing were one of the few reasons for increased death in BAME. BAME group felt adequate provision of PPE, increased testing and improving mental health well-being is required to alleviate concerns and improve BAME working life in NHS. Conclusion BAME workforce are routinely involved in front line work and current anxiety level is very high. Adequate provision of mental health support with clear risk stratification for return to work is required urgently.


2013 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. E1-E15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna E Stewart ◽  
Harriet MacMillan ◽  
Nadine Wathen

• IPV is an underrecognized problem that occurs in all countries, cultures, and socioeconomic groups. • IPV has an enormous impact on personal health, and economic and social well-being. • IPV may occur in heterosexual and LGBTQ relationships and may be perpetrated by either sex. • Canadian data from 1999 show about equal proportions of men and women had been victims of physical (seven and eight per cent, respectively) and psychological (18 and 19 per cent, respectively) IPV in the previous five years. • Exposure to IPV has deleterious effects on children and other family members. • Some populations are at greater risk or have special needs for IPV. These include immigrant women, Aboriginal women, LGBTQ communities, people with ALs, pregnant women, dating adolescents, older people, alcohol and other substance abusing people, low-income people, and those without a current partner (that is, IPV perpetrated by a former partner). • Mental health problems associated with IPV include depression, anxiety disorders, chronic pain syndromes, eating disorders, sleep disorders, psychosomatic disorders, alcohol and other substance abuse, suicidal and self-harm behaviours, nonaffective psychosis, some personality disorders, and harmful health behaviours, such as risk taking and smoking. As IPV is a major determinant of mental health, it is of vital importance to mental health professionals. • Physical health problems associated with IPV include death, a broad range of injuries, reproductive disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, chronic pain syndromes, fibromyalgia, poor physical functioning, and lower health-related quality of life. Sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and physical inactivity are also increased. • Children's exposure to IPV may have short- and long-term health impacts on the child, especially mental health effects. • Perpetrators of IPV most frequently have personality disorders, but substance abuse and other types of mental illness or brain dysfunction may also occur.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 197-205
Author(s):  
Andrew Voyce ◽  
Jerome Carson

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an autoethnographic account of the stories of a mental health professional and a mental health survivor. Design/methodology/approach Using the autoethnographic approach, the authors provide summaries of their respective psychiatric careers in three parts. Findings The authors studied at the same University, Reading. Voyce failed his Politics finals and embarked on a trajectory as a mental patient. Carson graduated in Psychology and trained as a clinical psychologist. The recovery movement brought them together, and they have now established an educational and personal bond. Research limitations/implications These are of course only two accounts, yet both authors have played a role in developing the recovery model in Britain. The accounts and story show the benefits of adopting a partnership approach between professional and service user. Practical implications Both accounts are recovery journeys in their own way. Both highlight the value of education for recovery. Social implications There is no doubt that clinical psychologists are both highly valued and well paid for their expertise. However, the expertise gained through Andrew’s life experience is equally invaluable for today’s mental health professionals to learn from, but perhaps not as well remunerated. Originality/value Both accounts stretch back over 45 years and have covered the move from institutional to community care. This paper presents two contrasting perspectives on these changes and the lives of the two people involved.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 621-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Rottenberg ◽  
Andrew R. Devendorf ◽  
Vanessa Panaite ◽  
David J. Disabato ◽  
Todd B. Kashdan

Can people achieve optimal well-being and thrive after major depression? Contemporary epidemiology dismisses this possibility, viewing depression as a recurrent, burdensome condition with a bleak prognosis. To estimate the prevalence of thriving after depression in United States adults, we used data from the Midlife Development in the United States study. To count as thriving after depression, a person had to exhibit no evidence of major depression and had to exceed cutoffs across nine facets of psychological well-being that characterize the top 25% of U.S. nondepressed adults. Overall, nearly 10% of adults with study-documented depression were thriving 10 years later. The phenomenon of thriving after depression has implications for how the prognosis of depression is conceptualized and for how mental health professionals communicate with patients. Knowing what makes thriving outcomes possible offers new leverage points to help reduce the global burden of depression.


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