scholarly journals Evaluation of mental health first aid training for family members of military veterans with a mental health condition

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Justine Evans ◽  
Madeline Romaniuk ◽  
Rebecca Theal
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Mental Health Stigma ◽  
Mental Health Condition ◽  
General Mental Health ◽  
Helping Behaviours ◽  
Mental Health Knowledge

Abstract Background A concerning proportion of former Australian Defence Force (ADF) members meet criteria for a mental health condition. Mental health difficulties not only affect the individual veteran. They have been found to negatively impact the mental health of family, with an increased likelihood for family members of veterans developing a mental health condition. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether participating in a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program improved family members of veterans mental health knowledge, reduced personal and perceived mental health stigma, reduced social distancing attitudes and increased confidence and willingness to engage in MHFA helping behaviours. Additionally, the study measured participant’s general mental health and levels of burnout. Method The study utilised an uncontrolled design with assessment at three time points (baseline, post-program and three-month follow-up). Participants (N = 57) were immediate and extended family members of former ADF members with a mental health condition, who took part in a two-day standard adult MHFA program. At each time point, participants completed self-report measures assessing mental health knowledge, personal and perceived mental health stigma, social distancing attitudes, confidence and willingness to engage in MHFA helping behaviours, general mental health and burnout. Cochranes Q and repeated measures ANOVA was computed to measure the impact of time on the outcome variables. Results Results indicated significant improvements in MHFA knowledge and confidence in providing MHFA assistance. Significant reductions in personal mental health stigma (i.e. an individual’s attitude towards mental health) for schizophrenia were observed and maintained at follow up. High levels of perceived mental health stigma (i.e. the belief an individual holds about others attitudes towards mental health) were reported with no significant changes observed following the MHFA program. Results did not indicate any significant benefit in improving general psychological distress or burnout at follow up. The participant sample had high levels of mental health difficulties with over half reporting a lifetime mental health diagnosis. Conclusion The study is an important contribution to the international literature on MHFA. The provision of a MHFA program to family members of military veterans has not previously been evaluated. Implications of the findings are discussed with regards to future directions of MHFA research and implementing MHFA programs in this population.

scholarly journals Electronic cigarette use and tobacco cessation in a state-based quitline

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 176-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin R. Brady ◽  
Tracy E. Crane ◽  
Patrick A. O'Connor ◽  
Uma S. Nair ◽  
Nicole P. Yuan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Tobacco Cessation ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Mental Health Condition ◽  
Use Patterns

AbstractIntroductionEvidence is mixed on e-cigarette's effectiveness as a tobacco cessation aid. Research suggests that e-cigarette users face greater barriers to quitting tobacco.AimTo examine the association between e-cigarette use and tobacco cessation outcomes among quitline callers.MethodsWe examined 2,204 callers who enrolled and completed 7-month follow-up surveys between April 2014 and January 2017. We examined the association between any e-cigarette use and tobacco cessation. We also evaluated these relationships by e-cigarette use patterns between enrollment and 7-month follow-up: sustained, adopted, discontinued, and non-use. We used multivariable logistic regression to control for caller characteristics, tobacco history, and program utilization.ResultsOverall, 18% of callers reported using e-cigarettes at enrollment, follow-up, or both. Compared to non-users, e-cigarette users were more likely to be younger, non-Hispanic, and report a mental health condition. The adjusted odds of tobacco cessation were not statistically different for callers who used e-cigarettes compared to those who did not (adjusted odds ratios = 1.02, 95% confidence interval 0.79–1.32). Results were similar when examining cessation by patterns of e-cigarette use.ConclusionsE-cigarette use was not associated with tobacco cessation. This suggests that e-cigarette use may neither facilitate nor deter tobacco cessation among quitline callers. Future research should continue exploring how e-cigarette use affects quitting.

scholarly journals The Building Educators’ Skills in Adolescent Mental Health Training Program for Secondary School Educators: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

10.2196/25870 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e25870
Author(s):  
Belinda L Parker ◽  
Cassandra Chakouch ◽  
Mirjana Subotic-Kerry ◽  
Philip J Batterham ◽  
Andrew Mackinnon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Training ◽  
Health Training ◽  
Mental Health Knowledge

Background In Australia, secondary school educators are well positioned to recognize mental illness among students and provide support. However, many report that they lack the knowledge and confidence to do so, and few mental health training programs available for educators are evidence based. To address this gap, the Black Dog Institute (BDI) developed a web-based training program (Building Educators’ Skills in Adolescent Mental Health [BEAM]) that aims to improve mental health knowledge, confidence, and helping behaviors among secondary school educators in leadership positions. A pilot study of the training program found it to be positively associated with increased confidence and helping behaviors among educators and reduced personal psychological distress. An adequately powered randomized controlled trial (RCT) is needed. Objective The primary objective of this cluster RCT is to evaluate the effectiveness of the BEAM program for improving educators’ confidence in managing student mental health. The trial will also evaluate the effect of the BEAM program in increasing educators’ frequency of providing help to students and improving their mental health knowledge and reducing educators’ psychological distress and stigma toward students with mental health issues. Methods The target sample size is 234 educators from 47 secondary schools across New South Wales, Australia. Four waves of recruitment and enrollment into the trial are planned. Schools will participate in one wave only and will be randomized to the intervention or waitlist control conditions. Participants from the same school will be assigned to the same condition. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, posttest (10 weeks after baseline), and follow-up (22 weeks after baseline) using the BDI eHealth research platform. Intervention participants will receive access to the BEAM program for 10 weeks upon completion of baseline, and the control condition will receive access for 10 weeks upon completion of the follow-up assessment. Results Recruitment for this trial began on July 21, 2020, with the first baseline assessments occurring on August 17, 2020. To date, 295 participants from 71 schools have completed baseline. Due to the unexpected success of recruitment in the first 3 waves, the final fourth wave has been abandoned. Intervention participants are currently receiving the program, with follow-up due for completion in March 2021. Conclusions This is one of the first RCTs to examine the effectiveness of a web-based adolescent mental health training program for Australian secondary school educators in leadership positions. If found to be effective, this training program will offer a sustainable and scalable delivery method for upskilling educators in caring for students’ mental health. Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12620000876998; https://covid-19.cochrane.org/studies/crs-14669208 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/25870

scholarly journals Mental Health Literacy Intervention on Help-Seeking in Athletes: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 7263
Author(s):  
Danran Bu ◽  
Pak-Kwong Chung ◽  
Chun-Qing Zhang ◽  
Jingdong Liu ◽  
Xiang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Stigma Reduction ◽  
Help Seeking Attitudes ◽  
Mental Health Knowledge

Mental health literacy (MHL) is recognised as a major factor in whether athletes seek help when they experience mental health difficulties. Therefore, the current study aimed to provide a systematic review of the effectiveness of MHL training programmes in improving mental health knowledge and help-seeking and reducing stigma among athletes. To identify intervention studies of MHL programmes, five electronic databases were systematically searched for articles published before May 2020. The selection procedure was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. All kinds of study designs were included. Effect sizes were calculated for mental health knowledge, stigma reduction and help-seeking attitudes, intentions and behaviours. Risk of bias was assessed for each study using the Cochrane tool and the Newcastle–Ottawa quality assessment scale. Five studies (1239 participants in total) were selected for review. Overall, either small or medium effects were found for mental health knowledge, stigma reduction, help-seeking attitudes, and intentions for post- and follow-up interventions, whereas a null effect was found in help-seeking behaviours for both post- and follow-up interventions. Furthermore, three studies had a low risk of bias, and two had a high risk of bias. MHL interventions can enhance help-seeking attitudes and intentions and mental health knowledge and reduce stigma but do not increase help-seeking behaviours for now. Further studies should evaluate interventions to enhance help-seeking behaviours. Furthermore, the methodological quality of studies, including randomized controlled trials and other designs, should be improved in future research.

scholarly journals Understanding mental health and wellbeing among aboriginal postsecondary students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin Joy Davey
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Aboriginal Students ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Knowledge

First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth in Canada report higher rates of mental health (i.e., depression, anxiety, addiction and suicide) issues than the non-Aboriginal population of youth, which impacts their ability to achieve their educational goals. Understanding mental health from an Aboriginal worldview and through culturally safe strategies designed to translate mental health information to Aboriginal people is lacking. The objectives of the present study were to develop, implement and evaluate a knowledge translation (KT) strategy to enhance wellbeing knowledge and self-efficacy in coping with mental health issues among Aboriginal postsecondary students using a community-based approach. The Tool Development Phase involved focus groups and interviews with Aboriginal post-secondary students (n=9) and community members (n=3) to develop a KT activity. The KT Phase involved a pre/post design where participants (n=4) were asked about their mental health knowledge and self-efficacy in improving their wellbeing prior to and after the KT activity. All students participated in an individual interview one month later about their knowledge and the helpfulness of activity. Key informants (n=4) were interviewed during a Follow-Up and Debriefing phase regarding the community-based approach. Mental health was defined wholistically, as related to community and as being impacted by identity, stigma, cultural connection, intergenerational trauma, and a clash between Aboriginal and positivist Western worldviews. KT preferences included incorporating traditional ceremonies; covering particular topics such as resources, traditional teachings and coping strategies; and incorporating active participation. The KT activity increased knowledge and self-efficacy related to mental health and some knowledge was retained and used at one-month follow-up. As well, participants appreciated the sense of community that the activity created and provided feedback regarding what could be changed (e.g., more active participation). Key informants thought the project addressed some community needs and that it was built on relationships. This study will contribute to increasing the wellbeing of Aboriginal students by expanding upon their mental health knowledge, and sense of self-efficacy in coping with their own mental health issues, with the aim of addressing mental health barriers to the completion of post-secondary education among Aboriginal students.

scholarly journals Before a Mental Health Crisis Hits: Creating a Family Safety Plan

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (15) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Mental Health Issue ◽  
Mental Health Condition ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Loved One ◽  
Safety Plan

A Family Safety Plan is a tool created collaboratively with your loved one with lived experience of mental health condition(s), family members, medical staff and friends. It’s your “playbook” of the best ways to minimize or divert a mental health crisis. The plan is prepared when your loved one is stable and can fully contribute. The goal of the plan is to identify possible triggers for a mental health issue and actions, under different scenarios, to minimize or prevent a crisis and ensure the safety of your loved one and other family members. This tip sheet was developed by our Family Advisory Board and describes what to include in a Family Safety Plan and tips about creating one.

scholarly journals Quitline Use and Outcomes among Callers with and without Mental Health Conditions: A 7-Month Follow-Up Evaluation in Three States

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrina A. Vickerman ◽  
Gillian L. Schauer ◽  
Ann M. Malarcher ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Paul Mowery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Mental Health Condition ◽  
Survey Response Rate ◽  
Quit Rate ◽  
Program Engagement

Objectives. To examine abstinence outcomes among tobacco users with and without a reported mental health condition (MHC) who enrolled in state tobacco quitline programs.Methods. Data were analyzed from a 7-month follow-up survey (response rate: 41% [3,132/7,459]) of three state-funded telephone quitline programs in the United States that assessed seven self-reported MHCs at quitline registration. We examined 30-day point prevalence tobacco quit rates for callers with any MHC versus none. Data were weighted to adjust for response bias and oversampling. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine cessation outcomes.Results. Overall, 45.8% of respondents reported ≥1 MHC; 57.4% of those reporting a MHC reported ≥2 MHCs. The unadjusted quit rate for callers with any MHC was lower than for callers with no MHC (22.0% versus 31.0%,P<0.001). After adjusting for demographics, nicotine dependence, and program engagement, callers reporting ≥1 MHC were less likely to be abstinent at follow-up (adjusted OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.51–0.78,P<0.001).Conclusions. More intensive or tailored quitline programs may need to be developed among callers with MHCs as their quit rates appear to be lower than callers without MHCs.

scholarly journals Incidence of Mental Health Events and Its Association with Survival Among Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Blood ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 138 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 1969-1969
Author(s):  
Inna Gong ◽  
Matthew Cheung ◽  
Kelvin Chan ◽  
Sumedha Arya ◽  
Neil Faught ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
B Cell Lymphoma ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Mental Health Condition ◽  
Health Events ◽  
Mental Health Conditions ◽  
Health Event

Abstract Introduction While prior studies suggest that mental health complications are underdiagnosed and undertreated in patients with cancer, a paucity of data exists for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Indeed, mental illness can impact the success of potentially curative treatment for DLBCL including delays in treatment initiation, poor chemotherapy compliance, and suboptimal rates of completion. Accordingly, we aimed to examine the risk of incident mental health events following DLBCL diagnosis, and the association of mental health conditions with overall survival (OS). Methods We conducted a population-based observational study using linked administrative healthcare databases from Ontario, Canada. All Ontario residents aged ≥18 years with DLBCL treated with rituximab-based chemotherapy for curative intent between January 2005 and December 2017 were identified and followed from the date of first rituximab until March 1, 2020. The primary outcome was any incident mental health event (emergency department visit, hospitalization, or outpatient visit for mood disturbance including depression and anxiety, psychotic disorder, or substance-related disorder). Patients with a DLBCL diagnosis without pre-existing mental health comorbidity in the 2-years prior to start of rituximab were matched to mental health condition- and cancer-free controls in a 1:4 ratio based on birth year and sex. The cumulative incidence function was used to estimate incidence of mental health events while accounting for the competing risk of death, and differences were compared using Gray's K-sample test. A cause-specific Cox regression model was used to estimate mental health events up to two-years following rituximab initiation, while controlling for relevant covariates (sex, age modeled in 10-year interval increments, rural vs. urban residence, income quintile, and quartile of sum of aggregated diagnosis groups (ADGs) as a measure of comorbid disease burden (mental health and cancer diagnoses excluded). The secondary outcome was the association of mental health conditions on OS for all identified DLBCL patients, evaluated using Cox regression (with mental health event as time-varying variable). Results We identified 10,299 patients diagnosed with DLBCL and treated with a rituximab-containing regimen in Ontario, with median age 67 years (IQR 56-76), 45.9% female, median ADG score of 9 (IQR 6-11), and median of 6 cycles of rituximab received (IQR 4-6). For patients with available stage data (49.2% of cohort), 34.6% had stage IV at diagnosis. When compared to birth year- and sex-matched controls (n=29,620), DLBCL cases (n=7,405) had a greater comorbidity burden (p&lt;0.001). During a median follow-up of 5.16 years (SD+4.13), 28.8% of DLBCL patients without pre-existing mental health conditions developed an incident mental health event. With adjustment of potential confounders, patients with DLBCL still had significantly higher risk of an incident mental health event compared to controls (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.21-1.39, p&lt;0.0001) (Figure 1, Table 1). Younger age, female sex and higher comorbidity burden were associated with an increased risk of an incident mental health event (Table 1). In addition, having a mental health condition (either pre-existing or after start of rituximab) was associated with a significantly worse one-year OS (aHR 1.11, 95% CI 1.01-1.22, p&lt;0.0001) and at end of follow-up (aHR 1.24, 95% CI 1.16-1.32, p&lt;0.0001; Table 2). Additional factors independently associated with worse overall OS included older age, increased comorbidity, and male sex (Table 2). Conclusions In this large population-based study, patients with DLBCL were found to have a significantly higher risk of incident mental health events compared to controls. Moreover, the presence of a mental health condition was associated with worse survival outcomes. These data suggest that patients with DLBCL, particularly those with pre-existing mental health condition(s), would benefit from routine mental health assessment and management during follow-up, not only for mental health itself but also potentially to improve survival. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Prica: Astra-Zeneca: Honoraria; Kite Gilead: Honoraria.

scholarly journals A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of the Building Educators’ Skills in Adolescent Mental Health (BEAM) Training Program: Trial Protocol (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belinda Louise Parker ◽  
Cassandra Chakouch ◽  
Mirjana Subotic-Kerry ◽  
Philip J Batterham ◽  
Andrew Mackinnon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Training ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Mental Health Knowledge

BACKGROUND In Australia, secondary school educators are well positioned to recognize mental illness among students and provide support. However, many report that they lack the knowledge and confidence to do so, and very few mental health training programs available for educators are evidence-based. To address this gap, the Black Dog Institute developed a web-based training program (Building Educators’ Skills in Adolescent Mental Health; BEAM) that aims to improve mental health knowledge, confidence, and helping behaviors among secondary school educators in leadership positions. A pilot study of the training program found it to be positively associated with increased confidence and helping behaviors among educators and reduced their psychological distress. An adequately powered Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) is now needed. OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this cluster RCT is to evaluate the effectiveness of the BEAM program for improving educators’ confidence in managing student mental health. The trial will also evaluate the effect of the BEAM program in increasing educators’ frequency of providing help to students and improving their mental health knowledge, and reducing educators’ psychological distress and stigma towards students with mental health issues. METHODS The target sample size is N=234 educators in 47 secondary schools across New South Wales, Australia. Four waves of recruitment and enrolment into the trial are planned. Schools will participate in one wave only and will be randomized to the intervention or waitlist control conditions. Participants from the same school will be assigned to the same condition. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, post-test (10-weeks after baseline) and follow-up (22-weeks after baseline) using the Black Dog Institute e-health research platform. Intervention participants will receive access to the BEAM program for 10-weeks upon completion of baseline and the control condition will receive access for 10-weeks upon completion of the follow-up assessment. RESULTS Recruitment for this trial began on 21st July 2020, with the first baseline assessments occurring on 17th August 2020. To date, 295 participants from 71 schools have completed baseline. Due to the unexpected success of recruitment in the first three waves, the final fourth wave has been abandoned. Intervention participants are currently receiving the program with follow-up due for completion in March 2021. CONCLUSIONS This is one of the first RCTs to examine the effectiveness of a web-based, adolescent mental health training program for Australian secondary school educators in leadership positions. If found to be effective, this training program will offer a sustainable and scalable delivery method for upskilling educators in caring for students’ mental health. CLINICALTRIAL Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12620000876998; registered 03/09/2020) and Universal Trial Number (U1111-1253-3176).

scholarly journals Understanding mental health and wellbeing among aboriginal postsecondary students

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin Joy Davey
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Aboriginal Students ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Knowledge

First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth in Canada report higher rates of mental health (i.e., depression, anxiety, addiction and suicide) issues than the non-Aboriginal population of youth, which impacts their ability to achieve their educational goals. Understanding mental health from an Aboriginal worldview and through culturally safe strategies designed to translate mental health information to Aboriginal people is lacking. The objectives of the present study were to develop, implement and evaluate a knowledge translation (KT) strategy to enhance wellbeing knowledge and self-efficacy in coping with mental health issues among Aboriginal postsecondary students using a community-based approach. The Tool Development Phase involved focus groups and interviews with Aboriginal post-secondary students (n=9) and community members (n=3) to develop a KT activity. The KT Phase involved a pre/post design where participants (n=4) were asked about their mental health knowledge and self-efficacy in improving their wellbeing prior to and after the KT activity. All students participated in an individual interview one month later about their knowledge and the helpfulness of activity. Key informants (n=4) were interviewed during a Follow-Up and Debriefing phase regarding the community-based approach. Mental health was defined wholistically, as related to community and as being impacted by identity, stigma, cultural connection, intergenerational trauma, and a clash between Aboriginal and positivist Western worldviews. KT preferences included incorporating traditional ceremonies; covering particular topics such as resources, traditional teachings and coping strategies; and incorporating active participation. The KT activity increased knowledge and self-efficacy related to mental health and some knowledge was retained and used at one-month follow-up. As well, participants appreciated the sense of community that the activity created and provided feedback regarding what could be changed (e.g., more active participation). Key informants thought the project addressed some community needs and that it was built on relationships. This study will contribute to increasing the wellbeing of Aboriginal students by expanding upon their mental health knowledge, and sense of self-efficacy in coping with their own mental health issues, with the aim of addressing mental health barriers to the completion of post-secondary education among Aboriginal students.

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