scholarly journals Oral health promotion practices of Australian community mental health professionals: a cross sectional web-based survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roisin McGrath ◽  
Rodrigo Marino ◽  
Julie Satur
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Oral Health Promotion ◽  
Mental Health Consumers ◽  
Australian Community ◽  
Health Support

Abstract Background This study explored the oral health promotion practices of Australian community mental health professionals working with people living with severe mental illness (SMI). Methods An anonymous cross-sectional web-based survey was distributed to all Community Rehabilitation and Support Workers (CRSWs) working at Neami National (n = 471), an Australian community mental health service. The validated questionnaire assessed participants’ self-rated oral health knowledge and confidence (7 questions); their perceived barriers (9 questions) and attitudes (5 questions) to oral health promotion; and their oral health promotion practices (7 questions). Differences in responses between groups were analysed using Chi-square, Fisher’s exact and Mann–Whitney U tests. Logistic Regression Analysis served to explore the probability of providing oral health support to mental health consumers. Results A total of 141 CRSWs were included in this study, achieving a response rate of 30 percent. Roughly two-fifths (39.0%) of participants had oral health training in the previous 12-months. The majority of CRSWs (89.3%) believed (‘Agreed’ or ‘Strongly agreed’) that mental health support workers have a role to play in promoting oral health. However, less than half (44.0%) of CRSWs practiced oral health promotion activities when working with mental health consumers. When asked about barriers to promoting oral health, ‘lack of consumer interest’ was the most prevalent issue. CRSWs who had oral health training were over three-times (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.25–9.83, p = 0.017) more likely to provide oral health support. Results showed the provision of oral health support was most strongly associated with self-rated knowledge and confidence (OR 4.089, 95% CI 1.629–10.263, p = 0.003) and attitudes to oral health promotion (OR 3.906, 95% CI 1.77–8.65, p = 0.001). Conclusion The results of this study suggest that mental health support workers who have more positive attitudes to oral health promotion and who have higher self-rated oral health knowledge and confidence are more likely to provide oral health support in their professional role. Training for community mental health professionals is essential to build confidence and skills to promote oral health for mental health consumers.

scholarly journals Rainbow experiences of accessing mental health support in Aotearoa New Zealand: A community-based mixed methods study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Gloria Fraser
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Mental Health Settings ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support

<p>While we know that rainbow people in Aotearoa New Zealand (that is, people of diverse sexualities, genders, and sex characteristics) experience high rates of adverse mental health outcomes, we know much less about the extent to which Aotearoa’s rainbow community members are receiving the mental health support they need. To address this gap I used mixed methods and a reflexive community-based approach to extend current understandings of rainbow mental health support experiences, and to explore how the provision of mental health care can be improved for rainbow people in New Zealand.  I first conducted interviews with 34 rainbow community young adults about their experiences of accessing mental health support. My thematic analysis showed that rainbow people across New Zealand faced significant structural barriers to accessing mental health support. Participants understood mental health settings as embedded within a heteronormative and cisnormative societal context, rather than as a safe place outside this context. This, together with a widespread silence from mental health professionals around rainbow identity, meant that participants actively negotiated coming out in mental health settings. Participants shared a variety of perspectives as to whether it should be standard practice for mental health professionals to ask about rainbow identities, but agreed on a number of subtle acts that could communicate a professional or service is rainbow-friendly. Knowledge about sexuality, gender, and sex characteristic diversity, together with clinical skills of empathy, validation, and affirmation, were described as key components for the provision of effective mental health support.  I conducted a second thematic analysis of data from a subset of the initial interviews, in which 13 participants discussed their experiences of accessing gender-affirming healthcare. Participants reported a lack of funding for gender-affirming healthcare in New Zealand, and described its provision a “postcode lottery”; the care available was largely dependent on the region participants were living in. Mental health assessments for accessing gender-affirming care were often described as tests of whether participants were “really” transgender, and participants discussed the need to express their gender in a particular way in order to access the healthcare they needed.  Thematic analyses of interview data informed the development of an online survey about rainbow peoples’ experiences of accessing mental health support and gender-affirming healthcare in New Zealand (n = 1575). Survey results closely reflected interview findings, indicating that rainbow people have mixed experiences in New Zealand’s mental health settings, and that accessing gender-affirming healthcare is a lengthy and convoluted process.   Finally, interview and survey data were used to develop a resource for mental health professionals, to guide their work with rainbow clients. I sought and incorporated feedback from key stakeholders (n = 108) during resource development. I then distributed the resource to mental health professionals around New Zealand, both in print and online.  Overall, my research shows that widespread knowledge gaps compromise the ability of New Zealand’s mental health professionals to provide culturally competent support to rainbow clients. Knowledge from this thesis can be used to increase awareness of rainbow community members’ mental health support needs, and to inform mental health professionals’ training and self-reflection around sexuality, gender, and sex characteristic diversity.</p>

Work challenges negatively affecting the job satisfaction of early career community mental health professionals working in rural Australia: findings from a qualitative study

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 173-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Cosgrave ◽  
Myfanwy Maple ◽  
Rafat Hussain
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Physical Geography ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Critical

Purpose Some of Australia’s most severe and protracted workforce shortages are in public sector community mental health (CMH) services. Research identifying the factors affecting staff turnover of this workforce has been limited. The purpose of this paper is to identify work factors negatively affecting the job satisfaction of early career health professionals working in rural Australia’s public sector CMH services. Design/methodology/approach In total, 25 health professionals working in rural and remote CMH services in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, for NSW Health participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Findings The study identified five work-related challenges negatively affecting job satisfaction: developing a profession-specific identity; providing quality multidisciplinary care; working in a resource-constrained service environment; working with a demanding client group; and managing personal and professional boundaries. Practical implications These findings highlight the need to provide time-critical supports to address the challenges facing rural-based CMH professionals in their early career years in order to maximise job satisfaction and reduce avoidable turnover. Originality/value Overall, the study found that the factors negatively affecting the job satisfaction of early career rural-based CMH professionals affects all professionals working in rural CMH, and these negative effects increase with service remoteness. For those in early career, having to simultaneously deal with significant rural health and sector-specific constraints and professional challenges has a negative multiplier effect on their job satisfaction. It is this phenomenon that likely explains the high levels of job dissatisfaction and turnover found among Australia’s rural-based early career CMH professionals. By understanding these multiple and simultaneous pressures on rural-based early career CMH professionals, public health services and governments involved in addressing rural mental health workforce issues will be better able to identify and implement time-critical supports for this cohort of workers. These findings and proposed strategies potentially have relevance beyond Australia’s rural CMH workforce to Australia’s broader early career nursing and allied health rural workforce as well as internationally for other countries that have a similar physical geography and health system.

scholarly journals Innovations in mental health promotion: Youth Net/Réseau Ado

1997 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 398-399
Author(s):  
Ian G Manion ◽  
Simon Davidson ◽  
Christina Norris ◽  
Sarah Brandon
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Health Promotion ◽  
Health Promotion Program ◽  
Mental Health And Illness ◽  
Health And Illness

Abstract Today's youth are at a disturbingly high risk for mental health and illness problems and are largely dissatisfied with the existing mental health services. Youth Net/Réseau Ado (YN/RA), supported by input from mental health professionals, is a bilingual mental health promotion program that seeks out the opinions and attitudes of youth regarding mental health and illness issues, while connecting them with appropriate resources and mental health services. This paper describes the Youth Net/Réseau Ado program and provides some guidelines for the identification of mental health and illness problems, including indicators of the risk of suicide.

Morale and job perception of community mental health professionals in Berlin and London

2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Priebe ◽  
Walid K. H. Fakhoury ◽  
Karin Hoffmann ◽  
Richard A. Powell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals

scholarly journals Copying clinic letters to psychiatric patients

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 (9) ◽  
pp. 327-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tayyeb A. Tahir ◽  
Jonathan I. Bisson ◽  
Jodie Wilcox
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Therapeutic Relationship ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Working Groups ◽  
Considerable Work

Aims and MethodTo assess the views of patients and mental health professionals on the practice of copying clinical letters to patients. Patients and professionals from local community mental health teams were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their views.ResultsThe questionnaires were completed by 51 patients and 40 mental health professionals. Significantly more patients (83%) than staff (37%) thought that copying letters to patients was a good idea (OR=14.56, 95% CI 4.674 –45.158). Many staff appeared concerned that copying letters to patients could result in breakdown of the therapeutic relationship, causing distress and anxiety.Clinical ImplicationsConsiderable work is needed for clinicians to feel comfortable in copying letters to patients. The creation of working groups, including users, carers, managers and clinicians working in the field of mental health, would facilitate the development of guidelines for this practice.

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