scholarly journals Psychiatric effects of cannabis

2001 ◽  
Vol 178 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Johns
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
At Risk ◽  
General Population ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Mental Illnesses

BackgroundCannabis is commonly regarded as an innocuous drug and the prevalence of lifetime and regular use has increased in most developed countries. However, accumulative evidence highlights the risks of dependence and other adverse effects, particularly among people with pre-existing psychiatric disorders.AimsTo re-evaluate the adverse effects of cannabis in the general population and among vulnerable individuals, including those with serious psychiatric disorders.MethodA wide-ranging review of the topics related to these issues.Results and conclusionsAn appreciable proportion of cannabis users report short-lived adverse effects, including psychotic states following heavy consumption, and regular users are at risk of dependence. People with major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia are especially vulnerable in that cannabis generally provokes relapse and aggravates existing symptoms. Health workers need to recognise, and respond to, the adverse effects of cannabis on mental health.

scholarly journals Coercive Measures and Stigmatization in the Psychiatric Medical Care

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3sup1) ◽  
pp. 137-145
Author(s):  
Petronela Nechita ◽  
◽  
Liliana Luca ◽  
Alina-Ioana Voinea ◽  
Codrina Moraru ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Psychiatric Hospital ◽  
Treatment Compliance ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Internal Conflict ◽  
Involuntary Admission ◽  
Coercive Measures ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
The Law

The involuntary commitment of psychiatric patients has been done for almost a decade under the Law 487/2002, the law of mental health and protection for people with psychiatric disorders. Frequent involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations have led to stigma attitudes and discriminatory acts towards patients with mental disorders. The coercive medical measures are applied in the psychiatric institutions of the mental health protection agencies. Coercion gives rise to serious ethical debates in the psychiatric assistance. The individual who was hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital anticipates social rejection becoming defensive, withdraws socially, experiences a complex internal conflict. The goal for this study is to illustrate aspects linked to coercive measures, mechanical restraint at involuntary admission of patients with mental illnesses in the psychiatric medical assistance. Material and method: This study is a retrospective one, and the data was taken from the charts with involuntary admissions during the period of October 2002 to July 2012. The studied lot was comprised of 202 patients admitted involuntarily in a psychiatric hospital according to the Law 487/2002, the law of mental health and protection for people with psychiatric disorders. Results: Of the 25.7% patients admitted involuntarily, that required coercive measures during admission, 58% were contained for symptoms like self-harm. The mechanical contention measures were especially necessary in the acute cases with symptoms as self-harm and/or harm of others, but also in situations with hallucinatory-delirium symptoms. The ratio of male sex subjects was significantly higher in the subject lot that needed coercive measures during hospitalization, of those admitted involuntarily (86.5% vs. 72%) (p = 0.036). Conclusions: Involuntary admission and mandatory treatment remains in psychiatry a medical, legal and ethical problem. The required measures can lead mainly to clinical benefits, implying a paternal attitude from the psychiatry specialists by defying the patients’ autonomy. Treatment compliance is directly proportional to the overall level of functioning and inversely proportional to the level of self-stigmatization.

scholarly journals Predictors of Seeking Health Information and Mental Health Support in U.S. Prisons: A Study Using 2014 PIAAC Data

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 337-337
Author(s):  
Candidus Nwakasi ◽  
Darlingtina Esiaka ◽  
Janardan Subedi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
General Population ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Literacy Skill ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support

Abstract Being in prison increases the vulnerability to poor health, especially mental illnesses. This is evident in the documented health disparities between prison inmates and the general population. For example, suicide rates among inmates are higher than in the general population. There is an urgent need to understand how inmates experience mental well-being. This is important as some inmates serve long/life sentences and some will need to successfully re-integrate into the society. Although they have a constitutional right to health care access through the Eight Amendment, little is known of the health information and mental health support seeking patterns among inmates. The current study examined factors associated with the amount of health information accessed, and participation in mental health support groups in US prisons. Data (N= 645) from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (2014) were analyzed using linear and logistic regressions. Sample weights were applied in the analyses. Results show statistically significant relationships between amount of health information acquired and age (66 years and above), race, health-status, readiness to learn, literacy skill, and numeracy skill. Social trust moderated the effect of education on the odds of participating in mental health support groups. Also, gender, work duration, attending substance abuse support and life skills groups were significant predictors. Our study may provide insight for stakeholders (e.g., policymakers, clinicians, social workers, and wardens, etc.) working in partnership to deliver a more tailored health interventions for inmates, by highlighting key contextual issues predicting mental health and well-being within prison settings.

scholarly journals The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on suicide rates

QJM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (10) ◽  
pp. 707-712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leo Sher
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
General Population ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Suicidal Behavior ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
Media Campaigns ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Impact

Summary Multiple lines of evidence indicate that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profound psychological and social effects. The psychological sequelae of the pandemic will probably persist for months and years to come. Studies indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with distress, anxiety, fear of contagion, depression and insomnia in the general population and among healthcare professionals. Social isolation, anxiety, fear of contagion, uncertainty, chronic stress and economic difficulties may lead to the development or exacerbation of depressive, anxiety, substance use and other psychiatric disorders in vulnerable populations including individuals with pre-existing psychiatric disorders and people who reside in high COVID-19 prevalence areas. Stress-related psychiatric conditions including mood and substance use disorders are associated with suicidal behavior. COVID-19 survivors may also be at elevated suicide risk. The COVID-19 crisis may increase suicide rates during and after the pandemic. Mental health consequences of the COVID-19 crisis including suicidal behavior are likely to be present for a long time and peak later than the actual pandemic. To reduce suicides during the COVID-19 crisis, it is imperative to decrease stress, anxiety, fears and loneliness in the general population. There should be traditional and social media campaigns to promote mental health and reduce distress. Active outreach is necessary, especially for people with a history of psychiatric disorders, COVID-19 survivors and older adults. Research studies are needed of how mental health consequences can be mitigated during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Psychosocial and coping responses toward 2019 coronavirus diseases (COVID-19): a cross-sectional study within the Chinese general population

QJM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (10) ◽  
pp. 731-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q Li
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
General Population ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Psychological Status ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
And Coping

Summary Background The 2019 coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) led out the mental health crisis. Aim To determine the psychological status and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSD) among general population (except confirmed and suspected cases, and close contacts) and their association with the coping strategy types during the COVID-19 outbreak. Design A cross-sectional study. Methods Participants were recruited from the community through snowball sampling with anonymous online questionnaires, using 28-item General Health Questionnaire, 22-item Impact of Events Scale-Revised and 28-item Brief Coping Inventory to measure their psychiatric disorders, PTSD level and coping strategies. Results Of the total 1109 participants, 42.65% and 67.09% self-reported psychiatric disorders and high PTSD level, respectively. Age, occupation and education level were significantly association with psychological status. The status of psychiatric disorders was also significantly related to high PTSD level. Using both emotion and problem coping was better for psychiatric status [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.72, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.54–0.98], and problem-focused coping was significantly associated with high PTSD level (aOR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.25–3.51). Conclusion Negative psychological outcomes were common among the general people during the COVID-19 outbreak, and the findings may provide references for intervention guidelines of mental health for the community population.

scholarly journals Web-Based Graphic Representation of the Life Course of Mental Health: Cross-Sectional Study Across the Spectrum of Mood, Anxiety, Eating, and Substance Use Disorders

10.2196/16919 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. e16919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Leora Aupperle ◽  
Martin P Paulus ◽  
Rayus Kuplicki ◽  
James Touthang ◽  
Teresa Victor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Graphical Representations ◽  
Positive Events ◽  
Health Treatment ◽  
Web Based

Background Although patient history is essential for informing mental health assessment, diagnosis, and prognosis, there is a dearth of standardized instruments measuring time-dependent factors relevant to psychiatric disorders. Previous research has demonstrated the potential utility of graphical representations, termed life charts, for depicting the complexity of the course of mental illness. However, the implementation of these assessments is limited by the exclusive focus on specific mental illnesses (ie, bipolar disorder) and the lack of intuitive graphical interfaces for data collection and visualization. Objective This study aimed to develop and test the utility of the Tulsa Life Chart (TLC) as a Web-based, structured approach for obtaining and graphically representing historical information on psychosocial and mental health events relevant across a spectrum of psychiatric disorders. Methods The TLC interview was completed at baseline by 499 participants of the Tulsa 1000, a longitudinal study of individuals with depressive, anxiety, substance use, or eating disorders and healthy comparisons (HCs). All data were entered electronically, and a 1-page electronic and interactive graphical representation was developed using the Google Visualization Application Programming Interface. For 8 distinct life epochs (periods of approximately 5-10 years), the TLC assessed the following factors: school attendance, hobbies, jobs, social support, substance use, mental health treatment, family structure changes, negative and positive events, and epoch and event-related mood ratings. We used generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) to evaluate trajectories of each domain over time and by sex, age, and diagnosis, using case examples and Web-based interactive graphs to visualize data. Results GLMM analyses revealed main or interaction effects of epoch and diagnosis for all domains. Epoch by diagnosis interactions were identified for mood ratings and the number of negative-versus-positive events (all P values <.001), with all psychiatric groups reporting worse mood and greater negative-versus-positive events than HCs. These differences were most robust at different epochs, depending on diagnosis. There were also diagnosis and epoch main effects for substance use, mental health treatment received, social support, and hobbies (P<.001). User experience ratings (each on a 1-5 scale) revealed that participants found the TLC pleasant to complete (mean 3.07, SD 1.26) and useful for understanding their mental health (mean 3.07, SD 1.26), and that they were likely to recommend it to others (mean 3.42, SD 0.85). Conclusions The TLC provides a structured, Web-based transdiagnostic assessment of psychosocial history relevant for the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Interactive, 1-page graphical representations of the TLC allow for the efficient communication of historical life information that would be useful for clinicians, patients, and family members.

Pathological gambling: prevalence in Spain / El juego patológico: prevalencia en España

2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisardo Becoña Iglesias
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
General Population ◽  
Pathological Gambling ◽  
Diagnostic Criteria ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Prevalence Studies ◽  
Derivative Instruments ◽  
Salud Mental ◽  
Dsm Iv ◽  
Representative Samples

El juego patológico constituye un importante problema de salud mental en España y en otros países desarrollados. Se analizan los estudios de prevalencia en función de los criterios diagnósticos que se han utilizado hasta ahora para el juego patológico. Los estudios de prevalencia realizados en muestras representativas de la población basados en el DSM-III, DSM-III-R, DSM-IV y SOGS indicaban una prevalencia entre el 1.4 y el 1.7% en las muestras más representativas españolas, semejante a la de otros países. Los últimos estudios con instrumentos derivados del DSMIV, como el NODS, o versiones revisadas del SOGS indican un nivel de prevalencia menor para el juego patológico. Se analizan todos los estudios realizados en España con unos y otros instrumentos y su comparación con los resultados de otros países, especialmente en adultos junto a otros estudios realizados con niños y adolescentes. AbstractThe pathological gambling constitutes an important problem of mental health in Spain and in other developed countries. The prevalence studies are analyzed in function of the diagnostic criteria that have been used to assess the pathological gambling. The studies realized in the more representative samples of the general population in Spain based on the DSMIII, DSM-III-R, DSM-IV and SOGS indicated a prevalencia between the 1.4 and 1.7%, similar to that of other countries. The last studies with derivative instruments of the DSM-IV, as the NODS, or revised versions of the SOGS, indicate a level of smaller prevalencia for the pathological gambling. Finally, we discuss the results of the studies carried out in Spain with several instruments or criteria and their comparison with the results of other countries, especially in adults as in adolescents.

Demonstration of automated non-adherence and service disengagement risk monitoring with active follow-up for severe mental illness

2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742199880
Author(s):  
Niranjan Bidargaddi ◽  
Geoffrey Schrader ◽  
Hannah Myles ◽  
K Oliver Schubert ◽  
Yasmin van Kasteren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Health Clinic ◽  
Risk Monitoring ◽  
Medicare Data ◽  
Increased Risk

Aims: Medication cessation and service disengagement often precedes relapse in people with severe mental illnesses but currently specialist mental health services only become involved after a relapse. Early detection of non-adherence is needed to enable intervention to avert relapse. This paper aims to demonstrate how digitally automated non-adherence risk monitoring from Medicare data with active follow-up can work and perform in practice in a real-world mental health service setting. Methods: AI2 software is an automated risk monitoring tool to detect non-adherence using Medicare data. It was implemented prospectively in a cohort of 354 registered patients of a community mental health clinic between July 2019 and February 2020. Patients flagged as at risk by the software were reviewed by two clinicians. We describe the risks automatically flagged for non-adherence and the clinical responses. We examine differences in clinical and demographic factors in patients flagged at increased risk of non-adherence. Results: In total, 46.7% (142/304) were flagged by the software as at risk of non-adherence, and 22% (31/142) received an intervention following clinician review of their case notes. Patients flagged by the software were older in age and had more prior mental health treatment episodes. More alerts were associated with patients who had been transferred from the mental health service to the care of their general practitioners, and those with more alerts were more likely to receive a follow-up intervention. Conclusion: Digitally automated monitoring for non-adherence risk is feasible and can be integrated into clinical workflows in community psychiatric and primary care settings. The technology may assist clinicians and services to detect non-adherence behaviour early, thereby triggering interventions that have the potential to reduce rates of mental health deterioration and acute illness relapse.

scholarly journals Reaching Those At Risk for Psychiatric Disorders and Suicidal Ideation: Facebook Advertisements to Recruit Military Veterans

10.2196/10078 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. e10078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan R Teo ◽  
Samuel BL Liebow ◽  
Benjamin Chan ◽  
Steven K Dobscha ◽  
Amanda L Graham
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Veterans Affairs

Background Younger military veterans are at high risk for psychiatric disorders and suicide. Reaching and engaging veterans in mental health care and research is challenging. Social media platforms may be an effective channel to connect with veterans. Objective This study tested the effectiveness of Facebook advertisements in reaching and recruiting Iraq and Afghanistan-era military veterans in a research study focused on mental health. Methods Facebook ads requesting participation in an online health survey ran for six weeks in 2017. Ads varied imagery and headlines. Validated instruments were used to screen for psychiatric disorders and suicidality. Outcomes included impressions, click-through rate, survey completion, and cost per survey completed. Results Advertisements produced 827,918 impressions, 9,527 clicks, and 587 survey completions. Lack of enrollment in Veterans Affairs health care (193/587, 33%) and positive screens for current mental health problems were common, including posttraumatic stress disorder (266/585, 45%), problematic drinking (243/584, 42%), major depression (164/586, 28%), and suicidality (132/585, 23%). Approximately half of the survey participants (285/587, 49%) were recruited with just 2 of the 15 ads, which showed soldiers marching tied to an “incentive” or “sharing” headline. These 2 ads were also the most cost-effective, at US $4.88 and US $5.90 per participant, respectively. Among veterans with current suicidal ideation, the survey-taking image resulted in higher survey completion than the soldiers marching image (P=.007). Conclusions Facebook advertisements are effective in rapidly and inexpensively reaching military veterans, including those at risk for mental health problems and suicidality, and those not receiving Veterans Affairs health care. Advertisement image and headlines may help optimize the effectiveness of advertisements for specific subgroups.

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