scholarly journals Stalking of mental health professionals: an underrecognised problem

2006 ◽  
Vol 188 (5) ◽  
pp. 403-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronan J. McIvor ◽  
Edward Petch
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
General Population ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Educational Programmes

SummaryDoctors and mental healthcare professionals are at greater risk of being stalked than the general population, particularly by their patients. Despite causing significant psychological distress, stalking remains underrecognised and poorly managed. Healthcare organisations should ensure appropriate policies are in place to aid awareness and minimise risk, including the provision of formal educational programmes.

Attitudinal barriers hindering adoption of Telepsychiatry among mental healthcare professionals: Israel as a case-study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamir Magal ◽  
Maya Negev ◽  
Hanoch Kaphzan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Widespread Application ◽  
Health Maintenance ◽  
Clinical Quality ◽  
Hierarchical Position ◽  
Organizational Affiliation

BACKGROUND Despite obvious and proven advantages for the use of telemedicine in psychiatry, mental healthcare professionals have shown deep-seated mistrust and suspicion of telepsychiatry, which hinders its widespread application. OBJECTIVE The current study aims to examine the attitudes of Israeli mental health professionals towards telepsychiatry; seeking to uncover the relationship with experience with telepsychiatry, and organizational affiliation. METHODS A qualitative study, including 27 in-depth interviews with Israeli mental-health professionals, representing a diverse analytical, geographical, and gendered cross-section of the local professional community. A thematic analysis revealed three major themes – economic efficiency, clinical quality, and the effects on the work-life balance of healthcare professionals. Individuals’ responses were furthermore compared against hierarchical position, organizational affiliation, and experience with telepsychiatry. RESULTS Participants were evenly divided, between supporters of telepsychiatry and those who oppose and object to its widespread usage in routine mental healthcare. This division manifested itself most clearly in their assessment of the clinical quality of telepsychiatry. However, it was also palpable in their assessment of its efficiency and its effects for healthcare professionals. Furthermore, the study also revealed a positive correlation between participants’ experience with telepsychiatry, and their support for its usage. However, this relationship seems to be mitigated by one’s employment and organizational affiliations. Employees of at least one Israeli Health Maintenance Organization exhibited a negative trendline, where more experience with telepsychiatry also meant stronger opposition for its utilization. CONCLUSIONS Attitudes of mental health professionals were found to be widely divergent and sharply dichotomized regarding different aspects of telepsychiatry, and its suitability for mental healthcare services. However, there was general consensus that telemedicine may not fulfil its promise of being a panacea to the problems of modern public medicine. At the same time, attitudes were related to hierarchical position, organizational affiliation and personal experience with telepsychiatry. Specifically, organizational affiliation influenced experience with and support for assimilation of telepsychiatry. The study also revealed the role of organizational leadership and culture in promoting or inhibiting the proliferation and adoption of innovative technologies and services in modern medicine.

scholarly journals Attitudinal Barriers Hindering Adoption of Telepsychiatry among Mental Healthcare Professionals: Israel as a Case-Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 12540
Author(s):  
Tamir Magal ◽  
Maya Negev ◽  
Hanoch Kaphzan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Modern Medicine ◽  
Widespread Application ◽  
Attitudinal Barriers ◽  
Organizational Affiliation

Despite proven advantages for the use of telemedicine in psychiatry, mental healthcare professionals have shown deep-seated mistrust and suspicion of telepsychiatry, which hinders its widespread application. The current study examines the attitudes of Israeli mental health professionals towards telepsychiatry and seeks to uncover the effects of experience and organizational affiliation on its adoption. The methodology included qualitative and thematic analysis of 27 in-depth interviews with Israeli mental health professionals, focusing on three major themes—clinical quality, economic efficiency, and the effects on the work–life balance of healthcare professionals. The attitudes of mental health professionals were found to be widely divergent and sharply dichotomized regarding different aspects of telepsychiatry and its suitability for mental healthcare services. However, there was a general consensus that telemedicine may not fulfil its promise of being a panacea to the problems of modern public medicine. In addition, attitudes were related to hierarchical position, organizational affiliation, and personal experience with telepsychiatry. Specifically, organizational affiliation influenced experience with and support for the assimilation of telepsychiatry. The study also revealed the role of organizational leadership and culture in promoting or inhibiting the proliferation and adoption of innovative technologies and services in modern medicine.

Mapping mental health professionals’ perspectives and practices regarding the implementation of Digital Mental Health: a qualitative study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Mendes-Santos ◽  
Francisco Nunes ◽  
Elisabete Weiderpass ◽  
Rui Santana ◽  
Gerhard Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Intervention Delivery ◽  
Training Programmes

BACKGROUND Despite Digital Mental Health’s potential to provide cost-effective mental healthcare, its adoption in clinical settings is limited and little is known about the perspectives and practices of mental health professionals regarding its implementation or the factors influencing such perspectives and practices. OBJECTIVE The current study aimed at characterizing in-depth the perspectives and practices of mental health professionals regarding the implementation of Digital Mental Health and exploring the factors impacting such perspectives and practices. METHODS A qualitative study using in-depth semi-structured interviews with Portuguese mental health professionals (N=13) - psychologists and psychiatrists – was conducted. Transcribed interviews were thematically analysed. RESULTS Mental health professionals deemed important or engaged in the following practices during the implementation of Digital Mental Health: i) Indication evaluation; ii) Therapeutic contract negotiation; iii) Digital psychological assessment; iv) Technology setup and management; and v) Intervention delivery and follow-up. Low threshold accessibility and professionals' perceived duty to provide support to their clients facilitated the implementation of Digital Mental Health. Conversely, the lack of structured intervention frameworks; the unavailability of usable, validated, and affordable technology; and the absence of structured training programmes, inhibited Digital Mental Health’s implementation by mental health professionals. CONCLUSIONS The publication of practice frameworks, the development of evidence-based technology, and the delivery of structured training seem key to expedite implementation and encourage the sustained adoption of Digital Mental Health by mental health professionals.

Mental health professionals discussing spiritual care for psychiatric outpatients: a qualitative study of multidisciplinary meetings

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bart Cusveller ◽  
Maarten van Garderen ◽  
Joan Roozemond-Kroon
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Spiritual Care ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Multidisciplinary Care ◽  
Psychiatric Outpatients ◽  
Insurance Reimbursement ◽  
Multidisciplinary Meetings ◽  
Group Interviews

Abstract Aim: To explore how mental health professionals address spiritual care for outpatients in weekly multidisciplinary care meetings (MDM), and to explore the barriers and facilitators in the ways health professionals address spiritual care in those meetings. Method: Two teams of mental health professionals providing care for psychiatric outpatients are included. Qualitative data were collected from audio recordings of multidisciplinary meetings and from focus-group interviews afterwards. Data were analysed using ‘open coding’. Results: Spiritual care was not frequently addressed mostly due to the requirements of the health insurance reimbursement system. Aspects of spirituality addressed in these meetings pertained mainly to meaningful daily activities. Addressing spiritual care was facilitated, on the other hand, by a holistic focus on health and recovery-oriented care. Conclusion: In ambulatory mental healthcare spirituality is sparsely addressed and, when addressed, few aspects of spirituality come into view. Facilitating healthcare professionals’ awareness of their clinical perspective is an essential step to improve spiritual care for psychiatric outpatients.

scholarly journals Services for ethnic minorities: a question of trust

2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (11) ◽  
pp. 401-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis Appleby
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Ethnic Minorities ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Minority Communities ◽  
Fair Treatment ◽  
Positive Message ◽  
Policy Priority

SummaryMental healthcare for ethnic minorities is a government policy priority. However, debate about how services should develop has been overshadowed by public criticism over high rates of admission and sectioning in some ethnic groups, the implication being that racism is rife in mental healthcare. These criticisms are headline-seeking, scientifically crude and unfair to mental health professionals. However, it is true that some minority communities are mistrustful of the services available. We need to overcome this mistrust with a positive message – and a promise of fair treatment.

Variables associated with perceived work role performance among mental healthcare professionals: The importance of team dynamics

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 413
Author(s):  
Marie-Josée Fleury ◽  
Guy Grenier ◽  
Jean-Marie Bamvita ◽  
Marie-Pierre Markon ◽  
François Chiocchio
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Work Role ◽  
Team Dynamics ◽  
Role Performance ◽  
Team Processes ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Emergent States

Rationale, aims, and objectives: Team effectiveness is associated not only with team design, but also with team dynamics such as work role performance. This study aimed to: (1) identify variables associated with perceived work role performance in a sample of 315 mental health professionals and (2) assess the contributions of team members and team characteristics; organizational and territorial context; team emergent states and team processes.Method: Mental health professionals from 4 health service networks in Quebec, Canada, completed a self-administered questionnaire consisting of standardized scales. Based on a conceptual framework adapted from the Input-Mediator-Output-Input (IMOI) model, independent variables were organized according to: (1) characteristics of team members and their teams, (2) organizational and territorial context, (3) team emergent states and (4) team processes. Their respective contributions to perceived work role performance were tested using a hierarchical regression analysis.Results: Perceived work role performance was associated with younger age (characteristics of team members and their team), familiarity between co-workers (Team emergent states) and belief in interprofessional collaboration, knowledge-sharing, team interdependence and team support (Team processes). Most variation in work role performance was explained by Team emergent states, followed by Team processes.Conclusion: This study tested a large number of variables associated with perceived work role performance in mental healthcare based on a comprehensive and innovative, theory-driven framework. The inclusion of mental health professionals from several types of teams representing mental health networks in different geographical areas added value to the study. The results confirm the need for managers to optimize team emergent states and team processes in order to improve work role performance. Initiatives such as training in teamwork and clinical guidelines are recommended.

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