scholarly journals Old age mental health services in Southern Balkans: Features, geospatial distribution, current needs, and future perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Alexopoulos ◽  
A. Novotni ◽  
G. Novotni ◽  
T. Vorvolakos ◽  
A. Vratsista ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Clinical Teaching ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Term Care

Abstract Background Healthcare services are increasingly confronted with challenges related to old age mental disorders. The survey aimed to provide an overview of existing psychogeriatric services in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, and North Macedonia. Methods After identification of psychogeriatric units across the four countries, their head physicians were asked to provide data on their clinical, teaching, and research activity, as well as staff composition. Moreover, the attitudes of head physicians to current needs and future service development were explored. Results A total of 15 psychogeriatric units were identified (3 in Bulgaria, 8 in Greece, and 4 in North Macedonia). Results show wide variation regarding the location, team size and composition, service availability, numbers of patients attending, and inpatient treatment length. Most head physicians underscored the urgent need for breakthroughs in the graduate and postgraduate education in psychogeriatrics of medical and nonmedical professionals, as well as in the interconnection of their units with community primary healthcare services and long-term care facilities for seniors via telemedicine. They would welcome the development of national standards for psychogeriatric units, potentially embodying clear pointers for action. A number of head physicians advocated the development of nationwide old age mental health registries. Conclusions Regional disparities in resources and services for seniors’ mental health services were unveiled. These data may enrich the dialogue on optimizing psychogeriatric services through planning future cross-border collaborations mainly based on telemedicine services, especially in the era of the novel coronavirus pandemic, and training/education in psychogeriatrics of mental health professionals.

The Bridge Program: A Model for Delivering Mental Health Services to Asian Americans through Primary Care

2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongtu Chen ◽  
Elizabeth Kramer ◽  
Teddy Chen ◽  
Jianping Chen ◽  
Henry Chung
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Asian Americans ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Primary Care Providers ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Bridge Program ◽  
Community Awareness

Compared to all other racial and ethnic groups, Asian Americans have the lowest utilization of mental health services. Contributing factors include extremely low community awareness about mental health, a lack of culturally competent Asian American mental health professionals, and severe stigma associated with mental illness. This manuscript describes an innovative program that bridges the gap between primary care and mental health services. The Bridge Program, cited in the supplement to the Surgeon’s General’s Report on Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity as a model for delivery of mental health services through primary care; (2) to improve capacity by enhancing the skills of primary care providers to identify and treat mental disorders commonly seen in primary care; and (3) to raise community awareness by providing health education on mental health and illness. Results are presented and the potential for replication is addressed.

The transition between mental health services in Scotland

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliette van der Kamp
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Organisational Development ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Experience Difficulty

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the barriers and facilitators to an effective transition from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS). It also presents a new entry into considering how the transition can be improved. Design/methodology/approach Insights into the transition from CAMHS to AMHS were gathered through eight semi-structured interviews with mental health professionals. Two methods of data analysis were employed to explore the emerging themes in the data and the observed deficit approach to organisational development. Findings The findings identified a vast volume of barriers in comparison to facilitators to the transition. Adolescents who transition from CAMHS to AMHS initially experience difficulty adapting to the differences in the services due to the short duration of the transition period. However, despite the established barriers to the transition, adolescents tend to adapt to the differences between the services. Findings also showed a negative framing towards the transition amongst the mental health professionals which resembles a deficit approach to organisational development. Originality/value This paper explores mental health professionals’ perspectives regarding the transition in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The transition is increasingly recognised as an area in health care that requires improvement. This research provides a new way to consider the transition by exploring the perceived deficit approach to organisational development in the services.

scholarly journals The Greek Hybrid Version of the Assertive Community Treatment Model: A Perspective View between Challenges and Limitations

Psych ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 792-799
Author(s):  
Vaios Peritogiannis ◽  
Fotini Tsoli
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Assertive Community Treatment ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Community Treatment ◽  
Community Mental Health Service ◽  
Perspective View

The Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model of care has been long considered to be effective in the management of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) in most Western countries. The implementation of the original ACT model may be particularly challenging in rural and remote communities with small and dispersed populations and lack of adequate mental health services. Rural programs may have to adapt the model and modify the ACT fidelity standards to accommodate these limitations, and this is the rationale for the introduction of more flexible, hybrid ACT models. In rural Greece, the so called Mobile Mental Health Units (MMHUs) are well-established community mental health services. For patients with SMI that have difficulties engaging with treatment services, the new hybrid ACT model has been recently launched. The objective of this manuscript is to present the recently launched hybrid ACT model in rural areas in Greece and to explore the challenges and limitations in its implementation from the experience of a team of mental health professionals with ACT experience. Referral criteria have not been strictly set, but the number of previous relapses and hospitalizations is taken under consideration, as well as the history of poor treatment adherence and disengagement from mental health services. The main limitation in the implementation of the hybrid ACT service is that it has been introduced in several areas in the absence of a pre-existing community mental health service. This may impact referrals and limit focus on the difficult cases of patients with SMI, thus making the evaluation of the model inapplicable.

scholarly journals Understanding barriers to accessing mental health services for newcomers to Canada using Peterborough, Ontario, as an illustrative example

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurun Layla Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Accurate Information

The quality of an individual’s mental health has a significant impact on their quality of life, as well as on the cost to society. Regular access to mental health services can help mitigate the risk factors of developing mental illnesses. This paper examines barriers to accessing mental health services, using the community of Peterborough, Ontario, as an example. Social, economic, and cultural barriers impact help-seeking amongst immigrants, putting them at a higher risk of developing mental disorders. The social determinants of mental health can be useful when developing policies aimed at improving utilization of mental healthcare services. Policy makers need to first focus on collecting accurate information on the population, and then developing targeted solutions to eliminate barriers such as language and employment that prevent help-seeking in immigrants.

scholarly journals Demystifying the pathway of assessment and treatment for bipolar disorder – utilising co-production and algorithms to personalise the approach

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S150-S150
Author(s):  
Jessica Nicholls-Mindlin ◽  
Digby Quested ◽  
Matthew Taylor ◽  
Lauren Fuzi ◽  
David Gee
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Public Involvement ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Patient And Public Involvement ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Post Discharge ◽  
Nice Guideline

AimsTo develop an evidence based, patient centred treatment pathway for people experiencing symptoms of bipolar disorder (BD), modifiable to include local resources.MethodThis project was developed in line with current approaches to service development such as coproduction, with patient and public involvement (PPI) and enhancing personalisation of treatment in medicine. As part of a local initiative, a multi-disciplinary team was brought together to understand and analyse the current local pathway for those affected by BD. It was found that the approach to assessment and management was not consistent between locality teams. Two experts by experience who have a diagnosis of BD were invited to become involved with the development of the pathway. Meetings were set up to enable coproduction and elicit information from those with the diagnosis. The responses provided insight into the effectiveness of different approaches used nationally to inform the methods and resources that are most helpful and appropriate to comprehensively support those with the illness.NICE guideline evidence was used to create two algorithms to streamline the care of those with BD in both primary and secondary care. These algorithms include pharmacological, psychological and social approaches. It also considers the junctions at which referrals should be made and the criteria on which decisions are based.ResultOne algorithm was designed for use in primary care and will be distributed to local GPs to clarify the initial steps for assessment and management of BD and the criteria for referral. A second decision tree will be made available to all doctors working in mental health services with detailed medication options, when they are appropriate and whether additional psychological intervention should be considered e.g. post-discharge groups. Other specialist options such as Early Intervention for Psychosis and Perinatal Mental Health Services were also included. An information pack was created to be offered to all those with a diagnosis or possible diagnosis of BD. This contains useful resources such as skills and exercises that patients may find of benefit, external resources and websites regarding additional support and further information on BD, its nature and management.ConclusionThe approach and resources collated here will help to streamline the management of those with bipolar disorder whilst also ensuring a more consistent approach. The involvement of experts by experience and the incorporation of NICE guidelines ensures a well-rounded and comprehensive set of documents that will be helpful to both clinicians and patients.

Collaborating with Legal Professionals

2017 ◽  
pp. 384-394
Author(s):  
Eric G. Mart
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Legal System ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Legal Professionals

This chapter provides information designed to assist mental health professionals in effectively marketing their services to courts, attorneys, and the legal system in general. Suggestions are offered to help mental health professionals decide whether they will be comfortable working in an adversarial environment. Methods for developing the skillsets necessary for performing forensic consultations in a competent, ethical manner are provided. Information regarding how to effectively market mental health services to legal professionals are reviewed. Various areas of subspecialty practice are described.

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.

scholarly journals Why Do Approved Mental Health Professionals Think Detentions under the Mental Health Act Are Rising and What Do They Think Should Be Done about It?

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 616-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bonnet ◽  
Nicola Moran
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Risk ◽  
Social Risk Factors ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The number of people detained under the 1983 Mental Health Act has risen significantly in recent years and has recently been the subject of an independent review. Most existing research into the rise in detentions has tended to prioritise the perspectives of psychiatrists and failed to consider the views of Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs), usually social workers, who ultimately determine whether detention is appropriate. This mixed-methods study focused on AMHPs’ views on the reasons behind the rise in detentions and potential solutions. It included a national online survey of AMHPs (n = 160) and semi-structured interviews with six AMHPs within a Community Mental Health Team in England. AMHPs reported that demand for mental health services vastly exceeded supply and, due to inadequate resources, more people were being detained in hospital. AMHPs argued that greater investment in preventative mental health services and ‘low intensity’ support would help to mitigate the impact of social risk factors on mental health; and greater investment in crisis services, including non-medical alternatives to hospital, was required. Such investment at either end of the spectrum was expected to be more effective than changes to the law and lead to better outcomes for mental health service users.

Point prevalence of schizophrenia in immigrant groups in Rotterdam: data from outpatient facilities

2001 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 162-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.C. Schrier ◽  
B.J.M. van de Wetering ◽  
P.G.H. Mulder ◽  
J.P. Selten
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Hospital Admission ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Point Prevalence ◽  
Outpatient Mental Health ◽  
Netherlands Antilles ◽  
Female Immigrants

SummaryObjectiveReports of an increased incidence of schizophrenia in some immigrant groups to The Netherlands are based exclusively on hospital data. The aims of our study were: 1) to determine the treated point prevalence of schizophrenia at outpatient mental health services in Rotterdam and to compare the results for immigrants to those for natives; and 2) to compare groups born in The Netherlands and immigrant groups in terms of the proportions of patients with a previous hospital admission.MethodWe included all patients aged between 20 and 64 who were treated for a non-affective psychosis at any of the outpatient mental health services in Rotterdam on October 1, 1994. The mental health professionals responsible reported on the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of each patient.ResultsSeven hundred and thirteen patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (DSM-III-R) were identified (rate: 2.1 per 1000). The (treated) prevalence of schizophrenia in male immigrants from Surinam and Morocco and in female immigrants from Surinam, the Netherlands Antilles and Cape Verde was significantly higher than that in their native-born counterparts (odds ratios between 2 and 3). The (treated) prevalence was not significantly higher in immigrants from Turkey, female immigrants from Morocco or male immigrants from the Antilles. Proportions of patients with a previous hospital admission were similar in each ethnic group (81–93%).ConclusionThese findings are generally in line with earlier studies, based on the Dutch psychiatric registry, which has reported an increase in the (treated) incidence of schizophrenia in immigrants from Surinam and the Netherlands Antilles and in male immigrants from Morocco, and no increase in the (treated) incidence in immigrants from Turkey or female immigrants from Morocco.

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