scholarly journals International professional practices in mental health, organization of psychiatric care, and COVID-19: A survey protocol

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0261818
Author(s):  
Laurence Fond-Harmant ◽  
Hélène Kane ◽  
Jade Gourret Baumgart ◽  
Emmanuel Rusch ◽  
Hervé Breton ◽  
...  

Objective Our project aims to provide: an overview of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the field of mental health professionals in 23 countries; a model of recommendations for good practice and proposals for methods and digital tools to improve the well-being at work of mental health professionals and the quality of services offered during crisis and post-crisis periods; an in-depth ethics review of the assessment of the use of numerical tools for psychiatry professionals and patient support, including teleconsulting. Methods This is a large international survey conducted among 2,000 mental health professionals in 23 countries over a 12-month period. This survey will be based on 30 individual interviews and 20 focus group sessions, and a digital questionnaire will be sent online to 2,000 professionals based on the criteria of gender, age, professional experience, psychiatric specialty, context of work in psychiatry, and geographical location. Regarding the development of telepsychiatry during the COVID-19 pandemic, a pilot study on the use of digital tools will be carried out on 100 clients of psychiatry professionals in France and Belgium. Discussion-conclusion This study will contribute to the co-construction of an international organization and monitoring system that takes into account psychiatric health professionals as major resources to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and to develop efficient processes for preparing and anticipating crises by reducing psychosocial risks as much as possible. This project also aims to design tools for remote medicine and to develop the use of numerical tools for monitoring and supporting professionals and helping professionals to build the conditions for satisfactory operational work during crises and post-crisis situations, using adapted organizational methods. Our ongoing research should support professionals in the search for existing concrete solutions to cope with emergency work situations while maintaining an optimal quality of life.

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 273-281
Author(s):  
Harold G. Koenig ◽  
John R. Peteet ◽  
Tyler J. VanderWeele

SUMMARYIn an earlier article we reviewed the latest research on the relationship between religious involvement and mental health, the effects of religiosity on mental health and well-being over time and the impact of religious interventions. Here we focus on clinical applications that may be useful to psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. We discuss general clinical applications relevant to all patients (e.g. taking a spiritual history, supporting/encouraging religious beliefs, referring to clergy), violations of clinician–patient boundaries and the need to ensure that religious/spiritual interventions are patient-centred. We describe evidence-based religious interventions and how to identify appropriate patients for this approach. Finally, we explore situations in which religious beliefs and practices may be a problem, not a resource, and make recommendations on how to address such cases. Case vignettes illustrate clinical situations that mental health professionals are likely to encounter. Although the focus is on the North American context, we note how practice and culture in the UK may differ.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Babak Hemmatian ◽  
Sze Yu Yu Chan ◽  
Steven A. Sloman

A label’s entrenchment, its degree of use by members of a community, affects its perceived explanatory value even if the label provides no substantive information (Hemmatian & Sloman, 2018). In three experiments, we show that laypersons and mental health professionals see entrenched psychiatric and non-psychiatric diagnostic labels as better explanations than non-entrenched labels even if they are circular. Using scenarios involving experts who discuss unfamiliar diagnostic categories, we show that this preference is not due to violations of conversational norms, lack of reflectiveness or attentiveness, and the characters’ familiarity or unfamiliarity with the label. In Experiment 1, whether a label provided novel symptom information or not had no impact on lay responses, while its entrenchment enhanced ratings of explanation quality. The effect persisted in Experiment 2 for causally incoherent categories and regardless of direct provision of mechanistic information. The effect of entrenchment was partly related to induced causal beliefs about the category, even when participants were informed there is no causal relation. Most participants in both experiments did not report any effect of entrenchment and the effect was present for those who did not. In Experiment 3, mental health professionals showed the effect using diagnoses that were mere shorthands for symptoms, despite a tendency to rate all explanations as unsatisfactory. The data suggest that bringing experts’ attention to the manipulation eliminates the effect. We discuss practical implications for mental health disciplines and potential ways to mitigate the impact of entrenchment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Owen ◽  
Louise Crouch-Read ◽  
Matthew Smith ◽  
Paul Fisher

Abstract For more than a decade, Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) has been training a new workforce of psychological therapists. Despite evidence of stress and burnout both in trainee mental health professionals, and qualified IAPT clinicians, little is known about these topics in IAPT trainees. Consequently, this systematic review sought to establish the current state of the literature regarding stress and burnout in IAPT trainees. Electronic databases were searched to identify all published and available unpublished work relating to the topic. On the basis of pre-established eligibility criteria, eight studies (including six unpublished doctoral theses) were identified and assessed for quality. This review identifies that research into the experience of IAPT trainees is under-developed. Existing evidence tentatively suggests that IAPT trainees may experience levels of stress and burnout that are higher than their qualified peers and among the higher end of healthcare professionals more generally. The experience of fulfilling dual roles as mental health professionals and university students concurrently appears to be a significant source of stress for IAPT trainees. More research regarding the levels and sources of stress and burnout in IAPT trainees is urgently needed to confirm and extend these findings. Recommendations for future research in the area are given. Key learning aims (1) To establish the current state of the literature regarding stress and burnout in IAPT trainees. (2) To raise practitioner, service and education-provider awareness regarding the levels and perceived sources of stress and burnout in IAPT trainees. (3) To make recommendations regarding future research on the topic.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e046547
Author(s):  
Luke Johnson ◽  
Kerry Gutridge ◽  
Julie Parkes ◽  
Anjana Roy ◽  
Emma Plugge

ObjectiveTo examine the extent, nature and quality of literature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of imprisoned people and prison staff.DesignScoping review.Data sourcesPubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Global Health, Cochrane, PsycINFO, PsychExtra, Web of Science and Scopus were searched for any paper from 2019 onwards that focused on the mental health impact of COVID-19 on imprisoned people and prison staff. A grey literature search focused on international and government sources and professional bodies representing healthcare, public health and prison staff was also performed. We also performed hand searching of the reference lists of included studies.Eligibility criteria for selection of studiesAll papers, regardless of study design, were included if they examined the mental health of imprisoned people or prison staff specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Imprisoned people could be of any age and from any countries. All languages were included. Two independent reviewers quality assessed appropriate papers.ResultsOf 647 articles found, 83 were eligible for inclusion, the majority (58%) of which were opinion pieces. The articles focused on the challenges to prisoner mental health. Fear of COVID-19, the impact of isolation, discontinuation of prison visits and reduced mental health services were all likely to have an adverse effect on the mental well-being of imprisoned people. The limited research and poor quality of articles included mean that the findings are not conclusive. However, they suggest a significant adverse impact on the mental health and well-being of those who live and work in prisons.ConclusionsIt is key to address the mental health impacts of the pandemic on people who live and work in prisons. These findings are discussed in terms of implications for getting the balance between infection control imperatives and the fundamental human rights of prison populations.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110429
Author(s):  
João M Castaldelli-Maia ◽  
Priscila D Gonçalves ◽  
Danielle R Lima ◽  
Helena F Moura ◽  
Gisèle Apter

Background: There are remarkably high smoking rates in patients living with mental disorders (PLWMD), and the absence of a specific treatment policy for smoking cessation for these patients worldwide. The present study aimed to (i) investigate the quality of service and commitment to tobacco dependence treatment, and (ii) produce high-quality French versions of the Index of Tobacco Treatment Quality (ITTQ) and Tobacco Treatment Commitment Scale (TTCS). Methods: ITTQ and TTCS were used to assess French mental health professionals ( n = 80). Both scales were translated from their original language following standard procedures (i.e. forward translation). Descriptive analysis for total score, each factor and item were calculated for the entire sample, followed by subgroup analysis by gender, and role of the practitioner. Results: Nurses presented higher levels of both treatment commitment and treatment quality in their mental health care units, compared to psychiatrists, and residents. Overall, counseling offering was low and there was a perception that it is unfair to take tobacco away from PLWMD. In the other hand, there were high levels of smoking assessment and perceptions that nicotine dependence should be included in drug treatment programs. Conclusions: There is a gap in tobacco treatment implementation for French PLWMD. The present pilot study alerts about the problem, and should stimulate larger studies validating such measures for wide use with French-speaking mental health professionals. French nurses presented higher levels of both treatment commitment and quality, and could be in a leadership position for such implementation. Encouraging the implementation of tobacco counseling within conventional mental health treatment is critical to improve cessation rates among this population. There is a potential for the sustainability of tobacco treatment interventions since the levels of commitment observed here were higher than in previous studies conducted abroad.


2010 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 472-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Scorsolini-Comin ◽  
Manoel Antônio dos Santos

The article aims to trace the profile of publications concerning the concept of subjective well-being (SWB), considered the scientific study of happiness, as well as discussing the impact of this accumulated understanding on health promotion. The revision was carried out in the databases PubMed, MedLine, PsycINFO, SciELO, LILACS and PEPSIC using the descriptor subjective well-being. Articles published in indexed periodicals between 1970 and 2008 were selected. From the inclusion/exclusion criteria 19 publications were selected in full for discussion. Of these, the majority were related to the health area and did not approach the concept of SWB directly, but touched on this together with the notions of well-being, satisfaction and quality of life. There were few publications that approached the term conceptually or that defined the instruments used for the assessment of SWB. Concluding, the results confirm the relevance of the theme for health promotion and the necessity of investigations related to the practices of health professionals .


Author(s):  
Xu Jiang ◽  
Kristin L. Otis ◽  
Marco Weber ◽  
E. Scott Huebner

This chapter begins with a description of the tenets of hope theory and then addresses the importance of hope during adolescence from a developmental perspective. Next, two accompanying instruments for measuring hope in adults and adolescents, the Adult Hope Scale and the Children’s Hope Scale, are described. Then the chapter summarizes the research findings on the relations between hope and adolescent mental health, focusing on the findings related to emotional, psychological, and social well-being, respectively. In addition, the Making Hope Happen intervention is introduced. Finally, the chapter explores future directions in adolescent hope research, along with implications for use by mental health professionals.


Author(s):  
Ryan P. Kilmer ◽  
Virginia Gil-Rivas ◽  
Steven J. Hardy

This chapter seeks to help teachers and school mental health professionals understand the needs of students who have faced a disaster or terrorism and identify strategies for school-based responses. The chapter provides an overview of the effects of these events on school children and youths, including relevant developmental and cultural considerations, and the impact on the school setting. Then, the discussion emphasizes recommendations for, and possible responses by, teachers, school-based mental health professionals, and administrators. Indeed, just as these traumas can affect multiple levels of school children’s lives, the needed response of school-based professionals can be framed as multi-level, ranging from curricular modification to interventions specifically targeting youngsters’ socio-emotional needs. The sections that follow seek to inform and guide responses for school personnel and provide clear, “actionable” recommendations.


Author(s):  
Philip J. Lazarus ◽  
Shannon M. Suldo ◽  
Beth Doll

In this introduction, the authors discuss the purpose of this book, which is (a) to provide school-based mental health professionals with the knowledge and tools to help promote students’ emotional well-being and mental health, (b) to describe how to implement new models of mental health service delivery in schools, and (c) to prescribe practical strategies that bolster the likelihood that our youth will thrive in school and in life. The authors recommend conceptualizing student mental health through a dual-factor model that encompasses both promoting wellness and reducing pathology. They advocate for a change in educational priorities—one that supports the whole child, in mind, body, and spirit. They then discuss the prevalence of psychological distress in youth, risk and resilience research, the dual-factor model of mental health, happiness studies, new frameworks for the delivery of services, and the organization and structure of the text.


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