scholarly journals Service provision for depressed children and youth: a survey of the scope and nature of services in Ontario.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priya Watson ◽  
Kamna Mehra ◽  
Lisa D Hawke ◽  
Joanna Henderson

Abstract Background The worldwide prevalence of depressive disorders among children and youth has been reported in ranges from just under 3% to over 10%. In Canada, 7% of youth report past year depression, which is higher than any other age demographic. Yet, many of these youth do not receive evidence based interventions, increasing their risk for serious lifetime consequences. To better understand low service use, it is crucial to map and evaluate current services. This study aimed to determine the scope and nature of services available to depressed children and youth, and compare services to best evidence treatment guidelines. Methods Several government and non-government resources were utilized to develop a new multi-sectoral database of depression services for children and youth across Ontario. An online survey was sent to program managers serving children/youth with depression, examining agency characteristics, populations served, services provided, patterns of service use, evaluation activities, and research priorities. Results 413 agencies with 869 program managers participated, representing mental health, addictions and other sectors. Age groups served included children up to 12 years of age (31%), adolescents aged 13-17 (70%) and transition aged youth (18-25 years) (81%). Over half of respondents worked in the mental health (43.4%) or mental health and addiction (24.4%) sectors. The most frequently provided services were assessment, psychotherapy, case management, and psychoeducation; the most common types of psychotherapy provided included cognitive behavioral therapy, social skills training, and solution-focused therapy. Psychotherapies are offered in widely varying formats, frequencies and durations. Discontinuation rates varied, with higher discontinuation among transition aged youth as compared to children. Respondents identified effective treatment, improving access, and reducing service gaps as top future research priorities. Conclusions This study provides important new data on service provision and uptake for depressed children and youth. Comparing these results with best-evidence practice guidelines raises significant concerns about the services most commonly offered and their delivery formats. In addition, high early discontinuation rates raise questions about the service experiences of children, youth and their families. Other factors which may contribute to ongoing treatment engagement challenges include access barriers, service or client characteristics, and unintentional treatment impacts.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priya Watson ◽  
Kamna Mehra ◽  
Lisa D Hawke ◽  
Joanna Henderson

Abstract Background The worldwide prevalence of depressive disorders among children and youth has been reported in ranges from just under 3% to over 10%. In Canada, 7% of youth report past year depression, which is higher than any other age demographic. Yet, many of these youth do not receive evidence based interventions, increasing their risk for serious lifetime consequences. To better understand low service use, it is crucial to map and evaluate current services. This study aimed to determine the scope and nature of services available to depressed children and youth, and compare services to best evidence treatment guidelines. Methods Several government and non-government resources were utilized to develop a new multi-sectoral database of depression services for children and youth across Ontario. An online survey was sent to program managers serving children/youth with depression, examining agency characteristics, populations served, services provided, patterns of service use, evaluation activities, and research priorities. Results 413 agencies with 869 program managers participated, representing mental health, addictions and other sectors. Age groups served included children up to 12 years of age (31%), adolescents aged 13-17 (70%) and transition aged youth (18-25 years) (81%). Over half of respondents worked in the mental health (43.4%) or mental health and addiction (24.4%) sectors. The most frequently provided services were assessment, psychotherapy, case management, and psychoeducation; the most common types of psychotherapy provided included cognitive behavioral therapy, social skills training, and solution-focused therapy. Psychotherapies are offered in widely varying formats, frequencies and durations. Discontinuation rates varied, with higher discontinuation among transition aged youth as compared to children. Respondents identified effective treatment, improving access, and reducing service gaps as top future research priorities. Conclusions This study provides important new data on service provision and uptake for depressed children and youth. Comparing these results with best-evidence practice guidelines raises significant concerns about the services most commonly offered and their delivery formats. In addition, high early discontinuation rates raise questions about the service experiences of children, youth and their families. Other factors which may contribute to ongoing treatment engagement challenges include access barriers, service or client characteristics, and unintentional treatment impacts.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Priya Watson ◽  
Kamna Mehra ◽  
Lisa D. Hawke ◽  
Joanna Henderson

Abstract Background The worldwide prevalence of depressive disorders among children and youth has been reported in ranges from just under 3% to over 10%. In Canada, 7% of youth report past year depression, which is higher than any other age demographic. Yet, many of these youth do not receive evidence based interventions, increasing their risk for serious lifetime consequences. To better understand low service use, it is crucial to map and evaluate current services. This study aimed to determine the scope and nature of services available to depressed children and youth, and compare services to best evidence treatment guidelines. Methods Several government and non-government resources were utilized to develop a new multi-sectoral database of depression services for children and youth across Ontario. An online survey was sent to program managers serving children/youth with depression, examining agency characteristics, populations served, services provided, patterns of service use, evaluation activities, and research priorities. Results 413 agencies with 869 program managers participated, representing mental health, addictions and other sectors. Age groups served included children up to 12 years of age (31%), adolescents aged 13–17 (70%) and transition aged youth (18–25 years) (81%). Over half of respondents worked in the mental health (43.4%) or mental health and addiction (24.4%) sectors. The most frequently provided services were assessment, psychotherapy, case management, and psychoeducation; the most common types of psychotherapy provided included cognitive behavioral therapy, social skills training, and solution-focused therapy. Psychotherapies are offered in widely varying formats, frequencies and durations. Discontinuation rates varied, with higher discontinuation among transition aged youth as compared to children. Respondents identified effective treatment, improving access, and reducing service gaps as top future research priorities. Conclusions This study provides important new data on service provision and uptake for depressed children and youth. Comparing these results with best-evidence practice guidelines raises significant concerns about the services most commonly offered and their delivery formats. In addition, high early discontinuation rates raise questions about the service experiences of children, youth and their families. Other factors which may contribute to ongoing treatment engagement challenges include access barriers, service or client characteristics, and unintentional treatment impacts.


Crisis ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 202-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Andriessen ◽  
Dolores Angela Castelli Dransart ◽  
Julie Cerel ◽  
Myfanwy Maple

Abstract. Background: Suicide can have a lasting impact on the social life as well as the physical and mental health of the bereaved. Targeted research is needed to better understand the nature of suicide bereavement and the effectiveness of support. Aims: To take stock of ongoing studies, and to inquire about future research priorities regarding suicide bereavement and postvention. Method: In March 2015, an online survey was widely disseminated in the suicidology community. Results: The questionnaire was accessed 77 times, and 22 records were included in the analysis. The respondents provided valuable information regarding current research projects and recommendations for the future. Limitations: Bearing in mind the modest number of replies, all from respondents in Westernized countries, it is not known how representative the findings are. Conclusion: The survey generated three strategies for future postvention research: increase intercultural collaboration, increase theory-driven research, and build bonds between research and practice. Future surveys should include experiences with obtaining research grants and ethical approval for postvention studies.


2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sima Gandhi ◽  
Maria Chiu ◽  
Kelvin Lam ◽  
John C. Cairney ◽  
Astrid Guttmann ◽  
...  

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. e021361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay H Dewa ◽  
Kevin Murray ◽  
Bethan Thibaut ◽  
Sonny Christian Ramtale ◽  
Sheila Adam ◽  
...  

ObjectivePhysical healthcare has dominated the patient safety field; research in mental healthcare is not as extensive but findings from physical healthcare cannot be applied to mental healthcare because it delivers specialised care that faces unique challenges. Therefore, a clearer focus and recognition of patient safety in mental health as a distinct research area is still needed. The study aim is to identify future research priorities in the field of patient safety in mental health.DesignSemistructured interviews were conducted with the experts to ascertain their views on research priorities in patient safety in mental health. A three-round online Delphi study was used to ascertain consensus on 117 research priority statements.Setting and participantsAcademic and service user experts from the USA, UK, Switzerland, Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore were included.Main outcome measuresAgreement in research priorities on a five-point scale.ResultsSeventy-nine statements achieved consensus (>70%). Three out of the top six research priorities were patient driven; experts agreed that understanding the patient perspective on safety planning, on self-harm and on medication was important.ConclusionsThis is the first international Delphi study to identify research priorities in safety in the mental field as determined by expert academic and service user perspectives. A reasonable consensus was obtained from international perspectives on future research priorities in patient safety in mental health; however, the patient perspective on their mental healthcare is a priority. The research agenda for patient safety in mental health identified here should be informed by patient safety science more broadly and used to further establish this area as a priority in its own right. The safety of mental health patients must have parity with that of physical health patients to achieve this.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hora Soltani ◽  
Lisa Kane Low ◽  
Alexandra Duxbury ◽  
Kerri D. Schuiling

PURPOSE: This exploratory project aimed to provide an up-to-date list of global midwifery research priorities to inform the International Confederation of Midwives’ (ICM) research strategy for development of its research agenda.DESIGN: An online survey conducted in 2014 asked ICM Research Advisory Networking members (who then disseminated it to a wider midwifery research interest group) to grade the importance of research priorities and provide further suggestions. Research priorities listed were based on those identified in previous scoping exercises and a recent literature review.FINDINGS: Two hundred seventy-one respondents from 37 countries completed the questionnaire including midwifery practitioners, researchers, lecturers, and service providers. Promotion of normal birth, prevention of maternal and fetal/neonatal morbidity and mortality, and psychosocial aspects of maternity care were identified by the respondents as the top three important themes. Subanalysis by country, region, and continent found promotion of normal birth the greatest priority in more resourced regions, whereas prevention of maternal and fetal/neonatal morbidity and mortality was the most important research priority in less resourced locations.CONCLUSION: This study provides a systematic global mapping of research priorities from midwives’ perspectives which will inform the ICM research agenda. Geographical variation in key research priorities reflect midwives working in very different settings with specific local health and resource related challenges such as staff shortages, human immunodeficiency virus, or obesity. Future research should aim to address these priorities to improve maternal and infant health. Limited number of respondents from some geographical areas should be borne in mind when interpreting the global implications and further research with an optimized scoping for inclusion is required to ensure adequate representativeness from all countries.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (11) ◽  
pp. 01-20
Author(s):  
Nur Shazreen Zul Kamal ◽  
Saodah Wok

This study was designed to examine the impact of online gaming addiction on mental health among International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) students. The objectives of this study are to determine: (a) the exposure to online gaming, (b) the levels of online gaming addiction and mental health, and (c) the relationship between online gaming addiction and mental health, particularly depression, anxiety, and loneliness. This study employed a quantitative research design with the network sampling procedure applied as the sampling technique for data selection and an online survey questionnaire as the research instrument. A total of 210 respondents participated in this study, comprising both undergraduate and postgraduate students. The findings show that the most popular type of online game is PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), followed by Mobile Legend (ML), Call of Duty (CoD), Defense of the Ancients (DotA), and Free Fire. The levels of online gaming addiction and mental health among IIUM students were found to be significantly low. The relationships between online gaming addiction and mental health components, namely depression, anxiety, and loneliness, were found to be significant and positive. Based on the social cognitive theory tested, all the developed hypotheses were accepted. This study suggests that future research should examine the impact of online gaming addiction on academic performance and physical health. Besides, future research can investigate other theories such as agenda-setting theory, cultivation theory, dependency theory, and media effect theory.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Shaw ◽  
Sarah Robertson ◽  
Nadia Ranceva

Abstract Background: The World Health Organization declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a global pandemic on the 11th March 2020. As a result, the UK Government imposed severe restrictions on working and social contact as part of “lockdown.” Whilst the full extent of the pandemic’s impact on eating disorder patients is unknown, the literature suggests that patients with pre-existing mental illness may be more vulnerable to the mental health impacts. In addition, the restrictions greatly reduced the access to mental health services and presented new challenges to service delivery. A service evaluation was carried out to explore how the COVID-19 global pandemic changed service provision in a young person’s eating disorder service and how this affected patients, family and staff experiences. Methods: Quantitative data was collected in an online survey and qualitative data was collected in two formats: open ended answers as part of the online survey and open-ended focus groups, structured using narrative enquiry. The 43 participants consisted of 12 patients, 19 parents/carers, and 12 staff members. Patients were under the age of 18 and had a diagnosis of an eating disorder. Results: COVID-19 and lockdown increased the pressure on the service and changed service provision significantly. This has impacted the relational experiences for patients and their carers and staff have been faced with new challenges. Patients, parents/carers and staff all preferred face-to-face appointments over virtual options. There was no difference in service satisfaction before and during COVID-19. Conclusions: It is possible to provide a high-quality eating disorder service in lockdown restrictions. Providing face-to-face appointments at the beginning of treatment and including families in the planning should be prioritised. Staff support is crucial to be able to continue delivering high quality services. The key themes are identified, and clinical recommendations are made to guide service delivery.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sin-Ying Lin ◽  
Jessica L. Schleider ◽  
Brady Nelson ◽  
Lauren Richmond ◽  
Nicholas R Eaton

Objective: To investigate gender and racial/ethnic disparities in mental health and treatment use in college and graduate students amid the COVID-19 pandemic.Method: Based on a large-scale online survey (N = 1,415) administered during the weeks following a pandemic-related university-wide campus closure in March 2020, we examined gender and racial disparities in current internalizing severity and treatment use with t-tests and logistic regression models.Results: Specifically, we found that students with marginalized gender (e.g., woman [p < .001], non-binary gender [p < .001]) or Hispanic/Latinx identity (p = .002) reported higher levels of internalizing problem severity compared to their privileged counterparts (e.g., man, non- Hispanic/Latinx White). Regarding treatment use, Asian (p < .001) and multiracial students (p = .002) reported lower treatment use after controlling for internalizing problem severity. Internalizing severity was generally associated with higher treatment use (logit = 0.53, p = .001), indicating a match of objective needs with service use. However, this relationship was offset by a negative interaction between internalizing problem severity and Asian (logit = -0.49, p < .001) or Black identity (logit = -0.57, p = .03) in predicting treatment use.Conclusion: The findings revealed unique mental health challenges faced by different demographic groups and served as a call that specific actions to enhance mental health equity, such as continued mental health support for students with marginalized gender identities, additional COVID-related mental and practical support for Hispanic/Latinx students, and promotion of mental health awareness and trust in Asian/Black students, are desperately needed.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osama Hosheh ◽  
Christopher T Edwards ◽  
Padmanabhan Ramnarayan

Abstract Background: Heated Humidified High Flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Therapy (HHFNC) is increasingly used on the paediatric wards and High Dependency Units (HDU) for different types of pathologies and different age groups. We aimed to describe current practice related to the use of HHFNC on the paediatric wards and HDUs, weaning practices and preferred outcome measures for future research. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional online survey of UK paediatric consultants or their delegates working on the paediatric wards. Descriptive analysis of their geographical, and organizational characteristics, their specialties, and their level of experience was investigated. Reasons for HHFNC initiation, weaning criteria, patients’ characteristics and their primary pathologies were also analysed. Results: Participation of 218 paediatricians from 81 hospitals (Median: 2.7, Range: 1-11) was registered. HHFNC was provided in most of the surveyed hospitals (93%, 75/81). A High Dependency Unit (HDU) was available in 47 hospitals (58%); less than a third of those have a dedicated paediatrician. Decisions around HHFNC were made solely by paediatricians in (75%) of the cases, mostly at hospitals with no HDU compared to those with dedicated HDUs (70.3% VS 36.6%, 95%CI:22.6%-50.4%, P< .001). Nearly two-thirds (68%) of the practitioners who used HHFNC on the wards reported that its effectiveness is either the same or superior to CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) with fewer complications. Failure rate while on HHFNC was identified as the most important outcome measure in any future research followed by the length of need for HHFNC support (37.1%, and 28% respectively). Conclusion: This survey showed support for developing paediatric-specific national guidance on the use of HHFNC on the wards. Our list of defined research priorities may help guide further collaborative research efforts in this field.


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