Being Pro-Active in Meeting the Needs of Suicide-Bereaved Survivors: results from a systematic audit in Montreal

Abstract Background: Suicide is a major public health concern. In 2017, the suicide rate in Canada was 11 per 100 000 inhabitants. According to literature, 1 in 5 people have experienced a death by suicide during their lifetime. The aim of this study was to describe the met and unmet needs of suicide-bereaved survivors and to provide postvention recommendations. Methods: Further to an exploratory mixed-method audit of 39 suicides that occurred in Montreal (Canada) in 2016, suicide-bereaved survivors (n = 29) participated in semi-structured interviews and completed instruments to discuss and assess potential pathological grief, depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7), as well as health and social services utilization. A panel then reviewed each case and provided recommendations. The mean age of participants was 57.7 years and 23 were women.Results: Although help was offered initially, in most cases by a health professional or service provider (16/29), 22 survivors would have liked to be contacted by telephone in the first two months post suicide. Four categories of individual unmet needs (medical/pharmacological, information, support, and outreach) and one collective unmet need (suicide pre/postvention training and delivery) emerged. Conclusions: Although Quebec provincial services have been developed and offered to suicide-bereaved survivors in the past decade, many dwindled over time and none has been applied systematically. Recommendations for different stakeholders (Ministry of Health and Social Services, coroners, NGOs, and representatives of suicide-bereaved survivors) outlined in this study could be an interesting first step to help develop a suicide pre/postvention strategy.

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Being pro-active in meeting the needs of suicide-bereaved survivors: results from a systematic audit in Montréal

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-020-09636-y ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Fabienne Ligier ◽

Jessica Rassy ◽

Gabrielle Fortin ◽

Ian van Haaster ◽

Claude Doyon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Services ◽

Unmet Needs ◽

Unmet Need ◽

Information Support ◽

Health Concern ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Services Utilization ◽

Health And Social Services ◽

Pathological Grief ◽

Suicide Bereaved

Abstract Background Suicide is a major public health concern. In 2017, the suicide rate in Canada was 11 per 100,000 inhabitants. According to literature, 1 in 5 people have experienced a death by suicide during their lifetime. The aim of this study was to describe the met and unmet needs of suicide-bereaved survivors and to provide postvention recommendations. Methods Further to an exploratory mixed-method audit of 39 suicides that occurred in Montreal (Canada) in 2016, suicide-bereaved survivors (n = 29) participated in semi-structured interviews and completed instruments to discuss and assess potential pathological grief, depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7), as well as health and social services utilization. A panel then reviewed each case and provided recommendations. The mean age of participants was 57.7 years and 23 were women. Results Although help was offered initially, in most cases by a health professional or service provider (16/29), 22 survivors would have liked to be contacted by telephone in the first 2 months post suicide. Four categories of individual unmet needs (medical/pharmacological, information, support, and outreach) and one collective unmet need (suicide pre/postvention training and delivery) emerged. Conclusions Although Quebec provincial services have been developed and offered to suicide-bereaved survivors in the past decade, many dwindled over time and none has been applied systematically. Recommendations for different stakeholders (Ministry of Health and Social Services, coroners, NGOs, and representatives of suicide-bereaved survivors) outlined in this study could be an interesting first step to help develop a suicide pre/postvention strategy.

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Being Pro-Active in Meeting the Needs of Suicide-Bereaved Survivors: results from an audit in Montreal

10.21203/rs.3.rs-17474/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Fabienne LIGIER ◽

Jessica Rassy ◽

Gabrielle Fortin ◽

Ian van Haaster ◽

Claude Doyon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Services ◽

Unmet Needs ◽

Unmet Need ◽

Information Support ◽

Health Concern ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Research Committee ◽

Health And Social Services ◽

Ethics Research ◽

Suicide Bereaved

Abstract Background: Suicide is a major public health concern. In 2017, the suicide rate in Canada was 11 per 100 000 inhabitants. According to the literature, 1 in 5 people have experienced a death by suicide during their lifetime. The aim of this study was to describe the met and unmet needs of suicide-bereaved survivors and to formulate postvention recommendations. Methods: Further to an exploratory mixed-method audit of 39 suicides that occurred in Montreal (Canada) in 2016, suicide-bereaved survivors (n = 29) participated in semi-structured interviews and completed instruments to discuss and assess potential pathological grief, depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7), as well as health and social services utilization. A panel then reviewed each case and formulated recommendations. The mean age of participants was 57.7 years and 23 were women.Results: Although help was offered initially, in most cases by a health professional or service provider (16/29), 22 survivors would have liked to be contacted by telephone in the first two months post suicide. Four categories of individual unmet needs (medical/pharmacological, information, support, and outreach) and one collective unmet need (suicide pre/postvention training and delivery) emerged. Conclusions: Although provincial services have been developed and offered to suicide-bereaved survivors in the past decade, many dwindled over time and none has been applied systematically. Recommendations for different stakeholders (Ministry of Health and Social Services, coroners, NGOs, and representatives of suicide-bereaved survivors) outlined in this study could be an interesting first step to help develop a provincial suicide pre/postvention strategy.Trial registration: The research protocol was approved by the Scientific Committee of the Montreal Mental Health Institute (November 6, 2018) and the publication of results was approved by its Ethics Research Committee (February 1, 2019), project number 2019-1647.

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Being Pro-Active in Meeting the Needs of Suicide-Bereaved Survivors: results from an audit in Montreal

10.21203/rs.3.rs-17474/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Fabienne LIGIER ◽

Jessica Rassy ◽

Gabrielle Fortin ◽

Ian van Haaster ◽

Claude Doyon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Services ◽

Unmet Needs ◽

Unmet Need ◽

Information Support ◽

Health Concern ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Research Committee ◽

Health And Social Services ◽

Ethics Research ◽

Suicide Bereaved

Abstract Background: Suicide is a major public health concern. In 2017, the suicide rate in Canada was 11 per 100 000 inhabitants. According to literature, 1 in 5 people have experienced a death by suicide during their lifetime. The aim of this study was to describe the met and unmet needs of suicide-bereaved survivors and to provide postvention recommendations. Methods: Further to an exploratory mixed-method audit of 39 suicides that occurred in Montreal (Canada) in 2016, suicide-bereaved survivors (n = 29) participated in semi-structured interviews and completed instruments to discuss and assess potential pathological grief, depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7), as well as health and social services utilization. A panel then reviewed each case and provided recommendations. The mean age of participants was 57.7 years and 23 were women.Results: Although help was offered initially, in most cases by a health professional or service provider (16/29), 22 survivors would have liked to be contacted by telephone in the first two months post suicide. Four categories of individual unmet needs (medical/pharmacological, information, support, and outreach) and one collective unmet need (suicide pre/postvention training and delivery) emerged. Conclusions: Although Quebec provincial services have been developed and offered to suicide-bereaved survivors in the past decade, many dwindled over time and none has been applied systematically. Recommendations for different stakeholders (Ministry of Health and Social Services, coroners, NGOs, and representatives of suicide-bereaved survivors) outlined in this study could be an interesting first step to help develop a suicide pre/postvention strategy.Trial registration: The research protocol was approved by the Scientific Committee of the Montreal Mental Health Institute (November 6, 2018) and the publication of results was approved by its Ethics Research Committee (February 1, 2019), project number 2019-1647.

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A Postcolonial Discourse Analysis of Community Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Supporting Urban Indigenous Older Adults to Age Well in Ottawa, Canada

International Indigenous Policy Journal ◽

10.18584/iipj.2020.11.1.9443 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lauren A. Brooks-Cleator ◽

Audrey R. Giles

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Discourse Analysis ◽

Social Services ◽

Service Providers ◽

Indigenous Health ◽

Adult Population ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Health And Social Services ◽

Community Stakeholders ◽

Postcolonial Discourse

The urban Indigenous older adult population in Canada continues to grow; however, there is a lack of understanding of how non-Indigenous health and social services and Indigenous-specific organizations are responding to and addressing the growth of this population. Therefore, in this research, we conducted a postcolonial discourse analysis of semi-structured interviews with six decision-makers (e.g., managers and directors of health and social services organizations) and seven service providers (e.g., program coordinators and social workers) from Indigenous and non-Indigenous health and social service organizations in Ottawa, Canada, to examine how they produce understandings of supporting urban Indigenous older adults to age well. The participants produced three main discourses: (a) non-Indigenous organizations have a responsibility to support Indigenous older adults, (b) culturally specific programs and services are important for supporting Indigenous older adults to age well, and (c) it is difficult for community stakeholders to support Indigenous older adults to age well because this population is hard to reach. The results demonstrate the complexities and tensions that community stakeholders face in supporting Indigenous older adults to age well within a sociopolitical environment informed by reconciliation and a sociodemographic trend of an aging population.

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Assessment of the Older Person in the Community

The International Journal of Aging and Human Development ◽

10.2190/t4ae-lfyt-b94a-m6fv ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Barry Gurland ◽

John Copeland ◽

Lawrence Sharpe ◽

Michael Kelleher ◽

Judith Kuriansky ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

Social Services ◽

The United States ◽

Older Person ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Metropolitan Regions ◽

Health And Social Services ◽

Community Residents ◽

Assessment Techniques ◽

Cross National

The Cross-National Geriatric Community study is being conducted by the United States-United Kingdom Cross-National Project. Semi-structured interviews have been completed with over 850 community residents over the age of sixty-five years randomly selected from the metropolitan regions of New York and London. The assessment techniques described in this section may be of interest not only to other research workers conducting geriatric community surveys but also to health professionals concerned with the clinical examination of the older ambulatory patient and the early detection and appropriate referral of the need for health and social services.

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Gender, Public Policy and the Oldest Old

Ageing and Society ◽

10.1017/s0144686x00012824 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 275-302 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Jane Sprague Zones ◽

Carroll L. Estes ◽

Elizabeth A. Binney*

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Public Policy ◽

Social Services ◽

Small Proportion ◽

Oldest Old ◽

The United States ◽

Gender Ratio ◽

Health And Social Services ◽

The Past ◽

Public Resources

ABSTRACTThose 85 years of age and older are the fastest growing subpopulation in the United States. Because they represent a very small proportion of the population (just 1% in 1980), the oldest old have not been studied until recently. Much of the interest in this group is related to their growth (over 50% per decade in the past 50 years) coupled with their disproportionate use of public resources, particularly health and social services. Women are strikingly overrepresented among the oldest old, with a gender ratio of approximately 44 males for every 100 females age 85 and older.

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Unmet needs for assistance related to subjective cognitive decline among community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults in the US: prevalence and impact on health-related quality of life

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610220001635 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Erin D. Bouldin ◽

Christopher A. Taylor ◽

Kenneth A. Knapp ◽

Christina E. Miyawaki ◽

Nicholas R. Mercado ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Unmet Needs ◽

Unmet Need ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Subjective Cognitive Decline ◽

Middle Aged ◽

The Past ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

ABSTRACT Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of unmet needs for assistance among middle-aged and older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in the US and to evaluate whether unmet needs were associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Design: Cross-sectional Setting: US – 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico Participants: Community-dwelling adults aged 45 years and older who completed the Cognitive Decline module on the 2015-–2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System reported experiencing SCD and always, usually, or sometimes needed assistance with day-to-day activities because of SCD (n = 6,568). Measurements: We defined SCD as confusion or memory loss that was happening more often or getting worse over the past 12 months. Respondents with SCD were considered to have an unmet need for assistance if they sometimes, rarely, or never got the help they needed with day-to-day activities. We measured three domains of HRQOL: (1) mental (frequent mental distress, ≥14 days of poor mental health in the past 30 days), (2) physical (frequent physical distress, ≥14 days of poor physical health in the past 30 days), and (3) social (SCD always, usually, or sometimes interfered with the ability to work, volunteer, or engage in social activities outside the home). We used log-binomial regression models to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs). All estimates were weighted. Results: In total, 40.2% of people who needed SCD-related assistance reported an unmet need. Among respondents without depression, an unmet need was associated with a higher prevalence of frequent mental distress (PR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.12–2.13, p = 0.007). Frequent physical distress and social limitations did not differ between people with met and unmet needs. Conclusions: Middle-aged and older adults with SCD-related needs for assistance frequently did not have those needs met, which could negatively impact their mental health. Interventions to identify and meet the unmet needs among people with SCD may improve HRQOL.

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Current Empirical Research on Evaluation Utilization

Review of Educational Research ◽

10.3102/00346543056003331 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 56 (3) ◽

pp. 331-364 ◽

Cited By ~ 186

Author(s):

J. Bradley Cousins ◽

Kenneth A. Leithwood

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Conceptual Framework ◽

Social Services ◽

Empirical Research ◽

Research And Practice ◽

Health And Social Services ◽

Independent Variables ◽

Research On Evaluation ◽

The Past ◽

Policy Setting

This paper reviews empirical research conducted during the past 15 years on the use of evaluation results. Sixty-five studies in education, mental health, and social services are described in terms of their methodological characteristics, their orientation toward dependent and independent variables, and the relationships between such variables. A conceptual framework is developed that lists 12 factors that influence use; six of these factors are associated with characteristics of evaluation implementation and six with characteristics of decision or policy setting. The factors are discussed in terms of their influence on evaluation utilization, and their relative influence on various types of use is compared. The paper concludes with a statement about implications for research and practice.

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Patient-rated mental health needs and quality of life improvement

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.187.3.256 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 187 (3) ◽

pp. 256-261 ◽

Cited By ~ 110

Author(s):

Mike Slade ◽

Morven Leese ◽

Sharon Cahill ◽

Graham Thornicroft ◽

Elizabeth Kuipers

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mental Health ◽

Regression Models ◽

Unmet Needs ◽

Unmet Need ◽

Mental Health Needs ◽

The Past ◽

Life Improvement ◽

Camberwell Assessment Of Need

BackgroundPatient-rated unmet need is cross-sectionally associated with quality of life. Its longitudinal relationship has not been established.AimsTo test the hypotheses that: (a) higher patient-rated unmet need is associated with lower individual quality of life assessments by apatientover time; and (b) reduction in patient-rated unmet need precedes improvement in quality of life.MethodOne hundred and one individuals using adult mental health services were asked to complete 6-monthly questionnaires, comprising quality of life (Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life, MANSA) and unmet need (Camberwell Assessment of Need Short Appraisal Schedule, CANSAS) assessments.ResultsSeventy-three participants provided 240 separate pairs of consecutive assessments. Random effects regression models indicated an impact on current quality of life for both average level of unmet need (B= −0.23, 95% CI −0.29 to −0.17) and change in unmet need over the past month (B= −0.04, 95% CI −0.02).ConclusionsChanges in patient-rated unmet needs may cause changes in quality of life.

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