scholarly journals Evaluation of ReachOut.com, an Unstructured Digital Youth Mental Health Intervention: Prospective Cohort Study

10.2196/21280 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. e21280
Author(s):  
Bianca Lorraine Kahl ◽  
Hilary May Miller ◽  
Kathryn Cairns ◽  
Hayley Giniunas ◽  
Mariesa Nicholas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Retention Rate ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Intervention

Background Young people experience a disproportionate burden associated with mental illness that Australia’s mental health care system is ill-equipped to handle. Despite improvements in the provision of mental health services, the rates of service utilization among young people remain suboptimal, and there are still considerable barriers to seeking help. Digital mental health services can overcome a number of barriers and connect young people requiring support; however, the evidence base of digital interventions is limited. Objective The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a brief, self-directed, unstructured digital intervention, ReachOut.com (hereafter ReachOut), in reducing depression, anxiety, stress, and risk of suicide. Methods A cohort of 1982 ReachOut users participated in a 12-week longitudinal study, with a retention rate of 81.18% (1609/1982) across the duration of the study. Participants completed web-based surveys, with outcome measures of mental health status and suicide risk assessed at 3 time points across the study period. Results The results demonstrated that over the 12-week study period, young people using ReachOut experienced modest yet significant reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Significant, albeit modest, reductions in the proportion of participants at high risk of suicide were also observed. Conclusions The findings of this research provide preliminary evidence of the promise of an unstructured digital mental health intervention, ReachOut, in alleviating symptoms of mental ill-health and promoting well-being in young people. These findings are particularly important given that digital services are not only acceptable and accessible but also have the potential to cater to the diverse mental health needs of young people at scale, in a way that other services cannot.

scholarly journals Evaluation of ReachOut.com, an Unstructured Digital Youth Mental Health Intervention: Prospective Cohort Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bianca Lorraine Kahl ◽  
Hilary May Miller ◽  
Kathryn Cairns ◽  
Hayley Giniunas ◽  
Mariesa Nicholas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Retention Rate ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Intervention

BACKGROUND Young people experience a disproportionate burden associated with mental illness that Australia’s mental health care system is ill-equipped to handle. Despite improvements in the provision of mental health services, the rates of service utilization among young people remain suboptimal, and there are still considerable barriers to seeking help. Digital mental health services can overcome a number of barriers and connect young people requiring support; however, the evidence base of digital interventions is limited. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a brief, self-directed, unstructured digital intervention, ReachOut.com (hereafter ReachOut), in reducing depression, anxiety, stress, and risk of suicide. METHODS A cohort of 1982 ReachOut users participated in a 12-week longitudinal study, with a retention rate of 81.18% (1609/1982) across the duration of the study. Participants completed web-based surveys, with outcome measures of mental health status and suicide risk assessed at 3 time points across the study period. RESULTS The results demonstrated that over the 12-week study period, young people using ReachOut experienced modest yet significant reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Significant, albeit modest, reductions in the proportion of participants at high risk of suicide were also observed. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this research provide preliminary evidence of the promise of an unstructured digital mental health intervention, ReachOut, in alleviating symptoms of mental ill-health and promoting well-being in young people. These findings are particularly important given that digital services are not only acceptable and accessible but also have the potential to cater to the diverse mental health needs of young people at scale, in a way that other services cannot.

A Community-Based Mental Health Intervention: Promoting Mental Health Services in Rwanda

2021 ◽  
pp. 1103-1119
Author(s):  
Donatilla Mukamana ◽  
Lisa López Levers ◽  
Kenya Johns ◽  
Darius Gishoma ◽  
Yvonne Kayiteshonga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Intervention ◽  
Community Based

scholarly journals “Their story is a hard road to hoe”: how art-making tackles stigma and builds well-being in young people living regionally

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Gentle ◽  
Paul Linsley ◽  
John Hurley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Art Making ◽  
Stigma Reduction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regional Australia

Purpose Remote and regional Australia have comparatively fewer mental health services than their urban counterparts, what is more, mental health remains profoundly stigmatised. This study aims to understand how, if at all, the process of group art-making then publicly displaying the artworks can contribute to stigma reduction for young people (YP) experiencing mental health challenges in regional Australia. Design/methodology/approach Interviews were conducted with six young artists who use regional mental health services and 25 people who viewed their displayed art using a thematic analysis of the coded interview data. Findings Findings of this study demonstrated how art-making as a process increased self-esteem, social interaction and artistic expression; while the viewers experienced an emotional connection to the art. The viewer’s response enhanced YP’s confidence in their abilities. Originality/value Incorporating art-making and exhibiting the art in public spaces could be incorporated into YP’s mental health services to support well-being and inform the perception the general public hold of mental health, thus reducing stigma.

The challenge to prioritise infant mental health in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-217
Author(s):  
Katherine Bain
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Infant Mental Health ◽  
Collective Unconscious ◽  
Mental Health Intervention ◽  
Practical Constraints

Despite clear evidence that infant mental health intervention is imperative, mental health services for infants and their caregivers worldwide remain under-prioritised, under-funded, and inaccessible to most populations. South Africa is no exception. This article proposes some potential explanations for this, exploring both practical constraints and possible resistances within the currents of our collective unconscious.

scholarly journals ADHD and Covid-19: current roadblocks and future opportunities

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 204-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. McGrath
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
Child And Adolescent ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Health Services Need ◽  
The Impact

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the commonest disorder presenting to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Ireland. This article considers the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the provision of mental health services for young people with ADHD with specific reference to the difficulties that have been experienced in ADMiRE, a specialist ADHD service in Dublin, since the outbreak of Covid-19 in Ireland. Current guidelines and alternative ways of ensuring adequate service provision are discussed. Restrictions to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 are likely to continue for many months, and child and adolescent mental health services need to find new ways to provide a sustainable service to young people in Ireland. There is a growing evidence base for the use of telepsychiatry in the assessment and management of ADHD. Factors that should be considered when developing a telepsychiatry service for children and adolescents with ADHD are highlighted.

scholarly journals Our journey, our story: a study protocol for the evaluation of a co-design framework to improve services for Aboriginal youth mental health and well-being

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e042981
Author(s):  
Michael Wright ◽  
Alex Brown ◽  
Patricia Dudgeon ◽  
Rob McPhee ◽  
Juli Coffin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Young People ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Service Staff ◽  
Age Appropriate ◽  
Western Australian

IntroductionMainstream Australian mental health services are failing Aboriginal young people. Despite investing resources, improvements in well-being have not materialised. Culturally and age appropriate ways of working are needed to improve service access and responsiveness. This Aboriginal-led study brings Aboriginal Elders, young people and youth mental health service staff together to build relationships to co-design service models and evaluation tools. Currently, three Western Australian youth mental health services in the Perth metropolitan area and two regional services are working with local Elders and young people to improve their capacity for culturally and age appropriate services. Further Western Australian sites will be engaged as part of research translation.Methods and analysisRelationships ground the study, which utilises Indigenous methodologies and participatory action research. This involves Elders, young people and service staff as co-researchers and the application of a decolonising, strengths-based framework to create the conditions for engagement. It foregrounds experiential learning and Aboriginal ways of working to establish relationships and deepen non-Aboriginal co-researchers’ knowledge and understanding of local, place-based cultural practices. Once relationships are developed, co-design workshops occur at each site directed by local Elders and young people. Co-designed evaluation tools will assess any changes to community perceptions of youth mental health services and the enablers and barriers to service engagement.Ethics and disseminationThe study has approval from the Kimberley Aboriginal Health Planning Forum Kimberley Research Subcommittee, the Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee, and the Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee. Transferability of the outcomes across the youth mental health sector will be directed by the co-researchers and is supported through Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal organisations including youth mental health services, peak mental health bodies and consumer groups. Community reports and events, peer-reviewed journal articles, conference presentations and social and mainstream media will aid dissemination.

A Community-Based Mental Health Intervention: Promoting Mental Health Services in Rwanda

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Donatilla Mukamana ◽  
Lisa Lopez Levers ◽  
Kenya Johns ◽  
Darius Gishoma ◽  
Yvonne Kayiteshonga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Intervention ◽  
Community Based
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