Rapid Report: Early Demand, Profiles and Concerns of Mental Health Users during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic in late March 2020 (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olav Mindspot Clinic
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Call Centre ◽  
Recent Onset ◽  
Mental Health Effects ◽  
Suicidal Plans ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Trends in contact with a high volume national digital mental health service (DMHS), the MindSpot Clinic, provide a unique opportunity to assess the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE To examine trends in contact with a high volume national digital mental health service (DMHS) in order to assess the early mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS Baseline website and call centre traffic, and demographic and symptom data from a cohort of 500 consecutive users from February 2020 were compared with a matched cohort during the early phase of the pandemic. Responses to questions about the impact of COVID-19 and reports from treating therapists were examined. Demographic information, scores on K10, GAD7, PHQ9 and to questions regarding suicide plans and effect of COVID19 were examined. RESULTS There was a 68% increase in website visits and a 90% increase in telephone calls to the clinic. There was no increase in the severity of symptoms of psychological distress, depression, anxiety or the number reporting suicidal plans. However, the pandemic cohort reported more recent onset of symptoms of anxiety and depression, 96% reported concern about the impact of COVID-19, and 95% reported making changes in lifestyle, with higher levels of concern among older adults. Concerns identified by therapists included how to access testing and manage quarantine, financial security and the impact of social isolation. CONCLUSIONS COVID-19 has resulted in a significant increase in contact with an established DMHS. With the prospect of prolonged restriction of movement, DMHS such as MindSpot are in a unique position to both provide clinical services and to monitor the mental health of the population.

The use of HoNOSCA in a child and adolescent mental health service

2003 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 52-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Manderson ◽  
Noel McCune
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Peer Relationships ◽  
Aggressive Behaviour ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
Child And Adolescent ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health Service ◽  
The Impact

AbstractObjectives: To assess the health and social functioning of patients attending a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and to measure the impact of attendance using the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA).Method: HoNOSCA was completed on 73 consecutive patients attending for initial assessment with a review assessment being completed after six months or at discharge from the clinic if this occurred sooner on 53 of these. The impact of attendance at the clinics was determined by comparing initial and review mean HoNOSCA Scores.Results: Of the 53, 66% were male and 34% female. Boys were more highly rated with regard to aggressive behaviour, performance in peer relationships and family life relationships whilst girls were rated as having more nonorganic and emotional symptoms. Older children showed the highest rates of poor school attendance, non accidental (self) injury and emotional problems while younger children showed the greatest aggressive behaviour and language skill problems. An improvement in the total HoNOSCA score from initial assessment to review was seen in 92%. There was an improvement in the HoNOSCA mean score from initial assessment to review.Conclusions: Age, sex and symptom profiles of patients attending the service were similar to other CAMHS. Attendance at CAMHS produces improvements in patient outcomes over a six month period as measured using HoNOSCA, which proved to be a useful if somewhat time consuming tool.

scholarly journals The impact of a night confinement policy on patients in a UK high secure inpatient mental health service

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Chu ◽  
Kimberley McNeill ◽  
Karen M. Wright ◽  
Anthony Hague ◽  
Tracy Wilkins
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Sleep Hygiene ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Inpatient Mental Health ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – From 2012, all high-secure forensic mental health services in England began operating a policy of confining patients to their locked bedrooms overnight to increase service efficiency and reduce costs. The purpose of this paper is to assess the views of staff and patients concerning the policy and examine the specific impact of the policy on patients. Design/methodology/approach – Measures of patients’ sleep hygiene, patients’ behaviour, ward atmosphere, engagement with therapy and adverse incidents were taken both before and after the night confinement (NC) policy was implemented. Both patients and staff also expressed their views of the impact of the NC policy. Findings – Results provide converging evidence that the impact of the NC policy on patients is negligible. There were no consistent negative effects of confining patients overnight. Rather, patients and staff were broadly positive about the impact that the practice had on patients. Practical implications – Confining patients to locked bedrooms overnight does not exert any consistent influence, positive or negative, on patients’ sleep hygiene, behaviour or engagement with therapy, and patients expressed a broadly positive view of the practice of NC. Thus, a NC policy may have a contribution to make to the provision an effective high-secure mental health service. Originality/value – The study provides convincing evidence that secure inpatient mental health services that are considering the adoption of a NC policy may do so without fear of a negative impact on patients.

Neoliberalism, advanced marginality and mental health

2020 ◽  
pp. 111-128
Author(s):  
Ian Cummins
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Welfare Policy ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Spatial Concentration ◽  
Modern Context ◽  
The Impact

This chapter will discuss the broader impact of neoliberal social and welfare policy. In particular, it explores the impacts of increased inequality and the spatial concentration of poverty. These processes are referred to as “advanced marginality”. This concept captures the ways, in which, areas of poverty are surrounded by areas of affluence. In addition, advanced marginality symbolises the processes whereby groups and individuals are effectively excluded in a literal and metaphorical sense from major areas of modern society. This section is influenced by the work of Loic Wacquant (2008a, 2008b, 2009a and 2009b) and his notion of territorial stigmatisation. This is the modern context of community. It then goes on to examine the impact of austerity policies that have been followed since 2010 on both mental health service users and wider mental health provision. The links between poverty and poor mental health are examined below.

The Impact of Federally Funded CMHCs on Local Mental Health Service Systems

1987 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 729-734
Author(s):  
Charles Windle ◽  
Rosalyn D. Bass ◽  
Lois Gray
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Service Systems ◽  
Federally Funded ◽  
Local Mental Health ◽  
The Impact

The impact of an expanding community mental health service on patterns of bed usage: evaluation of a four-year period of implementation

1982 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Häfner ◽  
J. Klug
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Health Service ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Community Mental Health Service ◽  
Case Register ◽  
National Differences ◽  
The Impact

SynopsisIn the city of Mannheim the introduction of an extensive community mental health service has been shown, by means of case-register data over 4½ years, to have led to a considerable increase in utilization, mainly at the out-patient level of care. The rates of admission to hospital increased very little. Due to the simultaneous decline in long-term bed occupancy, the overall need for psychiatric beds remained stable at a rate of about 1·2/1000, a rate which is very low by international standards.The sharp decline in the ‘old’ long-stay population was followed by a smaller increase in ‘new’ long-stay patients which it has not been possible to prevent. These patients are, however, admitted for a long-term stay significantly later than formerly, and their diagnostic composition has changed significantly.The increase in the bed requirements for short- and medium-term stay patients resulted from different sources: an increasing morbidity in some groups of disorders, the rising utilization in case of emergencies and severe crises, and the transfer of long-stay patients to alternative care services. The level of these needs was very similar in Mannheim, Salford, Samsø and Camberwell, whereas the rates for long-term beds still show clear national differences.

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