scholarly journals Perceptions of Mental Disorders and Help-Seeking Behaviour for Mental Health Care Within the Maasai Community of Northern Tanzania: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-111
Author(s):  
Monica Daniel ◽  
Bernard Njau ◽  
Chauka Mtuya ◽  
Elialilia Okelo ◽  
Declare Mushi
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas McLaren ◽  
Lina-Jolien Peter ◽  
Samuel Tomczyk ◽  
Holger Muehlan ◽  
Susanne Stolzenburg ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Epidemiological studies show that even in highly developed countries many people with depression do not seek help for their mental health issues, despite promising prevention approaches encouraging people to seek help and reduce self-stigma. Therefore, an anti-stigma intervention study to support help-seeking behaviour will be developed on the basis of the newly explicated “Seeking Mental Health Care Model”. Methods A quasi-experimental online study will be carried out to assess the effect of different intervention variables relevant for the help-seeking process. The study is conceived as a fractional factorial design. Participants will be screened for depressive complaints (PHQ-9 sum score ≥ 8) and current psychiatric/psychotherapeutic treatment. After baseline assessment the participants will be randomly allocated into one of the 24 study groups receiving different combinations of the vignette-based intervention aiming to reduce stigma and support help-seeking. Next, relevant outcome measures will be administered a second time. In a 3- and 6-month follow-up help-seeking behaviour will be measured. Gamified elements and avatar-choice techniques will be used to heighten study immersion and adherence. Discussion On the basis of the project results, promising research and intervention perspectives can be developed. Results, firstly, allow for a more detailed empirical investigation and conceptualisation of the stages of mental health care utilisation, as well as an examination of theoretical approaches to stigmatisation. Secondly, our online study could provide insights for an evidence-based design and evaluation of online interventions for people with a mental illness. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00023557. Registered 11 December 2020. World Health Organization, Universal Trial Number: U1111–1264-9954. Registered 16 February 2021.


2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 146-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shivani Mathur Gaiha ◽  
Greeshma Ann Sunil ◽  
Rajeev Kumar ◽  
Subhadra Menon

Purpose – Lack of understanding around mental illness and stigma are an overwhelming barrier in help-seeking behaviour for mental health concerns. The purpose of this paper is to examine mental health literacy and social attitudes as instrumental factors in building capacity of the demand-side to support and access mental health care at the community level in India. Design/methodology/approach – Knowledge, Attitude and Practice surveys were administered to 521 persons from the general population, distributed equally in the age range of 15-60 years. The study included 52 respondents per district from ten districts across five states in India, namely Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. The responses were collected and analysed thematically, keeping in mind the relevance of these findings as contributors to knowledge of mental health and to the construct of stigma. Findings – Pervasive socio-cultural factors, especially stigma inhibit access to basic mental health information and care, despite knowledge that mental illness is treatable. Degrading treatment, loss of personal liberty and social exclusion, i.e. compromised human rights at the community level are widespread. Self-reported attitudes when encountering a person with mental illness show that respondents act out of fear and are guided by misinformation and myths. Extant knowledge on mental health is attributed predominantly to informal networks, as a potential resource to be strengthened. Practical implications – Realising mental health care, including help-seeking behaviour calls for greater knowledge-sharing, sensitisation and community engagement. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified need to study current levels of mental health literacy and underlying perceptions that contribute to the persistent treatment gap.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Werlen ◽  
D. Gjukaj ◽  
M. Mohler-Kuo ◽  
M.A. Puhan

Abstract Aims Mental disorders in children are a significant and growing cause of morbidity worldwide. Although interventions to help overcome barriers along the pathway to accessing health care for children with mental disorders exist, there is no overview of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on these interventions as yet. This study aimed to systematically identify RCTs of interventions to improve access to mental health care for children and synthesise them using a conceptual framework of access to health care. Methods This systematic review was performed following a predefined protocol registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42018081714). We searched the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CENTRAL for RCTs up to 15 May 2019 using terms related to the concepts ‘young people,’ ‘mental disorders’ and ‘help-seeking interventions’ and scanned reference lists from relevant studies. Two reviewers independently screened all identified articles in a two-stage process, extracted results on outcomes of interest (knowledge, attitudes, intentions, help-seeking, accessing care, mental health outcomes and satisfaction), assessed the risk of bias and conducted meta-analyses where deemed appropriate. Results After screening 5641 identified articles, 34 RCTs were eligible for inclusion. Eighty per cent of universal school-based interventions measuring knowledge (n = 5) and 67% measuring attitudes (n = 6) reported significantly better results compared with controls on those outcomes, whereas 20% measuring access to care (n = 5) and none measuring mental health outcomes (n = 7) did. In contrast, 71% of interventions targeting at-risk individuals (n = 21) reported better access to care compared with controls, while just 33% (n = 6) did for mental health outcomes. For satisfaction with care, this proportion was 80% (n = 5). Meta-analyses of interventions measuring initial appointment attendance yielded combined odds ratios of 3.11 (2.07–4.67) for appointment reminder interventions and 3.51 (2.02–6.11) for treatment engagement interventions. The outcomes for universal school-based interventions were heterogeneous and could not be summarised quantitatively through meta-analysis. Conclusions To have a population-level effect on improving children's access to mental health care, two-stage interventions that identify those in need and then engage them in the health-care system may be necessary. We need more evidence on interventions to target contextual factors such as affordability and infrastructural barriers.


2009 ◽  
Vol 45 (10) ◽  
pp. 989-998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viviane Kovess-Masfety ◽  
◽  
Anne Dezetter ◽  
Ron de Graaf ◽  
Joseph Maria Haro ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Stimac Grbic ◽  
I Pavic Simetin ◽  
A Istvanovic

Abstract Issue Care for people with severe mental disorders requires approach that is focused on a person's strengths, not his weaknesses, and is a shift from a deficit model that is often associated with mental illness. Care users and their family members play an important role in this approach. Description of the Problem Mental disorders are the leading group of diseases in Croatia, according to the number of days of hospital treatment. The number of hospitalizations is high, and the rate of hospitalization for depression has tripled in the last twenty years. Such indicators highlight the need for reorientation of mental health care, from hospital-based to community-based, by organizing mobile community intervention teams. Results In Croatia, psychosocial peer teams were established by the NGO Ludruga, financed by local government, to provide peer support to persons with mental disorders. The main activities are: development of a personal recovery plan, home visits and providing psychological support to persons with mental disorders, organizing support groups and education of peer workers. The teams consist of a peer worker, social worker, psychologist, and operate under the supervision of a psychiatrist. The teams have been operating for five years, have had over a hundred users so far and are a significant help to the healthcare system in preventing rehospitalizations. Lessons The goal of therapeutic interventions in mental health care should be recovery. Recovery involves empowering a person to take responsibility for themselves and their health. Peer workers play an important role in the recovery process, providing hope for recovery. Their role must also be recognized by the health system. Key messages People with mental disorders and their families should be co-creators of care and recovery-oriented interventions. Only by comprehensive interventions, tackling all determinants of health, therapeutic goal can be achieved.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachelle Ashcroft ◽  
Catherine Donnelly ◽  
Maya Dancey ◽  
Sandeep Gill ◽  
Simon Lam ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Integrated primary care teams are ideally positioned to support the mental health care needs arising during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding how COVID-19 has affected mental health care delivery within primary care settings will be critical to inform future policy and practice decisions during the later phases of the pandemic and beyond. The objective of our study was to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care teams’ delivery of mental health care. Methods A qualitative study using focus groups conducted with primary care teams in Ontario, Canada. Focus group data was analysed using thematic analysis. Results We conducted 11 focus groups with 10 primary care teams and a total of 48 participants. With respect to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health care in primary care teams, we identified three key themes: i) the high demand for mental health care, ii) the rapid transformation to virtual care, and iii) the impact on providers. Conclusions From the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, primary care quickly responded to the rising mental health care demands of their patients. Despite the numerous challenges they faced with the rapid transition to virtual care, primary care teams have persevered. It is essential that policy and decision-makers take note of the toll that these demands have placed on providers. There is an immediate need to enhance primary care’s capacity for mental health care for the duration of the pandemic and beyond.


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