scholarly journals A Pilot Study of a Screening Process for Evaluating the Physical, Mental and Cognitive Health of Senior Physicians

2021 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-40
Author(s):  
David E. J. Bazzo ◽  
Patricia Smith ◽  
Elizabeth F. Wenghofer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Clinical Education ◽  
Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Health Screening ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Screening Process ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
The University

ABSTRACT Physicians are not immune to changes that accompany aging, including decreases in physical and cognitive health and abilities. Many are calling for, or turning to, screening senior physicians for decrements in their ability to provide safe care. Our purpose was to determine the acceptability and feasibility of a pilot screening process, which evaluates the physical, mental and cognitive health of senior physicians. The screening process was developed by the University of California, San Diego, Physician Assessment and Clinical Education Program. The screen included: mental health screening (PHQ-9, GAD-7, and substance abuse screen), cognitive health screening (MicroCog™ and Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA©]) and physical health screening (medical history review and physical examination). Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted post-screening. Thirty senior physicians participated in the pilot process, including post-screening interviews. Eight (27%) participants were judged to “require”/“may require” further evaluation after cognitive assessment. No physicians were found to have physical or mental health issues that would prevent them from practicing competently. Interviews revealed that participants felt the screening process was a positive experience that was effective, acceptable, efficient and relevant to their practice. The results of this pilot study indicate that screening physical, mental and cognitive health is considered both feasible and acceptable to senior physicians. This is important as screening the health and cognition of senior physicians is integral to the national discussion related to regulation and patient safety.

scholarly journals Implementing and Sustaining a Rural Interprofessional Clinical Education Program

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Betty Cragg ◽  
Wilma Jelley ◽  
Mona Burrows ◽  
Kim Dyer
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Education ◽  
Program Implementation ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Rural Settings ◽  
Process Factors ◽  
Rural Institutions ◽  
The University

Background: After a successful pilot project introducing interprofessional (IP) clinical education in a rural hospital, expansion to other rural hospitals was attempted. Despite enthusiasm for the pilot project and funding, the university-based project team had difficulty persuading administrators and staff to become involved or to maintain the project. Of 9 institutions, 2 implemented and sustained the project for more than 2 years, 2 initiated but dropped it, and 5 declined.Methods and Findings: A qualitative, interpretive description study was conducted to identify facilitators and barriers to implementing an IP clinical education program in rural settings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives of organizations that sustained the project, dropped out, or never participated.Using the National Health Service Sustainability Model we identified the staff, organization, and process factors that affected the program implementation. Three staff roles were required for success: sponsor, champion, and gatekeeper. Organizational factors included infrastructure to identify participants and perceived project enhancement of organizational values. Process factors included organizational benefits, compatible priorities, and adaptability.Conclusions: Introduction of IP education to rural institutions requires complex combined factors. However, continuation of the project at two sites demonstrates that when IP education is valued and sustainability factors are present, staff will maintain it. 

scholarly journals Heard, known and safe in general practice? An interview study with patients with severe and persistent mental illness

BJGP Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. BJGPO.2021.0201
Author(s):  
Nancy Jennifer Sturman ◽  
Ryan Williams ◽  
Marianne Wyder ◽  
Johanna Lynch
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
General Practice ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Persistent Mental Illness ◽  
Community Mental Health Clinics

BackgroundAlthough GPs provide care to many patients with severe and persistent mental illness, the role and skillset of the GP in this space are contested. Patients are less satisfied with GP care of mental health than physical health issues.AimTo explore patient expectations and experiences of GP roles in their mental health, and identify opportunities for improving mental health care in general practice.Design & settingPatient participants were recruited from community mental health clinics in Brisbane, Australia.MethodIndividual semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of patients. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed professionally. The authors conducted an inductive thematic analysis, attending to participant vulnerability and reflexivity.Results16 interviews were conducted by one author (RW), average duration 29 minutes. Three overarching themes were identified: being heard; being known; and being safe. Participants greatly valued ‘good GPs’ who were able to detect early signs of relapse, and with whom they came to feel heard, known and safe over time. Experiences of perfunctory, hurried care and avoidance of mental health issues were also reported. Many participants were uncertain whether GP training in mental health was sufficient to keep them safe. Patients may suspect negative attitudes to mental illness in GPs who actively engage predominantly with their physical health.ConclusionSome GPs play central roles in patients’ mental healthcare. Barriers for others need further exploration, and may include time, confidence and/or expertise. Findings challenge GPs to engage more actively and effectively with these patients in theirgeneral practice consultations.

scholarly journals Loss and assimilation: Lived experiences of Brexit for British nationals living in Luxembourg

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Maria Knight ◽  
Dean Fido ◽  
Henry William Lennon ◽  
Craig A. Harper
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Critical Realist ◽  
Political Upheaval ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Political Realities

Inconsistent political realities are associated with mental health issues such as hopelessness, anxiety, and depression. The psychological impact of Brexit is clearly an important and timely issue, but hitherto has been understudied. This study uses a critical realist approach to qualitatively explore the lived experiences of British Citizens living in Luxembourg during the Brexit era. The study carried out semi-structured interviews with 8 British nationals aged 18-65. An experientially-focused Thematic Analysis was conducted, exploring two main themes: Loss (with psychological and broader social implications) and Integration (contrasting the mover's community with the receiving community). This study demonstrates the psychological impact of Brexit and highlights the urgency for future researchers and mental health practitioners alike – both in the UK and overseas – to consider the human consequences associated with political upheaval. Open access materials for this project can be viewed here: https://osf.io/38rg7/?view_only=b8c04dfc3fe5474f9aff4897e370b3e6.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the geriatric curriculum implemented at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran, since 2017: A qualitative study

F1000Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faezeh Jaafari ◽  
Somayeh Delavari ◽  
Leila Bazrafkan
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Clinical Education ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Geriatric Medicine ◽  
General Medicine ◽  
Ambulatory Setting ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Medical Sciences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The University

Background: Recently, there has been an increase in life expectancy due to improvements in nutrition, health, and sanitation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the geriatric curriculum in the field of general medicine at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS), Iran to improve the quality of services provided to this population in the community. Methods: This was a qualitative study­­. Six educational hospitals and ambulatory centers of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences participated in this study. Within these centers, 15 medical education faculty members and educational experts, 6 medical students, 6 elderly patients and 6 nurses working in the university related to the geriatric field were selected using purposive sampling. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussion and field observations in the teaching hospital and ambulatory setting of SUMS from June 2017 to May 2018.  Based on the qualitative research, the data underwent conventional content analysis and the main themes were developed from this. Results: Three main themes were extracted from the data: effective clinical education, geriatrics curriculum challenges and promotion strategies for geriatric medicine. Subcategories that emerged were a competent curriculum teacher, a challenging program, management of resources, promotion of the program, and the revision required in the curriculum, which were related to other concepts and described in the real-world situation of the geriatric curriculum in the university, as observed in field observations. Conclusions: This study identified three concepts as main themes that can be used to explain how to implement a geriatric curriculum in a medical university. The main contributing factor to different views of the participants was identified as the revision required to the curriculum for integrative care in a geriatric patient. This should be taken into consideration while planning any programs and decisions aimed at education of medical students on this topic.

scholarly journals Patient acceptance and outcome of mental health screening in Swedish adults with cystic fibrosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 1579-1585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stina Järvholm ◽  
Petrea Ericson ◽  
Marita Gilljam
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cystic Fibrosis ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
International Committee ◽  
Patient Acceptance ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
First Year ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Screening Process ◽  
Annual Screening

Abstract Purpose Anxiety and depression are common among adults with cystic fibrosis (CF), and the International Committee on Mental Health in CF (ICMH) recommends annual screening for mental health problems. We implemented screening according to the recently published guidelines and assessed the results from the first year, as well as the patients’ attitude to annual screening Methods Adult patients attending Gothenburg CF-center from Feb 2015 to Dec 2016 completed the GAD-7 (anxiety) and PHQ-9 (depression) forms at the time of their annual review. In addition, questions regarding the screening process and instruments used were asked. Results All invited patients (n = 100, 52% males, 2% lung transplanted), with a median age of 28 years (range 18–65), agreed to participate. In general (83%), the patients were positive to screening on an annual basis. No significant differences in total GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores were found when comparing men and women. Patients younger than 30 years of age reported more symptoms of anxiety compared to older patients (p = 0.02). There were 21 (21%) patients with scores > 10 for GAD-7 and/or PHQ-9 indicating at least moderate anxiety or depression. Scores > 10 were reported by 15 patients on GAD-7, 15 patients on PHQ-9, and 9 patients reported scores above 10 on both measures. Conclusion The patients considered annual check-ups for mental health issues important. Although the screening results are reassuring, the group is heterogenic and younger individuals should be given extra attention. Follow-up over longer time will provide more robust data.

scholarly journals Exploring the Contributions of School Belonging to Complete Mental Health Screening

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Moffa ◽  
Erin Dowdy ◽  
Michael J. Furlong
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
School Belonging ◽  
Health Screening ◽  
Mental Health Screening ◽  
Emotional Wellbeing ◽  
Screening Process ◽  
Global Life Satisfaction ◽  
Complete Mental Health

Considering the many positive outcomes associated with adolescents’ sense of school belonging, including psychological functioning, it is possible that including an assessment of school belonging within a complete mental health screening process could contribute to the prediction of students’ future mental health status. This exploratory study used complete mental health screening data obtained from a central California high school (N= 1,159). At Time 1 (T1) schoolwide screening was used to identify complete mental health groups by applying a dual-factor strategy and concurrently measuring students’ school belonging. One year later at Time 2 (T2), social-emotional wellbeing and internal distress were assessed. Cross-sectional T1 results indicated that there were significant differences in school belonging between students who reported low global life satisfaction and those who reported average or high global life satisfaction, regardless of reported level of psychological distress. A comparison of T1 to T2 data revealed that global life satisfaction and psychological distress were predictive of wellbeing and internal distress. However, contrary to study expectations, school belonging at T1 added little to the prediction of T2 psychological distress beyond the information already provided by the T1 dual-factor screening framework. Implications for practice and future directions are discussed.

Student Learners and Preferred Agents in Mental Health-Seeking: Assessing Higher Educational Services in a Pilot Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-328
Author(s):  
KENNETH CRAMER ◽  
EMILY SCHUURMAN ◽  
JORDYNNE ROPAT
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Counseling Centers ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Student Body ◽  
School Time ◽  
Student Counseling ◽  
The University

ABSTRACT The prevalence of mental health problems among student learners has increased in recent decades. University and college expectations, plus the requirement for effective time management (among other things), may significantly augment this problem. School assessment practices and learning demands may give rise to anxiety and depression within the student body, ultimately affecting both their psychological and academic outcomes. We considered the agencies that students typically approached in various daily situations (e.g., where do students turn with issues related to time management or personal adjustment and anxiety – Google, parents, best friends, professors, on-campus counseling centers). A sample of 103 students from the University of Windsor in Southwestern Ontario Canada indicated which of 15 agencies they would consult, should they encounter each of 50 scenarios related to broader categories (14 in total) such as death, school, time constraints, relationship, sexual harassment, etc. The non-use of Google and the under-utilization of the peer support and student counseling centers are discussed, as are the implications for university and college administrations' consideration of student mental health issues.

Have the Invisible Children Become Visible?

1993 ◽  
Vol 38 (10) ◽  
pp. 678-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Vanharen ◽  
Catherine Laroche ◽  
Marsha Heyman ◽  
Albert Massabki ◽  
Lois Colle
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Psychiatric Illness ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
The Past

Over the past 30 years much information has been collected on children whose parents suffer from psychiatric illness. Research has shown that many of these children are at high risk for significant psychopathology but there have been few investigations examining whether or not they are being identified and are receiving mental health care. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate to what extent the children of psychiatrically ill adult patients are identified and referred to the mental health services. Results of structured interviews with the patients indicate that a considerable number had school-aged children and that in many instances no inquiry had been made concerning the children's psychological health. Although some of the children were reported to have received treatment, few had been referred by their parents’ psychiatrists. Recommendations to improve the identification and treatment of such children are outlined in this study.

scholarly journals How can we help PhD students cope with mental health issues and drop-out? An extensive analysis of discourse.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Lemée ◽  
Flores Pierre ◽  
Boisselier Jeanne ◽  
Mary Guillard ◽  
Vincent Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
The University

Abstract There is a growing concern regarding the increase of the mental health problems among PhD students worldwide. This problem is worrying, and it remains a major issue for research teams and labs. However, the particularity of this environment has not been explored in consistent enough ways to provide a clear way forward for universities and health services to answer this problem. Therefore, we carried out a large online survey and collected 480 testimonies on health issues and work conditions from doctoral students and young doctors. Our aim was to identify levers and key factors for intervention. A lexicometric analysis of the discourse was carried out, using the Iramuteq package for R. Results highlight a need to intervene at different levels, in terms of instruction, prevention, care and follow-up to reduce mental health problems among PhD students. It also highlights the perceived importance of the university and feeling of belonging to a community as possible factors to reduce these problems and reduce drop out probability. More than anything, the study reveals that there are no differences in the discourse of doctoral students according to their field, which reveals the generality of these processes.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document