Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of Text-based Crisis Patterns in Youth following Hurricane Florence in the Carolinas, 2018

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Runkle ◽  
Kurt Michael ◽  
Scott Stevens ◽  
Maggie Sugg
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
South Carolina ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support

IMPORTANCE Crisis text lines have proven to be an effective and low-cost means for delivering texting-based mental health support to youth. Yet there has been limited research examining the use of these services in capturing the psychological impact of youth affected by a weather-related disaster. OBJECTIVE This ecologic study examined changes in help-seeking behavior for youth in North and South Carolina, USA, before and after Hurricane Florence (2018). DESIGN AND MAIN OUTCOMES A retrospective, interrupted time-series design was used to examine pre- and post-hurricane changes in crisis text volume among youth help seekers in the Carolinas for the following outcomes: (1) text for any reason; (2) stress & anxiety; (3) depression; and (4) suicidal thoughts. RESULTS Results showed an immediate and sustained increase in crisis texts for stress/anxiety and suicidal thoughts in the six weeks following Florence. Overall, an immediate 15% increase in crisis texts for anxiety/stress (SE=.05, p=0.005) and a 17% increase in suicidal thoughts (SE=.07, p=0.02) occurred during the week of the storm. Text volume for anxiety/stress increased 17% (SE=.08, p=0.005) and 23% for suicidal ideation (SE=.08, p=0.01) in the 6-week post-intervention period. Finally, forecast models revealed observed text volume for all mental health outcomes was higher than expected in the 6 weeks post-Florence. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE A low-cost, crisis texting intervention platform provided 24/7 mental health support available to young people in the Carolinas impacted by Hurricane Florence. These findings highlight a new application for text-based crisis support services to address the mental health consequences among individuals following a weather-related disaster.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Suicide Survivors—A Hidden Grieving Population

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Pinto ◽  
Joana Soares ◽  
Alzira Silva ◽  
Rosário Curral ◽  
Rui Coelho
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Social Stigma ◽  
Complicated Grief ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Suicide Survivors ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support ◽  
The Impact

Present time has been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. People are grieving several non-death related situations: the loss of a job, of a status, of a role, of their life. Restrictive measures and uncertainty about the future makes individuals vulnerable to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Mental health support has been hindered and teams are reinventing themselves to reach people in need. Nevertheless, decompensation of previous psychiatric disorders, increasing levels of depression and anxiety, economical handicaps and fear of the infection, are prompting several cases of COVID-19 related suicides worldwide. Every suicide affects between 5 and 80 individuals, which are known as suicide survivors. Suicide grief is particularly challenging, with rates of complicated grief as high as 40%. Suicide survivors are at increased risk of developing depression, anxiety disorders and of suicidal behaviors. Moreover, feelings of guilt and shame, as well as social stigma, are major obstacles for them to reach form help. This article aims to review the existing literature on COVID-19 related suicides, complicated grief in suicide survivors and highlight modifiable risk factors for both conditions, as well as propose some public health measures to reduce the impact of the pandemic context on self-inflicted harm and its consequences on families, friends and the community. Obstacles to access to mental health support need to be overcome through the use of technology. Technicians should actively approach populations more vulnerable to develop suicidal ideation. Social media have the obligation to provide accurate an non-sensationalistic information. Families and friends should maintain social proximity, despite the need for physical distancing. When a suicide death occurs, police forces and health staff should be prepared to share the news with the family using an empathic and humane approach and providing psychological support. Funerals, memorials and other services should be held as much as possible. Closer contacts should be signalized and closely followed in order to detect the need for specific interventions. Help seeking behaviors should be promoted. Additionally, people should be educated on suicide and its impacts, in order to reduce stigma.

scholarly journals Improving Mental Health Help-Seeking Amongst Male University Students: A Series of Gender-Sensitive Mental Health Pilot Interventions.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilyas Sagar-Ouriaghli ◽  
Emma Godfrey ◽  
Vinay Tailor ◽  
June Brown
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Social Space ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Mental Health Status ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support

Abstract Background: Up to a third of students experience a common mental health condition which is associated with decreased academic functioning and an increased risk of dropping out. While the prevalence of common mental health difficulties is lower amongst male students, worryingly, they are twice as likely to die by suicide. The importance of developing interventions that are gender-sensitive for male students to improve their uptake of mental health initiatives has been recently emphasised. However, acceptable, feasible and effective methods for male students are unexplored. The current study conducted three gender-sensitive pilot interventions for male students to evaluate acceptability (including uptake), changes to help-seeking and mental health status.Methods:Three gender-sensitive interventions were delivered to 24 male students. The interventions consisted of: Intervention 1 – a formal mental health intervention targeting male students (“psycho-educational model”), Intervention 2 - a second formal intervention that adopted more gender-sensitive language and promoted positive masculine traits (“positive masculinity model”), and Intervention 3 - an informal drop-in offering a social space for male students to receive general health information and connect with other students (“informal drop-in Man Cave model”). These were evaluated for acceptability (including uptake), attitudes to help-seeking and mental health outcomes.Results:In terms of acceptability, Intervention 3 - the informal drop-in (Man Cave) appeared better at engaging male students who have greater conformity to maladaptive masculine traits, more negative attitudes to help-seeking, higher levels of self-stigma, who were less likely to have used mental health support before and belonged to an ethnic minority. No significant changes to help-seeking attitudes, behaviours, or mental health status were observed across the interventions at feasibility stage. All interventions were deemed equally acceptable with minimal opportunity costs and perceived burden. Conclusions:These findings indicate differences in acceptability, particularly uptake, for male students who may be seen as more difficult to engage. Using informal strategies may help reach male students who would otherwise not engage with mental health support, familiarise them with the idea of help-seeking, and connect them with pre-existing mental health interventions. While no differences in outcomes measured were found in these small studies, more work needs to be carried out using larger samples to investigate the efficacy of informal interventions to engage male students.

scholarly journals The Psychological Impact of Coronavirus on University Students and its Socio-Economic Determinants in Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 004695802110562
Author(s):  
Muhammad Irfan ◽  
Faizah Shahudin ◽  
Vincent J. Hooper ◽  
Waqar Akram ◽  
Rosmaiza B. Abdul Ghani
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Anxiety Level ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

The objective of this article is to examine the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) upon university students’ anxiety level and to find the factors associated with the anxiety level in Malaysia. We collected data from 958 students from 16 different universities using an originally designed questionnaire. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale 7-item (GAD-7) was used to estimate the anxiety. Then we applied the ordered logit model to calculate the odds ratios (OR) and factors associated with the anxiety level. We find that 12.3% of students were normal, whereas 30.5% were experiencing mild anxiety, 31.1% moderate anxiety, and 26.1% severe anxiety. Surprisingly, only 37.2% of students were aware of mental health support that was provided by their universities. However, age above 20 years (OR = 1.30), ethnicity Chinese (OR = 1.72), having any other disease (OR = 2.0), decreased family income (OR = 1.71), more time spent on watching COVID-19-related news (OR = 1.52), and infected relative or friends (OR = 1.62) were risk factors for anxiety among students. We conclude that the government of Malaysia should monitor the mental health of the universities’ students more closely and universities should open online mental health support clinics to avoid the adverse impacts of anxiety.

scholarly journals The psychological impact of coronavirus on university students and its socio-economic determinants in Malaysia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Irfan ◽  
Faizah Shahudin ◽  
Vincent James Hooper ◽  
Waqar Akram ◽  
Rosmaiza Binti Abdul Ghani
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
University Students ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Economic Determinants ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis article examines the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) upon university students’ anxiety level and finds the factors associated with the anxiety disorder in Malaysia. We collected data from 958 students from 16 different universities using an originally designed questionnaire. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale 7-item (GAD-7) was used to estimate the anxiety. We find that 12.3% students were normal, whereas 30.5% were experiencing mild, 31.1% moderate, and 26.1% severe anxiety. Surprisingly, only 37.2% of students were aware of mental health support which was provided by their universities. Moreover, it was found that gender as male (Odds Ratio (OR= 0.798, 95% Confidence Interval (CI)= 0.61 - 1.04)) and having internet access (OR = 0.44, 95% CI= 0.24 - 0.80) were alleviating factors for the anxiety. Whereas, age above than 20 years (OR= 1.30, 95% CI= 0.96 - 1.75), ethnicity Chinese (OR=1.72, 95% CI= 0.95 - 3.1), any other disease (OR=2.0, 95% CI=1.44 - 2.79), decreased family income (OR=1.71, 95% CI=1.34 - 2.17), more time spent on watching COVID-19 related news (OR=1.52, 95% CI=1.17 - 1.97), and infected relative or friends (OR=1.62, 95% CI=1.06 - 2.50) were risk factors for anxiety among students. We suggest that the government of Malaysia should monitor the mental health of the universities’ students more closely and universities should open online mental health support clinics to avoid the adverse impacts of the anxiety disorder.

scholarly journals Risk of psychological distress, pervasiveness of stigma and utilisation of support services: Exploring paramedic perceptions

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Mackinnon ◽  
Timothy Everett ◽  
Lisa Holmes ◽  
Erin Smith ◽  
Brennen Mills
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support ◽  
Distress Scale

IntroductionParamedics are exposed to significant and cumulative stressors that contribute to poor mental health. The provision of effective and engaging mental health support is essential in improving overall wellbeing. Many ambulance services have adapted their available support services to reflect this need. However, there remains limited research into the perceived efficacy of these services and barriers that limit uptake from paramedics.MethodsParamedics and ambulance volunteers from Australia and New Zealand were invited to complete an online survey consisting of a series of Likert-scale and open-ended response questions. The well-validated Kessler Psychological Distress Scale was also incorporated into the online survey.ResultsA total of 184 participants completed the survey. A total of 50 (27%) participants reported high/very high levels of psychological distress. Participants exposed to at least one adverse event while working reported higher psychological distress scores than those that had not. Just over half (51%) of all participants disagreed/strongly disagreed there was no stigma associated with seeking mental health support from paramedic colleagues and 54% of participants disagreed/strongly disagreed there was no stigma from managerial staff.ConclusionThese findings suggest paramedics are at a greater risk of psychological distress than the general population. This is particularly problematic given there is a clear perception of ongoing stigma among paramedics associated with the utilisation of mental health support services. Future research should explore methods for reducing stigma and encouraging help-seeking behaviours in this vulnerable population throughout all phases of an emergency service workers career.

scholarly journals Perfectionism and Attitudes Toward Sport Psychology Support and Mental Health Support in Athletes

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Dean R. Watson ◽  
Andrew P. Hill ◽  
Daniel J. Madigan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Collegiate Athletes ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support ◽  
The Relationship

Attitudes toward help-seeking will contribute to whether athletes ask for support for performance and mental health issues when needed. While research outside of sport has found perfectionism is related to negative attitudes toward help-seeking, no studies have examined the relationship in sport. The authors provided the first test of whether perfectionism predicted attitudes toward both sport psychology support and mental health support. One hundred and sixty-six collegiate athletes completed measures of perfectionism and attitudes toward sport psychology support and mental health support. Multiple regression analyses revealed that perfectionistic concerns positively predicted closedness and stigma toward sport psychology support and mental health support, and negatively predicted help-seeking toward mental health support. However, perfectionistic strivings negatively predicted stigma toward sport psychology support and mental health support, and positively predicted confidence in sport psychology support and help-seeking toward mental health support. Athletes higher in perfectionistic concerns are less likely to seek support when required.

scholarly journals Help-seeking behaviour and attitudes towards internet-administered psychological support among adolescent and young adults previously treated for cancer during childhood: protocol for a survey and embedded qualitative interview study in Sweden

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e041350
Author(s):  
Joanne Woodford ◽  
Jenny Månberg ◽  
Åsa Cajander ◽  
Pia Enebrink ◽  
Arja Harila-Saari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Qualitative Interview ◽  
Interview Study ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support ◽  
Use Factors

IntroductionA subgroup of adolescent and young adult childhood cancer survivors (AYACCS) are at increased risk of psychological distress. Despite this, AYACCS experience difficulties accessing psychological support. E-mental health (e-MH) may offer a solution to reduce this treatment gap. However, research examining e-MH for AYACCS has experienced difficulties with recruitment, retention and adherence. Such difficulties may relate to: (1) help-seeking behaviour and/or (2) e-MH acceptability. The overall study aims are to: (1) examine potential associations between health service use factors, informed by Andersen’s behavioural model of health services use, and help-seeking behaviour; (2) examine attitudes towards e-MH interventions; and (3) explore perceived need for mental health support; past experience of receiving mental health support; preferences for support; and barriers and facilitators to help-seeking.Methods and analysisAn online and paper-based cross-sectional self-report survey (98 items) and embedded qualitative interview study across Sweden, with a target sample size of n=365. Participants are aged 16–39 years, diagnosed with cancer when 0–18 years and have completed successful cancer treatment. The survey examines sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, actual help-seeking behaviour, attitudes towards e-MH, stigma of mental illness, mental health literacy, social support and current symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Survey respondents with past and/or current experience of mental health difficulties are invited into the qualitative interview study to explore: (1) perceived need for mental health support; (2) past experience of receiving mental health support; (3) preferences for support; and (4) barriers and facilitators to help-seeking. Potential associations between health service use factors and help-seeking behaviour are examined using univariable and multivariable logistic regressions. Qualitative interviews are analysed using content analysis.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has been obtained from the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (Dnr: 2020-06271). Results will be disseminated in scientific publications and academic conference presentations.Trial registration numberISRCTN70570236.

scholarly journals Exploring men’s use of mental health support offered by an Australian Employee Assistance Program (EAP): perspectives from a focus-group study with males working in blue- and white-collar industries

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynda R. Matthews ◽  
Jacky Gerald ◽  
Glenda M. Jessup
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
White Collar ◽  
Blue Collar ◽  
Employee Assistance ◽  
Blue Collar Workers ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support

Abstract Background Men continue to be overrepresented in the Australian suicide statistics despite wide scale public health initiatives to improve men’s mental health literacy and to increase their help-seeking behaviour. Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) deliver free and confidential mental health support; however, their services are underutilised by men. In the absence of contemporary literature that explores end-user experiences of EAPs, we asked men from blue- and white-collar employment settings about the barriers and enablers to using EAP services and explored differences between employment settings. Methods Forty-four men participated in this qualitative study: 32 from one white-collar employer and 12 from one blue-collar employer. Two qualified mental health professionals facilitated five first-round and three second-round focus groups and one interview with white-collar workers, and two focus groups and three interviews with blue-collar workers. Data were thematically analysed using a framework approach. Results Four of the six main themes were barriers: no need for EAP—alternative supports; uncertainty of EAP services; scepticism and distrust of EAP; and societal and workplace cultures. Elements of enduring barriers to EAP use were contained within sub-themes. These included lack of knowledge about EAPs, issues of trustworthiness and confidentiality, and fear of stigma and career jeopardy. Enablers comprised the need for attractive, reliable messaging and proactive connections and service delivery. Differences within sub-themes for white-collar and blue-collar groups reflected the corporate nature of work and workplace culture for white-collar participants, and workers’ communication and practical problem resolution preferences for blue-collar workers. Conclusion Some elements identified in the barriers to EAP use are more entrenched than were previously estimated and these need to be a priority for action to increase confidence in EAP services by end-users. EAPs that have a visible and proactive presence in the workplace, that tailor their marketing and service delivery to different workgroups, that provide a competitive advantage to its service users, and more confidently conveys independence from its client organisations may help to increase men’s interest in accessing EAP support services. Further initiatives that reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and help-seeking both in society and the workplace are needed.

scholarly journals Men’s Help-Seeking for Distress: Navigating Varied Pathways and Practices

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Vickery
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Emotional Expression ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Friendship Networks ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Health Support

There is a widely accepted dominant narrative surrounding men’s mental health help-seeking, that men are less likely to pursue formal mental health support on account of hegemonic masculine ideals that limit emotional expression and vulnerability. Across the literature, little attention has been given to the varied ways in which men can and will seek out help when experiencing mental health troubles. This paper reports findings from a qualitative study of men’s experiences of distress, specifically focused on their help-seeking and everyday coping and management of distress. Between 2016 and 2017, 38 individual interviews were carried out in South Wales, United Kingdom, with men of a range of ages (21–74 years of age) and social backgrounds. Analysis identifies nuanced help-seeking practices and pathways, emphasizing ways in which men can and will engage with mental health support. Some men struggled with articulating personal issues in mental health terms, and some portrayed ambivalence to help-seeking, yet at the same time reconstructed help-seeking to positively align with masculine values. The paper further highlights the significant influence of familial and friendship networks in the help-seeking process as well as the value of therapy for men experiencing mental health difficulties, challenging the idea that masculinity inhibits the disclosure of emotional problems. Awareness of the diversity of ways in which men can actively engage with their mental health is needed so that mental health support interventions and practitioners can best reach out to men experiencing distress and provide gender-sensitive support suitable to a range of different men.

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