Virus Sir-Learning Experience in the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic changed us individually as well as our routines, goals, and motives. Rightly so, some changes may last longer. Importantly, the pandemic has made us understand several lessons, and has tried to enhance our positive perspective regarding life and its requirements. We came to know how quickly we are capable of adapting to changes. These adjustments proved beyond doubt that there’s not much in life that is truly indispensable. We are practising self-care in a multitude of ways. We might not have thought of our power of resilience. Again, mental health took over as an epicentre of overall wellbeing, reminding us of the power of ‘mind matters’ over ‘money matters’. The health sector disparities and unpreparedness to combat any sort of pandemic situation surfaced not only in resource-limited countries like ours but the uneasiness of the developed world became exposed. The pandemic had been a harsh learning experience for all of us, irrespective of our position in the spectrum.

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App review of anxiety and depression chatbots and their self-care features (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.26334 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Arfan Ahmed ◽

Nashva ALi ◽

Sarah Aziz ◽

Alaa A Abd-Alrazaq ◽

Asmaa Hassan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Self Care ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Conversational Agents ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

On Demand ◽

User Ratings ◽

Google Play

BACKGROUND Anxiety and depression rates are at an all-time high along with other mental health disorders. Smartphone-based mental health chatbots or conversational agents can aid psychiatrists and replace some of the costly human based interaction and represent a unique opportunity to expand the availability and quality of mental health services and treatment. Regular up-to-date reviews will allow medics and individuals to recommend or use anxiety and depression related smartphone based chatbots with greater confidence. OBJECTIVE Assess the quality and characteristics of chatbots for anxiety and depression available on Android and iOS systems. METHODS A search was performed in the App Store and Google Play Store following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol to identify existing chatbots for anxiety and depression. Eligibility of the chatbots was assessed by two individuals based on predefined eligibility criteria. Meta-data of the included chatbots and their characteristics were extracted from their description and upon installation by 2 reviewers. Finally, chatbots quality information was assessed by following the mHONcode principles. RESULTS Although around 1000 anxiety and depression related chatbots exist, only a few (n=11) contained actual chatbots that could provide the user a real substitute for a human-human based interaction, even with today's Artificial Intelligence advancements, only one of these chatbots had voice as an input/output modality. Of the selected apps that contained chatbots all were clearly built with a therapeutic human substitute goal in mind. The majority had high user ratings and downloads highlighting the popularity of such chatbots and their promising future within the realm of anxiety and depression. CONCLUSIONS Anxiety and depression chatbot apps have the potential to increase the capacity of mental health self-care providing much needed assistance to professionals. In the current covid-19 pandemic, chatbots can also serve as a conversational companion with the potential of combating loneliness, especially in lockdowns where there is a lack of social interaction. Due to the ubiquitous nature of chatbots users can access them on-demand at the touch of a screen on ones’ smartphone. Self-care interventions are known to be effective and exist in various forms and some can be made available as chatbot features, such as assessment, mood tracking, medicine tracking, or simply providing conversation in times of loneliness.

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Selling Glossy, Easy Futures: A Feminist Exploration of Commercial Mental-Health-focused Self-Care Apps’ Descriptions in the Google Play Store

Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems ◽

10.1145/3411764.3445500 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Velvet Spors ◽

Hanne Gesine Wagner ◽

Martin Flintham ◽

Pat Brundell ◽

David Murphy

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Self Care ◽

Google Play

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Co-Designing and Evaluating a Self-Care Curriculum of an App for Chinese Immigrant Caregivers

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1639 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 507-508

Author(s):

Ying Wang ◽

Mandong Liu ◽

Iris Chi

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

United States ◽

Physical Health ◽

Self Care ◽

The United States ◽

The Self ◽

Community Resources ◽

Chinese Immigrant ◽

Knowledge And Skills ◽

Support Resources

Abstract Chinese immigrant caregivers face unique self-care difficulties in the United States due to language barriers, cultural isolation, and occupational stress. This study aimed to conduct a formative evaluation on a caregiver self-care curriculum of an app designed for Chinese immigrants in the United States. Using a co-design approach in 2019, 22 Chinese immigrant caregivers in Los Angeles county were recruited through purposive sampling method. The directed content analysis was adopted to analyze the qualitative data using NVivo 12.1.0 software. We organized the findings under two main contents: self-care and caregiving. Three categories were identified under the self-care content: physical health, emotional and mental health, and support resources. Sixteen subcategories under physical health (e.g., dietary supplements), five subcategories under emotional and mental health (e.g., depression) and eight subcategories under support resources (e.g., support and networking group, senior center) are suggested. Two categories were identified under the caregiving content: caregiving knowledge and skills, and community resources. Fourteen subcategories under caregiving knowledge and skills (e.g., care assessment) and six subcategories under community resources (e.g., medical emergency call) were mentioned. With this useful information, we could further refine the self-care curriculum to be more linguistically, culturally and occupationally sensitive for Chinese immigrant caregivers. Empowerment approach for enhancing the ability to caregiving and self-care should be emphasized in content design for immigrant caregivers. The co-design approach is crucial for planning of the program and intervention curriculum to improve understanding of the users’ needs and better cater them.

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Promoting the Quality of Life of Elderly during the COVID-19 Pandemic

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18136813 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (13) ◽

pp. 6813

Author(s):

Chia-Jung Lee ◽

Yen Hsu

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mental Health ◽

Learning Experience ◽

The Elderly ◽

Learning Approach ◽

Learning Center ◽

Learning Centers ◽

Technology Learning ◽

The Impact

This study explored the technology learning model of the elderly in a senior learning center under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many senior learning centers were closed during the pandemic, and many of them adopted the mode of online education. However, problems such as decreased motivation and a lack of peer interaction still exist. To solve these problems, this study used the easy-to-implement calligraphy AR approach and E-book approach to conduct a quasi-experiment on the elderly of a calligraphy course offered by a senior learning center. The results show a higher learning motivation among the elderly who use calligraphy AR. The learning effectiveness and technology acceptance of the elderly in the E-book learning group were higher than those in the calligraphy AR group. The elderly mentioned that the E-book learning approach is more user-friendly. In general, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the suspension of classes in senior centers, education through the development of technology has stimulated the growth of education in advanced learning centers. Through this kind of scientific and technological learning method, it will bring a whole new experience to the elderly. It can improve the stress relief methods, mental health, and quality of life of the elderly during the COVID-19 emergency shutdown, and provide a novel calligraphy technique learning experience for the elderly. Therefore, we believe that the calligraphy AR learning approach and the calligraphy E-book learning approach are practical and may promote quality of life and mental health of the elderly during the emergency closures due to COVID-19, providing elderly attendees with a novel calligraphy technology learning experience.

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Evaluating clinical outcomes of routinely delivered task-shared care for depression in rural Haiti

Global Mental Health ◽

10.1017/gmh.2021.17 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Alexandra L. Rose ◽

Ryan McBain ◽

Jesse Wilson ◽

Sarah F. Coleman ◽

Emmanuel Mathieu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Positive Impact ◽

International Health ◽

Routine Care ◽

Care Organization ◽

Depression Care ◽

Resource Limited Settings ◽

Resource Limited ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background There is a growing literature in support of the effectiveness of task-shared mental health interventions in resource-limited settings globally. However, despite evidence that effect sizes are greater in research studies than actual care, the literature is sparse on the impact of such interventions as delivered in routine care. In this paper, we examine the clinical outcomes of routine depression care in a task-shared mental health system established in rural Haiti by the international health care organization Partners In Health, in collaboration with the Haitian Ministry of Health, following the 2010 earthquake. Methods For patients seeking depression care betw|een January 2016 and December 2019, we conducted mixed-effects longitudinal regression to quantify the effect of depression visit dose on symptoms, incorporating interaction effects to examine the relationship between baseline severity and dose. Results 306 patients attended 2052 visits. Each visit was associated with an average reduction of 1.11 in depression score (range 0–39), controlling for sex, age, and days in treatment (95% CI −1.478 to −0.91; p < 0.001). Patients with more severe symptoms experienced greater improvement as a function of visits (p = 0.04). Psychotherapy was provided less frequently and medication more often than expected for patients with moderate symptoms. Conclusions Our findings support the potential positive impact of scaling up routine mental health services in low- and middle-income countries, despite greater than expected variability in service provision, as well as the importance of understanding potential barriers and facilitators to care as they occur in resource-limited settings.

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Community psychiatry's achievements

Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences ◽

10.1017/s2045796014000560 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 337-344 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

T. Burns

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Community Psychiatry ◽

Psychosocial Interventions ◽

Community Mental Health Team ◽

Pattern Of Care ◽

Mental Health Team ◽

Health Team ◽

Developed World

Mental health care in the second half of the 20th century in much of the developed world has been dominated by the move out from large asylums. Both in response to this move and to make it possible, a pattern of care has evolved which is most commonly referred to as ‘Community Psychiatry’. This narrative review describes this process, from local experimentation into the current era of evidence-based mental health care. It focuses on three main areas of this development: (i) the reprovision of care for those discharged during deinstitutionalisation; (ii) the evolution and evaluation of its characteristic feature the Community Mental Health Team; and (iii) the increasing sophistication of psychosocial interventions developed to support patients. It finishes with an overview of some current challenges.

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Study Protocol for Implementation of An Internet-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Promoting Mental Health Among Migrant Live-in Caregivers in Canada (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.31211 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kenneth Po-Lun Fung ◽

Mandana Vahabi ◽

Masoomeh Moosapoor ◽

Abdolreza Akbarian ◽

Josephine Pui-Hing Wong

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Focus Groups ◽

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽

Psychological Intervention ◽

Self Care ◽

Well Being ◽

Virtual Space ◽

Commitment Therapy ◽

Acceptance And Commitment

BACKGROUND Psychological distress, isolation, feeling of powerlessness, and limited social support are realities faced by temporary migrant live–in caregivers in Canada. Furthermore, they experience multiple barriers in accessing mental health services due to their long work hours, limited knowledge about health resources, precarious employment, and immigration status. OBJECTIVE Women Empowerment - Caregiver Acceptance & Resilience E-Learning (WE2CARE) project is a pilot intervention research project that aims to promote mental well being and resiliency of migrant live-in caregivers. The objectives include exploring the effectiveness of this program in: (1) reducing psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress); (2) promoting committed actions of self-care; and (3) building mutual support social networks. Further, participants’ satisfaction with the intervention and their perceived barriers and facilitators to practicing the self-care strategies embedded in WE2CARE will be examined. METHODS Thirty-six live- in caregivers residing in Great Toronto Area (GTA) will be recruited and randomly assigned to intervention and waitlist control groups. The intervention group will receive a 6-week web-based psychosocial intervention that will be based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Standardized self-reported surveys will be administered online pre-, post-, and 6-week post-intervention to assess mental distress (DASS 21), psychological flexibility (AAQ-2), mindfulness (CAMS-R) and Multi-System Model of Resilience (MSMR-I). Two focus groups will be held with a subset of participants to explore their feedback on the utility of the WE2CARE program. RESULTS WE2CARE was funded in January 2019 for a year. The protocol was approved by the research ethics boards of Ryerson University (REB 2019-036) in February 2019, and University of Toronto (RIS37623) in May 2019. Data collection started upon ethics approval and was completed by May 2020. A total of 29 caregivers completed the study and 20 participated in the focus groups. Data analyses are in progress and results will be published in 2021. CONCLUSIONS WE2CARE can be a promising approach in reducing stress, promoting resilience, and providing a virtual space for peer emotional support and collaborative learning among socially isolated and marginalized women. The results of this pilot study will inform the adaptation and utility of online delivery of ACT based psychological intervention in promoting mental health among disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. CLINICALTRIAL None

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Exploring and reorienting psychiatrists’ attitudes regarding smoking cessation and its potential to improve mental health outcomes: a pilot study

Australasian Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/10398562211037321 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 103985622110373

Author(s):

Brooke Short ◽

Luke Giles ◽

Aspasia Karageorge ◽

Lyndon Bauer

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Smoking Cessation ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Health Sector ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Participatory Action ◽

Clinical Tool ◽

Face To Face ◽

The Public ◽

And Training

Objective: The aims of this study were to explore the knowledge, attitudes, confidence and practices of Australian psychiatrists and psychiatry registrars with regard to smoking cessation with their patients and to promote clinical practice reflection and re-framing. Methods: A mixed-methods questionnaire was developed. Interviews were conducted via telephone or face-to-face utilising participatory action research principles. Qualitative data were de-identified and analysed following a reflexive thematic approach. Results: The questionnaire was completed with 15 participants. The majority worked in the public health sector and agreed that smoking cessation could be used as a clinical tool across mental health services. However, nearly all of the participants reported being unfamiliar with the latest literature. Only one-third of participants reported having had received formal training in smoking cessation. Overwhelmingly, more training was reported as necessary and welcomed by participants. Conclusion: Our study has identified gaps in psychiatrists’ and psychiatry registrars’ knowledge and confidence regarding the promotion, initiation and oversight of smoking cessation strategies for patients. It’s important that psychiatrists lead the way in re-framing and engaging with this issue, and consider smoking cessation as a tool that can improve mental health outcomes. A review of existing Australian policies, guidelines and training is recommended.

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Aspects of Selecting Outcome Measures to Demonstrate the Effectiveness of Comprehensive Rehabilitation

British Journal of Occupational Therapy ◽

10.1177/030802269305601103 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 56 (11) ◽

pp. 394-400 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Lily I H Jeffrey

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Social Functioning ◽

Outcome Measures ◽

Selection Criteria ◽

Self Care ◽

Informed Choice ◽

Health Interventions ◽

Mental Health Interventions ◽

Comprehensive Rehabilitation

To enable clinicians to make an informed choice when selecting outcome measures to demonstrate the effectiveness of comprehensive rehabilitation, what objective criteria should be examined? This article considers the importance of the purpose, content, psychometric properties and ease of administration in selecting measures. Several outcome instruments evaluating self-care and mobility, mental health interventions and comprehensive rehabilitation approaches are examined with reference to these selection criteria. Measures that evaluate physical, psychological and social functioning, taking into account the desired outcome of the patient and his/her carers, are highlighted.

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