scholarly journals Improving perinatal mental health : a pilot study of the Online Mothers and Babies course with couples

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Shannon Marie Canfield
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pregnant Woman ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Perinatal Mental Health ◽  
Cultural Tensions ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Untreated perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) have short- and long-term consequences for mental, physical, developmental, social, and economic outcomes affecting the mother, infant, family, and community. Online health interventions effectively treat mental health disorders and increase access to care for people at risk of experiencing PMADs. Successful interventions utilize cognitive behavioral therapy to deliver psycho-educational materials, targeting women at various perinatal times, and suggest the content applicable for key support people (i.e., partner, family, friends). Perception of social support is known to be protective for PMADs, and partners are a primary source. However, less is known about engaging the couple in preventative programming, and few studies have included or recruited partners. This pilot study is one of the first to engage couples (N = 31) in a sequential, mixed-methods research project using randomized control trial to test the efficacy of an existing Online Mothers and Babies Course (eMB) for reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, or perception of stress and adds a new population of participants in the programming-the couple. Participants were cluster-randomized as treatment with eMB or control. Validated instruments were used to measure anxiety, depression, and stress outcomes three times over eight weeks. An intent-to-treat analytic strategy using a factorial ANOVA with repeated measures on group and couple roles (i.e., pregnant woman or partner) and SPSS was used to test the study hypotheses. Post-hoc comparisons were conducted when higher-order interactions were significant. An inductive, thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data from post-study intervention group interviews (n = 15). Data were coded with Dedoose analytic software; primary and secondary themes were identified and defined in response to the study research question. Data from surveys and interviews were used to explore participant satisfaction and feelings about partner support while using eMB. There were significant higher-order interactions for all hypotheses. Pairwise comparisons revealed significant role differences for anxiety and depression at various study times, with partners scoring lower than pregnant women on average. Similarly, there were significant differences between women across groups for anxiety and perception of stress in favor of the intervention. In general, participants found the eMB satisfactory and suggested thoughtful inclusion of partner-related materials. Regarding feelings about partner supportiveness, participants described eMB as promoting PMAD awareness for both members of the couple and described engaging in or becoming aware of socio-cultural tensions including "end goal" thoughts and behaviors, partners putting off their mental health needs in efforts to be supportive of the pregnant woman, and women describing feeling like "a vessel". In sum, eMB participants were satisfied with the course content, yet there was a clear desire for material applicable and relatable to all end users indicating the need for modifications in future studies. Inclusion of partners in accessible interventions may increase perceived support within couples through increased awareness of perinatal mental health experiences and needs. Addressing socio-cultural tensions through education, policy, and practice changes more supportive of perinatal mental health are needed.

Psicologia & saúde treino de habilidades de vida e saúde mental em universitários

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leide Silva do Carmo ◽  
Nelson Iguimar Valerio
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
Life Skills ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Risky Behaviors ◽  
Group Life ◽  
Academic Adaptation ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Several factors can cause damage to the mental health of university students, e.g. academic adaptation, housing change, distance from family and friends, and dealing with stressors regarding new requirements, which need some resources to cope with such situations. The content of this book, from the Master's Dissertation developed by the authors at the Stricto-Sensu Psychology and Health Post-Graduation Program at the Medical School of São José do Rio Preto - FAMERP, aims at describing the presence of mental disorders and demonstrating the implementation of a life-skills training in university students (Medicine and Nursing), randomly chosen in a teaching institution in a medium-sized city, interior of São Paulo state. The participants expressed high symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress in the initial evaluation, however, after the training of group life skills, they showed significant improvements with maintenance of these rates during the follow-up. This training can be stood out to improve the mental health and life skills of the students. It is likely that the intervention group may have helped these students to cope with negative pressures, avoiding risky behaviors, communicating effectively; moreover, coping with adaptations and changes in such academic process. It is worthwhile to point out that this study may encourage further research in relation to mental health and life-skills in university students, and that it will encourage the insertion of programs with these skills training, due to their effectiveness, low cost, the participants´ acceptance, improvement in mental health, and provide increasing academic performance.

scholarly journals Computerised cognitive–behavioural therapy for depression in adolescents: 12-month outcomes of a UK randomised controlled trial pilot study

BJPsych Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry Wright ◽  
Lucy Tindall ◽  
Rebecca Hargate ◽  
Victoria Allgar ◽  
Dominic Trépel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy ◽  
Care Pathway ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Behavioural Therapy ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Cognitive Behavioural ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Background Computerised cognitive–behavioural therapy (CCBT) in the care pathway has the potential to improve access to psychological therapies and reduce waiting lists within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, however, more randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to assess this. Aims This single-centre RCT pilot study compared a CCBT program (Stressbusters) with an attention control (self-help websites) for adolescent depression at referral to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of CCBT (trial registration: ISRCTN31219579). Method The trial ran within community and clinical settings. Adolescents (aged 12–18) presenting to their primary mental health worker service for low mood/depression support were assessed for eligibility at their initial appointment, 139 met inclusion criteria (a 33-item Mood and Feelings Questionnaire score of ≥20) and were randomised to Stressbusters (n = 70) or self-help websites (n = 69) using remote computerised single allocation. Participants completed mood, quality of life (QoL) and resource-use measures at intervention completion, and 4 and 12 months post-intervention. Changes in self-reported measures and completion rates were assessed by group. Results There was no significant difference between CCBT and the website group at 12 months. Both showed improvements on all measures. QoL measures in the intervention group showed earlier improvement compared with the website group. Costs were lower in the intervention group but the difference was not statistically significant. The cost-effectiveness analysis found just over a 65% chance of Stressbusters being cost-effective compared with websites. The 4-month follow-up results from the initial feasibility study are reported separately. Conclusions CCBT and self-help websites may both have a place in the care pathway for adolescents with depression.

scholarly journals Addressing the Disparity in Refugee Mental Health Services: a Pilot Study of a Traumatic Stress Intervention Utilizing a Language‑Free mHealth Application

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Mazzulla ◽  
Karen M. Fondacaro ◽  
Holly C Weldon ◽  
Marguerite Dibble ◽  
Matthew Price
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Group Intervention ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Somali Bantu ◽  
Paired Samples ◽  
Mental Health Treatments ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Objective: After resettlement, an overwhelming number of refugees struggle with Chronic Traumatic Stress (CTS), the persistence of traumatic events (e.g., re-experiencing past trauma; news of on-going war) coupled with daily post-migration stressors (e.g., poverty, lack of transportation). CTS significantly increases the burden of mental health challenges experienced by refugees. Evidence-based mental health treatments often rely on worksheets, mobile applications, websites, or telephone calls to facilitate the management of distress outside of treatment sessions. Language barriers prevent these strategies from being incorporated into mental health treatment for refugees, which results in a significant disparity in care. Treatments delivered via mobile devices can address this barrier through the use of intuitive images that eliminate the need for text or language-based instruction.Methods: A six-week pilot study assessing the effectiveness of group intervention utilizing a language free, culturally relevant mobile health (mHealth) application was conducted in a sample of Somali-Bantu and Nepali-Bhutanese adult refugee men and women (N=18). Paired-samples t-tests were conducted to compare pre- and post-intervention levels of psychosocial distress, anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress, on the Refugee Health Screener (RHS-15) and an investigator generated coping measure.Results: Results indicated significant reduction (p<.001) in symptoms related to traumatic stress, anxiety, depression and somatic complaints in addition to a significant increase (p<.001) in the use of coping skills.Conclusions: The use of a mobile mental health app, in combination with in-person therapy, was effective in reducing mental health symptomology and in increasing the use of coping skills in Somali-Bantu and Nepali-Bhutanese refugees.

scholarly journals A Randomized Control Trial of a Brief Self-Compassion Intervention for Perfectionism, Anxiety, Depression, and Body Image

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian Woodfin ◽  
Helge Molde ◽  
Ingrid Dundas ◽  
Per-Einar Binder
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Wait List ◽  
Wait List Control ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Maladaptive Perfectionism ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
Adaptive Perfectionism

Objective: Due to a rise in perfectionistic tendencies and growing concerns about the increase in mental health conditions among students this study aimed to examine the effects of a brief intervention in self-compassion on maladaptive perfectionism, anxiety, depression, and body image.Methods: The intervention consisted of four seminars and a silent half-day retreat with short lectures and relevant experiential practices from Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). This randomized wait-list control trial was pre-registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (ID: NCT03453437, Unique Protocol ID: UiBMSC2018). University students were randomly assigned to the intervention group and wait-list control group and filled out surveys weekly. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the groups pre- and post-treatment. Mixed level modeling was used to analyze changes in all outcome measures over time.Results: Eighty-nine participants completed the intervention. Results of the ANOVA showed significant post-intervention reductions in maladaptive perfectionistic tendencies and symptoms of depression and anxiety, in addition to increased self-compassion and improved body image in the intervention group as compared to the wait-list group. Mixed level modeling showed statistically significant changes in self-compassion, maladaptive perfectionism, adaptive perfectionism, anxiety, and depression but not body image. Only the mixed level modeling showed small but significant changes to adaptive perfectionism, also called strivings. Implications of different changes to maladaptive perfectionism than adaptive perfectionism are discussed.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Effectiveness of Clinical Pharmacy Consultations on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Sleep in Improving Patient-Reported Psychiatric Outcomes for Individuals with Mental Illnesses

Pharmacy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 2
Author(s):  
Jennifer Bingham ◽  
David Axon ◽  
Nicole Scovis ◽  
Ann Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Clinical Pharmacist ◽  
Health Clinic ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
The Impact

One fifth of U.S. adults have a current mental illness. Nutrition, physical activity, and sleep are critical to physical health; any related deficiencies may worsen existing mental health conditions. Little is known about the impact of clinical pharmacist assessment and consultation in improving physical and mental health outcomes. The study objective was to determine whether patients’ mental health status improved following clinical pharmacist consultation. This pilot study involved clinical pharmacist-delivered services at an integrated medical behavioral health clinic in June 2018. Inclusion criteria required adults aged 18 years older, an established mental health diagnosis, and taking ≥2 prescribed psychotropic medications. One pharmacist conducted telephonic, medical, and psychiatric health risk assessment and counseling to improve nutrition, physical activity, and sleep status, both initially and at two-week follow-up. The Duke Health Profile (Duke) physical, anxiety, depression, and anxiety-depression scores measured patients’ pre/post changes. Participants (n = 20) experienced higher Duke physical scores (p = 0.007) and significantly lower anxiety (p = 0.025), depression (p = 0.001) and anxiety-depression scores (p = 0.005) at follow-up. This pilot study provides preliminary evidence for pharmacist-led, targeted, telephonic counseling in improving short-term physical and mental Duke health scores. Further research evaluating the impact of clinical pharmacists’ role in improving physical and behavioral health outcomes is warranted.

scholarly journals Trial for the Prevention of Depression (TriPoD) in final-year secondary students: Study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Perry ◽  
AL Calear ◽  
A Mackinnon ◽  
PJ Batterham ◽  
J Licinio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
School Level ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
School Students ◽  
Cluster Randomised ◽  
The Impact

© 2015 Perry et al. Background: Evidence suggests that current treatments cannot fully alleviate the burden of disease associated with depression but that prevention approaches offer a promising opportunity to further reduce this burden. Adolescence is a critical period in the development of mental illness, and final school examinations are a significant and nearly universal stressor that may act as a trigger for mental health difficulties such as depression. The aim of the present trial is to investigate the impact of SPARX-R, an online, gamified intervention based on cognitive behavioural principles, on the prevention of depression in secondary school students before their final examinations. Methods/Design: Government, independent and Catholic secondary schools in New South Wales, Australia, will be recruited to participate in the trial. All students enrolled in their final year of high school (year 12) in participating schools will be invited to participate. To account for possible attrition, the target sample size was set at 1600 participants across 30 schools. Participating schools will be cluster randomised at the school level to receive either SPARX-R or lifeSTYLE, an attention-controlled placebo comparator. The control intervention is an online program aimed at maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The primary outcome will be symptoms of depression, and secondary outcomes will include symptoms of anxiety, suicidal ideation and behaviours, stigma and academic performance. Additional measures of cost-effectiveness, as well as process variables (e.g., adherence, acceptability) and potential predictors of response to treatment, will be collected. Consenting parents will be invited to complete measures regarding their own mental health and expectations for their child. Assessments will be conducted pre- and post-intervention and at 6- and 18-month follow-up. Primary analyses will compare changes in levels of depressive symptomatology for the intervention group relative to the attention control condition using mixed-effects model repeated-measures analyses to account for clustering within schools. Discussion: This is the first trial of a universal depression prevention intervention delivered to school students in advance of a specific, significant stressor. If found to be effective, this program may offer schools a new approach to preparing students for their final year of schooling. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry identifier: ACTRN12614000316606. Registered 25 March 2014.

Mental health effects of an online self-help intervention for university students during COVID-19: a non-randomized controlled pilot study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elodie Charbonnier ◽  
Bastien Trémolière ◽  
Louise Baussard ◽  
Aurelie Goncalves ◽  
Florence Lespiau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
University Students ◽  
Stress Management ◽  
Learned Helplessness ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Psychological State ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Self Help

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting abrupt changes in daily life and ways of learning has had a significant impact on university students, especially on their mental health. However, little is known on how to prevent and/or reduce its impact to date. Prior to COVID, some studies have shown that online stress management programs were successful enough to improve students' mental health and stress adjustment strategies, suggesting that these interventions should be further developed during the pandemic. OBJECTIVE Our study explored the effects of an online self-help program which targeted stress management and learning. METHODS A non-randomized controlled study was initially conducted with 204 university students. Our final sample is composed of 67 participants distributed in two groups, the intervention group (participants who took part to the full program) and the control group (participants who did not take part in the program). The variables measured were: anxiety and depressive symptoms (HADS), academic burnout (MBI-SS), learned helplessness (LHQ), and coping strategies (Brief-COPE). Measurements were performed at the baseline (T0) and at 8 weeks (T1) after the baseline. RESULTS Means comparisons between T0 and T1 show in the intervention group a reduction in anxiety symptoms (d = .67), use of substance to cope with stress (d = .93) and learned helplessness (d = .53), which is not observed in the control group. CONCLUSIONS Our pilot study reports promising effects of our online self-help program combining stress and learning on students' psychological state. In the future, further research effort will be needed to confirm the beneficial effect of this type of program on university students.

scholarly journals Feasibility and implementation of a healthy lifestyles program in a community setting in Ontario, Canada: protocol for a pragmatic mixed methods pilot study

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. e031298
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Alvarez ◽  
Majdi Qutob ◽  
Lawrence Mbuagbaw ◽  
John Lavis ◽  
Cynthia Lokker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Study Participant ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Healthy Lifestyles ◽  
Retention Data

IntroductionRates of chronic conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity are increasing in Canada and internationally. There are effective lifestyle interventions that are known to improve chronic conditions. However, there is often a gap in ‘how to’ make lifestyle changes. Mental health and other determinants of health play a role in the development and progression of chronic conditions. Changing habits takes time and requires the use of multiple techniques, including mental health and behavioural change strategies, based on a person’s needs. A new, multidisciplinary, person-centred and evidence-based and practice-based programme has been created to address these needs. This proposal aims to evaluate the feasibility and implementation of this programme and to determine changes in participant-directed and clinical outcomes through a pilot study.Methods and analysisA pragmatic mixed methods design will be used to study multiple dimensions of the year-long healthy lifestyles programme. The pilot study includes a randomised controlled trial, with 30 participants randomised to either the programme or to a comparator arm, and qualitative components to determine the feasibility of the programme, including recruitment and retention, data missing rates and resources needed to run this programme. Changes in participant-directed and clinical outcomes will be measured. Descriptive statistics, t-tests and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) for within group comparisons and generalised estimating equations for between group analyses will be used. Qualitative interviews of programme staff and healthcare providers and family focus groups will be used to further enhance the findings and improve the programme.Ethics and disseminationApproval from the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board (HiREB) has been obtained. Informed consent will be obtained prior to enrolling any participant into the study. Participant IDs will be used during data collection and entry. Peer-reviewed publications and presentations will target researchers, health professionals and stakeholders.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT03258138.HiREB project number: 3793.

scholarly journals Implementing Digital Trainings within Medical Rehabilitations: Improvement of Mental Health and Synergetic Outcomes with Healthcare Service

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 8936
Author(s):  
Franziska Maria Keller ◽  
Alina Dahmen ◽  
Christina Derksen ◽  
Lukas Kötting ◽  
Sonia Lippke
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Healthcare Service ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Rehabilitation Program ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Psychosomatic Rehabilitation ◽  
Digital Interventions

The need for new technologies in healthcare services has been stressed. However, little is known about the effectiveness of digital interventions integrated in psychosomatic rehabilitation processes. Data from 724 patients from psychosomatic rehabilitation clinics were analyzed with regard to the effectiveness of digital trainings indicated by a change in symptoms related to depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness from pre– to post–rehabilitation. Rehabilitation satisfaction was examined in association with reaching rehabilitation goals and satisfaction with communication. A mixed repeated measures analyses of covariance, analyses of covariance, and hierarchical stepwise regression analyses were performed. Results indicated a superior effectiveness for the intervention group receiving all offered digital treatments in addition to the regular face-to-face rehabilitation program with regard to symptoms of depression (F (2674) = 3.93, p < 0.05, ηp2 = 0.01), anxiety (F (2678) = 3.68, p < 0.05, ηp2 = 0.01) post-rehabilitation, with large effect sizes for both depression (d = 1.28) and anxiety (d = 1.08). In addition, rehabilitation satisfaction was positively associated with reaching rehabilitation goals and perceived communication with healthcare workers. Digital interventions appeared effective in supporting mental health of psychosomatic rehabilitation patients’ post-rehabilitation. These findings support the inclusion of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary digital and face-to-face treatment programs and call for more implementations of new technologies in a context of complexity to improve health and healthcare service.

scholarly journals A New Mental Health Mobile App for Well-Being and Stress Reduction in Working Women: Randomized Controlled Trial

10.2196/14269 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. e14269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cássia Canha Coelhoso ◽  
Patricia Renovato Tobo ◽  
Shirley Silva Lacerda ◽  
Alex Heitor Lima ◽  
Carla Regina Camara Barrichello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Working Women ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
World Health ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Work Related

Background Although the availability and use of mobile mental health apps has grown exponentially in recent years, little data are available regarding their efficacy. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an app developed to promote stress management and well-being among working women compared with a control app. Methods Female employees at a private hospital were invited to participate in the study via mailing lists and intranet ads. A total of 653 individuals self-enrolled through the website. Eligible participants were randomized between control (n=240) and intervention (n=250) groups. The well-being mobile app provides an 8-week program with 4 classes per week (including a brief theoretical portion and a 15-min guided practice). The active control app also provided 4 assessments per week that encouraged participants to self-observe how they were feeling for 20 min. We also used the app to conduct Web-based questionnaires (10-item Perceived Stress Scale and 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index) and ask specific questions to assess subjective levels of stress and well-being at baseline (t1), midintervention (t4=4 weeks after t1) and postintervention (t8=8 weeks after t1). Both apps were fully automated without any human involvement. Outcomes from the control and intervention conditions at the 3 time points were analyzed using a repeated measures analysis of variance. Results Among the randomized participants (n=490), 185 participants were excluded at the 4-week follow-up and another 79 at the 8-week follow-up because of noncompliance with the experimental protocol. Participants who did not complete t4 and t8 assessments were equally distributed between groups (t4: control group=34.6% [83/240] and intervention group=40.8% [102/250]; P=.16; t8: control group=29.9% [47/157] and intervention group=21.6% [32/148]; P=.10). Both groups showed a significant increase in general well-being as a function of time (F2,426=5.27; P=.006), but only the intervention group presented a significant increase in work-related well-being (F2,426=8.92; P<.001), as well as a significant reduction in work-related and overall stress (F2,426=5.50; P=.004 and F2,426=8.59; P<.001, respectively). Conclusions The well-being mobile app was effective in reducing employee stress and improving well-being. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02637414; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02637414.

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