scholarly journals Addressing the COVID-19 Mental Health Crisis: A Perspective on Using Interdisciplinary Universal Interventions

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraldine Przybylko ◽  
Darren Peter Morton ◽  
Melanie Elise Renfrew
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Lifestyle Behaviors ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Lifestyle Medicine ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
Health And Well Being

Mental health is reaching a crisis point due to the ramifications of COVID-19. In an attempt to curb the spread of the virus and circumvent health systems from being overwhelmed, governments have imposed regulations such as lockdown restrictions and home confinement. These restrictions, while effective for infection control, have contributed to poorer lifestyle behaviors. Currently, Positive Psychology and Lifestyle Medicine are two distinct but complimentary disciplines that offer an array of evidence-based approaches for promoting mental health and well-being across a universal population. However, these strategies for improving mental health are typically used in isolation. This perspective calls for a new paradigm shift to create and rollout well-designed interdisciplinary universal multicomponent mental health interventions that integrates the benefits of both disciplines, and uses innovative digital mental health solutions to achieve scalability and accessibility within the limitations and beyond the COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions.

The Minds Behind the Technology

2021 ◽  
pp. 481-492
Author(s):  
Jessica Carson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
High Stress ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Entrepreneurial Culture ◽  
History Of ◽  
Health And Well Being

Over the past few years, there has been a surge of interest in entrepreneur mental health and well-being. Research has shown 72% of entrepreneurs self-report a lifetime history of mental health concerns (depression, substance abuse, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and bipolar), and countless others incur varying degrees of emotional, physical, and spiritual distress. While many have been quick to declare a mental health “crisis” or “epidemic” among entrepreneurs, the reality may not be so simple. Entrepreneurs with mental health challenges may in fact have a competitive advantage—they may self-select into entrepreneurial work as a result of the adaptive qualities conferred onto them by their diagnosis. This article explores the myriad reasons for these high rates (from self-selection to diathesis–stress), including the hypermasculinized nature of entrepreneurial culture, the high-stress nature of entrepreneurial work, and the hidden superpowers embedded in the genetics of entrepreneurs. To conclude, the ways in which the entire ecosystem can become healthier through self-understanding and self-care are discussed.

scholarly journals Mapping mental health and the UK university sector: Networks, markets, data

2021 ◽  
pp. 026101832110248
Author(s):  
Dimitra Kotouza ◽  
Felicity Callard ◽  
Philip Garnett ◽  
Leon Rocha
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Well Being ◽  
University Staff ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Health And Well Being

The mental health and well-being of university staff and students in the UK are reported to have seriously deteriorated. Rather than taking this ‘mental health crisis’ at face value, we carry out network and discourse analyses to investigate the policy assemblages (comprising social actors, institutions, technologies, knowledges and discourses) through which the ‘crisis' is addressed. Our analysis shows how knowledges from positive psychology and behavioural economics, disciplinary techniques driven by metrics and data analytics, and growing markets in digital therapeutic technologies work as an ensemble. Together, they instrumentalise mental health, creating motivational ecologies that allow economic agendas to seep through to subjects who are encouraged to monitor and rehabilitate themselves. Mental health’ as a problem for UK universities has come to be largely defined through the outcomes of ‘resilience’ and ‘employability’ and is addressed through markets that enable training, monitoring, measuring and ‘nudging’ students and staff towards these outcomes.

scholarly journals Mediating Effect of Personal Meaning in the Prediction of Life Satisfaction and Mental Health Problems Based on Coronavirus Suffering

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gökmen Arslan ◽  
Murat Yıldırım ◽  
Mega M. Leung
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Personal Meaning ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Health And Well Being

Research Problem: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a multi-faceted crisis worldwide. Researchers and health authorities in various parts of the world echoed the dire condition of the public's mental health. This study sought to examine the mediating effect of personal meaning on the association between coronavirus (COVID-19)-related suffering, mental health problems, and life satisfaction. Participants included 231 adults (mean age = 46.65 ± 13.98; 68% female) and completed measures of suffering related to COVID-19, meaning, life satisfaction, and mental health problems online.Results: Findings from mediation analysis showed that suffering had significant associations with personal meaning, mental health, and well-being. Furthermore, personal meaning was significantly associated with adults' mental health and well-being and mediated the negative effect of suffering on mental health and well-being.Discussion: Overall, results from this study indicate that personal meaning is an important promotive factor that may help to understand the negative effect of coronavirus-related suffering on mental health and well-being amid the public health crisis.

scholarly journals Acute day units in non-residential settings for people in mental health crisis: the AD-CARE mixed-methods study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (18) ◽  
pp. 1-122
Author(s):  
David Osborn ◽  
Danielle Lamb ◽  
Alastair Canaway ◽  
Michael Davidson ◽  
Graziella Favarato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Work Package ◽  
Crisis Resolution ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Crisis Resolution Teams

Background For people in mental health crisis, acute day units provide daily structured sessions and peer support in non-residential settings as an alternative to crisis resolution teams. Objectives To investigate the provision, effectiveness, intervention acceptability and re-admission rates of acute day units. Design Work package 1 – mapping and national questionnaire survey of acute day units. Work package 2.1 – cohort study comparing outcomes during a 6-month period between acute day unit and crisis resolution team participants. Work package 2.2 – qualitative interviews with staff and service users of acute day units. Work package 3 – a cohort study within the Mental Health Minimum Data Set exploring re-admissions to acute care over 6 months. A patient and public involvement group supported the study throughout. Setting and participants Work package 1 – all non-residential acute day units (NHS and voluntary sector) in England. Work packages 2.1 and 2.2 – four NHS trusts with staff, service users and carers in acute day units and crisis resolution teams. Work package 3 – all individuals using mental health NHS trusts in England. Results Work package 1 – we identified 27 acute day units in 17 out of 58 trusts. Acute day units are typically available on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., providing a wide range of interventions and a multidisciplinary team, including clinicians, and having an average attendance of 5 weeks. Work package 2.1 – we recruited 744 participants (acute day units, n = 431; crisis resolution teams, n = 312). In the primary analysis, 21% of acute day unit participants (vs. 23% of crisis resolution team participants) were re-admitted to acute mental health services over 6 months. There was no statistically significant difference in the fully adjusted model (acute day unit hazard ratio 0.78, 95% confidence interval 0.54 to 1.14; p = 0.20), with highly heterogeneous results between trusts. Acute day unit participants had higher satisfaction and well-being scores and lower depression scores than crisis resolution team participants. The health economics analysis found no difference in resource use or cost between the acute day unit and crisis resolution team groups in the fully adjusted analysis. Work package 2.2 – 36 people were interviewed (acute day unit staff, n = 12; service users, n = 21; carers, n = 3). There was an overwhelming consensus that acute day units are highly valued. Service users found the high amount of contact time and staff continuity, peer support and structure provided by acute day units particularly beneficial. Staff also valued providing continuity, building strong therapeutic relationships and providing a variety of flexible, personalised support. Work package 3 – of 231,998 individuals discharged from acute care (crisis resolution team, acute day unit or inpatient ward), 21.4% were re-admitted for acute treatment within 6 months, with women, single people, people of mixed or black ethnicity, those living in more deprived areas and those in the severe psychosis care cluster being more likely to be re-admitted. Little variation in re-admissions was explained at the trust level, or between trusts with and trusts without acute day units (adjusted odds ratio 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.80 to 1.15). Limitations In work package 1, some of the information is likely to be incomplete as a result of trusts’ self-reporting. There may have been recruitment bias in work packages 2.1 and 2.2. Part of the health economics analysis relied on clinical Health of the Nations Outcome Scale ratings. The Mental Health Minimum Data Set did not contain a variable identifying acute day units, and some covariates had a considerable number of missing data. Conclusions Acute day units are not provided routinely in the NHS but are highly valued by staff and service users, giving better outcomes in terms of satisfaction, well-being and depression than, and no significant differences in risk of re-admission or increased costs from, crisis resolution teams. Future work should investigate wider health and care system structures and the place of acute day units within them; the development of a model of best practice for acute day units; and staff turnover and well-being (including the impacts of these on care). Funding This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Services and Delivery Research programme and will be published in full in Health Services and Delivery Research; Vol. 9, No. 18. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Crisis assessment and management

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reena Kapoor
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Mental Health Staff ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Course Of Action ◽  
Correctional Settings ◽  
Many Sources

Crisis calls are a common occurrence in correctional settings. Psychiatrists are often called upon to triage and manage such events. Requests for urgent psychiatric evaluations can come from many sources, including security staff, non-psychiatric physicians, mental health staff, courts, attorneys, and family members. Psychiatrists responding to these requests for evaluation may feel tremendous pressure to reach a conclusion that is consistent with the opinions of the requesting party. However, maintaining an independent and therapeutic stance when conducting crisis evaluations is crucial. Some aspects of psychiatric evaluations in crisis situations are unique to the correctional environment: evaluations at cell-side, video recording, and leadership by security staff rather than medical professionals. Nonetheless, correctional psychiatrists should be guided by the same principles of medical ethics that apply to patient care in the community, placing the patient’s well-being above all other concerns. They should strive, when possible, to conduct a thorough assessment in a confidential setting. In considering how best to resolve the crisis and care for the patient, they should err on the side of caution and recommend placement in a safe and therapeutic setting, at least until a multidisciplinary team can consider other options. Finally, they should document the encounter carefully, articulating the rationale for the chosen course of action. This chapter reviews the pragmatics of evaluating and managing many common correctional events that lead to mental health crisis calls and discusses the range of concerns, the typical practices and procedures used in correctional settings, and the types of interventions that are best used.

scholarly journals Does COVID-19 pose a challenge to the diagnoses of anxiety and depression? A psychologist's view

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Johnstone
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Normal Human ◽  
Way Of Thinking ◽  
Fear And Anxiety

Summary The COVID-19 pandemic has led to predictions of a widespread mental health crisis. However, this makes little sense when fear and anxiety are so understandable in context. The individualisation and medicalisation of normal human reactions disconnects us from our feelings and from the appropriate solutions, in relation to the pandemic and more generally. We have an opportunity to challenge this pervasive way of thinking, and thus be in a position to create a fairer society that is better for everyone's emotional well-being.

scholarly journals Introduction: Mental Health and Human Rights: Social Policy and Sociological Perspectives

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Recognition of the effects of social, economic, political and cultural conditions on mental health and the personal, social and economic costs of a growing global mental health crisis (WHO, 2001; EC, 2005) mean that mental health and well-being are a current feature of social policy agendas at UK, European and world levels, with debate increasingly becoming framed in human rights terms. In the UK, policy drives to address social exclusion and health inequalities as key social and economic rights issues have encompassed attention to mental health and distress (DoH, 2003; Social Exclusion Unit, 2004) and mental health has been identified as a priority area for the new Equality and Human Rights Commission (Diamond, 2007; DRC, 2007). At the European level too, rights-based social policy approaches to promoting social cohesion (European Committee for Social Cohesion, 2004) and policy directives on the ‘right to health’ (Commission of the European Communities, 2007) have been centrally concerned with mental health and well-being, and have been accompanied by a European strategy on mental health for the EU (EC, 2005). At a global level, the World Health Organisation has declared enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health to be a fundamental human right (WHO, 2006). It has launched a new appeal on mental health which draws attention to the impact of human rights violations and cites social isolation, poor quality of life, stigma and discrimination as central issues for those with mental health needs (Dhanda and Narayan, 2007; Horton, 2007; WHO, 2007).

scholarly journals Women Mental Health and Well-being: A New Paradigm

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mrs. Ashwini. R ◽  
Dr. Vijay Prasad. B
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Well Being ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
The Family ◽  
Stigma Of Mental Illness ◽  
Gender Perspectives ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

This paper reviews literature on the determinants of women’s mental health through a stigma of mental illness and gender perspectives. This approach stresses that women’s particular health needs have been neglected in a male-centred models of health, and argues for the importance of addressing these needs in a way that views women and their lives holistically. A woman in social context is seen as parents and their roles have been demonstrated from their life within the family and society as well. This article draws attention to the women and physical health instead of looking at mental illness alone. The impact of violence against women, in particular, the effects of childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence and rape has been illustrated in western and Indian perspectives. In recommendations initiatives in mental health services especially, for women mental health has been emphasized broadly.

The Frankl Cure for the 21st Century: Why Self-Transcendence is the Key to Mental Health and Flourishing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
paul T P Wong
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
True Self ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Viktor Frankl ◽  
Letting Go ◽  
Self Transcendence

Viktor Frankl has the best answer to the mental health crisis during COVID-19, and we ignore him at our own peril. His dialectical and paradoxical self-transcendence (ST) model emphasizes that we can find our true self only by letting go of the old one. He defines meaning in terms of ST and propose that meaning is the key to mental health and flourishing. My remembrance of Frankl revolves on his three aspects of ST: (1) ST is an awe-inspiring way of life, (2) ST is at the heart of therapies, and (3) ST represents a new paradigm for wellbeing research.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document