scholarly journals Mental Health Consequences for Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review to Draw Lessons for LMICs

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Modhurima Moitra ◽  
Muhammad Rahman ◽  
Pamela Y. Collins ◽  
Fatima Gohar ◽  
Marcia Weaver ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Psychological Trauma ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Frontline Workers ◽  
Mental Health Conditions

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs) particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). This scoping review provides a summary of current evidence on the mental health consequences of COVID on HCWs.Methods: A scoping review was conducted searching PubMed and Embase for articles relevant to mental health conditions among HCWs during COVID-19. Relevant articles were screened and extracted to summarize key outcomes and findings.Results: A total of fifty-one studies were included in this review. Depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, psychological trauma, insomnia and sleep quality, workplace burnout and fatigue, and distress were the main outcomes reviewed. Most studies found a high number of symptoms endorsed for depression, anxiety, and other conditions. We found differences in symptoms by sex, age, and HCW role, with female, younger-aged, frontline workers, and non-physician workers being affected more than other subgroups.Conclusion: This review highlights the existing burden of mental health conditions reported by HCWs during COVID-19. It also demonstrates emerging disparities among affected HCW subgroups. This scoping review emphasizes the importance of generating high quality evidence and developing informed interventions for HCW mental health with a focus on LMICs.

scholarly journals Challenges to peer support in low- and middle-income countries during COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Mpango ◽  
Jasmine Kalha ◽  
Donat Shamba ◽  
Mary Ramesh ◽  
Fileuka Ngakongwa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Low Resource Settings ◽  
Mental Health Conditions ◽  
Middle Income Countries

Abstract Background A recent editorial urged those working in global mental health to “change the conversation” on coronavirus disease (Covid-19) by putting more focus on the needs of people with severe mental health conditions. UPSIDES (Using Peer Support In Developing Empowering mental health Services) is a six-country consortium carrying out implementation research on peer support for people with severe mental health conditions in high- (Germany, Israel), lower middle- (India) and low-income (Tanzania, Uganda) settings. This commentary briefly outlines some of the key challenges faced by UPSIDES sites in low- and middle-income countries as a result of Covid-19, sharing early lessons that may also apply to other services seeking to address the needs of people with severe mental health conditions in similar contexts. Challenges and lessons learned The key take-away from experiences in India, Tanzania and Uganda is that inequalities in terms of access to mobile technologies, as well as to secure employment and benefits, put peer support workers in particularly vulnerable situations precisely when they and their peers are also at their most isolated. Establishing more resilient peer support services requires attention to the already precarious situation of people with severe mental health conditions in low-resource settings, even before a crisis like Covid-19 occurs. While it is essential to maintain contact with peer support workers and peers to whatever extent is possible remotely, alternatives to face-to-face delivery of psychosocial interventions are not always straightforward to implement and can make it more difficult to observe individuals’ reactions, talk about emotional issues and offer appropriate support. Conclusions In environments where mental health care was already heavily medicalized and mostly limited to medications issued by psychiatric institutions, Covid-19 threatens burgeoning efforts to pursue a more holistic and person-centered model of care for people with severe mental health conditions. As countries emerge from lockdown, those working in global mental health will need to redouble their efforts not only to make up for lost time and help individuals cope with the added stressors of Covid-19 in their communities, but also to regain lost ground in mental health care reform and in broader conversations about mental health in low-resource settings.

Food insecurity and mental health outcomes among homeless adults: a scoping review

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth I Loftus ◽  
James Lachaud ◽  
Stephen W Hwang ◽  
Cilia Mejia-Lancheros
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Homeless Adults ◽  
Mental Health Conditions ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Potential Association ◽  
Health Related

Abstract Objective: This review summarises and synthesises the existing literature on the relationship between food insecurity (FS) and mental health conditions among adult individuals experiencing homelessness. Design: Scoping review. Papers published between 1 January 2008 and 2 November 2018, searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library and CINAHL, using homelessness, food security and mental health keywords. Setting: Global evidence. Participants: Homeless adults aged 18 years or more. Results: Nine articles (eight cross-sectional and one longitudinal) were included in the present review. FS was measured using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module, as well as single-item or constructed measures. Depression and depressive symptoms were the most common mental health conditions studied. Other mental health conditions assessed included alcohol and substance use, emotional disorders, mental health problems symptoms severity and psychiatric hospitalisations. Composite measures such as axis I and II categories and a cluster of severe mental conditions and mental health-related functioning status were also analysed. FS and mental health-related problems were considered as both exposure and outcome variables. The existing evidence suggests a potential association between FS and several mental health conditions, particularly depression, mental health symptoms severity and poor mental health status scores. Conclusions: This review suggests the potential association between some mental health conditions and FS among homeless adults. However, there is a need for more longitudinal- and interventional-based studies, in order to understand the nature and directionality of the links between FS and mental health in this population group.

scholarly journals Overlooked and Unaddressed: A narrative review of mental health consequences of child marriages.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rochelle Ann Burgess ◽  
Mairi Jeffery ◽  
Sabina Odero ◽  
Kelly Rose-Clarke ◽  
Delanjathan Devakumar
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emotional Distress ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Child Marriage ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Conditions

Child Marriage (before the age of 18) affects over 12 million young women globally, annually. Despite acknowledgement of the negative impacts of the practice on reproductive health, mental health consequences are largely overlooked. Given the ability for poor mental health to intensify other health and social challenges, understanding the mental health consequences linked to child marriage is vital. Our study is the first to examine how mental health is approached in current literature on child marriage. Our conceptual framework was informed by a rapid assessment of key issues in the field. Systematic searches of papers published between 2000-2020 were completed on four electronic databases with no language restrictions. Our protocol was registered on Prospero (CRD42019139685). Articles were assessed using PRISMA guidelines, and their quality assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools. Of the 4,457 records identified, 21 papers meeting inclusion criteria were analysed using narrative synthesis. The final sample included 5 qualitative, 1 mixed-methods and 15 quantitative studies (14 cross-sectional and 1 longitudinal study) reporting on data from 12 countries, largely in the global south. Intimate partner violence, poverty, challenges in childbirth and isolation were identified as social factors linked to emotional distress by those married as children. Depression was the most reported mental disorder. Anxiety, phobias, psychological distress, substance misuse, negative well-being and anti-social personality disorder were reported less frequently. Findings highlight that while significant emotional distress and specific mental health conditions are linked to child marriage, gaps in our understanding remain. Future studies are needed to; clarify directionality in these relationships; understand the mental health needs of young men, LGBTQI communities and those in humanitarian settings. Given the well documented cyclical relationship between social determinants and mental health conditions, we outline a series of community-oriented interventions which blend psychological, social and structural support to promote mental health and wellbeing in the contexts of child marriage.

scholarly journals ‘Global mental health’: systematic review of the term and its implicit priorities

BJPsych Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Supriya Misra ◽  
Anne Stevenson ◽  
Emily E. Haroz ◽  
Victoria de Menil ◽  
Karestan C. Koenen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Mental Health Conditions ◽  
Sub Saharan

Background The term ‘global mental health’ came to the fore in 2007, when the Lancet published a series by that name. Aims To review all peer-reviewed articles using the term ‘global mental health’ and determine the implicit priorities of scientific literature that self-identifies with this term. Method We conducted a systematic review to quantify all peer-reviewed articles using the English term ‘global mental health’ in their text published between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2016, including by geographic regions and by mental health conditions. Results A total of 467 articles met criteria. Use of the term ‘global mental health’ increased from 12 articles in 2007 to 114 articles in 2016. For the 111 empirical studies (23.8% of articles), the majority (78.4%) took place in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with the most in Sub-Saharan Africa (28.4%) and South Asia (25.5%) and none from Central Asia. The most commonly studied mental health conditions were depression (29.7%), psychoses (12.6%) and conditions specifically related to stress (12.6%), with fewer studies on epilepsy (2.7%), self-harm and suicide (1.8%) and dementia (0.9%). The majority of studies lacked contextual information, including specific region(s) within countries where studies took place (20.7% missing), specific language(s) in which studies were conducted (36.9% missing), and details on ethnic identities such as ethnicity, caste and/or tribe (79.6% missing) and on socioeconomic status (85.4% missing). Conclusions Research identifying itself as ‘global mental health’ has focused predominantly on depression in LMICs and lacked contextual and sociodemographic data that limit interpretation and application of findings. Declaration of interest None.

DfID’s Last Stand

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-45
Author(s):  
Laura Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
International Development ◽  
User Participation ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Mental Health Conditions ◽  
Psychosocial Disability ◽  
Scant Attention ◽  
Conflict Affected States

This article critiques the new Theory of Change (ToC) on mental health published by the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) in the last fortnight of its existence. The ToC offers development actors a framework for better support of beneficiaries with mental health conditions and psychosocial disabilities – given disappointingly scant attention by the sector to date. Yet, 70 per cent of mental disorders occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with a 22 per cent prevalence in fragile and conflict-affected states. Globally, mental ill-health is estimated to affect almost one billion people. Its intersectionality with poverty and physical health has been brought into sharp focus by the current COVID-19 pandemic which has magnified the underlying social and environmental stressors of mental health. DfID’s ToC provides a conceptual framework for improving mental health globally, with an overarching vision of the full and equal exercise of all human rights by those affected by mental health conditions and psychosocial disability. The framework incorporates a rights-based approach with user-participation embedded in five critical change pathways to outcomes. The article analyses the ToC, provides an overview, highlights gaps and comments upon how DfID might have improved clarity for development actors seeking to realise its vision.

26 Supporting the Transition to Postsecondary for Students with Mental Health Conditions: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. e19-e21
Author(s):  
Dan Devoe ◽  
Thomas Lange ◽  
Pauline MacPherson ◽  
Dillon Traber ◽  
Rosemary Perry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Conditions

Abstract Primary Subject area Mental Health Background The transition from high school to postsecondary is a critical milestone for independence and empowerment. This life stage frequently coincides with the emergence of most mental health conditions (MHCs). Without adequate support to assist with the transition to postsecondary education, the mental health of arriving students with existing MHCs is likely to decline or remain unmet. Declining mental health is strongly associated with students withdrawing from both secondary and postsecondary education. However, a scoping review of interventions aiming to support youth with MHCs transition to postsecondary has not been conducted. Objectives The objectives of this scoping review were to identify: (1) researched interventions that support youth with MHCs during the transition to postsecondary; (2) best practices used to support this transition; (3) methods of evaluating these interventions and any limitations; and (4) gaps where future research is warranted. Design/Methods A database search of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, SocINDEX, ERIC, CINHAL, and Education Research Complete was undertaken. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted the data. Thematic analysis and risk-of-bias assessment were conducted on included studies. Results Nine studies were included in this review, describing eight unique interventions (Figure 1). Sixty-two percent of interventions were nonspecific in the MHCs that they were targeting in postsecondary students. These interventions were designed to support students upon arrival to postsecondary. Peer mentorship, student engagement, and interagency collaboration were found to be beneficial approaches to supporting youth transitioning into postsecondary (Table 1). The overall quality and level of evidence in these studies was low. Three knowledge gaps were found: evidence was not generalizable to the diversity of MHCs, intervention studies were mostly cross-sectional in nature and lacked follow-up data, and sustaining intervention funding remained a challenge for postsecondary institutions. Conclusion The volume of research identified was limited but indicated overall that offering support during the transition to postsecondary was beneficial for students with MHCs. Further evidence is needed that is generalizable across the mental health spectrum, and that assesses intervention outcomes in relation to intervention costs.

scholarly journals Overlooked and unaddressed: A narrative review of mental health consequences of child marriages

2022 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. e0000131
Author(s):  
Rochelle A. Burgess ◽  
Mairi Jeffery ◽  
Sabina Adhiambo Odero ◽  
Kelly Rose-Clarke ◽  
Delanjathan Devakumar
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emotional Distress ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Child Marriage ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Conditions

Child Marriage (before the age of 18) affects over 12 million young women globally, annually. Despite acknowledgement of the negative impacts of the practice on reproductive health, mental health consequences are largely overlooked. Given the ability for poor mental health to intensify other health and social challenges, understanding the mental health consequences linked to child marriage is vital. Our study is the first to examine how mental health is approached in current literature on child marriage. Our conceptual framework was informed by a rapid assessment of key issues in the field. Systematic searches of papers published between 2000–2020 were completed on four electronic databases with no language restrictions. Our protocol was registered on Prospero (CRD42019139685). Articles were assessed using PRISMA guidelines, and their quality assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools. Of the 4,457 records identified, 21 papers meeting inclusion criteria were analysed using narrative synthesis. The final sample included 5 qualitative, 1 mixed-methods and 15 quantitative studies (14 cross-sectional and 1 longitudinal study) reporting on data from 12 countries, largely in the global south. Intimate partner violence, poverty, challenges in childbirth and isolation were identified as social factors linked to emotional distress by those married as children. Depression was the most reported mental disorder. Anxiety, phobias, psychological distress, substance misuse, negative well-being and anti-social personality disorder were reported less frequently. Findings highlight that while significant emotional distress and specific mental health conditions are linked to child marriage, gaps in our understanding remain. Future studies are needed to; clarify directionality in these relationships; understand the mental health needs of young men, LGBTQI communities and those in humanitarian settings. Given the well documented cyclical relationship between social determinants and mental health conditions, we outline a series of community-oriented interventions which blend psychological, social and structural support to promote mental health and wellbeing in the contexts of child marriage.

scholarly journals Machine learning in mental health: a scoping review of methods and applications

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (09) ◽  
pp. 1426-1448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian B. R. Shatte ◽  
Delyse M. Hutchinson ◽  
Samantha J. Teague
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Machine Learning ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Latent Dirichlet Allocation ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Mental Health Conditions ◽  
Big Data Applications ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Detection And Diagnosis

AbstractBackgroundThis paper aims to synthesise the literature on machine learning (ML) and big data applications for mental health, highlighting current research and applications in practice.MethodsWe employed a scoping review methodology to rapidly map the field of ML in mental health. Eight health and information technology research databases were searched for papers covering this domain. Articles were assessed by two reviewers, and data were extracted on the article's mental health application, ML technique, data type, and study results. Articles were then synthesised via narrative review.ResultsThree hundred papers focusing on the application of ML to mental health were identified. Four main application domains emerged in the literature, including: (i) detection and diagnosis; (ii) prognosis, treatment and support; (iii) public health, and; (iv) research and clinical administration. The most common mental health conditions addressed included depression, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease. ML techniques used included support vector machines, decision trees, neural networks, latent Dirichlet allocation, and clustering.ConclusionsOverall, the application of ML to mental health has demonstrated a range of benefits across the areas of diagnosis, treatment and support, research, and clinical administration. With the majority of studies identified focusing on the detection and diagnosis of mental health conditions, it is evident that there is significant room for the application of ML to other areas of psychology and mental health. The challenges of using ML techniques are discussed, as well as opportunities to improve and advance the field.

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