scholarly journals Use of the Internet and Digital Devices Among People With Severe Mental Ill Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Spanakis ◽  
Paul Heron ◽  
Lauren Walker ◽  
Suzanne Crosland ◽  
Ruth Wadman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Digital Devices ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Severe Mental Ill Health ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
Digital Exclusion

Background: Restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have led to everyday reliance on digitalisation of life, including access to health care services. People with severe mental ill health (SMI—e.g., bipolar or psychosis spectrum disorders) are at greater risk for digital exclusion and it is unknown to what extent they adapted to online service delivery. This study explored use of the Internet and digital devices during the pandemic restrictions and its association with physical and mental health changes.Methods: Three hundred sixty seven adults with an SMI diagnosis completed a survey (online or offline) and provided information on access to Internet connexion and devices, internet knowledge, online activities, and barriers to using the Internet. They also self-reported changes in mental and physical health since the beginning of the pandemic restrictions.Results: During the pandemic restrictions 61.6% were limited or non-users of the Internet. The majority had access to the Internet and digital devices but around half reported knowledge deficits. Most common activities were accessing information and entertainment (88.9%), staying in touch with friends and families (84.8%), and purchasing goods (other than food) (84.3%). Most common barriers were finding the Internet “not interesting” (28.3%) or “too difficult” (27.9%), as well as “security concerns” (22.1–24.3%). Using the Internet “a lot” (vs. “just a bit or not at all”) during the pandemic was associated with younger age (18–30: Adj ORs 4.76; 31–45: 6.39; Ps < 0.001; vs. 66+), having a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (compared to psychosis; Adj OR = 3.88, P < 0.001), or reporting a decline in mental health (compared to no decline; Adj OR = 1.92, P = 0.01).Conclusion: Most people with SMI were limited or non-users of the Internet during the pandemic, which seems to be mainly attributable to lack of interest and skills, rather than lack of devices or connectivity. Older adults with psychosis should be the focus of interventions to support digital engagement in people with SMI.

scholarly journals Use of the Internet and digital devices among people with severe mental ill health during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Spanakis ◽  
Paul Heron ◽  
Lauren Walker ◽  
Susanne Crosland ◽  
Ruth Wadman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Digital Devices ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Severe Mental Ill Health ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
Digital Exclusion

Background: Restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have led to everyday reliance on digitalisation of life, including access to health care services. People with severe mental ill health (SMI, e.g., bipolar or psychosis spectrum disorders) are at greater risk for digital exclusion and it is unknown to what extent they are able to adapt to online service delivery. This study explored use of the Internet and digital devices during the pandemic restrictions and its association with physical and mental health changes. Methods: 367 adults with an SMI diagnosis completed a survey (online or offline) and provided information on access to Internet connection and devices, internet skills, online activities, and barriers to using the Internet. They also self-reported changes in mental and physical health. Results: During the pandemic restrictions 61.6% were limited or non-users of the Internet. The majority had access to the Internet and digital devices but around half reported knowledge deficits. Most common activities were accessing information and entertainment (88.9%), staying in touch with friends and families (84.8%), and purchasing goods (other than food) (84.3%). Most common barriers were finding the Internet 'not interesting' (28.3%) or 'too difficult' (27.9%), as well as 'security concerns' (22.1% to 24.3%). Using the Internet 'a lot' (vs 'just a bit or not at all') during the pandemic was associated with younger age (Adj ORs = 4.76 and 6.39, Ps < .001), having a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (compared to psychosis; Adj OR = 3.88, P < .001), or reporting a decline in mental health (compared to no decline; Adj OR = 1.92, P = .01). Conclusion: Most people with SMI were limited or non-users of the Internet during the pandemic, which seems to be mainly attributable to lack of interest and skills, rather than lack of devices or connectivity. Older adults with psychosis should be the focus of interventions to support digital engagement in people with SMI.

scholarly journals Survey on the physical and mental health among migrants and refugees in ten European countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
P Karnaki ◽  
D Zota ◽  
E Riza ◽  
A Gil-Salmerón ◽  
E Durá-Ferrandis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Waiting Times ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Migration Flow ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Breast And Cervical Cancer

Abstract This study discusses the main findings of the quantitative research conducted within the Mig-HealthCare consortium countries to explore the physical and mental health of migrants and refugees. The study population is defined as migrants/refugees who have been residing in Europe, for at least 6 months and up to 5 years. In order to be able to capture the recent migration flow, the analysis was based on 1169 questionnaires collected in 10 EU-Member States, answered by adult migrants residing less than 5 years in the specific country. A total of 29% of migrants stated that their health is poor or fair. Overall, 56.9% of migrants needed health care services during the last 6 months, however approximately one in four did not have access to them. The most frequent problems were long waiting times, not being able to organize an appointment, not knowing where to go, lack of communication and long distances. The most frequent chronic health problem migrants/refugees face is caries and headaches/migraines, followed by psychological disease and sleep disorders. Approximately one in three women have been pregnant since entering the current EU country, whereas one in four have had a miscarriage or abortion and 21.5% are currently pregnant. Summing up, most of the migrants face common medical problems such as bad teeth, headaches and psychological problems. However long waiting times, not knowing where to go and lack of communication are barriers to accessing healthcare. The fact that the immunization status of migrants/refugees is unclear, a significant number suffer from serious chronic diseases and the limited breast and cervical cancer screening of female migrants/refugees pose serious threats to their health and important challenges for the health services of Europe.

Toward establishing telepsychology guideline: Turning the challenges of COVID-19 into opportunity (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed M. J. Alqahtani
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Psychological Services ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Governance Model ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
Temporary Response

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has obstructed the classical practices of psychological assessment and intervention via face-to-face interaction. Patients and all health professionals have been forced to isolate and become innovative to continue receiving and providing exceptional healthcare services while minimizing the risk of exposure to, or transmission of, COVID-19. OBJECTIVE This document is proposed initially as a guide to the extraordinary implementation of telepsychology in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and to extend its implementation to use fundamentally as the main guideline for telepsychology services in Saudi Arabia and other Arabic communities. METHODS A professional task force representing different areas of professional psychology reviewed, summarized, and documented methods, policies, procedures, and other resources to ensure that the recommendations and evidence reviews were valid and consistent with best practices. RESULTS The practice of telepsychology involves the consideration of legal and professional requirements. This paper provides a guideline and recommendations for procedural changes that are necessary to address psychological services as we transition to telepsychology, as well as elucidates and demonstrates practical telepsychology frameworks, procedures, and proper recommendations for the provision of services during COVID-19. It adds a focused examination and discussion related to factors that could influence the telemedicine guideline, such as culture, religion, legal matters, and how clinical psychologists could expand their telepsychology practice during COVID-19 and after, seeking to produce broadly applicable guidelines for the practice of telepsychology. Professional steps in practical telemedicine were illustrated in tables and examples. CONCLUSIONS Telepsychology is not a luxury or a temporary response. Rather, it should be considered part of a proactive governance model to secure a continuity of mental health care services. Arabic communities could benefit from this guideline to telepsychology as an essential protocol for providing mental health services during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Using Prospective Methods to Identify Fieldwork Locations Favourable to Understanding Divergences in Health Care Accessibility

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 506
Author(s):  
Jan Ketil Rød ◽  
Arne H. Eide ◽  
Thomas Halvorsen ◽  
Alister Munthali
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Health Care Accessibility ◽  
Barriers To Health ◽  
Walking Time

Central to this article is the issue of choosing sites for where a fieldwork could provide a better understanding of divergences in health care accessibility. Access to health care is critical to good health, but inhabitants may experience barriers to health care limiting their ability to obtain the care they need. Most inhabitants of low-income countries need to walk long distances along meandering paths to get to health care services. Individuals in Malawi responded to a survey with a battery of questions on perceived difficulties in accessing health care services. Using both vertical and horizontal impedance, we modelled walking time between household locations for the individuals in our sample and the health care centres they were using. The digital elevation model and Tobler’s hiking function were used to represent vertical impedance, while OpenStreetMap integrated with land cover map were used to represent horizontal impedance. Combining measures of walking time and perceived accessibility in Malawi, we used spatial statistics and found spatial clusters with substantial discrepancies in health care accessibility, which represented fieldwork locations favourable for providing a better understanding of barriers to health access.

Access to health care and Informal Patient Payments for health care in Serbia

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Buch Mejsner ◽  
S Lavasani Kjær ◽  
L Eklund Karlsson
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health System ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Civil Servants ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Access To Health

Abstract Background Evidence often shows that migrants in the European region have poor access to quality health care. Having a large number of migrants seeking towards Europe, crossing through i.e. Serbia, it is crucial to improve migrants' access to health care and ensure equality in service provision Aim To investigate what are the barriers and facilitators of access to health care in Serbia, perceived by migrants, policy makers, health care providers, civil servants and experts working with migrants. Methods six migrants in an asylum center and eight civil servants in the field of migration were conducted. A complementary questionnaire to key civil servants working with migrants (N = 19) is being distributed to complement the data. The qualitative and quantitative data will be analysed through Grounded Theory and Logistic Regression respectively. Results According to preliminary findings, migrants reported that they were able to access the health care services quite easily. Migrants were mostly fully aware of their rights to access these health care services. However, the interviewed civil servants experienced that, despite the majority of migrants in camps were treated fairly, some migrants were treated inappropriately by health care professionals (being addressed inappropriately, poor or lacking treatment). The civil servants believed that local Serbs, from their own experiences, were treated poorer than migrants (I.e. paying Informal Patient Payments, poor quality of and access to health care services). The interviewed migrants were trusting towards the health system, because they felt protected by the official system that guaranteed them services. The final results will be presented at the conference. Conclusions There was a difference in quality of and access to health care services of local Serbs and migrants in the region. Migrants may be protected by the official health care system and thus have access to and do not pay additional fees for health care services. Key messages Despite comprehensive evidence on Informal Patient Payments (IPP) in Serbia, further research is needed to highlight how health system governance and prevailing policies affect IPP in migrants. There may be clear differences in quality of and access to health care services between the local population and migrants in Serbia.

scholarly journals Utilization of Health Care Services and Common Disease Diagnoses among University Students: An Analysis of 35,249 Students from Thailand

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 7148
Author(s):  
Suphawita Pliannuom ◽  
Kanokporn Pinyopornpanish ◽  
Chaisiri Angkurawaranon ◽  
Kanokwan Pinyopornpanish ◽  
Anawat Wisetborisut ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
University Students ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Outpatient Department ◽  
Common Disease ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Common Diseases ◽  
Academic Year ◽  
Inpatient Department

The health care services for university students are important to improve student health and well-being. Analyzing the database of health conditions in the health service system will identify common health problems, which could be useful in further appropriate and specific health service planning. This study aims to investigate the utilization of health care services and common disease diagnoses among university students enrolled at Chiang Mai University during the academic year of 2018. A retrospective study was carried out using health data from the electronic health records (EHR) database of the university hospital. Ethical procedures were followed. Out of the overall 35,249 students in the academic year 2018, 17,284 students (49.03%) had visited an outpatient department (65,150 outpatient department visits), and 407 students (1.15%) had been admitted to the hospital (458 inpatient department admissions). The proportions of utilization between each field of education and training were similar across both groups. The top five categories of diagnosis, for both outpatient department visits and inpatient department admissions, differed between gender. Some of the most common diseases included trauma and injury conditions, respiratory diseases, and mental health. The conclusion of the study is that integration of a health promotion program with preventive methods, especially regarding traffic injury, transmitted diseases, mental health support, and safe environments are essential for university students. A general overview of utilization and common diseases among university students, which is still lacking in the literature, could be useful as a platform to enhance health care services for common diseases.

Supporting Young People at School With High Mental Health Needs

2005 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra Rickwood
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Young People ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Primary Health

AbstractFor young people still at school, the school setting is vital to their mental health and wellbeing. Not only does the school environment have a direct and indirect impact on mental health, it provides an opportunistic setting in which to identify and respond to emerging mental health problems. To do this effectively, schools and school staff must work in collaboration with the young people themselves, their families, and other support services within the community, particularly primary health care services, including general practice. The importance of developing effective partnerships and care pathways between schools and the primary health care sector is being increasingly acknowledged, and initiatives such as MindMatters Plus GP have advanced our understanding in this area.

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