scholarly journals The Interventions of a Mobile Mental Health Unit on the Refugee Crisis on a Greek Island

Psych ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-59
Author(s):  
Iliana Fylla ◽  
Eleonora Fousfouka ◽  
Maria Kostoula ◽  
Pinelopi Spentzouri
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Developmental Disorders ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Refugee Crisis ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Mobile Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Unit

This present study concerns refugees and asylum seekers who have been referred to a Mobile Mental Health Unit (MMHU-Ch) in rural Greece on a Northeast Aegean Island during the refugee crisis in 2015. Our objective is the examination and recording of psychopathology characteristics’, the presentation of the therapeutic interventions provided, and the difficulties. The sample is composed of 418 requests made by refugees, asylum seekers, adults, and children. The clinical and demographic data have been gathered from the MMHU-Ch’s charts. The study is retrospective, descriptive with quantitative and categorical variables. The data has been analyzed with the utilization of SPSS. The dominant diagnosis in children involves anxiety disorders, developmental disorders, and PTSD. One noteworthy finding is the high percentage of suicide behavior regardless of psychiatric diagnosis, which should be further examined. As far as interventions are concerned, the conclusions which have arisen are the gradually stronger commitment of the referents, but also the high percentage of requests that dropped out. Further examination of the interventions and their efficiency is recommended as well as probing the features of psychopathology in the long term with a view to clarifying the patronizing and aggravating factors.

scholarly journals Treatment Engagement of Psychotic Patients with a Mobile Mental Health Unit in Rural Areas in Greece: A Five-Year Study

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vaios Peritogiannis ◽  
Athina Tatsioni ◽  
Nefeli Menti ◽  
Aikaterini Grammeniati ◽  
Vassiliki Fotopoulou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Community Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Mobile Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Unit

Objectives. Treatment of psychotic disorders is impended by high rates of disengagement from mental health services and poor adherence to antipsychotic medication. This study examined the engagement rates of psychotic patients with a community mental health service during a 5-year period.Methods. The Mobile Mental Health Unit of Ioannina and Thesprotia (MMHU I-T) delivers services in remote, rural, mountainous areas using the resources of the primary care system. Clinical and demographic information for patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and related psychoses was obtained from the medical records of our unit.Results. A total of 74 psychotic patients initially engaged in treatment with our unit. In half of cases treatment was home-based. With the exclusion of patients who died or discharged, engagement rates were 67.2%. Statistical analysis was performed for 64 patients, and no differences were found between engaged and disengaged patients regarding clinical and demographic parameters. All engaged patients regularly refilled their antipsychotic prescriptions.Conclusion. Engagement rates in our study were comparable to previous research, involving urban settings and shorter follow-up duration. Community mental health teams may ensure treatment continuation for psychotic patients in deprived, remote areas. This is important for low-income countries, affected by economic crisis, such as Greece.

The contribution of a mobile mental health unit to the promotion of primary mental health in rural areas in Greece: A 2-year follow-up

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 425-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Peritogiannis ◽  
C. Mantas ◽  
D. Alexiou ◽  
V. Fotopoulou ◽  
V. Mouka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Mobile Mental Health ◽  
Northwestern Greece ◽  
Mental Health Unit

AbstractDuring the 2 years of the mobile mental-health unit's operation in Northwestern Greece, the referrals increased rapidly with 29.4% of patients never having received mental-health care before, while hospitalizations and relapses reduced significantly, indicating that community-oriented programs can contribute greatly to successfully addressing the needs of patients in remote rural areas.

scholarly journals Protocol for a prospective descriptive prevalence study of catatonia in an acute mental health unit in urban South Africa

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e040176
Author(s):  
Zukiswa Zingela ◽  
Louise Stroud ◽  
Johan Cronje ◽  
Max Fink ◽  
Stephanus van Wyk
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Clinical Information ◽  
Ethics Committees ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Nelson Mandela ◽  
Mental Health Unit

IntroductionCatatonia arises from serious mental, medical, neurological or toxic conditions. The prevalence range depends on the setting and the range is anything from 7% to 63% in other countries. South African prevalence rates are currently unknown. The proposed study is a quantitative descriptive study using the Bush Francis Catatonia Screening Instrument as a screening tool with a data capturing information sheet to extract clinical information from patient folders. The study will investigate: (1) prevalence of catatonia, (2) clinical and demographic correlates associated with catatonia, (3) predictors of catatonia, (4) response to treatment and (5) subjective experience of catatonia.Methods and analysisThe setting is an acute mental health unit (MHU) within a regional, general medical hospital in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa, which accepts referrals from within the hospital and from outlying clinics. Participants will be recruited from inpatients in the MHU from beginning of September 2020 to end of August 2021. Most admissions are involuntarily, under the Mental Health Care Act of 2002 with an age range of 13 to over 65 years. Participants who screen positive for catatonia will be followed up after discharge for 3 months to measure outcomes. Primary outcomes will include the 12-month prevalence rate of catatonia, descriptive and other data on presentation and assessment of catatonia in the MHU. Secondary outcomes will include data on treatment response, participants’ report of their subjective experience of catatonia and predictors of catatonia. Descriptive statistics, multivariate binomial logistic regression and univariate analyses will be conducted to evaluate associations between catatonia and clinical or demographic data which could be predictors of catatonia. Survival analysis will be used to examine the time to recovery after diagnosis and initiation of treatment. The 95% CI will be used to demonstrate the precision of estimates. The level of significance will be p≤0.05.Ethics and disseminationThe study has received ethical approval from the Research and Ethics Committees of the Eastern Cape Department of Health, Walter Sisulu University and Nelson Mandela University. The results will be disseminated as follows: at various presentations and feedback sessions; as part of a PhD thesis in Psychology at Nelson Mandela University; and in a manuscript that will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

Descriptive Study of Adjustment Disorders in a Mental Health Unit.

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S607-S607
Author(s):  
L. González ◽  
B. Pecino ◽  
C. Gomez ◽  
M. Anibarro ◽  
C. Ortigosa
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Care Physician ◽  
Psychiatric Evaluation ◽  
Adjustment Disorders ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Social Difficulties ◽  
Current Employment Status ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
Mental Health Unit

IntroductionAdjustment disorders are a common psychiatric disorder in primary care and mental health units, with point prevalence estimates ranging from 0.9% to 2.3%. These disorders have been recently defined as a stress response syndrome in the fifth edition of the DSM, causing emotional and social difficulties and also a large economic burden on society.ObjectivesThe aim of this descriptional study was to analyse the socio-demographic characteristics and treatment of the patients diagnosed with adjustment disorders in the first visit in a mental health unit.MethodsThe study sample consisted of 128 patients admitted for a psychiatric consultation in a mental health unit in Alicante (Spain) from their primary care physician, between February and July 2016. Variables of gender, age, current employment status, diagnosis and treatment were measured. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software.ResultsThe data from 31 patients who were diagnosed with adjustment disorders meant a 24% of the sample. The median age was 47 years old in the adjustment disorders group. Among those with adjustment disorders, 61% were women, and 52% of them were unemployed. Almost 60% of them had at least one pychotropic prescription and only 22% were derived to psychology.ConclusionsAdjustment disorders are considered as an intermediate category between no mental disorder and affective disorders. Most authors recommend to start with a psychotherapeutic intervention. Despite starting with medication has not proved effectiveness in the studies, most of the patients had at least one psychotropic prescription before the psychiatric evaluation.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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