Coronavirus pandemia as a challenge to the mental health system

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
I. A. Martsenkovsky ◽  
I. I. Martsenkovska ◽  
I. F. Zdoryk
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Psychiatric Care ◽  
Psychiatric Hospitals ◽  
Small Blood Vessel ◽  
Nervous Systems ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
The Brain

Background. Humanity is experiencing a collective mental trauma associated with the COVID 19 pandemic, which has immediate and delayed mental health consequences. The predicted is an increase in the number and severity of mental illness in the country, a decrease in the availability of medical and psychiatric care and social support for people with special needs. The pandemic is developing against the backdrop of the reform of specialized medical care, the reduction in funding for outpatient psychiatric services and psychiatric hospitals in the country. In addition, the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, causes COVID-19, along with the acute respiratory syndrome, can infect the brain, cause immune reactions, disrupt blood clotting, and small blood vessel thrombosis, further adversely affecting the brain functions and mental health of patients. Objective – to analyze the influence of the coronavirus disease pandemic on mental health, the course of mental and neurological disorders and the availability of psychiatric and general medical care for specialized patients, according to literature and the results of a survey of experts in mental health. Materials and methods. Using the information-analytical method, publications from MEDLINE, Embase, Pubmed, Web of Science and other open sources by keywords were selected and analyzed, and the results of a survey of doctors, heads of medical institutions and people representing patient and parent organizations were analyzed. acting in the interests of persons with mental disorders. Results and conclusions. The results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic affects all aspects of the life of Ukrainian society, is accompanied by massive lesions of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, nervous systems, mental disorders and is fraught with the development of a global crisis in the field of mental health. Multicenter studies of the effect of COVID-19 on the central and peripheral nervous systems, on the course of mental and neurological diseases in infected people, the study of the long-term psychological, psychological and neurological consequences of coronavirus disease, and the effect on the mental health of the entire population and vulnerable groups are needed. There is an urgent need for research to find out how to mitigate the psychological consequences of prolonged isolation in a pandemic, to develop tools for specific prevention in risk groups. It is necessary to develop mechanisms to increase the effectiveness of psychiatric care in a pandemic, mass social exclusion, demoralization of psychiatric and social support systems in the face of a high level of infection and a reduction in specialized services and medical workers. It is concluded that to solve this problem, integration between disciplines and sectors and new funding for research are needed.

scholarly journals Is there a role of gut microbiota in mental health?

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus W. Lange ◽  
Katharina M. Lange ◽  
Yukiko Nakamura ◽  
Shigehiko Kanaya
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Clinical Findings ◽  
Intestinal Microbes ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
Intervention Trials

Research on the interaction between gut microbiota and the brain may have implications for our understanding of brain function, cognition, behavior and mental health. The literature on gut microbiota and its role in the pathophysiology and potential treatment of mental disorders has proliferated in recent years. Several neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, have been linked to the gut microbiota. The present perspective discusses the promise and pitfalls of gut microbiota research in relation to mental health. The manipulation of intestinal microbes in animals has revealed connections between gut microbiota and both normal and pathological brain functions. The hope fueling this research is that gut microbiota could be harnessed to prevent and treat mental disorders. The links observed between an imbalance of gut microbiota and impaired behavioral and mental states in humans are correlational. It is therefore essential to establish cause and effect relationships. No distinct gut microbiota patterns linked to different mental disorders have yet been identified. Large-scale, longitudinal trials need to examine whether the gut microbiota is a valid therapeutic target for mental disorders and whether pre-clinical findings and initial results of intervention trials (e.g., administration of probiotics) are of clinical relevance.

scholarly journals Licensing and Physician Mental Health: Problems and Possibilities

2007 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 6-11
Author(s):  
Herbert Hendin ◽  
Charles Reynolds ◽  
Dan Fox ◽  
Steven I. Altchuler ◽  
Phillip Rodgers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Psychiatric Care ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Seeking Help ◽  
Medical License

ABSTRACT A number of factors appear to discourage physicians from seeking help for mental illness. This reluctance may be exacerbated by fears – well-founded or imagined – that by seeking help, physicians may put their medical license in jeopardy. To examine this risk, an analysis of all state medical board (SMB) license applications was followed by a seven-item survey mailed to SMB executive directors, and 70 percent responded. Follow up interviews were conducted with a sample of those not responding and also with a small group of directors whose responses were problematic. Thirteen of the 35 SMBs responding indicated that the diagnosis of mental illness by itself was sufficient for sanctioning physicians. The same states indicated that they treat physicians receiving psychiatric care differently than they do physicians receiving medical care. In follow-up interviews all 13 indicated that without evidence of impairment or misrepresentation any such sanctioning was likely to be temporary. A significant percentage (37 percent) of states sanction or have the ability to sanction physicians on the basis of information revealed on the licensing application about the presence of a psychiatric condition rather than on the basis of impairment. The same percentage state they treat physicians receiving psychiatric care differently than they do those receiving medical care. Physicians’ perceptions of this apparent discrimination is likely to play a role in their reluctance to seek help for mental health-related conditions. Suggestions are made for how SMBs and state physician health programs and state and county medical societies might collaborate in ways that while protecting patients decreases barriers to physicians help seeking.

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of the Pilot Implementation of Iran’s Comprehensive Mental and Social Health Services (the SERAJ Program): A Controlled Community Trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Hajebi ◽  
Vandad Sharifi ◽  
Mohammad Hossein Asgardoon ◽  
Behzad Damari
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Community Trial

Objective: A national program on providing comprehensive social and mental health services, entitled “SERAJ” was developed and piloted in three districts of Iran. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of SERAJ by conducting assessments before and after the implementation in the intervention and the control areas. Method: This was a controlled community trial that was assessed by conducting repeated surveys in the intervention and the control areas. In total, 2952 and 2874 individuals were assessed in the intervention and the control areas, respectively. The change in prevalence of mental disorders (using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview; CIDI), service utilization, mental health literacy, happiness, and perceived social support were measured over 18 months in three districts of Osko, Bardsir, and Quchan as the intervention areas, which were compared with three matched districts as the control areas. Results: No significant difference was found in the mean score of happiness between the intervention and the control areas throughout the study period. Most aspects of mental health literacy were improved in the intervention areas after implementing the intervention. The mean score of social support decreased after implementing the intervention in all areas. The prevalence of mental disorders in the intervention districts was significantly reduced after 18 months. The rate of using any mental health services after the intervention was not statistically different between the intervention and the control areas. Conclusion: There was no significant change in some indicators in the intervention compared with the control areas. We suggest evaluating SERAJ’s achievements and challenges in the three intervention districts before expanding the implementation of this pilot experience into other districts.

scholarly journals Diet, Stress and Mental Health

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 2428 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Douglas Bremner ◽  
Kasra Moazzami ◽  
Matthew T. Wittbrodt ◽  
Jonathon A. Nye ◽  
Bruno B. Lima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Causal Pathways ◽  
Polyunsaturated Fats ◽  
As Stress ◽  
Acute Changes ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain

Introduction: There has long been an interest in the effects of diet on mental health, and the interaction of the two with stress; however, the nature of these relationships is not well understood. Although associations between diet, obesity and the related metabolic syndrome (MetS), stress, and mental disorders exist, causal pathways have not been established. Methods: We reviewed the literature on the relationship between diet, stress, obesity and psychiatric disorders related to stress. Results: Diet and obesity can affect mood through direct effects, or stress-related mental disorders could lead to changes in diet habits that affect weight. Alternatively, common factors such as stress or predisposition could lead to both obesity and stress-related mental disorders, such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Specific aspects of diet can lead to acute changes in mood as well as stimulate inflammation, which has led to efforts to assess polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) as a treatment for depression. Bidirectional relationships between these different factors are also likely. Finally, there has been increased attention recently on the relationship between the gut and the brain, with the realization that the gut microbiome has an influence on brain function and probably also mood and behavior, introducing another way diet can influence mental health and disorders. Brain areas and neurotransmitters and neuropeptides that are involved in both mood and appetite likely play a role in mediating this relationship. Conclusions: Understanding the relationship between diet, stress and mood and behavior could have important implications for the treatment of both stress-related mental disorders and obesity.

scholarly journals Neuroscience and the future for mental health?

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Rose
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Living Organism ◽  
Brain Disorders ◽  
Diagnostic Systems ◽  
Social Adversity ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Brain

Psychiatry is in one of its regular crises. It is a crisis of its diagnostic systems despite – perhaps because – of the recurrent claims about the extent of diagnosable ‘brain disorders’. It is a crisis of its explanatory systems despite – perhaps because – of its current wager on the brain as the ultimate locus for explanations of mental disorders. It is a crisis of its therapeutic capacities despite – perhaps because – more and more people are making use of its primary mode of intervention focussed on the brain – psychiatric drugs. In this editorial, I will suggest that this triple crisis of diagnosis, explanation and therapeutics arises from the dominant reductionist approaches to the role of neurobiology in psychiatry that priorities the analysis of brain mechanisms, at the expense of an understanding of the whole living organism in its milieu, and the processes which social experience shapes neurobiology from the moment of conception if not before. I shall suggest a different approach that starts from the experience of persons coping with adversity in their forms of life. This approach does not require giving up on our search for plausible explanations of mental health problems that engage neurobiological mechanisms, but it begins from a commitment to understanding, and hence intervening in, the ways in which social adversity shapes and blights the lives of so many of our fellow citizens.

Exercise and the brain in multiple sclerosis

2020 ◽  
pp. 135245852096909
Author(s):  
Brian M Lozinski ◽  
V Wee Yong
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Brain Functions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Brain

While people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) historically were advised to avoid physical activity to reduce symptoms such as fatigue, they are now encouraged to remain active and to enlist in programs of exercise. However, despite an extensive current literature that exercise not only increases physical well-being but also their cognition and mental health, many PwMS are not meeting recommended levels of exercise. Here, we emphasize the impact and mechanisms of exercise on functional and structural changes to the brain, including improved connectome, neuroprotection, neurogenesis, oligodendrogenesis, and remyelination. We review evidence from animal models of multiple sclerosis (MS) that exercise protects and repairs the brain, and provide supportive data from clinical studies of PwMS. We introduce the concept of MedXercise, where exercise provides a brain milieu particularly conducive for a brain regenerative medication to act upon. The emphasis on exercise improving brain functions and repair should incentivize PwMS to remain physically active.

scholarly journals A Review of the Admission System for Mental Disorders in South Korea

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (24) ◽  
pp. 9159
Author(s):  
Dun-Sol Go ◽  
Kwon-Chul Shin ◽  
Jong-Woo Paik ◽  
Keun-A Kim ◽  
Seok-Jun Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Length Of Stay ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Psychiatric Care ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Admission System

This study presents a comprehensive overview of the characteristics of mental health problems and admission system in South Korea. We compared the mental health-related indicators data from South Korea to data from other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. South Korea was identified as the country with the highest suicide rate, the longest length of stay in hospitals for mental disorders, and the highest number of psychiatric care beds. These results can be explained by considering the admission system for mental disorders. We reviewed the admission system and the Mental Health Promotion and Welfare Act, providing direction for improving the system.

scholarly journals Common mental disorders in Petrópolis-RJ: a challenge to integrate mental health into primary care strategies

2011 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Fortes ◽  
Claudia S. Lopes ◽  
Luiz A. B. Villano ◽  
Mônica R. Campos ◽  
Daniel A. Gonçalves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Special Group ◽  
Health Strategy ◽  
Family Health Strategy

OBJECTIVE: Common mental disorders are present in more than 50% of patients attending primary care clinics. The main objectives of this study were to detect whether there is any special group of patients within the Family Health Strategy that should be considered to be in greater risk for common mental disorders and to recommend alternative interventions to aid these patients. METHOD: In 2002, a cross-sectional study on common mental disorders seen at Family Health Strategy centers was conducted in Petrópolis, State of Rio de Janeiro. RESULTS: Common mental disorders were associated with women (OR = 2.90; 95% CI 1.82-4.32), younger than 45 years of age (OR = 1.43; 95% CI 1.02-2.01), with a monthly per capita family income of less than US$40.00 (OR = 1.68; 95% CI 1.20-2.39), and without a partner (OR = 1.71; 95% CI 1.22-2.39). Illiteracy was associated with common mental disorders among patients who were not extremely poor. Social support networks such as going often to church (OR = 0.62; 95% CI 0.43-0.89); participating in artistic and sporting activities (OR = 0.42; 95% CI 0.26-0.70) and having at least four trusted relatives or friends (OR = 0.53; 95% CI 0.31-0.91) was inversely associated with common mental disorders. DISCUSSION: Poor women with little social support represent a special group at risk for common mental disorders in the primary care setting. Some countries have developed special interventions to treat patients with common mental disorders in primary care. CONCLUSION: Mental health care programs could include evidence-based psychosocial interventions to assist women in overcoming the vicious circle of poverty and dealing with their mental disorders.

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