Socialization or Social Isolation?

2021 ◽  
pp. 360-380
Author(s):  
Kim Heyes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Global North ◽  
The Uk

This research project specifically examines the experience of online community support groups as reported by users. The project began out of concern that healthcare providers in the Global North are directing people with mental health problems to online services, without seemingly understanding the impact that this may have on the individuals. The research findings will be of particular interest to mental health practitioners and service providers in the UK and elsewhere in the Global North, and aims to influence decisions made for policies around developing new online mental health services.

scholarly journals Socialization or Social Isolation?

2018 ◽  
pp. 28-55
Author(s):  
Kim Heyes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Global North ◽  
The Uk

This research project specifically examines the experience of online community support groups as reported by users. The project began out of concern that healthcare providers in the Global North are directing people with mental health problems to online services, without seemingly understanding the impact that this may have on the individuals. The research findings will be of particular interest to mental health practitioners and service providers in the UK and elsewhere in the Global North, and aims to influence decisions made for policies around developing new online mental health services.

Recovery Star: validating user recovery

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoff Dickens ◽  
Judy Weleminsky ◽  
Yetunde Onifade ◽  
Philip Sugarman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Mental Health Recovery ◽  
Addictive Behaviour ◽  
Health Service Providers ◽  
The Uk

Aims and methodMental Health Recovery Star is a multifaceted 10-item outcomes measure and key-working tool that has been widely adopted by service providers in the UK. We aimed to explore its factorial validity, internal consistency and responsiveness. Recovery Star readings were conducted twice with 203 working-age adults with moderate to severe mental health problems attending a range of mental health services, and a third time with 113 of these individuals.ResultsMental Health Recovery Star had high internal consistency and appeared to measure an underlying recovery-oriented construct. Results supported a valid two-factor structure which explained 48% of variance in Recovery Star ratings data. Two Recovery Star items (‘relationships’ and ‘addictive behaviour’) did not load onto either factor. There was good statistically significant item responsiveness, and no obvious item redundancy. Data for a small number of variables were not normally distributed and the implications of this are discussed.Clinical implicationsRecovery Star has been received enthusiastically by both mental health service providers and service users. This study provides further evidence for its adoption in recovery-focused mental health services and indicates that items relating to addictive behaviour, responsibilities and work could be further developed in future.

scholarly journals A human right to be detained? Mental healthcare after ‘Savage’ and ‘Rabone'

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 294-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Shaiyan Rahman ◽  
Nadya Wolferstan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Human Right ◽  
Health Service Providers ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Suicidal Patients

SummaryThe UK courts have recently considered the management of suicidal patients in the cases of Savage and Rabone. As a result of these judgments, the case law has extended significantly the responsibilities of mental healthcare providers. In this article we discuss the repercussions of these landmark decisions which are likely to have significant consequences for mental health service providers in the UK.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of Telemedicine for Older Adults With Dementia During COVID-19: An Alternative to In-person Health Services?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sasha Elbaz ◽  
Karin Cinalioglu ◽  
Kerman Sekhon ◽  
Johanna Gruber ◽  
Christina Rigas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Remote Consultation ◽  
Health Assessments

Introduction: Older adults with dementia have been significantly at more risk for not receiving the care needed and for developing further mental health problems during COVID-19. Although the rise in telemedicine adoption in the healthcare system has made it possible for patients to connect with their healthcare providers virtually, little is known about its use and effects among older adults with dementia and their mental health.Objective: This systematic review aimed to explore the use, accessibility, and feasibility of telemedicine in older adults with dementia, as well as examine the potential mental health impacts of these technologies, through reviewing evidence from studies conducted during COVID-19.Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched with the following keywords: (COVID* OR SARS-CoV-2 OR Coronavirus) AND (“mental health” OR Depression OR Stress) AND (Dementia OR Multi-Infarct Dementia OR Vascular Dementia OR Frontotemporal Dementia) AND (elder OR Aging OR Aging OR Aged) AND (Telemedicine OR “Remote Consultation” OR telehealth OR technology).Results: A total of 7 articles from Asia, Europe, and the United States were included in this review. Throughout the studies cognitive and mental health assessments (e.g., MoCA, FAST, etc.) were performed. Despite the barriers, telemedicine was noted as a feasible approach to assist individuals with dementia in connecting with their service providers and family while reducing complications related to travel (e.g., difficulty moving, traffic, distance).Conclusions: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, finding alternative ways to provide services to older adults with dementia through technology may continue to become more necessary as time goes on.

scholarly journals HappyMaps: a single hub of resources on children and young people's mental health for parents and professionals

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S26-S26
Author(s):  
Georgina Griffiths ◽  
Jasmin Krischer ◽  
Cara Roberts-Collins ◽  
Elaine Lunts
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Waiting Times ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Self Help ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Future Work

AimsMental health issues in children and young people are a growing concern and the benefits of intervening early are well established for many mental health problems, but existing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are often over-stretched with variable waiting times for assessment. Many children also have problems which do not reach the referral thresholds and parents are left to find advice elsewhere. Existing resources for parents are scattered across many different websites and therefore difficult to access both for parents and professionals working with young people. With this in mind, and in consultation with CAMHS Bristol and many other stake-holders (including parents themselves) we designed an easily navigable website intended as a single comprehensive portal of resources for parents of children with mental illness and difficulties.MethodQualitative research methods were used to gather information about how the website should be designed and also to gather feedback once the website was live. Focus groups were performed with parents/carers and stakeholder discussions took place to inform the design of the website. Once the website was live, surveys via a Survey Monkey link on the website and Google Analytics were used to evaluate the website.Result60,000 users have utilised the website since the launch in March 2019. Two thirds of users are women and one third are men. Most popular webpages that are visited are primary, secondary, help-in -a-crisis and self-help for young people. Positive feedback has been collected from both parents/carers and service providers. The website has continued to develop and is now a registered charity and has received community lottery funding, which will allow for further evaluation and developments.ConclusionHappyMaps has been successful in providing a single hub of information for parents/carers, GPs, CAMHS workers and teachers. Future work involves evaluating the website and attracting interest from other CAMHS teams and professionals in other areas of the UK so that they can create HappyMaps sections for their populations.

scholarly journals A Fair Deal for mental health includes local rehabilitation services

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 265-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Killaspy ◽  
Richard Meier
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Rehabilitation Services ◽  
Specialist Services ◽  
Mental Health Rehabilitation ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Out Of Area

SummaryLack of policy for mental health rehabilitation services has led to disinvestment and expansion of out-of-area placements in in-patient, nursing and residential care settings in the independent sector. Although a minority provide very specialist services that cannot be provided locally, and many provide good-quality care, there are significant concerns about the lack of rehabilitation focus in some of those services, poor links with local care managers and the social dislocation caused by being placed many miles from home. Additionally, out-of-area placements cost more than local rehabilitation services. There is, therefore, a compelling case for all individuals with complex mental health problems to have access to local rehabilitation services in order to expedite their recovery and social inclusion. The Faculty of Rehabilitation and Social Psychiatry of the Royal College of Psychiatrists has recently published a service template to guide commissioners and service providers in the UK in the kinds of rehabilitation services they need to provide locally.

Investigation of the “alternative” effects of an online support group for mental health problems among Japanese adults: A cross-sectional study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osamu Kobori ◽  
Naoki Yoshinaga
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Online Support ◽  
Online Support Groups ◽  
Online Support Group ◽  
Usage Frequency

BACKGROUND Owing to the rapid development of social networking services, online support groups vary widely both in goal and structure. Several studies have shown the potential effectiveness of online support groups, such as reducing psychological distress (eg depression) among individuals with mental health problems. However, online support groups often do not aim at effectiveness regarding distress-relief-related outcomes. OBJECTIVE The U2plus.jp (hereinafter U2plus) is an online support group for individuals with depression; in it, people support each other in structured ways while engaging in simple cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) exercises. This study aimed to examine if usage frequency of the U2plus functions are associated with decreased stigma and increased consumer. METHODS In total, 355 U2plus users took part in an online survey. They were asked what therapy they had ever received, how often they logged into it and used each of its functions, and completed the following questionnaires: The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Perceived Devaluation Discrimination Scale, and the General Help Seeking Scale. RESULTS Regarding the therapy they received, 89.3% (n=308) had been on medication for mental health problems, and 67.5% (n=233) had received psychotherapy or mental health counselling. Regarding the usage frequency, approximately 20% of the participants signed in to U2plus and used its functions more than once a week. The usage frequency of U2plus functions was not associated with perceived stigma. However, usage frequency of some functions was correlated to help seeking intentions from formal sources (eg doctors and psychologists). Moreover, 90% of the participants had a history of medication for their mental health. Additionally, the more depressed participants were, the more frequently they used U2plus. CONCLUSIONS It was suggested that online support groups may serve as an alternative treatment option for those who are already undergoing pharmacological treatment and are willing to seek help from whatever source they deem helpful.

scholarly journals Trajectory of Food Insecurity and Its Association with Longitudinal Mental Health and Sleep Outcomes in Adolescents from Economically Disadvantaged Families

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1696
Author(s):  
Ting-Hsuan Lee ◽  
Jen-Hao Kuo ◽  
Chia-Yi Liu ◽  
Yi-Fang Yu ◽  
Carol Strong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Economically Disadvantaged ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Estimating Equation ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Disadvantaged Families

Background: Adolescence is a critical transition period in the course of human development. Although food insecurity (FI) has been shown to be associated with adverse mental health and sleep outcomes in US adolescents, there is a paucity of research examining the relationships between FI, mental health, and sleep outcomes in Taiwanese adolescents. Furthermore, it is unknown how the change of FI over time (i.e., the trajectory of FI) is related to health outcomes. Methods: The data come from the Taiwan Database of Children and Youth in Poverty, which is a national longitudinal project measuring FI in five survey waves (2009–2017). We employed group-based trajectory modeling to classify various FI trends over the five waves using STATA. Furthermore, a generalized estimating equation analysis was conducted with FI trajectories as the independent variable to see how FI trajectory is related to mental health and sleep outcomes. Results: In total, 1921 participants aged 12–18 years in the first wave were deemed valid for the analysis. We classified the participants into four FI trajectory groups: persistently low FI (24.8%), persistently moderate FI (64.7%), declining from high to low FI (4.1%), and food-secure groups (6.4%). As compared to food-secure adolescents, the persistently moderate FI group was more likely to have mental problems (β = 0.30, [95% confidence interval 0.21–0.38]), while the other FI groups were only marginally associated with mental health problems. Moreover, adolescents in the persistently low FI group (β = 0.13, [0.02–0.23]) and persistently moderate FI group (β = 0.39, [0.29–0.48]) were found to have more sleep problems than those in the food-secure group. Conclusions: Our study describes the FI profile of adolescents from economically disadvantaged families and the difficulties they might encounter. With this information, healthcare providers can aid adolescents in the early stages of mental health problems and provide guidance when appropriate.

Leveraging Twitter Using Artificial Intelligence to Explore Mental Health Insights in the UK During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Marshall ◽  
Kate Lanyi ◽  
Rhiannon Green ◽  
Georgie Wilkins ◽  
Fiona Pearson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Key Topics ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND There is increasing need to explore the value of soft-intelligence, leveraged using the latest artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) techniques, as a source of analysed evidence to support public health research activity and decision-making. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to further explore the value of soft-intelligence analysed using AI through a case study, which examined a large collection of UK tweets relating to mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS A search strategy comprising a list of terms related to mental health, COVID-19, and lockdown restrictions was developed to prospectively collate relevant tweets via Twitter’s advanced search application programming interface over a 24-week period. We deployed a specialist NLP platform to explore tweet frequency and sentiment across the UK and identify key topics of discussion. A series of keyword filters were used to clean the initial data retrieved and also set up to track specific mental health problems. Qualitative document analysis was carried out to further explore and expand upon the results generated by the NLP platform. All collated tweets were anonymised RESULTS We identified and analysed 286,902 tweets posted from UK user accounts from 23 July 2020 to 6 January 2021. The average sentiment score was 50%, suggesting overall neutral sentiment across all tweets over the study period. Major fluctuations in volume and sentiment appeared to coincide with key changes to any local and/or national social-distancing measures. Tweets around mental health were polarising, discussed with both positive and negative sentiment. Key topics of consistent discussion over the study period included the impact of the pandemic on people’s mental health (both positively and negatively), fear and anxiety over lockdowns, and anger and mistrust toward the government. CONCLUSIONS Through the primary use of an AI-based NLP platform, we were able to rapidly mine and analyse emerging health-related insights from UK tweets into how the pandemic may be impacting people’s mental health and well-being. This type of real-time analysed evidence could act as a useful intelligence source that agencies, local leaders, and health care decision makers can potentially draw from, particularly during a health crisis.

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