scholarly journals Mental Health Issues during Covid-19 Pandemic in Portuguese Prisons

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Abrunhosa Gonçalves ◽  
Joana Andrade
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Criminal Activity ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Recidivism Rates ◽  
Prison Life ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Virus Contamination ◽  
One Year

During imprisonment, inmates face many difficulties to adapt to prison life well depicted in either classical works or recent research. They usually face many struggles related to the lack of contact with their families. For instance, the less the number of prison visits, the higher levels of aggressiveness and, consequently, the lower levels of adaptation. Additionally, this population is already problematic in “normal conditions” of their imprisonment. When facing crisis – such as the Covid-19 pandemic – their mental and emotional conditions become even worst. Inmates may experience higher levels of anxiety and stress due to the uncertain and high-risk circumstances they are all living. In addition, the deprivations of the support from their families, combined with the higher risk they are exposed due to the danger of Covid-19 virus’ contamination, substantially increase their concerns and could contribute to their lack of adjustment. The present chapter refers to the policies implemented by the Portuguese Prison Administration to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic and a provisional balance of its effects after one year of implementation. Besides information regarding inmate’s mental health conditions during pandemic, data on recidivism rates and criminal activity will also be discussed concerning their implication for future penitentiary policies.

Emerging Artificial Intelligence-Empowered Mobile Health: A scoping review (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paras Bhatt ◽  
Jia Liu ◽  
Yanmin Gong ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Yuanxiong Guo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Disease Management ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Predictive Models ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Chronic Health Conditions ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Issues

BACKGROUND Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized healthcare delivery in recent years. There is an increase in research for advanced AI techniques, such as deep learning to build predictive models for the early detection of diseases. Such predictive models leverage mobile health (mHealth) data from wearable sensors and smartphones to discover novel ways for detecting and managing chronic diseases and mental health conditions. OBJECTIVE Currently, little is known about the use of AI-powered mHealth settings. Therefore, this scoping review aims to map current research on the emerging use of AI-powered mHealth (AIM) for managing diseases and promoting health. Our objective is to synthesize research in AIM models that have increasingly been used for healthcare delivery in the last two years. METHODS Using Arksey and O’Malley’s 5-point framework for conducting scoping reviews, we review AIM literature from the past two years in the fields of Biomedical Technology, AI, and Information Systems (IS). We searched three databases - informs PubsOnline, e-journal archive at MIS Quarterly, and ACM Digital Library using keywords such as mobile healthcare, wearable medical sensors, smartphones and AI. We include AIM articles and exclude technical articles focused only on AI models. Also, we use the PRISMA technique for identifying articles that represent a comprehensive view of current research in the AIM domain. RESULTS We screened 108 articles focusing on developing AIM models for ensuring better healthcare delivery, detecting diseases early, and diagnosing chronic health conditions, and 37 articles were eligible for inclusion. A majority of the articles were published last year (31/37). In the selected articles, AI models were used to detect serious mental health issues such as depression and suicidal tendencies and chronic health conditions such as sleep apnea and diabetes. The articles also discussed the application of AIM models for remote patient monitoring and disease management. The primary health concerns addressed relate to three categories: mental health, physical health, and health promotion & wellness. Of these, AIM applications were majorly used to research physical health, representing 46% of the total studies. Finally, a majority of studies use proprietary datasets (28/37) rather than public datasets. We found a lack of research in addressing chronic mental health issues and a lack of publicly available datasets for AIM research. CONCLUSIONS The application of AIM models for disease detection and management is a growing research domain. These models provide accurate predictions for enabling preventive care on a broader scale in the healthcare domain. Given the ever-increasing need for remote disease management during the pandemic, recent AI techniques such as Federated Learning (FL) and Explainable AI (XAI) can act as a catalyst to increase the adoption of AIM and enable secure data sharing across the healthcare industry.

A systematic review of studies examining effectiveness of therapeutic communities

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 168-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynne Magor-Blatch ◽  
Navjot Bhullar ◽  
Bronwyn Thomson ◽  
Einar Thorsteinsson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Substance Use Disorders ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Complex Interventions ◽  
Criminal Activity ◽  
Therapeutic Communities ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mental Health Issues

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to systematically review quantitative research since 2000 on the effectiveness of residential therapeutic communities (TCs) for the treatment of substance-use disorders with reference to substance-use, crime, mental health and social engagement outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic search with broad inclusion criteria resulted in the review of 11 studies. The studies investigated community-based TCs, as well as TCs modified for prisoners, prisoners transitioning to community living and TCs for individuals with co-occurring substance-use and mental health issues. Findings – Results were analysed by comparing the findings of the studies under investigation, of which three studies investigated within-subjects outcomes, four compared TC treatment with a no-treatment control condition and four compared TC treatment with another treatment condition. Conclusion: consistent with previous systematic reviews of TCs, outcomes varied across studies but indicated TCs are generally effective as a treatment intervention, with reductions in substance-use and criminal activity, and increased improvement in mental health and social engagement evident in a number of studies reviewed. Research limitations/implications – Variability in outcomes suggests further TC research and research syntheses focusing on a second key research question in the evaluation of complex interventions – how the intervention works – could play an important role in understanding TC effectiveness, and for whom it is effective and in what contexts. Practical implications – Although there is some variability in treatment populations included in this review, evidence reported in other studies suggests individuals with severe substance-use disorders, mental health issues, forensic involvement and trauma histories, will benefit from TC treatment. This is supported by the literature which has found a general relationship between severity of substance use and treatment intensity (Darke et al., 2012; De Leon et al., 2008) with outcomes further enhanced by self-selection into treatment and appropriate client-treatment matching (see De Leon, 2010; De Leon et al., 2000, 2008). The weight of evidence gleaned from multiple sources of research, including randomised control trials and field outcome studies (De Leon, 2010) suggests TCs are an important and effective treatment for clients in improving at least some aspects of their quality of life, specifically mental health and social engagement, and in reducing harmful behaviours, including substance-use and crime. Variability in treatment setting and populations reflect the real-world setting in which TC treatment is delivered, providing a multifaceted treatment modality to a complex population in variable circumstances. Originality/value – The strength of the current study is that it provided a broad evaluation of TC effectiveness across a range of outcomes (substance-use, criminal activity, mental health and social engagement), and is therefore valuable in updating the current literature and providing context for future research in this area. It aimed to address a key question in evaluating complex interventions: whether they are effective as they are delivered. Findings suggest that TC treatment is generally effective for the populations of concern in reducing substance use and criminal activity and contributing to some improvement in mental health and social engagement outcomes.

scholarly journals Suicidal Ideation in a Population-Based Sample of Adolescents: Implications for Family Medicine Practice

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esme Fuller-Thomson ◽  
Gail P. Hamelin ◽  
Stephen J. R. Granger
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Family Doctor ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Canadian Community Health Survey ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Issues

Introduction. This study investigated the relationship between suicidal ideation and demographic characteristics, health conditions, depression, and health care utilization patterns among adolescents. Methods. Secondary analysis of the regionally representative Canadian Community Health Survey conducted in 2000/2001 (response rate 85%). Adolescents aged 15 to 19 who reported suicidal ideation in the previous year (n=260) were compared with their peers who did not (n=5528). The association between suicidal ideation and socio-demographic and health characteristics were investigated. Findings. Almost three-quarters (73%) of suicidal adolescents had not spoken with any health professional about mental health issues in the preceding year. Despite the fact that 80% of suicidal adolescents had regular contact with their family doctor, only 5% had consulted with them about mental health issues. In addition to the well-known risk factors of depression and stress, suicidal ideation was highly elevated in adolescents with two or more chronic health conditions, self-reported poor health, migraines, and back pain and those whose activities were prevented by pain (P<.05). Other characteristics significantly correlated with suicidal ideation included smoking, living in single parent families, and having lower levels of social support. Conclusions. Family physicians should regularly screen for suicidal thoughts in their adolescent patients with these characteristics.

scholarly journals Mental health among entrepreneurs: The benefits of consciousness

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-74
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Overall
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Indigenous People ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Failure Rates ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Medical Practitioners ◽  
Mental Health Conditions ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Eastern Cultures ◽  
The Mind

High enterprise failure rates, the need to pivot, and fleeting runways are contributing to mental health issues among entrepreneurs. To treat a myriad of mental health conditions, western medical practitioners are acknowledging the effectiveness of consciousness and mindfulness tools, like yoga and meditation that have been practiced by indigenous people and eastern cultures for millennia. Some entrepreneurs are starting to use consciousness practices as not only a tool to balance the mind-body connection, but they are also using them to optimize performance. Implications for practice are discussed.

Mental health issues in children and adolescents with chronic illness

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan M. Delamater ◽  
Adriana Guzman ◽  
Katherine Aparicio
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Chronic Illness ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Chronic Health Conditions ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mental Health Issues

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider mental health issues in children and adolescents with chronic illness or health conditions, including their treatment, and issues related to delivery of services. Design/methodology/approach A selective review of the literature was conducted to highlight significant mental health issues and their treatment in youth with various types of chronic illness. Findings A significant portion of youth experience mental health problems related to their chronic health conditions. While evidence-based treatments are available to address these problems, significant barriers exist that impede the delivery of psychological and behavioral interventions for many youth. Research limitations/implications More controlled studies are needed to demonstrate the effectiveness and cost offset of delivering psychological and behavioral interventions for the population of youth with various types of chronic health conditions, particularly in clinical and community settings. Social implications Policy reform can ensure that mental health issues are effectively addressed for children with chronic illness. Policy is needed that promotes integrated health care, whereby psychological and behavioral interventions are delivered in health care settings along with medical interventions to reduce barriers to care. Originality/value Significant numbers of children and adolescents have chronic health conditions and many experience mental health problems related to their conditions. While evidence-based treatments are available to address these problems, significant barriers impede the delivery of psychological and behavioral interventions for many youth. Health care policy promoting integrated health care to deliver psychological and behavioral interventions in health care settings along with medical interventions should reduce barriers to care and improve both physical and mental health outcomes for youth.

Depression, Anxiety, and Physician Suicide

2021 ◽  
pp. 197-210
Author(s):  
Gia Merlo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Significant Risk Factor ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Medical Systems ◽  
Professional Help ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Common Diagnosis ◽  
Stigma Of Mental Illness

Physicians suffer from mental health issues, particularly depression, at higher rates than the general population, due to many of the same factors that contribute to burnout. However, there is a stigma within the profession that prevents them from getting help. This stigma can be based on feedback from self, colleagues, hospitals/medical systems, and licensing boards. Self-criticism by physicians may lead to self-stigmatization. Colleagues may be afraid to broach the topic of mental health and fail to refer their peers to professional help. Hospitals/medical systems often label physicians suffering from mental health issues as ”unprofessional.” Lastly, licensing boards may discriminate against physicians who disclose prior psychiatric history. Major depressive disorder is the most common diagnosis among physicians. Anxiety disorders have been less well-studied but are likely also to be a major problem. Approximately 300 to 400 physicians are estimated to die from suicide each year, and untreated mental health conditions are a significant risk factor. Action at individual, institutional, and organizational levels is necessary to combat the stigma of mental illness.

scholarly journals Attachment-Based Treatment of Chronic Medical Disorders: Learning from Stress-Based Mental Health Conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Similar Type ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Medical Treatments ◽  
Medical Interventions ◽  
Mental Health Conditions ◽  
Medical Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
The Brain

Adaptation to stressful conditions has been considered as a cause of chronic medical disorders for many years. However, the failure of adaptation involved in the genesis of these disorders has never been connected to mental health conditions that have the same adaptation failures to stress. A failure in the type of attachment in which parents help their children adapt to fearful conditions, which involves the hippocampus and amygdala regions in the brain, might be an underlying cause for both chronic medical disorders and mental health conditions. This paper will provide evidence for the underlying continuity of these conditions, as they relate to a similar type of attachment failure, as it impedes successful adaptation to stress. To demonstrate this continuity, case material is provided on patients with both conditions who are given model treatments that resolve each sequentially, indicating that they have a common attachment-based root. The importance of treating patients’ attachment-based deficits for both their medical and mental health issues concurrently supports using alternative, holistic medical strategies and attachment-based psychotherapy, in which the therapist can experience the fear of the patient and then advocate for them to help them resolve their problems for both types of conditions. The importance of using these therapies in treating chronic medical and mental health conditions is strongly supported by this evidence. These interventions are not adjunctive to the medical treatments but are as primary as the medical interventions in developing more pervasive resolution of the conditions.

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