Innovation Through Virtualization: Crisis Mental Health Care during Covid-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-75
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. Hensel ◽  
James M. Bolton ◽  
Danielle Carignan Svenne ◽  
Lori Ulrich
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Transmission Risk ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Crisis Care

The covid-19 pandemic created major challenges for mental health crisis care. Our crisis centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba rapidly virtualized the full spectrum of services offered with remarkable uptake, resulting in avoided hospitalizations and reduced transmission risk for covid-19. We must determine how to best adopt these approaches into post-pandemic crisis care.

scholarly journals Mental health crisis and spatial accessibility to mental health services in the city of Toronto: A geographic study

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-213
Author(s):  
Lu Wang ◽  
Joseph Ariwi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Spatial Accessibility ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The City ◽  
Specialized Mental Health

Abstract: Mental illness includes a wide range of disorders that affect mood, thinking, behaviour and overall wellbeing. One in five Canadians has mental health care needs, many of which are unmet. Within the City of Toronto, the provision of specialized mental health care is delivered by over 100 public and private community service organisations and over 700 physicians with a psychiatric specialization - each providing community-based general or specialised care to residents in need. Research has shown that travel distance is an enabling factor of health service utilisation, thus equitable spatial access to services remains a key priority. Using spatial quantitative methods, this study examines potential spatial accessibility to both general and specialized mental health services within the City of Toronto, and levels of statistical association between access to care and prevalence of mental health crisis events. The main datasets analyzed including geo-referenced Census data and occurrence data on mental health crisis (represented by apprehensions under the Mental Health Act undertaken by the Toronto Police Service). The enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) method is used to model spatial accessibility to mental health services based four modes of transportation: driving, walking, cycling and public transit. Areas that are underserved by mental health specialists and mental health community services are identified and shown to have different socioeconomic characteristics. The study reveals spatially explicit patterns of access to various mental health services in Toronto, providing detailed data to inform the planning of and policy on mental health care delivery concerning severe mental health crisis.

scholarly journals Digital Mental Health: The Answer to the Global Mental Health Crisis?

10.2196/18472 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. e18472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany N Rudd ◽  
Rinad S Beidas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Health Prevention ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Prevention And Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

Digital mental health interventions are often touted as the solution to the global mental health crisis. However, moving mental health care from the hands of professionals and into digital apps may further isolate individuals who need human connection the most. In this commentary, we argue that people, our society’s greatest resource, are as ubiquitous as technology. Thus, we argue that research focused on using technology to support all people in delivering mental health prevention and intervention deserves greater attention in the coming decade.

scholarly journals Digital Mental Health: The Answer to the Global Mental Health Crisis? (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany N Rudd ◽  
Rinad S Beidas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Health Prevention ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Prevention And Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

UNSTRUCTURED Digital mental health interventions are often touted as the solution to the global mental health crisis. However, moving mental health care from the hands of professionals and into digital apps may further isolate individuals who need human connection the most. In this commentary, we argue that people, our society’s greatest resource, are as ubiquitous as technology. Thus, we argue that research focused on using technology to support all people in delivering mental health prevention and intervention deserves greater attention in the coming decade.

scholarly journals Mental health crisis resolution teams and crisis care systems in England: a national survey

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 146-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brynmor Lloyd-Evans ◽  
Danielle Lamb ◽  
Joseph Barnby ◽  
Michelle Eskinazi ◽  
Amelia Turner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Service Improvement ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Crisis Resolution ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Crisis Resolution Teams ◽  
Crisis Care

Aims and methodA national survey investigated the implementation of mental health crisis resolution teams (CRTs) in England. CRTs were mapped and team managers completed an online survey.ResultsNinety-five per cent of mapped CRTs (n = 233) completed the survey. Few CRTs adhered fully to national policy guidelines. CRT implementation and local acute care system contexts varied substantially. Access to CRTs for working-age adults appears to have improved, compared with a similar survey in 2012, despite no evidence of higher staffing levels. Specialist CRTs for children and for older adults with dementia have been implemented in some areas but are uncommon.Clinical implicationsA national mandate and policy guidelines have been insufficient to implement CRTs fully as planned. Programmes to support adherence to the CRT model and CRT service improvement are required. Clearer policy guidance is needed on requirements for crisis care for young people and older adults.Declaration of interestNone.

scholarly journals Psychiatric liaison referrals: a thematic analysis during peak COVID-19

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S294-S294
Author(s):  
Kaj Svedberg ◽  
William Hancox ◽  
Hugh Grant-Peterkin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Low Mood ◽  
Crisis Care

AimsWith the advent of the COVID-19 Pandemic the NHS long term Plan commitments of January 2019 to improve crisis care nationwide became all the more pressing. The aim of this study was to thematically investigate what mental health crisis presentations might be diverted from the Emergency department to external crisis hubs in order to reduce the COVID-19 contamination risks.MethodAll referrals made to the Homerton University Hospital (HUH) mental health liaison service were looked at between 1/3/20-11/6/20 (n = 846), coinciding with the first peak of the COVID-19 Pandemic.Referral data was anonymised and sorted independently into naturally emerging thematic classes by two junior liaison doctors.Cases that did not clearly fit any of the 14 themes generated were further looked into to determine outcome of referral and discussed to try and match to an appropriate class.Result14 frequent themes for mental health crisis referrals were identified. The distribution of these ranged from most common (suicidality) to neurocognitive presentation and identified shifts in themes over the course of the pandemic peak such as increases of low mood, anxiety and intoxication requiring medical attention over the three month period.ConclusionAlthough themes for presentations may be identified in acute referrals to mental health liaison services it is problematic determining how these may be parsed safely to crisis hubs without risking overlooking cases that may require medical attention. The most common theme that was identified and remained throughout the first wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic was acute suicidal presentation. The remaining themes would require careful consideration around risk thresholds for what a service may wish to accept in devolving the emergency department liaison and balance these against future risks of repeat COVID-19 waves.

Breaking down the barriers to mental health crisis care: Evaluation of a training package for emergency department clinicians

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s895-s895
Author(s):  
M. Fernando ◽  
M. Bhat
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Mental Health Training ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Crisis Care ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionAbout one in 20 attendances at emergency departments (EDs) in the UK relate to mental health, yet recent work has shown that a majority of people presenting with mental health crises do not report positive experiences (Care Quality Commission, 2015). Although there are many reasons for this, one may be a lack of mental health training for staff working in EDs. In response to this, a new training module for multi-professional ED staff was developed.Objectives and methodsWe aimed to assess the impact of this new module on clinicians’ confidence in managing mental health presentations. Thirty-eight ED doctors and nurses across two centers were asked to complete surveys before and after receiving training.ResultsFollowing training, we found improvements in confidence in each of five domains explored: assessing self-harm; managing someone with personality difficulties; assessing psychotic symptoms; distinguishing between physical and psychotic symptoms; and, managing psychotic symptoms. These improvements were seen for clinicians across both centers.ConclusionsThe results show that training can help to improve confidence around mental health. This is particularly important given that before the training was developed a survey of local ED doctors had shown that 31% felt under-confident in managing mental health conditions. Since developing the training, it has been further enhanced at the request of local EDs to include video-based scenarios. We continue to assess its impact in improving the confidence of ED clinicians (as well as their knowledge, skills and attitudes towards mental health), and ultimately the benefit to patients experiencing mental health crises.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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