Caring for Children and Youth with Ongoing Mental Health Problems: Perspectives of Family Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Social Workers and Psychologists in Primary Health Care

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 51-73
Author(s):  
Graham J. Reid ◽  
Judith B. Brown ◽  
Stephanie Mowat
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Scope Of Practice ◽  
Care Coordinator ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Ongoing Monitoring

Few studies have examined a diversity of professionals’ perspectives in providing children’s mental health (CMH) care, particularly for ongoing-complex problems. Based on interviews with 16 primary healthcare (PHC) providers, care for ongoing-complex CMH problems depended on provider interest and scope of practice. Most providers felt PHC is where ongoing-complex CMH problems should be cared for, where providers can emphasize advocacy, coordination, and ongoing monitoring; few felt able to provide this type of care. A comprehensive approach for incorporating PHC with specialized MH services is needed. Defining a care coordinator would be a clear step toward improving collaboration and care.

The impact of COVID-19 quarantine measures on the mental health of families

2021 ◽  
pp. 146801732110117
Author(s):  
Fakir Al Gharaibeh ◽  
Laura Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Strong Shock ◽  
Psychosocial Interventions ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
The Impact

Summary COVID-19 is shaping all aspects of life throughout the world. The unexpected number of people who have been infected with and died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is evidence that the pandemic has affected families and societies. The strong shock wave that has resulted in the international response has focused more on medical rather than psychosocial interventions. Little has been written or studied about the impact of COVID-19 on families. This article explores the impact of the COVID-19 quarantine on the mental health of families. We conducted 20 in-depth interviews with Jordanian families through snowball sampling. Findings The results show that 20 interviewees described varied and new experiences. Many of the families we interviewed displayed symptoms of mental health problems, including disrupted sleep patterns, changes in eating habits, excessive digital media use, anxiety, depression, excessive smoking, stomach aches, bedwetting among children, and persistent headaches. The study also demonstrated the psychological stress partners felt during the lockdown due to their worries about job security. They also communicated their hope that renewed family commitments might bring more stability to their relationships. During the lockdown, family members spent more time together, and it became harder to conceal any issues from each other. Applications The findings of this research demonstrate a critical need for social workers, and it is hoped that future legislation will include a role for social workers in various fields of crisis. Moreover, social workers should encourage families to ask for intervention to overcome the long-term effects that may result from COVID-19.

Supporting Young People at School With High Mental Health Needs

2005 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra Rickwood
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Young People ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Primary Health

AbstractFor young people still at school, the school setting is vital to their mental health and wellbeing. Not only does the school environment have a direct and indirect impact on mental health, it provides an opportunistic setting in which to identify and respond to emerging mental health problems. To do this effectively, schools and school staff must work in collaboration with the young people themselves, their families, and other support services within the community, particularly primary health care services, including general practice. The importance of developing effective partnerships and care pathways between schools and the primary health care sector is being increasingly acknowledged, and initiatives such as MindMatters Plus GP have advanced our understanding in this area.

scholarly journals Impact of mental health and addiction NIMHANS ECHO on primary care physicians: study from a rural state of India

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S157-S157
Author(s):  
Shabinabegam A M Sheth ◽  
Bhavya Bairy ◽  
Aurobind Ganesh ◽  
Sumi Jain ◽  
Prabhat Chand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Secondary Outcomes

AimsAs per National Mental Health Survey-2015-16, 83 out of 100 people having mental health problems do not have access to care in India. Further, primary health care providers (PCPs) have not been adequately trained in the screening, diagnosis, and initial management of common mental health conditions. There is thus a need to train health care providers at the State level to incorporate mental health into primary health care. In this paper, we report the findings of a collaborative project between the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) Bangalore India, and the state of Chhattisgarh incorporating mental health into primary care and addressing urban-rural disparities through tele-mentoring.MethodWe assessed the impact of the NIMHANS Extended Community Health Care Outcome (ECHO), an online, blended training program on participants' knowledge and competence (primary outcome) and commitment, satisfaction, and performance (Secondary outcomes) using Moore's evaluation framework. Primary and secondary outcomes were determined through a pre-post evaluation, assessment of trainee participation in the quarterly tele ECHO clinic as well as periodic assignments, respectively.ResultOver ten months of the NIMHANS ECHO program, there was a significant improvement in the participants' knowledge post-ECHO (p < 0.05, t = −3.52). Self-efficacy in diagnosis and management of mental health problems approached significance; p < 0.001. Increased engagement in tele-ECHO sessions was associated with better performance for declarative and procedural knowledge. The attrition rate was low (5 out of 30 dropped out), and satisfaction ratings of the course were high across all fields. The participants reported a 10- fold increase in the number of patients with mental health problems they had seen, following the training. A statistically significant increase in the number of psychotropic drugs prescribed post ECHO with t = −3.295, p = 0.01.ConclusionThe outcomes indicate that the NIMHANS ECHO with high participant commitment is a model with capacity building potential in mental health and addiction for remote and rural areas by leveraging technology. This model has the potential to be expanded to other states in the country in providing mental health care to persons in need of care.

scholarly journals The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of Canadian children and youth

FACETS ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 1628-1648
Author(s):  
Tracy Vaillancourt ◽  
Peter Szatmari ◽  
Katholiki Georgiades ◽  
Amanda Krygsman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Stepped Care ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Coordinated Care ◽  
Significant Impairment ◽  
The Impact

Children and youth flourish in environments that are predictable, safe, and structured. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted these protective factors making it difficult for children and youth to adapt and thrive. Pandemic-related school closures, family stress, and trauma have led to increases in mental health problems in some children and youth, an area of health that was already in crisis well before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. Because mental health problems early in life are associated with significant impairment across family, social, and academic domains, immediate measures are needed to mitigate the potential for long-term sequalae. Now more than ever, Canada needs a national mental health strategy that is delivered in the context in which children and youth are most easily accessible—schools. This strategy should provide coordinated care across sectors in a stepped care framework and across a full continuum of mental health supports spanning promotion, prevention, early intervention, and treatment. In parallel, we must invest in a comprehensive population-based follow-up of Statistics Canada’s Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth so that accurate information about how the pandemic is affecting all Canadian children and youth can be obtained. It is time the Canadian government prioritizes the mental health of children and youth in its management of the pandemic and beyond.

scholarly journals Mental health in primary health care: professionals’ perceptions and patients’ levels of depression, anxiety and stress

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Varela Madureira ◽  
Maria Cristina Quintas Antunes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Self Administration ◽  
Primary Health

Background: The integration of mental health in primary health care, throughout its various functional units and with effective articulation between primary health care and mental health services, has been considered an essential objective of the legislative documents produced in the last three decades in Portugal, among them the National Health Plan 2011-2016.Goals: This study aimed to inquire health professionals’ perceptions about mental health care provided by public primary health care units, namely their perceptions about the mental health of their patients. It also intended to explore the difficulties perceived by the health professionals in their daily activity about the mental health problems of their patients and about the need of clinical psychologists’ activity in the public primary health care.Methods: This is an observational cross-sectional study with two non-probabilistic samples: health professionals (doctors, nurses and psychologists) and patients from two public health care units. Health professionals were interviewed (individual structured face-to-face interviews) about their perceptions of needs for improving their capacity to provide mental healthcare and about patients’ mental health conditions. Patients responded (by self-administration) to the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), providing a characterization of patients’ stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression.Results: Health professionals in their daily practice often identify in their patients symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression (most particularly in adults),. Several issues were identified as problematic, such as: poor access of the referral system for psychiatric and clinical psychological specialized care, insufficient number of health professionals, particularly of psychologists, and lack of appropriate mental health care specialization. The results also revealed relevant levels of stress, anxiety and depression in primary health care patients (both genders), which seem to increase with age. Discussion: Difficulties identified by health professionals may relate to the centralisation of resources, resistance to change from human resources management, lack of consensus among the various decision groups linked to mental health and, at institutional level, insufficient and inadequate funding. These factors may contribute to a failure in early diagnosis of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. It is expected that articulation between primary health services and differentiated health services will improve, with improvement in teamwork among professionals and increase of the quality of life of users, satisfaction with work, from health professionals,  and reduction of health costs.

The First Private Practice as a Registration Authority Authorised Nurse Practitioner in Australia

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Cashin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Nurse Practitioner ◽  
Private Practice ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Scope Of Practice ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Mental Health Nurse ◽  
Health Nurse ◽  
Third Party Reimbursement

The first private practice conducted, owned by and advertised as an authorised nurse practitioner practice in Australia was established in February 2004. A mental health nurse practitioner established the practice in a medical centre to provide counselling and mental health services for individuals, couples and families. This paper discusses the first 18 months of operation and considers the experience in the context of the small amount of published data, internationally, related to nurse owned and run private practices in general, and nurse practitioner practices. The practical steps of setting up, reimbursement and meeting challenges, in particular, are discussed. Diary entries and copies of emails were used as data through which the experience was tracked. The conclusion was reached that private practice as a nurse practitioner is possible. Scope of practice and financial remuneration are limited by the current third party reimbursement arrangements under Medicare and the lack of provision of PBS provider numbers to nurse practitioners.

scholarly journals The transition from university to work: what happens to mental health? A longitudinal study

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Østertun Geirdal ◽  
Per Nerdrum ◽  
Tore Bonsaksen
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Professional Lives ◽  
Young Professionals ◽  
Study Programs

Abstract Background When enrolled in university or college, students receive varying degrees of training in managing practical situations in the workplace. However, after graduation, the young professionals meet their responsibilities at work. The experience of the transition between education and work may connote a feeling of professional uncertainty and lack of coping, both of which are important factors related to young professionals’ mental health. The gap between the two areas of knowledge is frequently described as ‘practice shock’. Very few studies of mental health among students and young professional workers have used longitudinal designs. In the present study, we conducted a longitudinal investigation of change and stability in the levels of psychological distress among healthcare professionals, teachers, and social workers from the end of their study programs until 3 years into their subsequent professional lives. We also assessed the extent to which psychological distress at the end of the study program, sociodemographic characteristics, coping with the professional role, the psychosocial workplace environment, and experience of overall quality of life can predict psychological distress 3 years into their professional lives. Methods Psychological distress was measured using the General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12). A total of 773 students/young professionals participated at both the end of their study programs and 3 years into their professional lives. Group differences were examined by the chi-squared test, independent samples t-test, and one-way analysis of variance. McNemar’s test were applied to identify changes in the proportion of cases at the two time points. Linear and logistic regressions were employed to identify factors associated with GHQ-12 Likert scores and GHQ-12 case scores, respectively. Results Psychological distress was significantly reduced at 3 years for health professionals. Among the social workers and teachers, the change in psychological distress was not significant during the same period. Higher current quality of life contributed to lower psychological distress. Conclusions Our findings support assumptions about higher levels of mental health problems as students, with mental health improving as health professionals and social workers move into professional work.

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