International Journal of Mental Health Nursing最新文献

Filicide is usually defined as the killing of a child by a parent(s), stepparent, or equivalent guardian and is a deeply distressing form of family violence that intersects public health, mental health, legal, and social systems. Filicide is often associated with parental mental health disorders, family dysfunction, and complex psychosocial stressors, yet healthcare responses, particularly within mental health nursing, remain underexplored. This scoping review aims to identify the characteristics of individuals who commit filicide and examine the tools, indicators, or clinical practices used within healthcare settings to assess and manage filicide risk, with a focus on informing mental health nursing practice. A scoping review methodology was employed, guided by Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage framework and reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR checklist. A comprehensive search of six databases was conducted which included EMBASE, Education Source, APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, Medline Complete, and Scopus. Data were charted, descriptively analysed, and appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool to map existing evidence and identify gaps in the assessment of filicide risk within healthcare settings. Fifteen studies were included, primarily conducted in psychiatric hospitals across diverse global settings, with most published in the previous 5 years. Most studies focused on filicidal mothers, identifying key risk markers such as a history of mental health disorders, trauma, psychiatric diagnoses (e.g., psychosis, depression), and social stressors. No validated clinical tools were identified, though several demographic and psychological risk indicators were consistently reported, highlighting the need for targeted assessment practices in healthcare settings. These findings confirm a critical gap in clinical guidance for mental health nurses, who are often frontline responders in identifying and managing risk. Enhancing awareness of filicide risk indicators and integrating them into routine mental health assessments is essential to support early intervention, improve patient outcomes, and prevent harm.

This review aims to systematically examine the survival dilemmas faced by older adults with severe mental illness (SMI) in rural areas and to provide a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for improving their health and well-being. Adopting the scoping review framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley, the study systematically searched CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane databases and screened literature according to predefined inclusion criteria. Key information—including research questions, study design, sample characteristics and main findings—was extracted and synthesised through thematic analysis. A total of 30 eligible studies were included. The results revealed that older adults with SMI in rural areas experience multiple, interrelated challenges, including a marked decline in quality of life, limited access to healthcare services, significant economic burden, insufficient social support, increased caregiving pressure on families and cultural as well as cognitive barriers related to mental illness. These multidimensional dilemmas are mutually reinforcing and collectively pose a substantial threat to older adults' survival and overall well-being. Addressing these issues requires the establishment of a multi-level, systematic intervention framework, including strengthened policy support, optimised healthcare delivery models, improved accessibility and appropriateness of services, targeted health education, enhanced community support networks and the promotion of interdisciplinary collaboration. Future research should focus on the specific needs of this population and conduct high-quality empirical studies to provide robust, evidence-based recommendations for improving their quality of life and promoting social inclusion.

Within Australia, demand for mental health treatment is increasing, yet access to these services remains an ongoing challenge due to staff shortages within the mental health workforce. The current study aimed to establish the key factors associated with job satisfaction in the public mental health workforce in Victoria, Australia, and to explore whether these factors differed between metropolitan and regional services. The multi-site, mixed methods, cross-sectional study was conducted across four Victorian public health services, including two metropolitan and two regional services. A total of 172 current mental health workers employed in non-leadership roles were included in the final analyses. Three feed-forward multiple regression analyses were used to examine determinants of job satisfaction. Findings indicated that perceived lack of leadership, the disengagement component of occupational burnout, limited workplace flexibility, and expertise understaffing were key factors related to job satisfaction. Across jurisdictions, dissatisfaction with leadership, higher levels of disengagement, and lack of workplace flexibility emerged as influential in both urban and regional localities, whilst expertise understaffing was found to be important only in regional settings. These findings highlight and inform key target areas for interventions to improve job satisfaction within the Australian public mental health workforce. In particular, interventions should focus on enhancing leadership and workplace flexibility and reducing occupational burnout. Further, addressing expertise understaffing may be a key target within regional services.

The ongoing global suicide crisis demands urgent attention, with over 720 000 lives lost annually; a stark reality demanding multifaceted intervention strategies. Compounding this issue, approximately 73% of these deaths occur within low- and middle-income countries; this disparity necessitates focused resource allocation and culturally sensitive approaches. Psychiatric nurses occupy a critical position in suicide prevention efforts, serving as frontline responders in moments of acute crisis. Existing educational methodologies, including traditional lectures and role-playing simulations, frequently fall short, however. They often fail to adequately prepare nurses for the complexities of real-world scenarios. This article investigates the potential of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) technologies into suicide prevention education for psychiatric nursing. Specifically, it explores how these technologies can enhance training through immersive simulations, personalised feedback mechanisms and advanced data analytics, aiming to strengthen capacity-building, a core pillar identified by the WHO LIVE LIFE framework. Taking a global perspective, this article considers disparities in technological access and variations in cultural perceptions of suicide across high-income countries and low- and middle-income countries; acknowledging that technological solutions must be implemented equitably and with cultural sensitivity. Critical ethical considerations, including data privacy, algorithmic bias and potential overreliance on technology, require careful consideration. To address these challenges, a resource-appropriate and culturally sensitive framework is proposed for integrating AI and VR into nursing education, with the ultimate goal of reducing global suicide rates. Recommendations are presented concerning interdisciplinary collaboration and the ethical utilisation of technology.

Traditional mental health acute inpatient treatment has been described as harmful and traumatic. Peer-led community-based treatment is a new alternative model of care in New Zealand, whereby acute mental health treatment is provided in a home-like environment delivered by peer specialists with lived experience. A mixed-methods process evaluation compared socio-demographic and admission data from a peer-led acute service with those of a local public acute mental health hospital. Qualitative interviews were also conducted with guests (n = 10), peer specialists (n = 3), and clinical staff (n = 10), and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The most common diagnoses of guests were major depressive disorder (28.7%) and psychotic disorder (20.6%). Compared with the traditional hospital, the peer-led service admitted fewer Indigenous Māori guests (14.8% vs. 18.9%), more women (64.6% vs. 44.7%), and fewer people from socioeconomically deprived areas. Risk was qualitatively identified as the main factor impacting referral patterns. Very few adverse events were recorded. Guests described positive experiences of interpersonal and environmental safety. Clinician and peer interviews highlighted issues with the alliance between the service and clinical outpatient teams. This evaluation indicated that peer-led acute community mental health services can foster recovery by offering safe, calm, and relationally supportive environments. However, the demographic profile of guests, often women from less deprived backgrounds, indicates the model may inadequately serve high-need groups. Future challenges include adopting a greater tolerance for risk through clear articulation of the services interpersonal and environmental safety approaches, enhancing equitable access, and improving clinicians' knowledge of recovery-oriented and peer-led treatment philosophies.