Global Mental Health最新文献

Non-specialist mental health interventions serve as a potential solution to reduce the mental healthcare gap in low- and middle-income countries, such as Sri Lanka. However, contextual factors often influence their effective implementation, reflecting a research-to-practice gap. This study, using a qualitative, participatory approach with local mental health workers (n = 9) and potential service users (n = 11), identifies anticipated barriers and facilitators to implementing these interventions while also exploring alternative strategies for reducing the mental healthcare gap in this context. Perceived barriers include concerns about effectiveness, acceptance and feasibility in the implementation of non-specialist mental health interventions (theme 1). The participants' overall perception that these interventions are a beneficial strategy for reducing the mental healthcare gap was identified as a facilitating factor for implementation (theme 2). Further facilitators relate to important non-specialist characteristics (theme 3), including desirable traits and occupational backgrounds that may aid in increasing the acceptance of this cadre. Other suggestions relate to facilitating the reach, intervention acceptance and feasibility (theme 4). This study offers valuable insights to enhance the implementation process of non-specialist mental health interventions in low-and middle-income countries such as Sri Lanka.

The current study aimed to test the association between environmental degradation, eco-anxiety and post-traumatic symptoms, and whether coping strategies mediate the association between these variables among a sample of Palestinian adults. The sample of our study consisted of 554 Palestinian adults, of whom 392 identified as female and 162 as male. Participants' age ranged from 19 to 54 years old (M = 35.8, SD = 12.31). They were all recruited from online advertisements, e-mail campaigns and social media. The findings of our study revealed that post-traumatic stress symptoms positively correlated with environmental degradation, eco-anxiety and avoidant coping and negatively correlated with problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping. Results of structural equation modeling revealed that coping strategies mediated the association between environmental degradation, echo-anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms. The findings of our study emphasize the need for tailored psychological support and coping strategies for individuals experiencing eco-anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms in the face of environmental challenges.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1017/gmh.2024.11.].

People with severe mental illness (SMI) are highly vulnerable and more affected by epidemics than the general population. They encounter limited access to care, miss out on infection prevention measures and are more prone to relapses.

This study explored the experiences of individuals with SMI and their caregivers in Uganda during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its focus was on the impact of COVID-19 and its response measures on their mental health.

The study was conducted at three sites; a national referral mental hospital, a regional referral hospital and a district hospital. Participants included persons with SMI, their caregivers and mental health professionals. Data collection involved in-depth interviews, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Phenomenological thematic analysis was employed.

The key themes identified encompassed challenges in accessing mental health services, disrupted routine care, the impact of lockdown measures and discrimination.

The findings highlight the unique challenges faced by individuals with SMI and their caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda. There is need for interventions focusing on continued access to care, improving information dissemination and addressing the psychological impact of containment measures on people with SMI.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1017/gmh.2024.38.].

Community-based psychosocial support (CB-PSS) interventions utilizing task sharing and varied (in-person, remote) modalities are essential strategies to meet mental health needs, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding feasibility and effectiveness.

This study assesses feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of a CB-PSS intervention for conflict-affected adults in Colombia through parallel randomized controlled trials, one delivered in-person (n = 165) and the other remotely (n = 103), implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and national protests. Interventions were facilitated by nonspecialist community members and consisted of eight problem-solving and expressive group sessions.

Attendance was moderate and fidelity was high in both modalities. Participants in both modalities reported high levels of satisfaction, with in-person participants reporting increased comfort expressing emotions and more positive experiences with research protocols. Symptoms of depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder improved among in-person participants, but there were no significant changes for remote participants in comparison to waitlist controls.

This CB-PSS intervention appears feasible and acceptable in both in-person and remote modalities and associated with reduction in some forms of distress when conducted in-person but not when conducted remotely. Methodological limitations and potential explanations and areas for future research are discussed, drawing from related studies.

Stigma is significantly impacted by cultural and contextual value systems. People with mental health conditions frequently have to deal with the condition itself and the associated stigma and discrimination. Contextual understanding is essential to design measures and interventions.

This study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of people with mental health conditions, their families and key stakeholders.

A qualitative method used to understand mental health-related stigma and its local contexts. Sixteen participants, including service users, caregivers, service providers and health service administrators, were interviewed.

People with mental health conditions and their caregivers experienced various forms of stigmatization which is linked to attributions about the causality of the illness, overt manifestations of mental health condition leading to easy identification and functional impairments that adversely affect participation. Social contact, lived experiences sharing and training of service providers are relevant intervention strategy to address stigma.

Stigma and exclusion are prominent in the experiences of people with mental health conditions and their caregivers in this rural Ethiopian setting. Measurement of stigma and the development of interventions should consider how stigma is socially constructed. Anti-stigma interventions need to be implemented alongside expanded local access to mental healthcare.

In the present study, we identified three dimensions of gender-nonconformity stigma impacting khwaja sira in Swat, Pakistan: (1) internalized stigma, namely feelings of shame and embarrassment; (2) perceived stigma, namely opinions others had of khwaja sira regarding lack of employability or engagement in sex work; and (3) enacted stigma, namely exclusion from families, in educational settings, in religious spaces, and in healthcare settings.