Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services最新文献

Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics for treatment of schizophrenia are underutilized despite their value in promoting treatment adherence and reducing risk for relapse and rehospitalization. Nurses working in psychiatric health care settings have an important collaborative role in a trauma-informed approach to person-centered care. Nurses, in collaboration with psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians, can support patients and their families in making informed decisions by normalizing the use of LAIs, providing psychoeducation, promoting discussion of concerns related to past experiences with injections, and assessing patient progress at regular intervals.

Purpose: To investigate attitudes, intentions, and behaviors toward seeking professional psychological help among Chinese perinatal women with depressive symptoms, and further identify influencing factors and perceived barriers to such help-seeking.

Method: Individuals who were pregnant or within 42 days postpartum were recruited from two tertiary hospitals in Hunan Province, China. A comprehensive questionnaire and list of possible perceived barriers to seeking psychological help were collected from participants.

Results: The prevalence of perinatal depressive symptoms was 28%, with only 11.3% of participants having sought psychological help. The most frequent perceived barriers to seeking psychological help were lack of knowledge of perinatal depressive symptoms and negative attitudes about perinatal depressive symptoms and psychological help-seeking.

Conclusion: Participants had low levels of professional psychological help-seeking behaviors. Further studies should explore this mechanism and develop interventions targeting perceived barriers.

Purpose: The current quality improvement project aimed to improve functionality within a psychiatric consult liaison nurse (PCLN) service through implementation of an educational pathway.

Method: Pre- and postintervention qualitative interviews were conducted with eight PCLNs, and themes were generated via content analysis. Quantitative surveys were also conducted, and data were analyzed using means and standard deviations. Paired t tests were used to test for significance.

Results: Qualitative results identified five themes: Flexibility vs. Uncertainty, Ambiguity vs. Direction, Structured vs. Unstructured Education, Efficiency/Time Management, and Communication. Quantitative surveys indicated the intervention improved the consistency of the psychoeducation provided (p = 0.03) and enhanced the structure of the PCLN role (p = 0.04). The intervention did not significantly improve communication between PCLNs and medical-surgical nurses.

Conclusion: Qualitative findings showed that the educational pathway improved efficiency, time management, and communication, and quantitative findings showed it can help with consistency and structure to the role. Implementing an educational pathway for PCLNs is feasible and effective for health care systems.

Purpose: To examine the effectiveness of equine-assisted therapy on symptoms, quality of life, anxiety, and loneliness in individuals with schizophrenia.

Method: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with individuals with schizophrenia registered at a community mental health center. The study involved 61 participants (30 in the intervention group, 31 in the control group). An 8-week equine-assisted therapeutic intervention was implemented for the intervention group. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Trait Anxiety Inventory (TAI), Quality of Life Scale for Schizophrenia Patients (QLS), and UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS). Data were analyzed using means, frequencies, percentage distributions, chi-square test, and dependent and independent samples t tests.

Results: Statistically significant differences were found between pre- and post-test mean scores of the PANSS, TAI, UCLA-LS, and QLS in the intervention group (p < 0.05), and none were found in the control group (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: Equine-assisted therapy effectively reduced symptoms, anxiety, and loneliness in individuals with schizophrenia, while improving their quality of life.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of illness uncertainty on discharge readiness and explore whether hope mediates this relationship in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 218 patients with MDD at a hospital in China. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires, including demographic and clinical information, the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale, Herth Hope Index, and Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and path analysis were used to analyze the data.

Results: Illness uncertainty was negatively associated with hope (r = -0.14, p < 0.05) and discharge readiness (r = -0.207, p < 0.01). Conversely, hope was positively associated with discharge readiness (r = 0.445, p < 0.01). Hope partially mediated the relationship between illness uncertainty and discharge readiness, accounting for 28.5% of the total effect.

Conclusion: Illness uncertainty directly impacted discharge readiness in patients with MDD and exerted an indirect effect through the mediating role of hope. Findings highlight the importance of psychosocial interventions aimed at enhancing hope and reducing illness uncertainty to improve discharge readiness and support post-hospital recovery.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of nursing interventions in enhancing the mental health of mothers during the postpartum period, with a focus on newly emerging symptoms of postpartum depression, anxiety, and stress in women without psychiatric histories.

Method: This randomized controlled trial included 390 postpartum women who were divided into two groups: an intervention group, which received specialized nursing interventions, and a control group, which received standard postpartum care. Nursing interventions comprised educational support, personalized counseling, and community engagement programs, which were implemented on a weekly to monthly basis during the initial 6 months following childbirth. Primary outcomes assessed were prevalence and severity of postpartum depression, anxiety, and stress, as determined by validated psychological scales at baseline, 3 months, and 15 months postpartum.

Results: The intervention group exhibited substantial decreases in depression, anxiety, and stress levels in comparison to the control group at 3 and 15 months. In the intervention group, depression scores decreased from 18% at baseline to 5% at 15 months, whereas in the control group, they decreased from 17.95% to 15.38%. Furthermore, enhancements were observed in lifestyle behaviors pertaining to sleep quality, diet, and exercise.

Conclusion: Findings emphasize the significance of comprehensive nursing interventions in the early postpartum period for the enhancement of maternal mental health outcomes.

Purpose: To examine the correlation between internalized stigma and sleep in individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder (BD).

Method: This study used a cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational design with 35 individuals diagnosed with BD in the euthymic phase. Data were collected using the Participant Information Form, Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

Results: A moderately positive significant relationship was found between duration of maintenance therapy and average total PSQI score. Total ISMI and PSQI scores were statistically different based on response to maintenance therapy. PSQI score and response to maintenance therapy were statistically significant predictors of ISMI score (R² = 0.52).

Conclusion: Psychiatric-mental health nurses should develop psychosocial interventions aimed at reducing stigma and improving sleep quality in individuals with BD and integrate these interventions into nursing care plans.

Purpose: The current study compares depressive symptoms, physical symptoms, and serotonin levels between individuals with gambling disorder (GD) and healthy controls (HC), investigates their relationship, and identifies factors that predict the development of GD.

Method: A case-control study with purposive convenience sampling was conducted using data from GD (n = 76) and HC (n = 56) groups.

Results: Increased depressive symptoms were associated with greater physical symptoms (r = 0.70, p < 0.001) and problem gambling severity (r = 0.37, p = 0.001). Decreased serotonin levels suggest a potential depressive disorder; however, not all individuals had lower serotonin levels, indicating emotionally vulnerable subgroups. Increased serotonin levels correlated with restlessness, which was associated with problem gambling (r = 0.31, p = 0.006). Decreased problem gambling severity was linked to increased alcohol use (r = -0.29, p = 0.012).

Conclusion: Results indicate a correlation among depressive symptoms, physical symptoms, and serotonin imbalance in individuals with GD.

Technology is evolving rapidly, and health care providers who work with youth are increasingly fielding questions from families about screen use and its impact on children of all ages. Common concerns include the appropriate age for introducing phones and social media, as well as how much time children should spend on devices. Caregivers, pediatric providers, and other adults may face this topic with caution, fearful of the negative effects, but youth flock to new technology and social media, despite the known risks. Thus, it is imperative that psychiatric-mental health nurses and others who work with youth are equipped with the essential knowledge and practical talking points to guide families in navigating screen use.