Pub Date : 2025-01-23DOI: 10.1007/s44192-025-00135-3
Eline Meijer
Smoking is highly prevalent and persistent among people with mental illness, but implementation of smoking cessation care by mental healthcare professionals (MHCPs) is lagging behind. This study took a broad approach to understanding implementation of stop smoking support (SSS) by MHCPs (N = 220 for main analyses), incorporating background characteristics, psychosocial factors, client factors, and organizational/environmental factors. Variable selection was based on previous work and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Cross-sectional survey data were collected online in the Netherlands from 2021 to 2022, and analyzed using logistic regression and regression tree analyses. Participants were 81 nurses, 74 psychologists, 40 psychiatrists, 12 child psychologists and 13 other MHCPs; aged 42 on average, 24% male, 14% currently smoked and 32% quit smoking. Results show that most MHCPs do not ask about smoking, do not advise or motivate clients to quit smoking, and do not refer clients motivated to quit to SSS. In order to improve this situation, proactive efforts should be undertaken to target MHCPs' perceptions of clients' responsibility and quit success, preferably through strategies that reach MHCPs regardless of their affinity with SSS, taking MHCPs' profession and own smoking status into account.
{"title":"Implementation of stop smoking support by mental healthcare professionals: cross-sectional analysis of why nothing much happens.","authors":"Eline Meijer","doi":"10.1007/s44192-025-00135-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44192-025-00135-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Smoking is highly prevalent and persistent among people with mental illness, but implementation of smoking cessation care by mental healthcare professionals (MHCPs) is lagging behind. This study took a broad approach to understanding implementation of stop smoking support (SSS) by MHCPs (N = 220 for main analyses), incorporating background characteristics, psychosocial factors, client factors, and organizational/environmental factors. Variable selection was based on previous work and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Cross-sectional survey data were collected online in the Netherlands from 2021 to 2022, and analyzed using logistic regression and regression tree analyses. Participants were 81 nurses, 74 psychologists, 40 psychiatrists, 12 child psychologists and 13 other MHCPs; aged 42 on average, 24% male, 14% currently smoked and 32% quit smoking. Results show that most MHCPs do not ask about smoking, do not advise or motivate clients to quit smoking, and do not refer clients motivated to quit to SSS. In order to improve this situation, proactive efforts should be undertaken to target MHCPs' perceptions of clients' responsibility and quit success, preferably through strategies that reach MHCPs regardless of their affinity with SSS, taking MHCPs' profession and own smoking status into account.</p>","PeriodicalId":72827,"journal":{"name":"Discover mental health","volume":"5 1","pages":"7"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11757909/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143030371","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-21DOI: 10.1007/s44192-025-00130-8
Andrew Nketsia Arthur, Joanne Fraikue, Bijoux Adu-Amankwah, Richard Ofori, Dorcas Sekyi, Abena Afrakomah Boateng, Elsie Asamoah, Seth Christopher Yaw Appiah
Background: Mental health associations with students' academic outcomes are critical for students' well-being and excellent performance, particularly among tertiary students in their educational trajectory. This study investigated the relationship between mental health incidence and academic performance among university students in a public university in Ghana. Additionally, we study students' level of mental health awareness.
Methods: The study adopted a quantitative study with an analytical cross-sectional design. Through the multistage sampling technique, structured questionnaires were administered to 384 undergraduate students at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Data management and analysis were performed using SPSS v.27. Descriptive data are presented in tables and reported as frequencies. Inferential analysis was conducted using a multilevel logistic regression model and a p-value of 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.
Results: Severe depression (p = 0.016, ϰ2 = 0.784) was significantly associated with students' academic performance. Severe anxiety (p = 0.020, ϰ2 = 11.700), gender (p = 0.014, ϰ2 = 5.999) and self-efficacy (p = 0.015, ϰ2 = 5.939), were found to have a statistically significant association with academic performance (p < 0.05). According the multilevel analysis, females experiencing mental health had reduced likelihood of achieving high academic performance compared to male students (AOR = 0.343, 95% CI 0.144-0.813, p = 0.015). Severely depressed students (AOR = 0.264, 95% CI 0.084-0.830, p = 0.23) are significantly less likely to increase their Cumulative Weighted Average (CWA). Self-efficacious students (AOR = 3.325, 95% CI 1.421-7.784, p = 0.06) were three times more likely to increase their CWA.
Conclusion: Severe depression causes a reduction in students' academic performance, while high academic self-efficacy among students serves as a protective factor by facilitating an increase in students' CWA when they encounter mental health issues.
{"title":"Exploring the relationship between mental health issues and academic performance of undergraduate students in a Ghanaian tertiary institution: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Andrew Nketsia Arthur, Joanne Fraikue, Bijoux Adu-Amankwah, Richard Ofori, Dorcas Sekyi, Abena Afrakomah Boateng, Elsie Asamoah, Seth Christopher Yaw Appiah","doi":"10.1007/s44192-025-00130-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44192-025-00130-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mental health associations with students' academic outcomes are critical for students' well-being and excellent performance, particularly among tertiary students in their educational trajectory. This study investigated the relationship between mental health incidence and academic performance among university students in a public university in Ghana. Additionally, we study students' level of mental health awareness.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study adopted a quantitative study with an analytical cross-sectional design. Through the multistage sampling technique, structured questionnaires were administered to 384 undergraduate students at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Data management and analysis were performed using SPSS v.27. Descriptive data are presented in tables and reported as frequencies. Inferential analysis was conducted using a multilevel logistic regression model and a p-value of 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Severe depression (p = 0.016, ϰ<sup>2</sup> = 0.784) was significantly associated with students' academic performance. Severe anxiety (p = 0.020, ϰ<sup>2</sup> = 11.700), gender (p = 0.014, ϰ<sup>2</sup> = 5.999) and self-efficacy (p = 0.015, ϰ<sup>2</sup> = 5.939), were found to have a statistically significant association with academic performance (p < 0.05). According the multilevel analysis, females experiencing mental health had reduced likelihood of achieving high academic performance compared to male students (AOR = 0.343, 95% CI 0.144-0.813, p = 0.015). Severely depressed students (AOR = 0.264, 95% CI 0.084-0.830, p = 0.23) are significantly less likely to increase their Cumulative Weighted Average (CWA). Self-efficacious students (AOR = 3.325, 95% CI 1.421-7.784, p = 0.06) were three times more likely to increase their CWA.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Severe depression causes a reduction in students' academic performance, while high academic self-efficacy among students serves as a protective factor by facilitating an increase in students' CWA when they encounter mental health issues.</p>","PeriodicalId":72827,"journal":{"name":"Discover mental health","volume":"5 1","pages":"6"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11751277/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143017430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-20DOI: 10.1007/s44192-025-00132-6
Niranjan Muralikrishnan, Sendilkumar Balasundaram
Background: Loneliness and Social Isolation (SI) has evolved into an epidemic and WHO has alarmed many developed and developing countries that their citizens are going through the epidemic of loneliness and SI. It affects the Mental Health status of a person & leads to morbidities and premature death. Loneliness and SI are overlooked subjects resulting in poor research turnover. This scoping review has explored the extent of literature availability on loneliness and SI in India OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the availability of literature on loneliness and SI in India METHODS: A scoping review was conducted using predetermined search terms in Google Scholar and PubMed, selecting only open-access articles. Selected articles were scrutinized for their quality with the help of STROBE & COREQ checklists before entering into the review RESULTS: A total of 155 articles were screened and after excluding the duplicates129 articles were chosen for the next step to screen for inclusion criteria and finally nine articles were selected for this review. The highest prevalence of loneliness and SI reported was 37.6% and the lowest was 18.3% CONCLUSION: There is a lack of literature on loneliness and such available kinds of literature are done among the geriatric population only. The scientific community should focus on this emerging domain and come out with true prevalence rates among different age groups so that effective strategies can be devised to address this latent yet significant mental health issue in India.
{"title":"Epidemiology of loneliness & social isolation, an emerging public mental health predicament in India: a scoping review.","authors":"Niranjan Muralikrishnan, Sendilkumar Balasundaram","doi":"10.1007/s44192-025-00132-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44192-025-00132-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Loneliness and Social Isolation (SI) has evolved into an epidemic and WHO has alarmed many developed and developing countries that their citizens are going through the epidemic of loneliness and SI. It affects the Mental Health status of a person & leads to morbidities and premature death. Loneliness and SI are overlooked subjects resulting in poor research turnover. This scoping review has explored the extent of literature availability on loneliness and SI in India OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the availability of literature on loneliness and SI in India METHODS: A scoping review was conducted using predetermined search terms in Google Scholar and PubMed, selecting only open-access articles. Selected articles were scrutinized for their quality with the help of STROBE & COREQ checklists before entering into the review RESULTS: A total of 155 articles were screened and after excluding the duplicates129 articles were chosen for the next step to screen for inclusion criteria and finally nine articles were selected for this review. The highest prevalence of loneliness and SI reported was 37.6% and the lowest was 18.3% CONCLUSION: There is a lack of literature on loneliness and such available kinds of literature are done among the geriatric population only. The scientific community should focus on this emerging domain and come out with true prevalence rates among different age groups so that effective strategies can be devised to address this latent yet significant mental health issue in India.</p>","PeriodicalId":72827,"journal":{"name":"Discover mental health","volume":"5 1","pages":"3"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11746991/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143017429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-20DOI: 10.1007/s44192-025-00127-3
Sam Curtis, Elizabeth Izett
Purpose: Emergent research literature has identified emotional and behavioural challenges for autistic children with a pathological demand avoidance profile. However, understanding of their parents' experience is limited. This study aimed to explore the experience of parents of autistic children with a pathological demand avoidance profile.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were completed with ten parents of autistic children with a pathological demand avoidance profile, aged between 5 and 11 years (M = 8.5, SD = 1.90). All participants were mothers, aged 33-50 years (M = 42, SD = 5.35). To explore what meaning participants gave to their lived experience, an interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted on interview data.
Results: Four main themes were developed from the interpretative phenomenological analysis; the benefit of a shared understanding about pathological demand avoidance to the parents and their children, the power of pathological demand avoidance and the impact on families, the emotional experience of mothers, and the various ways in which they coped.
Conclusion: The need for further recognition and understanding about pathological demand avoidance is emphasised through recommendations for future research. As is the need for flexible, informed, and appropriate support for demand avoidant children and their families.
{"title":"The experience of mothers of autistic children with a pathological demand avoidance profile: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.","authors":"Sam Curtis, Elizabeth Izett","doi":"10.1007/s44192-025-00127-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44192-025-00127-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Emergent research literature has identified emotional and behavioural challenges for autistic children with a pathological demand avoidance profile. However, understanding of their parents' experience is limited. This study aimed to explore the experience of parents of autistic children with a pathological demand avoidance profile.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Semi-structured interviews were completed with ten parents of autistic children with a pathological demand avoidance profile, aged between 5 and 11 years (M = 8.5, SD = 1.90). All participants were mothers, aged 33-50 years (M = 42, SD = 5.35). To explore what meaning participants gave to their lived experience, an interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted on interview data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Four main themes were developed from the interpretative phenomenological analysis; the benefit of a shared understanding about pathological demand avoidance to the parents and their children, the power of pathological demand avoidance and the impact on families, the emotional experience of mothers, and the various ways in which they coped.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The need for further recognition and understanding about pathological demand avoidance is emphasised through recommendations for future research. As is the need for flexible, informed, and appropriate support for demand avoidant children and their families.</p>","PeriodicalId":72827,"journal":{"name":"Discover mental health","volume":"5 1","pages":"5"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11747059/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143017432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background and aim: This cross-sectional analytic study, conducted in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) Clinic of Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) for 12 months, aimed to evaluate the precision of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in identifying hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct problems, and emotional difficulties in children and adolescents in an Arab-speaking population.
Method: The study involved 139 participants aged 4 to 17 years drawn from new referrals to CAMH services. SDQ scores were compared with the gold standard clinical diagnosis obtained through diagnostic interviews based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria. The predictive accuracy of SDQ subscales for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and emotional difficulties was evaluated using Kendall's tau-b.
Result: The results indicated moderate agreement for emotional problems (Kendall's tau b 0.265; p < 0.001) and between moderate and strong agreement for hyperactivity problems (Kendall's tau b 0.351; p < 0.001). Screening efficiency indices, including sensitivity and positive predictive values, varied between the two disorders (sensitivity: 56-80%; positive predictive values: 40% to 56%).
Conclusion: The study underscores the importance of understanding the strengths and limitations of SDQ in clinical settings, providing valuable information for mental health assessments in children and adolescents.
背景和目的:本横断面分析研究在苏丹卡布斯大学医院(SQUH)儿童和青少年心理健康(CAMH)诊所进行了为期12个月的研究,旨在评估优势和困难问卷(SDQ)在识别阿拉伯语人群中儿童和青少年多动障碍(ADHD)、行为问题和情绪困难方面的准确性。方法:该研究涉及139名4至17岁的参与者,他们来自CAMH服务的新转诊。将SDQ评分与根据《精神障碍诊断与统计手册》标准通过诊断访谈获得的金标准临床诊断进行比较。SDQ子量表对注意缺陷多动障碍(ADHD)和情绪困难的预测准确性采用Kendall tau-b进行评估。结果:对情绪问题的调查结果有中等程度的一致性(Kendall's tau b 0.265;结论:本研究强调了在临床环境中理解SDQ的优势和局限性的重要性,为儿童和青少年的心理健康评估提供了有价值的信息。
{"title":"Accuracy of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire in identifying common mental health disorders in children and adolescents: a cross-sectional analytical study.","authors":"Maisaa Al-Dhahri, Salim Al-Huseini, Maisa Al-Jamoudi, Sanjay Jaju, Samir Al-Adawi, Hassan Mirza","doi":"10.1007/s44192-025-00129-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44192-025-00129-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aim: </strong>This cross-sectional analytic study, conducted in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) Clinic of Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) for 12 months, aimed to evaluate the precision of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in identifying hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct problems, and emotional difficulties in children and adolescents in an Arab-speaking population.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The study involved 139 participants aged 4 to 17 years drawn from new referrals to CAMH services. SDQ scores were compared with the gold standard clinical diagnosis obtained through diagnostic interviews based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria. The predictive accuracy of SDQ subscales for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and emotional difficulties was evaluated using Kendall's tau-b.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>The results indicated moderate agreement for emotional problems (Kendall's tau b 0.265; p < 0.001) and between moderate and strong agreement for hyperactivity problems (Kendall's tau b 0.351; p < 0.001). Screening efficiency indices, including sensitivity and positive predictive values, varied between the two disorders (sensitivity: 56-80%; positive predictive values: 40% to 56%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study underscores the importance of understanding the strengths and limitations of SDQ in clinical settings, providing valuable information for mental health assessments in children and adolescents.</p>","PeriodicalId":72827,"journal":{"name":"Discover mental health","volume":"5 1","pages":"4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11747007/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143017416","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-17DOI: 10.1007/s44192-024-00126-w
Kanwalpreet Kaur, Ravinder S Saini, Syed Altafuddin Quadri, Gustavo Vicentis Oliveira Fernandes, Anna Avetisyan, Seyed Ali Mosaddad, Artak Heboyan
This study aimed to present a complete overview of the trends, difficulties, and improvements in dental treatment for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder through rigorous bibliometric analysis. The dimensional database field was chosen to enable the inclusion and recall of the greatest number of relevant entries. All peer-reviewed international journals published between 2004 and 2023 were included in this study. The sophisticated search keywords' Autistic Disorder" OR "Autism Spectrum Disorder" AND "Dental management" were used. Studies that examined patterns and difficulties in the dental care of children with ASD were included in the inclusion and exclusion criteria for this analysis. Among the listed countries, The United States had the highest number of documents and citations. Barbara Sheller is the most cited author, followed closely by Arthur H.Friedlander, Michael E.Mahler, and John A.Yagiela. This study also revealed that most articles involved multinational collaborations, highlighting the global scope of dental research. The United States leads in terms of research output and citations, followed by India and China. Research on autism spectrum disorder has grown substantially over the past few years, and the authors recommend that future research concentrate on creating effective behavioral techniques that will assist children with autism spectrum disorder in coping with dental treatment.
{"title":"Bibliometric analysis of trends in dental management of the children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).","authors":"Kanwalpreet Kaur, Ravinder S Saini, Syed Altafuddin Quadri, Gustavo Vicentis Oliveira Fernandes, Anna Avetisyan, Seyed Ali Mosaddad, Artak Heboyan","doi":"10.1007/s44192-024-00126-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44192-024-00126-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aimed to present a complete overview of the trends, difficulties, and improvements in dental treatment for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder through rigorous bibliometric analysis. The dimensional database field was chosen to enable the inclusion and recall of the greatest number of relevant entries. All peer-reviewed international journals published between 2004 and 2023 were included in this study. The sophisticated search keywords' Autistic Disorder\" OR \"Autism Spectrum Disorder\" AND \"Dental management\" were used. Studies that examined patterns and difficulties in the dental care of children with ASD were included in the inclusion and exclusion criteria for this analysis. Among the listed countries, The United States had the highest number of documents and citations. Barbara Sheller is the most cited author, followed closely by Arthur H.Friedlander, Michael E.Mahler, and John A.Yagiela. This study also revealed that most articles involved multinational collaborations, highlighting the global scope of dental research. The United States leads in terms of research output and citations, followed by India and China. Research on autism spectrum disorder has grown substantially over the past few years, and the authors recommend that future research concentrate on creating effective behavioral techniques that will assist children with autism spectrum disorder in coping with dental treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":72827,"journal":{"name":"Discover mental health","volume":"5 1","pages":"2"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11748633/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143017427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-07DOI: 10.1007/s44192-024-00125-x
Siong Yin Chua, Karel Himawan
Background: Using the lived experience as their expertise, peer support specialists (PSS) focus on the empowerment of individuals with mental health conditions. Despite its value, peer support services in Singapore are relatively uncommon. Perspectives from mental health workers may provide insights on targeted strategies to address the organisational changes needed for the continued growth of the lived experience workforce.
Aims: The study aims to explore the attitudes and perceptions of mental health workers regarding the benefits, challenges, and potential strategies in the implementation of peer support services across mental health settings in Singapore.
Methods: A total of 59 responses were gathered for an online survey via convenience sampling. Descriptive statistics were generated for quantitative data, while an inductive thematic analytic method was utilised for qualitative inputs. The coding and refinement of themes were discussed between both authors.
Results: The majority of the respondents were willing to accept PSS as a healthcare profession (72.9%), willing to work with PSS (89.8%) and perceived there should be PSS where they worked (64.4%). Key themes identified highlighted a supportive and inclusive workplace environment, the power of the lived experience, and recovery-oriented contribution as the underlying benefits and potential challenges in implementing PSS in Singapore.
Implications: Policymakers could consider funding initiatives and regulatory standards to support the implementation of PSS across mental health settings in Singapore, while organisations could implement training programmes and supervision targeted at enhancing the practice of recovery-oriented care amongst its staff.
{"title":"The exploration of attitudes and perspectives of mental health workers on peer support in Singapore.","authors":"Siong Yin Chua, Karel Himawan","doi":"10.1007/s44192-024-00125-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-024-00125-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Using the lived experience as their expertise, peer support specialists (PSS) focus on the empowerment of individuals with mental health conditions. Despite its value, peer support services in Singapore are relatively uncommon. Perspectives from mental health workers may provide insights on targeted strategies to address the organisational changes needed for the continued growth of the lived experience workforce.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>The study aims to explore the attitudes and perceptions of mental health workers regarding the benefits, challenges, and potential strategies in the implementation of peer support services across mental health settings in Singapore.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 59 responses were gathered for an online survey via convenience sampling. Descriptive statistics were generated for quantitative data, while an inductive thematic analytic method was utilised for qualitative inputs. The coding and refinement of themes were discussed between both authors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The majority of the respondents were willing to accept PSS as a healthcare profession (72.9%), willing to work with PSS (89.8%) and perceived there should be PSS where they worked (64.4%). Key themes identified highlighted a supportive and inclusive workplace environment, the power of the lived experience, and recovery-oriented contribution as the underlying benefits and potential challenges in implementing PSS in Singapore.</p><p><strong>Implications: </strong>Policymakers could consider funding initiatives and regulatory standards to support the implementation of PSS across mental health settings in Singapore, while organisations could implement training programmes and supervision targeted at enhancing the practice of recovery-oriented care amongst its staff.</p>","PeriodicalId":72827,"journal":{"name":"Discover mental health","volume":"5 1","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11707161/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142959755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-12-30DOI: 10.1007/s44192-024-00122-0
Jasmine Joseph, Santhosh Kareepadath Rajan, N T Sudhesh, Uma Krishnan
The growing mental health needs and constrained resources in low- and middle-income countries necessitate scalable solutions. Single Session Therapy (SST) is a global trend in brief and cost-effective options for mental health interventions. It involves a single planned session between mental health service provider and client. This study aims to present a protocol to develop and evaluate a culture specific web-based training program to equip mental health support providers with the skills and confidence to deliver SST. The study protocol uses a mixed-methods evaluation design through three phases-need assessment - where psychologists and social workers collaborate to identify training needs and co-create the program; development and expert validation of the web-based training program; and randomized control trial to evaluate the training, followed by in-depth discussions with participants. This study breaks new ground by empirically designing and evaluating a training program for SST. It uniquely co-designs and validates a culturally sensitive SST training program, leveraging the expertise of a renowned international panel. This protocol goes beyond a blueprint for replicating this study, it serves as a foundational guide for nations seeking to implement effective SST training for their mental health professionals, preventing duplication of efforts.
{"title":"Web-based single session therapy training for mental health support providers: a mixed-methods evaluation study protocol.","authors":"Jasmine Joseph, Santhosh Kareepadath Rajan, N T Sudhesh, Uma Krishnan","doi":"10.1007/s44192-024-00122-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44192-024-00122-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The growing mental health needs and constrained resources in low- and middle-income countries necessitate scalable solutions. Single Session Therapy (SST) is a global trend in brief and cost-effective options for mental health interventions. It involves a single planned session between mental health service provider and client. This study aims to present a protocol to develop and evaluate a culture specific web-based training program to equip mental health support providers with the skills and confidence to deliver SST. The study protocol uses a mixed-methods evaluation design through three phases-need assessment - where psychologists and social workers collaborate to identify training needs and co-create the program; development and expert validation of the web-based training program; and randomized control trial to evaluate the training, followed by in-depth discussions with participants. This study breaks new ground by empirically designing and evaluating a training program for SST. It uniquely co-designs and validates a culturally sensitive SST training program, leveraging the expertise of a renowned international panel. This protocol goes beyond a blueprint for replicating this study, it serves as a foundational guide for nations seeking to implement effective SST training for their mental health professionals, preventing duplication of efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":72827,"journal":{"name":"Discover mental health","volume":"4 1","pages":"68"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11685363/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142911239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-12-19DOI: 10.1007/s44192-024-00119-9
Sahar Ansari, Mohammadamin Parsaei, Ahmad Ali Noorbala, Ali-Akbar Nejatisafa, Mohammad Arbabi, Arvin Hedayati, Forouzan Elyasi, Seyedshahab Banihashem, Razieh Salehian, Marjan Shokrani, Farhad Faridhosseini, Ehsan Abedini, Maryam Rezapour, Sayedeh Elham Sharafi, Farnaz Etesam, Mehdi Nasr Esfahani, Ali Parsaei, Hossein Sanjari Moghaddam, Seyed Hamzeh Hosseini
Background: Understanding the prevalence of mental distress in hospitalized patients and identifying associated factors can help reduce the burden of mental disorders on their medical management and improve their quality of life. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of mental distress among hospitalized patients in general hospitals and assess its associated factors.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated the mental health status of inpatients in seven cities in Iran, using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), with a total GHQ-12 score ≥ 4 or higher categorized as "mentally distressed." Statistical analyses were conducted using independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and cross-tabulations.
Results: A total of 524 patients (347 females) were assessed, with 208 (38.7%) being classified as mentally distressed. The prevalence of mental distress was significantly higher among males (52.0%) compared to females (34.0%) (p = 0.002). There were no significant differences in GHQ-12 scores among different age groups (p > 0.05). Significant differences were observed in mental health status based on job status, with retired (64.7%) and laborer (22.8%) patients showing the highest and lowest rates of mental distress, respectively (p < 0.001). Additionally, mental distress prevalence varied significantly across hospital wards, with internal medicine (47.6%) and obstetrics and gynecology (28.3%) having the highest and lowest prevalence, respectively (p = 0.004).
Conclusions: A considerable proportion of patients hospitalized for medical reasons also experience mental distress. Various demographic factors are associated with their mental health status. This highlights the need for integrated mental health assessments alongside medical treatment to alleviate the burden of mental disorders.
{"title":"Prevalence and associated factors of mental health distress among hospitalized patients in general hospitals: a multi-center cross-sectional study in Iran.","authors":"Sahar Ansari, Mohammadamin Parsaei, Ahmad Ali Noorbala, Ali-Akbar Nejatisafa, Mohammad Arbabi, Arvin Hedayati, Forouzan Elyasi, Seyedshahab Banihashem, Razieh Salehian, Marjan Shokrani, Farhad Faridhosseini, Ehsan Abedini, Maryam Rezapour, Sayedeh Elham Sharafi, Farnaz Etesam, Mehdi Nasr Esfahani, Ali Parsaei, Hossein Sanjari Moghaddam, Seyed Hamzeh Hosseini","doi":"10.1007/s44192-024-00119-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44192-024-00119-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Understanding the prevalence of mental distress in hospitalized patients and identifying associated factors can help reduce the burden of mental disorders on their medical management and improve their quality of life. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of mental distress among hospitalized patients in general hospitals and assess its associated factors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated the mental health status of inpatients in seven cities in Iran, using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), with a total GHQ-12 score ≥ 4 or higher categorized as \"mentally distressed.\" Statistical analyses were conducted using independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and cross-tabulations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 524 patients (347 females) were assessed, with 208 (38.7%) being classified as mentally distressed. The prevalence of mental distress was significantly higher among males (52.0%) compared to females (34.0%) (p = 0.002). There were no significant differences in GHQ-12 scores among different age groups (p > 0.05). Significant differences were observed in mental health status based on job status, with retired (64.7%) and laborer (22.8%) patients showing the highest and lowest rates of mental distress, respectively (p < 0.001). Additionally, mental distress prevalence varied significantly across hospital wards, with internal medicine (47.6%) and obstetrics and gynecology (28.3%) having the highest and lowest prevalence, respectively (p = 0.004).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A considerable proportion of patients hospitalized for medical reasons also experience mental distress. Various demographic factors are associated with their mental health status. This highlights the need for integrated mental health assessments alongside medical treatment to alleviate the burden of mental disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":72827,"journal":{"name":"Discover mental health","volume":"4 1","pages":"66"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11659538/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142856934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-12-19DOI: 10.1007/s44192-024-00123-z
Omar Gammoh, Salam Shannag, Sereene Al-Jabari, Rama Al-Shawaheen, Saleh Bazi, Ahmed Mohammad Al-Smadi, Albara Mohammad Ali Alomari
Addiction to smartphones is a global issue. Mental health disturbance is an emerging factor implicated in smartphone addiction. Whether depressive symptoms and anxiety are implicated in smartphone addiction in developing countries such as Jordan is a nexus that warrants investigation. The present study investigated whether depressive symptoms and insomnia are correlated with smartphone addiction in a cohort of Jordanian participants. We adopted a cross-sectional design for a convenient sample, smartphone addiction, depressive symptoms, and insomnia were assessed using validated scales. Data analysis from 484 participants revealed that smartphone addiction was reported in 180 (37.1%) of the participants. Symptoms of severe depression and severe insomnia were reported in 174 (35.9%) and 198 (40.9%) of the participants respectively. The multivariable regression analysis showed that severe depressive symptoms and severe insomnia were significantly associated with addiction to smartphones (OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.11-2.55, p = 0.01) and (OR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.46-3.29, p < 0.001) respectively. In conclusion, poor mental health outcomes are correlated with unhealthy lifestyle habits such as addiction to smartphones, the addressing these alarming mental health symptoms is required to optimize the well-being of the community.
对智能手机上瘾是一个全球性问题。心理健康障碍是与智能手机成瘾有关的一个新兴因素。在约旦等发展中国家,抑郁症状和焦虑是否与智能手机成瘾有关,这是一个值得调查的联系。本研究调查了一组约旦参与者的抑郁症状和失眠是否与智能手机成瘾相关。为了方便样本,我们采用了横断面设计,使用有效的量表对智能手机成瘾、抑郁症状和失眠进行了评估。来自484名参与者的数据分析显示,180名参与者(37.1%)报告了智能手机成瘾。重度抑郁和重度失眠症状分别有174人(35.9%)和198人(40.9%)。多变量回归分析显示,重度抑郁症状和重度失眠与智能手机成瘾显著相关(OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.11-2.55, p = 0.01), (OR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.46-3.29, p
{"title":"Addiction to smartphones in Arabs is associated with severe depressive symptoms and insomnia: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Omar Gammoh, Salam Shannag, Sereene Al-Jabari, Rama Al-Shawaheen, Saleh Bazi, Ahmed Mohammad Al-Smadi, Albara Mohammad Ali Alomari","doi":"10.1007/s44192-024-00123-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44192-024-00123-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Addiction to smartphones is a global issue. Mental health disturbance is an emerging factor implicated in smartphone addiction. Whether depressive symptoms and anxiety are implicated in smartphone addiction in developing countries such as Jordan is a nexus that warrants investigation. The present study investigated whether depressive symptoms and insomnia are correlated with smartphone addiction in a cohort of Jordanian participants. We adopted a cross-sectional design for a convenient sample, smartphone addiction, depressive symptoms, and insomnia were assessed using validated scales. Data analysis from 484 participants revealed that smartphone addiction was reported in 180 (37.1%) of the participants. Symptoms of severe depression and severe insomnia were reported in 174 (35.9%) and 198 (40.9%) of the participants respectively. The multivariable regression analysis showed that severe depressive symptoms and severe insomnia were significantly associated with addiction to smartphones (OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.11-2.55, p = 0.01) and (OR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.46-3.29, p < 0.001) respectively. In conclusion, poor mental health outcomes are correlated with unhealthy lifestyle habits such as addiction to smartphones, the addressing these alarming mental health symptoms is required to optimize the well-being of the community.</p>","PeriodicalId":72827,"journal":{"name":"Discover mental health","volume":"4 1","pages":"65"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11659563/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142856925","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}