Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-06-06DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100469
J. Kepo'o Keli'ipa'akaua , Shelley Muneoka , Kapali Jeffrey Lyon , Kathryn L. Braun
Native Hawaiians are at a high risk for dementia, with Alzheimer's disease being the sixth leading cause of death for Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders at age 65+. Many Native Hawaiian elders reside with families, including youth, in multigenerational housing for cultural, economic, and health status reasons, and as such Native Hawaiian families often provide the majority of care to loved ones with dementia. However, few educational materials are available for Native Hawaiian youth, and existing materials are in the English language and are not specific to the Hawaiʻi context. This paper focuses on the translation of a storybook for Native Hawaiian youth who may be encountering dementia in their families, titled Pōmai and her Papa, into ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language). Some specific challenges in conducting this translation are discussed, and lessons are shared that may aid others endeavoring to translate health communications into their own Indigenous language.
{"title":"In our own voices and words: Creating English- and Hawaiian-language storybooks on dementia","authors":"J. Kepo'o Keli'ipa'akaua , Shelley Muneoka , Kapali Jeffrey Lyon , Kathryn L. Braun","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100469","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100469","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Native Hawaiians are at a high risk for dementia, with Alzheimer's disease being the sixth leading cause of death for Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders at age 65+. Many Native Hawaiian elders reside with families, including youth, in multigenerational housing for cultural, economic, and health status reasons, and as such Native Hawaiian families often provide the majority of care to loved ones with dementia. However, few educational materials are available for Native Hawaiian youth, and existing materials are in the English language and are not specific to the Hawaiʻi context. This paper focuses on the translation of a storybook for Native Hawaiian youth who may be encountering dementia in their families, titled <em>Pōmai and her Papa,</em> into ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language). Some specific challenges in conducting this translation are discussed, and lessons are shared that may aid others endeavoring to translate health communications into their own Indigenous language.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74861,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Mental health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100469"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144336027","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Centralized referral mechanisms anchored in primary care have been implemented to facilitate timely and appropriate access to health care in Quebec, Canada, like via Centre de répartition des demandes de services (CRDS), a regionally centralized referral system used by family physicians (FPs) for new requests to specialty care, including psychiatric services. CRDS for psychiatry was implemented in 2019, where local centralized referral systems to psychosocial or psychiatric services (Guichets d'accès en santé mentale adulte (GASMA)) were already operating. We aimed to: 1) explore FPs' use of CRDS for psychiatry; 2) better understand the functioning and potential complementarity of CRDS and GASMA, including by visually mapping these pathways; and 3) identify factors that may influence their use and functioning.
Methods
A qualitative descriptive study with 20 participants working in the healthcare sector was conducted. Thematic analysis was employed.
Results
Mental health referral pathways were mapped, with FPs as focal points. Factors identified as influencing referral mechanisms' use and functioning included: 1) challenges related to the communication of ministerial directives on the use/functioning of centralized referral systems; 2) stakeholders' perceptions on the regionally centralized system's objectives for service access; 3) collaborations between clinicians and the regionally centralized system; 4) perceived added value of the regionally centralized system compared to pre-existing centralized local referral systems; and 5) key organizational/system-level mental health challenges and facilitators. Recommendations to improve these pathways' use, functioning, and complementarity included clarifying directives and roles within trajectories, and improving communication between the regionally centralized and local systems already in place, as well as addressing organizational/system-level challenges to mental health care.
Conclusions
Findings inform on improvements for mental health service access, delivery, and continuity via centralized referral systems anchored in primary care and used by FPs; and access challenges via pathways and solutions to optimize mental health service trajectories.
在加拿大魁北克省,已经实施了以初级保健为基础的集中转诊机制,以促进及时和适当地获得保健服务,例如通过由家庭医生使用的区域集中转诊系统(CRDS),处理包括精神科服务在内的专科护理新请求。精神病学的CRDS于2019年实施,当地的社会心理或精神服务中心转诊系统(Guichets d’accires en sant mentale adult, GASMA)已经开始运作。我们的目标是:1)探索FPs在精神病学中使用CRDS的情况;2)更好地了解CRDS和GASMA的功能和潜在的互补性,包括通过可视化绘制这些通路;3)确定可能影响其使用和功能的因素。方法对20名在医疗保健行业工作的被试进行定性描述性研究。采用专题分析。结果绘制了心理健康转诊路径图,以FPs为重点。被确定为影响转诊机制使用和运作的因素包括:1)关于中央转诊系统使用/运作的部级指令的沟通方面的挑战;2)利益相关者对区域集中式系统服务获取目标的认知;3)临床医生与区域集中系统的合作;4)与已有的集中式地方转诊系统相比,区域集中式转诊系统的感知附加值;5)关键的组织/系统级心理健康挑战和促进因素。改善这些途径的使用、运作和互补性的建议包括澄清轨迹内的指示和作用,改善区域集中和地方现有系统之间的沟通,以及解决精神卫生保健面临的组织/系统层面的挑战。结论:研究结果表明,通过以初级保健为基础并由FPs使用的集中转诊系统,可以改善精神卫生服务的获取、提供和连续性;并通过优化心理健康服务轨迹的途径和解决方案来应对挑战。
{"title":"Exploring family physicians’ mental health referrals via centralized referral systems in Quebec, Canada: a qualitative descriptive study","authors":"Jessica Spagnolo , Marie Beauséjour , Marie-Josée Fleury , Jean-François Clément , Claire Gamache , Lyne Couture , Carine Sauvé , Shane Knight , Christine Gilbert , Richard Fleet , Helen-Maria Vasiliadis","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100501","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100501","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Centralized referral mechanisms anchored in primary care have been implemented to facilitate timely and appropriate access to health care in Quebec, Canada, like via <em>Centre de répartition des demandes de services</em> (CRDS), a regionally centralized referral system used by family physicians (FPs) for new requests to specialty care, including psychiatric services. CRDS for psychiatry was implemented in 2019, where local centralized referral systems to psychosocial or psychiatric services (<em>Guichets d'accès en santé mentale adulte</em> (GASMA)) were already operating. We aimed to: 1) explore FPs' use of CRDS for psychiatry; 2) better understand the functioning and potential complementarity of CRDS and GASMA, including by visually mapping these pathways; and 3) identify factors that may influence their use and functioning.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A qualitative descriptive study with 20 participants working in the healthcare sector was conducted. Thematic analysis was employed.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Mental health referral pathways were mapped, with FPs as focal points. Factors identified as influencing referral mechanisms' use and functioning included: 1) challenges related to the communication of ministerial directives on the use/functioning of centralized referral systems; 2) stakeholders' perceptions on the regionally centralized system's objectives for service access; 3) collaborations between clinicians and the regionally centralized system; 4) perceived added value of the regionally centralized system compared to pre-existing centralized local referral systems; and 5) key organizational/system-level mental health challenges and facilitators. Recommendations to improve these pathways' use, functioning, and complementarity included clarifying directives and roles within trajectories, and improving communication between the regionally centralized and local systems already in place, as well as addressing organizational/system-level challenges to mental health care.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Findings inform on improvements for mental health service access, delivery, and continuity via centralized referral systems anchored in primary care and used by FPs; and access challenges via pathways and solutions to optimize mental health service trajectories.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74861,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Mental health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100501"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144878700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100566
Tobias Fragner , Christopher Tupy , Lisa Kainzbauer , Lisa Lehner , Magdalena Eitenberger , Joy Ladurner , Igor Grabovac
People with lived experience of mental health conditions (PWLE) encounter significant obstacles when accessing somatic healthcare services, contributing to higher morbidity and reduced life expectancy compared to the general population. This research sought to identify the barriers and facilitators that PWLE face in accessing and using somatic healthcare in Austria, with the goal of co-creating strategies to address current challenges. Employing a participatory action research approach from the conceptualization and grant-writing stages and reflecting the principles of “mental health trialogue,” this study involved a steering committee composed of a person with lived experience, a family member of PWLE, and a healthcare professional. Based on World Café methodology, two co-creation workshops fostered open dialogue and collaboration among participants representing these three perspectives. Data were gathered through participant observation and systematic collection of workshop contributions, which were thematically analyzed. A total of 52 participants, with 27 in the first and 25 in the second workshop, contributed to the study. Six overarching themes were derived: (1) Awareness among healthcare professionals; (2) Accessibility and health facility design; (3) Structural diversity of services; (4) Lack of care coordination; (5) Bureaucracy and material support; and (6) Societal awareness. Findings underscore the need for systemic changes to address diagnostic overshadowing in somatic healthcare services, particularly through the design of more inclusive services and the expansion of networking between and within PWLE and their caregivers. Aiming to achieve health equity, this study provides specific policy and practice pathways to counter diagnostic overshadowing and ensure PWLEs’ somatic health needs are adequately addressed.
{"title":"Access to somatic healthcare for people with lived experience of mental health conditions in Austria: A trialogic participatory action research study","authors":"Tobias Fragner , Christopher Tupy , Lisa Kainzbauer , Lisa Lehner , Magdalena Eitenberger , Joy Ladurner , Igor Grabovac","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100566","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100566","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>People with lived experience of mental health conditions (PWLE) encounter significant obstacles when accessing somatic healthcare services, contributing to higher morbidity and reduced life expectancy compared to the general population. This research sought to identify the barriers and facilitators that PWLE face in accessing and using somatic healthcare in Austria, with the goal of co-creating strategies to address current challenges. Employing a participatory action research approach from the conceptualization and grant-writing stages and reflecting the principles of “mental health trialogue,” this study involved a steering committee composed of a person with lived experience, a family member of PWLE, and a healthcare professional. Based on World Café methodology, two co-creation workshops fostered open dialogue and collaboration among participants representing these three perspectives. Data were gathered through participant observation and systematic collection of workshop contributions, which were thematically analyzed. A total of 52 participants, with 27 in the first and 25 in the second workshop, contributed to the study. Six overarching themes were derived: (1) Awareness among healthcare professionals; (2) Accessibility and health facility design; (3) Structural diversity of services; (4) Lack of care coordination; (5) Bureaucracy and material support; and (6) Societal awareness. Findings underscore the need for systemic changes to address diagnostic overshadowing in somatic healthcare services, particularly through the design of more inclusive services and the expansion of networking between and within PWLE and their caregivers. Aiming to achieve health equity, this study provides specific policy and practice pathways to counter diagnostic overshadowing and ensure PWLEs’ somatic health needs are adequately addressed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74861,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Mental health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100566"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145578817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-06-07DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100470
Xuefei Li, Aja Louise Murray, Tom Booth
While some recent studies have supported a prevailing opinion that retirement may affect mental health, few studies have covered an entire pre- to post-retirement process, as well as distinguishing both short-term and long-term effect of retirement. The aim of this study was to understand the mental health trajectories before, during, and after retirement, with a special focus on variations across income levels. We analysed data from 1538 participants spanning 17 waves of the Longitudinal Internet studies for the Social Sciences (LISS) panel and conducted a series of piecewise growth curve models to identify the best-representative patterns for three income groups. Additionally, we assessed whether baseline mental health, physical and mental job demands, and demographic factors contribute to the association between retirement and mental health. Results suggested that a three-piece model best described high-income groups, while a two-piece model was the best fit for middle- and low-income group. People exhibited an overall improvement in mental health post-retirement, but with significant individual differences. Physical job demands influenced mental health outcomes in the middle-income group, and this association persisted after adjusting for demographic variables. Within the low-income group, females and those who were not married exhibited significantly poorer mental health. Within the high-income group, individuals who retired later showed a slower improvement in mental health during the retirement year. These distinct, income-related trajectories of mental health may offer insight into the multifaceted adjustment processes linked to retirement and inform policy interventions.
{"title":"Mental health trajectories surrounding retirement: A longitudinal perspective","authors":"Xuefei Li, Aja Louise Murray, Tom Booth","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100470","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100470","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While some recent studies have supported a prevailing opinion that retirement may affect mental health, few studies have covered an entire pre- to post-retirement process, as well as distinguishing both short-term and long-term effect of retirement. The aim of this study was to understand the mental health trajectories before, during, and after retirement, with a special focus on variations across income levels. We analysed data from 1538 participants spanning 17 waves of the Longitudinal Internet studies for the Social Sciences (LISS) panel and conducted a series of piecewise growth curve models to identify the best-representative patterns for three income groups. Additionally, we assessed whether baseline mental health, physical and mental job demands, and demographic factors contribute to the association between retirement and mental health. Results suggested that a three-piece model best described high-income groups, while a two-piece model was the best fit for middle- and low-income group. People exhibited an overall improvement in mental health post-retirement, but with significant individual differences. Physical job demands influenced mental health outcomes in the middle-income group, and this association persisted after adjusting for demographic variables. Within the low-income group, females and those who were not married exhibited significantly poorer mental health. Within the high-income group, individuals who retired later showed a slower improvement in mental health during the retirement year. These distinct, income-related trajectories of mental health may offer insight into the multifaceted adjustment processes linked to retirement and inform policy interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74861,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Mental health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100470"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144271504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-12-06DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100572
Angelysse Madsen , Eugene Raikhel
Self-diagnosis and self-labeling have become increasingly common as mental health content circulates on social media. College students, frequent users of social media, encounter mental health-related diagnostic language in everyday feeds, yet little is known about how they interpret and engage with this material. This paper draws largely on semi-structured interviews with 25 undergraduates, examining how students encounter self-diagnostic mental health content, how they interpret the legitimacy of self-diagnosis, and how these practices shape their views of professional care. While participants reported frequent exposure to diagnostic content on social media, they expressed skepticism about its accuracy, citing bias, misinformation, and the threat of undermining professional diagnoses. Most notably, students were reluctant to apply the label “self-diagnosed” to themselves, even when they identified with conditions that were not formally assessed. Instead, they distinguished between private identification and public labeling. Participants also acknowledged the potential benefits of self-diagnosis, particularly for those with limited access to care. These findings highlight that “self-diagnosed” carries stigma as a social label, even as the underlying practices of researching symptoms and identifying with conditions may occur privately. The legitimacy of self-diagnosis is contested and shaped by concerns about diagnostic authority, stigma, and unequal access to health care.
{"title":"Swipe to diagnose: College students, social media, and the stigma of self-diagnosis","authors":"Angelysse Madsen , Eugene Raikhel","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100572","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100572","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Self-diagnosis and self-labeling have become increasingly common as mental health content circulates on social media. College students, frequent users of social media, encounter mental health-related diagnostic language in everyday feeds, yet little is known about how they interpret and engage with this material. This paper draws largely on semi-structured interviews with 25 undergraduates, examining how students encounter self-diagnostic mental health content, how they interpret the legitimacy of self-diagnosis, and how these practices shape their views of professional care. While participants reported frequent exposure to diagnostic content on social media, they expressed skepticism about its accuracy, citing bias, misinformation, and the threat of undermining professional diagnoses. Most notably, students were reluctant to apply the label “self-diagnosed” to themselves, even when they identified with conditions that were not formally assessed. Instead, they distinguished between private identification and public labeling. Participants also acknowledged the potential benefits of self-diagnosis, particularly for those with limited access to care. These findings highlight that “self-diagnosed” carries stigma as a social label, even as the underlying practices of researching symptoms and identifying with conditions may occur privately. The legitimacy of self-diagnosis is contested and shaped by concerns about diagnostic authority, stigma, and unequal access to health care.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74861,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Mental health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100572"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145736665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
South Africa faces a significant burden from mental, neurological, and substance-use (MNS) conditions, with a substantial treatment gap that hampers the country's progress toward universal health coverage (UHC). Despite National Health Insurance (NHI) reforms, equity in access, affordability and preparedness remain concerns. The South African Mental Health Investment Case (MHIC) was commissioned to evaluate the costs and benefits of implementing mental health interventions over a 15-year period to inform national planning and budgeting. The analysis incorporated a comprehensive stakeholder consultation process including a Delphi study for expert consensus and uses the WHO Inter-UN OneHealth Tool and Excel-based modelling to estimate health and economic benefits.
The MHIC estimates substantial economic and social returns, particularly for interventions targeting common mental health conditions, with benefit to cost ratios of 4.0 and 3.6 to 1 for adult and childhood depression, 4.7 to 1 for perinatal depression and 1.5 and 0.6 to 1 for adult and childhood anxiety, respectively. The total investment needed represents approximately 11.6 % of the current health budget and aligns with recommended international norms for mental health funding. The cost of inaction is significant, unaddressed MNS conditions could cost South Africa 4 % of its GDP annually. The MHIC highlights the value of early prevention programs, including school-based interventions and targeted psychosocial support, which could avert prevalent cases and enhance productivity. By reallocating resources towards primary and community-based care, the MHIC advocates for an efficient and sustainable approach aligned with South Africa's UHC goals, emphasizing the critical need for intersectoral collaboration.
{"title":"The costs, outcomes and returns on investment of a package of intersectoral interventions for mental, neurological, and substance-use disorders, and intellectual disabilities in South Africa","authors":"Donela Besada , Sumaiyah Docrat , Barbara Barrett , Crick Lund","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100560","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100560","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>South Africa faces a significant burden from mental, neurological, and substance-use (MNS) conditions, with a substantial treatment gap that hampers the country's progress toward universal health coverage (UHC). Despite National Health Insurance (NHI) reforms, equity in access, affordability and preparedness remain concerns. The South African Mental Health Investment Case (MHIC) was commissioned to evaluate the costs and benefits of implementing mental health interventions over a 15-year period to inform national planning and budgeting. The analysis incorporated a comprehensive stakeholder consultation process including a Delphi study for expert consensus and uses the WHO Inter-UN OneHealth Tool and Excel-based modelling to estimate health and economic benefits.</div><div>The MHIC estimates substantial economic and social returns, particularly for interventions targeting common mental health conditions, with benefit to cost ratios of 4.0 and 3.6 to 1 for adult and childhood depression, 4.7 to 1 for perinatal depression and 1.5 and 0.6 to 1 for adult and childhood anxiety, respectively. The total investment needed represents approximately 11.6 % of the current health budget and aligns with recommended international norms for mental health funding. The cost of inaction is significant, unaddressed MNS conditions could cost South Africa 4 % of its GDP annually. The MHIC highlights the value of early prevention programs, including school-based interventions and targeted psychosocial support, which could avert prevalent cases and enhance productivity. By reallocating resources towards primary and community-based care, the MHIC advocates for an efficient and sustainable approach aligned with South Africa's UHC goals, emphasizing the critical need for intersectoral collaboration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74861,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Mental health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100560"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145519429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-12-02DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100569
Amanda P. Miller , Gertrude Nakigozi , Emma Menya , Caleb Figge , Hafsa Lukwata , William Byansi , Stephen Mugamba , Doreen Tuhebwe , Laura Murray , Fred Nalugoda , Stephen Watya , George William Ddaaki , Alex Daama , Robert Bulamba , James Nkale , Emma Kyasanku , Godfrey Kigozi , Grace Kigozi , Susan M. Kiene
The health and social consequences of untreated mental health disorders and heavy alcohol use are substantial, particularly in settings with high HIV-prevalence. Transdiagnostic approaches may offer a more efficient public health response, particularly where behavioral health services are limited. The present study explored the implementation of Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA), a transdiagnostic intervention, in Western Uganda, from the perspectives of multilevel stakeholders. One-on-one in-depth interviews with multilevel stakeholders involved in the rollout of CETA in Uganda were conducted (n = 20) including Ministry of Health officials (n = 2), CETA trainers (n = 2), clinic managers (n = 5), and frontline providers (n = 11) involved in the rollout of CETA. Data were thematically analyzed and organized using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR 2.0). Key themes that emerged, organized by CFIR 2.0 domain and construct, included the acceptability and perceived need for CETA (and its perceived advantages over existing behavioral health services), the importance of expanding CETA beyond healthcare facilities into communities (through a task-shifting approach that leverages community health workers) to reduce provider fatigue and eliminate transportation related barriers to patient retention, and the necessity of building in-country capacity to support long-term sustainability and the train-the-trainer apprenticeship model. This qualitative implementation assessment provides suggestions for optimization of CETA delivery for this context in future implementation. Rigorous testing of CETA is needed to examine both implementation and effectiveness outcomes in Uganda.
{"title":"Implementation, sustainability, and impact of Common Elements Treatment Approach in Ugandan healthcare facilities","authors":"Amanda P. Miller , Gertrude Nakigozi , Emma Menya , Caleb Figge , Hafsa Lukwata , William Byansi , Stephen Mugamba , Doreen Tuhebwe , Laura Murray , Fred Nalugoda , Stephen Watya , George William Ddaaki , Alex Daama , Robert Bulamba , James Nkale , Emma Kyasanku , Godfrey Kigozi , Grace Kigozi , Susan M. Kiene","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100569","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100569","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The health and social consequences of untreated mental health disorders and heavy alcohol use are substantial, particularly in settings with high HIV-prevalence. Transdiagnostic approaches may offer a more efficient public health response, particularly where behavioral health services are limited. The present study explored the implementation of Common Elements Treatment Approach (CETA), a transdiagnostic intervention, in Western Uganda, from the perspectives of multilevel stakeholders. One-on-one in-depth interviews with multilevel stakeholders involved in the rollout of CETA in Uganda were conducted (n = 20) including Ministry of Health officials (n = 2), CETA trainers (n = 2), clinic managers (n = 5), and frontline providers (n = 11) involved in the rollout of CETA. Data were thematically analyzed and organized using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR 2.0). Key themes that emerged, organized by CFIR 2.0 domain and construct, included the acceptability and perceived need for CETA (and its perceived advantages over existing behavioral health services), the importance of expanding CETA beyond healthcare facilities into communities (through a task-shifting approach that leverages community health workers) to reduce provider fatigue and eliminate transportation related barriers to patient retention, and the necessity of building in-country capacity to support long-term sustainability and the train-the-trainer apprenticeship model. This qualitative implementation assessment provides suggestions for optimization of CETA delivery for this context in future implementation. Rigorous testing of CETA is needed to examine both implementation and effectiveness outcomes in Uganda.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74861,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Mental health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100569"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145683791","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-09-29DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100538
Kelly McDermott , Michaela F. George , David G. Blumenkrantz
Purpose
Mental health in young adults and widespread social disconnection are two intersecting crises seen in the U.S. We examine the impact of individualist cultural values in the U.S. on these crises and explore how traditional cultures have leveraged the sensitive period of adolescence to support mental health and social cohesion through coming-of-age rites of passage.
Methods
In this retrospective study, young adults were emailed a survey asking about their adolescent experiences of coming-of-age rites of passage and their current physical health, mental health and coping ability. We looked at associations between rites of passage experiences and outcomes in the n = 860 young adults who completed the survey.
Results
Having diverse rites of passage experiences was not associated with later outcomes, however, we did see associations between several individual experiences and outcomes. Having a connection with nature or the larger universe, giving something up from childhood and getting something symbolic of the transition were all significantly associated with outcomes.
Discussion
This paper explores how coming-of-age rites of passage can address the mental health and social disconnection crises in the U.S., setting the stage for more rigorous investigation of the topic. We recommend leveraging existing rites of passage programs and facilitators to help generate hypotheses, and to use more robust methods to identify mechanisms of action towards building multilevel rites of passage interventions to improve mental health and social connection.
{"title":"Remembering the way forward: How traditional and indigenous coming of age rites of passage can support mental health and social connection in the U.S","authors":"Kelly McDermott , Michaela F. George , David G. Blumenkrantz","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100538","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100538","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>Mental health in young adults and widespread social disconnection are two intersecting crises seen in the U.S. We examine the impact of individualist cultural values in the U.S. on these crises and explore how traditional cultures have leveraged the sensitive period of adolescence to support mental health and social cohesion through coming-of-age rites of passage.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this retrospective study, young adults were emailed a survey asking about their adolescent experiences of coming-of-age rites of passage and their current physical health, mental health and coping ability. We looked at associations between rites of passage experiences and outcomes in the n = 860 young adults who completed the survey.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Having diverse rites of passage experiences was not associated with later outcomes, however, we did see associations between several individual experiences and outcomes. Having a connection with nature or the larger universe, giving something up from childhood and getting something symbolic of the transition were all significantly associated with outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>This paper explores how coming-of-age rites of passage can address the mental health and social disconnection crises in the U.S., setting the stage for more rigorous investigation of the topic. We recommend leveraging existing rites of passage programs and facilitators to help generate hypotheses, and to use more robust methods to identify mechanisms of action towards building multilevel rites of passage interventions to improve mental health and social connection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74861,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Mental health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100538"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145265668","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-10-04DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100543
Michelle Marie Pieters , Diego Sapalú , Alex Cohen , Cady Chen , Jeremy Kane , Deisy Martinez , Karla Paniagua Avila , Alex Petzey , Ezra Susser , Alejandra Paniagua-Avila
Introduction
Psychotic conditions are major causes of disability in Latin America, where mental healthcare is mostly limited and inadequate. Indigenous People throughout this region experience additional barriers to mental health care, compounded by structural inequities and diverse health practices. This study in Guatemala described the Maya Indigenous People's perceptions about psychosis, its symptoms, causes, responses to, and recovery. Results will inform the design of a community-led, culturally grounded program for people living with psychosis (PLWP).
Methods
We conducted free listing and semi-structured interviews in Spanish or Maya Tz'utujil language. Participants were PLWP, family caregivers, community leaders, and mental health, traditional, and primary care providers. We followed Kleinman's explanatory model and elicited locally meaningful recovery outcomes. Our team performed a matrix-based thematic analysis.
Results
We interviewed 30 participants. Key findings included (1) varying terms and understandings of psychosis symptoms and causes across participant subgroups; (2) extremely limited care, pluralistic treatment practices, and tensions between biomedical and traditional systems; (3) matching community expectations and recovery outcomes, with contrasting views between PLWP, who expressed hope, and family caregivers and providers, who expressed doubts and resignation; and (4) stigma as a cross-cutting barrier towards care and recovery across family-, community- and provider-levels linked to social exclusion among PLWP and family caregivers.
Conclusion
Effective community programs must respond to local definitions of recovery, incorporate biomedical, traditional, and spiritual approaches, involve PLWP and family caregivers, and address stigma. Engaging Indigenous peoples’ practices in programs for PLWP can improve their acceptability, reach, and effectiveness.
{"title":"Beyond “Ch'jurnaaq”: Recognizing Maya Indigenous People's perceptions of psychosis and recovery in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala","authors":"Michelle Marie Pieters , Diego Sapalú , Alex Cohen , Cady Chen , Jeremy Kane , Deisy Martinez , Karla Paniagua Avila , Alex Petzey , Ezra Susser , Alejandra Paniagua-Avila","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100543","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100543","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Psychotic conditions are major causes of disability in Latin America, where mental healthcare is mostly limited and inadequate. Indigenous People throughout this region experience additional barriers to mental health care, compounded by structural inequities and diverse health practices. This study in Guatemala described the Maya Indigenous People's perceptions about psychosis, its symptoms, causes, responses to, and recovery. Results will inform the design of a community-led, culturally grounded program for people living with psychosis (PLWP).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted free listing and semi-structured interviews in Spanish or Maya Tz'utujil language. Participants were PLWP, family caregivers, community leaders, and mental health, traditional, and primary care providers. We followed Kleinman's explanatory model and elicited locally meaningful recovery outcomes. Our team performed a matrix-based thematic analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>We interviewed 30 participants. Key findings included (1) varying terms and understandings of psychosis symptoms and causes across participant subgroups; (2) extremely limited care, pluralistic treatment practices, and tensions between biomedical and traditional systems; (3) matching community expectations and recovery outcomes, with contrasting views between PLWP, who expressed hope, and family caregivers and providers, who expressed doubts and resignation; and (4) stigma as a cross-cutting barrier towards care and recovery across family-, community- and provider-levels linked to social exclusion among PLWP and family caregivers.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Effective community programs must respond to local definitions of recovery, incorporate biomedical, traditional, and spiritual approaches, involve PLWP and family caregivers, and address stigma. Engaging Indigenous peoples’ practices in programs for PLWP can improve their acceptability, reach, and effectiveness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74861,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Mental health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100543"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145265669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-08-06DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100502
Lauren C. Ng , Gray K. Bowers , Dagmawit Tesfaye , Eyerusalem Getachew Serba , Abebaw Fekadu , Kimberly Hook , Amantia Ametaj , David C. Henderson , Kim T. Mueser , Charlotte Hanlon
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms amongst people with serious mental illness (SMI) are prevalent in Ethiopia and throughout the world, yet treatment is scarce, particularly in low-resource settings with few mental health providers. This study describes the process of adapting a PTSD treatment, originally designed to be delivered by mental health providers in specialty mental health clinics in the US, to be appropriate, acceptable and sustainable when delivered by non-specialist providers in routine care in rural Ethiopian primary care clinics. Methods included a literature review, qualitative interviews (N = 48), an adaptation workshop (N = 12), and theater, cognitive, and usability testing (N = 14) with people with SMI, caregivers of people with SMI, health care providers, and community leaders. Participants found the intervention to be appropriate and acceptable, while also noting multiple patient, family, provider, clinic and community-level barriers that might impact successful delivery and receipt of the intervention. The intervention was adapted to address as many barriers as possible, while maintaining adherence to the original intervention's theoretical and conceptual model. While many of these barriers could be addressed with adaptations, others such as high rates of poverty and limited population-level mental health awareness, require policy and community-based solutions and systemic change. Future research is needed to assess whether the intervention is feasible and effective in this setting.
{"title":"Adaptation of a PTSD intervention for use in primary care in a low-income country: The Brief Relaxation, Education and Trauma HEaling intervention for Ethiopia (BREATHE Ethiopia)","authors":"Lauren C. Ng , Gray K. Bowers , Dagmawit Tesfaye , Eyerusalem Getachew Serba , Abebaw Fekadu , Kimberly Hook , Amantia Ametaj , David C. Henderson , Kim T. Mueser , Charlotte Hanlon","doi":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100502","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100502","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms amongst people with serious mental illness (SMI) are prevalent in Ethiopia and throughout the world, yet treatment is scarce, particularly in low-resource settings with few mental health providers. This study describes the process of adapting a PTSD treatment, originally designed to be delivered by mental health providers in specialty mental health clinics in the US, to be appropriate, acceptable and sustainable when delivered by non-specialist providers in routine care in rural Ethiopian primary care clinics. Methods included a literature review, qualitative interviews (N = 48), an adaptation workshop (N = 12), and theater, cognitive, and usability testing (N = 14) with people with SMI, caregivers of people with SMI, health care providers, and community leaders. Participants found the intervention to be appropriate and acceptable, while also noting multiple patient, family, provider, clinic and community-level barriers that might impact successful delivery and receipt of the intervention. The intervention was adapted to address as many barriers as possible, while maintaining adherence to the original intervention's theoretical and conceptual model. While many of these barriers could be addressed with adaptations, others such as high rates of poverty and limited population-level mental health awareness, require policy and community-based solutions and systemic change. Future research is needed to assess whether the intervention is feasible and effective in this setting.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74861,"journal":{"name":"SSM. Mental health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100502"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144827346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}