A policy perspective on the mental health and psychosocial needs of refugees.

1994 ◽  
pp. 69-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Forbes Martin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychosocial Needs ◽  
Policy Perspective

Responding to the mental health and psychosocial needs of the people of Sri Lanka in disasters

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 593-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Mahoney ◽  
Vijay Chandra ◽  
Harrischandra Gambheera ◽  
Terrence De Silva ◽  
T. Suveendran
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Psychosocial Needs ◽  
The People

Psychosocial Needs of Torture Survivors

1991 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derrick Silove ◽  
Ruth Tarn ◽  
Robin Bowles ◽  
Janice Reid
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Psychosocial Rehabilitation ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Torture Survivors ◽  
Psychosocial Needs ◽  
Western Countries ◽  
The World ◽  
Widespread Interest

Growing recognition that the world faces a modern epidemic of torture has stimulated widespread interest amongst mental health professionals in strategies for the treatment of survivors. In this article we outline the distinctive experiences of torture survivors who present for treatment in western countries. These survivors are usually refugees who, in addition to torture, have suffered a sequence of traumatic experiences and face ongoing linguistic, occupational, financial, educational and cultural obstacles in their country of resettlement. Their multiple needs call into question whether “working through” their trauma stories in psychotherapy will on its own ensure successful psychosocial rehabilitation. Drawing on our experience at a recently established service [1], we propose a broader therapeutic aim.

Scope for Psychosocial Treatments in Psychosis: An Overview of Collaborative Therapy

2003 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 220-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Gilbert ◽  
Kathryn Miller ◽  
Lesley Berk ◽  
Velma Ho ◽  
David Castle
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Psychosocial Needs ◽  
Psychosocial Treatments ◽  
Mental Health Consumers ◽  
Collaborative Therapy ◽  
Modular Treatment ◽  
The Impact

Objectives: The psychosocial needs of people with psychotic disorders are not being addressed adequately. The present paper outlines a proposed framework that will help to meet some of this deficit and deliver psychosocial treatments for these individuals, as part of routine clinical practice. Conclusions: The recent Australian study on low prevalence (psychotic) disorders found that, although most Australians (91%) with a psychotic illness were taking medication, few were receiving adequate psychosocial support from mental health services; fully 47% of these saw the need for a particular type of service that was not able to be accessed by them, either because of it simply not being available or not being affordable. The programme described herein will develop, evaluate and disseminate comprehensive modular treatment packages addressing the psychosocial needs of people with psychotic disorders. It is novel in terms of the comprehensiveness of the approach, the rigour of the evaluation (using a controlled experimental design), and the extent of intersectoral and multidisciplinary involvement in mapping needs, developing the interventions, and dissemination. The potential impact for mental health consumers with psychosis is enormous because currently there is no coherent and consistent approach to addressing their psychosocial needs. The impact for the scientific community will be great because there is currently very little by way of controlled trial data in this important area of activity.

scholarly journals “Watch Me Grow- Electronic (WMG-E)” surveillance approach to identify and address child development, parental mental health, and psychosocial needs: study protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Eapen ◽  
S. Woolfenden ◽  
V. Schmied ◽  
B. Jalaludin ◽  
K. Lawson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Child Development ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Parental Engagement ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Trial Registration ◽  
Psychosocial Needs ◽  
Parental Mental Health ◽  
Developmental Surveillance ◽  
Health And Social Care

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated economic recession has increased parental psychosocial stress and mental health challenges. This has adversely impacted child development and wellbeing, particularly for children from priority populations (culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and rural/regional communities) who are at an already increased risk of health inequality. The increased mental health and psychosocial needs were compounded by the closure of in-person preventive and health promotion programs resulting in health organisations embracing technology and online services. Watch Me Grow- Electronic (WMG-E) – developmental surveillance platform- exemplifies one such service. WMG-E was developed to monitor child development and guide parents towards more detailed assessments when risk is identified. This Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) aims to expand WMG-E as a digital navigation tool by also incorporating parents’ mental health and psychosocial needs. Children and families needing additional assessments and supports will be electronically directed to relevant resources in the ‘care-as-usual’ group. In contrast, the intervention group will receive continuity of care, with additional in-person assessment and ‘warm hand over’ by a ‘service navigator’ to ensure their needs are met. Methods Using an RCT we will determine: (1) parental engagement with developmental surveillance; (2) access to services for those with mental health and social care needs; and (3) uptake of service recommendations. Three hundred parents/carers of children aged 6 months to 3 years (recruited from a culturally diverse, or rural/regional site) will be randomly allocated to the ‘care-as-usual’ or ‘intervention’ group. A mixed methods implementation evaluation will be completed, with semi-structured interviews to ascertain the acceptability, feasibility and impact of the WMG-E platform and service navigator. Conclusions Using WMG-E is expected to: normalise and de-stigmatise mental health and psychosocial screening; increase parental engagement and service use; and result in the early identification and management of child developmental needs, parental mental health, and family psychosocial needs. If effective, digital solutions such as WMG-E to engage and empower parents alongside a service navigator for vulnerable families needing additional support, will have significant practice and policy implications in the pandemic/post pandemic period. Trial registration The trial (Protocol No. 1.0, Version 3.1) was registered with ANZCTR (registration number: ACTRN12621000766819) on July 21st, 2021 and reporting of the trial results will be according to recommendations in the CONSORT Statement.

Exploring Norwegian prison frontline workers’ perceptions of inter professional collaboration – a pilot study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bjørn Kjetil Larsen ◽  
Sarah Hean ◽  
Atle Ødegård
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Interprofessional Collaboration ◽  
Psychosocial Needs ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Frontline Staff ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Frontline Workers ◽  
Cross Sectional Design

Purpose Interprofessional collaboration is necessary for handling the complex psychosocial needs of prisoners. This collaboration must be addressed to avoid high recidivism rates and the human and societal costs linked to them. Challenges are exacerbated by a linear approach to handling prisoners’ problems, silo working between welfare agencies and professional boundaries between frontline workers. There are few adequate theoretical frameworks and tools to address these challenges in the prison context. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions that frontline staff working in Norwegian prison facilities have regarding interprofessional collaboration in providing mental health services for prisoners. Design/methodology/approach This study had a non-experimental, cross-sectional design to explore perceptions of interprofessional collaboration in a prison context. Descriptive and multifactorial analyses (exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis) were used to explore the data. Findings The analysis showed that three factors, communication, organizational culture and domain, explained 95% of the variance. Results are discussed using relational coordination, as well as the conceptual PINCOM model, as a theoretical framework. Originality/value Few studies explicitly explore collaboration between professionals in mental health and prison services despite its being a prerequisite to achieving sufficient services for prisoners. To our knowledge, this current study is one of the first in Norway to explore collaboration in a prison context by analysing quantitative data and focusing on frontline workers perception of the phenomenon.

Widowhood and Mental Health: Social Predictors of Mental Health Disorders Among Widows

2021 ◽  
pp. 105413732110541
Author(s):  
Brown C. Taylor ◽  
Jordan Harrold
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Disorders ◽  
First Year ◽  
Mental Health Providers ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Psychosocial Needs ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Social Predictors ◽  
Health Disorders ◽  
The Relationship

This study examines the relationship between three common mental health disorders—anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder—in the first year of spousal bereavement and a myriad of social factors—including the security of health insurance and the presence of children at home—among those who have been widowed. We analyzed a novel survey of 503 widows who had participated in the Modern Widows’ Club Widows Empowerment Event. We then used logistic regression to investigate the relationship between these variables, discovering nuance between them. Our findings further elucidate the need for health and mental health providers to be attuned to the unique psychosocial needs of widows, especially among the first year of widowhood.

scholarly journals Improving mental health and psychosocial wellbeing in humanitarian settings: reflections on research funded through R2HC

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wietse A. Tol ◽  
Alastair Ager ◽  
Cecile Bizouerne ◽  
Richard Bryant ◽  
Rabih El Chammay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Psychosocial Needs ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Humanitarian Settings ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Major knowledge gaps remain concerning the most effective ways to address mental health and psychosocial needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises. The Research for Health in Humanitarian Crisis (R2HC) program aims to strengthen humanitarian health practice and policy through research. As a significant portion of R2HC’s research has focused on mental health and psychosocial support interventions, the program has been interested in strengthening a community of practice in this field. Following a meeting between grantees, we set out to provide an overview of the R2HC portfolio, and draw lessons learned. In this paper, we discuss the mental health and psychosocial support-focused research projects funded by R2HC; review the implications of initial findings from this research portfolio; and highlight four remaining knowledge gaps in this field. Between 2014 and 2019, R2HC funded 18 academic-practitioner partnerships focused on mental health and psychosocial support, comprising 38% of the overall portfolio (18 of 48 projects) at a value of approximately 7.2 million GBP. All projects have focused on evaluating the impact of interventions. In line with consensus-based recommendations to consider a wide range of mental health and psychosocial needs in humanitarian settings, research projects have evaluated diverse interventions. Findings so far have both challenged and confirmed widely-held assumptions about the effectiveness of mental health and psychosocial interventions in humanitarian settings. They point to the importance of building effective, sustained, and diverse partnerships between scholars, humanitarian practitioners, and funders, to ensure long-term program improvements and appropriate evidence-informed decision making. Further research needs to fill knowledge gaps regarding how to: scale-up interventions that have been found to be effective (e.g., questions related to integration across sectors, adaptation of interventions across different contexts, and optimal care systems); address neglected mental health conditions and populations (e.g., elderly, people with disabilities, sexual minorities, people with severe, pre-existing mental disorders); build on available local resources and supports (e.g., how to build on traditional, religious healing and community-wide social support practices); and ensure equity, quality, fidelity, and sustainability for interventions in real-world contexts (e.g., answering questions about how interventions from controlled studies can be transferred to more representative humanitarian contexts).

Picking up the Pieces: Disaster Intervention and Human Ecology

1974 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dwight Harshbarger
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Human Ecology ◽  
Short Range ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Mental Health Workers ◽  
Community Life ◽  
Psychosocial Needs ◽  
Disaster Victims

Disasters and community life are intimately related. This paper focuses upon the relatively neglected problems of “picking up the pieces” after a disaster has struck. The aftermath includes problems associated with the provision of temporary shelter and survival needs, through the short-range rehabilitation of the community, and on to meeting the psychosocial needs of the survivors which may persist for months or years. Mental health workers should re-evaluate the type of resources they have available to offer disaster victims and the most effective means of utilizing their energies and skills. This paper also serves as the introduction to a symposium on the topic of disaster intervention and human ecology.

scholarly journals 79 Acceptability and impact of psychosocial screening in the emergency department

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. e33-e33
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Hankinson ◽  
Quynh Doan ◽  
Bruce Wright ◽  
Amanbir Atwal ◽  
Punit Virk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Psychosocial Care ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Psychosocial Needs ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Psychosocial Screening ◽  
Psychosocial Resource ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Clinician Assessment

Abstract Background Psychosocial concerns in youth are prevalent and undertreated. Early identification through screening may promote appropriate management before youth present in crisis. Objectives Our primary objective was to assess the acceptability of psychosocial screening in the pediatric emergency department (ED) setting. Secondarily, we report the prevalence of psychosocial issues among youth with non-psychiatric ED presentations, and the impact of screening on mental health resource-seeking behaviour. Design/Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of youth aged 10-17 years at two pediatric EDs. Youth with a mental health-related reason for visiting the ED were excluded. Eligible and consenting youth (and their families) completed a comprehensive psychosocial self-assessment delivered on an electronic tablet, followed by standardized clinician assessment. Consent to participate in the study was used as a proxy measure for acceptability of screening. Participants with identified psychosocial resource needs were followed up at 30 days with a semi-structured telephone/email interview to assess whether they had sought recommended resources and to explore barriers to accessing care. Results Of the 1432 eligible youth given the opportunity to enrol, 795 consented. Among the 637 youth who declined enrolment, 467 specified that they declined for reasons other than not wanting to conduct a psychosocial self-assessment. This suggests that at least 55.5% (95% CI = 52.9%, 58.1%) and up to 88.1% (95% CI = 86.4%, 89.8%) find screening acceptable. Among the 760 participants who completed clinician assessment, 276 (36.3%) were identified as having a psychosocial resource need. Resources were already in place for 105 youth, leaving 171 (22.5%) with newly identified or unmet psychosocial needs. Only 41 (33.1%) of the 124 participants and/or their families who completed a 30-day follow up interview reported attempting to access the recommended resources, despite 92 (74.2%) stating they agreed with the original recommendations. The most common reason for not accessing care was the belief that the recommendations were not yet necessary or were not a priority. Of those who had attempted to access resources, 18 (43.9%) were unsuccessful at the time of interview, with the most common barrier being access delay (e.g. on a waitlist). Conclusion We found that previously unidentified/unmet psychosocial needs are prevalent among youth in the ED, and that screening is generally acceptable. However, a limited number of those who screened positive attempted to access resources, and when they did, access was often unsuccessful or delayed. More work is needed to address barriers to timely psychosocial care.

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