scholarly journals Improving mental health services in a local area — an exploratory study

2004 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry Buchan ◽  
Duncan P Boldy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Local Area ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Improved Model ◽  
Made In

The change in the focus of care for people with mental illness from hospital to community has been far from uniformly successful for a variety of reasons. A review of the development of mental health services suggests that the views of doctors and the responses of administrative systems are significant forces in shaping the development of services. This study explored the attitudes of general practitioners, psychiatrists and administrators, with a view to establishing areas of congruence in order to move towards an improved model of service delivery. Recommendations are made in the areas of primary care psychiatry, access, communication and education.

scholarly journals Business as Un-usual: Access to mental health and primary care services for people with severe mental illness during the COVID-19 restrictions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Newbronner ◽  
Panagiotis Spanakis ◽  
Ruth Wadman ◽  
Suzanne Crosland ◽  
Paul Heron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Severe Mental Illness ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Primary Care Services ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support

Aims: To explore: how satisfied people with severe mental illness (SMI) are with the support received during the pandemic; understand any difficulties encountered when accessing both mental health and primary care services; consider ways to mitigate these difficulties; and assess the perceived need for future support from mental health services. Materials and Methods: A representative sample was drawn from a large transdiagnostic clinical cohort of people with SMI, which was recruited between April 2016 and March 2020. The sample was re-surveyed a few months after the beginning of the restrictions. Descriptive frequency statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data. The free text responses were analysed thematically. Results: 367 participants responded to the survey. Two thirds were receiving support from mental health services with the rest supported in primary care or self-managing. A quarter thought they would need more mental health support in the coming year. Half had needed to used community mental health services during the pandemic and the majority had been able to get support. A minority reported that their mental health had deteriorated but they had either not got the supported they wanted or had not sought help. The biggest service change was the reduction in face-to-face appointments and increasing use of phone and video call support. Nearly half of those using mental health services found this change acceptable or even preferred it; acceptability was influenced by several factors. Participants were more likely to be satisfied with support received when seen in person. Discussion: Although most participants were satisfied with the mental health support they had received, a minority were not. This, couple with findings on future need for mental health support has implications for post pandemic demand on services. Remote care has brought benefits but also risks that it could increase inequalities in access to services.

Advancing research in adult secure mental health services in England

2021 ◽  
pp. 002580242110669
Author(s):  
Howard Ryland ◽  
Louise Davies ◽  
Jeremy Kenney-Herbert ◽  
Michael Kingham ◽  
Mayura Deshpande
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Learning Disability ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Forensic Mental Health ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Low Volume

Forensic mental health services in high income countries are typically high cost and low volume, providing care to people with mental illness, personality disorders, learning disability and autism deemed to pose a risk to others. Research into how forensic mental health services work as a whole system is limited. Such research is urgently needed to guide policy makers and ensure that services operate effectively.

Wellbeing and experiences of Chinese and Vietnamese carers of people with mental illness in Australia

2020 ◽  
pp. 136346152095262
Author(s):  
Abner Weng Cheong Poon ◽  
Maria Cassaniti ◽  
Michele Sapucci ◽  
Rosaleen Ow
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Cultural Safety ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Qualitative Thematic Analysis

Many studies show that carers of people with mental illness experience a negative impact on their wellbeing. Given the growing number of people relocating to Australia every year, there are limited studies examining the experience of carers of people with mental illness from culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Australia. Using cultural safety as a conceptual framework, this exploratory study recruited 14 carers of Chinese and Vietnamese heritage who were attending culturally and linguistically oriented support groups in Sydney, Australia. Standardised, validated scales were administered to measure carers’ wellbeing and knowledge of recovery. Structured interviews were conducted to understand carers’ perceived needs. Descriptive statistical and qualitative thematic analysis were used. Findings show that carers experienced social isolation and psychological distress, had multiple diverse needs and had a reasonably good understanding of recovery. Six themes were identified: i) obtaining information in own language; ii) attaining emotional support from support groups; iii) needing respite services to cope with caregiving responsibilities; iv) involvement in planning of treatment and care; v) migration process influencing caregiving, and; vi) cultural and transcultural factors influencing caregiving experience. Findings indicate that some carers might be experiencing some level of culturally unsafe practices in mainstream mental health services. Implications for support groups and mental health services are discussed.

scholarly journals Family Planning for Women With Severe Mental Illness in Rural Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tigist Zerihun ◽  
Katherine Sorsdahl ◽  
Charlotte Hanlon
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Family Planning ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Family Planning Services ◽  
Care Services

Abstract Background: Family planning is a crucial issue for all women of reproductive age, but in women with severe mental illness (SMI) there may be particular challenges and concerns. As primary care-based mental health services are expanding in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is an opportunity to improve family planning services for women with SMI. However, research exploring unmet family planning needs of women with SMI in such settings is scarce. Therefore, the present study explored the family planning experiences, unmet needs and preferences of women with SMI who reside in a predominantly rural area of Ethiopia Methods: A qualitative study design was used. Women with SMI who were participating in the ongoing population-based cohort study in Butajira were selected purposively on the basis of responses to a quantitative survey of current family planning utilization. In-depth interviews were conducted with 16 women with SMI who were of reproductive age. Audio files were transcribed in Amharic, translated into English and analyzed using the Framework Approach using Open Code qualitative data analysis software. Results: Participants reported pervasive effects of SMI upon the intimate relationships and sexual life of women. Although women with SMI felt that family planning was important, they had limited knowledge of family planning generally and a lack of understanding of the specific family planning needs relevant to having SMI. None of the women with SMI in the present study had received any recommendations to use family planning services while accessing mental health care services. The participants identified ways in which primary care-based mental health services could better meet their family planning needs. Conclusion: This study has provided in-depth perspectives from women with SMI about the broader context of their family planning experience, needs, barriers and how integrated primary care services could better meet their needs. Empowerment of women with SMI to access information and services needs to be an important focus of future efforts to improve the reproductive experiences of this vulnerable group.

scholarly journals The association between neighbourhood characteristics and physical victimisation in men and women with mental disorders

BJPsych Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishal Bhavsar ◽  
Jyoti Sanyal ◽  
Rashmi Patel ◽  
Hitesh Shetty ◽  
Sumithra Velupillai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Gender Interaction ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Neighbourhood Characteristics

Background How neighbourhood characteristics affect the physical safety of people with mental illness is unclear. Aims To examine neighbourhood effects on physical victimisation towards people using mental health services. Method We developed and evaluated a machine-learning-derived free-text-based natural language processing (NLP) algorithm to ascertain clinical text referring to physical victimisation. This was applied to records on all patients attending National Health Service mental health services in Southeast London. Sociodemographic and clinical data, and diagnostic information on use of acute hospital care (from Hospital Episode Statistics, linked to Clinical Record Interactive Search), were collected in this group, defined as ‘cases’ and concurrently sampled controls. Multilevel logistic regression models estimated associations (odds ratios, ORs) between neighbourhood-level fragmentation, crime, income deprivation, and population density and physical victimisation. Results Based on a human-rated gold standard, the NLP algorithm had a positive predictive value of 0.92 and sensitivity of 0.98 for (clinically recorded) physical victimisation. A 1 s.d. increase in neighbourhood crime was accompanied by a 7% increase in odds of physical victimisation in women and an 13% increase in men (adjusted OR (aOR) for women: 1.07, 95% CI 1.01–1.14, aOR for men: 1.13, 95% CI 1.06–1.21, P for gender interaction, 0.218). Although small, adjusted associations for neighbourhood fragmentation appeared greater in magnitude for women (aOR = 1.05, 95% CI 1.01–1.11) than men, where this association was not statistically significant (aOR = 1.00, 95% CI 0.95–1.04, P for gender interaction, 0.096). Neighbourhood income deprivation was associated with victimisation in men and women with similar magnitudes of association. Conclusions Neighbourhood factors influencing safety, as well as individual characteristics including gender, may be relevant to understanding pathways to physical victimisation towards people with mental illness.

scholarly journals Does mental health matter? Commentary on the provision of mental health services in Mozambique

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 36-38
Author(s):  
Kupukai Mlambo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Diagnosis And Treatment ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Made In

Despite attempts made in recent years to address the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness in Mozambique, service provision remains deficient. The present paper focuses on the attitudes to mental illness and its diagnosis and treatment in Mozambique. This paper is based on both a thorough literature search and on the results of qualitative interviews carried out with six individuals of Mozambican origin now living in the UK.

scholarly journals Kenya's mental health law

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 96-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Ndetei ◽  
Job Muthike ◽  
Erick S. Nandoya
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Law ◽  
Mental Health Law ◽  
Legal Provisions ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
International Rights ◽  
State Protection

Kenya's Mental Health Act 1989 is now outdated. It is a signatory to international rights conventions that provide for state protection of the rights of people with mental illness, their property and their treatment. There is, however, a glaring failure to implement the existing legal provisions. A new Mental Health Bill that aims to respond comprehensively to the challenges affecting mental health services in Kenya is awaiting enactment.

scholarly journals Mental Health Services Use Trends in Canadian Veterans: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study in Ontario

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 378-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyson L. Mahar ◽  
Alice B. Aiken ◽  
Heidi Cramm ◽  
Marlo Whitehead ◽  
Patti Groome ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Retrospective Cohort ◽  
Care Physician ◽  
Health Related

Objective: A substantial evidence base in the peer-reviewed literature exists investigating mental illness in the military, but relatively less is documented about mental illness in veterans. This study uses provincial, administrative data to study the use of mental health services by Canadian veterans in Ontario. Method: This was a retrospective cohort study of Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police veterans who were released between 1990 and 2013 and resided in Ontario. Mental health–related primary care physician, psychiatrist, emergency department (ED) visits, and psychiatric hospitalisations were counted. Repeated measures were presented in 5-year intervals, stratified by age at release. Results: The cohort included 23,818 veterans. In the first 5 years following entry into the health care system, 28.9% of veterans had ≥1 mental health–related primary care physician visit, 5.8% visited a psychiatrist at least once, and 2.4% received acute mental health services at an ED. The use of mental health services was consistent over time. Almost 8% of veterans aged 30 to 39 years saw a psychiatrist in the first 5 years after release, compared to 3.5% of veterans aged ≥50 years at release. The youngest veterans at release (<30 years) were the most frequent users of ED services for a mental health–related reason (5.1% had at least 1 ED visit). Conclusion: Understanding how veterans use the health care system for mental health problems is an important step to ensuring needs are met during the transition to civilian life.

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