Our people are our business

2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 643
Author(s):  
Bronwyn Struthers
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Vehicle Accidents ◽  
Proactive Approach ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Military

Every year in Australia, the number of people taking their own lives is more than those who die in vehicle accidents. Further, the most recent studies show industry workers are six times more likely to commit suicide than to die from a workplace accident. Simply put, mental health significantly impacts workplaces. Estimations suggest mental health issues cost Australian industry $14.8 billion. Further, an employee who is not mentally healthy presents fitness for work issues similar to those of a worker influenced by drugs or alcohol. Protecting the mental health and safety of our workforce is the right thing to do—for workers, their families and the wider community. A proactive approach to mental health has a positive impact on workplace culture, which further impacts safety outcomes and productivity. Moreover, training numerous psychologists is not required. Proven strategies that are practical, simple and cost-effective are available. Preventative approaches include strategies borrowed from the military to strengthen the resilience of workers and their families. From a mitigation perspective, a first-aid model means it is about providing support and care, and all levels of the workforce can be equipped with the skills to help. It is mostly about having the confidence to ask the question and to listen. De-mystifying mental health and making it okay to talk about significantly reduce the likelihood of depression, anxiety and self-harm. By following this first-aid model, a difference can be made.

scholarly journals Mental health first aid for the UK Armed Forces

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 132-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane M Crone ◽  
Mustafa Sarkar ◽  
Thomas Curran ◽  
Colin M Baker ◽  
Denise Hill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Education programmes in mental health literacy can address stigma and misunderstanding of mental health. This study investigated self-rated differences in knowledge, attitudes and confidence around mental health issues following participation in a bespoke Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training course for the Armed Forces. The mixed methods approach comprised quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews. A survey, administered immediately post-training (n = 602) and again at 10-months post-attendance (n = 120), asked participants to rate their knowledge, attitudes and confidence around mental health issues pre- and post-training. Quantitative findings revealed a significant increase in knowledge, positive attitudes and confidence from the post-training survey which was sustained at 10-months follow-up.Semi-structured telephone interviews (n = 13) were conducted at follow-up, 6-months post-attendance. Qualitative findings revealed that participation facilitated an ‘ambassador’ type role for participants. This study is the first to have investigated the effect of MHFA in an Armed Forces community. Findings show participants perceived the training to increase knowledge regarding mental health and to enhance confidence and aptitude for identifying and supporting people with mental health problems. Results suggest that such an intervention can provide support for personnel, veterans and their families, regarding mental health in Armed Forces communities.

Mental Health First Aid: A Useful Tool for School Nurses

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 361-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joy Atkins
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
School Nurses ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Health Action

School nurses address mental health issues of youth on a daily basis. These mental health issues include substance abuse, anxiety, depression, and even suicidal ideation. Mental health first aid is a process that seeks to help medical professionals and laypeople recognize and address someone that is having a mental health or substance abuse crisis. This article will describe an experience with a student having suicidal ideations and how the mental health action plan was used.

scholarly journals Bulletproofing the Psyche: Mindfulness Interventions in the Training Environment to Improve Resilience in the Military and Veteran Communities

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 312-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Hendricks Thomas ◽  
Sarah Plummer Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Cultural Analysis ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Training Environment ◽  
Stress Injuries ◽  
Military Veteran ◽  
Culture And Mental Health ◽  
The Military

While clinical health services exist for service members with existing mental health conditions like posttraumatic stress, they are not stemming the rising tide of service suicides. A new approach to mental health intervention and suicide prevention in military-connected personnel is required, one that speaks to the participatory, hardworking ethos of military culture. Social work and health promotion professionals working to prevent and treat mental health problems like depression and stress injuries must understand the confluence of warrior culture and mental health issues in the veteran community. While the research literature does not yet address this confluence issue directly, programs exist that provide guidance, and a mindfulness-based training protocol may provide the answer. The purpose of this review is to provide programming recommendations based on a review of successful exemplars in treatment settings, the limited evaluation of best practices currently available when working with this priority population in prevention settings, and a cultural analysis of the military veteran community.

scholarly journals Black men’s conversations about mental health through photos

2020 ◽  
pp. 147332502092229
Author(s):  
Frank Keating
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Black Men ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Community Life ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Safe Spaces ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Right ◽  
Research Action

This paper presents findings from a photovoice project that was aimed at engaging with a diverse range of black men in a London Borough. The key objectives were to find a different way to get men to talk about their concerns and to raise awareness about mental health. Photovoice is a participatory research action technique that was developed to enable communities to document their concerns and experiences of community life that is meaningful to them. Nineteen men participated in the project. It has been suggested that men, in particular, black men do not find it easy to talk about mental health issues. This study found that through the use of photovoice methods, black men were able to talk about a range of emotions when they were offered the right medium and safe spaces to share their experiences. It found that they can and want to take control of their lives, but at times may require life skills training. Another finding was that black men have to balance expectations about being strong whilst ‘containing’ vulnerabilities in racialised contexts – being hard on the outside and human on the inside, and that their experiences are characterised by journeys of significant struggle and resilience in the face of adversity. The paper concludes that mental health services should find ways of engaging with black men differently, i.e. reaching out rather than the traditional mantra of ‘outreach’.

Forging Multidisciplinary Collaboration to Improve Mental/Behavioral Health

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 298-301
Author(s):  
Wanda M. Vaughn ◽  
Paula K. Bunde ◽  
Kara Remick-Erickson ◽  
Shelby Rebeck ◽  
Darla Denny
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Youth Mental Health ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
Leadership Position ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Health Concerns

Five Johnson and Johnson fellows validated the lack of communication regarding students with mental/behavioral health issues and took a leadership position within their school district to address the problem. An open-ended survey revealed inconsistent and fragmented support given to students with mental/behavioral health concerns. A multidisciplinary task force was formed consisting of stakeholders including district and nondistrict community members. The procedure for district staff to address students’ behavioral/mental health concerns was adapted by representatives from all stakeholders and was distributed district wide and uploaded to the district’s staff website for general access. Training of district employees in Youth Mental Health First Aid has provided the foundation for communicating and implementing a standardized approach for identifying, responding, and referring students with mental/behavioral health concerns. Open dialog, better communication and understanding of disciplines, and more initiatives aimed at improving the mental health of all students has resulted from the collaboration started with this initiative.

scholarly journals Integrating Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Into Health Facilities in Conflict Settings: A Retrospective Review From Six African Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ida Andersen ◽  
Rodolfo Rossi ◽  
Mamie Nouria Meniko Yabutu ◽  
Ives Hubloue
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Conflict Settings ◽  
Victims Of Violence ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Military ◽  
Financial Losses

Introduction: The International Committee of the Red Cross runs an increasing number of mental health and psychosocial programmes integrated into health facilities in conflict settings across Africa. This study looks at changes in symptoms of psychological distress and impaired functioning among patients supported through such programmes.Material and Methods: Between January and December 2019, 5,527 victims of violence received mental health and psychosocial support in 29 health facilities in Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Nigeria and South Sudan. Symptoms of psychological distress (IES-R or DASS21) and daily functioning (ICRC scale) were assessed before and after the intervention. Logistical regression models were used to measure associations between these symptoms and the other variables.Results: Factors associated with high distress prior to receiving support included age (peaking at 45–54 years), intervening within three months, rape, caretaker neglect, internal displacement, secondary education level and referral pathway. Anxiety levels in particular were higher among victims of violence committed by unknown civilians, the military or armed groups. Low functioning was associated with divorce, grief and violence committed by the military or armed groups. Following the intervention, the vast majority of patients reported reduced psychological distress (97.25% for IES-R and 99.11% for DASS21) and improved daily functioning (93.58%). A linear trend was found between number of individual sessions and reduction in symptoms of distress. Financial losses were associated with less reduction in symptoms of depression and stress.Discussion: To further address the mental health and psychosocial needs of victims of violence, intervening quickly and increasing the number of individual sessions per patient is crucial. This requires proximity—being in the right place at the right time—which is challenging when working in stable health structures. Symptoms of depression should not be overlooked, and financial losses must be addressed in order to holistically meet the needs of victims of violence.

scholarly journals Mental Health and Well-Being of University Students in Okinawa

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Ratanasiripong ◽  
Takashi China ◽  
Shiho Toyama
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Issues

With increasing frequency and severity of mental health issues among university students globally as well as limited studies on the mental health of Japanese university students, this study examined the factors that impact the mental health issues of university students in Okinawa. A total of 441 undergraduate students from 3 universities participated in this cross-sectional study. Average age of participants was 20 (range = 18–46, SD = 2.6). Four factors that significantly predicted depression among university students in Okinawa included self-esteem, family economic status, resiliency, and year in school (R2 = 0.37). Two factors that significantly predicted anxiety included self-esteem and family economic status (R2 = 0.26). Three factors that significantly predicted stress included self-esteem, family economic status, and year in school (R2 = 0.28). This study contributes to the understanding of specific factors that impact depression, anxiety, and stress for this population. University administrators and faculty have an opportunity to implement programs and services to make positive impact that could reduce mental health problems and improve well-being for students on their campuses.

scholarly journals Palliative Care and Legal Issues in Geriatric Psychiatry

2021 ◽  
pp. 025371762110310
Author(s):  
Bhavika Vajawat ◽  
Prakyath R. Hegde ◽  
Barikar C. Malathesh ◽  
Channaveerachari Naveen Kumar ◽  
Palanimuthu T. Sivakumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Legal Issues ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Palliative Care Setting ◽  
The Right

There is an increased risk of debilitating illnesses that often have no curative treatment with aging. The mainstay of treatment in many such conditions is palliative care: a holistic approach focused on preventing and relieving physical, psychosocial, legal, ethical, and spiritual problems. It involves the facilitation of end-of-life care decisions aimed at relieving distress and improving quality of life. In this article, the authors discuss the role of mental health professionals in legal issues related to palliative care in the elderly around decision-making, right to autonomy, euthanasia, and advanced directive. The cognitive decline associated with aging and mental health issues in the palliative care setting of an individual such as dementia, depression, and hopelessness, and impact on the family members like burnout may influence the overall capacity of that individual to make decisions about their treatment. While an individual has a right to self-determination and autonomy, withholding or withdrawing treatment has many legal and ethical implications, more so in those with incapacity, especially in India due to the absence of uniform legislation. The decision to withhold or withdraw treatment might be a restrictive choice due to limited options in a setting with a lack of palliative care options, poor psychosocial support, nonaddress of mental health issues, and lack of awareness. As the right to health is a constitutional right, and the right to mental health is legally binding under Section 18 of the Mental Health Care Act 2017, systematic efforts should be made to scale up services and reach out to those in need.

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