scholarly journals Public mental health: key challenges and opportunities

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 51-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Campion
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
High Income ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Needs Assessments ◽  
Implementation Gap ◽  
Mental Well Being

Public mental health involves a population approach to mental health, and includes treatment of mental disorder, prevention of associated impacts, prevention of mental disorder and promotion of mental well-being, including for those people recovering from mental disorder. Such interventions can result in a broad range of impacts and associated economic savings even in the short term. However, even in high-income countries only a minority of people with mental disorder receive any treatment, while provision is far less in low- and middle-income countries. Coverage of interventions to prevent mental disorder and promote mental well-being is far less even in high-income countries, despite such interventions being required for sustainable reduction in the burden of mental disorder. This implementation gap results in a broad set of impacts and associated economic costs. Mental health needs assessments represent an important framework and mechanism to address this implementation gap – in low- and middle-income as well as high-income countries. Training and support to perform mental health needs assessments is important, as is the use of information derived from such assessments to more effectively advocate for the required level of resources to address the implementation gap. Such a public health approach to mental health represents an opportunity for psychiatrists to advocate more effectively for resources at both the local and national level. This can improve the coverage and outcomes of a range of public mental health interventions that result in broad impacts and associated economic savings, which can be estimated.

scholarly journals Public mental health: the local tangibles

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (7) ◽  
pp. 238-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Campion
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Good Evidence ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Mental Well Being

SummaryPublic mental health involves a number of important elements relevant to psychiatrists. This includes estimation of the level and impact of unmet need for treatment of mental disorder, prevention of mental disorder and promotion of mental well-being particularly in higher-risk groups. In the UK, the majority of people with mental disorder receive no intervention. This is despite the large impact and costs of mental disorder and existence of cost-effective interventions which result in economic savings even in the short term. Furthermore, spend is virtually absent for interventions to prevent mental disorder and promote mental well-being despite prominence within government policy and a good evidence base. At a time of budget cuts, local information about level, impact and costs of such unmet need as well as effective interventions are important to accurately inform the required investment for treatment of mental disorder, its prevention and promotion of mental well-being. Information about impact of interventions including economic savings across a broad range of sectors can also be estimated. This article summarises recent public mental health commissioning guidance which provides such information.

scholarly journals Identifying key targets for interventions to improve psychological wellbeing: replicable results from four UK cohorts

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (14) ◽  
pp. 2389-2396 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Stochl ◽  
E. Soneson ◽  
A.P. Wagner ◽  
G.M. Khandaker ◽  
I. Goodyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Self Perception ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Signal Improvement

AbstractBackgroundAn increasing importance is being placed on mental health and wellbeing at individual and population levels. While there are several interventions that have been proposed to improve wellbeing, more evidence is needed to understand which aspects of wellbeing are most influential. This study aimed to identify key items that signal improvement of mental health and wellbeing.MethodsUsing network analysis, we identified the most central items in the graph network estimated from the well-established Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS). Results were compared across four major UK cohorts comprising a total of 47,578 individuals: the Neuroscience in Psychiatry Network, the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey, the Northern Ireland Health Survey, and the National Child Development Study.ResultsRegardless of gender, the three items most central in the network were related to positive self-perception and mood: ‘I have been feeling good about myself’; ‘I have been feeling confident’; and ‘I have been feeling cheerful’. Results were consistent across all four cohorts.ConclusionsPositive self-perception and positive mood are central to psychological wellbeing. Psychotherapeutic and public mental health interventions might best promote psychological wellbeing by prioritising the improvement of self-esteem, self-confidence and cheerfulness. However, empirical testing of interventions using these key targets is needed.

scholarly journals What is important for quality of life of psychiatrists?

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 46-47
Author(s):  
Santosh K. Chaturvedi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
High Income ◽  
Cultural Resources ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Better Than

The concern for the mental health of people living in low-resource and industrially developing countries has been blown out of proportion. Economic well-being, as a psychological factor, has a complex association with mental health and may prove to be good or bad for it; after all, mental health in low- and middle-income countries (even with few psychiatrists!) is generally better than it is in high-income countries. Government funding may be low but there are innumerable socio-cultural resources, many more than in most high-income countries. The number of psychiatrists per population may be low but numerous (informal and alternative) mental health services exist, many more popular and even more effective than psychiatry. The healthcare systems are so different that, whereas the average waiting period for a psychiatric patient in the UK may be about 90 days, it is about 90 minutes in India (and all patients are seen the same day). In fact, less than 10% of mental health problems are seen by psychiatrists!

Policy challenges

2018 ◽  
pp. 131-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicia A. Huppert ◽  
Kai Ruggeri
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Mental Health Policy ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Diverse Populations ◽  
Widespread Agreement ◽  
Uniform Definition ◽  
Mental Well Being

Taking a whole-population perspective, the chapter argues that improved well-being is the most important outcome of policy. Despite growing awareness of its importance, accepting the primacy of well-being has been a challenge within public mental health because there has been no uniform definition or measure, nor consensus on how to apply such a subjective concept across diverse populations. Confusion created by using terms such as happiness, or the continuing tendency to equate mental well-being with lack of mental illness, have created barriers to gaining widespread agreement on the importance of well-being in policy. In this chapter, historical approaches to defining well-being, issues of measurement, and evidence underpinning well-being interventions are explored. The chapter closes with a proposal on how best to consider well-being as an outcome, making use of the evidence in driving public mental health policy.

scholarly journals Predictors of high and low mental well-being and common mental disorders: findings from a Danish population-based study

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 503-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziggi Ivan Santini ◽  
Sarah Stougaard ◽  
Ai Koyanagi ◽  
Annette Kjær Ersbøll ◽  
Line Nielsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Lower Socioeconomic ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Different Levels

Abstract Background Mental well-being is fundamental for a good life. Previous literature has examined the predictors of mental disorders and continuous measures of positive mental health. Very few studies have specifically focused on the predictors of different levels of mental well-being, but those that have suggest a different picture. This study aimed to compare socioeconomic and relational/recreational behaviour predictors of different levels of mental well-being as well as common mental disorders (CMDs). Methods Data from 3508 adults aged 16+ years old from the Danish Mental Health and Well-Being Survey 2016 were linked to Danish national register-based data. Mental well-being was assessed using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, and information on CMDs was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4). Regression analyses were conducted to estimate the predictors of low and high mental well-being compared to moderate mental well-being and also of CMDs. Results Lower socioeconomic position (education, income and employment status) was associated with increased odds of low mental well-being and the presence of CMDs, but did not significantly predict high mental well-being. Relational/recreational behaviours (informal and formal social participation, social support and recreational activity) were associated with reduced odds of low mental well-being and CMDs, and also with increased odds of high mental well-being. Conclusions Socioeconomic predictors of high mental well-being do not mirror those of low mental well-being and CMDs, whereas relational/recreational predictors of high mental well-being do mirror those of low mental well-being and CMDs. These findings have important implications for public mental health strategies.

scholarly journals Measuring mental wellness among adolescents living with a physical chronic condition: a systematic review of the mental health and mental well-being instruments

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaida Orth ◽  
Brian van Wyk
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Chronic Condition ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Mental Wellness ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Background Globally, promoting mental health and well-being among adolescents has become a public health priority, especially for adolescents living with a physical chronic condition (CC), as research suggests they may be more at risk of developing mental health co-morbidities. Valid and reliable instruments are needed to measure and better understand mental health and mental well-being among adolescents living with a CC. To this end, we reviewed studies reporting on mental health and well-being instruments used in adolescent populations living with a chronic physical condition/disease globally. Methods We used a systematic review method guided by PRISMA to identify assess mental health and mental well-being instruments used in adolescents living with a CC. In this instance, mental health instruments were defined as those representing negative domains of mental health (i.e. depression and anxiety) while mental well-being instruments included positive aspects of mental health (i.e. self-concept and resilience). Results We identified 22 articles, which included 31 instruments that were used to measure either mental health (n = 8) or mental well-being (n = 15) or both (n = 8) in adolescents living with a CC. Of these, thirteen studies used a Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) scale to measure mental health and/or mental well-being. The KIDSCREEN questionnaires and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were identified as being frequently used across the 22 studies. Additionally, 7 out of the 31 instruments were disease specific, with 3 focusing on adolescents with diabetes. All the instruments were developed in high income countries and adapted for use in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes (n = 7) and HIV (n = 4) were researched in 11 out of 22 studies. Only eight studies were conducted in LMIC, of which four were in Africa. Conclusions HRQoL instruments are useful in measuring mental health and well-being in adolescents living with a CC. However, relatively few valid measures of mental health and mental well-being for adolescents living with a CC exist, which accentuates the paucity of research on mental health and mental well-being of adolescents who are living with a CC. Specific measures need to be developed in and for LMICs where cultural contexts affect mental well-being in unique ways. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42020186707.

scholarly journals Plans, hopes and ideas for mental health

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Ashton
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Mental Health Foundation ◽  
Mental Well Being

SummaryMental health and the failings of the mental health services are in the spotlight as never before. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the often dire situation with regard to child and adolescent mental health. At the same time, there is a renewed interest in the scope for prevention of mental illness and distress, and in population approaches to mental well-being. It may come as a surprise to some that others have given such serious consideration to strategic approaches to public mental health as long ago as the 1950s. It appears that such consideration was squeezed out by the dominant concerns of serious and enduring mental illness and a prevailing biological view of psychiatry. The time is right to engage with this agenda in recognition of the importance of public mental health, not only for the individual and for families, but also for society as a whole and for the economy. The publication of a review of the subject by the Faculty of Public Health and the Mental Health Foundation is to be commended. Let us make sure it leads to action.

scholarly journals Mental health and well-being of children in the Philippine setting during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-270
Author(s):  
Grace Zurielle C. Malolos ◽  
Maria Beatriz C. Baron ◽  
Faith Ann J. Apat ◽  
Hannah Andrea A. Sagsagat ◽  
Pamela Bianca M. Pasco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Middle Income Country ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Filipino Children ◽  
To Come ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Health And Well Being

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has subjected the mental health and wellbeing of Filipino children under drastic conditions. While children are more vulnerable to these detriments, there remains the absence of unified and comprehensive strategies in mitigating the deterioration of the mental health of Filipino children. Existing interventions focus on more general solutions that fail to acknowledge the circumstances that a Filipino child is subjected under. Moreover, these strategies also fail to address the multilayered issues faced by a lower middle-income country, such as the Philippines. As the mental well-being of Filipino children continues to be neglected, a subsequent and enduring mental health epidemic can only be expected for years to come.

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