scholarly journals MENTAL HEALTH IN THE PANDEMIC TIMES

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 67-78
Author(s):  
MONIKA FRĄCKOWIAK-SOCHAŃSKA
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
The Public ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Public Mental Health Care ◽  
Isolation Requirements

The primary aim of this paper is an attempt at the analysis of the prospective direct and indirect, short- and long-term consequences of COVID-19 pandemic for the individuals’ mental health. The secondary aim is to deconstruct the binarity of categories of “mental health” and “mental disorder” in the context of the global critical situation. The pandemic and its consequences such as isolation requirements as well as uncertainty in diverse aspects of life burden the individuals with the stress that results in the increase of anxiety and depressiveness, which challenges the public mental health care systems. Since the anxiety and depressive states are the reactions to a hazardous outside situation, the categories of “mental health” and “mental disorder” needs reconsideration. The theoretical framework of present analyses is determined by the theory of social (cultural) trauma. The method used for the present study is a meta-analysis of theoretical literature, the results of empirical research on COVID-19 pandemic published so far (mostly in medical journals), studies on psychosocial aspects of the previous pandemics (SARS and Ebola), and press publications selected on the basis of their content on mental health issues in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

scholarly journals COVID-19, psychosocial issues, politics, and public mental health care

2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-303
Author(s):  
Anthony L Pillay ◽  
Anne L Kramers-Olen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Mental Health Policy ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
The Public ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Public Mental Health Care

The COVID-19 pandemic heralded challenges that were both significant and unfamiliar, placing inordinate burdens on health care systems, economies, and the collective psyche of citizens. The pandemic underscored the tenuous intersections between public mental health care, politics, economics, and psychosocial capital. In South Africa, the inadequacies of the public health system have been laid bare, and the disproportionate privileges of the private health care system exposed. This article critically considers government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, the psychosocial correlates of lockdown, politics, corruption, and public mental health policy in South Africa.

Viewpoint: eHealth solutions for Covid-19 and patientinvolvement (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Pappot ◽  
Gry Assam Taarnhøj ◽  
Helle Pappot
Keyword(s):  
Patient Involvement ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
The Public ◽  
Systems Perspective ◽  
Public Media ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
User Friendly

UNSTRUCTURED Many eHealth researchers at present hope for telemedicine to solve health issues during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, and we agree that this is to hope for. However, most eHealth solutions have focus on the health care systems perspective and not necessarily the patients. With set-off in Covid-19 case-stories in the public media, our own experience from being healthcare professionals in this pandemic and experiences from previous research on eHealth and patient involvement in other severe illnesses, we here focus on eHealth solutions for Covid-19 and patientinvolvement, which may be of special importance, when the issue is isolation and quarantine. Going through a group of eHealth providers’ perception of their tool’s functionality according to eHealth solutions for Covid-19, we find that nearly all the solutions have potential for patient involvement, and it is our hypothesis that these solutions may benefit from patient involvement to integrate the healthcare systems needs and the patient’s needs, ensuring an improved outcome. Especially, when it comes to eHealth solutions to overcome isolation and quarantine patientinvolvement may be crucial to secure a successful, user-friendly and meaningful tool. During the Covid-19 pandemic every possible tool avoiding feelings of loneliness, stress and anxiety is needed. We hope, that the Covid-19 pandemic can benefit from existing technologies used with the patient’s perspective to help solve the patients’ needs.

scholarly journals Prevalence and trends of mental disorders requiring inpatient care in the city of Porto Alegre: a citywide study including all inpatient admissions due to mental disorders in the public system from 2013-2017

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-91
Author(s):  
Giovanni A. Salum ◽  
Loiva dos S Leite ◽  
Sara Jane E dos Santos ◽  
Gabriel Mazzini ◽  
Fernanda L. C. Baeza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Inpatient Care ◽  
Total Population ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Porto Alegre ◽  
The Public ◽  
Common Diagnosis ◽  
Public Mental Health Care ◽  
The City

Abstract Objectives To investigate the 5-year prevalence of patients admitted to public inpatient care units due to a mental disorder, stratifying them by age group and diagnosis, and to assess trends of admissions over this time period in Porto Alegre. Methods All admissions to the public mental health care system regulated by the city-owned electronic system Administração Geral dos Hospitais (AGHOS) were included in the analysis. The total population size was obtained by estimations of Fundação de Economia e Estatística (FEE). General information about 5-year prevalence of inpatient admissions, time-series trends e prevalence by age groups and diagnosis were presented. Results There were 32,608 admissions over the 5-year period analyzed. The overall prevalence of patients was 1.62% among the total population, 0.01% among children, 1.12% among adolescents, 2.28% among adults and 0.93% among the elderly. The most common diagnosis was drug-related, followed by mood, alcohol-related and psychotic disorders. There was a linear trend showing an increase in the number of admissions from 2013 to the midst of 2014, which dropped in 2015. Conclusions Admissions due to mental disorders are relatively common, mainly among adults and related to drug use and mood disorders. Time trends varied slightly over the 5 years. Prevalence rates in real-world settings might be useful for policymakers interested in planning the public mental health system in large Brazilian cities.

Public mental health and anthropology

2018 ◽  
pp. 59-64
Author(s):  
Joshua Moses ◽  
Rob Whitley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Beliefs ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Care Systems

This chapter charts the contributions of anthropology to public mental health. It examines three main traditions in anthropological practice: (i) individual-level approaches, investigating mental health beliefs, behaviours, and illness narratives; (ii) meso-level approaches, assessing the provision, nature, and practice of mental health care systems; and (iii) macro-level approaches, examining the mental health impact of societal structures, including political and economic structures. It emphasizes the importance of moving among different levels of analysis. The chapter also provides case study material on suicide in the Arctic. The chapter concludes by discussing climate change and other emerging public mental health challenges, suggesting a multi-scale, interdisciplinary ecological approach.

Modernization, Globalization, Trends, and Convergence in Health Expenditure in Latin America and the Caribbean

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiri Noy ◽  
Patricia A. McManus
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Health Care Financing ◽  
Health Spending ◽  
Modernization Theory ◽  
The Public ◽  
National Differences ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Public Private Mix

Are health care systems converging in developing nations? We use the case of health care financing in Latin America between 1995 and 2009 to assess the predictions of modernization theory, competing strands of globalization theory, and accounts of persistent cross-national differences. As predicted by modernization theory, we find convergence in overall health spending. The public share of health spending increased over this time period, with no convergence in the public-private mix. The findings indicate robust heterogeneity of national health care systems and suggest that globalization fosters human investment health policies rather than neoliberal, “race to the bottom” cutbacks in public health expenditures.

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