scholarly journals Current Views and Perspectives on E-Mental Health: An Exploratory Survey Study for Understanding Public Attitudes Toward Internet-Based Psychotherapy in Germany

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. e8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Apolinário-Hagen ◽  
Viktor Vehreschild ◽  
Ramez M Alkoudmani
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
General Population ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Treatment Services

Background Despite the advanced development of evidence-based psychological treatment services, help-seeking persons with mental health problems often fail to receive appropriate professional help. Internet-delivered psychotherapy has thus been suggested as an efficient strategy to overcome barriers to access mental health care on a large scale. However, previous research indicated poor public acceptability as an issue for the dissemination of Internet-delivered therapies. Currently, little is known about the expectations and attitudes toward Internet-delivered therapies in the general population. This is especially the case for countries such as Germany where electronic mental health (e-mental health) treatment services are planned to be implemented in routine care. Objective This pilot study aimed to determine the expectations and attitudes toward Internet-based psychotherapy in the general population in Germany. Furthermore, it aimed to explore the associations between attitudes toward Internet-based therapies and perceived stress. Methods To assess public attitudes toward Internet-based psychotherapy, we conducted both Web-based and paper-and-pencil surveys using a self-developed 14-item questionnaire (Cronbach alpha=.89). Psychological distress was measured by employing a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the 20-item German version of the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ). In addition, we conducted explorative factor analysis (principal axis factor analysis with promax rotation). Spearman’s rank correlations were used to determine the associations between attitudes toward Internet-based therapies and perceived stress. Results Descriptive analyses revealed that most respondents (N=1558; female: 78.95%, 1230/1558) indicated being not aware of the existence of Internet-delivered therapies (83.46%, 1141/1367). The average age was 32 years (standard deviation, SD 10.9; range 16-76). Through exploratory factor analysis, we identified 3 dimensions of public attitudes toward Internet-based therapies, which we labeled “usefulness or helpfulness,” “relative advantage or comparability,” and “accessibility or access to health care.” Analyses revealed negative views about Internet-based therapies on most domains, such as perceived helpfulness. The study findings further indicated ambivalent attitudes: Although most respondents agreed to statements on expected improvements in health care (eg, expanded access), we observed low intentions to future use of Internet-delivered therapies in case of mental health problems. Conclusions This pilot study showed deficient “e-awareness” and rather negative or ambivalent attitudes toward Internet-delivered therapies in the German-speaking general population. However, research targeting determinants of the large-scale adoption of Internet-based psychotherapy is still in its infancy. Thus, further research is required to explore the “black box” of public attitudes toward Internet-delivered therapies with representative samples, validated measures, and longitudinal survey designs.

The impact of a Stress Control course delivered in partnership with a sports organisation on mental health outcomes in a general population

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Hayes ◽  
Rosarie Crowley ◽  
Yvonne O’Brien ◽  
Geraldine Hannon ◽  
Emma Hennessey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
General Population ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Stress Control ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Mental health problems have a significant impact globally in terms of social and economic costs. Increasing access to and uptake of mental health interventions (particularly by men) remains a challenge for service providers. The current study sought to examine the efficacy of a delivering a Stress Control intervention in partnership with a community sporting organisation (the Gaelic Athletic Assocaition, GAA) in ameliorating mental health difficulties in a general population. Measures of anxiety, depression and quality of life were administered before and after the delivery of the 6-week programme. A focus group was conducted afterwards to gather qualitative data on participants’ experiences of the intervention. Statistically significant decreases in depression scores were found following attendance at the course: t (94) = 3.14, p = .002, with a large effect size (0.5) (n = 95). There was an increase in the number of male attendees compared with clinic-based courses. Thematic analysis of the focus group data revealed a number of key themes including increased accessibility in terms of the scale and context of the delivery of the course. Delivering large-scale psychoeducational courses like Stress Control in partnership with the GAA represents a promising avenue for increasing access (for males in particular) to an effective intervention for improving mental health outcomes Key learning aims (1) To gain an understanding of the impact of delivering a large-scale psychological intervention in partnership with a community sports organisation on accessibility and stigma reduction for participants. (2) To become aware of the potential benefits of considering non-clinic-based locations in running public mental health interventions. (3) To understand the key role of the normalisation of the experience of common mental health problems and the impact on intervention uptake.

scholarly journals Calling out the COVID blues- how much of a psychological impact does the COVID-19 pandemic have on health care professionals in India

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arghya Halder ◽  
Ambarish Ghosh ◽  
Nikhiles Mondal ◽  
Birva Desai ◽  
Priyanka Das ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Awareness Campaigns

Background: COVID-19 pandemic is one of the rarest health crises the world has ever encountered. As mental health professionals; we need to consider the psychological impact of the pandemic. There are certain groups of people that are largely more vulnerable to pernicious effects on mental health including frontline healthcare workers. Hence, the current study was undertaken look into the minds of our covid warriors. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to assess psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic among health care professionals, with the primary objectives being to study: 1. Perceived stress regarding COVID-19 pandemic among health care professionals. 2. Stigma associated with the pandemic, faced by health care professionals in their surroundings as well as in the society. 3. Obsessive-Compulsive symptoms among the health care professionals. The secondary objective of the study is to compare between High and Low exposure groups on the basis of different variables. Materials and Methods: This study is an observational, cross-sectional study wherein the sample size is 410, taken by consequent sampling. Data was collected from health care professionals all over India, by manual or digital interview. Health care professionals of a tertiary care hospital were taken up for the study including doctors, nurses and other hospital staff. Results: On K10 scale, 369 (90%) of the subjects had scores below 25, meaning they reported to have no or mild perceived stress, whereas 41 of them (10%) had scores 25 or above, meaning to have moderate or severe perceived stress. Forty (9.8%) subjects reported to be experiencing panic symptoms at the time of the interview. One hundred twenty-eight (31.2%) admitted to have faced stigma from the society in at least one of the facets of the questionnaire based on SARI stigma scale. 39 people (9.5%) reported to be experiencing OC symptoms at the time of interview. Conclusion: With this research we conclude that owing to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the health care professionals are under a lot of stress, many of them have also experienced panic like symptoms. Large scale screenings should be carried out at regular intervals at hospitals to keep a check on the mental health of health care workers. Mental health should be given a priority by the government officials and sufficient awareness campaigns should be rolled out.

scholarly journals Prevalence and predictors of the early psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with SARS and MERS: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Vos
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
General Population ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Impact

Objective: This meta-analysis examines the psychological impact of COVID-19, SARS and MERS pandemics on health-care workers, patients and the general population, in line with PRISMA, MOOSE, MARS and CASP guidelines. Methods: Searches were conducted on 28-29 March 2020 in Pubmed, Medline, PsycInfo, APA articles, Web-of-Knowledge and scholar.google.com. Hedges’ g was calculated with random-effects models. Results: The final selection included 75 publications from 15,984 papers. Twenty-six studies described the impact of COVID-19 in 104,361 participants, showing that 59% (95%CI: 37%-85%) of health-care workers experienced acute/post-traumatic stress, and 37% (95%CI: 30%-54%) experienced depression, general distress, insomnia and/or anxiety. Of all COVID-19 patients, 32% (95% CI: 22%-42%) experienced acute/post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, insomnia and/or distress. In the general population, 25% (95%CI: 15%-35%) experienced any of these psychological symptoms. COVID-19 had a larger impact than SARS/MERS in 28,499 participants in 44 studies. During SARS/MERS pandemics, 33% (95%CI: 25%-41%) of health-care workers, 31% (95%CI: 18%-45%) of SARS/MERS-patients and 15% (95%CI: 7%-23%) of the general population experienced any of these psychological symptoms. The psychological impact was predicted (R<.20-.40>) by the individual’s physical health, restrictions to leisure and social activities, and quarantine. Frontline health-care workers experienced a larger psychological impact than the general population, particularly if they worked with infected patients and reported unfavourable work circumstances. Conclusions: This study can be used to predict the prevalence of mental health problems during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and to predict which individuals are most at risk of developing mental health problems. Health care workers and vulnerable individuals should be psychologically screened and offered mental health-care. Quarantine should be as short as possible, to prevent mental health problems. Public health significance statementThis meta-analysis indicates that between one-third of the general population and half of all health care workers experience a moderate to severe mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This impact is larger than during SARS and MERS pandemics. The psychological impact on health care workers is mainly predicted by their work circumstances, and the impact on the general population by their pre-existing physical and mental well-being and the psychological effects of quarantine.

scholarly journals Mortality and cause of death among psychiatric patients: a 20-year case-register study in an area with a community-based system of care

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (11) ◽  
pp. 1875-1884 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Grigoletti ◽  
G. Perini ◽  
A. Rossi ◽  
A. Biggeri ◽  
C. Barbui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
General Population ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Systems Of Care ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Psychiatric Hospitals ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Case Register ◽  
Associated Risk Factors

BackgroundMost mortality studies of psychiatric patients published to date have been conducted in hospital-based systems of care. This paper describes a study of the causes of death and associated risk factors among psychiatric patients who were followed up over a 20-year period in an area where psychiatric care is entirely provided by community-based psychiatric services.MethodAll subjects in contact with the South Verona Community-based Mental Health Service (CMHS) over a 20-year period with an ICD-10 psychiatric diagnosis were included. Of these 6956 patients, 938 died during the study period. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and Poisson multiple regressions were used to assess the excess of mortality in the sample compared with the general population.ResultsThe overall SMR of the psychiatric patients was 1.88. Mortality was significantly high among out-patients [SMR 1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6–1.8], and higher still following the first admission (SMR 2.61, 95% CI 2.4–2.9). The SMR for infectious diseases was higher among younger patients and extremely high in patients with diagnoses of drug addiction (216.40, 95% CI 142.5–328.6) and personality disorders (20.87, 95% CI 5.2–83.4).ConclusionsThis study found that psychiatric patients in contact with a CMHS have an almost twofold higher mortality rate than the general population. These findings demonstrate that, since the closure of long-stay psychiatric hospitals, the physical health care of people with mental health problems is often neglected and clearly requires greater attention by health-care policymakers, services and professionals.

scholarly journals Family Physicians’ Standpoint and Mental Health Assessment in the Light of COVID-19 Pandemic—A Nationwide Survey Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 2093
Author(s):  
Tina Vilovic ◽  
Josko Bozic ◽  
Marino Vilovic ◽  
Doris Rusic ◽  
Sanja Zuzic Furlan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Family Physicians ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
The Impact

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, family physicians (FPs) are the backbone of the healthcare system with considerable impact on the general population, and their well-being is of great importance. The aim of this investigation was to assess FPs mental health, as well as knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) regarding the pandemic, and opinions on non-communicable disease (NCD) health care provided to patients. A cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 613 FPs. Anxiety and depression levels were estimated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, subjective perceived stress with the Perceived Stress Scale, while trauma-related symptoms were assessed using the Impact on Event Scale-COVID19. KAPs toward the pandemic and opinions regarding NCD patients were evaluated with questionnaires accordingly. Results have shown that age (β = −0.02, p = 0.013) and personal risk of COVID‑19 (β = 1.05, p < 0.001) were significant independent correlates of the knowledge score. A total of 87.7% FPs expressed moderate/high perceived stress, 45.2% moderate/severe trauma-related symptoms, 60.4% borderline/abnormal anxiety levels, and 52.4% borderline/abnormal depression levels. Knowledge score was an independent predictor of perceived stress (β = −0.33, p = 0.023) and anxiety (β = −0.31, p = 0.006) levels. Limited accessibility to healthcare services and decreased number of newly-diagnosed NCD cases were mostly agreed on. The pandemic puts a considerable strain on FPs mental health, as well as on public health measures, due to the decreased overall quality of NCD patient health care. Educational programs may bridge the gaps between FPs’ knowledge. Thus lowering anxiety and improving patient care.

Supporting Young People at School With High Mental Health Needs

2005 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra Rickwood
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Young People ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Primary Health

AbstractFor young people still at school, the school setting is vital to their mental health and wellbeing. Not only does the school environment have a direct and indirect impact on mental health, it provides an opportunistic setting in which to identify and respond to emerging mental health problems. To do this effectively, schools and school staff must work in collaboration with the young people themselves, their families, and other support services within the community, particularly primary health care services, including general practice. The importance of developing effective partnerships and care pathways between schools and the primary health care sector is being increasingly acknowledged, and initiatives such as MindMatters Plus GP have advanced our understanding in this area.

Religion and Spiritual Advice as Surrogate Care Provision for Mental Health Problems in the ESEMED Survey

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
V. Kovess ◽  
R. de Graaf ◽  
J.M. Haro ◽  
R. Bruffaerts ◽  
F. Gilbert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Religious Affiliation ◽  
Religious Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Sample Survey ◽  
Seeking Help

Objective:To complete missing information on the influence of spiritual and religious advisors as informal providers for mental health problems in Europe.Methods:Recourse to religious practice or belief when coping with mental health problems was evaluated using data from the ESEMED survey. This was a stratified, multistage, clustered-area probability sample survey of mental health carried out in six European countries which included 8796 subjects. Between countries differences in sociodemographic characteristics, religious affiliation, and prevalence of mental disorders and management of mental disorders were evaluated.Results:Religion appears to play a limited role in coping with mental health problems in Europe. Only 7.9% of individuals seeking help for such problems turned to a religious advisor. This proportion differed between countries from 13% in Italy, 12.5% in Germany, 10.5% in the Netherlands, 5.8% in France, 4.7% in Belgium to 4% in Spain. In addition, seeking help exclusively from religion was reported by only 1.3% of subjects. Practicing religion at least once a week and considering religion as important in daily life were predictors of using religion versus conventional health care only. Use of religion was not influenced by gender and age. Non-Christian respondents and individuals with alcohol disorders were more likely to use religion. In Spain, the use of religion is much lower than average.Conclusions:Unlike the situation in the United States, organised religion does not provide alternative informal mental health care in Europe. At best, it could be considered as an adjunct to conventional care.

scholarly journals COVID-19 pandemic related long-term chronic stress on the prevalence of depression and anxiety in the general population

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tian Qi ◽  
Ting Hu ◽  
Qi-Qi Ge ◽  
Xiao-Na Zhou ◽  
Jia-Mei Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
General Population ◽  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Factors Associated

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has lasted for more than 1 year, causing far-reaching and unprecedented changes in almost all aspects of society. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on depression and anxiety, and explore the factors associated with it. Methods A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted to assess mental health problems from February 2 to February 9, 2021 by using patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7). The insomnia severity index (ISI), demographic data and COVID-19 related variables were measured by a self-designed questionnaire. The factors associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms were identified by Pearson chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis. Results In the study that 1171 participants enrolled, the overall prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among general people was 22.6 and 21.4% respectively in the present study. Living alone was a potential risk factor for depressive symptoms, while regular exercises was a potential protective factor. The prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms was significantly associated with the severity of insomnia symptoms and the negative feelings about pandemic. Conclusion COVID-19 pandemic- related chronic stress has brought about profound impacts on long-term mental health in the general population. The level of insomnia and a negative attitude towards the pandemic are significantly correlated with unfavorable mental health. However, we failed to found a significant association of age and gender with the mental health symptoms, although they were recognized as well-established risk factors during the outbreak by some other studies. This discrepancy may be because the acute and chronic effects of the pandemic are influenced by different factors, which reminds that more attention should be paid to the intrinsic psychological factors and physical reactions towards COVID-19.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document