Apprentices’ healthy coping strategies and attitudes to using a smartphone app to support their mental health (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabella Choi ◽  
Katherine Petrie ◽  
Rochelle Einboden ◽  
Daniel Collins ◽  
Rose Ryan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Smartphone App ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Workplace Stressors ◽  
Cognitive Reframing ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

BACKGROUND Apprenticeships are a common pathway for young people transitioning into the workforce. Apprentices often face many employment-related challenges and have high levels of psychological distress and are at risk of mental health problems. However, they tend to have low engagement in digital mental health interventions, which are often not catered to their interests and needs. OBJECTIVE This study explored healthy coping strategies used by apprentices and their preferences for an app to support their mental wellbeing. METHODS A mixed methods study was conducted with 54 apprentices (92.6% male) with a mean age 22.7 years (SD=5.7). Across eight focus groups, participants were asked to describe healthy strategies they used to cope with occupational stressors. They also completed a survey on preferred ways of using an app to support mental health. RESULTS Four major types of coping behaviours were identified: 1) social connection for disclosure and advice, and socialising; 2) pleasurable activities such as engaging in hobbies, time-out, and developing work-life separation; 3) cognitive approaches including de-fusing from thoughts and cognitive reframing; and 4) self-care approaches including exercise, healthy diet and getting adequate sleep. Only 10% of participants currently used a mental health app, but there was high interest in using an app to support friends (88%) and develop self-help strategies to manage or prevent mental health issues (78%). CONCLUSIONS Apprentices utilised a range of healthy behaviours to cope with workplace stressors and were willing to use a smartphone app to support their mental health. However, many of the preferred coping strategies identified are not those focussed on by current mental health interventions, including currently available apps, indicating the need for more targeted digital interventions for this group.

scholarly journals “Smartphone Apps Are Cool, but Do They Help Me?”: A Qualitative Interview Study of Adolescents’ Perspectives on Using Smartphone Interventions to Manage Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3289
Author(s):  
Anja Čuš ◽  
Julian Edbrooke-Childs ◽  
Susanne Ohmann ◽  
Paul L. Plener ◽  
Türkan Akkaya-Kalayci
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Self Injury ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
Nonsuicidal Self Injury

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a major mental health problem associated with negative psychosocial outcomes and it most often starts in early adolescence. Despite this, adolescents are rarely involved in informing the development of interventions designed to address their mental health problems. This study aimed to (1) assess adolescents’ needs and preferences about future interventions that are delivered through smartphones and (2) develop a framework with implications for designing engaging digital mental health interventions. Fifteen adolescent girls, aged 12–18 years, who met diagnostic criteria for a current NSSI disorder and were in contact with mental health services, participated in semi-structured interviews. Following a reflexive thematic analysis approach, this study identified two main themes: (1) Experiences of NSSI (depicts the needs of young people related to their everyday experiences of managing NSSI) and (2) App in Context (portrays preferences of young people about smartphone interventions and reflects adolescents’ views on how technology itself can improve or hinder engaging with these interventions). Adolescent patients expressed interest in using smartphone mental health interventions if they recognize them as helpful, relevant for their life situation and easy to use. The developed framework suggests that digital mental health interventions are embedded in three contexts (i.e., person using the intervention, mental health condition, and technology-related factors) which together need to inform the development of engaging digital resources. To achieve this, the cooperation among people with lived experience, mental health experts, and human computer interaction professionals is vital.

scholarly journals Online Indicated Preventive Mental Health Interventions for Youth: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilon van Doorn ◽  
Laurens A. Nijhuis ◽  
Mees D. Egeler ◽  
Joost G. Daams ◽  
Arne Popma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Health Complaints ◽  
Preventive Interventions ◽  
Online Interventions ◽  
Preventive Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

Objective: Between the ages of 12 and 25 the onset of mental disorders typically occurs, and the burden of mental health problems is greatest for this group. Indicated preventive interventions to target individuals with subclinical symptoms to prevent the transition to clinical levels of disorders have gained considerable traction. However, the threshold to seek help appears to be high even when help is needed. Online interventions could offer a solution, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This scoping review will present an overview of the recent research of indicated online preventive interventions for youth (12–25 years) experiencing the early stages of mental health complaints with the aim of identifying the nature and extent of the research evidence.Methods: The 5-stage framework by Arksey and O'Malley was used. Academic literature published from 2013 onwards in printed or electronic format was included from Scopus, PsychINFO, and Ovid MEDLINE(R) ALL.Results: The search yielded 11,122 results, with the final selection resulting in inclusion of 30 articles for this review. In total, the articles included 4,950 participants. 26.7% of the selected articles focused on youth between 12 and 25 years. Of the articles 60% did not screen for, nor exclude participants with clinical levels of symptoms. Most studies used a common evidence-based therapy for the disorder-category targeted. More than half of the online interventions included some form of human support. Adherence levels ranged between 27.9 and 98%. The results indicate general effectiveness, usability and acceptability of online indicated preventive interventions. The most commonly used approach was CBT (n = 12 studies). Studies varied in their size, rigor of study, effectiveness and outcome measures. Online interventions with a combination of clinical and peer moderation (n = 3 studies) appear to result in the most stable and highest effect sizes.Conclusion: Online indicated preventive mental health interventions for youth with emerging mental health issues show promise in reducing various mental health complaints, and increasing positive mental health indicators such as well-being and resilience. Additionally, high levels of usability and acceptability were found. However, the included studies show important methodological shortcomings. Also, the research has mainly focused on specific diagnostic categories, meaning there is a lack of transdiagnostic approaches. Finally, clear definitions of- as well as instruments to measure- emerging or subclinical mental health symptoms in youth remain are missing.

Using Ethnographic Methods in the Selection of Post-Disaster, Mental Health Interventions

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Bolton ◽  
Alice M. Tang
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Disaster Mental Health ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
Post Disaster ◽  
Selection Of

AbstractThis paper describes a short, ethnographic study approach for understanding how people from non-Western cultures think about mental health and mental health problems, and the rationale for using such an approach in designing and implementing mental health interventions during and after disasters. It describes how the resulting data can contribute to interventions that are more acceptable to local people, and therefore, more effective and sustainable through improved community support.

scholarly journals The need for accessible mental health interventions for young adults in the COVID-19 pandemic: A student psychologists’ perspective and rapid systematic review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dilan Hulaj ◽  
Sophie Antesberger ◽  
Tabea Blum ◽  
Raffaela Böswald ◽  
Hannah M. Brandl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
General Population ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Severe Disease ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

Importance: Although young adults are on average less affected by the physical consequences of COVID-19 infections, showing less severe disease progression and lower mortality risk, they suffer strongly from the mental health impact of the pandemic.Objective: We, a group of psychology students experiencing these impacts, aim to provide an overview of the existing literature on prevention and intervention efforts to effectively reduce the development of, or suffering from, mental health problems in young adults (18-35) during the COVID-19 pandemic.Evidence Review: A rapid systematic review was conducted to identify studies focusing on the implementation of mental health interventions for young adults of the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Literature was searched with Pubmed and Web of Science on June 17, 2021. The quality of each study was assessed by two reviewers with the Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research Papers.Findings: Of N = 76 records initially screened, eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Six applied web-based interventions, of which four were randomized controlled trials. Interventions were based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approaches (n = 5), mindfulness practices, logo-autobiography, and synergistic thinking methods. The interventions varied in length from single sessions to multiple sessions over a period of up to 10 weeks. All interventions were effective in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as stress with small to medium effect sizes and a symptom reduction up to 78.9%. With only three studies being of high quality, the overall quality was low.Conclusions and Relevance: Research on mental health interventions for young adults in the general population during the pandemic is sparse. However, all interventions resulted in symptoms reductions and thus have been shown to be effective ways of counteracting the potential development of mental disorders during times of uncertainty, with high levels of stress, such as during a pandemic. Therefore, we propose a concept for an innovative and cost-effective web-based platform to structure and raise awareness for existing measures.

scholarly journals Life Challenges and Mental Health Issues of Single Mothers: A Systematic Examination

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2S10) ◽  
pp. 48-52
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Single Mothers ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Life Challenges ◽  
Negative Coping

As the number of single mothers worldwide increases, their challenges and health issues were discussed in the previous literature. This systematic analysis aims to reveal mental health problems of single-mothers and discuss the adversities faced by them. Financial hardship was seemingly the most significant problem among the low incomes, unemployed and poor single mothers, which showed that poverty and mental health problems were inextricably related. Several factors were found in this study, which has led the single mothers to poverty, such as lowincome employment, large numbers of self-employment, unemployed, low education level, lack of adequate skills and age factor. In addition to that, numerous lines of research have indicated that low social support from the surrounding area was the factor of the distress of single mothers. Previous studies showed that single mothers use negative coping strategies, for example, consuming drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, and antidepressants to alleviate the effects of stressful life. These coping strategies were found to be harmful to their physical and mental health. Therefore, suggestions and recommendations are provided to improve the lives of single mothers and their children to accomplish quality of life.

PP71 Long-Term Evaluation Of Broad Mental Health Interventions: A Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (S1) ◽  
pp. 95-96
Author(s):  
Alastair Canaway ◽  
Christopher Sampson ◽  
Rachel Meacock
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Outcome Measurement ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Trial Data ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Term Trial ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

Introduction:Interventions and services for people with mental health problems can have broad remits: they are often designed to treat people with a variety of diagnoses. Furthermore, addressing mental health problems can have long-term implications for economic, social, and health outcomes. This represents a challenge for health technology assessment, for which long-term trial data can be lacking. In this review, we sought to identify how analysts have tackled this problem. We reviewed the methods used to extrapolate costs and outcomes for the purpose of economic evaluation where long-term trial data are not available.Methods:We conducted a systematic review of the medical and economic literature evaluating long-term costs and outcomes for mental health interventions and services designed to treat or prevent more than two mental health conditions. We searched key databases including MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and EconLit. Two authors independently screened citations. Articles were excluded if they reported within-trial analyses or employed a time horizon of less than 5 years.Results:The search identified 829 unique records. No papers could be included in the review.Conclusions:This review highlights the lack of research and understanding available to inform the appraisal of broad mental health interventions. In light of our findings, we consider the reasons for this lack of information and review relevant literature on the subject. Potential barriers to research in this context include: (i) challenges in understanding the value of broad mental health services, such as the mental and physical health nexus, intersectoral costs and benefits, and interpersonal impacts, (ii) methodological difficulties, such as data availability, patient heterogeneity, and the challenge of extrapolation, and (iii) parity of esteem. We make recommendations for resolving this problem with regard to funding, data collection, modelling methods, and outcome measurement.

Impact of guidance on intervention adherence in computerised interventions for mental health problems: a meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Peter Musiat ◽  
Catherine Johnson ◽  
Melissa Atkinson ◽  
Simon Wilksch ◽  
Tracey Wade
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Mental Health Interventions ◽  
Intervention Content ◽  
Intervention Adherence ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Web-based interventions are increasingly used for the prevention, treatment and aftercare of mental disorders. A crucial factor to the efficacy of such online programmes is adherence to the intervention content and procedure. It has been frequently suggested that adherence in web-based interventions is low and little is known about which factors influence adherence. To increase intervention uptake and completion, studies increasingly include interventions with some form of guidance. Guided interventions have been shown to have higher efficacy, however, evidence for the impact on adherence is limited and mixed. This meta-analysis explored the impact of human guidance on intervention completion in web-based mental health interventions. A total of 22 studies were included with interventions primarily targeting symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders. Results showed that guidance significantly increases the average amount of intervention completion [g = 0.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.18–0.40] and the proportion of intervention completers [log odds ratio (OR) = 0.50, 95% CI 0.34–0.66] with small effects. On average, full completion rates were 12% higher in guided intervention groups. This meta-analysis demonstrated that guidance in web-based mental health interventions does increase adherence, but more research is required to better understand the specific mechanisms between guidance, adherence and outcomes.

scholarly journals Stakeholder perspectives on evidence for digital mental health interventions: Implications for accreditation systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 205520761987806
Author(s):  
Philip J Batterham ◽  
Alison L Calear ◽  
Bridianne O’Dea ◽  
Mark E Larsen ◽  
David J Kavanagh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Treatment Guidelines ◽  
Routine Care ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Digital Interventions ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

Background Digital mental health interventions can be effective for treating mental health problems, but uptake by consumers and clinicians is not optimal. The lack of an accreditation pathway for digital mental health interventions is a barrier to their uptake among clinicians and consumers. However, there are a number of factors that may contribute to whether a digital intervention is suitable for recommendation to the public. The aim of this study was to identify the types of evidence that would support the accreditation of digital interventions. Method An expert workshop was convened, including researcher, clinician, consumer (people with lived experience of a mental health condition) and policymaker representatives. Results Existing methods for assessing the evidence for digital mental health interventions were discussed by the stakeholders present at the workshop. Empirical evidence from randomised controlled trials was identified as a key component for evaluating digital interventions. However, information on the safety of users, data security, user ratings, and fidelity to clinical guidelines, along with data from routine care including adherence, engagement and clinical outcomes, were also identified as important considerations when evaluating an intervention. There are considerable challenges in weighing the evidence for a digital mental health intervention. Conclusions Empirical evidence should be the cornerstone of any accreditation system to identify appropriate digital mental health interventions. However, robust accreditation systems should also account for program and user safety, user engagement and experience, and fidelity to clinical treatment guidelines.

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 Health Personnel’s Perceived Usefulness of Internet-Based Interventions for Parents of Children Younger Than 5 Years: Cross-Sectional Web-Based Survey Study

10.2196/15149 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. e15149
Author(s):  
Hege Therese Størksen ◽  
Silje Marie Haga ◽  
Kari Slinning ◽  
Filip Drozd
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Child Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
Child And Adolescent ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Child Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

Background Approximately 10%-15% of children struggle with different socioemotional and psychological difficulties in infancy and early childhood. Thus, health service providers should have access to mental health interventions that can reach more parents than traditional face-to-face interventions. However, despite increasing evidence on the efficacy of internet-based mental health interventions, the pace in transferring such interventions to health care has been slow. One of the major suggested barriers to this may be the health personnel’s attitudes to perceived usefulness of internet-based interventions. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine health professionals’ perceived usefulness of internet-based mental health interventions and to identify the key areas that they consider new internet-based services to be useful. Methods Between May and September 2018, 2884 leaders and practitioners of infant and child health services were recruited to a cross-sectional web-based survey through the following channels: (1) existing email addresses from the Regional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway, course database, (2) an official mailing list to infant and child health services, (3) social media, or (4) other recruitment channels. Respondents filled in background information and were asked to rate the usefulness of internet-based interventions for 12 different infant and child mental health problem areas based on the broad categories from the Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood (DC:0-5). Perceived usefulness was assessed with 1 global item: “How often do you think internet-based self-help programs can be useful for following infant and child mental health problems in your line of work?” The answers were scored on a 4-point scale ranging from 0 (never) to 3 (often). Results The participants reported that they sometimes or often perceived internet-based interventions as useful for different infant and child mental health problems (scale of 0-3, all means>1.61). Usefulness of internet-based interventions was rated acceptable for sleep problems (mean 2.22), anxiety (mean 2.09), and social withdrawal and shyness (mean 2.07), whereas internet-based interventions were rated as less useful for psychiatric problems such as obsessive behaviors (mean 1.89), developmental disorders (mean 1.91), or trauma (mean 1.61). Further, there were a few but small differences in perceived usefulness between service leaders and practitioners (all effect sizes<0.32, all P<.02) and small-to-moderate differences among daycare centers, well-baby clinics, municipal child welfare services, and child and adolescent mental health clinics (all effect sizes<0.69, all P<.006). Conclusions Internet-based interventions for different infant and child mental health problems within services such as daycare centers, well-baby clinics, municipal child welfare services, and child and adolescent mental health clinics are sometimes or often perceived as useful. These encouraging findings can support the continued exploration of internet-based mental health interventions as a way to improve parental support.

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