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Background: Inaccessible services and poor communication are barriers to successful transitions between adolescent and adult mental health services, for which digital communications (DC) offer a possible solution. Aims: To investigate the role of DC, including smartphone apps, email and text, given the known barriers and facilitators of mental health service transitions reported in the literature. Methods: Use of Neale's (2016) iterative categorisation technique to undertake a secondary analysis of qualitative data collected for the Long-term conditions Young people Networked Communication (LYNC) study. Results: DC were used successfully by young people and staff in ways that ameliorated known barriers to service transitions. They engendered responsibility in young people, promoted service access and contributed to client safety, particularly in times of crisis. DC risks included over-familiarity between young people and staff, and the possibility that messages could go unread. Conclusions: DC have the potential to facilitate trust and familiarity during and after transition to adult mental health services. They can strengthen young people's perceptions of adult services as supportive, empowering and available. DC can be used for frequent 'check-ins' and remote digital support for social and personal problems. They provide an additional safety net for at-risk individuals, but require careful boundary setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this article was to examine the concept of mental health and the policies that have been advanced to improve the wellbeing of the population. Conclusions: In the last century there have been many changes in the phenomena of psychiatric disorder, the management of those disorders and the outcomes. All of the changes have largely been due to the efforts of those working pragmatically at the coalface. There is little to suggest that the plans and programs advanced in the last half century have achieved more than enhancing the status of those who advance them. Conclusion: It is difficult to define mental health and equally difficult to develop a comprehensive program that will benefit the whole field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population Health Management – often abbreviated to PHM – is a relatively new approach for healthcare planning, requiring the application of analytical techniques to linked patient level data. Despite expectations for greater uptake of PHM, there is a deficit of available solutions to help health services embed it into routine use. This paper concerns the development, application and use of an interactive tool which can be linked to a healthcare system's data warehouse and employed to readily perform key PHM tasks such as population segmentation, risk stratification, and deriving various performance metrics and descriptive summaries. Developed through open-source code in a large healthcare system in South West England, and used by others around the country, this paper demonstrates the importance of a scalable, purpose-built solution for improving the uptake of PHM in health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic on society raised the question of how best to gauge society's psychological adaptation to continually evolving global disruptor events, such as Covid-19. This paper aims to illustrate the use of different approaches to monitor society's psychological response to Covid-19, in order to argue for a more comprehensive, multi-model, approach. The results from different approaches are presented in two studies employing measures of mental disorders and mental distress, respectively, using South African samples for demonstration. The first study presents findings from repeat administration of measures of common mental disorders (major depressive and generalized anxiety disorders) across three consecutive years, while the second study presents findings from mood response profiles (measured with the Brunel Mood Scale) collected across five time points during the Covid-19 pandemic. Both studies showed that the Covid-19 pandemic was temporally associated with adverse mental health outcomes across the mental health continuum, and that mental health profiles were associated with both time since onset of Covid-19 and subsequent wave occurrence. Elevated prevalence of common mental disorders, as well as fluctuating patterns of mood response profiles, are discussed against the context of Covid-19. The paper concludes that a multi-modal approach, for instance measuring specific mental disorders as well as more general mental distress, is crucial to comprehensively understand society's psychological adaptation to major disruptor events, and guide health sector responses. The paper serves as a reminder to continue to observe mental health more inclusively to appropriately respond to the psychological needs of communities. Plain Language Summary: Measuring mental health across Covid-19 waves The impact of Covid-19 on mental health raised the question of how can we best measure how society adapts, psychologically, to major events that disrupt life. This article looked at two specific ways to measure and monitor society's psychological response to Covid-19. The first study looked at the prevalence of mental disorders, and the second looked at levels of mental distress. Both studies used South African samples to demonstrate this. The first study presented data from a repeat administration of scales that identify depressive and anxiety disorders, completed across three consecutive years. The second study presented findings from mood response profiles (measured with the Brunel Mood Scale) collected across five time points during the Covid-19 pandemic. The results showed that the pandemic was associated with adverse mental health outcomes—across the mental health continuum—and that mental health profiles were associated with both time since the start of Covid-19 and fluctuated with the subsequent waves across the pandemic time-line. This article demonstrated the importance of using a multi-modal approach to fully understand society's psychological response to major life disruptions. It also acted as reminder to monitor mental health continuously to be able to respond to the psychological needs of communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MHCA mandates monthly reporting to the MHRBs of restraints imposed on the PwMI in the MHEs (Section 97). CB-MH services must be strengthened by effectively implementing DMHP and CB-MH services for ensuring the rights of PwMI to receive treatment in the least restrictive environment. Sir, The Mental Health Care Act, 2017,[1] was implemented in the country for ensuring the rights of persons with mental illness (PwMI).[2] Since its launch, it has been critiqued by the scientific community, highlighting its shortcomings and issues with implementation.[3]-[5] However, such critiques did not explicitly highlight the issues with the implementation of the MHCA in routine clinical discourse. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: In the COVID-19 era, burnout is a major occupational hazard among healthcare workers. This scoping review intended to investigate the pertinent literature concerning COVID-19 burnout among healthcare workers (HCWs) and the measures to prevent and reduce HCW burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The databases CINAHL, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus were systematically searched and screened for relevant papers. Additionally, manual searching was employed to supplement the electronic database results. The researchers examined 21 publications to answer the research question, "What have been the measures to prevent and reduce healthcare worker burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic?" The PRISMA 2020 checklist was used to guide the reporting of this scoping review. Results: It was found that to diminish healthcare workers' burnout, it is vital to use multilevel, evidence-based approaches. These interventions may include increasing awareness of the risks and preparing for potential occupational stress and burnout; promoting mindfulness and self-care practices to enhance mental well-being; enhancing organizational policies and procedures to address burnout among healthcare workers; and ensuring the availability of optimal mental health services, including the use of digital technologies to address workplace stress and facilitate mental health interventions. Conclusion: The interventions to prevent and reduce HCW burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic include supporting HCWs individually, improving work environments, and addressing health system factors contributing to burnout complemented by interventions aimed at enhancing work culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community-based participatory action research can facilitate counseling psychologists' engagement in social justice to benefit Black people's mental health. One way to improve Black mental health is to equip credible and trustworthy community members with mental health knowledge and skills to support other community members experiencing mental health challenges. This study presents the Neighborhood Healers Project—a community-based participatory action research project that trains Black adults (Neighborhood Healers Fellows) in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA). During the inaugural 12-month fellowship year, we collected longitudinal qualitative data from N = 20 Fellows on the relevance of MHFA to Black people. In this paper, we examined their responses using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings included two themes with affiliated subthemes: (a) Liberatory Paradigm Shift and (b) For Us By Us: Culturally Relevant Curriculum. We conclude with implications for counseling psychologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This paper describes the rationale for and development of an innovative mental health service for people aged over 65 years living in Northern and Eastern Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Conclusion: The Healthy Ageing Service (HAS) was established in July 2020 to provide care for people aged over 65 years experiencing mild-to-moderate mental health concerns. It embraces a prevention and early intervention model of care. It provides primary consultation and brief intervention, secondary consultation, and capacity building to the primary healthcare sector. This innovative service is a Commonwealth-funded partnership between two tertiary mental health service providers that incorporates the recommendations from two major Royal Commissions. It demonstrates a service that acts as a bridge between primary and specialist mental health care, thereby extending mental health services to target the 'missing middle' and is potentially a model for mental health service provision throughout Victoria and Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological consultation is a key means of informing care and practice with psychological theory and evidence. The current paper sought to investigate what elements of psychological consultation are useful for social workers when consulting on high-risk youth, due to the current gap in the literature. Seven social workers shared their experiences during one-to-one interviews. The data was analysed through thematic analysis and the emerging themes were organised into three categories: Helpful elements, such as a safe space, independent expertise, and a shared understanding; Unhelpful elements, including consultee anxiety and the unheard young person; A Mediating element in the form of feasible recommendations. The implications of these findings are discussed, as well as the limitations of this paper and recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Psychiatry is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper presents the hypothesis that psychotherapy seeks to produce changes in attitudes and behaviour through transformation of meanings. Patients come to psychotherapy because they are demoralized by the menacing meanings of their symptoms. The psychotherapist collaborates with the patient in formulating a plausible story that makes the meanings of the symptoms more benign and provides procedures for combating them, thereby enabling the patient to regain his morale. As a result, he feels better and functions more effectively, leading to progressive improvement. Various implications and limitations of this hypothesis are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on a qualitative interview-based study that explored online mental health and wellbeing interventions and services for care-experienced young people. The study involved young people (n = 4), foster carers (n = 8), kinship carers (n = 2) and social care professionals (n = 9) in Wales, UK. The paper reflects on the complexities of online communication in the space of 'the home'. It documents the ways in which care-experienced young people's living arrangements can restrict access to services and complicate confidentiality within portals to the virtual world, creating an environment where young people and their carers 'wouldn't want to talk about anything too personal'. Drawing on data generated in a study focused on services and interventions to support the mental health and wellbeing of care-experienced children and young people, the paper considers privacy, confidentiality and surveillance in the home and reflects on how associated relational practices impact on care-experienced young people. While the data discussed in this paper was generated during the Covid-19 pandemic, its findings have implications for how care-experienced young people and their carers can be supported to engage with the digital world in the future. Plain Language Summary: When mental health services are delivered online, they are usually accessed from home. Home can be different for young people who grow up in care, with records kept about their day-to-day activities, a lack of access to the digital world and policy governing how they are able to live their lives. We spoke with young people, foster carers and practitioners about what it is like for young people to access mental health services online. The paper discusses how the private home lives of care-experienced children and young people impacts on how they are able to access much needed mental health services. We look at the need to protect the freedom of children in care and care-experienced young people to take risks and access digital spaces like other children and teenagers do, while also recognising the reality of the pressures on practitioners and carers to protect looked after children from harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a reflection on the context from which group analysis emerged in Britain during the Second World War. Edward Glover's objections to the work of army psychiatry in a radio broadcast in November 1943, and the difficult collaboration between the War Office and psychiatrists as they sought to develop officer selection and training procedures, influenced developments in psychoanalysis, including the emergence of group analysis. It considers the response of the British Psychoanalytical Society whose members were engaged in army psychiatry work alongside colleagues from the Tavistock Clinic. Bion's and Rickman's collaboration and the experiments at Northfield were an outcome. The abrupt ending of the first Northfield experiment, and the development of psychiatry more broadly, prompted serious questioning within the Society about its isolationalist policies. The Society's move to develop its training role, and to participate in post war health, mental health and welfare services was a result. Not only did it ensure the Society's survival, but enhanced the emergence of group analysis as a discipline within the psychoanalytic project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statelessness in Canada is an emerging site of inquiry with recent investigations into its causes and consequences, focusing on legislative and policy analyses and the lived experiences of stateless persons. Yet, health care experiences generally and access to mental and physical health care in particular remain under-researched. This study attempts to bridge this gap by examining how statelessness impacts physical health, mental health, access to health care services, and overall well-being. To answer these questions, we conducted semi-structured interviews with stateless or formerly stateless persons to understand their views and experiences. The study reports on negative health outcomes in four broad areas: The limited ability of stateless persons (SPs) to access health care. Mental health challenges. The failure to treat health issues until they have reached a dangerous point and the reliance on self-care strategies. The negative impact of lack of status on four social determinants of health: employment, education, housing, and food security. From these findings, the paper makes three arguments: Legal Status is a key determinant of health and lack of status leads to negative health outcomes. SPs heavily depend upon others for their life-needs, which can lead to exploitation and encourage forms of adaptive and negotiated agency. SPs in Canada experience a physical and mental liminality [a condition of uncertainty]. The paper concludes that Canada should recognize stateless individuals either as stateless or as Canadian nationals, and should implement a context-tailored institutional response to statelessness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As he continues with comparisons between ego analytic development and Winnicott's conception, Wallerstein doesn't quite seem to grasp the novelty and depth of Winnicott's work. The Mixed Reception To Winnicott And The Ambiguity And Strength Of His Writing Given the density of Winnicott's "concern" paper and his audience's immersion in American ego psychology, it may well be that many in Topeka that day were not fully oriented to the paper's intricate choreography, even if they were quite interested in their British visitor. Keywords: Winnicott; Menninger; Anna Freud; ego psychology; concern; Wallerstein; religion; development; death instinct; aggression; psychosis; borderline EN Winnicott Menninger Anna Freud ego psychology concern Wallerstein religion development death instinct aggression psychosis borderline 469 489 21 08/26/21 20210601 NES 210601 [39] presented "The Development of the Capacity for Concern" at the Topeka Psychoanalytic Society on October 12, 1962.[2] The Topeka Society was closely tied to the Menninger Clinics. Wallerstein: An Ego Psychological Reading of Winnicott [29], who was then beginning his mid-career ascendancy to leadership roles in both psychoanalysis and academic psychiatry, offered four "comments under separate headings" and in connection with them asked questions and invited "clarifying comment from Dr. Winnicott."[7] Wallerstein's comments were respectful and complex. [Extracted from the article]

The article examines the biological and pharmacological approaches in treating anxiety and depression. The memory bias in depression and the perceptual bias in anxiety were discussed together with negative bias in subjective risk estimation. The effects of cognitive and drug therapy in depression was also taken into account.

The article presents information on a research regarding the neuropsychological assessment of neurodegenerative diseases using the computer program Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). The use of CANTAB in the neuropsychiatry can improve the quality of the tests since computerized tests have many advantages such as precision, speed and reliability. CANTAB is designed to test different aspects of mental functioning in order to construct performance profiles for patients.

The article presents information on a research regarding the treatment of psychiatric disorder using computerized assessments. The Programmable Questionnaire System that contains a computer program and series of questions has been used as a tool for computerized assessments. To operate the interview driver and to prepare the questionnaire file, specialized knowledge of computing is not required.

Context: Participation in sports during youth is typically beneficial for mental health. However, it is unclear whether elite sport contexts contribute to greater risk of psychological distress or disorder. The aims of this paper are to highlight conceptual issues that require resolution in future research and practice, and to examine the key factors that may contribute to the mental health of elite youth athletes (EYAs). Evidence Acquisition: A narrative overview of the literature combined with the clinical and research expertise of the authors. Study Design: Narrative overview. Level of Evidence: Level 5. Results: EYAs experience a range of biopsychosocial developmental changes that interact with mental health in a multitude of ways. In addition, there are various sport-specific factors that contribute to the mental health of EYAs that may become more prominent in elite contexts. These include - but are not limited to - patterns relating to athlete coping and self-relating styles, the nature of peer, parental, and coach relationships, organizational culture and performance pressures, and mental health service provision and accessibility. Conclusion: A range of critical factors across individual, interpersonal, organizational, and societal domains have been shown to contribute to mental health among EYAs. However, this evidence is limited by heterogeneous samples and varied or imprecise terminology regarding what constitutes "youth" and "elite" in sport. Nevertheless, it is clear that EYAs face a range of risks that warrant careful consideration to progress to best practice principles and recommendations for mental health promotion and intervention in elite youth sport. SORT: Level C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Executive Summary: Millions of Venezuelans have fled their country in hopes for a better future outside the political and financial turmoil in their home country. This paper examines the self-reported needs of Venezuelans in the United States and Colombia. Specifically, it looks at perceived discrimination in each country and its effect on the service needs of Venezuelan immigrants. The authors used data from a larger project conducted in October to November 2017 to perform a qualitative content analysis on the specific services that participants and others like them would need following immigration. The sample consisted of 647 Venezuelan immigrant adults who had migrated to the United States (n = 342) or Colombia (n = 305). Its findings indicate statistically significant differences between the two countries. Venezuelan immigrants in the United States were more likely to identity mental health and educational service needs, while those in Colombia were more likely to list access to healthcare, help finding jobs, and food assistance. When looking at perceived discrimination, means scores for discrimination were significantly greater for participants who indicated needing housing services, who indicated needing assistance enrolling children in school and who indicated needing food assistance, compared to participants who did not list those needs. Venezuelans who had experienced greater negative context of reception were less likely to indicate needing mental health services, where 11.9 percent of those who did not perceive a negative context of reception responded that they needed mental health services. Evaluating existing service networks will be essential in working to bridge the gap between the services provided to and requested by Venezuelans. Collaboration between diverse government actors, community-based organizations (CBOs) and other stakeholders can help identify gaps in existing service networks. CBOs can also facilitate communication between Venezuelan immigrants and their new communities, on the need to invest in necessary services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This position paper from the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry discusses the mental health needs of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and the historical stigma and discrimination they have faced. It addresses the removal of homosexuality as a mental disorder and the ongoing debate around gender dysphoria. The paper emphasizes the negative impact of stigma and discrimination on mental health and the barriers to healthcare faced by 2SLGBTQ+ individuals. It concludes with recommendations for inclusive and nondiscriminatory care. Additionally, the document provides a glossary of terms related to 2SLGBTQ+ issues, emphasizing the importance of understanding and respecting diverse identities and experiences within the community. It also discusses the history of psychiatric treatment and ongoing challenges in accessing appropriate mental healthcare. Another document focuses on mental health and well-being for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, highlighting the negative impact of stigma and discrimination on mental health. It emphasizes the importance of acceptance and support from family and peers, addresses barriers to healthcare, condemns conversion therapy, and provides recommendations for creating inclusive environments. Lastly, a glossary of terms related to the 2SLGBTQ+ community is provided, emphasizing the importance of using inclusive language and respecting individuals' chosen names and pronouns. The glossary includes definitions for various terms and acknowledges that these terms may vary and evolve over time. It also highlights the need for inclusive materials, gender-neutral facilities, and non-discriminatory policies. [Extracted from the article]

Mental health literacy (MHL) is a significant component in understanding mental health disparities in vulnerable populations. Due to the unique structure and pressures of American college sport, attention to student-athletes' MHL is critical, especially now that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is requiring member institutions to offer mental health services to their athletes. Utilizing online surveys of both athletes (N = 205) and non-athlete students (N = 205), this paper offers a descriptive look at the MHL of student-athletes. We found that both athletes and non-athlete students had above average levels of MHL, but high rates of mental health stigma. With a foundation in contact theory, the paper provides recommendations on how to utilize student-athletes' mental health knowledge to decrease mental health stigma and increase MHL campus wide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Doctors' mental health has received renewed attention given the epidemic of burnout, high suicide rates and the recent pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Internationally, various service designs and primary prevention initiatives have been trialled to address these needs. Systemic barriers such as stigma as well as individual characteristics of doctors have historically prevented access to mental health services. This paper outlines the Australian service context from which a new publicly funded doctors' mental health programme emerged. Methods: A narrative review of current services and a description of the challenges is outlined. Results: A picture of urgency and unmet needs emerged with particular challenges, such as the need for privacy. Conclusions: Doctors' mental health is an urgent priority with direct impacts on patient safety and care. The complex context and the unmet need suggest the focus must go far beyond burnout and has prompted the establishment of a new service model designed to complement existing services in the Australian context, to be described in a sister paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides guidelines for clinical care related to the practice of psychotherapies. Reflection on the clinical experiences of Canadian psychiatrists; Differentiation between psychiatric management and formal psychotherapies; Ethical guidelines for psychotherapies; Factors for effective therapeutic bond between the patient and the psychiatrist.

The article discusses the prevalence of mental illness among people with mental disabilities. According to the Development Team for the Mentally Handicapped, one out of eight people with mental disabilities suffer from mental illness which need psychiatric treatment and nursing care. One study concluded that neurosis is common among women who are in the child-bearing period. It explains how mental illness and behaviour problems among people with mental disabilities could be lessened.

The scarcity of organs for transplant and significant rates of organ transplantation failure mean it is important to identify factors relating to transplant success and failure. Experiencing psychosis or mania is often seen as a contraindication for transplant, and many transplant teams have been cautious at transplanting people with significant mental health difficulties. In this paper we explore whether there is any evidence to support this attitude towards psychiatric diagnosis and transplantation; consider modifiable risks to transplantation; and ask what is needed to provide equitable care for individuals with experience of psychosis. To place context to our discussion, we present the experience of a person who had a history of psychotic experience and who was assessed for double lung transplant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health challenges among students remain a complex and widespread problem facing school leaders. Though schools are a front-line pathway for providing mental health services, many struggling youth are not receiving the professional help they need (Atkins, Hoagwood, Kutash, & Seidman, 2010; Findlay, 2017). Creative and collaborative solutions are needed to bridge the mental health gap. School leader support is essential to the successful implementation of mental health interventions (Forman, Olin, Hoagwood, Crowe, & Saka, 2009). This paper summarizes the novel approach taken by school and community leaders in one rural Ontario community who jointly piloted a school-based social worker (SBSW) role to support secondary schools in two districts. Interviews with five district leaders (four involved in designing the intervention and the SBSW who piloted the role) reveal conditions necessary for the pilot to take place, as well as leader involvement in setting up, supporting, monitoring the new role. Interviews highlighted multiple ways which the pilot improved student mental well-ness: one-on-one and group counselling sessions, charting fresh pathways networks of support available to students, creating a safe space for student and staff drop-ins, among other benefits to schools and stakeholders involved in the pilot. Results also detail three challenges leaders encountered along the way: stakeholder agreement, role clarity, and the temporary design of the role. Findings underscore how school-based social workers show promise in addressing rising mental health challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explain the new test for complying with the mental health principles under the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 (Vic). Conclusion: The principles carry over limitations from the previous Mental Health Act 2014 (Vic) while also containing new features. The 'all reasonable efforts to comply' and 'proper consideration' tests resemble the existing test under section 38(1) of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic) that also apply to public mental health services. Taking these duties together, public mental health services, including hospital and community mental health boards, clinical directors and clinical governance processes, will need to show concrete evidence of specific rights and/or principles being deliberated in their decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telepsychiatry is well established in many countries, but there is still little information about its use in routine health care. We reviewed the literature for information on the use of telepsychiatry in mental health services. From 1033 publications identifiedin the literature search and through references froma separate project, 16 studies or descriptions of the routine use of telepsychiatry services were selected for further review. Eleven of these articles dealt primarily with video conferencing and five with telephone-based services. Clinical use of video conferencing in the programmes described by the reviewed papers was modest, with an average of 16 consultations per month. Three of the telephone-based services had large numbers of clients. The papers we reviewed gave limited consideration to the healthcare systems in which telepsychiatry was provided and to the use of conventional mental health services. Telepsychiatry appears to still be a niche technology in many health systems. A lack of champions for the technology and reimbursement problems may contribute to the limited use of this area of telemedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper updates clinicians and service leaders on evidence bases relevant to rehabilitation for older Australians with mental illness. Methods: Narrative review of literature and relevant public domain data supported by reflections on NSW service development. Results: There is a paucity of high-quality evidence regarding mental health rehabilitation in older people. Available evidence supports integrating lessons from physical healthcare with adaptations of 'adult' mental health rehabilitation. Adaptation is required to respond to the specific needs, strengths and service use of older people with mental illness. Challenges for older people include ageism, increased physical and cognitive comorbidities, lower access to mental health services and earlier residential aged care entry. Strengths of older people include an ongoing desire for recovery, ongoing developmental change and often closer connections with carers and GPs. Evidence is consistent with evaluation of relevant NSW service models and initiatives including the Pathways to Community Living Initiative. Integration of recovery-oriented practice and wellness models may provide a framework for future innovative inpatient and community-based models. Conclusions: There is sufficient evidence to guide development of models of rehabilitation with older people, but innovation and evaluation are essential if older people are to have equal opportunities in their recovery journeys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research note, we present a critical moment we had as a research team in our work preparing qualitative data for its analysis in which an unanticipated social justice issue was triggered. The moment was related to determining the best ways to anonymize the information—in particular, how to replace what were perceived as "male" and "female" gendered names, family relationships, and roles with the labels of "she/her/mother/daughter" or "he/his/father/son". The paper begins with a review of the main "do's and don'ts" of data preparation, followed by our reflections of the social justice issue. Through our differently positioned reflections, we complicate the task of data preparation by revealing the ways in which cis-dominance is upheld by cis-normativity, cis-genderism, and heteronormativity. We end with recommendations for practices that uphold the values and goals of social justice by resisting cis-dominance and challenging the erasures of peoples with fluid genders and identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Engagement with secondary mental health services after an emergency department presentation with suicidal behaviours may be an important strategy for reducing the risk of repeat attempts. Our aim was to examine secondary mental health service contact following a presentation to emergency department with suicidal behaviours. Methods: A systematic review of papers published between 2000 and 2020 was undertaken. This identified 56 papers relating to 47 primary studies. Data were extracted and summarised separately by age group: (1) young people, (2) older adults and (3) adults and studies with participants of 'all ages'. Results: Studies in young people (n = 13) showed, on average, 44.8% were referred and 33.7% had contact with secondary mental health services within 4 weeks of emergency department discharge. In comparison, in adult/all ages studies (n = 34), on average, 27.1% were referred to and 26.2% had mental health service contact within 4 weeks. Only three studies presented data on contact with mental health services for older adults, and proportions ranged from 49.0% to 86.0%. Conclusion: This review highlights poor utilisation of secondary mental health service following emergency department presentation for suicidal behaviours, and further research is needed to identify the reasons for this. Crucially, this information could assist in the allocation of resources to facilitate the timely implementation of suicide prevention services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mental health issues are common among college students, and structured services have been proven to enhance outcomes. Despite increased enrolment for higher education in India, college mental health services remain sparse. JEEVANI is the first structured state-wide college mental health service in India. This paper describes its framework and provides an overview of its functioning during the initial five months. Methods: In 2019–2020, the Directorate of Collegiate Education, Government of Kerala, implemented the program in 66 colleges catering to approximately 60,000 students. Qualified counsellors were trained to identify issues and provide interventions and early referrals, using a stepped-care approach. They conducted awareness programs to promote mental health and reduce stigma. Results: The services were accessed by 2,315 students during the assessment period (October 2019 to February 2020). The beneficiaries were predominantly females (54.1%). Over a third (38.8%) belonged to the lower socio-economic strata, and 2.5% had significant vulnerabilities. Although no syndromal diagnoses were made, anxiety and depression were the most common presentations. The counsellors provided 3,758 individual sessions and facilitated support for students who reported academic difficulties or interpersonal issues. Severe mental illness was detected in 54 students, and referrals for specialist mental health input were initiated in 68. Conclusion: Describing the framework, sharing the technical material, and providing an overview of its functioning from a resource-constrained setting in India may encourage higher education institutions in low- and middle-income countries to consider similar projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to describe the use of a discrete, two session large group in an organizational conference setting (of the Faculty of Medical Psychotherapy), which gave insight into unconscious systemic dynamics that affect the organization. In line with a tradition of the use of experiential large group experiences in organizational settings, we illustrate how such a group can be used as a consultative process through bringing forward fresh insights with a compelling emotional intensity and in community building through sharing experiences at a time of stress in mental health services with feelings of increasing isolation. Such insights can aid the organization and its elected officials in leading and developing strategy, whilst community building can lead to collective responsibility-taking and development of collegial relationships which serve to reduce isolation. We clarify different possible functions of the experiential large group in organizational conference settings including consultation regarding systemic dynamics, community building and affective integration of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Managing mental health patients during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a global challenge. Current workforce arrangements tend to separate those skilled in caring for highly infectious medical patients from those whose specialism is in managing co-morbid mental health, substance misuse and/or behaviours of concern, including potential non-compliance with community or health care directives. This paper reports an innovative service development through the emergency establishment of a temporary COVID-positive mental health ward in response to a local outbreak in Melbourne. Method: A case study of service reorientation is presented, examining barriers and enablers to effective care of co-morbid mental illness, addiction and COVID-19. Results: Establishing a skilled multidisciplinary workforce across mental health and infectious disease is the most important consideration in optimising care. Other issues included suitable physical space, security arrangements and inter-disciplinary communication. Conclusions: The paper holds insights for managing mental health care during potential future infectious disease outbreaks across the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unfolding item response theory (IRT) models are important alternatives to dominance IRT models in describing the response processes on self-report tests. Their usage is common in personality measures, since they indicate potential differentiations in test score interpretation. This paper aims to gain a better insight into the structure of trait personality, by investigating whether the dominance or alternatively the unfolding IRT model are better descriptors of the response processes on a personality measure constructed under the dominance response theorem. For the assessment of the dominant model, the Graded Response Model (GRM) is used; while for the unfolding model, the Generalized Graded Unfolding Model (GGUM) was examined. All analyses are conducted with the freely available R. A sample of 1340 Greek adults, employed in private and public organizations, fulfilled the Trait Personality Questionnaire 5 short-form (TPQue5). Findings contradict previous research on trait personality. In accordance to the construction method employed, the TPQue5 items are best understood by monotonically increasing item response functions (IRFs). Individuals responding to the TPQue5 increase their probability of endorsing its items as their trait level increases; this stands for all personality dimensions, although Openness to Experience exhibited mixed type of item response patterns. Further research directions, implications and limitations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the theoretical objectives of liaison psychiatry. Information on the each style of liaison psychiatry, advantages and disadvantages is also presented. Liaison style provides wider psychiatric service and care tailored to patients' individual needs. In consultation style, patients are scattered through different medical wards and their psychological needs are left to busy nurses with no psychiatric knowledge.

Russell Meares, a prominent figure in Australian psychiatry, passed away in 2024 after a long and influential career. Meares was known for his ability to integrate scientific thought with the humanities, and he continued to work and publish until his final illness. He developed the Conversational Model (CM), a psychodynamic therapy that has been effective in treating patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Meares made significant contributions to the field through his academic achievements, founding the Academic Department of Psychiatry at the Austin Hospital and the Brain Dynamic Centre. He published numerous scientific papers and books, and his work inspired generations of psychiatrists. Meares' legacy is celebrated and he is survived by his wife, three children, and six grandchildren. [Extracted from the article]

This article presents a description of a specific Indigenous research methodology, Kaupapa Māori Research (KMR), followed by a discussion of the potential contribution that KMR and other Indigenous frameworks make toward understanding and addressing widespread mental health inequities affecting the world's Indigenous peoples. The contribution of existing qualitative KMR to the fields of health and mental health in New Zealand is discussed, and innovative approaches employed within these studies will be outlined. This paper describes the utility of KMR methodology which informed the development of qualitative interviews and the adaptation of an analytic framework used to explore the impact of systems on the experiences of Māori (the Indigenous peoples of New Zealand) with bipolar disorder (BD). This paper adds to others published in this journal that describe the value, inherent innovation, and transformative potential of KMR methodologies to inform future qualitative research with Indigenous peoples and to enact systemic change. Transformation is achieved by privileging the voices of Māori describing their experiences of mental health systems; presenting their expert critique to those responsible for the design and delivery of mental health services; and ensuring equal weight is given to exploring the clinical, structural and organizational changes required to achieve health equity. It is proposed that this approach to research praxis is required to ensure that studies do not perpetuate institutional racism, which requires close adherence to Indigenous research priorities and partnership with Indigenous peoples in all steps of the research process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Clinical reasoning in psychiatry may be considered to be more challenging than in other branches of medicine because of its highly subjective nature. The literature on systematic approaches to the teaching of clinical reasoning in psychiatry is lacking, and we propose an approach that may assist educators and learners. Method: A systematic approach with a theoretical underpinning in logical inferences will be proposed as a teaching and learning tool. Conclusion: This paper complements our previous paper on psychiatric case formulation and expands our model of a theoretical framework for diagnostic reasoning and case formulation in psychiatry. Our approach also serves as a tool to assist in integrating the diverse clinical knowledge base in psychiatry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role of the police in mental health work. It explores whether the calls to 'defund the police' can be the basis for fundamental reforms of mental health services and the police role. The paper outlines the roots of the calls to ' defund the police' situating the perspective in the wider Black Lives Matter movement (BLM). The wider BLM movement seeks to overturn long standing racial and social injustices, including the disproportionate use of force against black citizens and racial biases within the Criminal Justice System. It goes further in that BLM calls for a shift in funding from policing towards an investment in welfare and community services. These calls are captured in the phrase 'defund the police'. These calls have highlighted the police role in mental health, particularly, the police response to citizens in mental health crisis. The paper examines the police role in mental health work, highlighting the historic impact of policies of deinstutionalisation and more recently austerity and welfare retrenchment. In calling for this policy shift, campaigners have highlighted the need to significant investment in mental health services. The police role in mental health services increased because of the failings of community care (Cummins, 2020a). Police officers have increasingly become first responders in mental health crises. The paper, focusing on England and Wales, uses 'defund the police' perspective as a lens to examine long standing areas of concern. Police involvement in mental health emergencies is inevitably stigmatizing. There are also concerns from the police. This is an area of police demand that has grown of austerity and the wider retrenchment in public services. Police officers often feel that they lack the skills and knowledge required to undertake their role in mental health work. In addition, there is frustration generated by poor interprofessional working. Police officers on an organizational and individual level feel that they are often left ' picking up the pieces '. There is a wide recognition that mental health services are failing to provide appropriate responses to those in crisis (Wessley, 2018). As well as being an issue of human rights and social justice, these failures place vulnerable people at increased risk. All aspects of police work involve contact with people experiencing mental health problems. People with mental health problems are first and foremost human beings who should be treated with dignity and respect. They are also citizens, family members, carers and work colleagues. Having acknowledged that core value perspective, if we accept that police officers will be involved in mental health work, we should seek to limit their role as far as is possible. The paper concludes that it is likely that there will be always be some form of police involvement in mental health–related work. However, there is a need to limit this as far as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A recent UK Government draft Heath White Paper follows the NHS England long term plan when it states that NHS England requires "a new framework that builds on changes already being made as well as building in the flexibility to support the system to tackle challenges of the future". At present the structure of Health and Social Care Services UK reporting to Government seems unhelpfully complex and opaque. Objective: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the building of a new framework using a generic approach to identify and use 'systemic processes' to facilitate the integration of Health and Social Care services in NHS England and elsewhere. Methods: We highlight some of the critical issues that are currently hindering integration and set out a new way of understanding the structure of NHS England through an 'inside-out' analysis of systemic processes. Results: We describe and give three examples of existing systemic processes as 'Consulting a patient', 'Enhancing a Single point of access' - to mental health services and 'Delivering health and social care services England'. Conclusions: Rethinking the interactions between existing organisations could arguably bring considerable benefits including cost savings, better co-ordination, less 'admin' stress on staff where the work is done and provide more organisational adaptability in an uncertain future. Ultimately our suggestions are aimed at helping people to deliver better patient care - the impelling purpose of all health and social care services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: As mental health services move towards implementing 'Trauma-informed care', there is a need to consider the challenges posed within services and systems. This paper raises some of the challenges associated with integrating TIC into the current public mental health system.. Conclusion: The lack of clarity about expectations of trauma-informed approaches causes difficulties for its integration into services, but the wider political context of mental health services is also of relevance. Transparent and ongoing debate is required about approaches to mental health care, to ensure the system meets the needs of those who require it, while questioning what other purposes it may be serving at social and political levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author comments on the article by Friedhelm Roder and Petar Opalic which was published in the June 1, 1997 issue of "Group Analysis: The Journal of Group Analytic Psychotherapy." The author questions the therapeutic validity of Turkish therapist who runs groups for Turkish immigrants in Great Britain and the issue of cultural differences. The author emphasizes that the boundaries and the deepening communication are the backbone of any therapeutic approach. The author believes that running groups with people from different cultures is a very delicate subject.

Introduction: Challenges accessing behavioural health services in rural and underserved areas are compounded by severe shortages of behavioural health specialists, and difficulties placing patients. Tele-emergency (tele-ED) behavioural health is a promising solution for enhancing access to specialists and assisting in patient placement. This paper describes two tele-ED behavioural health models in the Midwest delivering mental- and substance use disorder services to rural and underserved adult populations.Methods: We performed an in-depth examination of two tele-ED behavioural health programmes and their consultation processes. We provide a retrospective case-control analysis of patient characteristics, patient diagnoses, and disposition status for each model. Data were collected from 19 spoke hospitals across the two programmes between November 2015 and December 2017.Results: Tele-ED was activated in 15% of the Avera Health sample and 58% of the Union Hospital sample. This is primarily a reflection of the sample selection process in each model and how each programme is operationalised. Suicide and/or poisoning by drugs were the most frequent diagnoses followed by mood disorders. Rate of transfer to another inpatient facility was much higher for tele-ED cases than controls in both models.Discussion: This paper describes how two distinct tele-ED behavioural health models operating in unique contexts address challenges in access and placement for patients in rural and underserved areas presenting to EDs with behavioural health conditions. The notable difference in disposition rates between cases and controls is indicative of the impact each model is having on care practices and processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The evidence has shown that children are more susceptible to the emotional effects of traumatic events such as outbreaks with the possible disruption in their daily lives. Aim: In this paper, we discussed the psychological wellbeing of children during the COVID-19 outbreak through the art-based qualitative study using the drawing method among children in Iraqi Kurdistan. Methods: In this qualitative arts-based research study, 15 children aged 6 to 13 years old who were confined at home during the COVID-19 outbreak for at least 1 month were included following obtaining the consent from their parents. The children were asked to draw his/her feelings, reflections, and responses during the COVID-19 on a paper. The children were guided to paint their reflections during the COVID-19 based on the following criteria: if they experienced loneliness, tiredness, insomnia, depression, worry or anxiety, or have behavior changes and their relationship with their parents and other siblings. Results: This study showed that children have a high level of stress at home during the COVID-19 outbreak. The children had great fear about the coronavirus. They experienced loneliness and stress, and felt sad, depressed due to home confinement and social distancing. The possibility of infection by coronavirus has occupied their entire mind. Mental health care providers must take the experiences of children who are caught in this global pandemic seriously and ensure that appropriate care is offered to the children and their parents. Conclusions: The children exhibited a strong feeling of distress, loneliness, and fear during the COVID-19 outbreak. This has implications for mental health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Doctors' mental health has received increased focus recently and has been met with a variety of systemic responses. A Professional Support Unit (PSU) in a public hospital was established to address service gaps. This paper aims to describe the care of doctors referred to this service. Methods: Participants in the first four cases were referred to the PSU and assessed by the first author. Results: The cases revealed: (i) variety of referral sources, symptom presentations and backgrounds of doctors referred to a dedicated doctors' health service; and (ii) the person-centred, multi-modal treatments and adjunctive services required. Conclusion: Doctors' mental health is an urgent priority, with direct impacts on patient safety and care. The mix of patients presented here suggest difficulties beyond burnout and highlight the workings of a new service model designed to complement existing services in the Australian context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Web-based interventions (WBIs) have become increasingly important in mental health treatment. At the same time, WBIs for individuals who committed sexual offenses against children (ICSOC) are increasingly being developed and implemented. Despite this trend, it is unclear which treatment components make WBIs for ICSOC effective and what needs to be considered for successful implementation. Moreover, only few evaluation studies are available. The goal of this viewpoint paper, that includes a comprehensive literature review, is to provide criteria for the development, evaluation, and implementation of WBIs for ICSOC or for individuals who feel at risk of committing sexual offenses against children. The criteria are drawn from guidelines for WBIs in general psychiatry, in forensic psychiatry, and for ICSOC. For the latter, an overview of current WBIs for ICSOC and for individuals who feel at risk of committing sexual offenses against children will be provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]