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Youth of colour, especially from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds, are at higher risk for experiencing mental and physical health challenges due to poverty and racism; however, they are less likely to seek and engage in formal mental health services and medical care due to stigma, time constraints, financial burdens, and cultural mistrust for the medical field more broadly. This commentary will describe how participation in sport for youth of colour from low SES backgrounds has benefits that extend across the Eight Dimensions of Wellness Model, illustrating the power of sport as a tool for prevention and support. The authors conclude with a call to action to mobilize government officials, healthcare providers, educators and coaches to encourage sport participation as a tool to improve individual wellness for today's youth of colour and uplift communities. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing awareness of the significant mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on many Americans. Less is known about the effects on individuals who were living with mental health conditions prior to the pandemic's onset. In addition, little research has explored how this group is coping positively with the challenges of COVID-19. Understanding the strengths these individuals bring to pandemic demands and disruptions can inform recovery for these individuals in the aftermath of this public health emergency. Using results from a cross-sectional, online survey administered during April and May 2020, we use qualitative methods to examine how individuals with symptoms of depression and anxiety were coping with COVID-19. Participants were recruited from two networks of statewide behavioral health community programs in New Jersey and New York. Data come from 48 participants who reported current symptoms of anxiety assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 Scale and/or depression assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. These respondents demonstrated resilience in navigating disruptions brought on by COVID-19 and reported a range of healthy coping strategies. We identified three themes characterizing successful coping strategies, including utilizing social support systems, practicing self-care, and adjusting one's mindset to deal with challenging experiences. When designing programs, policies, and clinical approaches to support people with mental health conditions, it is essential to focus on strengths. The coping strategies shared by the individuals in this study demonstrate and build on their resilience. More research is needed to discover the strengths people exhibit to deal with the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gender-diverse youth experience twice the risk for homelessness as their same-age cisgender peers and report experiencing discrimination in homeless shelters and supported housing. Method: Eighteen participants (9 gender-diverse residents and 9 staff members) were interviewed individually to understand their experience of and needs in these settings. Results: The major findings included: (a) Gender-diverse service recipients felt unsafe and vulnerable in these facilities. Sharing space in which to carry out occupations of vulnerability often triggered anxiety and PTSD. (b) Gender-diverse service recipients felt that staff members did not understand how cumulative trauma adversely affected participation in programmatic activities. (c) Staff members reported that their facilities did not provide formal training needed to understand and address the unique needs of gender-diverse residents. (d) Gender-diverse service recipients commonly sustained trauma throughout their lives that compromised their ability to attain desired daily life skills and adult occupational roles. Such ruptures in their knowledge base likely served to maintain their homelessness despite repeated shelter admissions and housing placements. Conclusion: Occupational therapists could provide essential intervention to a gender-diverse youth population, including assisting with the attainment of skills needed for apartment management, employment seeking, maintenance, and health management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Psychiatric rehabilitation is recognized as a field with specialized knowledge and skills required for practice. The certified psychiatric rehabilitation practitioner (CPRP) credential, an exam-based certification process, is based on a regularly updated job task analysis that, in its most recent iteration, identified the new core competency domain of "supporting health and wellness." This article explains the relevance of this domain to the current practice of psychiatric rehabilitation. Methods: We present a multidimensional foundation model of wellness that describes the job tasks highlighted in the newest CPRP competency domain and examines implications for rehabilitation educators and practitioners who do not hold the CPRP credential but still provide rehabilitation services to individuals with psychiatric disabilities. Results: The health and wellness competencies identified for CPRPs may not translate directly into competencies needed by service providers in other roles; however, practices that involve experiencing personal goal setting and action plan implementation, especially around wellness goals, can be included across service domains. Conclusion: Attending to the health and wellness of people with psychiatric disabilities is imperative. Rehabilitation practitioners who embrace the multidimensional foundation model of wellness can effectively provide services that are holistic and promote recovery and achievement of rehabilitation goals.

The authors sought to determine whether staff at a peer-run agency could deliver supported employment services with high fidelity to the individual placement and support (IPS) model and whether employment outcomes of peer-delivered IPS plus work-specific health promotion were superior to usual supported employment services. Two teams from a vocational program of a large peer-run agency were studied from July 2015 to July 2017. One team received training and supervision in delivering IPS plus employment-focused physical wellness support and mentoring. The other team continued providing usual supported employment services. Study data included vocational outcomes from 348 clients served by the two teams (IPS, N=184; comparison condition, N=164) and the results of IPS fidelity reviews of the IPS team at study baseline, midpoint, and end. The authors modeled the primary outcome of competitive employment with random-effects logistic regression and adjusted propensity scores for age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, and months of service receipt. Following training, the IPS team demonstrated acceptable and increasing fidelity to the IPS model, achieving "good fidelity" by the end of the 25-month observation period. Among IPS recipients, 43% achieved competitive employment versus 21% of comparison recipients (p<0.001). Multivariable analysis indicated that IPS recipients were significantly more likely to achieve competitive employment than individuals in the comparison group (OR=4.06, p<0.001). Providing training in IPS along with health promotion to the behavioral health peer workforce may help address the severe shortage of IPS services and enhance the competitive employment outcomes of people served by peer-run programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID‐19 pandemic presents an unheralded opportunity to better understand trajectories of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms across a prolonged period of social disruption and stress. We tracked PTSD symptoms among trauma‐exposed individuals in the United States and sought to identify population‐based variability in PTSD symptom trajectories and understand what, if any, early pandemic experiences predicted membership in one trajectory versus others. As part of a longitudinal study of U.S. residents during the pandemic, participants who reported at least one potentially traumatic experience in their lifetime (N = 1,206) at Wave 1 (April 2020) were included in the current study. PTSD symptoms were assessed using the PCL‐5 at four time points extending to July 2021. Latent growth mixture modeling was used to identify heterogeneous symptom trajectories. Trajectory membership was regressed on experiences from the early stage of the pandemic as measured using the Epidemic‐Pandemic Impacts Inventory in a model that controlled for variables with documented associations to PTSD trajectories, including age, sex, income, and trauma history. Four trajectories were identified, categorized as resilient (73.0%), recurring (13.3%), recovering (8.3%), and chronic (5.5%). Emotional and physical health problems and positive changes associated with the early phase of the pandemic were each significant predictors of trajectory membership over and above all other variables in the model. Predictors primarily differentiated the resilient trajectory from each of the other three trajectories. Distinct PTSD symptom trajectories during the COVID‐19 pandemic suggest a need for targeted efforts to help individuals at most risk for ongoing distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many people with substance use disorders experience significant sleep disturbances that impact their pursuit of short- and long-term recovery goals, and overall health. Consistent rest and sleep routines contribute to effective functioning in daily life activities, overall health and wellness for people in early and long-term recovery. Despite the benefits, sleep and rest is not addressed by behavioral healthcare professionals in treatment settings. This manuscript illustrates how occupational therapists and social workers can collaborate to use sleep assessments to guide treatment. Addressing rest and sleep preparation and participation using a person-centered approach can have a profound impact on early and long-term recovery, quality of life for people with substance use challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of chronic, co-morbid medical conditions are worsening the quality of life for persons with serious mental illness. The poor overall health of these individuals is interfering with the pursuit and maintenance of rehabilitation goals. Also, very troubling are the facts about their premature mortality, about 25 years earlier than their peers who do not have mental illness. This paper provides an overview of the problems in this area and a discussion of the variety of contributing factors that are negatively influencing the health of persons with serious mental illness. An introduction is provided to the variety of innovations and strategies that are being implemented in an attempt to address the extreme disparities in both care and outcomes. Most of these interventions focus on improving accessibility, coordination of services, and the integration of psychiatric care with other health care and health promotion strategies. The summary and conclusion offer policy, practice, and workforce development recommendations., A very troubling health care disparity exists among persons with serious mental illness (SMI). Even among those receiving regular psychiatric care, many individuals experience co-occurring medical conditions that go unidentified [...]

In an effort to identify the tasks, knowledge and skills of peer specialists, a formal analysis of the nature and complexity of their role was sponsored by the Veterans Administration in New Jersey. Using a content validity method of role delineation, the study was executed by faculty of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions. Engaging the input of two groups of subject matter experts, peer specialists and their supervisors, 85 specific job tasks and skills were identified and categorized into eight broad domains: outreach, peer support activities, counseling skills, skill development, professional documentation and communication, crisis intervention, knowledge of resources, and continued professional role/competency development. The findings have significant implications for the curriculum development of educational programs, remuneration, as well as the status of staff in these roles. This report includes an overview of the study method, reports of the ratings for specific tasks and competencies, and suggestions for the development of academic courses based on the findings of the role delineation study., Both the Veteran's Affairs Action Agenda Work Group (2003) and the National Consensus Statement on Mental Health Recovery (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2004) endorsed the concept of [...]

A constellation of factors detrimentally affects Black mental health at individual and community levels. Issues such as racism, trauma, and a lack of culturally relevant services prevent access to timely, high-quality mental health treatment. These negative experiences, exacerbated by the current impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, contribute to the increased prevalence of mental health conditions in Black communities. The authors call for a Wellness First approach to dismantle the status quo and to mobilize collective action among individuals, providers, organizations, funders, and policy makers to create equitable opportunities that promote healing and prevent further trauma in Black communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]