The WHO-EC partnership project on empowerment in mental health

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 2101-2101
Author(s):  
A. Baumann
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
National Level ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
World Health ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Regional Office ◽  
Country Level

People with mental health problems and their families have not been involved as equal partners in decision-making processes on mental health services, and they continue to be at risk of social exclusion and discrimination in all facets of life. In a mental health context, empowerment refers to the level of choice, influence and control that users of mental health services can exercise over events in their lives, and the key to empowerment is the removal of formal or informal barriers and the transformation of power relations between individuals, communities, services and governments. Despite all achievements that have been made over the past decade, there is still a strong need for empowerment of people with mental health problems and their families. The World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe and the European Commission started a three years lasting "Partnership Project on Empowerment in Mental Health" in 2008 which aims to support Member States in the European Region in creating societies in which people with mental health problems are enabled to develop and express their full potential as equal citizens. The WHO Statement on Empowerment in Mental Health has been published, about 100 examples of empowerment practice across Europe have been collected, and indicators for empowerment applicable at national level have been identified. The project outcomes and possibilities for their implementation at country level will be presented.

“Walking wounded or wounded healer?” Does personal experience of mental health problems help or hinder mental health practice? A review of the literature

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Conchar ◽  
Julie Repper
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Wounded Healer ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – A systematic review of the literature on “wounded healers” was undertaken to identify, define and interpret the term and its application within the mental health environment. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Eight key medical/social sciences databases were interrogated. In total, 835 papers were identified in the systematic database search and abstracts were obtained for each to determine whether they met the inclusion criteria. In total, 237 sources were retrieved for critical reading, to assess relevance and value to the review, and 125 documents were subsequently included. Through thematic analysis a number of themes and sub themes were identified Findings – The archetypal image of the wounded healer originates in ancient mythology and crosses many cultures. There are many interpretations and applications of the belief that having healed their own wounds a person is in a better position to heal others, however, the evidence to support this is not so robust. Of more direct relevance to contemporary practice are reports of supporting staff with mental health problems to make a contribution to mental health services, most recently through the employment of peer support workers. Originality/value – As peer support workers are increasingly being employed in mental health services, it is helpful to consider the many existing staff who bring personal experience of mental health problems. This paper explores the evidence that their lived experience makes a difference to the way that they work and considers their employment support needs.

Autistic spectrum disorder without intellectual impairment in adult mental health services – fostering new perspectives and enhancing existing services

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
N. Crowley ◽  
H. O’Connell ◽  
M. Gervin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Autistic Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Intellectual Impairment ◽  
Autistic Spectrum ◽  
Adult Mental Health

Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neuro-developmental disability with multi-systemic impacts. Individuals with ASD without intellectual impairment (DSM-V) or Aspergers (DSM-IV) are often particularly vulnerable to mental health problems such as anxiety disorders including social phobia and generalised anxiety disorder, depressive disorders and psychosis. Adults with ASD without intellectual impairment suffer higher rates of physical and psychiatric morbidity, display a poorer ability to engage with treatment and have a lower chance of recovery compared with the general population. It is widely acknowledged that adults with suspected ASD without intellectual impairment and co-morbid mental health problems are often not best supported through adult mental health services and often require more tailored supports. This review seeks to (a) increase awareness in the area of undiagnosed cases of ASD without intellectual impairment in adult mental health settings and (b) highlights the importance of identifying this population more efficiently by referring to best practice guidelines. The value of future research to examine the benefit of having a team of specialist staff within adult mental health teams who have received ASD training and who are supported to work with the ‘core difficulties’ of ASD is discussed and a model for the same is proposed. It is proposed that a specialist team could form a ‘hub’ for the development of expertise in ASD, which when adequately resourced and funded could reach across an entire region, offering consultancy and diagnostic assessments and interventions.

scholarly journals Digital cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia (CBTi) for adolescents with mental health problems. Results from a feasibility open trial. (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethany Cliffe ◽  
Abigail Croker ◽  
Megan Denne ◽  
Jacqueline Smith ◽  
Paul Stallard
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Severity Scale ◽  
Sleep Condition ◽  
Condition Indicator ◽  
Insomnia Severity

BACKGROUND Insomnia in adolescents is common, persistent, and associated with poor mental health including anxiety and depression. Insomnia in adolescents attending child mental health services is seldom directly treated and the effects of digital CBTi on the mental health of adolescents with significant mental health problems is unknown. OBJECTIVE This paper reports an open study assessing the feasibility of adding supported online CBT for insomnia to the usual care of young people aged 14-17 years attending specialist child and adolescent mental health services. METHODS Thirty-nine adolescents aged 14-17 attending specialist child and adolescent mental health services with insomnia were assessed and offered digital CBTi. The digital intervention was Sleepio, an evidence based, self-directed, fully automated CBTi that has proven effective in multiple randomized controlled trials with adults. Self-report assessments of sleep (Sleep Condition Indicator, Insomnia Severity Scale, online sleep diaries), anxiety (Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale) and depression (Mood and Feelings Questionnaire) were completed at baseline and post-intervention. Post-use interviews assessed satisfaction with digital CBTi. RESULTS Average baseline sleep efficiency was very poor (52.9%) with participants spending an average of 9.6 hrs in bed but only 5.1 hrs asleep. All scored <17 on the Sleep Condition Indicator with 36/39 (92.3%) scoring ≥15 on the Insomnia Severity Scale, suggesting clinical insomnia. 36 (92.3%) scored ≥ 27 on the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire for major depression and 20 (51.3%) had clinically elevated symptoms of anxiety. The majority (76%) were not having any treatment for their insomnia, with the remaining 24% receiving medication. Sleepio was acceptable with 77% (30/39) activating their account and 67% (21/30) completing the program. Statistically significant pre-post improvements were found in weekly diaries of sleep efficiency (p=.005) and sleep quality (p=.001) and on measures of sleep (SCI; p=.001: ISI; p=.001), low mood (MFQ; p=.024) and anxiety (RCADS; p=.015). Satisfaction was high; with 89% finding Sleepio helpful, 94% would recommend it to a friend with 39% expressing a definite preference for a digital intervention. CONCLUSIONS Our study has a number of methodological limitations, particularly the small sample size, absence of a comparison group and follow-up assessment. Nonetheless, our findings are encouraging and suggest that digital CBTi for young people with mental health problems might offer an acceptable and an effective way to improve both sleep and mental health. CLINICALTRIAL N/a

scholarly journals Deployment, Mental Health Problems, Suicidality, and Use of Mental Health Services Among Military Personnel

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Chu ◽  
Ian H. Stanley ◽  
Melanie A. Hom ◽  
Ingrid C. Lim ◽  
Thomas E. Joiner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Military Personnel ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems

scholarly journals The vulnerability paradox in global mental health and its applicability to suicide

2019 ◽  
Vol 215 (04) ◽  
pp. 588-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel L. A. Dückers ◽  
Lennart Reifels ◽  
Derek P. De Beurs ◽  
Chris R. Brewin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
World Health ◽  
Country Level

BackgroundPrevious research has identified a vulnerability paradox in global mental health: contrary to positive associations at the individual level, lower vulnerability at the country level is accompanied by a higher prevalence in a variety of mental health problems in national populations. However, the validity of the paradox has been challenged, specifically for bias from modest sample sizes and reliance on a survey methodology not designed for cross-national comparisons.AimsTo verify whether the paradox applies to suicide, using data from a sizable country sample and an entirely different data source.MethodWe combined data from the World Health Organization 2014 suicide report and the country vulnerability index from the 2016 World Risk Report. Suicide was predicted in different steps based on gender, vulnerability and their interaction, World Bank income categories, and suicide data quality.ResultsA negative association between country vulnerability and suicide prevalence in both women and men was found. Suicide rates were higher for men, regardless of country vulnerability. The model predicting suicide in 96 countries based on gender, vulnerability, income and data quality had the best goodness-of-fit compared with other models. The vulnerability paradox is not accounted for by income or data quality, and exists across and within income categories.ConclusionsThe study underscores the relevance of country-level factors in the study of mental health problems. The lower mental disorder prevalence in more vulnerable countries implies that living in such countries fosters protective factors that more than compensate for the limitations in professional healthcare capacity.Declaration of interestNone.

“When other people try to understand”: exploring the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities, who also have mental health problems

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 91-101
Author(s):  
Sasha Martine Mattock ◽  
Kieron Beard ◽  
Amy Baddeley
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The People ◽  
People With Intellectual Disabilities

Purpose Recent guidelines from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence highlight that service users (SUs) with intellectual disabilities and co-occurring mental health problems rarely get the opportunity to share their experiences of mental health services. Over the past 20 years, policy documents have stated that these individuals (SUs) must be included in decisions about their care. Research suggests that often this is not the case. Therefore, this paper aims to create a space for SUs to share their experiences of mental health services, and what they found helpful. Design/methodology/approach A focus group was held with five SUs, two psychologists and two researchers. The audio recording of the discussion was transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Findings Three main themes were identified, namely, “relationships with others”, “inclusion and communication” and “challenges”. This focus group highlighted that although some SUs felt supported, they reported having little control in their lives and wanted to be listened to. Research limitations/implications Including a SU in the planning and facilitation of the focus group would have made this research more inclusive. Practical implications The implications of this research suggest that by listening to and involving SUs and developing more person-centred services, recovery rates may increase as the services provided would be more targeted. Originality/value Very little research has previously been conducted to explore SUs’ experiences. This paper highlights the value of being heard and the knowledge that is often lost if the authors do not take the time to listen to the people for whom a service is designed.

scholarly journals Professionals’ perceptions of the establishment of a specialized brief therapy unit in a district psychiatric centre - a qualitative study

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilde V. Markussen ◽  
Lene Aasdahl ◽  
Marit B. Rise
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Brief Therapy ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Outpatient Clinics ◽  
Short Term Treatment

Abstract Background Increasing mental health problems and scarce treatment resources put pressure on mental health services to make innovations in service provision, such as developing differentiated services adapted to different needs. One innovation in differentiated service provision is brief or short-term treatment to patients with moderate mental health problems. Implementing a new unit in an organization usually faces many potential barriers and facilitators, and knowledge on how the professionals providing the services perceive the implementation of innovative approaches in mental health services is scarce. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the professionals’ perceptions of how the establishment of a specialized brief therapy unit had affected the organization, especially the everyday work in the outpatient clinics. Methods Eleven professionals, five men and six women, took part in individual interviews. All participants were between 40 and 60 years old and had leading or coordinating positions in the organization. Their professional backgrounds were within psychology, nursing and medicine, most of them specialists in their field. Data was analyzed according to Systematic text condensation. Results The professionals’ experiences represented four main themes: (1) The brief therapy unit was perceived as successful and celebrated. (2) The general outpatient clinics, on the other hand, were described as “forgotten”. (3) The establishment process had elucidated different views on treatment in the outpatient clinics - and had set off (4) a discussion regarding the criteria for prioritizing in mental health services. Conclusion Providing targeted treatment to patients with moderate mental health problems, while having a concurrent aim to solve broader problems in mental health services, entails a discussion regarding resource use and the appropriate level of treatment provision. Professionals should be more involved when innovative efforts are implemented, and the criteria for success must be conceptualized and evaluated. Longitudinal research on the implementation of innovative efforts in the services should include professionals’ and service users’ perspectives.

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