scholarly journals Predictors of Psychological Distress and Mental Health Resource Utilization among Employees in Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 314
Author(s):  
Caryn Mei Hsien Chan ◽  
Siew Li Ng ◽  
Serena In ◽  
Lei Hum Wee ◽  
Ching Sin Siau
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Health Resource ◽  
Comorbid Conditions ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mental Health Resource

We sought to examine predictors of psychological distress among employees as well as the level of awareness and usage of available mental health resources by employees through their own organizations. The Malaysian Healthiest Workplace survey cross-sectional dataset was used to explore the association between psychological distress, a range of health conditions, as well as mental health resource awareness and usage in a sample of 11,356 working Malaysian adults. A multivariate logistic regression was conducted to determine predictors of high psychological distress. Comorbid illnesses that were associated with psychological distress were mental illness (OR 6.7, 95% CI 4.39–10.14, p = 0.001), heart conditions (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.18–3.99, p = 0.012), migraines (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.33–1.90, p = 0.001), bronchial asthma (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.11–1.85, p = 0.006), and hypertension (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.07–1.88, p = 0.016) compared to individuals with no comorbid conditions. A total of 14 out of 17 comorbid medical illnesses were associated with elevated levels of psychological distress among employees. Awareness and usage of support services and resources for mental health were associated with lower psychological distress. These findings extend the literature by providing further evidence on the link between chronic illness, occupational type, as well as awareness and use of mental health resources by psychological distress status.

scholarly journals Socio-economic disadvantage and resource distribution for mental health care; a model proposal and example application for Victoria, Australia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Meadows ◽  
Frances Shawyer ◽  
Shrinkhala Dawadi ◽  
Brett Inder ◽  
Joanne Enticott
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Economic Disadvantage ◽  
Health Resource ◽  
Epidemiological Evidence ◽  
Mental Health Resource ◽  
Illustrative Application

The attached pre-print (accepted manuscript ) paper describes an application of available epidemiological evidence in guiding the adjustment of mental health resources to areas. Described with an illustrative application in Victoria, Australia. We have also provided our research data as a supplementary spreadsheet to showcase our analytic approach (the spreadsheet cam also easily be adapted to calculate mental health resource adjustments in other states and territories, or nationally).

scholarly journals Socio-economic disadvantage and resource distribution for mental health care; a model proposal and example application for Victoria, Australia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Meadows ◽  
Frances Shawyer ◽  
Shrinkhala Dawadi ◽  
Brett Inder ◽  
Joanne Enticott
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Economic Disadvantage ◽  
Health Resource ◽  
Epidemiological Evidence ◽  
Working Paper ◽  
Mental Health Resource ◽  
Illustrative Application

The attached pre-print (working paper) paper describes an application of available epidemiological evidence in guiding the adjustment of mental health resources to areas. Described with an illustrative application in Victoria, Australia. We have also provided our research data as a supplementary spreadsheet to showcase our analytic approach (the spreadsheet cam also easily be adapted to calculate mental health resource adjustments in other states and territories, or nationally).

scholarly journals Socio-economic disadvantage and resource distribution for mental health care; a model proposal and example application for Victoria, Australia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Meadows ◽  
Frances Shawyer ◽  
Shrinkhala Dawadi ◽  
Brett Inder ◽  
Joanne Enticott
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Economic Disadvantage ◽  
Health Resource ◽  
Epidemiological Evidence ◽  
Mental Health Resource ◽  
Illustrative Application

The attached pre-print (accepted manuscript ) paper describes an application of available epidemiological evidence in guiding the adjustment of mental health resources to areas. Described with an illustrative application in Victoria, Australia. We have also provided our research data as a supplementary spreadsheet to showcase our analytic approach (the spreadsheet cam also easily be adapted to calculate mental health resource adjustments in other states and territories, or nationally).

scholarly journals P119: Health care utilization by patients presenting to the emergency department with mental health complaints

CJEM ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (S1) ◽  
pp. S118
Author(s):  
C. Thompson ◽  
S.L. McLeod ◽  
A. Sandre ◽  
B. Borgundvaag
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Health Resource ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Mental Health Resource

Introduction: Emergency department (ED) visits for mental health and addiction related complaints are common and appear to be increasing. It is believed these patients come to the ED requiring urgent assessment either because they do not have a primary care or psychiatric healthcare provider or access to their provider is not available in a timely fashion. The objective of this study was to describe healthcare utilization in the previous 12 months by patients presenting to the ED with a mental health complaint. Methods: Between April-November 2016, a convenience sample of adult (≥18 years) patients presenting to an academic ED (annual census 65,000) with a mental health and/or addictions complaint were invited to complete a paper-based survey to determine their usage of ten different mental healthcare resources over the previous 12 months. The questionnaire was pilot-tested and peer-reviewed for feasibility and comprehension. Results: Of the 134 patients who completed the survey, mean (SD) age was 37.9 (15.7) years and 64 (47.8%) were male. Only 7 (5.2%) patients did not access any mental health resource in the previous 12 months, and the most commonly accessed resource was hospital EDs (102, 76.1%), with 24 (23.5%) of these patients using the ED at least 6 times. Patients also accessed a variety of other mental health resources, with 28 (20.9%) seeing their family physician, 20 (14.9%) seeing their psychiatrist/psychologist, and 61 (45.5%) seeing both in the previous 12 months. Only 6 (5.9%) patients used the ED exclusively for a mental health related complaint. By comparison, respondents accessed other specific mental health resources such as crisis centres (19, 14.2%), helplines (34, 25.4%), and peer-support groups (24, 17.9%) less often. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the ED is the most commonly used mental health resource for this population. However, these patients also frequently access family physicians and psychiatrists/psychologists, with community resources such as crisis centres, helplines, and peer-support being used less often. This suggests that lack of timely access to other mental health resources may be the primary motivation for accessing the ED.

scholarly journals PREVALENCE, ASSOCIATED FACTORS, AND HELP SEEKING BEHAVIOR RELATED TO PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AMONG INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITI KEBANGSAAN MALAYSIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-223
Author(s):  
Aniza Ismail ◽  
Khadiga Mohsen Kahwa
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
International Students ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Help Seeking Behavior ◽  
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Seeking Behavior

Depression, anxiety, and stress are associated with decreased role functioning, productivity, and quality of life. International students are more prone to psychological distress as they face many stressors while studying abroad. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence and associated factors of depression, anxiety, and stress among international students, their help-seeking behavior and their awareness of the available on-campus mental support services. A cross-sectional study with a purposive sampling method was performed on 280 international students at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) between the age of 18 and 35 years. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) questionnaire was used anonymously to assess the mental health of students. Soci-demographic, help-seeking behavior, and awareness data were obtained. Independent sample t-test, one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test, and Multiple Linear Regression were used to explore associated factors. The overall prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among international students was 58.9%, 71.8%, and 53.9% respectively. Age was significantly associated with depression and anxiety. Ethnicity showed a significant association with depression and stress. No other factors were found to be significantly associated with psychological distress. Only 9.6% of the international students had sought help from on-campus mental support services. Students who were aware of the presence of such services were only 21.4% of the participants. In conclusion, the recent study showed a high prevalence of psychological distress and low help-seeking behavior among international students in Malaysia. This provided data that could be used in intervention programs to improve the mental health of the increasing number of international students in Malaysia.

scholarly journals Socio-economic disadvantage and resource distribution for mental health care; a model proposal and example application for Victoria, Australia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Meadows ◽  
Frances Shawyer ◽  
Shrinkhala Dawadi ◽  
Brett Inder ◽  
Joanne Enticott
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Economic Disadvantage ◽  
Health Resource ◽  
Epidemiological Evidence ◽  
Mental Health Resource ◽  
Illustrative Application

The attached pre-print (accepted manuscript ) paper describes an application of available epidemiological evidence in guiding the adjustment of mental health resources to areas. Described with an illustrative application in Victoria, Australia. We have also provided our research data as a supplementary spreadsheet to showcase our analytic approach (the spreadsheet cam also easily be adapted to calculate mental health resource adjustments in other states and territories, or nationally).

scholarly journals Socio-economic disadvantage and resource distribution for mental health care; a model proposal and example application for Victoria, Australia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham Meadows ◽  
Frances Shawyer ◽  
Shrinkhala Dawadi ◽  
Brett Inder ◽  
Joanne Enticott
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Economic Disadvantage ◽  
Health Resource ◽  
Epidemiological Evidence ◽  
Working Paper ◽  
Mental Health Resource ◽  
Illustrative Application

The attached pre-print (working paper) paper describes an application of available epidemiological evidence in guiding the adjustment of mental health resources to areas. Described with an illustrative application in Victoria, Australia. We have also provided our research data as a supplementary spreadsheet to showcase our analytic approach (the spreadsheet cam also easily be adapted to calculate mental health resource adjustments in other states and territories, or nationally).

scholarly journals Suicidal Ideation and Predictors of Psychological Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Eswatini: A Population-Based Household Telephone Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 6700
Author(s):  
Mduduzi Colani Shongwe ◽  
Song-Lih Huang
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Telephone Survey ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Psychological Distress Scale ◽  
The Government ◽  
Distress Scale

The unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic can induce psychological distress in individuals. We investigated perceived stressors, prevalence of psychological distress and suicidal ideation, and predictors of psychological distress among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Eswatini. This study was a cross-sectional, population-based household telephone survey of 993 conveniently sampled adults (18+ years) from all the four administrative regions of Eswatini. Data were collected between 9 June and 18 July 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the country was under a partial lockdown. COVID-19-related psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler 6-item Psychological Distress Scale (K6). We performed weighted modified Poisson regression analyses to identify significant predictors of moderate/severe psychological distress (K6 scores: ≥5). The weighted prevalences of moderate (K6 scores: 5–12) and severe psychological distress (K6 scores: ≥13) were 41.7% and 5.4%, respectively. Participants reported several perceived COVID-19-related stressors, including worries and fears of the contagion-specific death, serious need for food and money, and concerns about loss of income or business. The weighted prevalence of suicidal ideation was 1.5%. Statistically significant predictors of increased risk for moderate/severe psychological distress included living in the Hhohho and Manzini regions; feeling not well informed about COVID-19; feeling lonely; having received COVID-19 food or financial relief from the government; feeling burdened by the lockdown; being married; and being youth (18–24 years). The results call for the government to urgently augment the provision of mental health services during the pandemic. Mental health practitioners and programs may use several stressors and risk factors identified in this study to inform interventions and government policies aimed at reducing psychological distress induced by the pandemic.

Using peer support to strengthen mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a review (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahul Suresh ◽  
Armaghan Alam ◽  
Zoe Karkossa
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Health Anxiety ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Mental Health Resource ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Anxiety Depression

BACKGROUND The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on society’s overall mental health with a notable effect on healthcare providers. To manage this global crisis, governments have had to implement numerous measures such mandated lockdowns and physical distancing to minimize the risk of overloading healthcare systems. Altogether, these measures have contributed to higher levels of anxiety, depression, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other metrics indicating worsening mental health. Unfortunately, the availability of crucial mental health resources and support remains scarce during this time as services attempt to transition to an effective online delivery model. Peer support, which is peer-to-peer provided social and emotional support, is an underutilized and effective mental health resource that is easily delivered/accessed in-person by members within a social distancing bubble, or virtually across different bubbles. OBJECTIVE This review aims to summarize the toll that this pandemic has had on society’s mental health as found in peer-reviewed literature from October 2019 to March 2021, as well as suggest the utility of peer support to address these needs. Lastly, we provide strategies to effectively deliver peer support so that members of the community can better support one another during these unprecedented times. METHODS References for this review were chosen through searches of PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for articles published between October 2019 and March 2021 that used the terms: “coronavirus”, “COVID-19”, “mental health”, “anxiety”, “depression”, “isolation”, “mental health resources”, “peer support”, “online mental health resources”, and “healthcare workers”. Articles resulting from these searches and relevant references cited in those articles were reviewed. Articles published in English, French and Italian were included. RESULTS As stated in peer-reviewed literature, this pandemic has ubiquitously worsened the mental health of populations across the world, which is further exacerbated by extended periods of lockdown. Peer support has been demonstrated to yield positive effects on the mental health of a wide variety of recipients, and it can be provided through numerous accessible mediums such as web/mobile applications, video-conferencing software, workshops, telephone services, and student programs. CONCLUSIONS The provision of peer support can be very beneficial for improving mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and may be an effective tool should similar events arise in the future. CLINICALTRIAL N/A

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