Mental Health Matters

Book: This Book Will Change Your Mind About Mental Health

Published on 06/01/2020 by Andrew MarshallLeave a comment

Book Title:

This Book Will Change Your Mind About Mental Health.

Author(s): Nathan Filer.

Year: 2019.

Edition: First (1st).

Publisher: Faber & Faber, Main Edition.

Type(s): Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, and Kindle.

Synopsis:

A journey into the heartland of psychiatry.

This book debunks myths, challenges assumptions and offers fresh insight into what it means to be mentally ill.

And what it means to be human.

This Book Will Change Your Mind About Mental Health was previously published in 2019 in hardback under the title The Heartland.

Book: Stress Management for Dummies

Published on 06/01/2020 by Andrew MarshallLeave a comment

Book Title:

Stress Management for Dummies.

Author(s): Allen elkin.

Year: 2013.

Edition: Second (2nd).

Publisher: John Wiley and Sons.

Type(s): Paperback, Audiobook, and Kindle.

Synopsis:

Tired of letting stress have a negative impact on your life? Easy. It’s impossible to get through life without encountering stress.

And unfortunately, most of us learn the incorrect ways to cope with it.

Thankfully, Stress Management For Dummies gives you trusted, time-tested guidance on teaching your body and mind to properly cope with stress while keeping your sanity intact.

Whether it’s love, work, family, or something else that has you in the red zone, this updated edition of Stress Management For Dummies will help you identify the stress triggers in your life and cut them down to size all without losing your cool. * Shows you how to use stress in a positive, motivational way instead of letting it negatively affect your life * Teaches you to retrain your body and mind to react positively to stress * Helps you overcome common stresses faced in modern life If you want to manage stress and get back to living a normal life, Stress Management For Dummies has you covered.

Book: 8 Keys to Stress Management

Published on 06/01/2020 by Andrew MarshallLeave a comment

Book Title:

8 Keys to Stress Management.

Author(s): Elizabeth Anne Scott.

Year: 2013.

Edition: First Edition (1st).

Publisher: W.W. Norton Company.

Type(s): Paperback, Audiobook, and Kindle.

Synopsis:

According to many measures, people today are dealing with stressors that are greater in number and severity than in the past several decades, and this stress is taking a toll on our collective wellness.

The book outlines strategies to identifying stressors, offers techniques in reversing the response, and discusses the effects of stress.

Components & Principles of Effective Treatments in Mental Health

Published on 06/01/202006/01/2020 by Andrew MarshallLeave a comment

For interventions (to at least be perceived) to be effective in the treatment of mental health conditions, from the perspective of the service user, there are a range of components that one must understand and appreciate.

Facilitative service environment(s):
- Understand how the environment can affect a service user’s experience of treatment.
- Prioritise good relationships between staff/volunteers and those using the services.
- Taking a genuine interest in the service user.
- Being respectful.
- Helps service users feel at ease and prevent relapse.
Access to appropriate treatment(s).
Compassionate and non-judgemental support.
- This can include peer, practical, and emotional support.
Interventions that are long enough in duration:
- Treatment needs to be long enough in duration for the service user to avoid relapse and/or move into recovery.
- Need for ongoing support.
- Aftercare programme as a way of ensuring a supportive network to prevent relapse.
Interventions that offer stability.
Choices (in terms of treatment).
- Service users like to feel they have a choice in their treatment.
- Want to be treated as individuals.
- Individualised care means provider must have flexibility in service delivery.
Opportunities to learn (or relearn) how to live.
- Treatment should be seen as providing opportunities for service users to learn (vocational/life) skills to support them to live their lives.
- This can aid service users to steer away from problematic patterns of behaviour by providing structure and purpose, alleviating boredom, and distraction from their condition.

The above should be provided with the following three principles in mind:

Within the context of good relationships.
- You are not there to be the service user’s best friend, but good/positive relationships aid effectiveness of treatment and perceptions of service.
Person-centred care.
- Where appropriate and practicable, the service/treatment should fit around the service user, not the service user around the service/treatment.
Understanding the complexity of the service user’s (both personal and professional) circumstances.
- Understanding of the service user’s circumstances can aid adherence to treatment and their journey through their condition.

Finally, remember that the way in which services and treatment are delivered, is considered by many service users, to be more important than the type of treatment provided.

Homelessness & Substance Use Treatment: Is the Way in which Services & Treatment are Delivered more Important than the Type of Treatment Provided?

Published on 06/01/2020 by Andrew MarshallLeave a comment

Research Paper Title

What Constitutes Effective Problematic Substance Use Treatment From the Perspective of People Who Are Homeless? A Systematic Review and Meta-Ethnography.

Background

People experiencing homelessness have higher rates of problematic substance use but difficulty engaging with treatment services. There is limited evidence regarding how problematic substance use treatment should be delivered for these individuals.

Previous qualitative research has explored perceptions of effective treatment by people who are homeless, but these individual studies need to be synthesised to generate further practice-relevant insights from the perspective of this group.

Methods

Meta-ethnography was conducted to synthesise research reporting views on substance use treatment by people experiencing homelessness. Studies were identified through systematic searching of electronic databases (CINAHL; Criminal Justice Abstracts; Health Source; MEDLINE; PsycINFO; SocINDEX; Scopus; and Web of Science) and websites and were quality appraised. Original participant quotes and author interpretations were extracted and coded thematically.

Concepts identified were compared to determine similarities and differences between studies. Findings were translated (reciprocally and refutationally) across studies, enabling development of an original over-arching line-of-argument and conceptual model.

Results

Twenty-three papers published since 2002 in three countries, involving 462 participants, were synthesised. Findings broadly related, through personal descriptions of, and views on, the particular intervention components considered effective to people experiencing homelessness. Participants of all types of interventions had a preference for harm reduction-oriented services.

Participants considered treatment effective when it provided a facilitative service environment; compassionate and non-judgemental support; time; choices; and opportunities to (re)learn how to live. Interventions that were of longer duration and offered stability to service users were valued, especially by women.

From the line-of-argument synthesis, a new model was developed highlighting critical components of effective substance use treatment from the service user’s perspective, including a service context of good relationships, with person-centred care and an understanding of the complexity of people’s lives.

Conclusions

This is the first meta-ethnography to examine the components of effective problematic substance use treatment from the perspective of those experiencing homelessness. Critical components of effective problematic substance use treatment are highlighted.

The way in which services and treatment are delivered is more important than the type of treatment provided. Substance use interventions should address these components, including prioritising good relationships between staff and those using services, person-centred approaches, and a genuine understanding of individuals’ complex lives.

Reference

Carver, H., Ring, N., Miler, J. & Parkes, T. (2020) What Constitutes Effective Problematic Substance Use Treatment From the Perspective of People Who Are Homeless? A Systematic Review and Meta-Ethnography. Harm Reduction Journal. 17(1), pp.10. doi: 10.1186/s12954-020-0356-9.

Do PTSD, TBI & Sleep Distrubances affect Military Performance Individually or in Combination?

Published on 05/29/2020 by Andrew MarshallLeave a comment

Research Paper Title

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, Sleep, and Performance in Military Personnel.

Background

Sleep disturbances, post-traumatic stress disorder, and traumatic brain injury are highly prevalent in military personnel and veterans.

These disorders can negatively impact military performance.

Although literature evaluating how post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury directly impact military performance is limited, there is evidence supporting that these disorders negatively impact cognitive and social functioning.

What is not clear is if impaired performance results from these entities individually, or a combination of each.

Further research using standardised evaluations for the clinical disorders and metrics of military performance is required to assess the overall performance decrements related to these disorders.

Reference

Moore, B.A., Borck, M.S., Brager, A., Collen, J., LoPresti, M. & Mysliwiec, V. (2020) Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, Sleep, and Performance in Military Personnel. Sleep Medicine Clinics. 15(1), pp.87-100. doi: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2019.11.004. Epub 2020 Jan 8.

Can Acupressure Reduce Soldiers’ Anxiety in Stressful Situations?

Published on 05/28/2020 by Andrew Marshall1 Comment

Research Paper Title

Effects of Acupressure at the P6 and LI4 Points on the Anxiety Level of Soldiers in the Iranian Military.

Background

Military service is a stressful environment. Methods to reduce stress may result in the mental health promotion of military forces.

There are various methods for relieving anxiety. Acupressure is one of them.

Hence, this study was carried out to explore effects of acupressure at the P6 and LI4 acupressure points on the anxiety level of army soldiers.

Methods

A randomised double-blind design was undertaken. A total of 120 Iranian army soldiers were randomly assigned to three groups, namely P6, LI4 and control. The P6 and LI4 acupressure points are effective in lowering the anxiety level.

In the intervention groups, acupressure was applied at the P6 and LI4 points three times for 10 min at 30 min intervals. In the control group, the thumb pad, which is not an acupressure point, was pressed.

The anxiety level of the subjects was measured before the intervention and 30 min after the last intervention. The instruments included a demographics questionnaire and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.

Results

There was no significant difference between the three groups with respect to the anxiety level in the preintervention phase. However, the mean anxiety score in the P6 group decreased significantly from 53.35±9.7 to 49.02±9.3 (p=0.005).

The mean anxiety score in the LI4 group also decreased significantly from 53.37±8.39 to 45.47±8.16 (p<0.001).

In the control group, there was no significant difference between the preintervention and postintervention phases (p=0.16).

In the postintervention phase, the analysis of variance test showed a significant difference between the three groups in terms of the anxiety level (p=0.04).

Conclusions

Acupressure can reduce soldiers’ anxiety at the acupressure points, especially at the LI4 point.

It is recommended that this simple and cost-effective intervention be used to relieve soldiers’ anxiety in stressful situations.

Reference

Rarani, S.A., Rajai, N. & Sharififar, S. (2020) Effects of Acupressure at the P6 and LI4 Points on the Anxiety Level of Soldiers in the Iranian Military. BMJ Military Health. doi: 10.1136/jramc-2019-001332. Online ahead of print.

Gaming Disorders & their Association with Mental Disorders for African Countries

Published on 05/27/2020 by Andrew MarshallLeave a comment

Research Paper Title

Insomnia, Sleepiness, Anxiety and Depression Among Different Types of Gamers in African Countries.

Background

Gaming has increasingly become a part of life in Africa. Currently, no data on gaming disorders or their association with mental disorders exist for African countries.

This study for the first time investigated:

The prevalence of insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness, anxiety and depression among African gamers;
The association between these conditions and gamer types (i.e. non-problematic, engaged, problematic and addicted); and
The predictive power of socioeconomic markers (education, age, income, marital status, employment status) on these conditions.

Methods

10,566 people from 2 low- (Rwanda, Gabon), 6 lower-middle (Cameroon, Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Ivory Coast) and 1 upper-middle income countries (South Africa) completed online questionnaires containing validated measures on insomnia, sleepiness, anxiety, depression and gaming addiction.

Results

Results showed the sample of gamers (24 ± 2.8 yrs; 88.64% Male), 30% were addicted, 30% were problematic, 8% were engaged and 32% were non-problematic.

Gaming significantly contributed to 86.9% of the variance in insomnia, 82.7% of the variance in daytime sleepiness and 82.3% of the variance in anxiety [p < 0.001].

Conclusions

This study establishes the prevalence of gaming, mood and sleep disorders, in a large African sample.

The results corroborate previous studies, reporting problematic and addicted gamers show poorer health outcomes compared with non-problematic gamers.

Reference

Sosso, F.A.E, Kuss, D.J., Vandelanotte, C., Jasso-Medrano, J.L., Husain, M.E., Curcio, G., Papadopoulos, D., Aseem, A., Bhati, P., Lopez-Rosales, F., Becerra, J.R., D’Aurizio, G., Mansouri, H., Khoury, T., Campbell, M. & Toth, A.J. (2020) Insomnia, Sleepiness, Anxiety and Depression Among Different Types of Gamers in African Countries. Scientific Reports. 10(1):1937. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-58462-0.

Is Type 2 Diabetes an Independent Risk Factor for Alzheimer Patients with Depression?

Published on 05/26/2020 by Andrew MarshallLeave a comment

Research Paper Title

Analysis of Risk Factors for Depression in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients.

Background

Depression, which affects about 52% of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, can worsen cognitive impairment and increase mortality and suicide rates.

The researchers hope to provide clinical evidence for the prevention and treatment of depression in AD patients by investigating related risk factors of depression in AD patients.

Methods

158 AD inpatients of the Department of Neurology, Daping Hospital from September 2017 to March 2019 were enrolled. General information, laboratory tests, cognitive and emotional function assessments of the inpatients were collected.

Logistic regression was used to analyse the risk factors of depression in AD patients, and the relationship between 17 Hamilton depression scale scores and HbA1c levels in AD patients was further analysed.

Results

The prevalence of age, gender, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and white matter lesions (WML) in the AD with depression group was significantly different from without depression group.

Hypertension, T2DM, and WML are independent risk factors for depression in AD patients.

The depression scores of AD patients with HbA1c>6.5% were significantly higher than AD patients with HbA1c ≤ 6.5%, and there were significant difference in depression scale scores between using anti-diabetes drugs group and not using anti-diabetes drugs group whose HbA1c level is >6.5%, while no difference in depression scores between using anti-diabetes drugs group and not using anti-diabetes drugs group whose HbA1c level is ≤6.5%.

Conclusions

T2DM is an independent risk factor for AD patients with depression.

Increased HbA1c levels aggravate depression in AD patients, and controlling HbA1c levels and anti-diabetes drugs can reduce the severity of depression in AD patients.

Reference

Yang, H., Hong, W., Chen, L., Tao, Y., Peng, Z. & Zhou, H. (2020) Analysis of Risk Factors for Depression in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients. The International Journal of Neuroscience. 1-6. doi: 10.1080/00207454.2020.1730369. Online ahead of print.