Impact of mental health in persons living with rare disease: Findings from the AMCP Market Insights Program.

Within the framework of its Market Insights Program, AMCP convened a panel of experts representing diverse stakeholders to identify alterations to plan design and/or coverage options geared toward improving the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions among persons living with rare diseases (PLWRD). PLWRD face unique mental health challenges because of the misunderstood nature of their conditions, potential misdiagnosis, and limited treatment options. Economic burdens arise from increased medical needs, reliance on caregivers, and work disruptions. The interplay of these factors, along with health insurance coverage, creates a distinctive mental health landscape for PLWRD and a need to prioritize mental health support for this patient population. This article aims to (1) summarize expert perspectives on health care system challenges and areas of agreement concerning the management of mental health conditions and (2) advance payers' understanding of their role in supporting mental health care for patients with rare diseases. Addressing mental health needs of PLWRD presents multifaceted challenges. Managed care organizations play a pivotal role in supporting mental health care for PLWRD through their quality improvement initiatives and policies for coverage and reimbursement, which can impact both the rare disease treatment and mental health services PLWRD receive.

Integrated self-management support provided by primary care nurses to persons with chronic diseases and common mental disorders: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: More and more people suffer from concomitant chronic physical diseases and common mental disorders, calling for integrated self-management support in primary care. However, self-management support of chronic physical diseases and common mental disorders is not clearly operationalized by guidelines and is still conducted in silos by primary care nurses, especially in favour of chronic diseases. This study aims to better understand primary care nurses' experience of integrated self-management support for people with physical chronic diseases and common mental disorders. METHODS: An interpretive descriptive qualitative approach was conducted with 23 primary care nurses from family medicine groups in Quebec (Canada). They were selected through purposive and snowball sampling methods to participate in an individual interview. Data were analysed using an iterative inductive and deductive analysis (Rainbow Model of Integrated Care and the Practical Reviews in Self-Management Support (PRISMS) taxonomy). RESULTS: Nurses' experience of integrated self-management support for people with CD and CMD was structured around: (1) elements of the approach; (2) clinical integration through prevention and health promotion; and (3) operationalization of integrated self-management support. Several elements deemed essential to integrated self-management support were identified. Nurses offered integrated self-management support through prevention of risk factors and promotion of a healthy lifestyle for physical chronic diseases and common mental disorders. Nurses' self-management support activities included education, action plans, monitoring, and many practical, psychological, and social support strategies. A model of integrated self-management support for primary care nursing is proposed to better understand its clinical integration. CONCLUSION: This study presents clinical integration of self-management support and activities for people with physical chronic diseases and common mental disorders in primary care settings. Understanding integrated self-management support will help implement future interventions.

Strategies, processes, outcomes, and costs of implementing experience sampling-based monitoring in routine mental health care in four European countries: study protocol for the IMMERSE effectiveness-implementation study.

BACKGROUND: Recent years have seen a growing interest in the use of digital tools for delivering person-centred mental health care. Experience Sampling Methodology (ESM), a structured diary technique for capturing moment-to-moment variation in experience and behaviour in service users' daily life, reflects a particularly promising avenue for implementing a person-centred approach. While there is evidence on the effectiveness of ESM-based monitoring, uptake in routine mental health care remains limited. The overarching aim of this hybrid effectiveness-implementation study is to investigate, in detail, reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance as well as contextual factors, processes, and costs of implementing ESM-based monitoring, reporting, and feedback into routine mental health care in four European countries (i.e., Belgium, Germany, Scotland, Slovakia). METHODS: In this hybrid effectiveness-implementation study, a parallel-group, assessor-blind, multi-centre cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) will be conducted, combined with a process and economic evaluation. In the cRCT, 24 clinical units (as the cluster and unit of randomization) at eight sites in four European countries will be randomly allocated using an unbalanced 2:1 ratio to one of two conditions: (a) the experimental condition, in which participants receive a Digital Mobile Mental Health intervention (DMMH) and other implementation strategies in addition to treatment as usual (TAU) or (b) the control condition, in which service users are provided with TAU. Outcome data in service users and clinicians will be collected at four time points: at baseline (t0), 2-month post-baseline (t1), 6-month post-baseline (t2), and 12-month post-baseline (t3). The primary outcome will be patient-reported service engagement assessed with the service attachment questionnaire at 2-month post-baseline. The process and economic evaluation will provide in-depth insights into in-vivo context-mechanism-outcome configurations and economic costs of the DMMH and other implementation strategies in routine care, respectively. DISCUSSION: If this trial provides evidence on reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation and maintenance of implementing ESM-based monitoring, reporting, and feedback, it will form the basis for establishing its public health impact and has significant potential to bridge the research-to-practice gap and contribute to swifter ecological translation of digital innovations to real-world delivery in routine mental health care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN15109760 (ISRCTN registry, date: 03/08/2022).

A qualitative meta-synthesis of service users' and carers' experiences of assessment and involuntary hospital admissions under mental health legislations: a five-year update.

BACKGROUND: Compulsory admissions occur in psychiatric hospitals around the world. They result in coercive and sometimes traumatic experiences for service users and carers. Legal and service reforms in various countries are intended to reduce rates of detention and improve service user experience. We aimed to inform policy and service delivery by providing an up-to-date synthesis of qualitative evidence on service users' and carers' experiences of assessment and detention under mental health legislation, updating previous reviews in which we searched for literature published up to 2018. METHODS: We searched five bibliographic databases for studies published between January 2018 and March 2023. We identified 24 additional studies reporting qualitative investigations of service users' or carers' experiences of assessment or detention under mental health legislation. A team including researchers with relevant personal experience analysed and synthesised data using a thematic synthesis approach. RESULTS: Findings suggest that views on compulsory admissions and assessment varied: many reports highlighted its often negative, traumatic impacts on emotional well-being and self-worth, with fewer accounts of it as an opportunity to access help and support, accompanied by feelings of relief. Experiences of racial discrimination, inequality of access, and dissatisfaction with support before and after hospital stay were more prominent than in our previous reviews. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing service user and carer involvement in treatment decisions, provision of timely information at key stages of the admission process, training of key personnel, addressing the issue of discrimination, and investing in community alternatives of inpatient care may contribute to and lead to better overall treatment experiences. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The study protocol has been registered in the PROSPERO database on 30th May 2023 (CRD42023423439).

Referral Network Pathways of Care for Psychiatric Disorders in Kashmir - A Study from India. / Kesmir'de Psikiyatrik Bozukluklarin Tedavisine Yönelik Sevk Yollari - Hindistan'dan Bir Çalisma.

OBJECTIVE: Access to psychiatry services in Kashmir is challenging because of active enduring conflict, insecurity and a fundamental role played by the traditional health workers. We aimed to assess the main pathways to mental health services in Kashmir, India. METHODS: This cross-sectional hospital-based study was performed from March 2012 to June 2017 in the outpatient psychiatry department at a psychiatric disease hospital in Kashmir. A convenience sampling method was used to select newly referred patients to the services. A survey was developed to collect information on demographic data and the main pathways for patients when seeking care for mental disorders. RESULTS: A total of 518 patients were interviewed. About half of the respondents (48.8 %) attended clinical consultation from a general pathway like a physician or a neurologist, while 31.8% were visiting a psychiatrist for a significant psychiatric disorder. For some patients (17.8%), their initial pathway to mental health services is traditional healers. CONCLUSION: The current study revealed different pathways to seeking psychiatric care in Kashmir India. Further studies are needed to address the treatment gap and ways to improve access to mental health services for the Kashmir population.

Barriers To Accessing Mental Health Services Among Syrian Refugees: A Mixed-Method Study. / Suriye Kökenli Siginmacilarin Ruh Sagligi Hizmetlerine Ulasmasini Engelleyen Etmenler: Karma Yöntemli Bir Çalisma.

OBJECTIVE: Although Syrian refugees have high rates of mental health problems due to war trauma, little is known on their degree of need for and contact with mental health services. Using a population sample of Syrian refugees living in Ankara, we assessed the perceived need for and contact with mental health services, as well as the barriers to access these services. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional mixed-method study of 420 Syrian refugees living in Ankara city center, using face to face interviews administered at the respondents' home by trained, Arabic-speaking interviewers. PTSD and depression were assessed using Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory, respectively. RESULTS: Of all the refugees in our sample, 14,8% (N=62) stated that they felt the need for mental healthcare since arriving in Turkey. The actual number contacting any mental health service was very low (1,4%, N=6). The most important barriers to accessing mental health services were reported by the respondents to be language problems and lack of information on available mental health services. Service providers and policymakers also reported similar topics as the most important barriers: low awareness about mental health problems, daily living difficulties, and language and cultural barriers. Multivariate analyses revealed that presence of medical or mental disorders and female gender predicted the perceived need for contacting services. CONCLUSION: Our results show that, although refugees report high rates of mental health problems, the perceived need for and actual contact with services are very low. To address this treatment gap, and to provide adequate care for refugees with mental health problems, common barriers (language and awareness) should be identified and dealt with.

Proches aidants en psychiatrie : quelle (in)adéquation entre besoins et offres de soutien ?

INTRODUCTION: Informal caregivers play a vital role in supporting people with severe mental illness. However, this role can leave informal caregivers with significant unmet needs. The aim of this qualitative study is to identify the extent to which the support offered to informal caregivers in adult psychiatry in French-speaking Switzerland meets their needs. METHOD: Individual semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with informal caregivers, mental health professionals, and service providers. The data were analyzed by theme. RESULTS: The need for assistance and the need for information are two themes identified as prevalent among informal caregivers. Despite a consensus on the need for more support and information, informal caregivers, service providers, and health professionals do not assign the same importance to specific aspects of these themes. Suggestions for improving practices at the institutional, socio-political, and civil-society levels are put forward. Given the diversity of viewpoints on the priority needs of informal caregivers, there is a risk of offering support that only partially corresponds to the difficulties encountered by informal caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: Matching support and needs remains a major challenge. Agreeing on a consensual definition of support and information needs and proposing tailored approaches could make it possible to develop support services that meet the actual needs of informal caregivers.

Barriers and enablers to improving integrated primary healthcare for non-communicable diseases and mental health conditions in Ethiopia: a mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: The Ethiopian Primary Healthcare Clinical Guidelines (EPHCG) seek to improve quality of primary health care, while also expanding access to care for people with Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health Conditions (NCDs/MHCs). The aim of this study was to identify barriers and enablers to implementation of the EPHCG with a particular focus on NCDs/MHCs. METHODS: A mixed-methods convergent-parallel design was employed after EPHCG implementation in 18 health facilities in southern Ethiopia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 primary healthcare clinicians and one healthcare administrator. Organisational Readiness for Implementing Change (ORIC) questionnaire was self-completed by 124 health workers and analysed using Kruskal Wallis ranked test to investigate median score differences. Qualitative data were mapped to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Science (CFIR) and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) were employed to select implementation strategies to address barriers. RESULTS: Four domains were identified: EPHCG training and implementation, awareness and meeting patient needs (demand side), resource constraints/barriers (supply side) and care pathway bottlenecks. The innovative facility-based training to implement EPHCG had a mixed response, especially in busy facilities where teams reported struggling to find protected time to meet. Key barriers to implementation of EPHCG were non-availability of resources (CFIR inner setting), such as laboratory reagents and medications that undermined efforts to follow guideline-based care, the way care was structured and lack of familiarity with providing care for people with NCDs-MHCs. Substantial barriers arose because of socio-economic problems that were interlinked with health but not addressable within the health system (CFIR outer setting). Other factors influencing effective implementation of EPHCG (TDF) included low population awareness about NCDs/MHCs and unaffordable diagnostic and treatment services (TDF). Implementation strategies were identified. ORIC findings indicated high scores of organisational readiness to implement the desired change with likely social desirability bias. CONCLUSION: Although perceived as necessary, practical implementation of EPHCG was constrained by challenges across domains of internal/external determinants. This was especially marked in relation to expansion of care responsibilities to include NCDs/MHCs. Attention to social determinants of health outcomes, community engagement and awareness-raising are needed to maximize population impact.

[Mental health problems among employees: service use and costs to the German healthcare system]. / Psychische Belastungen bei Erwerbstätigen: Leistungsinanspruchnahme und Kosten für das deutsche Gesundheitssystem.

BACKGROUND: Service use among employees with mental health problems and the associated costs for the health and social system have not yet been systematically analysed in studies or have only been recorded indirectly. The aim of this article is to report the service use in this target group, to estimate the costs for the health and social system and to identify possible influencing factors on the cost variance. METHODS: As part of a multicentre study, use and costs of health and social services were examined for a sample of 550 employees with mental health problems. Service use was recorded using the German version of the Client Sociodemographic Service Receipt Inventory (CSSRI). Costs were calculated for six months. A generalized linear regression model was used to examine influencing cost factors. RESULTS: At the start of the study, the average total costs for the past six months in the sample were €â€¯5227.12 per person (standard deviation €â€¯7704.21). The regression model indicates significant associations between increasing costs with increasing age and for people with depression, behavioural syndromes with physiological symptoms, and other diagnoses. DISCUSSION: The calculated costs were similar in comparison to clinical samples. It should be further examined in longitudinal studies whether this result changes through specific interventions.

Geographic Penetration of Private Equity Ownership in Outpatient and Residential Behavioral Health.

This cross-sectional study estimates the geographic penetration of private equity­owned outpatient mental health and substance use disorder practices across the US.

The blind spots of psychiatric reform in Greece.

According to international experience, the conditions for the successful outcome of a psychiatric reform are the following: (a) Existence of political will (supporting a national plan with assessment, monitoring, and corrective intervention procedures for structural dysfunctions, etc.). (b) Strong mental health leadership (executive expertise and skills that advance the public health agenda). (c) Challenging the dominance of the biomedical model in therapeutic practice through the promotion of holistic care practices, evidence-based innovative actions, collaborative care, the promotion of recovery culture, and the and the use of innovative digital tools. (d) Ensuring necessary resources over time, so that resources from the transition of the asylum model to a model of sectorial community mental health services "follow" the patient. (e) Strengthening the participation of service recipients and their families in decision-making processes and evaluation of care quality. (f) Practices based on ethical principles (value-based practice) and not only on the always necessary documentation (evidence-based practice).1- 4 Convergent evidence from the "ex post" evaluation of the implementation of the national plan Psychargos 2000-20095 and from the recent rapid assessment of the psychiatric reform by the Ministry of Health and the WHO Athens office (SWOT analysis)6 indicates "serious fragmentation of services, an uncoordinated system that often results in inappropriate service provision, a lack of epidemiological studies and studies concerning the local needs of specific populations, uneven development of services between different regions of the country, a large number of specialized professionals with significant deficits in community psychiatry expertise, a lack of personnel in supportive roles, significant gaps in specialized services (for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, eating disorders, old and new addictions, and community forensic psychiatry services)". We would also like to highlight lack of coordination and collaboration among different mental health service systems (public primary and secondary service providers, NGOs, municipal services, mental health services of the armed forces, private sector), complete absence of systematic evaluation and monitoring (lack of quality of care indicators, clinical outcomes, epidemiological profile of each service), lack of quality assurance mechanisms and clinical management systems, insufficient number of beds mainly for acute cases, unclear protocols for discharge issuance and ensuring continuity of care, deficient budget for Mental Health in relation to the overall healthcare expenditure (currently 3.3%), and finally, one of the highest rates of involuntary hospitalizations in Europe, which is linked to serious issues concerning the protection of the rights of service users. After the pandemic and the emergence of the silent but expected mental health pandemic, WHO, EU, and the Greek Ministry of Health emphasized the need to adopt a public mental health agenda with an emphasis on community psychiatry in order to address both the old structural dysfunctions and inadequacies of psychiatric reform (regulation 815/1984, Leros I-Leros II plan, Psychargos A & B, incomplete implementation of laws 2071/1992 & 2716/1999, incomplete deinstitutionalization of the remaining psychiatric hospitals). However, it is time to reflect that it is not possible to talk today about the need to update and implement a new national plan to upgrade mental health in the country without answering basic questions, both old and new, about the wider context of its implementation. The transformation of the deficient psychiatric care in the country cannot be completed without the urgent restructuring of the National Health System7 and the reform of the Greek welfare state itself, which is also characterized by irrationality, inequalities, bureaucratic inefficiency, and fragmentation.8 As we should have learned from the bankruptcy and the prolonged economic, social, and cultural crisis in our country, reforms usually pay off in the long term, while the time horizon of the applied policies is narrow and usually reaching the next election. The fact is that in any reform effort, including psychiatry, the political system does not demonstrate the ability to promote transparency, evaluation, stable rules of regulation, reference to a universally applicable legal and institutional framework, the limitation of clientelism and guild resistances. From this point of view, it is necessary to give meaning in the context of Greek psychiatric reform to the professional burnout of the National Health System workers, the lack of motivation and vision, the intrusion into the NGO space by new entities without any connection to the culture of psychiatry reform, the guild resistances of all relevant specialties, the selective use of psychotherapeutic techniques, as trends of discrediting the relief of social and psychological suffering in the field of public mental health. There is an urgent need to understand new pathologies (narcissistic disorders, new forms of addiction, eating disorders, "pathology of emptiness", adolescent delinquency and suicide, psychosomatic manifestations due to high stress, pathology of fluid social ties, deficient socialization of young people "outside of their algorithms") through a solid and coherent analysis of the toxic postmodernity culture. In addition to the social determinants of mental health,9 it is necessary in clinical work to also assess the psychological factors, such as uncertainty, conflict, loss of control, and incomplete information, that burden human health.10 In order to reduce the gap between declarations and real life, there is an urgent need to overcome the blind spots of psychiatric reform in the country by establishing internal and external evaluation processes, training young professionals in holistic care and community networking and communication skills, retraining leaders for organizational change, and strengthening the participation of service users in the context of deepening democracy in mental health. As mental health professionals, the object of our work in the community should be the reconstruction of meaning and the fragile or non-existent social bond in subjects who have been cut off from any possible production of meaning and participation in their history. Why should our therapeutic responses be stereotypically repetitive in the face of these complex, radical changes in the meta-context and the new demands of our patients? After all, as the philosopher Ernst Bloch puts it, utopia is "that which does not exist yet.".

Rapid-Access Focused Treatment: Clinical Considerations for Brief Psychotherapy in Outpatient Psychiatry.

Demand for mental health treatment surged after the COVID-19 pandemic intensified existing issues of limited access to care and long wait times. Programs that deliver high-quality treatment in a brief format are appealing in that they could reduce wait times for care and increase the number of patients served. The Rapid-Access Focused Treatment (RAFT) program was developed with the overarching goals of delivering brief, evidence-informed interventions in a timely and patient-centered manner, reducing wait times, and improving access to psychiatric specialty services. In this article, the authors describe the pilot implementation of the RAFT program in an outpatient psychiatry clinic, provide guidelines for identification of appropriate patients, and discuss lessons learned from two case examples that illustrate variations in the trajectory of brief treatment. Recommendations for the effective implementation of brief therapy models in an outpatient setting are provided.

Practical challenges for mental health services among Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh.

Rohingya Muslims have been forcefully displaced from their mother land, Rakhaine State, Myanmar to Bangladesh, a country with about 170 million population with a treatment gap of more than 90% for standard mental health care. Due to the experienced trauma and displacement, high prevalence of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic tress disorders has been identified among Rohingya refugees in addition to the enduring mental health burden of Bangladesh. Very little has been known regarding the practical challenges of mental health services among Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. In this commentary, we aimed to highlight the practical challenges for mental health services in Rohingya camps in Bangladesh along with our speculative ways forward based on available evidence, work experience, and informal communications. We highlighted the available mental health services, several major challenges including awareness, perception and belief towards mental health, language and cultural barriers, dearth of skilled service providers, inadequate services for severe mental illness, dearth of mental health services for children, inadequate provision of supervision and 'Care for Caregivers' program, and privacy and confidentiality of the clients. Although significant improvements have been made in the mental health field in the emergency crisis sector in Cox's Bazar over the past years, concentrated efforts are urgently required to actualize proposed solutions in this paper.

Evaluation of the Implementation of the FLOW Program for Increasing Access to Mental Health Care.

The FLOW program was designed to facilitate appropriate and safe transitions of patients from specialty mental health (SMH) to primary care (PC) as a method of improving access and reducing appointment burden on veterans who have improved or remitted. In this study, the team evaluated the implementation of FLOW across nine Veterans Affairs (VA) sites using a mixed-methods evaluation in a cluster-randomized stepped wedge trial design. Outcome assessments used data from VA databases, dashboards, and semi-structured interviews and were guided by the Reach, Adoption, Effectiveness, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. Across the sites, mean level reach was 1.36% of all specialty mental health patients transitioned to primary care (standard deviation [SD] = 1.05). Mean provider adoption was 10.2% (SD = 8.3%). Approximately 75% of veterans were fully satisfied with their transition and reported shared decision-making in the decision to transition. Rates of transitions did not decrease over the 6-month maintenance period following implementation. These data suggest that FLOW can be successfully implemented and maintained, although there was wide variation in implementation across sites. Future research should examine how to support sites that struggle with implementation.

Mental health disparities of sexual minority refugees and asylum seekers: Provider perspectives on trauma exposure, symptom presentation, and treatment approach.

Refugees and asylum seekers who identify as sexual minorities and/or who have been persecuted for same-sex acts maneuver through multiple oppressive systems at all stages of migration. Sexual minority refugees and asylum seekers (SM RAS) report experiencing a greater number of persecutory experiences and worse mental health symptoms than refugees and asylum seekers persecuted for reasons other than their sexual orientation (non-SM RAS). SM RAS are growing in numbers, report a need and desire for mental health treatment, and are often referred to therapy during the asylum process. However, little research has been conducted on the treatment needs of SM RAS in therapy or the strategies therapists use to address these needs. This study sought to identify these factors through qualitative interviews with providers at a specialty refugee mental health clinic (N = 11), who had experience treating both SM RAS and non-SM RAS. Interviews were transcribed and coded for themes of similarities and differences between SM RAS and non-SM RAS observed during treatment and factors that could be leveraged to reduce mental health disparities between SM RAS and non-SM RAS. Clinicians reported that compared to the non-SM RAS, SM RAS reported greater childhood trauma exposure, increased isolation, decreased support, identity-related shame, difficulty trusting others, and continued discrimination due to their SM identitiy. Suggested adaptations included reducing isolation, preparing for ongoing identity-based challenges, creating safe spaces to express SM identity, and a slower treatment pace. Providers reported benefits and drawbacks to centering the client's SM identity in treatment and encouraging community involvement for SM RAS, and noted additional training in cultural awareness would be beneficial. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

[Incapacity to work due to mental disorders-economic, individual, and treatment-specific aspects]. / Arbeitsunfähigkeit bei psychischen Störungen ­ ökonomische, individuelle und behandlungsspezifische Aspekte.

The changes in the modern work environment are accompanied by specific stressors that can have a negative impact on employees' mental health. In line with this, the proportion of sick-leave days due to mental disorders has recently risen to 17.7% compared to 10.9% in 2007, which in 2021 was associated with costs of 42.9 billion euros due to losses of gross value and productivity.Based on current health economic studies, this review provides an overview of the economic impact of incapacity to work and early retirement due to various mental disorders in Germany. In absolute figures, expenditure on incapacity to work is particularly high for common mental illnesses such as affective and anxiety disorders. Rarer mental disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and eating disorders cause high costs in relation to their low prevalence, particularly due to sickness benefit payments.In addition to these economic implications, the consequences of incapacity to work, early retirement, and unemployment are examined at an individual level and explanatory approaches for the specific psychosocial stresses are presented. The latter highlights the need for scientifically substantiated treatment methods. Certified treatments have proven to be efficient in reducing the number of sick-leave days, particularly for common mental disorders. This applies even more to workplace-related interventions, which appear to be superior to conventional methods in this respect. Workplace-based therapies incorporate work-related models and focus on the planning of reintegration into the workplace. Further naturalistic studies are needed to test the transferability of the effectiveness of these treatments to other disorders.