Inequality on the frontline: A multi-country study on gender differences in mental health among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) were at increased risk for mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, with prior data suggesting women may be particularly vulnerable. Our global mental health study aimed to examine factors associated with gender differences in psychological distress and depressive symptoms among HCWs during COVID-19. Across 22 countries in South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, 32,410 HCWs participated in the COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) study between March 2020 and February 2021. They completed the General Health Questionnaire-12, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and questions about pandemic-relevant exposures. Consistently across countries, women reported elevated mental health problems compared to men. Women also reported increased COVID-19-relevant stressors, including insufficient personal protective equipment and less support from colleagues, while men reported increased contact with COVID-19 patients. At the country level, HCWs in countries with higher gender inequality reported less mental health problems. Higher COVID-19 mortality rates were associated with increased psychological distress merely among women. Our findings suggest that among HCWs, women may have been disproportionately exposed to COVID-19-relevant stressors at the individual and country level. This highlights the importance of considering gender in emergency response efforts to safeguard women's well-being and ensure healthcare system preparedness during future public health crises.

Comprehensive rehabilitation and job reintegration of people with severe mental illness in a Latin American country: REINTEGRA study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Despite the increasing use of comprehensive rehabilitation models for people with severe mental illness (SMI), there are still limitations to their implementation and replicability in a consensual way, particularly in Latin American countries. The REINTEGRA program aims to be a standardized model of comprehensive rehabilitation focused on psychosocial and cognitive improvement through a set of interventions on different areas of people's functionality, with the goal of reintegrating people with SMI into the labour market. In this paper we summarize the protocol for its subsequent implementation in a mental health institution in Mexico. METHOD: The protocol is based on a quasi-experimental, prospective longitudinal study, with a pragmatic or naturalistic control group. It will be carried out in three phases. Phase 1 consists of a series of interventions focused on psychosocial improvement; Phase 2 focuses on cognitive and behavioral improvement treatments; and Phase 3 targets psychosocial recovery through rehabilitation and reintegration into the labour market. The overall procedure will be monitored with standarized evaluations at different stages of the program. DISCUSSION: This study presents a model of integral rehabilitation of people with SMI. At the moment, one of the obstacles to overcome is the organization and procedural control of the different actors needed for its implementation (nurses, psychologists, doctors, companies, institutions, etc.). REINTEGRA will be the first comprehensive rehabilitation model that includes systematized procedures for job reinsertion for people with SMI in Mexico, which aims to be a standardized tool of easy adaptation and the replicability for other mental health centers and institutions.

Resilience and risk factors associated to depressive symptoms in Mexican healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Report the prevalence of depression, resilience, and risk factors among healthcare workers (HCW) during Co-vid-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is an observational cross-sectional study derived from the ongoing international, prospective multicentric study "The COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrk-Ers Study" (HEROES). A convenience sample of 2 127 HCW was obtained from Chiapas and Jalisco between May 19th and July 24th 2020. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire, resilience with the Brief Resilience Scale and a Covid risk scale was developed. Model-adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) and an additive interaction model were performed. RESULTS: Moderate-severe depression was found in 16.6% of HCW. Those from Jalisco, physicians, in hospitals, with chronic illness and mental health history were more depressed. The interaction between resilience and risk showed that, compared to those with no risk and medium/high resilience, HCW at risk with medium/high resilience had a 2.38 PR for depression while those at risk and low resilience had a PR of 5.83. CONCLUSION: This evidence points the need to develop strategies to enhance resilience and reduce the risk in HCW.

Global mental health research and practice: a decolonial approach.

The global health movement is having a paradigm crisis-a period characterised by a questioning of one's values, goals, and sense of identity. Despite important advances in population health worldwide, global health and global mental health often produce and reproduce power imbalances and patterns of oppression and exploitation that perpetuate the current modern world system (ie, Eurocentric, capitalist, and patriarchal) and its entangled global hierarchies (eg, gender, economic, epistemic, and linguistic). A consensus is emerging to decolonise global mental health, but it is not clear how to move from rhetoric to action. In this Personal View, we aim to share our experiences and the practices developed in the context of the COVID-19 health care workers (HEROES) Study. To do so, we present our HEROES decolonial team approach, which comprises three underlying principles: epistemic justice, pragmatic solidarity, and sovereign acts. We have developed decolonial team practices such as co-creating communication spaces to foster horizontal and equitable dialogue, locating and managing the study database in Chile, and ensuring local teams' rights and access to the data without barriers.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of healthcare workers: study protocol for the COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) study.

BACKGROUND: Preliminary country-specific reports suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has a negative impact on the mental health of the healthcare workforce. In this paper, we summarize the protocol of the COVID-19 HEalth caRe wOrkErS (HEROES) study, an ongoing, global initiative, aimed to describe and track longitudinal trajectories of mental health symptoms and disorders among health care workers at different phases of the pandemic across a wide range of countries in Latin America, Europe, Africa, Middle-East, and Asia. METHODS: Participants from various settings, including primary care clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and mental health facilities, are being enrolled. In 26 countries, we are using a similar study design with harmonized measures to capture data on COVID-19 related exposures and variables of interest during two years of follow-up. Exposures include potential stressors related to working in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as sociodemographic and clinical factors. Primary outcomes of interest include mental health variables such as psychological distress, depressive symptoms, and posttraumatic stress disorders. Other domains of interest include potentially mediating or moderating influences such as workplace conditions, trust in the government, and the country's income level. RESULTS: As of August 2021, ~ 34,000 health workers have been recruited. A general characterization of the recruited samples by sociodemographic and workplace variables is presented. Most participating countries have identified several health facilities where they can identify denominators and attain acceptable response rates. Of the 26 countries, 22 are collecting data and 2 plan to start shortly. CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the most extensive global studies on the mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a variety of countries with diverse economic realities and different levels of severity of pandemic and management. Moreover, unlike most previous studies, we included workers (clinical and non-clinical staff) in a wide range of settings.

Collaborative care for depression and suicide prevention: a feasible intervention within the Mexican health system.

Mexico faces an enormous challenge in attending mental health disorders with depression rising as one of the five main contributors to disability adjusted life years (DALYs) and increasing suicide rates. These challenges are coupled with a dearth of resources and an inefficient allocation of the meager funds. While no magical bullet is available to ameliorate this situation in the short term, here we discuss current concepts and experiences that could be used in Mexico to deliver better primary mental health care. We focus on depression and suicidal behavior and argue that collaborative care is a feasible and replicable model, emphasizing the importance of training non-specialized primary care personnel to become case managers and provide primary mental health care. Mexi-co is currently undergoing a process of changes, including the emergence of universal health care. The time seems right to make mental health care more transversal, widely available and scientifically proven.

Community mental health care in Mexico: a regional perspective from a mid-income country.

BACKGROUND: Access to mental health care is a worldwide public health challenge. In Mexico, an unacceptably high percentage of the population with mental disorders does not receive the necessary treatment, which is mainly due to the lack of access to mental health care. The community mental health care model was created and has been implemented to improve this situation. In order to properly plan and implement this model a precise situational diagnosis of the mental health care network is required, thus this is a first approach to evaluate the community mental health networks in the state of Jalisco. METHODS: Two components from the EvaRedCom-TMS instrument were used including a general description and accessibility of the community mental health care network. A geographic and economic accessibility evaluation was carried out for the different regions of the state ranging from scattered rural to urban communities using information gathered from health institutions, telephone interviews and computer applications. RESULTS: Jalisco's community mental health network includes a total of 31 centers and 0.64 mental health workers for every 10,000 inhabitants > 15 years of age. The mean transportation cost required to access mental health care was 16.25 USD per visit. The time needed to reach the closest mental health center in 7 of the 13 analyzed regions was more than 30 min and the mean time required to reach a prolonged stay center was 172.7 min with transportation cost (taxi, private and public transport) of 22.3 USD. Some marginalized regions in the state have a mean 114 min required to reach the closest mental health care center and 386 min to reach a prolonged stay center. CONCLUSIONS: This first approach to evaluate the mental health networks in Mexico showed that there are multiple barriers to access its care including an unfavorable number of human resources, long distances, and high costs. The identification of Jalisco's mental health network deficiencies is the first step towards establishing a properly planned community mental health care model within the country.

Atención colaborativa para depresión y prevención de suicidio: una intervención viable en el sistema de salud mexicano / Collaborative care for depression and suicide prevention: a feasible intervention within the Mexican health system

Resumen: México enfrenta un enorme desafío para atender los trastornos mentales, con la depresión como uno de los principales contribuyentes a los años de vida ajustados por discapacidad (AVAD) y el aumento de las tasas de suicidio. Estos desafíos se combinan con la escasez de recursos y asignación ineficiente de fondos. Si bien no hay una solución mágica a corto plazo, discutimos experiencias actuales que podrían usarse para brindar una mejor atención primaria en salud mental. Nos centramos en depresión y conducta suicida argumentando que la atención colaborativa es un modelo factible y replicable, enfatizando la capacitación del personal no especializado para que se convierta en administrador de casos y brinde atención primaria en salud mental. México está experimentando un proceso de cambios, incluido el surgimiento de la atención médica universal, por lo que es el momento para que la atención en salud mental sea más transversal, disponible y científicamente probada.

Abstract: Mexico faces an enormous challenge in attending mental health disorders with depression rising as one of the five main contributors to disability adjusted life years (DALYs) and increasing suicide rates. These challenges are coupled with a dearth of resources and an inefficient allocation of the meager funds. While no magical bullet is available to ameliorate this situation in the short term, here we discuss current concepts and experiences that could be used in Mexico to deliver better primary mental health care. We focus on depression and suicidal behavior and argue that collaborative care is a feasible and replicable model, emphasizing the importance of training non-specialized primary care personnel to become case managers and provide primary mental health care. Mexico is currently undergoing a process of changes, including the emergence of universal health care. The time seems right to make mental health care more transversal, widely available and scientifically proven.

Psychometric properties of the SV-RES Resilience Scale in Mexican women with breast cancer / Propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Resiliencia SV-RES en mujeres mexicanas con cáncer de mama

Abstract Introduction Resilience is an adaptation resource for coping with adversity or high risk, in this case, breast cancer diagnosis. The SV-RES Resilience Scale, created in Chile, is a valid, reliable measure for evaluating healthy behaviors in adversity and could be useful for evaluating resources available to women with breast cancer diagnosis in Mexico. Objective To obtain the psychometric properties of the SV-RES Resilience Scale in Mexican women with breast cancer. Method 114 women with breast cancer attending a cancer care center were included. They answered the self-administered SV-RES Resilience Scale comprising three resources: "I am," "I have," and "I can." The dimensions of the scale were identified through an exploratory factor analysis. Results The scale presented overall internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of .974), with seven dimensions (identity, satisfaction, links, networks, internal strength, self-efficacy, and affectivity/reciprocity) that accounted for 72.75% of the variance. Discussion and conclusion The SV-RES scale is a valid, reliable measure for assessing resilience in Mexican women with breast cancer. Since it is a short, self-administered, and reliable instrument, it is useful for clinical practice and research in similar populations to identify the resources people have for coping with their medical conditions.

Resumen Introducción La resiliencia es un recurso con que cuentan las personas para afrontar situaciones de adversidad o de alto riesgo en su salud, en este caso, el diagnóstico de cáncer de mama. La Escala de Resiliencia SV-RES fue creada en Chile y constituye una medición válida y confiable para evaluar las conductas saludables en condiciones de adversidad y podría ser útil para evaluar los recursos con que cuentan las mujeres mexicanas con diagnóstico de cáncer de mama. Objetivo Obtener las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Resiliencia SV-RES en mujeres mexicanas con cáncer de mama. Método Participaron 114 mujeres con cáncer de mama que acudieron a un centro especializado en atención oncológica, quienes respondieron la Escala Autoaplicable de Resiliencia SV-RES, que consta de tres recursos "Yo soy / Yo estoy"; "Yo tengo" y "Yo puedo". Las dimensiones de la escala fueron identificadas por medio de un análisis factorial exploratorio. Resultados La escala presentó una consistencia global interna (alpha de Cronbach de .974), cuyas siete dimensiones (identidad, satisfacción, vínculos, redes, fortaleza interna, autoeficacia y afectividad/reciprocidad) explicaron en conjunto el 72.75% de la varianza. Discusión y conclusión La escala SV-RES es una medida válida y confiable para evaluar la resiliencia en mujeres con cáncer de mama. Al ser un instrumento breve, autoaplicable y confiable, constituye un instrumento útil para su aplicación en la práctica clínica y en la investigación en poblaciones similares, con el fin de identificar los recursos con que cuenta la población para enfrentar sus padecimientos.

Effectiveness of augmented Individual Placement and Support interventions for competitive employment in people with schizophrenia: Systematic review and meta-analysis / Revisión sistemática y metaanálisis de la efectividad de intervenciones aumentadas de IPS para la obtención de empleo competitivo en personas con esquizofrenia

Abstract: Background: It has been estimated that over 70% of people living with a diagnosis of schizophrenia wish to work. The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model has proven to be highly effective in enhancing competitive employment in people with schizophrenia. However, the efficacy of augmented IPS interventions, in other words, those that incorporate a psychosocial intervention into the model, has not been evaluated in this population. Objective: To assess the efficacy of augmented IPS interventions designed to obtain competitive employment in people with schizophrenia. Method: A systematic review of the literature on randomized clinical trials of augmented IPS interventions, published in English between 2007 and 2017, was conducted in the electronic databases of PubMed, Science Direct, and EBSCO. Risk of bias and competitive employment rates were calculated. A meta-analysis was performed using the random effects method to estimate the effect of augmented IPS interventions. Results: Twelve articles were identified in which 10 augmented IPS interventions were compared with other interventions. In eight studies conducted on people with schizophrenia, the intervention was based on IPS + social skills/work skills/cognitive remediation vs. IPS or modified IPS. No general effect favoring augmented interventions (RR = 1.37, 95% CI [.97, 1.95], I2 = 52%) was found. Augmented IPS interventions tend to be more effective when they are implemented during the first psychotic episode. Discussion and conclusion: It is not possible to conclude that augmented IPS interventions have a significant effect over standard IPS interventions in obtaining competitive employment in people with schizophrenia.

Resumen: Antecedentes: Se ha estimado que más del 70% de las personas que viven con diagnóstico de esquizofrenia desean trabajar. El modelo Individual Placement and Support (IPS) ha mostrado efectividad para que las personas con esquizofrenia consigan un empleo competitivo. Sin embargo, en esta población no se ha evaluado la eficacia de las intervenciones aumentadas de IPS -es decir, aquellas que añaden al modelo una intervención psicosocial. Objetivo: Evaluar la eficacia de las intervenciones aumentadas de IPS dirigidas a la obtención de empleo competitivo en personas con esquizofrenia. Método: Se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura de ensayos clínicos aleatorizados sobre intervenciones aumentadas de IPS publicados en inglés entre 2007 y 2017, en las bases de datos electrónicas de PubMed, Science Direct y EBSCO. Se calcularon el riesgo de sesgo y las tasas de empleo competitivo. Se realizó un metaanálisis mediante el método de efectos aleatorios para estimar el efecto de las intervenciones aumentadas de IPS. Resultados: Se identificaron 12 artículos en los que se comparaban 10 intervenciones aumentadas de IPS con alguna otra intervención. En ocho estudios realizados en personas con esquizofrenia, la intervención se basó en IPS + habilidades sociales/habilidades laborales/remediación cognitiva vs. IPS o IPS modificadas, sin que se encontrara un efecto general en favor de las intervenciones aumentadas (RR = 1.37, 95% IC [.97, 1.95], I2 = 52%). Las intervenciones aumentadas de IPS tienden a ser más efectivas cuando se llevan a cabo en el primer episodio psicótico. Discusión y conclusión: No se puede concluir que las intervenciones aumentadas de IPS tengan un mayor efecto sobre las intervenciones estándar de IPS para la obtención de empleo competitivo en personas con esquizofrenia.