Development of mental health first-aid guidelines for a person after a potentially traumatic event: A Delphi expert consensus study in Argentina and Chile.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to potentially traumatic events increases the risk of a person developing a mental disorder. Training community members to offer support to a person during and after a traumatic situation may help lower this risk. This study reports on the cultural adaptation of Australian mental health first aid guidelines for individuals exposed to a potentially traumatic event to the Chilean and Argentinian context. METHODS: A Delphi expert consensus study was conducted with two panels of experts, one of people with lived experience of trauma (either their own or as a carer; n = 26) and another one of health professionals (n = 41). A total of 158 items, drawn from guidelines developed by Australian experts in 2019, were translated to Spanish and evaluated in a two-round survey process. The panellists were asked to rate each item on a five-point Likert scale; statements were included in the final guidelines if 80% of both panels endorsed the item as "essential" or "important". RESULTS: Consensus was achieved on 142 statements over two survey rounds. A total of 102 statements were included from the English-language guidelines, and 40 locally generated statements were accepted in the second round. Local experts endorsed a larger number of items compared to their counterparts in Australia and emphasised the importance of acknowledging the first aider's limitations, both personally and as part of their helping role. Additional items about working as a team with other first responders and considering helping the person's significant others were endorsed by the local panellists. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed a high level of acceptance of the original actions suggested for inclusion in the guidelines for Australia, but also a significant number of new statements that highlight the importance of the adaptation process. Further research on the dissemination of these guidelines into a Mental Health First Aid training course for Chile and Argentina is still required.

Development of mental health first-aid guidelines for psychosis: a Delphi expert consensus study in Argentina and Chile.

BACKGROUND: Psychotic symptoms may be less common than anxiety or affective symptoms, but they are still frequent and typically highly debilitating. Community members can have a role in helping to identify, offer initial help and facilitate access to mental health services of individuals experiencing psychosis. Mental health first aid guidelines for helping a person experiencing psychosis have been developed for the global north. This study aimed to adapt the English- language guidelines for Chile and Argentina. METHODS: A Delphi expert consensus study was conducted with two panels of experts, one of people with lived experience of psychosis (either their own or as a carer; n = 29) and another one of health professionals (n = 29). Overall, 249 survey items from the original English guidelines and 26 items suggested by the local team formed a total of 275 that were evaluated in the first round. Participants were invited to rate how essential or important those statements were for Chile and Argentina, and encouraged to suggest new statements if necessary. These were presented in a second round. Items with 80% of endorsement by both panels were included in the guidelines for Chile and Argentina. RESULTS: Data were obtained over two survey rounds. Consensus was achieved on 244 statements, including 26 statements locally generated for the second round. Almost 20% of the English statements were not endorsed (n = 50), showing the applicability of the original guidelines but also the importance of culturally adapting them. Attributions and tasks expected to be delivered by first aiders were shrunk in favour of a greater involvement of mental health professionals. Self-help strategies were mostly not endorsed and as were items relating to respecting the person's autonomy. CONCLUSIONS: While panellists agreed that first aiders should be aware of human rights principles, items based on recovery principles were only partially endorsed. Further research on the dissemination of these guidelines and development of a Mental Health First Aid training course for Chile and Argentina is still required.

Development of mental health first-aid guidelines for depression: a Delphi expert consensus study in Argentina and Chile.

BACKGROUND: Depression is one of the most common mental health problems worldwide and, while prevalence rates in Latin America are relatively high, most people who meet the criteria for diagnosis do not receive treatment. Family and friends of a person with depression can play an important role in supporting a person to seek and engage with treatment. However, many people do not have the necessary skills or confidence to help. English-language mental health first aid guidelines have been developed to support people to provide such help. The aim of this study was to culturally adapt these guidelines for Chile and Argentina. METHODS: A Delphi expert consensus study was conducted with two expert panels, one of people with lived experience of depression (either their own or as a carer; n = 26) and one of health professionals (n = 29). Overall, 172 statements from the English-language guidelines were translated and compiled into a questionnaire. Participants were asked to rate statements based on how essential or important those statements were for Chile and Argentina and to suggest new statements if necessary. RESULTS: Data were obtained over two survey rounds. Consensus was achieved on 172 statements. A total of 137 statements were adopted from the English-language guidelines, whereas 35 new endorsed statements were generated from panel suggestions. There were similarities between the English-language guidelines and those for Chile and Argentina. The adapted guidelines did not include some of the items from the English-language guidelines related to commenting on a person's strengths or making judgements about their character, and also incorporated new items related to the incorporation of sociocultural considerations as causes of depression and attention to inequities in mental health. CONCLUSIONS: The significant number of new items underscores the importance of undertaking a careful process of cultural adaptation. Further research on dissemination and incorporation of the guidelines into the Mental Health First Aid training course for Chile and Argentina is still required.

Development of mental health first-aid guidelines for suicide risk: a Delphi expert consensus study in Argentina and Chile.

BACKGROUND: Suicide continues to pose a significant global public health challenge and ranks as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Given the prevalence of suicide risk in the community, there is a significant likelihood of encountering individuals who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts or plans, creating an opening for non-health professionals to offer support. This study aims to culturally adapt the original Australian Mental Health First Aid Guidelines for suicide risk to the Chilean and Argentine context. METHODS: A two-round Delphi expert consensus study was conducted involving two panels, one comprising individuals with personal experience in suicide thoughts/attempts or caregiving for those with such experiences (n = 18), and the other consisting of professionals specialized in suicide assessment and support for individuals at risk (n = 25). They rated a total of 179 items mainly derived from guidelines developed by Australian experts and translated into Spanish (168), and new items included by the research team (11). The panel members were requested to assess each item utilizing a five-point Likert scale. During the second round, items that received moderate approval in the initial round were re-evaluated, and new items suggested by the local experts in the first round were also subjected to evaluation in the next round. Inclusion in the final guidelines required an 80% endorsement as "essential" or "important" from both panels. RESULTS: Consensus of approval was reached for 189 statements. Among these, 139 statements were derived from the English-language guidelines, while 50 locally generated statements were accepted during the second round. A significant difference from the original guideline was identified concerning the local experts' reluctance to discuss actions collaboratively with adolescents. Furthermore, the local experts proposed the inclusion of an entirely new section addressing suicide risk in older individuals, particularly focusing on suicide methods and warning signs. CONCLUSIONS: A Delphi expert consensus study was conducted to culturally adapt mental health first aid guidelines for assessing suicide risk in Chile and Argentina. This study involved professionals and individuals with lived experience. While many items were endorsed, some related to inquiring about suicide risk and autonomy, particularly for adolescents, were not. An additional section for older individuals was introduced. Future research should explore the implementation and impact of these adapted guidelines in training courses. This is vital for enhancing mental health support and implementing effective suicide prevention strategies in Chile and Argentina.

Meanings and practices about work of women discharged from a psychiatric hospital of Buenos Aires province, Argentina / Significaciones y prácticas en torno al trabajo de mujeres externadas de un hospital neuropsiquiátrico de la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Introduction: Work is central to the social inclusion of people who have had long-term psychiatric hospitalizations. In the context of the mental health care reform in Argentina, it is important to produce local knowledge about work inclusion of people discharged from psychiatric hospitals. The objective of this study was to describe the meanings and practices of women who had long-term psychiatric hospitalizations at the José A. Estéves Hospital in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, regarding their inclusion in the labor market, once they return to live in the community. Methods and Materials: Descriptive mixed-methods study. The case of the Assisted Discharge and Rehabilitation Program of José A. Estéves Hospital, which accompanied 69 women in the year 2018, was analyzed. For quantitative analysis the data of the 69 women was analyzed, and for qualitative analysis a sample of nine women were interviewed. Results: 74% of women did some work after their discharge, although at the moment of the study only 33% were working. The jobs they carried out corresponded to elementary and low-competence occupational levels, mostly in a supported work program. After the psychiatric hospitalization, jobs obtained were less qualified, more informal and less exposed to the public than those held before the hospitalization. Discussion and Conclusionss: Prolonged psychiatric hospitalization is a significant break in people's work trajectories. Despite the value of work experiences after having a psychiatric hospitalization, those experiences mainly correspond to the informal sector of the economy.

Introducción: El trabajo es central para la inclusión social de personas que tuvieron internaciones psiquiátricas prolongadas. Por ello es necesario generar conocimientos locales sobre estos procesos en personas que han sido externadas, como parte de la reforma de la atención en salud mental en Argentina. Así, el objetivo de este estudio fue describir las significaciones y las prácticas de mujeres que tuvieron internaciones psiquiátricas prolongadas en el Hospital "José A. Estéves" de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, acerca de su inclusión en el mercado laboral, a partir de su externación. Materiales y métodos: Estudio descriptivo de  tipo mixto, tomando como caso al grupo de mujeres que eran acompañadas por el Programa de Rehabilitación y Externación Asistida del Hospital "José A. Estéves", en el año 2018. Se analizaron datos cuantitativos de todo el grupo (n=69) y se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas con nueve señoras. Resultados: El 74% de las mujeres realizó algún trabajo desde su externación, aunque al momento del estudio, solo el 33% lo hacía. Los trabajos que desarrollaban correspondían a niveles ocupacionales elementales o de bajo nivel de competencia, mayoritariamente en un programa asistido de trabajo. Después de la internación, los trabajos obtenidos fueron menos calificados, más informales y menos expuestos al público que los desempeñados antes de la internación. Discusión y resultados: La internación psiquiátrica prolongada constituye un corte significativo en la trayectoria laboral de las personas. Pese al valor de las experiencias laborales de quienes logran conseguir un trabajo tras la internación, tales experiencias no implican, mayoritariamente, avances sobre el mercado formal.

Development of mental health first aid guidelines for problem drinking: a Delphi expert consensus study in Argentina and Chile.

BACKGROUND: Among all psychoactive substances, alcohol consumption presents the most significant public health problem and is a leading risk factor for overall disease burden in Latin America. However, most people who meet criteria for a substance use disorder do not receive treatment in primary or secondary care sources. Community members can play a role in helping people to seek help as they are likely to encounter people experiencing problem drinking and recognize the signs. However, many do not have adequate mental health first aid knowledge or skills to provide help. We aimed to culturally adapt the existing English-language mental health first aid guidelines for helping someone with problem drinking for Argentina and Chile. METHODS: The Delphi consensus method was used to determine the importance of helping actions translated from the English-language guidelines and to add new actions suggested by expert panellists. The importance of each statement was rated by two expert panels. Panel one included people with lived experience (either their own or as a support person, n = 23) recruited in Argentina and panel two included health professionals (n = 31) recruited in Argentina and Chile. RESULTS: Overall, 165 helping actions were endorsed by panellists across two consecutive survey rounds. Endorsed items included 132 of the 182 items translated into Spanish from the English-language guidelines and 33 of the 61 new items generated from panellists' comments in the first survey round. CONCLUSIONS: While there were some similarities in recommended helping actions between English-speaking countries, and Argentina and Chile, key differences were seen in attitudes to low-risk drinking. While there was a relatively high level of agreement between health professionals and people with lived experience, some divergence of opinion was seen, particularly in the area of commitment to recovery as a condition for help. Future research should explore the implementation of the guidelines.

[Housing support after long-term psychiatric hospitalization: Resources and strategies in three experiences in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina]. / Los apoyos a la vivienda tras internaciones psiquiátricas prolongadas: recursos y estrategias en tres experiencias de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

INTRODUCTION: Housing is one of the main supports needed to guarantee community life of people who had long-term psychiatric hospitalizations. In Argentina, housing support experiences have been developed for decades, although their systematization is scarce. The objective of this paper is to describe three housing support experiences developed in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, which have continuity over time for more than 20 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Document analysis and interviews with workers from the three experiences were carried out, as part of a broader project on community life and neighborhood relations of people discharged after long-term psychiatric hospitalizations. The material was analyzed qualitatively, using a time dimension and a structure and functioning one which included financing, technical resources, housing devices and support provided. RESULTS: Although the types of support provided are somehow similar between the three experiences, heterogeneity in structure and functioning is observed. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Despite the fact that the human rights framework proposes the provision of flexible and adequate support according to the needs of people, it is worth reflection on whether the reduced systematization of experiences such as those presented is due to the difficulties of the heterogeneity mentioned, or is due to a scarce evaluation culture that obstacles the learning from those experiences.

[Subjective impact of COVID-19 pandemic among mental health service workers in Argentina]. / Impacto subjetivo de la pandemia de COVID-19 en los trabajadores de salud mental de la Argentina.

INTRODUCTION: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health workers has been studied on an international level. However, mental health workers, who are also called upon to address such ailments both in the general population as well as in the health personnel, have not been asked about their experiences. METHODS: Seventy mental health workers in five regions of Argentina were interviewed between May and June 2020 regarding the subjective impact of changes in their work due to the pandemic. The responses were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. RESULTS: The results indicate emotions and experiences associated with a negative impact, in connection to feelings of tiresome, uncertainty, fear, anguish and anxiety and, to a lesser extent, some positive impacts are also described. More than a third of participants mentioned mixed feelings (i.e., being surprised, ambivalent, alert and sensitive). CONCLUSIONS: The personnel who are supposed to support the rest of the health workers are affected and experience having been relegated one more time to other aspects within the health care system. Focusing on learnings, having management roles, counting on colleagues, and agreeing with macro policies could be protective factors against the difficulties associated with the changes in work that the pandemic has imposed.

Day hospital treatment for people with severe mental illness according to users' perspectives: what helps and what hinders recovery?

BACKGROUND: Scarce information is available about how users experience treatment at mental health day hospitals, particularly in South America. AIMS: To explore users' perspectives about elements of day hospital treatment that facilitate or hinder the recovery process in a mental health facility in Buenos Aires, Argentina. METHODS: Semi-structured individual interviews (n = 8) and focus groups (n = 4) were carried out with a convenience sample of users of a mental health day hospital program based on a formulation, testing and redevelopment of propositions approach. Results were analyzed through grounded theory techniques. RESULTS: Categories indicating recovery were: starting to do things, being able to see themselves from a new perspective, mood improvement and changes in interpersonal relationships. Aspects facilitating recovery were: activities organized by the facility, the group approach, the care provided by facility workers and the physical environment. Hindering aspects were: heterogeneity of users in terms of age, severity, diagnosis and being underestimated by staff. CONCLUSIONS: Being active again was considered to be the main recovery indicator in this cultural context and participating in activities led by skilled facilitators was the most beneficial factor of the program according to the users.

[Mental health laws and the psychiatric reform in Latin America: Multiple paths to its implementation]. / Leyes de Salud Mental y reformas psiquiátricas en América Latina: múltiples caminos en su implementación.

This paper describes and analyzes the psychiatric reform process in three Latin American countries (Brazil, Chile and Colombia) based on the Caracas Declaration of 1990. It compares the psychiatric reform processes in these three countries and highlights the role of national mental health laws in these processes. Our goal when investigating the experiences in other countries of Latin America is to draw conclusions for the Argentine psychiatric reform and for the future of such reforms in the region.

Satisfaction with psychiatric in-patient care as rated by patients at discharge from hospitals in 11 countries.

PURPOSE: There is disregard in the scientific literature for the evaluation of psychiatric in-patient care as rated directly by patients. In this context, we aimed to explore satisfaction of people treated in mental health in-patient facilities. The project was a part of the Young Psychiatrist Program by the Association for the Improvement of Mental Health Programmes. METHODS: This is an international multicentre cross-sectional study conducted in 25 hospitals across 11 countries. The research team at each study site approached a consecutive target sample of 30 discharged patients to measure their satisfaction using the five-item study-specific questionnaire. Individual and institution level correlates of 'low satisfaction' were examined by comparisons of binary and multivariate associations in multilevel regression models. RESULTS: A final study sample consisted of 673 participants. Total satisfaction scores were highly skewed towards the upper end of the scale, with a median total score of 44 (interquartile range 38-48) out of 50. After taking clustering into account, the only independent correlates of low satisfaction were schizophrenia diagnosis and low psychiatrist to patient ratio. CONCLUSION: Further studies on patients' satisfaction should additionally pay attention to treatment expectations formed by the previous experience of treatment, service-related knowledge, stigma and patients' disempowerment, and power imbalance.

Social perceptions about community life with people with mental illness: study of a discharge program in Buenos Aires province, Argentina.

Effects of living near people with mental illness in community settings have been researched as part of psychiatric reform evaluation. However, these studies have been carried out mostly in industrialized countries, where social contexts differ from those in which psychiatric reform is now being implemented. To analyze the effects of community life with people with mental illness in the neighborhoods in which they live, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A questionnaire was administered to randomly-selected neighbors of group homes of a discharge program and an equivalent control area (n = 236). Data was analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Significant differences were found between being a neighbor and having a high degree of acceptance toward people with mental illness. In addition, significant associations were found between neighbors having a high-perceived social cohesion and having a high level of acceptance toward the mentally ill. Living near people with mental illness is associated with better acceptance toward them; these results are congruent with those results found in other cultural contexts.

'We see they are abandoned': Social support between people discharged from long-term psychiatric hospitalizations and their neighbors in Argentina.

BACKGROUND: Neighbors are an important component of personal social network (PSN) and despite their peripheral role and being considered as familiar strangers, they typically provide instrumental support. For people who is discharged after long-term psychiatric hospitalizations, neighbors would offer other types of social support and play a different role fostering the process of becoming full member of a given community. AIMS: To analyze the effects of neighboring on both, those who have had long-term psychiatric hospitalizations and their neighbors. METHOD: Data was collected between 2020 and 2021, including interviews with formal care staff of three housing support experiences in Argentina, and short testimonies from formerly discharged mental health service users living in the community and their neighbors. We analyzed the data using the Framework Method with a focus on the different aspects of social support and equity and reciprocity theories. RESULTS: Results suggest that emotional support was a frequent function displayed by neighbors toward people with a history of long-term psychiatric hospitalizations, which differs from typical neighboring relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Despite reciprocity was observed, users and neighbors displayed an unbalanced helping relationship.

[Peers contribution to mental health work: considerations on the relationship between formal and informal help. A case study in a mental health facility in Buenos Aires]. / El aporte de los pares al trabajo en salud mental: consideraciones acerca de las relaciones entre los sistemas formales e informales de ayuda. Relato de una experiencia.

Including peers to the mental health workforce has been part of a larger debate regarding specificity and incumbencies of peers' work, as well as their relationship with other workers. While some members of the workforce are proposing to train peers to have them help in different settings and interventions, others see them as unfair and underprepared competitors trying to replace them. Based on this debate, and from a Collective Health perspective on the concept of "care", this paper supports the idea that, since they put "care" as central to anything done by the mental health workforce, peers could be crucial to practices in Mental Health. An experience that took place in a Day Hospital in Buenos Aires City, conversed within a group dedicated to reflect on peers' support, is analyzed in order to unveil the relationship between peers and professionals, as well as peers' specificity. It is withstand that one of the main contributions of including peers is to help professionals think more about the relational dimension of their work and about the way they treat, call and refer to patients.

'Now you will understand what it is like to be confined': Did COVID-19 lockdowns affect perceptions about long-term psychiatric hospitalizations? A report from Argentina.

BACKGROUND: Lockdowns have been one of the government's primary measures to control COVID-19, especially during the initial waves of the pandemic, but there is concern on the impact of lockdowns on people's mental health. Confinement is still today the reality of many people with severe mental illness in many places of the world. OBJECTIVE: Given that the general population experienced confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, we sought to explore if that affected perceptions about long-term psychiatric hospitalizations. METHODS: About 134 residents from middle-class neighborhoods in urban settings in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, were surveyed. Participants were asked if they felt emotionally affected by the pandemic and lockdown, and about their perceptions of long-term psychiatric hospitalizations. Association between personal emotional impact by the pandemic or lockdown with perceptions about long-term psychiatric hospitalization were analyzed using chi-square test. Qualitative analysis of pandemic and lockdown effects was held. RESULTS: Respondents tended to overlap the emotional effects of the pandemic and the lockdown. Some responses explicitly referred to confinement. No association was observed between emotional impact by the pandemic or lockdown and perceptions about long-term psychiatric hospitalization among the sample. The general population's perceptions of long-term psychiatric hospitalization do not appear to be affected by the first-hand experience of confinement, which suggest persistence of stigma, and the need to reconsider public policies and actions that attempt to impact on it.

[Attitudes of neighbors about the treatment and community life of people with severe mental health disorders in Argentina]. / Actitudes de vecinos acerca del tratamiento y la vida en comunidad de personas con problemáticas severas de salud mental en Argentina.

A psychiatric reform is underway in Latin America and the Caribbean. Specifically in Argentina, a model of community mental health is being built, and prolonged psychiatric hospitalizations are still taking place, especially in neuropsychiatric hospitals. Therefore, it is necessary to closely monitor the psychiatric reform. One of the possible ways to monitor the reform is by analyzing society's attitudes towards prolonged psychiatric hospitalization as a mean of mental health treatment. Thus, an analytical observational study was conducted at the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, in 2021, to analyze the behavior of neighbors of people who had prolonged psychiatric hospitalizations and who received housing support. Questionnaires were applied to neighbors and non-neighbors, addressing the behaviors toward prolonged psychiatric hospitalization as a mean of treatment, social distance toward people who were hospitalized, as well as specific interviews with key informants from neighborhoods where people with severe mental health disorders and who receive housing support live. Based on the answers of neighbors and non-neighbors, no statistically significant differences were identified in behaviors toward prolonged psychiatric hospitalization as a mean of treatment, nor for social distance in relation to people who were hospitalized. Key informants conditioned their assessment of prolonged hospitalization and valued the role of support teams in making community life viable.

La reforma psiquiátrica se encuentra en proceso en la región de América Latina y el Caribe. Específicamente en Argentina, el modelo de salud mental comunitaria está en construcción, siendo aún observable la presencia de internaciones psiquiátricas prolongadas, principalmente en hospitales neuropsiquiátricos. Resulta así necesario monitorear la reforma psiquiátrica, siendo una de las vías para ello el análisis de las actitudes de la sociedad hacia la internación psiquiátrica prolongada como modalidad de atención en salud mental. Así, se realizó un estudio observacional analítico en la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, en el año 2021, en donde se analizaron las actitudes de vecinos de personas que tuvieron internaciones psiquiátricas prolongadas y que recibían apoyos a la vivienda. Se hicieron cuestionarios a vecinos y no vecinos, indagándose por las actitudes hacia la internación psiquiátrica prolongada como modalidad de tratamiento, así como la distancia social hacia personas que tuvieron internaciones psiquiátricas, y también entrevistas a profundidad con informantes clave de barrios en donde habitan personas con problemáticas severas de salud mental y que reciben apoyos a la vivienda. No se identificaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en las actitudes en relación a la internación psiquiátrica prolongada como modalidad de tratamiento de vecinos y no vecinos, ni tampoco respecto a la distancia social hacia personas que tuvieron internaciones psiquiátricas. Los informantes clave condicionaron su valoración sobre la internación prolongada, y valoraron el rol de los equipos de apoyo para posibilitar la vida en comunidad.

Uma reforma psiquiátrica está em curso na América Latina e Caribe. Especificamente na Argentina, um modelo de saúde mental comunitária está sendo construído, ainda acontecendo internações psiquiátricas prolongadas, principalmente em hospitais neuropsiquiátricos. Faz-se necessário, portanto, o acompanhamento da reforma psiquiátrica. Uma das formas de fazê-lo é analisando as atitudes da sociedade frente à internação psiquiátrica prolongada como forma de tratamento da saúde mental. Assim, foi realizado um estudo observacional analítico na Província de Buenos Aires, Argentina, no ano de 2021, onde foram analisadas as atitudes de vizinhos de pessoas que tiveram internações psiquiátricas prolongadas e que receberam apoio habitacional. Foram aplicados questionários a vizinhos e não vizinhos, questionando as atitudes em relação à internação psiquiátrica prolongada como forma de tratamento, bem como a distância social em relação às pessoas que foram internadas, e também entrevistas específicas com informantes-chave de bairros onde vivem pessoas com problemas graves de saúde mental e que recebem apoio habitacional. Com base nas respostas de vizinho e não vizinhos, não foram identificadas diferenças estatisticamente significantes nas atitudes em relação à internação psiquiátrica prolongada como forma de tratamento, nem em relação à distância social em relação às pessoas que foram internadas. Os informantes-chave condicionaram sua avaliação da hospitalização prolongada e valorizaram o papel das equipes de apoio na viabilização da vida comunitária.

[Repercussions of COVID-19 on psychiatric inpatient care in Latin America and the Caribbean]. / Repercusiones de la COVID-19 en la Internación Psiquiátrica en América Latina y el Caribe.

Objetive: To characterise the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychiatric hospitalisations in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region. Methods: Descriptive study. 85 semi-structured interviews were conducted with health workers involved with psychiatric hospitalisations in general hospitals (GHs) and specialised psychiatric hospitals (SHs) from 18 LAC countries. The interviews were done between 8 May and 30 June 2020. The data were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Results: An initial decrease in the demand for hospitalisation is reported, attributed to the population's fear of approaching health services as well as restrictions on mobility. Stricter criteria for hospitalisation were reported with a double focus on the acute within the acute. The length of hospitalisations were mixed, with both increases and decreases in GHs and SHs. The therapeutic offer was drastically reduced, and interaction between hospitalised people and their support networks was restricted. Conclusions: In the COVID-19 context, hospitalisation seems to be not the last but the only alternative for psychiatric treatment. The decrease in the number of beds in SHs could be a positive aspect for the reform of psychiatric care, but it is questioned since this reduction also occurs in GHs.

Repercussions of COVID-19 on psychiatric inpatient care in Latin America and the Caribbean.

OBJETIVE: To characterise the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychiatric hospitalisations in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region. METHODS: Descriptive study. 85 semi-structured interviews were conducted with health workers involved with psychiatric hospitalisations in general hospitals (GHs) and specialised psychiatric hospitals (SHs) from 18 LAC countries. The interviews were done between 8 May and 30 June 2020. The data were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. RESULTS: An initial decrease in the demand for hospitalisation is reported, attributed to the population's fear of approaching health services as well as restrictions on mobility. Stricter criteria for hospitalisation were reported with a double focus on the acute within the acute. The length of hospitalisations were mixed, with both increases and decreases in GHs and SHs. The therapeutic offer was drastically reduced, and interaction between hospitalised people and their support networks was restricted. CONCLUSIONS: In the COVID-19 context, hospitalisation seems to be not the last but the only alternative for psychiatric treatment. The decrease in the number of beds in SHs could be a positive aspect for the reform of psychiatric care, but it is questioned since this reduction also occurs in GHs.

Paper promises: Peruvian frontline health workers' perspectives on mental health policies during COVID-19.

Governments globally deployed various non-pharmacological public health measures to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e. lockdowns and suspension of transportation, amongst others); some of these measures had an influence on society's mental health. Specific mental health policies were therefore implemented to mitigate the potential mental health impact of the pandemic. We aimed to explore the implementation of mental health regulations adopted by the Peruvian health system by focusing on the care services at Community Mental Health Centres (CMHCs), based on the experiences of health workers. We conducted a phenomenological qualitative study to understand the implementation of mental health policies launched in Peru during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were obtained from a document review of 15 national policy measures implemented during the pandemic (March 2020 to September 2021), and 20 interviews with health workers from CMHCs (September 2021 to February 2022). The analysis was conducted using thematic content analysis. Most implemented policies adapted CMHC care services to a virtual modality during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, various challenges and barriers were evidenced in the process, which prevented effective adaptation of services. Workers perceived that ineffective telemedicine use was attributed to a gap in access to technology at the CMHCs and also by users, ranging from limited access to technological devices to a lack of technological skills. Further, although mental health promotion and prevention policies targeting the community were proposed, CMHC staff reported temporary interruption of these services during the first wave. The disparity between what is stated in the regulations and the experiences of health workers is evident. Policies that focus on mental health need to provide practical and flexible methods taking into consideration both the needs of CMHCs and socio-cultural characteristics that may affect their implementation.

"About Navigating Chaos": Latin American and Caribbean Mental Health Workers' Personal Impact Due to SARS-CoV-2 in the First Hundred Days.

Objectives: The personal impact of COVID-19 on mental health care workers (MHWs) has received scarce attention despite their work addressing the emotional wellbeing of those affected by the pandemic. This study aims to analyze Latin American and Caribbean's MHWs' subjective impact in connection to working during the initial times of the pandemic. Methods: One hundred and fifty-five persons (n = 155) from seventeen countries were contacted in May-June 2020 through a snowball approach. Complementary methodological strategies of analysis used for data triangulation included content analysis, thematic analysis, and interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: Participants reported feelings of fear, anxiety, anguish, and fatigue. Milder negative impacts (e.g., uncertainty, concern), and complex feelings (e.g., ambivalence) were also frequent. One third of participants acknowledged their capacity to learn from this situation and/or experience satisfaction. Conclusion: Mental health of MHWs in Latin America and the Caribbean were under severe strain and the ongoing mental health reforms at risk during the pandemic's beginning. More research and additional care may be needed to offer support to those involved in caring for the wellbeing of others.