The impact of family history of mental illness on mental health help seeking in university students.

BACKGROUND: University students with a family history of mental illness may have an increased risk of developing mental health problems. AIMS: The aim of the study was to assess differences in mental health help seeking among students with a family history of mental illness compared to those without a family history. METHODS: A total of 1127 university students, aged 18 to 30 years, completed an online survey with questions about mental illness, family history of mental illness, help seeking, and psychological symptoms. RESULTS: Students with a family history of mental illness were more likely to report clinically significant symptoms and more likely to use social media and online support programs. They reported similar rates of in-person help seeking. Those with more than one family member with a mental illness reported greater symptom severity, more use of online programs, and increased likelihood of prescription drug use than those with only one family member. CONCLUSIONS: More research is needed to understand how to increase access to mental health care and to address barriers to help-seeking considering family history of mental illness. University students may not be accessing appropriate treatment and care as required, with the rates of in-person help-seeking being low overall.

Impacts of suicide bereavement on men: a systematic review.

Introduction: This systematic review examines the impacts of suicide bereavement on men's psychosocial outcomes relating to suicidality, mental health, substance use, grief, and social functioning. Given the high global incidence of suicide and the substantial number of individuals affected by each suicide, understanding the specific experiences and outcomes for men is crucial, particularly in the context of observed gender differences in suicide rates, grief coping styles and mental health outcomes. Methods: Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, this review included peer-reviewed, English-language studies that involved men bereaved by suicide using quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods designs. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, PsycINFO, and Scopus. Analysis used narrative synthesis methods due to the heterogeneity of findings. These were categorised based on comparison groups: non-bereaved men, or women bereaved by suicide. Prospero registration: CRD42023437034. Results: The review included 35 studies (25 quantitative, 8 qualitative, 2 mixed-methods) published between 1995 and 2023. Compared to non-bereaved men, suicide-bereaved men are more likely to experience adverse psychosocial outcomes included increased suicide mortality, heightened susceptibility to mental health problems such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder, and challenges in interpersonal relationships and social functioning. The review also identified gender differences in grief responses and coping strategies, with men often exhibiting more pronounced grief reactions and facing unique challenges due to societal expectations and norms regarding masculinity. Discussion: The findings of this review underscore the elevated risk of adverse suicide- and mental-health related outcomes for suicide-bereaved men and the need for tailored postvention supports for this cohort. Gender-specific factors, including cultural norms and coping strategies, significantly influence men's experiences of suicide bereavement. Further qualitative and longitudinal quantitative exploration is needed to enhance understanding and effective support for men bereaved by suicide. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023437034.

Supporting Adolescents Bereaved by Suicide or Other Traumatic Death: The Views of Counselors.

Adolescents bereaved by suicide and other traumatic death may experience strong grief reactions and increased risks of mental health problems and suicidal behaviour. As timely access to professional help can be critical, it is essential to understand how counselors perceive suicide bereavement in adolescents and how they work with this population. This study aimed to examine the perspectives of counselors (N = 34). Eleven participated in an individual semi-structured interview and 23 others in group interviews. Thematic analysis yielded three themes: (1) Building a relationship with the bereaved adolescent, (2) Offering support tailored to the needs of the grieving adolescent, and (3) Offering strengths-based and sustainable support. Counselors' skills, attitudes, content-related expertise, and approaching the adolescent's grief within their developmental context were deemed essential for building a therapeutic relationship and offering viable support. The findings may inform good practices in counseling bereaved adolescents to facilitate positive mental health outcomes.

Suicide prevention during disasters and public health emergencies: a systematic review.

Background: Disasters and public health emergencies increasingly affect populations around the world, posing significant wide-ranging challenges for societies as well as for effective public health and suicide prevention. Intervention research is essential to inform evidence-based responses. Yet, despite evident public concern and growing research interest in heightened suicide risks and impacts, little is known about effective suicide prevention interventions in these contexts. We conducted a systematic review to examine the outcomes of suicide prevention strategies implemented in disasters and public health emergencies. Methods: We searched five databases (Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, PTSDpubs) from inception to December 2022 for peer-reviewed quantitative studies that reported relevant intervention outcomes (changes in the frequency of suicide, suicide attempts, self-harm) for populations affected by disasters and public health emergencies. We assessed the quality of eligible studies using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies, and distilled review findings through narrative synthesis. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021276195). Results: Ten eligible and mostly observational studies were included in this review, which examined a range of universal, selective, and indicated interventions. Three of five studies of interventions in public health emergencies indicated the potential effectiveness and buffering effects of generic disaster related mental health support, access to urban parks, as well as the beneficial role of video-enabled tablets in facilitating treatment access and outcomes. Similarly, three of five studies of interventions in disaster contexts provided evidence of the beneficial role of universal economic security measures, national gun laws and buy back schemes, and volunteer-delivered mental health support. Overall, four of six studies with favorable outcomes examined interventions specifically deployed in disaster or public health emergency contexts, whereas two studies examined ongoing existing interventions. Three studies, respectively, of suicide prevention focused interventions or generic interventions reported favorable outcomes. The quality of included studies was variable, with two studies being rated as 'strong', four studies rated as 'moderate', and four studies rated as 'weak'. Conclusion: Notwithstanding the limited scope and variable quality of published evidence, our review findings highlight the breadth of interventions that have been applied in such contexts with some success. There is a need for further research on effective interventions and intervention adaptations to inform evidence-based suicide prevention responses to disasters and public health emergencies. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021276195, PROSPERO ID CRD42021276195.

Unveiling studies on self-healing practices for suicide loss survivors: A scoping review.

This scoping review aimed to examine how self-healing practices had been addressed in the empirical literature on suicide bereavement. Adhering to PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we searched five databases for peer-reviewed studies that reported using self-healing practices, either as a primary or secondary finding and 32 studies were included. The results highlight a substantial research gap in understanding self-healing practices' definition, implementation, and effectiveness in suicide bereavement. Further studies are necessary to clarify the definition, identify facilitators and barriers to implementation, and explore the applicability of these strategies in diverse contexts, particularly in non-Western and Low-and Middle-income countries.

Factors associated with perceived helpfulness and use of mental health websites by Australian young adults with a family history of mental illness.

Young adults with a family history of mental illness may be vulnerable to develop mental health conditions based on genetic and environmental features. This study aimed to explore factors associated with the use of mental health websites for young adults aged 18-30 years who reported a family history of mental illness. Young adults (n = 469) who reported a family history of mental illness completed an online survey regarding their use of mental health websites, demographic questionnaires and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales. In total, 194 (41%) participants reported using mental health websites, with the majority using these for their own mental well-being (n = 156; 33%). Having a previous history of a mental health condition was associated with mental health website use, along with having a prior history of drug use and having more than one family member diagnosed with a mental illness.

The Cost-Effectiveness of Psychosocial Interventions Following Self-Harm in Australia.

Background: Psychosocial interventions following self-harm in adults, in particular cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can be effective in lowering the risk of repeated self-harm. Aims: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of CBT for reducing repeated self-harm in the Australian context. Method: The current study adopted the accessing cost-effectiveness (ACE) approach using return-on-investment (ROI) analysis. Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses (Sas) tested the robustness of the model outputs to changes in three assumptions: general practitioner referral pathway (SA1), private setting intervention delivery (SA2), and training costs (SA3). Results: The intervention produced cost savings of A$ 46M (95% UI -223.7 to 73.3) and A$ 18.3M (95% UI -86.2 to 24.6), subject to the effect of intervention lasting 2- or 1-year follow-up. The ROI ratio reduced to 5.22 in SA1 (95% UI -10.1 to 27.9), 2.5 in SA2 (95% UI -4.8 to 13.3), and 5.1 in SA3 (95% UI -9.8 to 27.8). Limitations: We assumed that the effectiveness would reduce 50% within 5 years in the base case, and we used Australian data and a partial social perspective. Conclusions: The current study demonstrated cost-effectiveness of CBT for adults who have self-harmed with the return-on-investment ratio of A$ 2.3 to $6.0 for every A$ 1 invested.

Evaluation of a New Online Program for Children Bereaved by Suicide: The Views of Children, Parents, and Facilitators.

OBJECTIVE: Experiencing the suicide of a parent or a sibling is one of the most disruptive and stressful events in the life of a child or adolescent. Yet, little is known about the effectiveness of support offered to children and adolescents bereaved by suicide. This study aimed to evaluate participant and facilitator's perceived helpfulness of the new online Let's Talk Suicide program, piloted in 2021. METHOD: Thematic Analysis of qualitative interviews with 4 children, 7 parents, and 3 facilitators (N = 14). RESULTS: The analysis identified four themes focused on suicide bereavement specific support, the online environment experiences, expectations and perceived outcomes of the program, and parents' involvement in the program. CONCLUSIONS: The young participants, parents, and facilitators were very positive about the program. They felt that it supported the children in their grief after suicide, helped to normalize their experiences, offered social support from peers and professionals, and enhanced their language and skills to express themselves and to deal with their emotions. Though longitudinal research is needed, the new program seems to address an existing gap in postvention services for children and adolescents bereaved by suicide. HIGHLIGHTSThe children felt supported in their grief as it enhanced their skills and language to express themselves.The program also acknowledged the parents and supported them in their parenting role.Future longitudinal studies may enhance the evidence of effectiveness of the program.

The impact of storytelling on building resilience in children: A systematic review.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Storytelling is an effective tool for communication, is universally comprehensible and transcends linguistic barriers, adapting to cultures easily. Storytelling has a strong influence on children and has been used for knowledge retention and for developing imagination, creativity and prosocial behaviours. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: The systematic review offers essential insights into the effects of storytelling interventions on the development of resilience in children. It indicates the various forms of storytelling interventions implemented and also the specific measures of resilience employed in the studies. The review has demonstrated that storytelling plays a crucial role in the development of protective factors in children including resilience. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Psychiatric and mental health nurses working in community, hospital or mental health units play an important role in mental health interventions, particularly when it comes to children and young adults. Employing storytelling techniques can help psychiatric and mental health nurses provide timely and consistent support to children while helping them explore support systems, mechanisms and coping strategies helping build resilience. This holds particular importance for low- and middle-income countries where limited resources pose challenges in providing adequate support for mental health programmes for children. Methods such as storytelling are simple and adaptable to the specific challenges faced in the mental health setting. ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Resilience is a crucial aspect of mental health and coping that enables individuals to effectively recover from challenges. Fostering resilience in children becomes a significant objective. Storytelling is known to positively affect resilience, providing opportunities to share and develop narratives that help make sense of difficult experiences, find meaning in them, and building beliefs around our capacity to adapt well to challenging experiences. AIM: The aim of this review is to synthesize peer-reviewed studies on the impact of storytelling interventions in developing resilience in children. METHOD: The review adhered to the updated PRISMA 2020 guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022365474). We conducted searches in 12 databases with search strings comprising of concepts regarding storytelling, resilience and children. RESULTS: The review included 11 studies published between 2012 and 2022. The narrative synthesis of the studies indicates that storytelling interventions enhanced psychological resilience in children. DISCUSSION: Storytelling-based interventions in school settings with participatory approaches using cultural stories, and positive psychology-based interventions were effective and feasible. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This review has scope for informing future interventions with children, especially those who live in marginalized communities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Modelling the cost-effectiveness of brief aftercare interventions following hospital-treated self-harm.

BACKGROUND: Prior self-harm represents the most significant risk factor for future self-harm or suicide. AIM: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a theoretical brief aftercare intervention (involving brief follow-up contact, care coordination and safety planning), following a hospital-treated self-harm episode, for reducing repeated self-harm within the Australian context. METHOD: We employed economic modelling techniques to undertake: (a) a return-on-investment analysis, which compared the cost-savings generated by the intervention with the overall cost of implementing the intervention; and (b) a cost-utility analysis, which compared the net costs of the intervention with health outcomes measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). We considered cost offsets associated with hospital admission for self-harm and the cost of suicide over a period of 10 years in the base case analysis. Uncertainty and one-way sensitivity analyses were also conducted. RESULTS: The brief aftercare intervention resulted in net cost-savings of AUD$7.5 M (95% uncertainty interval: -56.2 M to 15.1 M) and was associated with a gain of 222 (95% uncertainty interval: 45 to 563) QALYs over a 10-year period. The estimated return-on-investment ratio for the intervention's modelled cost in relation to cost-savings was 1.58 (95% uncertainty interval: -0.17 to 5.33). Eighty-seven per cent of uncertainty iterations showed that the intervention could be considered cost-effective, either through cost-savings or with an acceptable cost-effectiveness ratio of 50 000 per QALY gained. The results remained robust across sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: A theoretical brief aftercare intervention is highly likely to be cost-effective for preventing suicide and self-harm among individuals with a history of self-harm.

Active involvement of people with lived experience of suicide in suicide research: a Delphi consensus study.

BACKGROUND: The importance and value of involvement of people with lived experience of suicide has been recognized in suicide research and prevention. Nonetheless, clear guidance on research collaboration and co-production is lacking. This study aimed to address this gap by developing a set of guidelines on active involvement of people with lived experience of suicide in suicide studies., i.e., conducting research with or by people with lived experience, rather than to, about or for them. METHODS: The Delphi method was used to determine statements on best practice for the active involvement of people with lived experience of suicide in suicide research. Statements were compiled through a systematic search of the scientific and grey literature, and reviewing qualitative data from a recent related study conducted by the authors. Two expert panels: people with lived experience of suicide (n = 44) and suicide researchers (n = 29) rated statements over three rounds of an online survey. Statements endorsed by at least 80% of panellists of each panel were included in the guidelines. RESULTS: Panellists endorsed 96 out of 126 statements in 17 sections covering the full research cycle from deciding on the research question and securing funding, to conducting research and disseminating and implementing outcomes. Overall, there was a substantial level of agreement between the two panels regarding support from research institutions, collaboration and co-production, communication and shared decision making, conducting research, self-care, acknowledgment, and dissemination and implementation. However, panels also disagreed on specific statements regarding representativeness and diversity, managing expectations, time and budgeting, training, and self-disclosure. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified consensus recommendations on active involvement of people with lived experience of suicide in suicide research, including co-production. Support from research institutions and funders, and training on co-production for researchers and people with lived experience, are needed for successful implementation and uptake of the guidelines.

Suicide postvention for staff and students on university campuses: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: To examine current knowledge about suicide bereavement and postvention interventions for university staff and students. DESIGN: Scoping review. DATA SOURCES AND ELIGIBILITY: We conducted systematic searches in 12 electronic databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Africa-Wide Information, PsycARTICLES, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Academic Search Premier, SocINDEX through the EBSCOHOST platform; Cochrane Library, Web of Science, SCOPUS), hand searched lists of references of included articles and consulted with library experts during September 2021 and June 2022. Eligible studies were screened against the inclusion criteria independently by two reviewers. Only studies published in English were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Screening was conducted by two independent reviewers following a three-step article screening process. Biographical data and study characteristics were extracted using a data extraction form and synthesised. RESULTS: Our search strategy identified 7691 records from which 3170 abstracts were screened. We assessed 29 full texts and included 17 articles for the scoping review. All studies were from high-income countries (USA, Canada, UK). The review identified no postvention intervention studies on university campuses. Study designs were mostly descriptive quantitative or mixed methods. Data collection and sampling were heterogeneous. CONCLUSION: Staff and students require support measures due to the impact of suicide bereavement and the unique nature of the university context. There is a need for further research to move from descriptive studies to focus on intervention studies, particularly at universities in low-income and middle-income countries.

Predictors of digital technology-based mental health programs in young adults for mental health support.

Technology-based platforms are widely used to deliver mental health support. The aim of this study was to explore factors associated with the use of technology-based mental health platforms by students who may be vulnerable to develop a mental health condition in an Australian psychology student sample. Participants were 1146 students (18-30 years) at an Australian university who completed a survey regarding their current mental health symptoms and lifetime use of technology-based platforms. The student's country of birth, having a previous mental health diagnosis, having a family member with a mental illness and greater stress scores predicted any type of online/technology-use. Greater symptoms correlated with lower helpfulness of online mental health programs and websites. Apps were perceived as more helpful by those with a mental illness history and associated with higher stress scores. The use of any type of technology-based platform was high in the sample overall. Further research may clarify why mental health programs are less popular, and how these platforms may be utilised to support mental health outcomes.

Corporal punishment of children in Australia: The evidence-based case for legislative reform.

OBJECTIVE: Across all of Australia's states and territories, it is legal for a parent or carer to hit their child. In this paper, we outline the legal context for corporal punishment in Australia and the argument for its reform. METHODS: We review the laws that allow corporal punishment, the international agreements on children's rights, the evidence on the effects of corporal punishment, and outcomes of legislative reform in countries that have changed their laws to prohibit corporal punishment. RESULTS: Legislative reform typically precedes attitude changes and reductions in the use of corporal punishment. Countries with the most ideal outcomes have instigated public health campaigns educating the population about law reform while also providing access to alternative non-violent discipline strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Extensive evidence exists demonstrating the adverse effects of corporal punishment. When countries change legislation, educate the public about these effects, and provide alternative strategies for parents, rates of corporal punishment decrease. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: We recommend law reform in Australia to prohibit corporal punishment, a public health campaign to increase awareness of corporal punishment and its effects, provision of access for parents to alternative evidence-based strategies to assist in parenting, and a national parenting survey to monitor outcomes.

Disclosure of Mental Health Problems or Suicidality at Work: A Systematic Review.

Many adults experience mental health problems or suicidality. Mental health and suicidality are associated with stigma and discrimination. Little is known about disclosure of mental health or suicidality problems in workplaces and the role of stigma and discrimination in affecting disclosure. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines. Searches for peer-reviewed articles in MedLINE, CINAHL, Embase and PsycINFO identified 26 studies, including sixteen qualitative, seven quantitative and three mixed-methods studies. No studies were excluded based on quality assessment. All studies reported on mental health disclosure; none reported on disclosure of suicidal thoughts or behaviours. The narrative synthesis identified four overarching themes relating to disclosure of mental health problems in workplaces. Themes included beliefs about stigma and discrimination, workplace factors (including supports and accommodation), identity factors (including professional and personal identity, gender and intersectionality) and factors relating to the disclosure process (including timing and recipients), with all influencing disclosure decision making. Significantly, this review found that there is a gap in the existing literature relating to suicidality disclosure in workplaces, with none of the included studies investigating disclosure of suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

What Do We Know about Suicide Bereavement, and What We Can Do to Help Suicide-Loss Survivors?

"Suicide is not only the end of life for the deceased but also the beginning of a highly challenging life for those left behind" [...].

Grief Instruments in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review.

Many children and adolescents experience the death of a close person, such as a family member or a friend. However, there is a scarcity of literature on the assessment of grief in bereaved youth. The use of validated instruments is essential to advance our knowledge of grief in children and adolescents. We conducted a systematic review, adhering to PRISMA guidelines, to identify instruments that measure grief in this population and explore their characteristics. Searches in six databases (Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, Emcare, Scopus, and Web of Science) identified 24 instruments, encompassing three categories: general-purpose grief scales, maladaptive grief scales, and specialized grief scales. We extracted data using a predetermined list of descriptive and psychometric properties. Findings indicate a need to direct research towards more stringent validation of existing instruments and the design of new instruments in line with developments in the understanding of grief in this population.