The Effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid Training among Undergraduate Students in Switzerland: A Randomized Control Trial.

Half to three-fourths of mental disorders appear during adolescence or young adulthood, and the treatment gap is mainly due to lack of knowledge, lack of perceived need, and the stigmatization of mental illness. The aims of this study were to implement and evaluate a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training program among undergraduates. Participants were second-year students from two universities in the French-speaking region of Switzerland (N = 107), who were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 53) or control group (n = 54). The intervention group received a 12-h MHFA course. Online questionnaires were completed before the intervention (T0), and both 3 months (T1) and 12 months (T2) after the intervention in order to evaluate the participants' mental health knowledge, recognition of schizophrenia, and attitudes and behaviors towards mental illness. We used Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) to examine the effects of intervention over time. After the MHFA course, the intervention group showed significantly increased basic knowledge and confidence helping others with mental illness and reduced stigmatization at both T1 and T2 compared to their baseline scores and compared to control groups. This suggests that the MHFA training program is effective and has significant short-term and long-term impacts, in terms of enhancing basic knowledge about mental health and improving attitudes towards mental illness among undergraduate students.

Perceived stress, coping strategies, and mental health status among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland: a longitudinal study.

This longitudinal, prospective study investigated associations between perceived COVID-19-related stress, coping strategies, and mental health status among adolescents during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic and one year after the lockdown in Switzerland within a large, national sample. A self-report on-line survey was completed by 553 adolescents (age-range 12-18 years in 2021) in the summers of 2020 and 2021, assessing symptoms of various mental health problems, perceived COVID-19-related stressors, and coping strategies. Overall, participants reported less COVID-19 related stress one year after the lockdown, though mental health status remained stable. 'Challenges at home or with others' were significantly associated with mental health problems in both genders, whereas 'trouble getting medical care or mental health services 'was associated with mental health problems in girls. Perceived stress and pre-existing psychiatric problem were significantly linked to all mental health outcomes at both time points. Parents' poor relationships with partners during the lockdown was associated with increased anxiety symptoms in their children. Using cognitive restructuring to cope with stress was associated with less, while negative coping was associated with more anxiety, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms one year post lockdown. Girls appear to have been more affected by the pandemic than boys, with youths with pre-existing psychiatric problems especially vulnerable to its detrimental effects. Healthcare and school professionals should support to identify high-risk adolescents with negative and avoidant coping strategies and train youths to use positive coping strategies.

Stress and Mental Health among Children/Adolescents, Their Parents, and Young Adults during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in Switzerland.

The present study aimed to assess various stressful situations and the psychological impact of the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown among youths in Switzerland. We included samples of 1627 young adults aged 19-24 from the Swiss Youth Epidemiological Study on Mental Health and 1146 children and adolescents aged 12-17 years and their parents. We assessed symptoms of various mental health problems, internet use, and perceived stress during the first COVID-19 lockdown. In the analyses, data were weighted to be representative of the Swiss population. During the first lockdown in Switzerland, the most common sources of perceived stress were the disruption of social life and important activities, uncertainty about how long the state of affairs would last, and the pandemic itself. In addition, around one-fifth of the young adults met the criteria for at least one of the mental health problems (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, generalized anxiety disorder), while one-third of children/adolescents screened positive for at least one of the mental health problems (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, depression, anxiety). Moreover, 30.1% of children and 21.3% of young adults met the criteria for problematic internet use. The study showed considerable stress perceived by young adults and symptoms of mental health problems, especially among females, during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Switzerland.

Facilitators and barriers in implementing clinical nursing assessment in mental health care for older people: A multimethod approach.

With the aging of the population and the growing prevalence of dementia, specialized and collaborative nursing care is paramount in this area. To ensure better quality care, it is necessary to use effective and context-specific processes to implement evidence-based practices and more specifically clinical nursing assessment. This study aimed to identify and describe factors that may influence the implementation of clinical nursing assessment in mental health care for older people. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was employed to guide evaluation in the pre-implementation phase in the specific context of mental health care for older people. Using a multimethod approach, interviews, focus groups, and a quantitative survey were conducted with a non-probability convenience sample. A total of 39 hospital nurses (registered nurses and head nurses) were interviewed. Analysis yielded five main factors, notably three barriers and two facilitators. Barriers include a lack of general nursing culture, deficiencies in leadership, and difficulties in communication and collaboration. Facilitators comprise team cohesion and the perceived benefits of the study.

Patients' perspectives on interprofessional collaboration between health care professionals during hospitalization: a qualitative systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review was to gain a better understanding of the interprofessional collaboration between health care professionals from the patients' point of view during hospitalisation; the influence of interprofessional collaboration on patient care, safety, and well-being; and patients' perspectives of their role in the interprofessional collaboration process. INTRODUCTION: Interprofessional collaboration is a key factor in improving patient health care outcomes and safety through better communication between health care professionals, better teamwork, and better care coordination. However, implementing interprofessional collaboration in the clinical setting can prove complex. Patients are increasingly interested in becoming partners within the health care system. They have the potential to contribute to their own safety and to observe professionals during the care process, thus gaining a better understanding of the interprofessional collaboration process and facilitating changes in the behavior of health care professionals. INCLUSION CRITERIA: This review considered qualitative research and mixed-method studies. Participants were hospitalized patients. Studies were included when they explored i) patients' perceptions of interprofessional collaboration, ii) the influence of interprofessional collaboration on patients' care, safety, or well-being, or iii) patients' perceptions of their own role in interprofessional collaboration. Qualitative studies focusing only on the care process or families' points of view were excluded. METHODS: Searches of six databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstract, limited to English, French, and German were conducted from March 2017 to June 2018. Assessment of methodological quality of studies was performed using the JBI Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument. Data were extracted using the standardized data extraction tool from JBI. Data synthesis following the JBI approach of meta-aggregation was performed. The level of confidence for each synthesized finding was established based on ConQual. RESULTS: A total of 22 studies were included, which resulted in 89 findings and 24 categories. Eight synthesized findings were generated: patients' perceptions of interprofessional collaboration based on personal experiences and observations; patients' experiences with effective or ineffective interprofessional communication; patients' experience with power imbalance and paternalistic attitudes; patients' perceptions of key factors for a confident relationship with the interprofessional health care team; patients' need for comprehension of discussions between health care professionals; patients' perceptions of their role in an interprofessional health care team; patients' perceptions of opportunities for empowerment in interprofessional health care teams; and patients' need for humanizing care from interprofessional health care teams. The level of confidence of synthesized findings varied from low to moderate according to ConQual. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review synthesized the perspectives of hospitalized patients regarding interprofessional collaboration and their perceived role in collaborative practices. Hospitalized patients observe interprofessional collaboration, either directly or indirectly, and the way interprofessional collaboration is performed may impact both their care and their well-being. However, little evidence has been found regarding the impact of interprofessional collaboration on patient safety. Patients' perspectives on their perceived role is not unanimous; some patients want to play an active role in the collaborative process, whereas others prefer to trust the health care professionals' expertise. Health care professionals should consider patients' preferences and act accordingly regarding both the collaborative process and the inclusion of the patients in collaborative practices.

Beyond hormone replacement: quality of life in women with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about how women with isolated GnRH deficiency cope with their condition. This study aimed to examine the health and informational needs of women with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) and evaluate if their experiences differ from women with more common forms of infertility. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, multiple methods study using web-based data collection to reach dispersed rare disease patients. METHODS: A community-based participatory research framework was employed to develop an online survey and collect quantitative and qualitative data. Adult women diagnosed with CHH who had received at least one year of hormonal treatment completed the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire and Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Information on health care experiences, treatment outcomes and patient-reported challenges were also collected. RESULTS: Women (n = 55) were often diagnosed late (20.7 ± 7.4, range: 10-48 years) and 16/20 patients receiving fertility treatment conceived. Poor adherence was frequently observed (34/55) while more than half (27/49) reported a gap in treatment exceeding a year. Low adherence correlated with depressive symptoms (r = 0.3, P > 0.05). Negative illness perceptions were pervasive and 30/55 exhibited some depressive symptoms - significantly greater than women with common female factor infertility (P < 0.01). Symptoms were underappreciated by providers as only 15 of 55 patients had discussions about psychological services. Women identified isolation, need for information and finding expert care as challenges to living with CHH. CONCLUSIONS: Despite being a treatable form of female infertility, the presumable availability of treatment does not necessarily ensure adequate quality of life for women with isolated GnRH deficiency.