The attitudes of mental health professionals on the employability of people with mental illness: A different view limiting employment rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVES: Mental health professionals are becoming increasingly involved in the process of employment rehabilitation of persons with psychiatric disabilities. However, few studies address the attitudes of these professionals toward the employability of those with mental illness. The aim of this research was to identify differences in the attitudes of medical and non-medical mental health professionals, as well as to detect any association between attitude scores and the type of professional. METHODS: A sample of 140 employees from public and third sector mental health organizations answered a questionnaire using a scale measuring their attitudes and views on the employability of people with psychiatric disabilities. The psychometric characteristics of the scale are provided together with the variations detected in the professionals' attitudes. RESULTS: This research shows that significant differences in the attitudes between medical and non-medical mental health employees exist and that there is a need for the implementation of educational programs that may help to improve the attitudes of medical professionals toward the employability of people with mental illness. CONCLUSION: This research indicates the importance of improving the professionals' attitudes to support people attempting to return to work.

Employment related barriers and facilitators for people with psychiatric disabilities in Spain.

BACKGROUND: People with mental health-related disabilities still experience difficulties in obtaining and maintaining a job. Previous international studies inform about employment barriers and facilitators but there is insufficient research in Spain. OBJECTIVE: To explore what type of employment barriers and facilitators were important for people with psychiatric disabilities with past work experiences in competitive and protected work settings. METHODS: In-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews with 24 participants selected through purposive sampling. RESULTS: The personal sphere was the content most closely related to barriers, followed by the social environment. Facilitators were more closely related to the interviewees' social network, followed by elements in their personal sphere and job environment. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest the need to implement supported employment services in Spain to promote hiring people with psychiatric disabilities in competitive companies. The results also indicate the need to implement new services aimed at supporting the management of disability information during the process of obtaining and maintaining a job, while there is still a need to conduct anti-stigma and anti-discrimination campaigns.

Influencia del ejercicio físico en la prevención del deterioro cognitivo en las personas mayores: revisión sistemática / The influence of physical exercise in the prevention of cognitive deterioration in the elderly: a systematic review

Introducción. La población española mayor de 65 años continua creciendo, por lo que la atención a adultos mayores se convierte en un objetivo de salud publica cada vez más relevante. La actividad física está siendo reconocida como un factor altamente protector de las funciones cognitivas en el envejecimiento, y se establece, en la actualidad, como una estrategia psicosocial prometedora para la protección de las facultades cognitivas. Pacientes y métodos. Mediante una búsqueda bibliográfica en las bases de datos PubMed, PsycINFO, Psicodoc, Scopus y SciELO, se revisaron sistemáticamente los estudios relativos a la influencia del ejercicio físico en la prevención del deterioro cognitivo en adultos mayores sanos y en la reversión o en el mantenimiento del declive cognitivo una vez ya iniciado. Se seleccionaron y utilizaron 31 artículos como unidades de análisis. Resultados. En conjunto, estos estudios indicaron que un mayor índice de actividad física se relacionaría con un menor deterioro de las funciones cognitivas en adultos mayores sanos y con deterioro cognitivo ya manifiesto. Conclusiones. El ejercicio físico constituye una estrategia psicosocial prometedora para la intervención de adultos mayores con y sin signos de deterioro cognitivo. Serian convenientes mayores estudios que empleen una metodología experimental, mayor homogeneidad en cuanto a los instrumentos de recogida de datos de funciones cognitivas y una profundización en la frecuencia e intensidad necesaria en las intervenciones (AU)

Introduction. In Spain, the number of elderly people is increasing, reason why the improvement in the attention given to the older adults has become a significant objective and requirement of health care systems. The physical activity is being recognized as a highly protective factor of the cognitive functions in aging, becoming a promising psycho-social strategy for the protection of the cognition in elderly population. Patients and methods. PubMed, PsycINFO, Psicodoc, Scopus y SciELO sources were searched. We analyze the influence of the physical exercise in the prevention of the cognitive functions in healthy elderly and in the improvement or maintenance of the cognitive decline in older adults with early cognitive impairment. Thirty-one studies were selected and analysed. Results. These studies indicated that a greater amount of physical activity is related with a decrease of cognitive decline in aging. Conclusions. The physical activity constitutes a promising psychosocial strategy for older adults with and without cognitive impairment. More experimental studies and homogeneity in the assessment instruments are needed. A deeper study of the convenience in the frequency and intensity of the interventions is also required (AU)

[The influence of physical exercise in the prevention of cognitive deterioration in the elderly: a systematic review]. / Influencia del ejercicio físico en la prevención del deterioro cognitivo en las personas mayores: revisión sistemática.

INTRODUCTION: In Spain, the number of elderly people is increasing, reason why the improvement in the attention given to the older adults has become a significant objective and requirement of health care systems. The physical activity is being recognized as a highly protective factor of the cognitive functions in aging, becoming a promising psycho-social strategy for the protection of the cognition in elderly population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: PubMed, PsycINFO, Psicodoc, Scopus y SciELO sources were searched. We analyze the influence of the physical exercise in the prevention of the cognitive functions in healthy elderly and in the improvement or maintenance of the cognitive decline in older adults with early cognitive impairment. Thirty-one studies were selected and analysed. RESULTS: These studies indicated that a greater amount of physical activity is related with a decrease of cognitive decline in aging. CONCLUSIONS: The physical activity constitutes a promising psychosocial strategy for older adults with and without cognitive impairment. More experimental studies and homogeneity in the assessment instruments are needed. A deeper study of the convenience in the frequency and intensity of the interventions is also required.

TITLE: Influencia del ejercicio fisico en la prevencion del deterioro cognitivo en las personas mayores: revision sistematica.Introduccion. La poblacion espanola mayor de 65 anos continua creciendo, por lo que la atencion a adultos mayores se convierte en un objetivo de salud publica cada vez mas relevante. La actividad fisica esta siendo reconocida como un factor altamente protector de las funciones cognitivas en el envejecimiento, y se establece, en la actualidad, como una estrategia psicosocial prometedora para la proteccion de las facultades cognitivas. Pacientes y metodos. Mediante una busqueda bibliografica en las bases de datos PubMed, PsycINFO, Psicodoc, Scopus y SciELO, se revisaron sistematicamente los estudios relativos a la influencia del ejercicio fisico en la prevencion del deterioro cognitivo en adultos mayores sanos y en la reversion o en el mantenimiento del declive cognitivo una vez ya iniciado. Se seleccionaron y utilizaron 31 articulos como unidades de analisis. Resultados. En conjunto, estos estudios indicaron que un mayor indice de actividad fisica se relacionaria con un menor deterioro de las funciones cognitivas en adultos mayores sanos y con deterioro cognitivo ya manifiesto. Conclusiones. El ejercicio fisico constituye una estrategia psicosocial prometedora para la intervencion de adultos mayores con y sin signos de deterioro cognitivo. Serian convenientes mayores estudios que empleen una metodologia experimental, mayor homogeneidad en cuanto a los instrumentos de recogida de datos de funciones cognitivas y una profundizacion en la frecuencia e intensidad necesaria en las intervenciones.