A crisis planning and monitoring intervention to reduce compulsory hospital readmissions (FINCH study): protocol for a randomised controlled feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Rates of compulsory (also known as involuntary) detention under mental health legislation have been rising over several decades in countries including England. Avoiding such detentions should be a high priority given their potentially traumatic nature and departure from usual ethical principles of consent and collaboration. Those who have been detained previously are at high risk of being detained again, and thus a priority group for preventive interventions. In a very sparse literature, interventions based on crisis planning emerge as having more supporting evidence than other approaches to preventing compulsory detention. METHOD: We have adapted and manualised an intervention previously trialled in Zürich Switzerland, aimed at reducing future compulsory detentions among people being discharged following a psychiatric admission that has included a period of compulsory detention. A co-production group including people with relevant lived and clinical experience has co-designed the adaptations to the intervention, drawing on evidence on crisis planning and self-management and on qualitative interviews with service users and clinicians. We will conduct a randomised controlled feasibility trial of the intervention, randomising 80 participants to either the intervention in addition to usual care, or usual care only. Feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and trial procedures will be assessed through process evaluation (including rates of randomisation, recruitment, and retention) and qualitative interviews. We will also assess and report on planned trial outcomes. The planned primary outcome for a full trial is repeat compulsory detention within one year of randomisation, and secondary outcomes include compulsory detention within 2 years, and symptoms, service satisfaction, self-rated recovery, self-management confidence, and service engagement. A health economic evaluation is also included. DISCUSSION: This feasibility study, and any subsequent full trial, will add to a currently limited literature on interventions to prevent involuntary detention, a goal valued highly by service users, carers, clinicians, and policymakers. There are significant potential impediments to recruiting and retaining this group, whose experiences of mental health care have often been negative and traumatising, and who are at high risk of disengagement. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN, ISRCTN11627644. Registered 25th May 2022, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN11627644 .

Associations between constructs related to social relationships and mental health conditions and symptoms: an umbrella review.

BACKGROUND: Loneliness and social isolation are increasingly recognised as prevalent among people with mental health problems, and as potential targets for interventions to improve quality of life and outcomes, as well as for preventive strategies. Understanding the relationship between quality and quantity of social relationships and a range of mental health conditions is a helpful step towards development of such interventions. PURPOSE: Our aim was to give an overview of associations between constructs related to social relationships (including loneliness and social isolation) and diagnosed mental conditions and mental health symptoms, as reported in systematic reviews of observational studies. METHODS: For this umbrella review (systematic review of systematic reviews) we searched five databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science) and relevant online resources (PROSPERO, Campbell Collaboration, Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence Synthesis Journal). We included systematic reviews of studies of associations between constructs related to social relationships and mental health diagnoses or psychiatric symptom severity, in clinical or general population samples. We also included reviews of general population studies investigating the relationship between loneliness and risk of onset of mental health problems. RESULTS: We identified 53 relevant systematic reviews, including them in a narrative synthesis. We found evidence regarding associations between (i) loneliness, social isolation, social support, social network size and composition, and individual-level social capital and (ii) diagnoses of mental health conditions and severity of various mental health symptoms. Depression (including post-natal) and psychosis were most often reported on, with few systematic reviews on eating disorders or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and only four related to anxiety. Social support was the most commonly included social construct. Our findings were limited by low quality of reviews and their inclusion of mainly cross-sectional evidence. CONCLUSION: Good quality evidence is needed on a wider range of social constructs, on conditions other than depression, and on longitudinal relationships between social constructs and mental health symptoms and conditions.

Exploring the experiences of loneliness in adults with mental health problems: A participatory qualitative interview study.

BACKGROUND: Loneliness is associated with many mental health conditions, as both a potential causal and an exacerbating factor. Richer evidence about how people with mental health problems experience loneliness, and about what makes it more or less severe, is needed to underpin research on strategies to help address loneliness. METHODS: Our aim was to explore experiences of loneliness, as well as what helps address it, among a diverse sample of adults living with mental health problems in the UK. We recruited purposively via online networks and community organisations, with most interviews conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 59 consenting participants face-to-face, by video call or telephone. Researchers with relevant lived experience were involved at all stages, including design, data collection, analysis and writing up of results. FINDINGS: Analysis led to identification of four overarching themes: 1. What the word "lonely" meant to participants, 2. Connections between loneliness and mental health, 3. Contributory factors to continuing loneliness, 4. Ways of reducing loneliness. Central aspects of loneliness were lack of meaningful connections with others and lack of a sense of belonging to valued groups and communities. Some drivers of loneliness, such as losses and transitions, were universal, but specific links were also made between living with mental health problems and being lonely. These included direct effects of mental health symptoms, the need to withdraw to cope with mental health problems, and impacts of stigma and poverty. CONCLUSIONS: The multiplicity of contributors to loneliness that we identified, and of potential strategies for reducing it, suggest that a variety of approaches are relevant to reducing loneliness among people with mental health problems, including peer support and supported self-help, psychological and social interventions, and strategies to facilitate change at community and societal levels. The views and experiences of adults living with mental health problems are a rich source for understanding why loneliness is frequent in this context and what may address it. Co-produced approaches to developing and testing approaches to loneliness interventions can draw on this experiential knowledge.

Effectiveness of interventions to improve employment for people released from prison: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: People released from prison experience complex health challenges in addition to challenges resettling into the community. Consequently, employment rates are low. Participating in good quality employment can support good health and is protective against future reoffending. Multiple interventions are provided to support people into employment on release. The effectiveness of interventions for improving employment outcomes has not previously been evaluated in a meta-analysis. AIM: Our objective was to examine the effectiveness of interventions to improve employment following release from prison. METHOD: We searched seven databases and three trial registries for peer reviewed randomised controlled trials (RCTs), published since 2010, that included adults and measured an employment outcome(s). We conducted meta-analysis using random effects models with sub-group and sensitivity analyses. We appraised bias risk per outcome, and incorporated this into an assessment of the certainty estimates for each outcome. A group of people with experience of imprisonment met with us throughout the project to inform our search strategy and interpretation of results. RESULTS: We included 12 RCTs (2,875 participants) which were all conducted in the USA. Few outcomes were of low risk of bias. Intervention participants were 2.5 times more likely to work at least one day (95% CI:1.82-3.43) and worked more days over 12 months (MD = 59.07, 95% CI:15.83-102.32) compared to controls. There was no effect on average employment status or employment at study end. There is moderate certainty in these estimates. CONCLUSION: Interventions can improve some employment outcomes for people released from prison. More evidence is required to establish effective interventions for sustaining quality employment, particularly outside the USA, and which consider outcomes for different groups of people released, such as women or those with health or substance use needs.

Digital interventions for subjective and objective social isolation among individuals with mental health conditions: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Social isolation encompasses subjective and objective concepts. Both are associated with negative health consequences and are more prevalent among people with mental health problems than among the general population. To alleviate social isolation, digital interventions have potential as accessible alternatives or adjuncts to face-to-face interventions. This scoping review aimed to describe the types of digital interventions evaluated for feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness in alleviating social isolation among individuals with mental health problems, and to present an overview of the quantitative evidence yielded to inform future intervention design. METHODS: We searched five electronic databases for quantitative and mixed methods studies published between January 2000 and July 2020. Studies were included if they evaluated digital interventions for individuals with mental health conditions, had subjective and/or objective social isolation as their primary outcome, or as one of their outcomes if no primary outcome was specified. Feasibility studies were included if feasibility outcomes were the primary outcomes and social isolation was among their secondary outcomes. A narrative synthesis was conducted to present our findings. The protocol was registered on Open Science Framework (doi: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/CNX8A ). RESULTS: Thirty-two studies were included for our review: 16 feasibility studies, seven single-group studies and nine effectiveness trials. There was great variation in the interventions, study designs and sample populations. Interventions included web-based programmes, phone-based programmes, blended interventions, socially assistive robots and virtual reality interventions. Many were feasibility studies, or otherwise not fully powered to detect an effect if one were present, thus preventing clear conclusions about clinical effectiveness. Satisfactory feasibility outcomes indicated potential for future trials to assess these interventions. CONCLUSION: Our scoping review identified a range of digital approaches utilized to alleviate social isolation among individuals with mental health disorders. Conclusions regarding clinical effectiveness cannot be reached due to variability of approaches and lack of large-scale randomized controlled trials. To make clear recommendations for digital social isolation interventions, future research needs to be based on rigorous methods and larger samples. Future studies should also focus on utilizing theory-driven approaches and improving existing approaches to advance the field.

What has changed in the experiences of people with mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic: a coproduced, qualitative interview study.

PURPOSE: We sought to understand how the experiences of people in the UK with pre-existing mental health conditions had developed during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: In September-October 2020, we interviewed adults with mental health conditions pre-dating the pandemic, whom we had previously interviewed 3 months earlier. Participants had been recruited through online advertising and voluntary sector community organisations. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted by telephone or video-conference by researchers with lived experience of mental health difficulties, and, following principles of thematic analysis, were analysed to explore changes over time in people's experience of the pandemic. RESULTS: We interviewed 44 people, achieving diversity of demographic characteristics (73% female, 54% White British, aged 18-75) and a range of mental health conditions and service use among our sample. Three overarching themes were derived from interviews. The first theme "spectrum of adaptation" describes how participants reacted to reduced access to formal and informal support through personal coping responses or seeking new sources of help, with varying degrees of success. The second theme describes "accumulating pressures" from pandemic-related anxieties and sustained disruption to social contact and support, and to mental health treatment. The third theme "feeling overlooked" reflects participants' feeling of people with mental health conditions being ignored during the pandemic by policy-makers at all levels, which was compounded for people from ethnic minority communities or with physical health problems. CONCLUSION: In line with previous research, our study highlights the need to support marginalised groups who are at risk of increased inequalities, and to maintain crucial mental and physical healthcare and social care for people with existing mental health conditions, notwithstanding challenges of the pandemic.

The experience of loneliness among people with a "personality disorder" diagnosis or traits: a qualitative meta-synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Loneliness is prevalent among people with a "personality disorder" diagnosis or who have related personality traits, but the experience of loneliness among people with "personality disorder" diagnoses/traits has not been well described. A qualitative approach has potential to help understand the experience of loneliness among people with "personality disorder" diagnoses/traits, and to develop interventions that promote recovery. We therefore aimed to synthesise the qualitative literature relevant to this topic. METHOD: We conducted a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies exploring the subjective experience of loneliness as reported by people with "personality disorder" diagnoses/traits. We searched four databases using pre-formulated search terms, selected eligible articles, appraised the quality of each, and analyzed data from eligible studies using thematic synthesis. RESULT: We identified 39 articles that described the experience of loneliness in people with "personality disorder" diagnoses/traits. From extracted data, we identified seven themes: (1) disconnection and emptiness: a "haunting alienation", (2) alienation arising from childhood experiences, (3) thwarted desire for closeness and connection, (4) paradox: for both closeness and distance, (5) experiences of existential loneliness, (6) recovery, embedded in a social world, and (7) group therapy: a setback. Our results suggest that for our sample early alienating and traumatic experiences may pave the way for experiences of loneliness, which further exacerbate "personality disorder" symptoms and distress. CONCLUSION: Despite describing a need to belong and efforts to cope with unmet social needs, people with "personality disorder" diagnoses/traits (particularly "emotionally unstable personality disorder") report experiencing an intense disconnection from other people. This seems rooted in early adversities, reinforced by later traumatic experiences. Given the apparent salience of loneliness to people with "personality disorder" diagnoses/traits, interventions focused on helping people connect with others, which may include both psychological and social components, have potential to be beneficial in reducing loneliness and promoting recovery.

Service user experiences and views regarding telemental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A co-produced framework analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prominence of telemental health, including providing care by video call and telephone, has greatly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are clear variations in uptake and acceptability, and concerns that digital exclusion may exacerbate previous inequalities in access to good quality care. Greater understanding is needed of how service users experience telemental health, and what determines whether they engage and find it acceptable. METHODS: We conducted a collaborative framework analysis of data from semi-structured interviews with a sample of people already experiencing mental health problems prior to the pandemic. Data relevant to participants' experiences and views regarding telemental health during the pandemic were identified and extracted. Data collection and analysis used a participatory, coproduction approach where researchers with relevant lived experience, contributed to all stages of data collection, analysis and interpretation of findings alongside clinical and academic researchers. FINDINGS: The experiences and preferences regarding telemental health care of the forty-four participants were dynamic and varied across time and settings, as well as between individuals. Participants' preferences were shaped by reasons for contacting services, their relationship with care providers, and both parties' access to technology and their individual preferences. While face-to-face care tended to be the preferred option, participants identified benefits of remote care including making care more accessible for some populations and improved efficiency for functional appointments such as prescription reviews. Participants highlighted important challenges related to safety and privacy in online settings, and gave examples of good remote care strategies they had experienced, including services scheduling regular phone calls and developing guidelines about how to access remote care tools. DISCUSSION: Participants in our study have highlighted advantages of telemental health care, as well as significant limitations that risk hindering mental health support and exacerbate inequalities in access to services. Some of these limitations are seen as potentially removable, for example through staff training or better digital access for staff or service users. Others indicate a need to maintain traditional face-to-face contact at least for some appointments. There is a clear need for care to be flexible and individualised to service user circumstances and preferences. Further research is needed on ways of minimising digital exclusion and of supporting staff in making effective and collaborative use of relevant technologies.

Experiences of living with mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a coproduced, participatory qualitative interview study.

PURPOSE: Research is beginning to quantify the impact of COVID-19 on people with pre-existing mental health conditions. Our paper addresses a lack of in-depth qualitative research exploring their experiences and perceptions of how life has changed at this time. METHODS: We used qualitative interviews (N = 49) to explore experiences of the pandemic for people with pre-existing mental health conditions. In a participatory, coproduced approach, researchers with lived experiences of mental health conditions conducted interviews and analysed data as part of a multi-disciplinary research team. RESULTS: Existing mental health difficulties were exacerbated for many people. People experienced specific psychological impacts of the pandemic, struggles with social connectedness, and inadequate access to mental health services, while some found new ways to cope and connect to the community. New remote ways to access mental health care, including digital solutions, provided continuity of care for some but presented substantial barriers for others. People from black and ethnic minority (BAME) communities experienced heightened anxiety, stigma and racism associated with the pandemic, further impacting their mental health. CONCLUSION: There is a need for evidence-based solutions to achieve accessible and effective mental health care in response to the pandemic, especially remote approaches to care. Further research should explore the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on people with pre-existing mental health conditions. Particular attention should be paid to understanding inequalities of impact on mental health, especially for people from BAME communities.

The experience of loneliness among young people with depression: a qualitative meta-synthesis of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Young people have a higher prevalence of loneliness than other age groups, and they are also at risk of depression. Quantitative studies describe a bidirectional association between loneliness and depression, but there is limited understanding of how these influence each other. Little is known about the experience of loneliness among young people with depression. Qualitative approaches may help understand the relationship between loneliness and depression among young people, and how to intervene to improve outcomes. We aimed to conduct a meta-synthesis to understand the complex inter-relationship between loneliness and depression among young depressed people by synthesising evidence from a systematic review of qualitative studies. METHODS: We conducted a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies capturing experiences of loneliness among young people with depression. We systematically searched six electronic databases for selected search terms, critically appraised eligible studies, and analysed the data from included studies using the approach of thematic synthesis. We used feedback from an inter-disciplinary research workshop to improve reflexivity. RESULTS: Our inclusion criteria identified fourteen studies. Our analysis identified four themes: (1) social withdrawal due to poor mental health, (2) non-disclosure of depression contributing to social distance, (3) the desire to connect, and (4) paradoxes of loneliness and depression. These themes illustrated a range of pathways between depression and loneliness, and a sense of how these might be mutually reinforcing. Our findings suggest that where depressed individuals engage in certain behaviours (withdrawing; not confiding) for a range of reasons, this can lead to feelings of loneliness, an awareness of which worsens their mood, thus perpetuating their depression. CONCLUSIONS: Young people with depression experience loneliness as an insurmountable distance between themselves and others. Our findings identified non-disclosure of depression, and the debilitating nature of the depressive symptomatology, as factors perpetuating a vicious cycle of loneliness and depression. They suggest that approaches to tackling the problem might include helping young people communicate about their depression to trusted friends and educating their social networks in how to support them. The wider research literature suggests that cognitive interventions may have a role in shifting maladaptive cognitions about their social world.

Activities on acute mental health inpatient wards: A narrative synthesis of the service users' perspective.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Boredom is a big issue on inpatient mental health wards that is linked to poor patient satisfaction, feelings of frustration and increased incidents of self-harm and aggression. This is even more so for people detained under the Mental Health Act. Where wards have a good range of activities, for example art, music, computer games, gardening and exercise, service users felt less bored and had improved well-being. Over many years, studies have reported a lack of activities, especially during evenings and weekends. It has also been found that little is known about what activities service users want, or how activities might be meaningful for them. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This review found that very few studies have asked service users about what activities would be useful and why. By seeing what makes activities desirable and accessible, we can understand how to improve the experiences of service users on wards. Overall, these data help to understand what impact activities (or lack of activities) have on service users and staff experiences on these wards. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Through identifying the activities most appreciated and engaged with by service users and by asking service users what activities they would like available, we can inform best practice guidance for the commissioning and provision of inpatient mental health care. This will enable service provider organizations to target their effort and resources on supporting good practice and to redirect resources from less useful activities. ABSTRACT: Background Concern about the lack of activities on mental health inpatient wards is long-standing with reports consistently finding that service users receive insufficient access to a range of activities and report high levels of boredom. There is recognition that little is known about what service users want when admitted to inpatient wards. Aim This review seeks to understand service users' experiences and views in relation to the provision and availability of activities, and to explore the perceived benefits and barriers to service users. Methods We searched multiple databases (Scopus, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Embase) for studies that evaluated activities on acute adult inpatient mental health wards. We identified 12 papers across a range of methodological designs from which the narrative synthesis has been analysed. Results Findings show that the provision of activities is unsatisfactory for many service users, which in turn is related to increased boredom that has a negative impact on service users' well-being. We explore the benefits and barriers to engagement, providing an insight into the aspects that make an activity important. Conclusion There are few studies exploring the needs of service users regarding activity provision; therefore, there is limited knowledge about what is meaningful for individuals.

Occupational therapy practice and patient/client participation in religious occupations: a scoping review protocol.

REVIEW OBJECTIVE: The objective of this scoping review is to identify and map information on how occupational therapists address their clients' perceived and experienced barriers to participation in religious occupations as part of the occupational therapy intervention.Specifically the review questions are.

The development of an occupational therapy intervention for adults with a diagnosed psychotic disorder following discharge from hospital.

BACKGROUND: A deterioration in mental health and admission to an acute mental health unit can result in skill loss and decreased participation in daily life. Furthermore, discharge from hospital is associated with high risks of social isolation and suicide. This intervention development study aims to describe the rationale, methods and processes of developing an intervention for adults with a diagnosed psychotic disorder following discharge from hospital. The intervention aims to increase participation in self-care and leisure, wellbeing and quality of life and reduce crisis service use. METHODS: The UK Medical Research Council framework for the development of complex interventions was used to guide the process of developing the intervention to ensure the developed intervention is empirically justifiable and evidence based. The development involved a systematic and literature reviews and focus groups with people with psychosis and clinical staff to understand the problems the intervention should address and approaches to resolving these. RESULTS: A manualised 4-month intervention named Graduating Living skills Outside the Ward (GLOW) was developed for use by occupational therapists for people with a diagnosed psychotic disorder following discharge from hospital. The one-to-one stepped intensity intervention is of 4 months in duration and takes place in the person's home and in community locations. The intervention aims to increase occupational performance of domestic and personal self-care, leisure and some productive roles. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention developed in this study has potential to improve the efficiency of community mental health services following discharge from hospital as it is evidence-based, time-limited and manualised and aims to reduce hospital admissions and crisis service use. The intervention will be tested to assess its clinical and cost effectiveness in a randomised controlled trial.