Australian Bachelor of Midwifery students' mental health literacy: An exploratory study

Many pregnant and post-partum women experience mental health problems, but midwives are frequently ill-equipped to provide support. The purpose of this study, conducted in Melbourne, Australia, was to examine first-year Bachelor of Midwifery students' mental health literacy about post-partum women with schizophrenia, using the vignette of Mary. A non-probability sample of 38 commencing students was used. The results showed that the students had a mainly lay person-informed conceptualization of mental health interventions for post-partum women. They acknowledged that Mary had a mental health problem that might have a more favorable outcome with professional support, but this agreement did not extend to their understanding of the consequences of the failure to receive professional help. They believed that negative outcomes were less likely and positive outcomes were just as likely for Mary than for others in the community. The findings highlight the need for mental health theory and clinical subjects to be incorporated in midwifery curricula.     

Assessment and measurement of health literacy: An integrative review of the literature

Research linking health literacy to health knowledge, health behaviors, health outcomes, health disparity, health status, and increasing health-care costs is prevalent around the globe. Given the importance of health literacy, it is prudent to examine the tools available to assure that patients are health-literate. This article provides an integrative review in order to investigate what has been developed to evaluate health literacy in the health-care setting. The research questions considered include: (i) Which instruments or screening tools are available to assess or measure health literacy in the clinical setting?; and (ii) What are the psychometric properties, advantages, and limitations of the identified tools? A number of databases are utilized to locate research specific to this topic. The research is analyzed, the findings are summarized, and the limitations are mentioned. The implications, recommendations, and the need for future research are discussed.     

Mental health literacy levels

Globally, mental disorders affect 25% of the society. This discursive paper aims to illustrate the mental health literacy levels in the public. Mental health literacy (MHL) is the understanding of mental health conditions, which helps in their prevention, recognition and treatment. Unfortunately, the public has minimal understanding of mental disorders, leading to poor recognition and delay in treatment. There is a need to conduct good quality research to assess the MHL levels among public and tailor interventions to enhance MHL among the public. This will ensure early detection of mental disorders, leading to early recovery and greater quality of life among the society. Nurses have a great role to play in leading these public educations, and enhancing a healthy and happy nation.     

Hospitalized mental health patients and oral health

The purpose of this review of the literature is to present a contemporary perspective related to the nursing care of hospitalized mental health patients who have risk of developing oral health issues. Mental illness is a major health concern worldwide. Compounding this health issue, mental health patients/clients demonstrate avoidant behaviours related to oral health, and the symptoms of mental illness can be a compounding factor. Oral health and oral inflammatory disease are the result of lifestyle and behaviour and mental disorders affect both lifestyle and behaviour. The search used the search terms oral health AND nursing AND mental illness AND Published Date 2005 to 2010. For those who experience mental illness oral health assessment is not routinely practised by clinicians. The importance of special attention to dental problems for people with mental disorders has also been stressed by researchers since the lifespan of people with serious mental disorders is shortened compared to the general population. Oral health care is an important part of treatment. Routine oral care for hospitalized patients is imperative, and this is usually the responsibility of nurses without sufficient knowledge in oral care or comprehensive protocols to follow.     

Mental health nurses' and psychiatrists' views on the prognosis of schizophrenia and depression: an exploratory, qualitative investigation

This study uses a qualitative methodology to explore mental health literacy, specifically perceptions of prognosis, which is typically investigated with a quantitative, questionnaire-based approach. Two vignettes--one of a person with schizophrenia and one with depression--were shown to three mental health nurses and three psychiatrists. During semi-structured, open-ended interviews, they were asked to discuss their thoughts about the prognosis for the patient presented in each vignette. Participants tended to use the terms 'prognosis' and 'outcome' interchangeably. Psychiatrists tended to be more guarded in determining a prognosis than nurses. Both groups emphasized the importance of clinical experience in formulating views. However, nurses also discussed the role of the multidisciplinary team, whilst psychiatrists emphasized their reliance upon the scientific literature in shaping opinions. Participants identified information relevant for incorporating into future vignettes, to allow more informed research into literacy. The results of quantitative mental health literacy research should be interpreted with caution. Simplifying responses to allow comparative analysis is necessary, but masks more complex and important interpretations. Further qualitative research is recommended, the results of which can inform more comprehensive quantitative studies in the area.     

Associations of age at cannabis first use and later substance abuse with mental health and depression in young men

Purpose: This study aimed to determine if the associations between age at cannabis first use and mental health and depression persist after controlling for the misuse of cannabis, other illicit drugs, alcohol and cigarettes.

Methods: Baseline data from an ongoing cohort study on substance use risk factors were used (N?=?5521). The association between age at cannabis first use and the frequency of cannabis use was assessed using a Cox proportional hazard model. Associations with other illicit drug use, alcohol dependence, nicotine dependence, mental health and depression were tested using linear regressions and logistic regressions.

Results: Participants using cannabis “almost every day” were on an average two years younger at cannabis first use than those using cannabis “once a month or less”. Age at cannabis first use was also associated with other illicit drug use, alcohol dependence and nicotine dependence. Associations with mental health and depression were substantially attenuated after adjustment for the misuse of cannabis and other substances.

Conclusions: These findings show that early cannabis onset is associated with later impairments in mental health and depression; however, these are largely explained by later substance abuse. Effective preventive measures are needed to delay cannabis onset and to avoid the progression from cannabis to using other drugs.     

Nurses' perceptions of a mental health education programme for Australian nurses

In the present study, we present qualitative findings of study of nurses' perceptions of a mental health education programme for Australian nurses. Many nurses avoid disclosing their mental health problem/illness because of the stigmatization by health workers. Mental health education is a successful means to address workplace stigma; thus, it can be anticipated that such education can address workplace difficulties experienced by nurses with mental health problems. During 2008, a qualitative study was conducted to obtain nurses' perceptions of a short mental health education programme for nurses. The workshop purpose was to improve mental health literacy in order to improve support to colleagues with mental health problems. Semistructured, audio-taped interviews were conducted with 13 nurses and then transcribed. A framework analysis approach guided interpretation of the data. The education programme had limited effect on the participants' attitudes towards colleagues with mental health problems. This was likely due to their high level of mental health literacy and experiences prior to the workshop. Participants felt that a more focused nurse-specific programme might have been more efficacious. Implementing a nurse-specific education session is potentially an effective means to improve support to nurses who experience mental health problems.     

Enhancing oral health for better mental health: Exploring the views of mental health professionals

The association between oral health, self‐esteem and quality of life is well established yet there is limited research on the impact of addressing the poor oral health of people living with mental health disorders. Greater consideration is warranted on how enhancing oral health in the course of mental healthcare might reduce the burden of a person's ill health. The role of mental health professionals is important in this regard yet uncertainty persists about the role these providers can and should play in promoting oral health care for people with mental health disorders. This qualitative study explored the issue of oral health and mental health with community based mental health professionals in Perth, Western Australia. It examined their views on the oral health status and experiences of their clients, and the different and alternative ways to improve access to care, knowledge and preventative regimens. Findings indicated participants’ ambivalence, reluctance and lack of training in raising oral health issues, despite its acknowledged importance, indicating a siloed approach to care. Findings offer an opportunity to reflect on whether a more integrated approach to oral health care for people with mental health disorders would improve health outcomes.     

Mental health literacy of Australian Bachelor of Nursing students: a longitudinal study

Many students have poor mental health literacy when they finish Bachelor of Nursing courses. This paper presents the findings of a longitudinal study of Australian Bachelor of Nursing students' mental health literacy about the effectiveness of interventions for people with schizophrenia. The 'Attitudes and Beliefs about Mental Health Problems: Professional and Public Views' questionnaire was used with a non-probability sample of nursing students. A time series approach to data collection was used, with data collected on three occasions between 2005 and 2007. Ethics approval was obtained from a university ethics committee. Data were analysed using SPSS Version 15.0. The students' views about the helpfulness of interventions showed a significant and positive improvement as they progressed through the course. There were significant differences over time in their views about the helpfulness of professional and lay interventions, their opinions about the helpfulness of mental health and other medications, and the usefulness of activity and non-pharmacological interventions. Because nursing students need to be mental health literate when they complete their course, mental health nursing content should be incorporated earlier in comprehensive undergraduate curricula and incrementally increased in each year of study.     

PDCA式健康教育模式在体检中心健康管理中的应用效果及对体检者身心健康的影响

目的 探讨PDCA式健康教育模式在体检中心健康管理中的应用效果.方法 将326例体检者按照体检时间分为对照组(2018年1月至2018年3月)与观察组(2018年4月至2018年6月),各163例.对照组采用常规健康教育模式,观察组采用PDCA式健康教育模式.比较两组的应用效果.结果 观察组的体检时间短于对照组,体检效...     

Mental health professionals' attitudes towards people who have experienced a mental health disorder

The aim of this study was to gain information about the attitudes of mental health professionals towards people who have experienced a mental illness. The study involved a survey of 266 mental health professionals employed in a range of mental health treatment settings. Respondents were administered a questionnaire based on one of two vignettes describing a person with schizophrenia or depression. Attitudes were represented as beliefs about prognosis and long-term outcomes in relation to the two vignettes. Professional groups were found to be less optimistic about prognosis, and less positive about likely long-term outcomes, when compared with the general public. Medical staff were less optimistic about outcomes than other professional groups, with mental health nurses generally most optimistic. Most professionals based their attitudes on their experiences of working with people with mental health problems.