Experiences of Chinese Migrants Caring for Family Members With Schizophrenia in Australia

Little is known about the experience of Chinese migrants to Australia who are caring for a person with schizophrenia. The research was exploratory in nature, providing information on the health, help-seeking behaviors, burden, and caring experiences of Chinese carers of people with schizophrenia in Melbourne. Ethnic Chinese carers of people with schizophrenia were recruited. Health care or social service professionals were also interviewed to understand the context of Chinese migrants in seeking help for mental health problems and caring for someone with psychiatric illness. Recommendations for Chinese migrants facing mental health problems and challenges for social work practice are described.     

An outpatient psychotherapy clinic for the elderly: Rationale,establishment and characteristics

Introduction: The purpose of this paper is to describe the factors informing the establishment of an outpatient psychotherapy clinic for the elderly, the first of its kind in Australia, and then to describe the characteristics of the first 51 patients to attend the clinic. Methods: A retrospective review of patients' files was conducted to obtain data on patient demographics, diagnoses, types of psychotherapy received, and number of sessions received. Results: A majority of patients were between the ages of 65 and 75, female, partnerless, living alone in private accommodation, and suffering from major depression. Types of psychotherapy received were psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive‐behavior therapy, supportive psychotherapy, grief therapy, or a combination of the above. The mean number of sessions received was 11, and one in five patients terminated prematurely. Discussion: Psychodynamic psychotherapy is suited to only a very small minority of elderly patients. Enabling factors and possible barriers to treatment are discussed. Some proposals are offered to enhance the scope and quality of the clinic.     

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) based decision support systems in mental health: An integrative review

An integrative review investigating the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) based decision support systems in mental health care settings was undertaken of published literature between 2016 and 2021 across six databases. Four studies met the research question and the inclusion criteria. The primary theme identified was trust and confidence. To date, there is limited research regarding the use of AI-based decision support systems in mental health. Our review found that significant barriers exist regarding its incorporation into practice primarily arising from uncertainty related to clinician's trust and confidence, end-user acceptance and system transparency. More research is needed to understand the role of AI in assisting treatment and identifying missed care. Researchers and developers must focus on establishing trust and confidence with clinical staff before true clinical impact can be determined. Finally, further research is required to understand the attitudes and beliefs surrounding the use of AI and related impacts for the wellbeing of the end-users of care. This review highlights the necessity of involving clinicians in all stages of research, development and implementation of artificial intelligence in care delivery. Earning the trust and confidence of clinicians should be foremost in consideration in implementation of any AI-based decision support system. Clinicians should be motivated to actively embrace the opportunity to contribute to the development and implementation of new health technologies and digital tools that assist all health care professionals to identify missed care, before it occurs as a matter of importance for public safety and ethical implementation. AI-basesd decision support tools in mental health settings show most promise as trust and confidence of clinicians is achieved.     

Is E‐mail Communication a Feasible Method to Interview Young People With Mental Health Problems?

TOPIC: E‐mail interviewing—not to be confused with “online surveying”—shows promise for researchers working with adolescent mental health populations as a data collection method. PURPOSE: To explore potential advantages, constraints, and applications of e‐mail interviewing as a research method for staff working with adolescent mental health populations. CONCLUSIONS: At face value, there appear to be several advantages to e‐mail interviewing with young populations and further exploration of this method is warranted.     

Staff perspectives on the effects of seclusion in adolescent psychiatric inpatient care

Nurses are at the forefront of seclusion in adolescent psychiatric units. Understanding nurses and other staff perspectives on the effects of seclusion is critical in the ongoing effort to minimize and eliminate seclusion. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of staff attitudes, experiences, and beliefs about the effects of seclusion on both themselves and patients. Thirty-one staff members (including 20 nurses) completed the Attitudes to Seclusion Survey and 24 participated in semi-structured interviews to explore their beliefs and experiences of seclusion use in adolescent psychiatric inpatient care. Analysis of the questionnaire showed overwhelming agreement in the negative impacts of seclusion on patients, while there was uncertainty around the positive impacts of seclusion. Using a combination of the intuitive approach and thematic analysis, five themes were identified from interviews with staff, three unique to nurses: (i) staff were reluctant to use seclusion but felt it was necessary, (ii) nurses felt under-resourcing led to increased chances of seclusion, (iii) staff believed seclusion negatively impacted the patients, (iv) nurses felt their relationships with patients were negatively impacted, and (v) seclusion also had a negative effect on nurses. Clinical recommendations included a systematic and structured approach to debriefing to repair ruptures in the therapeutic relationship; staffing to be based on the acuity of the unit rather than occupancy; alternatives to seclusion that meet the needs of service providers and consumers. Future research should compare staff and patient perspectives, include multiple sites, and greater participation of non-nursing staff.