ABSTRACT
This study aimed to explore the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on social relationships of forensic psychiatric outpatients with preexisting social network-related problems. Data from 70 participants of an ongoing randomized controlled trial, investigating the effectiveness of a social network intervention among forensic psychiatric outpatients, were examined. Demographic characteristics, quality of social relationships, loneliness, and social support were assessed at baseline. During the COVID-19 pandemic, an additional questionnaire that contained quantitative and qualitative questions regarding the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on social relationships was administered. Participants showed high levels of loneliness and dissatisfaction with social relationships before COVID-19. The majority of forensic outpatients perceived no changes on social relationships due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Qualitative results revealed some participants already lived socially isolated. Negative changes on social relationships were related to deterioration of social contacts, interruption of daytime activities, changed mental health care, and well-being. Emotional loneliness predicted deteriorated general and romantic relationships. These findings suggest that social relationships of forensic patients with preexisting social network-related problems remain of concern throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Forensic Psychology Research & Practice is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative effect on mental health. Queer women and nonbinary individuals disproportionately experience mental health issues when compared to heterosexuals, often facing challenges in receiving care from providers who are sensitive to their concerns and competent in their care. Objective: To report experience of queer women and nonbinary individuals in the United States with mental health care services before and during the pandemic. Methods: Data were gathered via a 43-item survey about experiences with mental health care services before and during the pandemic that was posted on four social media sites, and flyers hung in university student centers and businesses friendly to LGBTQ individuals. Queer women and nonbinary individuals between the ages of 18 and 75 were invited to participate. Descriptive statistics and Spearman?s correlations were used for data analysis. Results: There were 175 participants who met inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. During the pandemic, more survey participants received mental health services compared with before the pandemic. How they received care significantly changed from before the pandemic (mostly in-person) to during the pandemic (mostly remote). Participants reported being seen significantly more frequently for mental health care during the pandemic compared to before. A higher percentage of participants received both psychotherapy and medication during the pandemic compared with before. They were generally satisfied with their mental health care;however, satisfaction was significantly higher during the pandemic. Conclusion: During the pandemic, compared with before, significantly more participants received mental health care and there were significantly more virtual mental health visits, more frequent mental health visits, more intensive therapies, and higher patient satisfaction. Telehealth care was perceived to be beneficial by most participants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The double societal hit of dementia and infectious disease outbreaks like COVID-19 have raised a convergence of concerns for the future of care settings for people living with dementia. Images of institutionalized older adults who are quarantined in closed settings have led developers, government agencies, and care administrators to search for innovative options to create more autonomy and quality of life in care settings while protecting the health of residents. This chapter describes the qualitative work being conducted by a Midwestern university research team, laying the groundwork for the conceptual adaptive reuse of an 800,000 square-foot closed mall site for centralized dementia programs, services, housing, and an on-site quarantine and medical center. Focus group outcomes from architects and developers highlighted five principle themes relating to the barriers and benefits of adaptive reuse for this model which include: mixed-use precedents, linking the old with the new, economic factors, development partnerships, and sustainable building practices. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Based on a participatory study design, this article describes how a group of family members of people deprived of liberty (PDL) experienced the COVID-19 control measures implemented in Mexico's prisons. We conducted 28 in-depth interviews and analyzed them using ATLAS.ti. We found that the measures implemented in Mexican prisons to avoid the spread of COVID-19 focused mainly on suspension of visitation and PDL confinement. The isolation imposed on PDL impacted their living conditions, making them more vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 due to lack of access to essential services, food, and hygiene supplies. Visit restrictions and PDL isolation also impacted PDL relatives' health and socioeconomic conditions. Our findings indicate that the consequences of COVID-19 control actions in Mexican prisons differ according to the gender and jurisdiction of PDL. Women in federal prisons were more isolated, while those in local ones were more deprived of basic supplies. Imprisoned women's isolation has especially severe effects on the mental and physical health of their elderly parents and children. The results show how the measures adopted to control COVID-19 outbreaks in Mexican prisons have exacerbated the preexisting systemic violence experienced by PDL and their families and how they have failed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in these settings. These findings provide support for the health-informed penal reform of Mexican prisons.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The Coronavirus disease pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19) has had psychological implications and altered the public's well-being. In response to the pandemic, mental health practitioners play an essential role in mitigating the adverse psychological effects among the public. However, as the demand for mental health services increases, the responsibilities of mental health professionals are far stretched from what they can handle. Therefore, this research is aimed to explore the psychological impact of the pandemic on the mental health practitioners in Selangor and their coping strategies. Method: A total of 10 mental health practitioners who are clinical psychologists and counselors participated in the one-to-one interview. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis. Result: The higher client loads, the transition to virtual therapy, burnout, and anxiety were found to have an impact on the mental health practitioners' well-being. Despite the challenging psychological impact, the mental health practitioners expressed a high level of satisfaction with their jobs, which they attributed to the supportive organisational culture and their intrinsic drive for selecting this profession. The mental health practitioners have reported that perceived organisational support, social support, and self-care approaches are effective coping mechanisms. Mindfulness skills such as breathing techniques and meditation are often practiced by the participants to calm the mind and body from a long day of work. Conclusion: The implication of the study contributes to breaking the stigmatisation of help seeking behaviour among the helping professions, as well as urging the policy makers, governments, and foundations to play a part in providing accessible and quality mental healthcare to the society. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Malaysian Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences is the property of Universiti Putra Malaysia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
In South Africa, sexual and gender minorities experience a wide array of health inequities and face many difficulties in accessing health services. This is largely due to the general heteronormative-based health system that is not well equipped to meet the needs of those not conforming to "normal" forms of gender and sexuality. In addition, the heteronormative-based approach to LGBT health has rendered the unique needs and experiences of sexual and gender minorities invisible within mainstream health data, systems and policies. Increasing evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened health disparities and this is likely a consequence of existing challenges related to structural violence that persisted prior to its emergence. Given the current structure of South Africa's health system, this chapter examines structural violence in the context of healthcare and draws on in-depth interviews conducted with 12 LGBT students at a university in South Africa. The findings highlight the importance of raising awareness on the spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identity, applying an intersectional lens to the health system to address health inequities and gearing healthcare programs to provide services for all. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Intervention following alternative events is essential for continued cognitive development. Prior research has cognitive growth models and the effect of alternative stimuli on youth when given similar foundations. Following the return to school after a national pandemic and extended school closure following the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020, it is vital to determine factors to increase positive post-secondary outcomes for students. This research study examined the potential impact of student mental health on academic achievement in response to school closure following a pandemic. The research study consisted of 92 individual students and was a quasi-experimental quantitative study. Data consisted of two nominal independent variables and one scale dependent variable. The independent variables were participation in school based mental health or non-participation and the dependent variables were STAR 360 benchmark assessments in reading and math. Scaled Score and Normal Curve Equivalent were analyzed utilizing SPSS to calculate statistical significance within the data set. The data from this study indicated statistically significant growth in reading and math post-school closure as well as statistical significance in between all benchmark assessments in relation to time but no statistical significance due to school based mental health. The findings represent students who were presented with alternative stimuli and required intervention to return to commensurate cognitive growth. Following the pandemic closure, schools needed to develop additional levels of support that reconnected students to school and furthered social and emotional learning practices. Analysis of pre- and post-extended school closure data as well as the main effect of time in posttest analysis suggests that universal support over time may correlate to increased academic achievement and growth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
For many decades the police have been the de facto responders to persons with perceived mental illness (PwPMI). However, having the police in this role has come with negative repercussions for PwPMI, such as disproportionately experiencing criminalization and use of force. In recognizing these issues, the police-and more recently, the community-have developed responses that either seek to improve interactions between the police and PwPMI or remove the police from this role altogether. However, in either case, these efforts are reactivein nature, responding to crises that arguably could have been prevented had a timelier intervention taken place. Further, evidence on certain police responses to PwPMI, such as Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) and co-response teams, suggests that they endure deployment-related challenges, thus limiting their reach to PwPMI.Drawing from the Criminology of Place and existing place-based policing strategies, the present dissertation argues that efforts focused on respondingto PwPMI should instead be proactively deployed, targeting areas where interactions between police and PwPMI concentrate spatially. Doing so would not only result in efficient deployment of scarce resources but would permit police- and community-based efforts to have a greater reach to PwPMI and thus prevent future interactions with police. To-date, however, there have been few empirical and theoretical investigations into the spatial patterns of PwPMI calls for service that could inform such proactive, place-based efforts. Specifically, we do not currently understand: (1) the degree to which PwPMI calls for service concentrate within certain geographical contexts (such as a small city);(2) whether the degree of PwPMI call concentration and the location of these calls remain stable over time;and (3) what theoretical frameworks explain why PwPMI calls for service occur where they do. Drawing on seven years (2014-2020) of calls for service data from the Barrie Police Service and data from the 2016 Canadian Census, the present dissertation employs various methods of spatial analysis to fills these specific knowledge gaps.Although the theoretical investigation confirmed the findings of previous work that found no association between social disorganization theory and the spatial patterns of PwPMI calls for service, the present dissertation revealed: (1) PwPMI calls for service are highly concentrated within the context of a small city, even more so than what has previously been uncovered in larger jurisdictions;(2) the degree of PwPMI call concentration is stable over time, falling within a narrow proportional bandwidth of spatial units;and (3) PwPMI calls for service, and their concentrations, occur in the same places over time-even during the COVID-19 pandemic-and are thus spatially stable. As such, though more scholarship is needed on theories that might help explain why PwPMI calls occur where they do, the findings of the present dissertation strongly support the proactive, place-based deployment of resources to PwPMI. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 policy responses have intensified the use of housing as a spatial and material defence against community spread of infection. In so doing, they have focussed attention upon pre-existing inequalities and the effects of socio-economic management of COVID-19. This paper draws upon individual households' accounts to explore these effects on housing inequalities, and then adapts a critical resilience framework from disaster response in order to examine the implications for policymaking. The empirical work centres upon a case study of lived experiences of COVID-19-constrained conditions, based on a longitudinal-style study combining semi-structured interviews with 40 households, photographs and household tours at two datapoints (before/during COVID-19) in Victoria, Australia. The study reveals how these households were impacted across four domains: (1) employment, finances, services, and mobilities;(2) homemaking including comfort and energy bills, food and provisioning, and home-schooling/working from home;(3) relationships, care and privacy, and;(4) social, physical and mental health. The interviews also indicate how households coped and experienced relief payments and other related support policies during COVID-19. Drawing upon literature on disaster response, we highlight the centrality of vulnerability and resilience in recognising household exposure and sensitivity to COVID-19, and capabilities in coping. From this analysis, gaps in COVID-19 housing and welfare policy are exposed and guide a discussion for future housing policy interventions and pandemic planning.
ABSTRACT
Burnout rates of correctional employees are higher than employees in the general public. The purpose of this study was to identify how occupational factors impact burnout rates among correctional mental health workers. Grounded in the job-demands theoretical model, this study compared burnout rates among mental health staff within county jails and state prisons. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Occupational factors were measured using the Areas of Work life Survey and Pandemic Experience and Perception Survey. Data was analyzed using IBM SSPS software to address multiple a priori directional research questions. Research questions considered how occupational factors impact burnout of this population. Key results indicated no significant difference in burnout rates among mental health providers, though found "workload" and "control" to be significant predictors of emotional exhaustion in both jails and prisons, and "reward" a significant predictor of personal accomplishment in prisons. "Risk perception" and "work life" were predictors of emotional exhaustion during a global pandemic. Future studies should expand the research on the variable "workload" with burnout and consider utilizing the demographic data collected to identify additional correlations. Implications for positive social change include prevention of burnout in correctional settings resulting in lower staff turnover, improved staff quality of life, and increased quality of treatment. Knowing the factors that contribute to burnout in these populations allows for intervention prior to burnout. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the state of response and likely long-term implications across the continuum of place types for older adults, from independent housing to skilled nursing, with a focus on how physical settings and technological systems can empower autonomy and identity. It does so by adopting a person-environment (P-E) exchange framework as articulated by Chaudhury and Oswald (J Aging Stud 51:100821, 2019) This framework is structured in three sections: components of P-E interaction, P-E processes, and environment-related outcomes. Components of P-E interaction include individual characteristics, social factors, physical/built environments, and technological systems with this chapter focusing on the last two. These components form a milieu within which the dialectic interaction between agency and belonging occurs and ultimately informs assessments regarding autonomy and identity. Emergent themes discussed in this chapter include a heightened emphasis on inclusive housing models, age-friendly integration of technology, environmental flexibility in design and programming, and enhanced support for the needs of caregivers. Examining place change through an integrative P-E framework offers a lens to understanding what implications to agency and belonging might be tied to modifications in the physical and technological environment in response to COVID-19 and how that might inform outcomes related to autonomy and identity among older adults. The environmental responses to COVID-19 will accelerate the ability of independent housing to serve individuals longer in their homes and should promote a radical embrace of small house approaches to skilled care, thereby challenging assisted living as a place type altogether. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The true impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health has yet to be seen. This chapter explores how students did and did not thrive in college as a result of the pandemic's impacts on their mental health. It explores general findings, and then examines the unique experiences of Students of Color, who, in many cases, were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Student participants conveyed that their mental health declined, which resulted in diminishing motivation to complete schoolwork. However, emotional support networks, school resources, and therapeutic outlets assisted some students in overcoming the barriers to success. Although accessing counseling services proved difficult for some students, those who did have access felt these services improved their mental health. The online class format posed many challenges to students' motivation. While videos and taped lectures were easily accessible resources that professors were forced to utilize due to the abrupt shift to online learning, these students' statements illustrate that they were simply no substitute for inperson interactions. While peer interaction can serve as a catalyst to learning, the lack of it during spring 2020 proved an inhibitor to participants' thriving and motivation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This book addresses a broad range of issues related to mental health in higher education in Australia, with specific reference to student and staff well-being. It examines the challenges of creating and sustaining more resilient cultures within higher education and the community. Showcasing some of Australia's unique experiences, the authors present a multidisciplinary perspective of mental health supports and services relevant to the higher education landscape. This book examines the different ways Australian higher education institutions responded/are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, with reference to domestic and international students. Through the exploration of practice and research, the authors add to the rich discourses on well-being in the higher education. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: The overarching goal of this paper is to increase awareness among researchers and practitioners that refugees are disproportionally impacted by COVID-19, which increases their suffering. Second, it extends a recently introduced transformative refugee service experience framework by integrating and conceptualizing refugees' resource and service inclusion during a pandemic. Third, it explores lessons learned and implications from the COVID-19 pandemic for the future of service research and practice. Design/methodology/approach: This study synthesizes approaches on refugees, resources and transformative service research to develop an extended framework for addressing one of society's pressing issues during and after pandemics. Findings: Recognizing refugees as providing resources rather than just needing or depleting resources can enable more inclusion. It facilitates refugees' integration into society by drawing on their skills and knowledge. This requires hospitable refugee service systems that enable service inclusion and opportunities for refugee resource integration.Research limitations/implications: This article focuses on one vulnerable group in society. However, the extended framework presented warrants broader application to other contexts, such as subsistence marketplaces. Practical implications: Managers of service businesses and public policymakers should create more inclusive and hospitable service systems for refugees. This may result in redesigning services, changing consumer behavior and reformulating public policy.Social implicationsBetter inclusion and integration of refugees and their resources should increase their individual well-being, reduce social issues in society, increase overall societal well-being and productivity. Originality/value: This article presents a novel extended framework for service scholars and service providers to increase resource and service inclusion of refugees in a disaster context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This book broadens the visioning on new care environments that are designed to be inclusive, progressive, and convergent with the needs of an aging population. The contents cover a range of long-term care (LTC) settings in a single collection to address the needs of a wide audience. Due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, rethinking the spatial design of care facilities in order to prepare for future respiratory and contagious pathogens is one of the prime concerns across the globe, along with social connectedness and autonomy in care settings. This book contributes to the next generation of knowledge and understanding of the growing field of the design of technology, programs, and environments for LTC that are more effective in infection prevention and control as well as social connectedness. To address these issues, the chapters are organized in four sections: Part I: Home- and community-based care;Part II: Facility-based care;Part III: Memory care and end-of-life care;and Part IV: Evidence-based applied projects and next steps. (Re)designing the Continuum of Care for Older Adults is an essential resource for researchers, practitioners, educators, policymakers, and students associated with LTC home and healthcare settings. With diverse topics in theory, substantive issues, and methods, the contributions from notable researchers and scholars cover a range of innovative programming, environments, and technologies which can impact the changing needs and support for older adults and their families across the continuum of care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The problem addressed by this qualitative descriptive study was the challenges mental health providers experienced and their ability to continuously provide services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Burn out and secondary traumatic stress are common conditions experienced by mental health providers due to the nature of their work. Resilience plays an important role in a person's ability to effectively navigate through life's challenges, therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand and describe the lived experience of mental health professionals during a wide-spread crisis, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of the resilience theory. A qualitative descriptive method and design were used for this study as this provided opportunity to collect and describe the lived experiences of mental health clinicians who provided mental health services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling on social media. The research sample included 12 participants, 11 of which were female, and 1 male. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with the participants. The interviews were uploaded and transcribed through Descript transcription software and were manually coded and themed by the researcher. Three research questions were used for this study which included: How do mental health professionals describe the effects of COVID-19 on their delivery of services to their clients? How do mental health professionals cope with the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic? and What needs do mental health professionals identify to effectively continue the provision of services during the pandemic? The results of the study indicated that mental health professionals need to feel supported by their workplace which includes social support among employees as social interaction as coping was identified as important by the clinicians. Most participants did identify an increase in stress and burnout symptoms. Participants noted that they need additional trainingin telehealth to feel prepared to provide services through these virtual platforms. Employers are recommended to incorporate social support, and trainings. Future research will benefit from studying the long-term outcomes of the pandemic on the clinician's coping and resilience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Although empirical evidence may provide a much desired sense of certainty amidst a pandemic characterised by uncertainty, the vast gamut of available COVID-19 data, including misinformation, has instead increased confusion and distrust in authorities' decisions. One key lesson we have been gradually learning from the COVID-19 pandemic is that the availability of empirical data and scientific evidence alone do not automatically lead to good decisions. Good decision-making in public health policy, this paper argues, does depend on the availability of reliable data and rigorous analyses, but depends above all on sound ethical reasoning that ascribes value and normative judgement to empirical facts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic has posed greater challenges to older adults, especially those who live in congregated long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in dense urban settings. These facilities struggle with high rates of COVID-19 infections and other challenges that undermine LTCF residents' well-being. These challenges, including social isolation and limited access to nature and community, have been exacerbated by the pressures of the pandemic. This has led to feelings of loneliness, depression, and other mental health issues among residents and a higher risk of psychological stress and infection among nurses. The pandemic has challenged the existing built environment of LTCFs. Issues regarding physical and mental health, quality of life (QoL), infection control, and pandemic resiliency have been shown to be increasingly interwoven. This chapter envisions innovative approaches toward a post-COVID-19 environment for older adults and their caregivers. This chapter provides an extensive review and synthesis of the lessons learned from LTCFs during the pandemic, with a focus on how their experience was impacted by design. The authors also draw from current design trends to identify their potential to support residents', staff, and visitors' needs during and after pandemics. From these learnings, the following design principles were developed: (1) small household model, (2) biophilic design, (3) intergenerational community, and (4) multi-tier infection control strategies. These design principles were then translated to a prototype through a graduate capstone studio project, which provides a visual illustration of how these evidence-based design solutions can be applied within a dense urban environment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book is produced during the COVID-19 pandemic, an event that has drawn attention to the importance and fragility of good mental health. It presents the use of the Level of Service Inventory-Revised, Mental Health Service Evaluation and the Global Assessment of Functioning in probation in Ireland. The book discusses the use of the Kessler-6 in London and the idea that currently mental health services would be overloaded if screening positive on this measure alone was used to initiate a referral. It outlines the use of the Autism Quotient-10 to identify 'possible autism' and the Adult Asperger Assessment to gather a more detailed picture. The book discusses the use of drug specialists in probation practice. It highlights the central importance of a positive and consistent relationship between a person under supervision and their Probation Practitioner for positive mental health. This is important to build trust in order for an individual to be open about their mental health needs, and to minimise the potential trauma and stress that may result from having to retell a difficult story. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)