Civil Commitment and the Mental Health Care Continuum: Historical Trends and Principles for Law and Practice

An apparent shortage of psychiatric beds in many areas has created a situation in which involuntary commitment may be seen as a virtual entitlement—a way to prioritize intensive mental health services for individuals who would have difficulty accessing these services otherwise. Constraints on access greatly influence involuntary commitment practice and policy. Outpatient commitment, commonly termed “Assisted Outpatient Treatment” (AOT), may serve as a portal to services in some communities, using the legal leverage of commitment law. To meet these challenges in a shifting policy landscape, some guidance is needed to assist state policymakers and practitioners in reforming, implementing, and appropriately targeting commitment law and practice—both inpatient and outpatient—to the small proportion of adults who require and may benefit from its use. Part I of this report reviews the history and current status of involuntary commitment in the United States. Part II sets forth expert consensus principles to guide the optimal, ethical use of commitment. Part III provides practical tools— briefly stated guidelines and a checklist of requirements—to assist policy makers and others responsible for reforming or implementing civil commitment laws or systems

Effects of Perceived Stigma from College Friends on Students Utilizing Mental Health Services

This paper explores the relationship between perceived stigma from friends and the use of mental health services. By reviewing six peer-reviewed articles it was hypothesized that there would be a negative correlation between the number of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Psychology 317 students who perceive that their friends had negative thoughts towards mental health services and the likelihood that those individuals would partake in mental health services. A convenience sample (N= 96) was taken from Dr. Cobb’s Psychology 317 class. A correlation was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics 22. The results showed that there was a significant and weak positive correlation between the two variables, r(94)= 0.292, p= 0.004. Meaning, as the number of number of friends who used mental health services increased, the number of students who use mental health services would increase as well. Additionally, if people lack friends who use mental health services, they will be less likely to use mental health services offered to them. Through this research school officials can try increasing the number of people being educated on mental illnesses. As a result, the incidence of mental health stigma could be reduced and the number of people using mental health services may increase

An Assessment of Mental Health Services for Veterans in the State of Texas

This report describes the complex challenges faced by veterans and their families in seeking, navigating, and attaining adequate mental health care in Texas. There are 1.7 million veterans in Texas, comprising 8.6 percent of the adult population. According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), the number of veterans requiring mental health services has grown dramatically and will continue to increase, making veterans’ mental health care an urgent issue in Texas. The federal agencies responsible for military and veterans mental health care, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the VA, have created new programs and invested significant financial and staff resources. Despite barriers to addressing veterans mental health needs. Texas state agencies have increased funding and instituted new mental health programs supporting returning veterans. Nonprofit agencies focused on veteran’s mental health have multiplied across Texas and the U.S. over the past decade to fill gaps in care. While these organizations provide a growing and increasingly diverse set of resources for veterans to extend the scope of support, volunteer efforts can suffer from fragmentation and overlap. The report identifies current practices, challenges, and opportunities within and across each group of service providers. The report draws on government reports, scholarly literature, and agency websites, as well as interviews with counselors, Veteran Service Officers, nonprofit providers, state officials, and veterans themselves. This report offers five recommendations toward the goal that veterans’ mental health care in Texas become comprehensive, inclusive, effective, and efficient. First, there is a need for greater inter-agency communication across organizations, improved outreach efforts, and increased services for hard-to-reach populations, such as homeless veterans. Second, federal agencies ought to address staff shortages, improve the transition from DoD to VA care, and increase feedback. Third, at the state level, specialized services are needed to address unique veterans’ needs concentrated in cities across Texas as well as those dispersed in rural areas. Fourth, providers can improve mental health care by integrating social services and law enforcement. Fifth, both veterans and providers can benefit if they recognize opportunities for cooperation and coordination and work towards long-term goals that emphasize outcomes that improve the lives of returning veterans. This research was funded in part by the Jack S. Blanton Research Fellowship and the George A. Roberts Research Fellowship of the IC² Institute.IC2 Institut

Transition of care from child to adult mental health services : the great divide

Purpose of review: Adolescents with mental health problems often require transition of care from child and adolescent to adult mental health services. This review is a synthesis of current research and policy literature on transition to describe the barriers at the interface between child and adolescent mental health services and adult mental health services and outcomes of poor transition. Recent findings: Adolescence is a risk period for emergence of serious mental disorders. Child and adolescent mental health services and adult mental health services use rigid age cut-offs to delineate service boundaries, creating discontinuities in provision of care. Adolescent mental health services are patchy across the world. Several recent studies have confirmed that problems occur during transition in diverse settings across several countries. In physical health, there are emerging models of practice to improve the process and outcomes of transition, but there is very little comparable literature in mental healthcare. Summary: Poor transition leads to disruption in continuity of care, disengagement from services and is likely to lead to poorer clinical outcomes. Some young people, such as those with neurodevelopmental disorders and complex needs, are at a greater risk of falling through the care gap during transition. Services need robust and high-quality evidence on the process and outcomes of transition so that effective intervention strategies can be developed

Service user experience of the Norfolk youth service

Purpose: There is an international drive to improve mental health services for young people. This study aims to investigate service user experience of a youth mental health service in Norfolk, UK. In addition to suggesting improvements to this service, recommendations are made for the development of youth mental health services in general. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-methods approach was used. Quantitative data from satisfaction questionnaires were analysed using descriptive statistics and compared between two time points. A semi-structured interview was used to generate qualitative data. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes in the interview transcripts and triangulation was used to synthesise quantitative and qualitative data. Findings: Service users appeared satisfied with the service. Significant improvements in satisfaction were found between two time points. Qualitative analysis identified three main themes that were important to service users, including support, information and personhood. Practical implications: Recommendations for the development of youth mental health services are provided. Although these are based on findings from the Norfolk youth service, they are likely to apply to other mental health services for young people. Originality/value: Mental health care for young people requires significant improvement. The Norfolk youth service is one of the first services of its kind in the UK. The findings from this study might be helpful to consider in the development of youth mental health services across the world

Mental health services in brief 2013

This paper provides an overview of data about the national response of the health and welfare system to the mental health care needs of Australians. Introduction Mental health services in Australia is an interactive website that provides national data about how the health and welfare system responds to the needs of Australians affected by mental illness. The website is updated regularly as new data become available. This companion document, Mental health services—in brief 2013, provides an overview of key findings from Mental health services in Australia presented online each year. The most recent data from a number of data sources inform this report. As such, the reference year reported in this companion document may vary between data sources. What do we mean by mental illness? Mental illness refers to a clinically diagnosable disorder that significantly interferes with an individual’s cognitive, emotional or social abilities. The term comprises a spectrum of disorders that vary in severity. Mental illness can have damaging effects on the individuals and families concerned, and its influence is far-reaching for society as a whole. Social problems commonly associated with mental illness include poverty, unemployment or reduced productivity and homelessness. Those with mental illness often experience problems such as isolation, discrimination and stigma. The terms mental illness and mental disorder are used interchangeably throughout this document. How many people receive mental health-related services? About 1.9 million Australians (9% of the population) received public or private mental health services in 2010–11. There were an estimated 15 million mental health-related general practitioner (GP) encounters, or visits, in 2011–12. How many people are affected? An estimated 7.3 million Australians aged between 16 and 85 (45%) will experience a common mental health-related disorder over their lifetime, according to the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Each year, 1 in 5 Australians in this age range, or 3 million Australians, are estimated to experience symptoms of a mental disorder. The most common mental illnesses are affective (mood) disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders and substance use disorders. Mental illness also includes ‘low prevalence’ conditions. This group includes psychotic illnesses and a range of other conditions such as eating disorders and severe personality disorder. Psychotic illnesses are characterised by fundamental distortions of thinking, perception and emotional response. An estimated 64,000 people in Australia have a psychotic illness and are in contact with public specialised mental health services each year. Schizophrenia is the most common psychotic illness. How much money is spent on mental health-related services? Almost $6.9 billion, or$309 per Australian, was spent on mental health-related services in Australia during 2010–11

Mental health services - in brief 2014

This paper provides an overview of data about the national response of the health and welfare system to the mental health care needs of Australians. Introduction This Mental health services—in brief 2014 report has been produced as a companion publication to the Mental health services in Australia website. The report provides an annual overview of key statistics and related information on mental health services, while incorporating updates made to the website over the 12 months to November 2014. The next section of this report provides a brief description of mental illness in Australia in terms of its prevalence and impact. This is followed by an overview section on services accessed by people with mental illness, and expenditure on mental health services. Subsequent sections provide more detailed insights into mental health care services and support, medications, and resources, respectively. The report concludes with a 2014 special focus section on involuntary care and seclusion, and a section reporting 3 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Australian Public Mental Health Service

Kent and Medway acute mental health services review

An independent analysis of the public response to a consultation on ‘achieving excellent care in a mental health crisis’ by the Centre for Nursing and Healthcare Research at the University of Greenwich. Background: This document presents the results of an analysis of the responses to the formal public consultation on Acute Mental Health Crisis Care services which took place over a 13 week period from 26 July 2012 to 26 October 2012. The consultation was conducted by NHS Kent and Medway working in partnership with Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust, and the data gathered was analysed independently by the Centre for Nursing and Healthcare Research at the University of Greenwich