Effectiveness of Community-Based Outreach Interventions for Individuals Living with Mental Ill-Health in Australia: A Systematic Review

Objective. Mental ill-health is a common occurrence globally and represents a signifcant burden of disease. In Australia, the development and improvement of programs that connect individuals earlier in their mental ill-health journey is a national health priority. However, there are current informational gaps on community-based initiatives and their associated mental health outcomes. Tis review aimed to systematically identify, assess, and analyse studies reporting on community-based outreach interventions for individuals experiencing mental ill-health. Method. A systematic review of the literature was conducted across 6 electronic databases and Google Scholar on 01 November 2021 and 12 June 2022. Te National Health and Medical Research Council Evidence Hierarchy was used to assess study quality, and the PAGER framework was used to synthesise and analyse the results of included studies. Results. Eighty-three studies met the inclusion criteria" 51% (n = 42 studies) incorporated digital technology, and 49% (n = 41 studies) involved nonclinical light-touch interventions. Individuals with severe mental ill-health were likely to beneft from targeted interventions, and individuals with mild to moderate symptoms of mental ill-health were likely to beneft from interventions involving high levels of engagement from participants. Conclusion. Results from this review provide an understanding of patterns related to the efectiveness of community-based outreach interventions. Knowledge from this review will inform the implementation of targeted strategies to enhance the proactive provision of mental health services in the community. Standardised outcome measures are needed to strengthen the evidence base for community-based outreach interventions, by enabling researchers and service providers to explore which type of intervention and with what intensity is best suited for participants with varying levels of mental ill-health

Safety considerations for assessing the quality of apps used during pregnancy: A scoping review

Objective Pregnant women are increasingly turning to apps targeting knowledge and behaviour change for supporting healthy lifestyles and managing medical conditions. Yet, there is growing concern over the credibility and safety of content within mobile health (mHealth) apps. This scoping review aimed to systematically and thematically consolidate safety considerations described in reviews evaluating pregnancy-specific apps. Methods PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE® and EPub, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Libraries, and SCOPUS were systematically searched to identify reviews that assessed apps targeting pregnant women. Data related to safety were extracted and thematically analysed to establish a set of relevant safety considerations. Results Sixteen reviews met the inclusion criteria. The included reviews assessed an average of 27 apps each and targeted pregnancy topics, such as nutrition and physical activity. Five major and 20 minor themes were identified, including information, transparency, credibility, privacy and security, and app tailoring. Information, transparency, and credibility relate to the evidence base of information within the app, privacy and security of apps relate to the protection of personal information and data, and app tailoring relates to the consideration of contextual factors, such as local guidelines and digital health literacy. Conclusions Results present possible safety considerations when evaluating pregnancy-specific apps and emphasise a clear need for consumer guidance on how to make informed decisions around engagement and use of mHealth apps during pregnancy

Key issues, challenges, and preferred supports for those bereaved by suicide: Insights from postvention experts

For many, suicide bereavement is challenging. Postvention responses are few and evidence to inform them is lacking. Eighteen postvention experts completed an online survey regarding the key issues, challenges, and supports available to people bereaved by suicide. Participants were asked to identify the issues, then rank them in terms of importance at key times during the first 2 years after death, with navigating grief, managing relationships, and dealing with practical challenges identified. Access to information, practical assistance and non-judgmental support were most important early in the bereavement period. These findings provide a foundation for recommendations for postvention interventions

How environmental impact is considered in economic evaluations of critical care: A scoping review

Reducing the carbon footprint in critical care requires data and costs for key healthcare inputs specific to critical care and robust methods to include and analyze these data in economic evaluations. Yet, a comprehensive review of how environmental impact data are incorporated into health economic evaluations in critical care has yet to be conducted. The purpose of this scoping review is to synthesize available literature on whether and how environmental impact is considered in health economic evaluations of critical care

Assessing the Content and Quality of Digital Tools for Managing Gestational Weight Gain: Systematic Search and Evaluation

BackgroundDigital health resources have the potential to assist women in optimizing gestational weight gain (GWG) during pregnancy to improve maternal health outcomes. ObjectiveIn this study, we aimed to evaluate the quality and behavior change potential of publicly available digital tools (websites and apps) that facilitate GWG tracking. MethodsDigital tools were identified using key search terms across website search engines and app stores and evaluated using the Mobile App Rating Scale, the App Behavior Change Scale, as well as criteria to evaluate the rigor and safety of GWG information. ResultsOverall, 1085 tools were screened for inclusion (162 websites and 923 apps), and 19 were deemed eligible. The mean Mobile App Rating Scale quality score was 3.31 (SD 0.53) out of 5, ranging from 2.26 to 4.39, and the mean App Behavior Change Scale score was 6 (SD 3.4) out of 21, ranging from 19 to 0. Of the 19 items used to evaluate rigor of GWG advice, most tools (n=11, 57.9%) contained ≤3 items. ConclusionsThis review emphasizes the substantial limitations in current digital resources promoting the monitoring and optimization of GWG. Most tools were of low quality, had minimal behavior change potential, and were potentially unsafe, with minimal linkage to evidence-based information or partnership with health care