Migrant Women-experiences from the Mediterranean Region

Introduction: The phenomenon of migration is characterized and influenced by a number of different variables; and the different stages of journey are related to different levels and types of psychological distress. Women, in particular, are exposed to further specific risks during migration.Aim: To determine the factors that affect the psychological health of migrant women during the different stages of the migration journey.Methods: We provide a narrative review of the literature around the experiences of women during migration process, with a geographical focus on women migrating to the Mediterranean area.Results: Little data is currently available on the burden of mental health disorders for female migrants. Most studies about the mental health status of migrants were not gender-disaggregated or focused specifically on migrant women's experiences of violence. Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) was found to be a common risk factor faced by all the women who leave their native country to migrate to other countries.Conclusion: Despite the importance of the issue and the gender-specific variables related to the experience of migrant women, few studies have looked specifically at psychological variables and mental health status in the female migrant population. It is crucial that future studies are conducted around female migration, violence towards women, and women's mental health, in order to provide an evidence-base for promoting adequate policies and prevention/treatment programs for women

The diffusion of the diagnostic term bipolar disorder among the German public

In 2005, 15 years after the introduction of the diagnosis in DSM-III, a telephone survey in Germany revealed that the public was still unfamiliar with the term bipolar disorder. Only 5.3% of those questioned knew at the time that it denotes a mental illness. In the meantime, efforts have been made to spread the concept among the public. In the media there has been increasing mention of the disorder. Another telephone survey in 2017 showed that familiarity with the diagnostic term has grown substantially. 54.0% of respondents now connected the term bipolar disorder with a mental illness

Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift / What is a good doctor?

Changes in medical curricula have led to a shift of focus in medical education. The goal was to implement a more practical approach to teaching and thereby create better doctors. However, the question of what makes a good doctor is not easy to answer. This article gives an overview on the literature about this topic. A systematized review and narrative synthesis were conducted including 20 articles about the features of good doctors. Qualitative and quantitative studies as well as questionnaires were included. These studies reported research involving students, doctors, patients, and nurses. The resulting characteristics of good doctors fell into six categories: (1) General interpersonal qualities, (2) Communication and patient involvement, (3) Medical competence, (4) Ethics, (5) Medical management, (6) Teaching, research, and continuous education. The different stakeholders showed different ideas of the concept of a good doctor. Interestingly, patients had a stronger focus on communication skills, whereas doctors put more emphasis on medical skills. Balancing this discrepancy will be a challenge for future medical education.(VLID)360161

Burnout: Ein deutsches Phänomen? = Burnout: A German phenomenon?

Objective: To examine whether the term burnout is particularly popular in Germany. Methods: Results from four representative population surveys on public beliefs and attitudes about mental disorders, which have been conducted in Germany, Austria, France, and Italy between 2009 and 2012, are compared. In all surveys, respondents had been presented with a case-vignette depicting someone suffering from a moderate depressive episode. Following that, they were asked how they would call the condition described in the case-vignette. Results: While in Germany and Austria over 10 % of respondents labeled the depressive symptoms as burnout, in France only 2 % and in Italy not a single respondent used this diagnosis. In Germany, another 9.5 % employed the German equivalent to the English term burned out or expressions like exhausted or overworked whereas in the other countries hardly anybody used those words. Conclusion: Obviously the term burnout enjoys greater popularity in Germany and Austria than in France and Italy. Apart from linguistic and stigma-related aspects, this may be explained by differences in the perception of current work conditions in the various countries

Integrating children with psychiatric disorders in the classroom: a systematic review

Background: The school setting may be the optimal context for early screening of and intervention on child mental health problems, because of its large reach and intertwinement with various participants (child, teacher, parent, other community services). But this setting also exposes children to the risk of stigma, peer rejection and social exclusion. This systematic literature review investigates the efficacy of mental health interventions addressed to children and adolescents in school settings, and it evaluates which programs explicitly take into account social inclusion indicators. Method: Only randomized controlled trials conducted on clinical populations of students and carried out in school settings were selected: 27 studies overall. Most studies applied group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or Interpersonal Psychotherapy. Results: Findings were suggestive of the effectiveness of school-based intervention programs in reducing symptoms of most mental disorders. Some evidence was found about the idea that effective studies on clinical populations may promote the social inclusion of children with an ongoing mental disorder and avoid the risk of being highly stigmatized. Conclusion: School programs are still needed that implement standardized models with verifiable and evidence-based practices involving the whole school community