A mixed-method evaluation of video interaction guidance (VIG) delivered by early-years workers in a socially disadvantaged urban community

Purpose. The transition to parenthood can pose challenges for women and men, and these are heightened in the context of social disadvantage (e.g. poverty, deprivation, social exclusion, housing instability and disabilities). There is mounting evidence that video-feedback approaches can provide a valuable buffer against such adverse outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the acceptability and preliminary clinical impact of video interaction guidance (VIG), delivered by health visitors and community support workers in a socially disadvantaged London borough, selected due to its multiple indices of deprivation predicting child and maternal adversity. Design/methodology/approach. The study followed a non-randomised, before-and-after evaluation design. Health visitors and community support workers were trained in VIG delivery following the VIG Association-UK protocol. Families with infants under 12 months were conveniently recruited and received six weekly home-based sessions of VIG. The primary outcome was the acceptability of the intervention, assessing parents’ experiences using semi-structured interviews post-intervention. Clinical outcome measures were recorded pre-and post-intervention to yield preliminary evidence on intervention effectiveness. Findings. In total, 23 families partook in the study, of which 19 completed the pre- and post-VIG quantitative analysis and 6 also completed the post-VIG qualitative interviews. Qualitative analyses documented high rates of acceptability and perceived improvement in family well-being. Preliminary outcome data indicated that completing the VIG intervention was associated with decreased parental anxiety and depression and increased parental confidence, parent-infant relationship quality, as well as an improvement in infant social and emotional development. However, the selective nature of convenience sampling limits the generalisability of the findings. The non-randomised design of the evaluation implies that findings can only be interpreted as preliminary evidence of intervention effectiveness. These considerations are addressed in the discussion. Originality/value. The results of this study provide preliminary evidence of the acceptability and effectiveness of VIG delivery by health visitors and community support workers. to new parents in socially disadvantaged urban communities. However, this study must be pursued further to be evaluated with larger, randomised samples to further explore the generalisability of VIG effectiveness in such settings

What are the effects of preventative interventions on major depressive disorder (MDD) in young adults? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a prevalent disorder with a peak rate of onset in young adulthood from 18 to 25 years. To date, no review has systematically assessed the effectiveness of programs that aim to reduce depressive symptoms or diagnosis of depression in young adults. METHOD: A systematic search was performed in Cochrane, PubMed, PsycINFO and EMBASE. We performed a random-effects meta-analysis of the randomized controlled studies that compared an intervention for young adults (aged 18-25) without a diagnosis or history of depression and a control condition. Comparisons between intervention and control group outcomes were carried out at the post-intervention time point. We also compared intervention and control group outcomes at later follow-up time points where data were available. RESULTS: Twenty-six randomized controlled trials among 2865 young adults were included in the analysis. The pooled effect size of the interventions versus control at post-intervention was g?=?0.37 (95% CI: 0.28-0.47, NNT?=?9) and heterogeneity was moderate I2?=?36 (95% CI: 11-64). There were no significant effects in terms of the type of delivery, focus of study, type of control, or type of support within the interventions. LIMITATIONS: The authors were unable to assess the effects of interventions on the onset of depression as none of the included studies measured incidence. The risk of bias was high in most studies (81%). Only one study included a follow-up of more than a year. Demographic factors were inconsistently reported in the included articles. CONCLUSION: While it was not possible to investigate the effects of interventions on depression incidence, some evidence was found for the effectiveness of preventative interventions in reducing depressive symptoms in young adults. Future research should address limitations of the current evidence base to allow stronger conclusions to be drawn

Severe and common mental disorders and risk of emergency hospital admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions among the UK Biobank cohort

BACKGROUND: People with mental disorders have worse physical health compared with the general population, which could be attributable to receiving poorer quality healthcare. AIMS: To examine the relationship between severe and common mental disorders and risk of emergency hospital admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs), and factors associated with increased risk. METHOD: Baseline data for England ( N = 445 814) were taken from UK Biobank, which recruited participants aged 37-73 years during 2006-2010, and linked to hospital admission records up to 31 December 2019. Participants were grouped into those with a history of either schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression or anxiety, or no mental disorder. Survival analysis was used to assess the risk of hospital admission for ACSCs among those with mental disorders compared with those without, adjusting for factors in different domains (sociodemographic, socioeconomic, health and biomarkers, health-related behaviours, social isolation and psychological). RESULTS: People with schizophrenia had the highest (unadjusted) risk of hospital admission for ACSCs compared with those with no mental disorder (hazard ratio 4.40, 95% CI 4.04-4.80). People with bipolar disorder (hazard ratio 2.48, 95% CI 2.28-2.69) and depression or anxiety (hazard ratio 1.76, 95% CI 1.73-1.80) also had higher risk. Associations were more conservative when including all admissions, as opposed to first admissions only. The observed associations persisted after adjusting for a range of factors. CONCLUSIONS: People with severe mental disorders have the highest risk of preventable hospital admissions. Ensuring people with mental disorders receive adequate ambulatory care is essential to reduce the large health inequalities they experience

Clinical Psychology and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Survey Among Members of the European Association of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Treatment (EACLIPT)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people globally both physically and psychologically. The increased demands for mental health interventions provided by clinical psychologists, psychotherapists and mental health care professionals, as well as the rapid change in work setting (e.g., from face-to-face to video therapy) has proven challenging. The current study investigates European clinical psychologists and psychotherapists' views on the changes and impact on mental health care that occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It further aims to explore individual and organizational processes that assist clinical psychologists' and psychotherapists' in their new working conditions, and understand their needs and priorities. Method: Members of the European Association of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Treatment (EACLIPT) were invited (N = 698) to participate in a survey with closed and open questions covering their experiences during the first wave of the pandemic from June to September 2020. Participants (n = 92) from 19 European countries, mostly employed in universities or hospitals, completed the online survey. Results: Results of qualitative and quantitative analyses showed that clinical psychologists and psychotherapists throughout the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic managed to continue to provide treatments for patients who were experiencing emotional distress. The challenges (e.g., maintaining a working relationship through video treatment) and opportunities (e.g., more flexibleflexibleflexibleworking hours) of working through this time were identified. Conclusions: Recommendations for mental health policies and professional organizations are identified, such as clear guidelines regarding data security and workshops on conducting video therapy

The Effects of Meditation, Yoga, and Mindfulness on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Tertiary Education Students: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Meditation, yoga, and mindfulness are popular interventions at universities and tertiary education institutes to improve mental health. However, the effects on depression, anxiety, and stress are unclear. This study assessed the effectiveness of meditation, yoga, and mindfulness on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in tertiary education students.Methods: We searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, PsycINFO and identified 11,936 articles. After retrieving 181 papers for full-text screening, 24 randomized controlled trials were included in the qualitative analysis. We conducted a random-effects meta-analysis amongst 23 studies with 1,373 participants.Results: At post-test, after exclusion of outliers, effect sizes for depression, g = 0.42 (95% CI: 0.16–0.69), anxiety g = 0.46 (95% CI: 0.34–0.59), stress g = 0.42 (95% CI: 0.27–0.57) were moderate. Heterogeneity was low (I2 = 6%). When compared to active control, the effect decreased to g = 0.13 (95% CI: −0.18–0.43). No RCT reported on safety, only two studies reported on academic achievement, most studies had a high risk of bias.Conclusions: Most studies were of poor quality and results should be interpreted with caution. Overall moderate effects were found which decreased substantially when interventions were compared to active control. It is unclear whether meditation, yoga or mindfulness affect academic achievement or affect have any negative side effects

Which individual, social, and urban factors in early childhood predict psychopathology in later childhood, adolescence and young adulthood? A systematic review

Background: A comprehensive picture is lacking of the impact of early childhood (age 0–5) risk factors on the subsequent development of mental health symptoms. Objective: In this systematic review, we investigated which individual, social and urban factors, experienced in early childhood, contribute to the development of lateranxiety and depression, behavioural problems, and internalising and externalising symptoms in youth. Methods: Embase, MEDLINE, Scopus, and PsycInfo were searched on the 5th of January 2022. Three additional databases were retrieved from a mega-systematic review source that focused on the identification of both risk and protective indicators for the onset and maintenance of prospective depressive, anxiety and substance use disorders. A total of 46,450 records were identified and screened in ASReview, an AI-aided systematic review tool. We included studies with experimental, quasi-experimental, prospective and longitudinal study designs, while studies that focused on biological and genetical factors, were excluded. Results: Twenty studies were included. The majority of studies explored individual-level risk factors (N = 16). Eleven studies also explored social risk factors and three studied urban risk factors. We found evidence for early predictors relating to later psychopathology measures (i.e., anxiety and depression, behavioural problems, and internalising and externalising symptoms) in childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. These were: parental psychopathology, exposure to parental physical and verbal violence and social and neighbourhood disadvantage. Conclusions: Very young children are exposed to a complex mix of risk factors, which operate at different levels and influence children at different time points. The urban environment appears to have an effect on psychopathology but it is understudied compared to individual-level factors. Moreover, we need more research exploring the interaction between individual, social and urban factor

Clinical psychology and the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed methods survey among members of the European Association of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Treatment (EACLIPT)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people globally both physically and psychologically. The increased demands for mental health interventions provided by clinical psychologists, psychotherapists and mental health care professionals, as well as the rapid change in work setting (e.g., from face-to-face to video therapy) has proven challenging. The current study investigates European clinical psychologists and psychotherapists’ views on the changes and impact on mental health care that occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It further aims to explore individual and organizational processes that assist clinical psychologists’ and psychotherapists’ in their new working conditions, and understand their needs and priorities. Method: Members of the European Association of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Treatment (EACLIPT) were invited (N = 698) to participate in a survey with closed and open questions covering their experiences during the first wave of the pandemic from June to September 2020. Participants (n = 92) from 19 European countries, mostly employed in universities or hospitals, completed the online survey. Results: Results of qualitative and quantitative analyses showed that clinical psychologists and psychotherapists throughout the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic managed to continue to provide treatments for patients who were experiencing emotional distress. The challenges (e.g., maintaining a working relationship through video treatment) and opportunities (e.g., more flexible working hours) of working through this time were identified. Conclusions: Recommendations for mental health policies and professional organizations are identified, such as clear guidelines regarding data security and workshops on conducting video therapy

Factors that influence participation in physical activity for anxiety or depression: a synthesis of qualitative evidence

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Qualitative). The objectives are as follows:. Main objective: To identify the factors that create barriers or facilitate physical activity for people with a diagnosis of anxiety or depression from the perspectives of service users, carers, service providers and practitioners to help inform the design and implementation of interventions that promote physical activity. The overall aim of this review is to identify, appraise, and synthesise qualitative research evidence on the barriers and facilitators to engaging in physical activity in general lifestyle settings or as part of an intervention designed to increase physical activity for people with anxiety and depression. This will allow us to identify factors that create barriers and facilitators of physical activity in this population to inform the development, design, and implementation of future interventions. We will also integrate the findings from the QES with the two associated effectiveness reviews (Cooney 2014; Larun 2006). We will communicate our findings to public health commissioners and other stakeholders

Sources of Stress and Their Associations With Mental Disorders Among College Students: Results of the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys International College Student Initiative

The college years are stressful for many students. Identifying the sources of stress and their relative importance in leading to clinically significant emotional problems may assist in the development of targeted stress management interventions. The current report examines the distribution and associations of perceived stress across major life areas with 12-month prevalence of common mental disorders in a cross-national sample of first-year college students. The 20,842 respondents were from 24 universities in 9 countries that participated in the World Health Organization World Mental Health International College Student Initiative. Logistic regression analysis examined associations of current perceived stress in six life areas (financial situation, health, love life, relationships with family, relationships at work/school, problems experienced by loved ones) with six types of 12-month mental disorders (major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, alcohol use disorder, drug use disorder). Population attributable risk proportions (PARPs) were calculated to estimate the upper-bound potential effects of interventions focused on perceived stress in reducing prevalence of mental disorders. The majority of students (93.7%) reported at least some stress in at least one of the six areas. A significant dose-response association was found between extent of stress in each life area and increased odds of at least one of the six disorders. The multivariable models that included all stress measures were significant for all disorders (F = 20.6-70.6, p < 0.001). Interpretation of PARPs as representing causal effects of stresses on disorders suggests that up to 46.9-80.0% of 12-month disorder prevalence might be eliminated if stress prevention interventions were developed to block the associations of stress with these disorders.status: publishe