Facilitation of sexual and gender identity disclosure and improved healthcare for LGBTQ+ patients: current processes, shortcomings, and recommendations for change

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) people are at increased risk of physical and mental health problems compared to their heterosexual counterparts. There are significant barriers to both accessing and maintaining healthcare for LGBTQ+ people. Disclosure of sexual and gender identity should be facilitated within healthcare services to ensure LGBTQ+ people can receive appropriate healthcare. General practitioners (GPs), being the first point of access to healthcare in the UK, should therefore have knowledge of their patients’ sexual and gender identity. Currently, GPs and other healthcare professionals may not adequately facilitate disclosure of patients’ sexual and gender identity because they believe it is irrelevant or because they feel unequipped. Moreover, heterosexist behaviours from GPs and worries of experiencing discrimination may reduce the likelihood of sexual identity disclosure in patients. This article aims to discuss the current processes and shortcomings within the UK healthcare system to demonstrate that disclosure is not adequately facilitated. Evidence-based recommendations for improved practice are provided, focusing on practitioner training and the primary care environment, whilst building upon the recently launched NHS initiatives such as Pride in Practice. Current efforts to facilitate the needs of LGBTQ+ people must be prioritised and extended in order to end the current healthcare inequalities faced by this community

Integrated therapist and online CBT for depression in primary care (INTERACT): study protocol for a multi-centre randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for depression. Self-directed online CBT interventions have made CBT more accessible at a lower cost. However, adherence is often poor and, in the absence of therapist support, effects are modest and short-term. Delivering CBT online using instant messaging is clinically and cost-effective; however, most existing platforms are limited to instant messaging sessions, without the support of between-session "homework" activities. The INTERACT intervention integrates online CBT materials and 'high-intensity' therapist-led CBT, delivered remotely in real-time. The INTERACT trial will evaluate this novel integration in terms of clinical and cost-effectiveness, and acceptability to therapists and clients. METHODS: Pragmatic, two parallel-group multi-centre individually randomised controlled trial, with 434 patients recruited from primary care practices in Bristol, London and York. Participants with depression will be identified via General Practitioner record searches and direct referrals. INCLUSION CRITERIA: aged ≥ 18 years; score ≥ 14 on Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II); meeting International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) criteria for depression. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: alcohol or substance dependency in the past year; bipolar disorder; schizophrenia; psychosis; dementia; currently under psychiatric care for depression (including those referred but not yet seen); cannot complete questionnaires unaided or requires an interpreter; currently receiving CBT/other psychotherapy; received high-intensity CBT in the past four years; participating in another intervention trial; unwilling/unable to receive CBT via computer/laptop/smartphone. Eligible participants will be randomised to integrated CBT or usual care. Integrated CBT utilises the standard Beckian intervention for depression and comprises nine live therapist-led sessions, with (up to) a further three if clinically appropriate. The first session is 60-90 min via videocall, with subsequent 50-min sessions delivered online, using instant messaging. Participants allocated integrated CBT can access integrated online CBT resources (worksheets/information sheets/videos) within and between sessions. Outcome assessments at 3-, 6-, 9- and 12-month post-randomisation. The primary outcome is the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) score at 6 months (as a continuous variable). A nested qualitative study and health economic evaluation will be conducted. DISCUSSION: If clinically and cost-effective, this model of integrated CBT could be introduced into existing psychological services, increasing access to, and equity of, CBT provision. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN, ISRCTN13112900. Registered on 11/11/2020. Currently recruiting participants. Trial registration data are presented in Table 1

The impact of digital interventions on help-seeking behaviour for mental health problems: a systematic literature review

Purpose of review: Interventions which facilitate help-seeking could help individuals to get care earlier on which could also help avert some mental health crises. Delivering interventions via a digital format could mitigate some key barriers to mental health care. We reviewed the literature for digital interventions which facilitate formal or informal help-seeking for mental health problems. We examined the impact of identified interventions on actual and intended help-seeking and attitudes towards help-seeking. Recent findings: We identified 35 interventions. About half (51%) of studies showed an improvement in at least one help-seeking outcome with the greatest number showing an improvement in help-seeking intentions and the fewest studies showing an improvement in actual behaviour (29%). Findings suggest that interventions which promote active participation and personal involvement through sharing one’s own narrative seem to be promising practices to facilitate help-seeking. Summary: Our findings suggest digital interventions can improve help-seeking for mental health problems among a range of populations. Given specialty mental health resources are scarce, further research needs to consider how these interventions could best target the most vulnerable groups to link them with mental healthcare and how these interventions might facilitate earlier intervention in a way that might reduce need for crisis care and support

Mental health literacy: a focus on daily life context for population health measurement

A core purpose of mental health literacy is to enable everyone from all walks of life to manage and maintain wellbeing in daily life. In October 2019, a national campaign, Every Mind Matters, was launched in England to improve mental health literacy in the general population and empower action around daily life stress and anxiety, mood, and sleep. We developed three mental health literacy measures to assess knowledge, and attitudes that may evoke the use of this knowledge, of daily life signs and actions around depression, anxiety, and stress. As part of a larger campaign evaluation, baseline data were collected via an online survey of the general public (n = 3262 adults). For construct validation, we investigated dimensionality and hypotheses of logical associations with mental health literacy. The factor model results show that item responses on each measure have a single predominant source of influence. These responses show logical associations with knowledge about sleep hygiene, attitudes indicative of stigma towards mental health, and some indirect experience with mental health difficulties. Item response theory information plots showed that total scale scores are sensitive to a wide range of individual differences in mental health literacy. This means that the three measures can be used for early screening purposes or to evaluate the impact of public mental health interventions. Measurement of mental health literacy has been predominantly centred on knowledge about clinical symptoms of mental disorders. We show that daily life signs of depression, anxiety, and stress, before the onset of common mental disorders, can also serve as a tenable basis for measuring mental health literacy in the general population. Future comparisons of both types of measurement are needed, for debates on the objectives and benefits of mental health literacy interventions for public health in societies with high- and low-resource healthcare systems

‘The phoenix that always rises from the ashes’: an exploratory qualitative study of the experiences of an initiative informed by principles of psychological first aid following the Beirut blast

ABSTRACTBackground: On 4 August 2020, an explosion occurred in Beirut, Lebanon. Hundreds of people were killed, thousands injured and displaced. An initiative was rapidly initiated to provide remote support informed by psychological first aid for the mental health of Lebanese young adults affected by the blast. However, little is known about recipients’ experiences of such initiatives.Objective: This study aimed to qualitatively explore the experiences of supporters and recipients in the community-led initiative following the blast.Method: We recruited a diverse sample of four supporters and four Lebanese recipients who took part in the Beirut initiative. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data.Results: We developed five themes from the qualitative interviews, which highlighted ideas around accessibility, alienation, the relationship, elements of the safe space created by the initiative, and unmet needs and areas for improvement. Recipients described the detrimental impact of the blast on their mental health within the Lebanese context and beyond. Recipients and supporters elucidated complex experiences of the support and its impact.Conclusions: Our findings suggest remote support has the potential to be acceptable for young adults in Lebanon. Further research into support informed by psychological first aid after similar crisis events is warranted

‘The phoenix that always rises from the ashes’: an exploratory qualitative study of the experiences of an initiative informed by principles of psychological first aid following the Beirut blast

Background: On 4 August 2020, an explosion occurred in Beirut, Lebanon. Hundreds of people were killed, thousands injured and displaced. An initiative was rapidly initiated to provide remote support informed by psychological first aid for the mental health of Lebanese young adults affected by the blast. However, little is known about recipients’ experiences of such initiatives. Objective: This study aimed to qualitatively explore the experiences of supporters and recipients in the community-led initiative following the blast. Method: We recruited a diverse sample of four supporters and four Lebanese recipients who took part in the Beirut initiative. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. Results: We developed five themes from the qualitative interviews, which highlighted ideas around accessibility, alienation, the relationship, elements of the safe space created by the initiative, and unmet needs and areas for improvement. Recipients described the detrimental impact of the blast on their mental health within the Lebanese context and beyond. Recipients and supporters elucidated complex experiences of the support and its impact. Conclusions: Our findings suggest remote support has the potential to be acceptable for young adults in Lebanon. Further research into support informed by psychological first aid after similar crisis events is warranted. Following the Beirut blast on 4 August 2020, an initiative was implemented to provide remote mental health support to Lebanese young adults.Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data from interviews with supporters and recipients after support sessions were completed to identify themes across diverse experiences and views.Participants described a feeling of alienation after the blast, the development of a meaningful relationship between supporter and recipients, and gratitude for having a safe space to process and share difficult feelings. Possible avenues for improvement and implementation were suggested. Following the Beirut blast on 4 August 2020, an initiative was implemented to provide remote mental health support to Lebanese young adults. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data from interviews with supporters and recipients after support sessions were completed to identify themes across diverse experiences and views. Participants described a feeling of alienation after the blast, the development of a meaningful relationship between supporter and recipients, and gratitude for having a safe space to process and share difficult feelings. Possible avenues for improvement and implementation were suggested.</p

Integrated therapist and online CBT for depression in primary care (INTERACT): study protocol for a multi-centre randomised controlled trial

Abstract Background Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for depression. Self-directed online CBT interventions have made CBT more accessible at a lower cost. However, adherence is often poor and, in the absence of therapist support, effects are modest and short-term. Delivering CBT online using instant messaging is clinically and cost-effective; however, most existing platforms are limited to instant messaging sessions, without the support of between-session “homework” activities. The INTERACT intervention integrates online CBT materials and ‘high-intensity’ therapist-led CBT, delivered remotely in real-time. The INTERACT trial will evaluate this novel integration in terms of clinical and cost-effectiveness, and acceptability to therapists and clients. Methods Pragmatic, two parallel-group multi-centre individually randomised controlled trial, with 434 patients recruited from primary care practices in Bristol, London and York. Participants with depression will be identified via General Practitioner record searches and direct referrals. Inclusion criteria: aged ≥ 18 years; score ≥ 14 on Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II); meeting International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) criteria for depression. Exclusion criteria: alcohol or substance dependency in the past year; bipolar disorder; schizophrenia; psychosis; dementia; currently under psychiatric care for depression (including those referred but not yet seen); cannot complete questionnaires unaided or requires an interpreter; currently receiving CBT/other psychotherapy; received high-intensity CBT in the past four years; participating in another intervention trial; unwilling/unable to receive CBT via computer/laptop/smartphone. Eligible participants will be randomised to integrated CBT or usual care. Integrated CBT utilises the standard Beckian intervention for depression and comprises nine live therapist-led sessions, with (up to) a further three if clinically appropriate. The first session is 60–90 min via videocall, with subsequent 50-min sessions delivered online, using instant messaging. Participants allocated integrated CBT can access integrated online CBT resources (worksheets/information sheets/videos) within and between sessions. Outcome assessments at 3-, 6-, 9- and 12-month post-randomisation. The primary outcome is the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) score at 6 months (as a continuous variable). A nested qualitative study and health economic evaluation will be conducted. Discussion If clinically and cost-effective, this model of integrated CBT could be introduced into existing psychological services, increasing access to, and equity of, CBT provision. Trial registration ISRCTN, ISRCTN13112900. Registered on 11/11/2020. Currently recruiting participants. Trial registration data are presented in Table 1

Patient-reported outcome measures for monitoring primary care patients with depression: the PROMDEP cluster RCT and economic evaluation

Background: guidelines on the management of depression recommend that practitioners use patient-reported outcome measures for the follow-up monitoring of symptoms, but there is a lack of evidence of benefit in terms of patient outcomes.Objective: to test using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 questionnaire as a patient-reported outcome measure for monitoring depression, training practitioners in interpreting scores and giving patients feedback.Design: parallel-group, cluster-randomised superiority trial; 1 : 1 allocation to intervention and control.Setting: UK primary care (141 group general practices in England and Wales).Inclusion criteria: patients aged ≥ 18 years with a new episode of depressive disorder or symptoms, recruited mainly through medical record searches, plus opportunistically in consultations.Exclusions: current depression treatment, dementia, psychosis, substance misuse and risk of suicide.Intervention: administration of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 questionnaire with patient feedback soon after diagnosis, and at follow-up 10-35 days later, compared with usual care.Primary outcome: Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd edition, symptom scores at 12 weeks.Secondary outcomes: Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd edition, scores at 26 weeks; antidepressant drug treatment and mental health service contacts; social functioning (Work and Social Adjustment Scale) and quality of life (EuroQol 5-Dimension, five-level) at 12 and 26 weeks; service use over 26 weeks to calculate NHS costs; patient satisfaction at 26 weeks (Medical Informant Satisfaction Scale); and adverse events.Sample size: the original target sample of 676 patients recruited was reduced to 554 due to finding a significant correlation between baseline and follow-up values for the primary outcome measure.Randomisation: remote computerised randomisation with minimisation by recruiting university, small/large practice and urban/rural location.Blinding: blinding of participants was impossible given the open cluster design, but self-report outcome measures prevented observer bias. Analysis was blind to allocation.Analysis: linear mixed models were used, adjusted for baseline depression, baseline anxiety, sociodemographic factors, and clustering including practice as random effect. Quality of life and costs were analysed over 26 weeks.Qualitative interviews: practitioner and patient interviews were conducted to reflect on trial processes and use of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 using the Normalization Process Theory framework.Results: three hundred and two patients were recruited in intervention arm practices and 227 patients were recruited in control practices. Primary outcome data were collected for 252 (83.4%) and 195 (85.9%), respectively. No significant difference in Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd edition, score was found at 12 weeks (adjusted mean difference -0.46, 95% confidence interval -2.16 to 1.26). Nor were significant differences found in Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd Edition, score at 26 weeks, social functioning, patient satisfaction or adverse events. EuroQol-5 Dimensions, five-level version, quality-of-life scores favoured the intervention arm at 26 weeks (adjusted mean difference 0.053, 95% confidence interval 0.013 to 0.093). However, quality-adjusted life-years over 26 weeks were not significantly greater (difference 0.0013, 95% confidence interval -0.0157 to 0.0182). Costs were lower in the intervention arm but, again, not significantly (-£163, 95% confidence interval -£349 to £28). Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses, therefore, suggested that the intervention was dominant over usual care, but with considerable uncertainty around the point estimates. Patients valued using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to compare scores at baseline and follow-up, whereas practitioner views were more mixed, with some considering it too time-consuming.Conlusions: we found no evidence of improved depression management or outcome at 12 weeks from using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, but patients' quality of life was better at 26 weeks, perhaps because feedback of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores increased their awareness of improvement in their depression and reduced their anxiety. Further research in primary care should evaluate patient-reported outcome measures including anxiety symptoms, administered remotely, with algorithms delivering clear recommendations for changes in treatment.Study registration: this study is registered as IRAS250225 and ISRCTN17299295.Funding: this award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: 17/42/02) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 28, No. 17. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information. </p

Depression follow-up monitoring with the PHQ-9: open cluster-randomised controlled trial

Background: outcome monitoring of depression is recommended but lacks evidence of patient benefit in primary care.Aim: to test monitoring depression using the PHQ-9 questionnaire with patient feedback.Design and setting: open cluster-randomised controlled trial in 141 group practices.Method: adults with new depressive episodes were recruited through records searches and opportunistically.Exclusion criteria: dementia, psychosis, substance misuse, suicide risk. The PHQ-9 questionnaire was to be administered soon after diagnosis, and 10-35 days later.Primary outcome: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) score at 12 weeks.Secondary outcomes: BDI-II at 26 weeks; Work and Social Adjustment Scale and EuroQol EQ-5D-5L quality of life at 12 and 26 weeks; antidepressant treatment, mental health service use, adverse events, and Medical Informant Satisfaction Scale over 26 weeks.Results: 302 intervention arm patients were recruited and 227 controls. At 12 weeks 252 (83.4%) and 195 (85.9%) were followed-up respectively. Only 41% of intervention arm patients had a GP follow-up PHQ-9 recorded. There was no significant difference in BDI-II score at 12 weeks (mean difference -0.46; 95% CI -2.16,1.26), adjusted for baseline depression, baseline anxiety, sociodemographic factors, and clustering by practice). EQ-5D-5L quality of life scores were higher in the intervention arm at 26 weeks (adjusted mean difference 0.053; 95% CI 0.093,0.013). A clinically significant difference in depression at 26 weeks could not be ruled out. No significant differences were found in social functioning, adverse events, or satisfaction. In a per-protocol analysis, antidepressant use and mental health contacts were significantly greater in intervention arm patients with a recorded follow-up PHQ-9.Conclusions: no evidence was found of improved depression outcome at 12 weeks from monitoring. The findings of possible benefits over 26 weeks warrant replication, investigating possible mechanisms, preferably with automated delivery of monitoring and more instructive feedback.</p