Mental health literacy among primary healthcare workers in South Africa and Zambia

Background In developing countries, mental health literacy (MHL) still needs to be improved due to the high prevalence of mental disorders. It is widely recognized that MHL can improve health outcomes for both individuals and populations. Healthcare professionals' development in MHL is crucial to the prevention of mental disorders. The aim of this study was to assess MHL of primary healthcare (PHC) workers in South Africa (SA) and Zambia and determinants thereof. Limited evidence is available on the levels of MHL among PHC workers in the sub-Saharan Africa region, which faces a large burden of mental disorders. Methods The study population for this cross-sectional survey comprised PHC workers (n = 250) in five provinces of SA and Zambia. MHL was measured with the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS). We conducted a multivariate analysis to explore determinants of MHL. Results Results showed moderate MHL among PHC professionals, but with a wide range from low to high MHL. Knowledge-related items had a greater dispersion than other attributes of MHL. PHC workers with more education showed a greater ability to recognize mental health-related disorders. Those who had experience in the use of mental health-related assessment scales or screening tools reported a higher total MHL. The results confirmed strong internal consistency for the MHLS. Conclusion The results highlighted varying mental health perceptions and knowledge in PHC. Implementation of specifically developed formal training programs and interventions to improve MHL in PHC workers to strengthen their competence may help bridge the treatment gap.</p

The prevalence of mental health problems in sub-saharan adolescents : a systematic review

Background and purpose Most research regarding child and adolescent mental health prevention and promotion in low-and middle-income countries is undertaken in high-income countries. This systematic review set out to synthesise findings from epidemiological studies, published between 2008 and 2020, documenting the prevalence of mental health problems in adolescents from across sub-Saharan Africa. Methods A systematic search of multiple databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus) and Google Scholar was conducted guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Reviewer's manual for systematic reviews of observational epidemiological studies. Studies included reported prevalence outcomes for adolescents aged 10-19 using either clinical interviews or standardized questionnaires to assess psychopathology. Clinical samples were excluded. Results The search yielded 1 549 records of which 316 studies were assessed for eligibility and 51 met the inclusion criteria. We present a qualitative synthesis of 37 of these 51 included articles. The other 14 studies reporting prevalence rates for adolescents living with HIV are published elsewhere. The prevalence of depression, anxiety disorders, emotional and behavioural difficulties, posttraumatic stress and suicidal behaviour in the general adolescent population and selected at-risk groups in 16 sub-Saharan countries (with a total population of 97 616 adolescents) are reported.Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften HamburgPeerReviewe

Perceptions of interprofessional collaboration at the intersection of child welfare and child and adolescent psychiatry in Germany

PeerReviewe

Perceptions of interprofessional collaboration for children with multiple and complex needs : development and psychometric evaluation of a new scale

PeerReviewe

An der Schnittstelle von stationärer Kinder- und Jugendhilfe und psychiatrisch-psychotherapeutischer Gesundheitsversorgung: Ergebnisse einer Interviewstudie.

Im Rahmen des EU-Projektes RESME wurden in einer explorativen, qualitativen Studie Fachkräfte der stationären Jugendhilfe und der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie zur gegenseitigen Kooperation befragt. Mit Hilfe umfassender leitfadengestützter Interviews wurden exemplarische Erfahrungen und Einschätzungen gesammelt, um die besonderen Herausforderungen in der Zusammenarbeit besser zu verstehen, Bedingungen und Beispiele für gelungene Kooperation zusammen zu tragen und Ansätze fär Verbesserungen zu finden. Zentrale Ergebnisse der Interviews mit Sozialarbeitern und -pädagogen, Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatern und Psychologen werden zusammenfassend dargestellt. Es zeigen sich verschiedene Ansatzpunkte zur Verbesserung der systemübergreifenden und interdisziplinären Zusammenarbeit. Als wesentlich für eine gelungene Kooperation werden neben Fachlichkeit und Wissen,individuelle Einstellungen und Werte, Aspekte der persönlichen Kontakt- und Beziehungsgestaltung sowie organisatorische Rahmenbedingungen und Entwicklungen erachtet. Die Ergebnisse werden zur Entwicklung eines Curriculums genutzt, das sich zur Förderung der Zusammenarbeit gleichzeitig an Mitarbeiter psychiatrisch-psychotherapeutischer Einrichtungen und der Jugendhilfe richtet