An Examination of the Growth of Internet Self Help Sites for Depression and Related Problems

The aim of this research study is to evaluate the availability and classification of the types of currently available Internet self-help for depression. Its aim is to develop an understanding of what is available for young people at risk of depression who would otherwise perhaps not seek help. In Australia, depression is the top-ranked cause of nonfatal disability. Over 27% of young adults have a current mental disorder, with depression being the most prevalent (10.8%). Though there are Internet-based self-help programs, evidence-based interactive programs developed specifically for young people, are not yet available. Recommendations are also made for further research

Anxiety and depression in young people: A collaborative rural and remote service model

Mental health issues for young people, particularly anxiety and depression, are increasing in severity and frequency. Rural and remote health areas generally have limited specialist services to assess and manage young people with mental health problems. The model for service described in this paper is a best practice collaboration between a metropolitan service and a rural health service. It involves placement, training workshops and supervision to provide rural practitioners with increased skills and competence to manage a range of interventions in child and adolescent mental health

Rural workforce development and staff support: remodelling service provision for early intervention in child and adolescent mental health

Objective: Through professional workforce development, focused clinical placements and local consultation this innovative project aimed to develop and evaluate a best practice staff-support model by strengthening a rural–urban partnership.To sustain the impact of the program, the project incorporated multilevel interventions (developing strategic partnerships and providing support to all levels of staff from management to front-line) and included multiple components (engaging media partnerships to boost community awareness, management briefings, staff education and training, consultative support and clinical placements) to reorient services, and the broader community, towards early intervention.Methods: Structured key informant interviews were conducted with rural mental health staff to evaluate outcomes of the clinical placements and consultation sessions. Evaluations of the education and training courses were also conducted.Results: At project commencement, 43% of the rural child and adolescent mental health staff reported good skills in the identification and treatment of depression and anxiety. Following the project, 86% of staff reported good to very good skills in these areas. Rural professionals reported greater work satisfaction and an increase in their skills and confidence. They also reported that their involvement had further enhanced their work practices in child and adolescent mental health.Conclusions: This collaborative project is an example of a best practice model for staff-support. It has developed workforce capacity to provide a range of early intervention initiatives and provided the consultative skills to initiate their implementation.Above all, the approach taken by the project is feasible. It is a replicable model that supports the orientation of rural mental health services towards early intervention

The ACE program: working with schools to promote emotional health and prevent depression

8 page(s

Mental health professionals' family-focused practice with families with dependent children:A survey study

Background:Many people with a mental illness are parents caring for dependent children. These children are atgreater risk of developing their own mental health concerns compared to other children. Mental health services areopportune places for healthcare professionals to identify clients’parenting status and address the needs of theirchildren. There is a knowledge gap regarding Thai mental health professionals’family-focused knowledge andpractices when working with parents with mental illness and their children and families.Methods:This cross–sectional survey study examined the attitudes, knowledge and practices of a sample (n= 349)of the Thai mental health professional workforce (nurses, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists) using atranslated version of the Family-Focused Mental Health Practice Questionnaire (FFMHPQ).Results:The majority of clinicians reported no training in family (76.8%) or child-focused practice (79.7%). Compared toother professional groups, psychiatric nurses reported lower scores on almost all aspects of family-focused practiceexcept supporting clients in their parenting role within the context of their mental illness. Social workers scoredhighest overall including having more workplace support for family-focused practice as well as a higher awareness offamily-focused policy and procedures than psychiatrists; social workers also scored higher than psychologists onproviding support to families and parents. All mental health care professional groups reported a need for training andinter-professional practice when working with families.Conclusions:The findings indicate an important opportunity for the prevention of intergenerational mental illness inwhose parents have mental illness by strengthening the professional development of nurses and other healthprofessionals in child and family-focused knowledge and practice

Is it time for child psychiatry to grow up?

Gone are the days when children were seen and not heard. However, their mental health needs continue to be underserved in Australia and New Zealand. Currently, there are 386 accredited members of the Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Australia and 46 in New Zealan

Adolescents' reactions to universal and indicated prevention programs for depression: Perceived stigma and consumer satisfaction

There is a common view that one of the major considerations in selecting between universal and indicated interventions is the marked stigma produced by the latter. However, to date there has been no empirical examination of this assumption. The current study examined reported stigma and program satisfaction following two school-based interventions aimed at preventing depression in 532 middle adolescents. The interventions were conducted either across entire classes by classroom teachers (universal delivery) or in small high risk groups by mental health professionals (indicated delivery). The indicated delivery was associated with significantly greater levels of perceived stigma, but effect sizes were small and neither program was associated with marked stigma in absolute terms. Perceived stigma was more strongly associated with aspects of the individual including being male and showing greater externalizing symptomatology. In contrast, the indicated program was evaluated more positively by both participants and program leaders and effect sizes for these measures of satisfaction were moderate to large. The results point to the need for further empirical evaluation of both perceived stigma and program satisfaction in providing balanced considerations of the value of indicated and universal programs

Family-focused practice in mental health care: An integrative review

While mental health services are increasingly encouraged to engage in family-focused practice, it is a poorly understood term. The aim of review was to synthesize evidence on the concept and scope of family-focused practice in adult and child and youth mental health care settings. An integrative literature review method was used. Electronic databases were systematically searched between 1994–2014. In 40 included articles, family-focused practice was conceptualized variously depending on who comprised the "family," the family type, and context of practice. Six core and inter-related family-focused practices were identified: assessment; psychoeducation; instrumental, emotional, and social support; family care planning and goal-setting; liaison between families and services; and a coordinated system of care between families and services. "Family" as defined by its members forms a basis for practice that is oriented to providing a "whole of family" approach to care. Key principles and family-focused practices are recommended across mental health settings