Risk and resilience factors for depression and suicidal ideation in Mongolian college students

There were 16 state and 84 private universities in Mongolian and 67% of high school graduates were enrolled in higher levels of education in 2014 (Ministry of education, 2015). Over 67% of total students who enrolled in the higher levels of education were females. This cross-sectional study is a secondary analysis of data from a research project originally designed to describe the overall health and wellness of college students at a technical college in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Discriminant analysis of caregivers' psychiatric symptoms according to offspring psychopathology

Univ Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Psiquiatria, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilNew York State Psychiat Inst & Hosp, Div Epidemiol, New York, NY 10032 USAColumbia Univ Coll Phys & Surg, Dept Psychiat, 722 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032 USANew York State Psychiat Inst & Hosp, HIV Ctr Clin & Behav Studies, New York, NY 10032 USAUniv Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Psiquiatria, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc

HIV/AIDS and Serious Mental Illness: A Risky Conclusion

Letter to the Editor of the journal Psychiatric Services about the conclusions of the October 2012 article "Serious mental illness and risk of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses: an analysis of Medicaid beneficiaries in eight states" published in the journal

Mental Health Research in the Global Era: Training the Next Generation

Psychiatric disorders are among the leading cause of disability worldwide, yet fewer than 25 % of affected individuals are estimated to have access to treatment. In many low-income settings, it is estimated that less than 10 % of affected individuals are able to access basic mental health care and, even when they do, it is often below minimum ethical and clinical standards. The discipline of global mental health is dedicated to reducing mental health disparities within and between countries by preventing mental disorders and improving access to psychiatric treatment, particularly in low-resource settings. The global partnership model for mental health research is based on the idea that investigators from high- and low-resource settings work collaboratively to identify and address barriers and facilitators to mental well-being across diverse settings

Validation of the Mental Illness Sexual Stigma Questionnaire (MISS-Q) in a sample of Brazilian adults in psychiatric care

Objective: We evaluated the psychometric properties of a new instrument "Mental Illness Sexual Stigma Questionnaire" (MISS-Q). Methods: We interviewed 641 sexually active adults (ages 18-80) attending public outpatient psychiatric clinics in Rio de Janeiro about their stigma experiences. Results: Nine factors were extracted through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and labeled: 'individual discrimination by others'; 'staff willingness to talk about sexuality'; 'staff and family prohibitions'; 'sexual devaluation of self'; 'perceived attractiveness'; 'mental illness concealment'; 'perceived sexual role competence'; 'withdrawal'; and 'locus of social-sexual control'. 'Withdrawal' and 'locus of social-sexual control' showed poor psychometric properties and were excluded from further analysis. The remaining seven factors had high factorial loadings (.39 to .86), varying from sufficient to optimal reliability (Ordinal α ranged from .57 to .88), and good convergent and discriminant validity. Conclusions: The resulting MISS-Q is the first instrument assessing mental illness sexual stigma with demonstrated psychometric properties. It may prove useful in reducing stigma, protecting sexual health, and promoting recovery. Keywords: Stigma; psychometric assessment; severe mental illness; sexual and romantic relationships

Mental Illness Sexual Stigma: Implications for Health and Recovery

The majority of people in psychiatric care worldwide are sexually active, and studies have revealed sharply elevated rates of HIV infection in that group compared with the general population. Recovery-oriented treatment does not routinely address sexuality. We examined the relationship between gender, severe mental illness diagnosis, and stigma experiences related to sexuality among people in psychiatric outpatient care. Method: Sexually active adults attending 8 public outpatient psychiatric clinics in Rio de Janeiro (N = 641) were interviewed for psychiatric diagnosis and stigma experiences. Stigma mechanisms well-established in the literature but not previously examined in relation to sexuality were measured with the Mental Illness Sex Stigma Questionnaire, a 27-item interview about stigma in sexual situations and activities. Results: Experiences of stigma were reported by a majority of participants for 48% of questionnaire items. Most people reported supportive attitudes toward their sexuality from providers and family members. Those with severe mental illness diagnoses showed greater stigma on individual discrimination and structural stigma mechanisms than did those with nonsevere mental illness diagnoses, whereas there was no difference on the social psychological processes (internalized stigma) mechanism. Regardless of diagnosis or gender, a majority of participants devalued themselves as sexual partners. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Adults in psychiatric outpatient care frequently reported stigma experiences related to aspects of their sexual lives. From the perspectives of both HIV prevention and recovery from mental illness, examinations of the consequences of stigma in the sexual lives of people in psychiatric care and improving their measurement would have wide applicability

Perceived Mental Illness Stigma Among Youth in Psychiatric Outpatient Treatment

This research explores the experiences of mental illness stigma in 24 youth (58.3% male, 13–24 years, 75% Latino) in psychiatric outpatient treatment. Using Link and Phelan’s (2001) model of stigmatization, we conducted thematic analysis of the interview texts, examining experiences of stigma at individual and structural levels, in addition to the youths’ social-psychological processes. Youth in psychiatric treatment acknowledged that their larger cultural context holds pejorative viewpoints toward those with mental illness and reported experiences of stigma within their families and social networks. Our results also offer insight into the social-psychological processes of stigma, highlighting how labeling may influence their self-concept and the strategies in which youth engage to manage a stigmatized identity. We discuss differences in stigma experiences by gender, age, and diagnosis. Findings provide new information on the stigma experiences of youth in psychiatric treatment and suggest that a multilevel approach to reduce stigma is warranted

An index to examine the sexual HIV risk of psychiatric service users based on sexual partners

Numerous studies report higher HIV infection rates among psychiatric patients than in the general population.1 Relative to other HIV-affected populations, they have higher rates of HIV-related risk behaviors in fewer sexual occasions, including multiple partners, partners of unknown or positive HIV status, sex in exchange for money, shelter or goods, and low condom use rates.2 We present a new HIV risk index (RI)3 that takes into account differential risk associated with these factors

Barreiras e facilitadores à integração dos serviços de depressão e tuberculose na rede de atenção primária no Brasil

Mental disorders can affect up to 70% of individuals with tuberculosis (TB). The World Health Organization (WHO) End TB Strategy explicitly calls for TB and mental health service integration. The goal of this study was to explore the barriers and facilitators to integrating depression treatment in the TB Control Program and primary care system in the municipality of Itaboraí - Rio de Janeiro, using Interpersonal Counseling (IPC). IPC is an evidence-based treatment for depression that can be delivered by non-mental health specialists with expert supervision. This study was conducted between 2016 and 2017 in the municipality of Itaboraí. Data collection consisted of six focus groups (n = 42) with health professionals (n = 29), program coordinators (n = 7) and TB patients (n = 6). The main potential barriers identified were poverty, political instability, an overburdened and under-resourced health system, high levels of distress among professionals, violence in the community and stigma related to mental health and TB. Potential facilitators included a high receptivity to, and demand for, mental health training; strong community relationships through the Community Health Workers (CHW); overall acceptability of IPC delivered by non-specialists for the treatment of depression among individuals with and without comorbid TB. Despite many challenges, integrating depression treatment into primary care in Itaboraí using IPC was perceived as an acceptable and feasible option.Os transtornos mentais podem afetar até 70% dos indivíduos com tuberculose (TB). A Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS), como estratégia para o fim da TB, exige a integração do seu tratamento com a saúde mental. O objetivo deste estudo foi explorar as barreiras e facilitadores para integrar serviços de saúde mental no Programa de Controle de Tuberculose (PCT) e em Unidades de Saúde da Família (USF) do município de Itaboraí – Rio de Janeiro, com a aplicação do Aconselhamento Interpessoal (AIP). O AIP é um tratamento para depressão baseado em evidências que pode ser aplicado por não especialistas em saúde mental com supervisão especializada. Seis grupos focais foram realizados entre 2016 e 2017 no município de Itaboraí. A amostra (n=42) incluiu profissionais de saúde (n=29), coordenadores de programas (n=7) e pacientes com TB (n=6). Os grandes desafios encontrados foram: pobreza, instabilidade política, um sistema de saúde sobrecarregado e com poucos recursos, alta frequência de estresse entre os profissionais, violência na comunidade e estigma relacionado à saúde mental e à TB. Os facilitadores potenciais incluíram uma grande receptividade e demanda para capacitações em saúde mental; boa relação com a comunidade pelos Agentes Comunitários de Saúde (ACS) e; aceitação geral do AIP aplicado por não especialistas em saúde mental para o tratamento de depressão em pessoas com e sem TB. Apesar de muitos desafios, integrar o tratamento de depressão na atenção primária de Itaboraí aplicando o AIP foi percebido como uma alternativa aceitável e factível

Correlations between caregiver psychiatric symptoms and offspring psychopathology in a low-resource setting

Objective: Associations between parental/caregiver depression and adverse child outcomes are well established and have been described through one or more mechanisms: child psychopathology following exposure to a depressed caregiver, child psychopathology exacerbating a caregiver's depression, and caregiver and offspring depression sharing the same etiology. Data from low and middle-income countries is scarce. We examined correlations between common symptoms of mental disorders in caregivers and their offspring's psychopathology in a Brazilian sample. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, adult caregivers were screened for depression during routine home visits by community health workers as part of the Brazilian Family Health Strategy. Caregivers with suspected depression were assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Children's symptoms were evaluated using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results: The sample included 68 primary caregivers and 110 children aged 6 to 15 years. Higher caregiver scores on the SRQ-20 correlated significantly with psychiatric symptoms in offspring. Conclusion: These results substantiate our hypothesis that child psychopathology correlates with caregivers' psychiatric symptoms. This paper adds to the growing literature on community mental health assessment and can help guide future strategies for reducing the burden of common mental disorders in caregivers and children alike in low and middle-income countries.Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP) [2012/17485-4]Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq)Instituto LemannNIMH [D43 TW009675, T32 MH096724, T32-MH19139, K01MH104514]Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)Columbia University Department of Psychiatry/New York State Psychiatric Institute [T32MH096724]Univ Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Psiquiatria, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilNew York State Psychiat Inst & Hosp, Div Epidemiol, New York, NY 10032 USAColumbia Univ Coll Phys & Surg, Dept Psychiat, 722 W 168th St, New York, NY 10032 USANew York State Psychiat Inst & Hosp, Div Child Psychiat, New York, NY 10032 USAUniv Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Dept Psiquiatria, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil(FAPESP) [2012/17485-4]NIMH [D43 TW009675, T32 MH096724, T32-MH19139, K01MH104514]Columbia University Department of Psychiatry/New York State Psychiatric Institute [T32MH096724]Web of Scienc