Involvement in the criminal justice system among attendees of an urban mental health center

Background Incarceration rates for people with serious mental illnesses are higher than the general population. However, research has been limited in regards to patterns of incarcerations for patients treated in public mental health settings. This study examines differences in lifetime imprisonment rates among patients of a U.S. urban Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) and national samples, within gender, race and education subgroups. Findings Participants were interviewed about their criminal history. Analyses compared lifetime incarceration history in this sample to a group with similar demographics. A majority (69.6%) of the sample had been incarcerated and 34.0% had been incarcerated with a felony charge as compared with 2.7% expected for the control sample. Conclusion Within every racial and educational subgroup, incarceration rates were high compared to the general population. Though racial and educational factors partly explained added incarceration risk, presence of a serious mental disorder heightened the incarceration risk within all strata in this public sector setting

Kansas Early Childhood Transition Task Force Tour: Preliminary Results from Community Engagement Tour

Kansas Executive Order 23-01 established the Early Childhood Transition Task Force (ECTTF) and tasked the group with holding a series of meetings across the state to generate public feedback and responses to Kansas’ current early childhood system. To better understand the current situation of early childhood efforts in the State of Kansas, the Kansas ECTTF conducted a statewide tour with virtual and in-person opportunities for participants to reflect on Kansas’ early childhood system. The participants’ responses were prompted by questions in three different categories: Needs and Barriers, Bright Spots, and State’s Efficiency in Early Child Care and Education. Participants were also asked to rate how hopeful they are that Kansas is going in the right direction in early childhood. The average hope score was high, which conveys trust and confidence from those in attendance. Based on these findings, the Task Force developed recommendations to improve Kansas’ current early childhood system and the state’s role in it

Recruitment and Retention of School Mental Health Providers: Strategies and Key Resources

This report describes organizational and policy strategies to improve recruitment and retention of school mental health providers. Additionally, it identifies resources developed by reputable organizations to facilitate implementation of these strategies. The report aims to provide useful guidance on developing and maintaining the school mental health workforce for organizations (e.g. schools, school districts, and community mental health agencies) and policy makers involved in school mental health efforts

Trends in Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment Utilization and Location from 2008 to 2017

Objective: Little is known about recent trends in treatment for alcohol use disorder. The authors used national data to examine treatment trends among individuals with alcohol use disorder. Methods: A sample of nonelderly adults (ages 18–64 years, N=36,707) with alcohol use disorder was identified from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine trends in treatment for alcohol use disorder in 2008–2010, 2011–2013, and 2014–2017 in any medical setting (hospitals, rehabilitation centers, mental health centers, emergency departments, and private doctors’ offices), self-help groups only (no medical setting), and no setting (i.e., no treatment). Additional analyses investigated trends in mental health treatment. Regression models adjusted for predisposing, enabling, and need-related characteristics. Results: Among those with an alcohol use disorder, the percentage who received any treatment was significantly lower in 2011–2013 (5.6%) than in 2008–2010 (6.9%) (p<0.05). In adjusted analyses, the probability of receiving no treatment increased by 1.5 percentage points in 2014–2017 (95% CI=0.5–2.5) compared with the 2008–2010 baseline. Significant declines were observed in the receipt of any treatment in a medical setting (marginal effect [ME]=−1.0%, 95% CI=−2.0 to −0.0) and self-help treatment only (ME=−0.5%, 95% CI=−0.8 to −0.1) in 2014–2017 compared with the baseline period. The probability of receiving any mental health treatment did not change during the study period. Conclusions: Among persons with an alcohol use disorder, treatment declined from 2008 to 2017. Future studies should examine the mechanisms that may be responsible for this decline

Effects of extreme weather events on child mood and behavior

Extreme weather events (EWEs) are increasing in frequency and severity as the planet continues to become warmer. Resulting disasters have the potential to wreak havoc on the economy, infrastructure, family unit, and human health. Global estimates project that children will be disproportionately impacted by the changing climate – shouldering 88% of the related burdens. Exposure to EWEs in childhood is traumatic, with ramifications for mental health specifically. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety have all been associated with childhood EWE exposure and have the potential to persist under certain circumstances. Conversely, many childhood survivors of EWE also demonstrate resilience and experience only transient symptoms. While the majority of studies are focused on the effects resulting from one specific type of disaster (hurricanes), we have synthesized the literature across the various types of EWEs. We describe psychological symptoms and behavior, the potential for long-term effects, and potential protective factors and risk factors

Integrated care to address the physical health needs of people with severe mental illness : a rapid review

Background People with mental health conditions have a lower life expectancy and poorer physical health outcomes than the general population. Evidence suggests that this discrepancy is driven by a combination of clinical risk factors, socioeconomic factors and health system factors. Objective(s) To explore current service provision and map the recent evidence on models of integrated care addressing the physical health needs of people with severe mental illness (SMI) primarily within the mental health service setting. The research was designed as a rapid review of published evidence from 2013–15, including an update of a comprehensive 2013 review, together with further grey literature and insights from an expert advisory group. Synthesis We conducted a narrative synthesis, using a guiding framework based on nine previously identified factors considered to be facilitators of good integrated care for people with mental health problems, supplemented by additional issues emerging from the evidence. Descriptive data were used to identify existing models, perceived facilitators and barriers to their implementation, and any areas for further research. Findings and discussion The synthesis incorporated 45 publications describing 36 separate approaches to integrated care, along with further information from the advisory group. Most service models were multicomponent programmes incorporating two or more of the nine factors: (1) information sharing systems; (2) shared protocols; (3) joint funding/commissioning; (4) colocated services; (5) multidisciplinary teams; (6) liaison services; (7) navigators; (8) research; and (9) reduction of stigma. Few of the identified examples were described in detail and fewer still were evaluated, raising questions about the replicability and generalisability of much of the existing evidence. However, some common themes did emerge from the evidence. Efforts to improve the physical health care of people with SMI should empower people (staff and service users) and help remove everyday barriers to delivering and accessing integrated care. In particular, there is a need for improved communication between professionals and better information technology to support them, greater clarity about who is responsible and accountable for physical health care, and awareness of the effects of stigmatisation on the wider culture and environment in which services are delivered. Limitations and future work The literature identified in the rapid review was limited in volume and often lacked the depth of description necessary to acquire new insights. All members of our advisory group were based in England, so this report has limited information on the NHS contexts specific to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A conventional systematic review of this topic would not appear to be appropriate in the immediate future, although a more interpretivist approach to exploring this literature might be feasible. Wherever possible, future evaluations should involve service users and be clear about which outcomes, facilitators and barriers are likely to be context-specific and which might be generalisable

Incidence rates of emotional, sexual, and physical abuse in active-duty military service members, 1997–2015

Sexual, emotional, and physical abuse are often underreported in the Military, and large-scale epidemiological research is limited. The current work examines the incidence rates of abuse across six demographic factors (age, gender, rank, marital status, race, and branch) using the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database (DMED) in active-duty U.S. military service members to establish a comparative cohort for future work in this area. Data were extracted from 1997 to 2015 and analyzed using a one-sample chi-square goodness-of-fit test. Women report emotional abuse over two times more than expected, physical abuse twice as much, and sexual abuse five times more than expected. Black service members were reported emotional abuse at rates 87% greater than anticipated based on base military proportions, reported double the amount of physical abuse than expected, and received sexual abuse diagnoses 35% more than expected. Paygrades E5-E9 had higher than expected emotional abuse rates, while married service members had higher than expected emotional and physical abuse rates. White, male, and higher rank service members reported lower than expected rates for any abuse type. The present study provides a strong foundation for further research and developing interventions aimed toward vulnerable populations in the U.S. military