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The normal lives of schools were significantly affected by the recent global pandemic. Some countries closed all schools nationally, others such as the USA closed at a local level according to state law. Much of the focus of research in this area is on the effect on children and learning loss, but this paper uses secondary analysis of data from a project on primary/secondary school transition in England to examine the experience of teaching in a pandemic, with a particular focus on pedagogy and professionalism. It presents our findings of a significant impact on teachers' professional lives in England; from the pedagogic difficulties of teaching online, dealing with the anxieties and fears of themselves and others, providing support in ways hitherto beyond their experience, increased and different workloads. Some embraced the positive challenge, but many found their mental health suffered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health is a significant area for social work education and practice as the profession focuses on enhancing the social functioning and well-being of individuals, groups and communities. The field of mental health requires professionals from multidisciplinary fields who undergo rigorous training to acquire the necessary professional knowledge and equip themselves with specific skills. The current paper attempts to situate and reflect the author's experiences of working with post-graduate social work students in University of Delhi. Through case vignettes, the author presents diverse mental health challenges faced by the students and analyses wide-ranging psychosocial factors that play a significant role in this context. The paper also discusses the implications posed by such challenges on social work education while attempting to make number of suggestions to promote positive mental health among students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequently increased time spent at home signified the importance of understanding on the link between housing and mental health. This paper examines how housing qualities affect depression and suicide ideation for each age group (i.e. young adults, middle-aged and older adults) and gender. With South Korea population-based panel data, fixed-effect models and a partial least squares structural equation model were used. A functional problem was a major risk factor for depression in women, whereas a structural problem was a key risk factor for men's depression. For older adults, living in basement and vulnerability to natural disaster were detrimental to mental health. Functional problems increased the likelihood of suicide ideation in the middle-aged. The mechanisms of the housing qualities-mental health nexus were varied by age and gender. This paper proposed policy suggestions including a tailored housing policy and provision, a housing rating system for health and a support system for noise control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a psychedelic and entheogenic compound that has been used for centuries by Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon, Caribbean, and more recently in communities in Northern Mexico in ceremonial practices and to connect with nature. In recent years, there has been growing interest in 5-MeO-DMT to treat mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In response, there has been an increase in scientific research of the efficacy of 5-MeO-DMT in treating such conditions. Little is known about the compound's historical use; this paper will explore and examine the known writings about the origins and original use of 5-MeO-DMT. Additionally, this paper will present the limited data and accounts regarding the use of 5-MeO-DMT and the intersection of those accounts in historical and cultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black Alaskans face serious barriers to health care. This paper reports on qualitative results of a health needs assessment to understand the health challenges facing Black Alaskans. Utilizing exploratory thematic analysis, the findings indicate that Black Alaskans experience barriers such as high cost of care, underinsurance, lack of information and education, a shortage of BIPOC health providers, stigma, negative perceptions by health-care providers, and racism both in the community and in the health-care system. The paper concludes by discussing emerging health equity initiatives to advance responsive care for Black Alaskans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite legislative and policy mechanisms that promote inclusion in education for children with disabilities, many students still experience exclusion from the education setting. For example, autistic children are more likely than their neurotypical counterparts to be expelled or suspended from school or to refuse to attend school on an ongoing basis. This situation gives rise to various challenges for their parents. This discursive paper synthesizes current knowledge on school exclusion involving autistic children, including the causes and consequences of exclusionary practices. The paper also considers the negative impacts of these exclusionary practices on the emotional and psychological well-being of parents and caregivers. Mental health nurses who understand the issues related to school exclusion can better support the educational, social, and developmental needs of autistic children and the mental health needs of parents or caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying Fineman's vulnerability theory, this paper will explore the role of emotions within the legal profession and the specific vulnerabilities that arise from their traditional and contemporary treatment within law. It will consider how the notion of professionalism in law has traditionally disregarded or excluded emotions as irrelevant or even dangerous in a manner which is philosophically and psychologically flawed as well as damaging to mental health and wellbeing. This approach has created longstanding unacknowledged vulnerabilities for the profession as a whole and individual practitioners. It will then explore how the shifting legal services landscape, and the resultant evolution of the profession, has led to a growing contemporary interest in the use of emotional competencies (often characterised as 'soft skills' or 'emotional intelligence'). These are now increasingly exploited as tools to enhance profitability. However, this leads to a dichotomy as, despite their increasing utilisation, emotions are still not fully acknowledged or incorporated within law's core professional values. This generates further individual and institutional vulnerabilities around mental health and wellbeing which require urgent attention to ensure the health of the contemporary profession. The paper concludes with suggestions for reforms to alleviate these vulnerabilities and promote greater future resilience within law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores my first hand experience of illness during the first weeks of the pandemic, as a PhD student. Through an auto ethnographic lens, I narrate events which occurred during the month of March 2020. My memories, and their interpretation, continued to transform in the subsequent months, coinciding with the analysis of an earlier set of participants data and writing of the thesis. This paper draws upon such experiences to raise methodological and existential questions in relation to design research and healthcare. The short paper is structured in two parts; the first describes a few memory fragments to help the reader connect with that initial experience, whilst the second discusses the methodological and existential implications alongside a personal reflection, as an invitation for further dialogue within our research community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we explore the role of precarity theory in bringing new perspectives to public mental health. The paper draws on a qualitative, participatory research study carried out in Glasgow that illuminates the entangled and complex relations between the social, bio-political, cultural, economic, and environmental conditions that produce mental health and ill health. Through the accounts of Sassy Queen, Tony, Simba, John, and Rhianna, we explore the attrition of everyday lives that are lived in constant states of crisis, the forms of precarity that it precipitates, and how this plays out for them concerning how they talk about and experience 'mental health'. Their experience provides an alternative vantage point to understanding mental distress to those which are made possible through recourse to prevalent social determinant and behavioural models of public health. The paper concludes that the operations of the political as everyday biopolitics must become more visible within public health, and this requires interdisciplinary and narrative approaches to fully understand the border zone between macro-level politics and the biopolitics of everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schools have been identified as well placed to support students' wellbeing and encouraging the active participation of children and young people in school life is in line with current English legislation. Student-led research has the potential to create a positive, long-lasting impact. This evaluative systematic literature review (SLR) sought to identify the features of effective student participation in the co-production of whole-school wellbeing strategies, with a focus on Participatory Action Research (PAR) projects. Ten papers published between 2011 and 2021 were identified using the PRISMA framework and evaluated for methodological quality and appropriateness of focus. Several factors were identified as impacting on the success of PAR, including group composition, power balance, and sustainability. The paper concludes that carefully planned PAR projects can result in successful collaboration with students to develop whole-school strategies for a range of issues/topic areas. Further research evaluating the long-term impact of such projects on whole-school practice is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an introduction to the papers by Tuber, Conway and Sossin that follow. A shared element in the three papers is the therapist's capacity to hold a child's mental and emotional state in mind and to reflect on his experiences in life. In providing an account of psychodynamic work with children with an LD (Tuber) and Autism Spectrum (Sossin) diagnosis, and in reviewing current research on psychodynamic treatments for children with ADHD (Conway), the three authors add to the growing number of articles on psychoanalytic and psychodynamic work with children with an underlying neurological disorder that have begun to appear in the literature. Collectively, these papers suggest that children and adolescents with developmental disabilities can benefit from treatments that are mindful of their internal world and seek to expand their understanding of themselves and others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this laboratory experiment we examined the effect of resume format (paper resume only, video resume only, or both) on applicant evaluation. Differences in applicant personality trait evaluation were found for extraversion and agreeableness when video resumes were reviewed compared to when only paper resumes were reviewed. In addition, social skill and mental capability ratings were lower when only video resumes were reviewed. These findings indicate that video resumes may result in different assessments of applicant personality and harsher evaluations of applicant skills and abilities than paper resumes. Human resource personnel are cautioned in the use of video resumes until more research has been completed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an increasing recognition of the importance of mental and substance use disorders (MESUDS) for population health and health systems and the potential value of systems-based performance indicators in addressing this issue, we aimed to describe the development and content of key performance indicators (KPIs) for MESUDS. Publications were identified through official websites, Google searches and PubMed. Following “PRISMA” guidelines, 25 studies were kept for qualitative synthesis and six for quantitative analysis. We describe their use in practice by comparing their application across a range of public and mixed healthcare systems. Currently, the KPI development for MESUDS adopts several methodologies, including expert opinion, literature review, stakeholder consultation, and the structured consensus method. The rationales provided for selection of particular KPIs vary greatly between systems. Systems exhibit different levels of KPI adaptability, which is reflective of dynamic changes in evidence-based practices. We noted bias in the level of KPI assessment toward system/health plan evaluation followed by program/service evaluation. Similarly, there is a large skew toward KPIs that reflect evaluation of processes. Collection of data in all systems is nearly exclusively reliant on electronic administrative/medical data. Experiences from these systems are synthesized into methodological recommendations and considerations for further research and clinical practice are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis paper uses Ambiguous Loss Theory to explore the anticipatory and ambiguous losses and stressors surrounding the decision to come out as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Queer. Purposive sampling was used to administer a survey to 429 individuals who identified as LGBTQ+ about their coming out decisions and experiences. Data were coded and three major themes were developed: (1) the need for psychosocial safety (fear of being disowned, shunned or abandoned); (2) experiences of anxiety, depression, emotional stress, and shame; and (3) the pursuit of authenticity, self-discovery and liberation. Findings from the study indicate that coming out for LGBTQ+ individuals in the twenty first century remains accompanied by challenges and fears, both before and after the process, which significantly affects individuals’ health and safety. In the longer term, despite the challenges, stressors and losses identified by participants, most reported that disclosing their sexual orientation had greatly improved their health and mental well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been increasing attention afforded to how a perpetrator of family violence may engage in coercive and controlling behaviour. As a form of coercive control, perpetrators may threaten to take their own life, impacting the thoughts and behaviours of victim/survivors, as well as their decision to leave the relationship. This form of coercive control challenges police in the way they manage and respond to perceived risk. In Victoria, Australia, section 232 of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022 (Vic) allows police to place a person who shows signs of mental illness under the care of medical practitioners for assessment, to prevent violence towards themselves or another person. This may present challenges in the investigation of family violence matters and serving protection orders (referred to as family violence intervention orders (FVIOs) in Victoria), as police are required to balance the needs of perpetrators, victim/survivors, and the community at large. This article examines the competing priorities of police as they attend a family violence incident where the perpetrator has threatened to take their own life. Drawing from the perspectives of ten specialist family violence officers from Victoria Police, this paper will provide critical insight into the policing of suicide threats in the context of coercive control. Further, it explores how current collaboration with the health sector may reduce police capacity to ensure victim/survivors’ safety through FVIOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has yielded important insight into the characteristics and behaviours of officers who commit misconduct across the UK, USA and Australia. However, there remains little research into illicit substance use by sworn police. Considering substance use by police through the lens of police misconduct, this paper employs correlation and regression analyses using a sample of 489 sworn officers, to analyse whether individual types of misconduct, or the overall volume of misconduct committed, were predictive of an officer returning a positive drug test during departmental random drug testing. Findings suggested that neither individual types of misconduct, or the overall number of complaints received by officers were useful in predicting a positive drug test. However, a current or historical association with a known offender held a strong relationship with returning a positive drug test. Pivotally, holding a second job (outside of the agency) was also a significant predictor of a positive drug test. The findings of this research hold important implications for drug testing policy and procedure of policing agencies, and for understanding which factors may suggest that an officer is at risk of drug use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital self-harm, the anonymous online posting, sending, or otherwise sharing of hurtful content about oneself, has not received the same amount of scholarly scrutiny as other forms of self-directed abuse. In the current paper, we analyze three independent national surveys of U.S. teens (aged 13–17, M = 14.96) in repeat cross-sectional studies conducted in 2016 (N = 4,742), 2019 (N = 4,250), and 2021 (N = 2,546) to assess the prevalence of two measures of digital self-harm. We examine demographic differences within each sample (gender, race, and sexual orientation), whether experience with cyberbullying was associated with these behaviors, and changes over time. Overall, the prevalence of digital self-harm has been increasing over time, and changes in demographic influences were observed. Implications for identifying, preventing, and responding to digital self-harm are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physicians generally recommend that patients resuscitated with naloxone after opioid overdose stay in the emergency department for a period of observation in order to prevent harm from delayed sequelae of opioid toxicity. Patients frequently refuse this period of observation despiteenefit to risk. Healthcare providers are thus confronted with the challenge of how best to protect the patient's interests while also respecting autonomy, including assessing whether the patient is making an autonomous choice to refuse care. Previous studies have shown that physicians have widely divergent approaches to navigating these conflicts. This paper reviews what is known about the effects of opioid use disorder on decision-making, and argues that some subset of these refusals are non-autonomous choices, even when patients appear to have decision making capacity. This conclusion has several implications for how physicians assess and respond to patients refusing medical recommendations after naloxone resuscitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

U.S. service members are at an enhanced risk for developing mental disorders. To address these challenges, while promoting operational readiness and improving mental health outcomes, the Department of Defense directed each service component to develop and implement universal resilience enhancing programs. This paper provides a review of theoretical approaches conceptualizing resilience to trauma, including the theoretical foundations of programs currently in place. The resilience programs of U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps are described, and available program effectiveness data are reviewed. Gaps between theory and practice are identified and an alternative method of assessing psychological readiness in Army units that is informed by resilience theory is offered as one way to address these gaps and scientific concerns. By comprehensively assessing the stressors affecting Soldiers at regular intervals, military leaders may be able to better identify and mitigate stressors in a systematic way that bolsters individual and unit psychological fitness. An enhanced psychological readiness metric stands to strengthen the validity of current resilience programs, bring clarity to the mechanisms of resilience, and provide a novel way for leaders to promote readiness in their units. Application of this metric within the infrastructure of existing reporting systems stands to improve mental health outcomes for Service Members, enhance the psychological readiness of the force, and reduce healthcare costs over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly complex and unpredictable personnel and operational demands require Special Operations Forces (SOF) members and their families to remain flexible, adaptive, and resilient within ever-changing circumstances. To mitigate the impact of these stressors on psychological health and fitness, researchers and educators at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) developed Special Operations Cognitive Agility Training (SOCAT), a cognitive performance optimization program supported by the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF). The goal of SOCAT is to enhance cognitive agility, defined as the ability to deliberately adapt cognitive processing strategies in accordance with dynamic shifts in situational and environmental demands, in order to facilitate decision making and adapt to change. Overall, SOCAT emphasizes optimal cognitive performance across different contexts – as well as across various stages of the military lifecycle – to serve as a buffer against biopsychosocial vulnerabilities, environmental and social stressors, military operational demands, and behavioral health problems, including suicide. This paper reviews foundational research behind SOCAT, mechanisms through which SOCAT is anticipated to build psychological resilience, and describes the process of developing and tailoring SOCAT for active duty SOF members and spouses. Limitations and future directions, including an ongoing, randomized controlled program evaluation, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The provision of feedback in forensic mental health assessment has received little attention. The scant research literature suggests that giving feedback is not only infrequent among forensic mental health examiners, but in some circumstances, it is considered inappropriate. This paper puts forth some of the challenges related to the provision of feedback in the context of forensic mental health assessments. It also suggests that in some cases, the provision of carefully vetted feedback could be consistent with the aims of therapeutic jurisprudence and trauma-informed principles. Ultimately, we suggest that feedback is not a unitary construct and that the timing and type of feedback warrant independent consideration that is often seated in practical, clinical, and ethical considerations. We conclude that while feedback is optional, consideration of different scenarios for feedback expands the range of professional options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While positive psychology has been in development for more than 20 years, positive psychologists still face the challenge of finding optimal measurements of well-being. The PERMA framework provides a new understanding of well-being based on years of research. However, whether it adds value in terms of being distinct from the already established measures of Subjective Well-Being (SWB) has recently been under debate. Certain characteristics of PERMA make it unsuited for traditional factor analysis and data analysis techniques. In this paper, we argue that a network approach is more suitable for understanding the interrelated nature of PERMA components. We then show how the components of PERMA and SWB are distinct using exploratory graphical analysis. Our results show that while PERMA predicts SWB, PERMA provides us a more nuanced way to understand the interrelated antecedents of well-being, which we refer to as the web of well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have seen a shift in the number of bereavement studies examining daily grief processes, but our knowledge is still limited due to the lack of dyadic research. In this paper, we explored the change in mental health in the course of a seven-day dyadic diary with bereaved couples who lost their child during pregnancy, labor, or afterward. We conducted dyadic latent growth curve analyses. In the bereaved parents who experienced a pregnancy loss, we found reduced grief (for both partners) and anxiety symptoms (only for women) and no changes in depression symptoms or personal strength levels across the diary days. In the bereaved parents who lost their child during labor or afterward, both partners' grief and depression symptoms and women's anxiety symptoms stayed stable, men's anxiety symptoms decreased, but women experienced a decline in their personal strength. Overall, negative aspects of mental health showed no sign of a dyadic diary's harm to the bereaved parents and even pointed to increased mental health in some respects during the study. However, a feeling of reduced capacity to deal with difficulties during the diary was also observed in women. Our findings indicated that both negative and positive aspects of mental health should be considered to evaluate the impact of diary studies on the participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has found that psychedelic use is associated with positive behavioral changes, however research has yet to explore the relationship between socio-cultural conditions on this relationship. This paper intends to fill this gap by testing the effects of religious participation and beliefs on the relationship between psychedelic use and behaviors. This study examines the relationship between Lifetime Classic Psychedelic Use (LCPU), different aspects of religion (such as salience and attendance), and the likelihood of committing a violent assault. The analysis uses pooled data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2015 to 2019, with a sample size of 282,768. Binary logistic regression models conducted in Stata 17 reveal that LCPU and religion (salience and influence) are independently associated with reduced violence. Additionally, two-way interactions indicate that the association between risky behavior and violence is smaller among individuals with high levels of religious salience. Furthermore, a three-way interaction suggests that the association between risky behavior and violence is smaller for those who have used psychedelics, with the largest effect observed among individuals with high religious salience. These results show that religious factors can influence the relationship between psychedelic use and behaviors, with both attendance and salience operating simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores matrescence as an overwhelming time for the new mother, specifically describing where that overwhelm can be potentially traumatic or transformative. Considerations of altered states of consciousness have examined where these states hinge on being traumatic or generative, yet scarce attention has been given to maternal experience within these studies. Conversely, within maternal mental health, much attention has been given to minimizing overwhelm in the perinatal period, particularly for the child's sake, such as through mentalization and strengthening a mother's capacity for reflective functioning to differentiate between self and other. Building on the strengths and limitations of these historical trends, this article uses examples from contemporary literature and clinical experience to discuss the ways in which the perinatal mother experiences altered states of consciousness toward her potential transformation. Matrescence is discussed as similar to other altered states of consciousness where material and metaphysical planes collide, but different in that the maternal experience is also, of necessity, grounded in relationality. I introduce the term matrescent epistemology to describe the unique, relational psychological opportunities a new mother has to access information about themselves, their lineage, and the unseen world in excess of what is typically known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissociative Identity Disorder is a mental disorder in which seemingly independent identities arise within the same body. It is a disorder that raises profound questions about our understandings of certain theological concepts and doctrines, especially if one can consider the different identities to be different persons. In this paper, I shall provide support for this claim by exploring the implications that Dissociative Identity Disorder can have for our understanding of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. After outlining two models of the indwelling that have been proposed in the contemporary analytic literature, I am going to explain the problem that Dissociative Identity Disorder seems to raise for these models. I will then consider various potential solutions and shall highlight which I find to be the most convincing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have observed that as the theoretical landscape in behavioral science continues to proliferate and diversify, it is not uncommon that distance between subspecialties emerge, artificially accentuating differences between camps. This may occur at the risk of losing sight of the common ground, and worsening communication between subspecialties. In this paper, we propose conceptual "crosswalking" as a means to preserve interdisciplinary communication within the behavioral sciences. This is illustrated using Bronfenbrenner's Person-Process-Context-Time (PPCT) Model, mapped onto therapeutic modalities with a focus on ecological systems. Recommendations for future crosswalking are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There will be an increased need for psychologists to provide mental health services in residential aged care facilities. Experience while training is invaluable to improving both confidence and interest in working in this area. Awareness of potential barriers and ethical situations that may impede good mental health care is necessary when providing supervision. This paper reviews issues that supervisors need to be aware of when working with students in this clinical space. Barriers and enablers of clinical placements in residential aged care settings are discussed. Models of care, ethical considerations relating to risk, consent and working systemically, multiple clients, practical difficulties of being off-site and clinical aspects of adapting therapy to residential care settings are identified as key issues related to supervising students. Potential solutions, resources and practical approaches to these issues are also highlighted. A positive approach to the complexities of working in residential aged care settings can lead to quality supervision and clinical care in this much needed area. What is already known about this topic: There is a high degree of mental health issues amongst older adults living in residential aged care. Concerns have been raised about how clinical psychologists will meet future workforce demands. There is a lack of supervisors with experience in providing clinical guidance in this area. What this topic adds: Supervising in residential aged care has been enabled by an increased level of funded psychological services available to aged care residents in Australia. Several unique ethical issues can arise within supervision in residential aged care contexts that need to be discussed with students to improve their competence. There are practical approaches to adapting clinical interventions and working systemically that serve to facilitate a student's placement journey in residential aged care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing interest in measuring wellbeing and mental health in a range of settings and services outside conventional mental health care settings. However, ensuring that measurement does not intrude on the primary service activity whilst promoting inclusion through minimizing literacy demands, requires ultra-brief and easy to use tools. To develop and test a brief emoji-based tool to assess mental health, wellbeing, resilience and community connection. In study 1, 672 adults completed an online questionnaire study comprising a new emoji measure and established questionnaires assessing mental health, resilience, community connection and wellbeing. In study 2, 415 participants completed a paper-and-pencil version of the emoji measure, mental health and community connection, with 212 individuals providing data at a second time point. Multidimensional scaling revealed a meaningful structure to the emoji measure with validity demonstrated through relationships to existing scales. Stability over time and sensitivity to change were also demonstrated. The emoji-based measure presented here provides an ultra-brief measure of mood and current experience, with minimal literacy demands on participants. Further research is now needed to test the properties and utility of the scale with other participant groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential to collect brain data more directly, with higher resolution, and in greater amounts has heightened worries about mental and brain privacy. In order to manage the risks to individuals posed by these privacy challenges, some have suggested codifying new privacy rights, including a right to "mental privacy." In this paper, we consider these arguments and conclude that while neurotechnologies do raise significant privacy concerns, such concerns are—at least for now—no different from those raised by other well-understood data collection technologies, such as gene sequencing tools and online surveillance. To better understand the privacy stakes of brain data, we suggest the use of a conceptual framework from information ethics, Helen Nissenbaum's "contextual integrity" theory. To illustrate the importance of context, we examine neurotechnologies and the information flows they produce in three familiar contexts—healthcare and medical research, criminal justice, and consumer marketing. We argue that by emphasizing what is distinct about brain privacy issues, rather than what they share with other data privacy concerns, risks weakening broader efforts to enact more robust privacy law and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore the use of Lego® Serious Play® (LSP) to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people (CYP) in an educational setting. It investigates how best to manage anxiety and facilitate a better understanding of the transition process whereby pupils move either between year groups, or to new schools. The study adopts a creative multi-sensory methodology whereby the focus is upon the Lego® and not the child. Data were collected in a UK junior school from four workshops, comprising sixty-four children, ranging between seven and eleven years old. Using the Lego® Serious Play® (LSP) method, preliminary results highlight four key overarching themes associated with child anxiety surrounding the school transition process. These are (i) places, (ii) pathways, (iii) programming and (iv) people. Wider implications for other age groups and other transition scenarios are explored. A series of remedies and solutions are proposed, and recommendations for further development of the method within an educational context are highlighted. In the leisure context, this study contributes to knowledge through a playful lens by using Lego® Serious Play® (LSP) as a creative methodology to highlight the unique interaction between leisure, education and mental health and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental racism has long plagued the United States and continues to do so as the effects of climate change worsen and grow. These effects have a broad impact on every aspect of life from physical and mental health to financial stability and access to opportunities. In order to more fully understand the consequences of climate change on people, it is helpful to develop an understanding of the historical, economic, and political dimensions of climate change. This paper aims to assist in understanding as well as provide sources of engagement for social workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractMigration process is a well-known risk factor for a number of mental disorders, particularly psychotic, trauma-related and major mood disorders. However, refugees and asylum seekers (RAS) often face several challenges in accessing mental health facilities, leading to treatment delays, resulting in worse prognosis and increased risk of referral to the emergency departments or receiving coercive measures, including involuntary hospitalizations in the psychiatric settings. This review aims to delineate the prevalence of coercive measures within the RAS population and identify potential predictors for such interventions, in order to highlight possible preventive strategies. The relevant PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched for papers. Twenty-three articles were included in the review. Our findings highlight that the RAS population is at higher risk of being coerced compared to the native population due to clinical factors, cultural differences and the many barriers to the access to mental health services. Since coercive measures are often harmful and lead to a worse clinical outcome and possible (re)traumatization of patients, specific strategies to prevent this phenomenon are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child Care Institutions (CCI) are often considered the best remedy for vulnerable children in India. Research suggests deteriorating mental health of the children residing at CCI and an inadequate mental health infrastructure aggravates this problem. An alternative therapy is vital to improve the current situation. Research confirms the positive effects of Expressive Art Therapy (EAT) for children facing mental health crises. In this paper, we aim to assess the effectiveness of EAT on the mental health, emotion regulation and resilience of these children. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was adopted for this intervention study. Forty-three children from two CCI in Goa participated in this study and were divided in to two groups. Group A (n = 18) received full intervention, whereas Group B (n = 25) received partial intervention. The quantitative analysis of psychometric data Group A showed significant improvement in their overall mental health and resilience scores. The qualitative content analysis of the art materials and interviews of same group supports the quantitative findings. Group B has also shown positive effects on some mental health and resilience constructs. Our findings reiterate the effectiveness of EAT for children in CCI and that this therapy could corroborate in their daily curriculum to promote overall well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a systematic review that assessed the different types of mental health programs and interventions available for young people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds in Australia, and identified core elements of practice for supporting the mental health of CALD youth, and key barriers that preclude CALD youth from engaging with mental health services. A total of 19 articles met inclusion criteria and a total of six distinct practices were identified: (1) personalization, identity and recognition of trauma; (2) creative expression; (3) cultural competence; (4) self-efficacy and empowerment; (5) social connections and relationships; and (6) information and content delivery. Key barriers related to engagement with CALD youth mental health programs included language and literacy barriers, stigma and shame, and service providers' limited cultural competency, and lack of diverse understandings of wellbeing. The findings from this review suggest several avenues for ensuring practice that effectively meets the unique mental health needs of CALD young people and reduces barriers to their access and engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been well documented. One possible consequence of ACEs is dissociation, which is a major feature of post-traumatic psychopathology and is also associated with considerable impairment and health care costs. Although ACEs are known to be associated with both psychoform and somatoform dissociation, much less is known about the mechanisms behind this relationship. Little is known about whether social and interpersonal factors such as family environments would moderate the relationship between ACEs and somatoform dissociation. This paper discusses the importance of having a positive and healthy family environment in trauma recovery. We then report the findings of a preliminary study in which we examined whether the association between ACEs and somatoform dissociation would be moderated by family well-being in a convenience sample of Hong Kong adults (N = 359). The number of ACEs was positively associated with somatoform dissociative symptoms, but this association was moderated by the level of family well-being. The number of ACEs was associated with somatoform dissociation only when the family well-being scores were low. These moderating effects were medium. The findings point to the potential importance of using family education and intervention programs to prevent and treat trauma-related dissociative symptoms, but further investigation is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The qualitative community embraces transparent dialogue through sharing knowledge to improve rigour and develop new initiatives. In this paper, we recognise there are many complexities within qualitative research, leading to important debates. We explore the benefits and challenges, as well as the practicalities and technicalities, of conducting research that 1) employs multiple methods within the qualitative paradigm, 2) is interdisciplinary, and 3) examines a sensitive research topic 4) with a vulnerable group of participants. Specifically, when research is also 5) cross-cultural and 6) utilises participatory techniques. Through our discussion, we draw upon an existing project and examine the complexity of designing and completing intra-paradigmatic mixed methods research with children from different sociocultural contexts, underpinned by interdisciplinary perspectives, in a complex area like mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to explore BDSM involvement and its effects on mental health. The study had four objectives: (1) quantify frequencies of BDSM self-labels, (2) describe patterns of BDSM involvement subtypes (i.e. fantasy, behaviour, and identity), (3) compare BDSM-related involvement among two samples: members of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) and a non-NCSF sample of adults interested in or practicing BDSM, and (4) understand whether BDSM identity specialty interest group membership is associated with enhanced health (i.e. coping). Data were drawn from archival survey data on sexuality and health. Participants (N = 1036) completed BDSM identity and behaviour measures. The most common BDSM identities were 'dominant' and 'submissive'. NCSF members adopted BDSM identity labels more frequently compared to general adult BDSM practitioners. Dominant and submissive fantasy and behaviour varied by gender, sexual orientation, and relationship status. For example, cisgender men reported elevated patterns of dominant and lowered submissive BDSM involvement. Compared to non-NCSF members, NCSF members reported higher dominant and submissive fantasies and behaviours, and better mental health and emotion regulation. Finally, submissive fantasy involvement displayed statistically significant, but weak, positive associations with psychological health. Potential implications for public health practice, theory development, and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generative language models have changed the way we interact with computers using natural language. With the release of increasingly advanced GPT models, systems are able to correctly respond to questions in various domains. However, they still have important limitations, such as hallucinations, lack of substance in answers, inability to justify responses, or showing high confidence with fabricated content. In digital mental health, every decision must be traceable and based on scientific evidence and these shortcomings are hindering the integration of LLMs into clinical practice. In this paper, we provide a novel automated method to develop evidence-based question answering systems. Powerful state-of-the-art generalist language models are used and forced to employ only contents in validated clinical guidelines, tracking the source of the evidence for each generated response. This way, the system is able to protect users from hallucinatory responses. As a proof of concept, we present the results obtained building question-answering systems circumscribed to the clinical practice guidelines of the Spanish National Health System about the management of depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The coherence, veracity, and evidence supporting the responses have been evaluated by human experts obtaining high reliability, clarity, completeness, and traceability of evidence results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are significant disparities in mental health care between First Nations and non-Indigenous people in settler-colonial nations. This paper, authored by a crosscultural and interdisciplinary team, argues that settler-colonial legislation, the tools and technologies of architecture, and the clinical practice of psychiatry are all implicated. Taking inspiration from Tanganekald, Meintangk-Bunganditj legal scholar Irene Watson, who yearns for freedom to roam across Country and connect with the land of her ancestors, we propose tactics for 'roaming' from the conventions of architecture and psychiatry to decolonize our practices. These include yarning, walking Country, and representing these itinerant practices through wandering lines. The outcomes are processes for developing new therapeutic places and practices for mental health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines changing trends in housing affordability in the Netherlands and its link to mental health across tenures and age cohorts. Using the LISS panel dataset over 11 years (2008 to 2019), we assess trends in the prevalence of unaffordable housing and subsequently examine its relationship with psychological wellbeing based on 'Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5)' responses. Our research shows a clear overall increase in the experience of unaffordable housing. Increases are, however, starkly differentiated by tenure and age, occurring almost entirely within the rental sector and disproportionately affecting younger adults. We also find a clear link between living in housing that is unaffordable and poorer mental health scores, and this association is particularly strong among renters and younger people. The results underscore how changes in housing systems have intensified housing precarity, specifically within the rental sector, and reveal how this may contribute to worsening mental health at the population level and shape tenure-based health inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Aims Methods Results Conclusions Evidence suggests that financial crises and poor mental health are reciprocally related, but no systematic review has been conducted to synthesise the existing literature on the impact of national and international financial crises on population-level mental health and well-being.The aim of this study was to systematically review the available literature on the global impact of financial crises on mental health and well-being outcomes.After registration on PROSPERO, a systematic search was conducted in PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Wiley, and Web of Science for papers published until 21 November 2022. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement, 98 papers were identified as meeting eligibility criteria. Included studies were assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) and results were presented in a formal narrative synthesis.Our findings show that financial crises are significantly associated with well-being and occurrence of psychological conditions. Several socio-demographic, cultural, and country-specific characteristics played a crucial role in the prevention of population mental health decline in periods of financial crises.Based on the findings of this review, evidence-based recommendations were developed to guide the design of policy actions that protect population mental health during and after financial crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harmful sexual behaviour that occurs between siblings (HSB-S) is thought to be one of the most common forms of intrafamilial abuse. Despite an increase in academic papers, and acknowledgement of the prevalence of the problem, there is still a lack of specific assessment and intervention models. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview on the Assessment, Intervention and Moving On (AIM) HSB-S Practice Guidance. The framework draws on the literature and evidence-based models, as well as clinical practice illustrated by the four-case series summarised. Of the four-case series illustrated in the paper positive outcomes were observed. In addition, the intervention includes the practitioner guiding the family to write a structured narrative which supports them to restore family relationships and find a way of moving forward. This guidance will strengthen practitioner's skills and confidence in working with families impacted by HSB-S and provide hope for them that they can heal from this crisis. This paper provides a preview for the AIM HSB-S Practice Guidance illustrated by a case series. The framework will provide practitioners with a clear approach to assessment and intervention when working with families impacted by HSB-S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to analyze the publication trends on the psychological health of postmenopausal women by performing a bibliometric and visualization analysis that can be used as a foundation for understanding current and future research plans. Publications were retrieved from Dimensions database from 2012 to June 2022. VOSviewer software was used for data mining and visualization. A total of 1718 papers were selected by keyword search and delimiting criteria. To evaluate the productive nations, authors, journals, articles and frequent joint citations, citation analysis, author keyword co-occurrence analysis, co-authorship analysis and co-citation analysis were performed. Results depict that the USA contributed the most papers (n = 457). Maximum articles (n = 192) were published in 2021. The highest number of articles are published in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society and Climacteric: The Journal of the International Menopause Society. Out of the top 10 contributing organizations in the field, six organizations were from the USA. R. Nappi of Italy is the most productive author with 20 articles and 1138 citations. From the point of average citations per article, H. Joffe has the highest score (71.5). The data reported in this analysis contribute to discussions about the development, growth and current state of psychological health of postmenopausal women as well as its impact. These findings offer helpful guidance for researchers in choosing their potential fields of study and integrating different approaches to solve complicated issues, finding potential co-authors and choosing the right institutions for supporting academic studies or collaborative research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the impact of White supremacy, ableism, and U.S. policing on both the history and current state of psychology and sheds light on ways that psychologists can acknowledge and divest from carceral White supremacist practices in mental healthcare. Because of how oppression and intersectionality function within a White supremacist society, not all Black lives have been equally valued by non-Black Americans. Similarly, White supremacy and ableism have had lasting impacts on the public perception of disabled people. Connecting the historical origins of the U.S. policing system to the current practices of the U.S. police system, this paper argues that the police have always been about controlling "disorder." Similarly, psychology and the larger mental health field have a troubled history of controlling Black, Brown, and disabled bodies. Recommendations for ways therapists can unlearn therapy practices stemming from White supremacy cultural practices (e.g., carceral therapeutic practices and biased mental health care) are provided along with action items for mental health practitioners to maintain a commitment to undoing the harm from these historic and systemic issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The findings presented here derive from a wider study that sought to establish a baseline understanding of mental health and wellbeing among the agricultural community in England and Wales. This paper focuses on selected questions that investigated levels of anxiety and associated stress factors among farm women, a group which has been relatively neglected within previous research on farming mental health in the United Kingdom. A questionnaire survey was widely distributed to members of the agricultural community in England and Wales (n = 15,296) in both paper and online formats. The survey included a number of standardised instruments to assess mental health and wellbeing, including the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7). Focusing on a sub-sample of female respondents (n = 3487), this paper details the findings from the GAD-7, alongside those from a selection of other questions investigating sources of stress, loneliness and perceived business viability. A significant proportion of female respondents were experiencing anxiety at the time of survey completion, with 23.3% reaching the threshold for clinically relevant anxiety based on their GAD-7 scores (medium or severe anxiety, scores≥10). A further 34.6% were classified as experiencing mild anxiety (scores 5–9) whilst 42.1% were not suffering from anxiety (scores 0–4). Medium/severe anxiety was identified as being associated with a number of stress factors, feelings of loneliness and pessimistic perceptions of farm business viability. There were important age-based differences, with working-aged women identified as more likely to suffer from anxiety, loneliness and certain stressors than older women. The findings reported here indicate concerning levels of anxiety among farming women and this should be seen as a call to action. There are clear associations between anxiety and a range of stressors and, although we cannot ascertain causality, these point to issues that demand attention in efforts to improve mental health within this social group. The factors contributing to anxiety are, however, multiple and complex and farm women may be affected by particular gender-based challenges that have not yet been explicitly explored in relation to mental health. Further research is needed to investigate and understand these issues in greater depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to engage critically with debates surrounding the mental health and wellbeing agenda for adult community learning (ACL), with particular consideration of creative arts provision. It draws on a qualitative research project involving five creative arts ACL groups in the English West Midlands and two mental health participatory arts organisations based in London. Of the ACL groups, one was targeted for mental health recovery, two were targeted for wellbeing, and two were mainstream. Fieldwork involved participant observation, interviews and group discussions with attendees, and interviews with volunteers, ACL and art therapy practitioners, ACL project organisers, and managers working in the organisations taking part in the research and other adult learning settings. The article outlines key critical debates. It then interrogates three related themes, drawing on a range of evidence from the study: (1.) the discourse of confidence and self-esteem; (2.) interactions between educational and mental health and wellbeing-related goals and outcomes; and (3) the role of creative arts subjects in the mental health and wellbeing agenda for ACL. Implications for policy and practice are set out in conclusion, including consideration of ACL curricula and pedagogical approaches in the area of mental health and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How might those of us located within post-secondary institutions support students who have experience of the mental health system in a meaningful way? Drawing on scholarship in social movement studies and a case study in Ontario, Canada, I distinguish between the prevailing mental health and wellness offerings of educational institutions and distinct forms of grassroots organising led by and for mad-identified students. This paper reflects on my past engagement with mad student intra-university organising in Ontario. Sifting through archival materials, personal writing and correspondence, I contemplate how my involvement as a past organiser in a radical student-run peer support and advocacy group has shaped and informed my scholarship within the field of Mad Studies. Connections are made between the activist knowledge-practices fostered within mad student groups and the growth of Mad Studies in Canada. Building from social movement studies, I argue for supporting and engaging in activism alongside politicised students who are organising on campuses to confront inequitable social relations, on their own terms. Doing so requires critically unpacking white dominant hegemonic ways of thinking about what constitutes 'mental health and wellness' from a student perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broad, contested notion of vulnerability is one of the areas of education in which concerns with the mental health and wellbeing of young people come together. This paper examines the theoretical and socio-political development of the 'vulnerability Zeitgeist' in recent years and the extent to which it has been applied to both young people and teachers in schools. We outline how the instrumental and negative views of vulnerability, which dominate policy discourse, run counter to the more expansive and ambivalent understandings familiar from sociological and psychoanalytic theory and use two cases drawn from studies undertaken in England and Germany to highlight their deleterious effects. Our analysis suggests that a more relational and collaborative approach, which explores vulnerability from the perspectives of both teachers and students, is necessary to improve support for the most vulnerable young people. We suggest that there are benefits to focusing on the vulnerability of young people and teachers, which research has until now examined separately, together conceptually and in practice to help to build trust and change attitudes to mental health and wellbeing in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper explores the mental health and wellbeing outcomes of a massed community choir program in Australia. Methods: This study employed a mixed methods approach. Data were collected via a survey of choir participants (N = 305), four qualitative interviews and focus groups with facilitators and participants (N = 22), and two workshops with organising staff (N = 5). Questions were derived from a co-designed program logic, and data were triangulated and analysed thematically. Results: Participants reported feeling a sense of connectedness (psychological), but also experiencing connection (social) with their fellow singers. Psychological outcomes included the sensations of affect, arousal, and affirmation. Social outcomes included experiencing belonging, inclusion, and sharing. These positive psycho- social experiences promoted positive mental health and wellbeing outcomes in the large group of participating singers. Conclusions: This paper addresses gaps in our understanding about the mental health and wellbeing outcomes fostered by community choirs at scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]