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Objectives. The aim of this initiative was to assess whether a novel training program - Understanding Stigma and Strengthening Cognitive Behavioral Interpersonal Skills - could improve primary health care providers' confidence in the quality of mental health care they provide in the Caribbean setting by using the Plan-Do-Study-Act rapid cycle for learning improvement. Methods. We conducted a prospective observational study of the impact of this training program. The training was refined during three cycles: first, the relevance of the program for practice improvement in the Caribbean was assessed. Second, pilot training of 15 local providers was conducted to adapt the program to the culture and context. Third, the course was launched in fall 2021 with 96 primary care providers. Pre- and post-program outcomes were assessed by surveys, including providers' confidence in the quality of the mental health care they provided, changes in stigma among the providers and their use of and comfort with the tools. This paper describes an evaluation of the results of cycle 3, the official launch. Results. A total of 81 participants completed the program. The program improved primary care providers' confidence in the quality of mental health care that they provided to people with lived experience of mental health disorders, and it reduced providers' stigmatization of people with mental health disorders. Conclusions. The program's quality improvement model achieved its goals in enhancing health care providers' confidence in the quality of the mental health care they provided in the Caribbean context; the program provides effective tools to support the work and it helped to empower and engage clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of research implicates inflammation as a potential pathway in the aetiology and pathophysiology of some mental illnesses. A systematic review was conducted to determine the association between parasitic infection and mental illnesses in humans in Africa and reviewed the state of the evidence available. The search focused on publications from Africa documenting the relationship between parasites from two parasite groups, helminths and protozoans, and four classifications of mental illness: mood affective disorders, neurotic and stress-related disorders, schizotypal disorders and unspecified mental illnesses. In the 26 reviewed papers, the prevalence of mental illness was significantly higher in people with parasitic infection compared to those without infection, i.e., 58.2% vs 41.8% (P < 0.001). An overall odds ratio found that the association of having a mental illness when testing positive for a parasitic infection was four times that of people without infection. Whilst the study showed significant associations between parasite infection and mental illness, it also highlights gaps in the present literature on the pathophysiology of mental illness in people exposed to parasite infection. This study highlighted the importance of an integrated intervention for parasitic infection and mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recently released white paper by Leidos titled "Mental Health Stigma and the U.S. Security Clearance Review Process" highlights the progress made in reducing mental health stigma in the national security space, while also acknowledging the need for further steps to support cleared professionals and encourage potential applicants. The report emphasizes that mental health issues are not a one-size-fits-all concern and can vary between agencies. It also addresses the lack of transparency in the security clearance process and the need for better understanding among mental health professionals. The whole person concept, which recognizes that no single issue, including mental health, will result in a clearance denial or revocation, is crucial to improving communication and promoting diversity in the national security community. [Extracted from the article]

The objective of this paper is to describe the current situation of mental health in Ecuador. In Ecuador, although the model of community mental health has been integrated into primary health care services for a decade, its implementation does not seem to have the expected results. It is pertinent to explore the causes of this situation and to propose alternatives, taking into account the contributions of social medicine, collective health and participatory action research as emblematic models in Latin America in the field of mental health. For an effective implementation of community mental health in primary care in Ecuador, the role of universities is central, specifically in projects linked to the community and in pre-professional practices in health sciences careers. These projects allow the promotion of community mental health in the first level of health care from a critical perspective, open to complexity and based on the principle that the community is the main active subject of social transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WELLNESS As the coronavirus outbreak has taught us, crisis is a powerful teacher. "We are wired to crave familiarity and predictability - those give us comfort", says Massachusetts General Hospital clinical psychologist Stuart Ablon, Ph.D., author of Changeable: The Surprising Science Behind Helping Anyone Change. Recognizing what self-care means to you will give you the internal resources to face changes, Carter says. [Extracted from the article]

To begin, either close your eyes or soften your gaze and look at a stationary point. Pull your insights together in a meaningful way, such as with a vision board, a voice recorder on your smartphone, or the old-fashioned pencil and paper. Note which responses give you the most energy and joy; use these to craft the personal wellness moonshot that means the most to you. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on a white paper from healthcare firm AXA PPP which gives recommendations to employers to manage mental health in workplace such as initiatives to promote an active workforce; setting targets for wellness strategy and views of AXA PPP's marketing director James Freeston on it.

The article discusses how residencies seem to be making physicians-in-training depressed, according to a paper published in "JAMA." It details the Intern Health Study led by Dr. Srijan Sen of the University of Michigan which reveals that the overall rate of depression or depressive symptoms among interns and residents was 28.8%, contrary to the 6.6% of adults in the U.S. who experienced a major depressive episode over the course of 2014.