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Background Mental health-related stigma is a global public health concern and a major barrier to seeking care. In this study, we explored the role of stigma as a barrier to scaling up mental health services in primary health care (PHC) centres in Lebanon. We focused on the experiences of Healthcare Providers (HCPs) providing services to patients with mental health conditions (MHCs), the views of policy makers, and the perceptions of stigma or discrimination among individuals with MHCs. This study was conducted as part of INDIGO-PRIMARY, a larger multinational stigma reduction programme. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews (n = 45) were carried out with policy makers (n = 3), PHC management (n = 4), PHC staff (n = 24), and service users (SUs) (n = 14) between August 2018 and September 2019. These interviews explored mental health knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of staff, challenges of providing treatment, and patient outcomes. All interviews were coded using NVivo and a thematic coding framework. Results The results of this study are presented under three themes: (1) stigma at PHC level, (2) stigma outside PHC centres, and (3) structural stigma. SUs did not testify to discrimination from HCPs but did describe stigmatising behaviour from their families. Interestingly, at the PHC level, stigma reporting differed among staff according to a power gradient. Nurses and social workers did not explicitly report incidents of stigma but described patients with MHCs as uncooperative, underscoring their internalized negative views on mental health. General practitioners and directors were more outspoken than nurses regarding the challenges faced with mental health patients. Mental health professionals revealed that HCPs still hold implicitly negative views towards patients with MHCs however their attitude has improved recently. Our analysis highlights five layers of stigma affecting SUs. Conclusion This qualitative study reveals that stigma was still a key concern that affects patients with MHC. SUs reported experiencing overt stigmatising behaviour in the community but less explicit discrimination in a PHC setting. Our findings emphasise the importance of (1) combatting structural stigma through legal reform, (2) addressing interpersonal stigma, (3) committing PHC management to deliver high quality mental health integrated services, and (4) reducing intrapersonal stigma by building public empathy.

QuestionThere is a large worldwide gap between the service need and provision for mental, neurological and substance use disorders. WHO’s Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) intervention guide (IG), provides evidence-based guidance and tools for assessment and integrated management of priority disorders. Our 2017 systematic review identified 33 peer-reviewed studies describing mhGAP-IG implementation in low-income and middle-income countries.Study selection and analysisWe searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Knowledge, Scopus, CINAHL, LILACS, ScieELO, Cochrane, PubMed databases, 3ie, Google Scholar and citations of our review, on 24 November 2020. We sought evidence, experience and evaluations of the mhGAP-IG, app or mhGAP Humanitarian IG, from any country, in any language. We extracted data from included papers, but heterogeneity prevented meta-analysis.FindingsOf 2621 results, 162 new papers reported applications of the mhGAP-IG. They described mhGAP training courses (59 references), clinical applications (n=49), research uses (n=27), contextual adaptations (n=13), economic studies (n=7) and other educational applications (n=7). Most were conducted in the African region (40%) and South-East Asia (25%). Studies demonstrated improved knowledge, attitudes and confidence post-training and improved symptoms and engagement with care, post-implementation. Research studies compared mhGAP-IG-enhanced usual care with task-shared psychological interventions and adaptation studies optimised mhGAP-IG implementation for different contexts. Economic studies calculated human resource requirements of scaling up mhGAP-IG implementation and other educational studies explored its potential for repurposing.ConclusionsThe diverse, expanding global mhGAP-IG literature demonstrates substantial impact on training, patient care, research and practice. Priorities for future research should be less-studied regions, severe mental illness and contextual adaptation of brief psychological interventions.

Background Around 1 in 7 people in India are impacted by mental illness. The treatment gap for people with mental disorders is as high as 75–95%. Health care systems, especially in rural regions in India, face substantial challenges to address these gaps in care, and innovative strategies are needed. Methods We hypothesise that an intervention involving an anti-stigma campaign and a mobile-technology-based electronic decision support system will result in reduced stigma and improved mental health for adults at high risk of common mental disorders. It will be implemented as a parallel-group cluster randomised, controlled trial in 44 primary health centre clusters servicing 133 villages in rural Andhra Pradesh and Haryana. Adults aged ≥ 18 years will be screened for depression, anxiety and suicide based on Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalised Anxiety Disorders (GAD-7) scores. Two evaluation cohorts will be derived—a high-risk cohort with elevated PHQ-9, GAD-7 or suicide risk and a non-high-risk cohort comprising an equal number of people not at elevated risk based on these scores. Outcome analyses will be conducted blinded to intervention allocation. Expected outcomes The primary study outcome is the difference in mean behaviour scores at 12 months in the combined ‘high-risk’ and ‘non-high-risk’ cohort and the mean difference in PHQ-9 scores at 12 months in the ‘high-risk’ cohort. Secondary outcomes include depression and anxiety remission rates in the high-risk cohort at 6 and 12 months, the proportion of high-risk individuals who have visited a doctor at least once in the previous 12 months, and change from baseline in mean stigma, mental health knowledge and attitude scores in the combined non-high-risk and high-risk cohort. Trial outcomes will be accompanied by detailed economic and process evaluations. Significance The findings are likely to inform policy on a low-cost scalable solution to destigmatise common mental disorders and reduce the treatment gap for under-served populations in low-and middle-income country settings. Trial registration Clinical Trial Registry India CTRI/2018/08/015355. Registered on 16 August 2018.

Background People with severe mental disorders (SMD) experience premature mortality mostly from preventable physical causes. The World Health Organization (WHO) have recently produced guidelines on the prevention and management of physical health conditions in SMD. This paper presents the evidence which led to the recommendations presented in the guidelines. Methods The work followed the methodological principles for WHO guideline development. Systematic reviews in relation to the treatment of seven key priority physical health conditions and associated risk factors in persons with SMD were systematically sourced. The quality of this evidence was assessed, and compiled into evidence profiles. Existing guidelines and treatment recommendations were also considered. Based on this information, specific recommendations were developed on the prevention and management of physical health conditions and their risk factors amongst people with SMD. Results Nineteen recommendations were made in relation to the seven key priority physical health conditions and risk factors, alongside best practice statements for each condition. A mixture of conditional and strong recommendations were made, the quality of evidence underpinning these was generally low or very low. This is owing to the dearth of direct evidence relating to people living with SMD and comorbidities. Conclusions This paper presents evidence-based recommendations to prevent and manage physical health conditions in people with SMD. The recommendations are designed to inform policy makers, healthcare providers as well as other stakeholders about what they can do to improve the management of physical health conditions in adults with SMD and support the promotion of individual health behaviors to reduce the risk factors for these conditions. If implemented, these recommendations can improve the care that people with SMD receive for their physical health conditions in an equitable and person-centered manner, so that in future in relation to premature mortality ‘no-one is left behind’.

Background: It remains unknown what the impacts of multiple dimensions of contact (e.g. level, quantity and quality) are on the stigma of mental illness. Aims: To explore the relationship between the multiple dimensions of contact and stigma of mental illness among family members (FM), mental health workers (MHW) and community residents (CR) in Hong Kong. Methods: The stigma, contact and knowledge were measured in FM, MHW and CR in Hong Kong. Multiple regression analyses were used. Results: MHW ( n = 141) had higher knowledge, more contact and lower stigma of mental illness than CR ( n = 95) or FM ( n = 62). Knowledge and contact quality were significantly associated with lower stigma of mental illness in the three groups. However, contact level and contact quantity were not significantly associated with most stigma components. The contact level was positively associated with stigma of mental illness among FM and CR. Conclusions: The results of this study highlight the differences in knowledge, contact and stigma of mental illness among different stakeholder groups. This study suggests that positive contact (e.g. equal, supportive, voluntary and pleasant contact) reduces stigma of mental illness, while negative contact (e.g. unfriendly, unsupportive, unpleasant contact) may increase stigma. The Enhancing Contact Model (ECM) should be tested in future anti-stigma interventions.

The current management of patients with primary psychosis worldwide is often remarkably stereotyped. In almost all cases an antipsychotic medica­tion is prescribed, with second-generation antipsychotics usually preferred to first-generation ones. Cognitive behavioral therapy is rarely used in the vast majority of countries, although there is evidence to support its efficacy. Psychosocial interventions are often provided, especially in chronic cases, but those applied are frequently not validated by research. Evidence-based family interventions and supported employment programs are seldom implemented in ordinary practice. Although the notion that patients with primary psychosis are at increased risk for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus is widely shared, it is not frequent that appropriate measures be implemented to address this problem. The view that the management of the patient with primary psychosis should be personalized is endorsed by the vast majority of clinicians, but this personalization is lacking or inadequate in most clinical contexts. Although many mental health services would declare themselves “recovery-oriented”, it is not common that a focus on empowerment, identity, meaning and resilience is ensured in ordinary practice. The present paper aims to address this situation. It describes systematically the salient domains that should be considered in the characterization of the individual patient with primary psychosis aimed at personalization of management. These include positive and negative symptom dimensions, other psychopathological components, onset and course, neurocognition and social cognition, neurodevelopmental indicators; social functioning, quality of life and unmet needs; clinical staging, antecedent and concomitant psychiatric conditions, physical comorbidities, family history, history of obstetric complications, early and recent environmental exposures, protective factors and resilience, and internalized stigma. For each domain, simple assessment instruments are identified that could be considered for use in clinical practice and included in standardized decision tools. A management of primary psychosis is encouraged which takes into account all the available treatment modalities whose efficacy is supported by research evidence, selects and modulates them in the individual patient on the basis of the clinical characterization, addresses the patient’s needs in terms of employment, housing, self-care, social relationships and education, and offers a focus on identity, meaning and resilience.

The upsurge in the number of people affected by the COVID-19 is likely to lead to increased rates of emotional trauma and mental illnesses. This article systematically reviewed the available data on the benefits of interventions to reduce adverse mental health sequelae of infectious disease outbreaks, and to offer guidance for mental health service responses to infectious disease pandemic. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO, WHO Global Research Database on infectious disease, and the preprint server medRxiv were searched. Of 4278 reports identified, 32 were included in this review. Most articles of psychological interventions were implemented to address the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, followed by Ebola, SARS, and MERS for multiple vulnerable populations. Increasing mental health literacy of the public is vital to prevent the mental health crisis under the COVID-19 pandemic. Group-based cognitive behavioral therapy, psychological first aid, community-based psychosocial arts program, and other culturally adapted interventions were reported as being effective against the mental health impacts of COVID-19, Ebola, and SARS. Culturally-adapted, cost-effective, and accessible strategies integrated into the public health emergency response and established medical systems at the local and national levels are likely to be an effective option to enhance mental health response capacity for the current and for future infectious disease outbreaks. Tele-mental healthcare services were key central components of stepped care for both infectious disease outbreak management and routine support; however, the usefulness and limitations of remote health delivery should also be recognized.

Background: Negative attitudes towards people with mental health disorders have been widely studied and identified in the general population, and even within health care professionals. Moreover, studies focused on service users have also identified mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, as a source of stigma. However, in Mexico and Latin America few studies have been conducted addressing this issue.Aims: To explore mental health service users’ perceptions of stigma by members of the general population and by psychiatrists in MexicoMethods: Service users at a psychiatric hospital in Mexico were invited to participate in either focus groups or individual interviews, which were audio recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: A total of 47 service users participated in this study. The results suggested that participants were not only aware of the possible consequences of mental health related stigma, but they have also experienced stigmatisation for having a mental illness. Participants also considered psychiatrists can hold negative attitudes towards people with mental illness, something that can represent a barrier for them to have optimal quality of care. Therefore, participants agreed that these attitudes should be addressed to improve the care they received from these professionals. Conclusions: This study suggests that, like members of the general population, psychiatrists are also considered as a source of stigma by people with mental illness in Mexico. These findings not only add to previous work conducted in Mexico and other countries, they also confirm the importance of addressing negative attitudes in this group of health professionals.

Background The COVID pandemic has been devastating for not only its direct impact on lives, physical health, socio-economic status of individuals, but also for its impact on mental health. Some individuals are affected psychologically more severely and will need additional care. However, the current health system is so fragmented and focused on caring for those infected that management of mental illness has been neglected. An integrated approach is needed to strengthen the health system, service providers and research to not only manage the current mental health problems related to COVID but develop robust strategies to overcome more long-term impact of the pandemic. A series of recommendations are outlined in this paper to help policy makers, service providers and other stakeholders, and research and research funders to strengthen existing mental health systems, develop new ones, and at the same time advance research to mitigate the mental health impact of COVID19. The recommendations refer to low, middle and high resource settings as capabilities vary greatly between countries and within countries. Discussion The recommendations for policy makers are focused on strengthening leadership and governance, finance mechanisms, and developing programme and policies that especially include the most vulnerable populations. Service provision should focus on accessible and equitable evidence-based community care models commensurate with the existing mental health capacity to deliver care, train existing primary care staff to cater to increased mental health needs, implement prevention and promotion programmes tailored to local needs, and support civil societies and employers to address the increased burden of mental illness. Researchers and research funders should focus on research to develop robust information systems that can be enhanced further by linking with other data sources to run predictive models using artificial intelligence, understand neurobiological mechanisms and community-based interventions to address the pandemic driven mental health problems in an integrated manner and use innovative digital solutions. Conclusion Urgent action is needed to strengthen mental health system in all settings. The recommendations outlined can be used as a guide to develop these further or identify new ones in relation to local needs.

People with severe mental disorders (SMD) experience premature mortality mostly from preventable physical causes. The World Health Organization (WHO) have recently produced guidelines on the management of physical health conditions in SMD. This paper presents the evidence which led to the recommendations for tobacco cessation and management of substance use disorders in SMD. Scoping reviews informed 2 PICO (Population Intervention, Comparator, Outcome) questions relating to tobacco cessation and management of substance use disorders in SMD. Systematic searches led to the identification of systematic reviews with relevant evidence to address these questions. Retrieved evidence was assessed using GRADE methodology, informing the development of guidelines. One thousand four hundred thirty-four records were identified through systematic searches for SMD and tobacco cessation, of which 4 reviews were included in GRADE tables and 18 reviews in narrative synthesis. For SMD and substance use disorders, 4268 records were identified, of which 4 studies from reviews were included in GRADE tables and 16 studies in narrative synthesis. People with SMD who use tobacco should be offered combined pharmacological (Varenicline, Bupropion or Nicotine Replacement Therapy) and non-pharmacological interventions such as tailored directive and supportive behavioural interventions. For people with SMD and substance use disorders (drug and/or alcohol), interventions should be considered in accordance with WHO mhGAP guidelines. Prescribers should note potential drug-drug interactions. Recommendation were conditional and based on low/very low certainty of evidence with a scarcity of evidence from low- and middle-income settings. These guidelines mark an important step towards addressing premature mortality in people with SMD. The dearth of high-quality evidence and evidence from LMIC settings must inform the future research agenda. Guidelines: https://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/guidelines_physical_health_and_severe_mental_disorders/en https://www.who.int/publications-detail/mhgap-intervention-guide%2D%2D-version-2.0

BackgroundMental health conditions are leading causes of disability worldwide. Psychosocial interventions for these conditions might have a key role in their treatment, although applicability of findings to poor-resource settings might be a challenge. We aimed to evaluate the strength and credibility of evidence generated in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) on the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for various mental health outcomes.MethodsWe did an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomised studies done in LMICs. Literature searches were done in Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Epistemonikos from Jan 1, 2010, until May 31, 2019. Systematic reviews of randomised studies investigating the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for mental health conditions in LMICs were included. Systematic reviews of promotion, prevention, and protection interventions were excluded, because the focus was on treatment interventions only. Information on first author, year of publication, outcomes, number of included studies, and reported summary meta-analytic estimates was extracted from included meta-analyses. Summary effects were recalculated using a common metric and random-effects models. We assessed between-study heterogeneity, predictive intervals, publication bias, small-study effects, and whether the results of the observed positive studies were more than expected by chance. On the basis of these calculations, strength of associations was assessed using quantitative umbrella review criteria, and credibility of evidence using the GRADE approach. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42019135711.Findings123 primary studies from ten systematic reviews were included. The evidence on the efficacy of psychosocial interventions in adults with depression in humanitarian settings (standardised mean difference 0·87, 95% CI 0·67–1·07; highly suggestive association, GRADE: moderate) and in adults with common mental disorders (0·49, 0·36–0·62; highly suggestive association, GRADE: moderate) was supported by the most robust evidence. Highly suggestive strength of association was found for psychosocial interventions in adults with schizophrenia for functional outcomes, in adults with depression, and in adults with post-traumatic stress disorder in humanitarian settings. In children in humanitarian settings, and in children with disruptive behaviour, psychosocial interventions were supported by suggestive evidence of efficacy.InterpretationA relatively large amount of evidence suggests the benefit of psychosocial interventions on various mental health outcomes in LMICs. However, strength of associations and credibility of evidence were quite variable, depending on the target mental health condition, type of population and setting, and outcome of interest. This varied evidence should be considered in the development of clinical, policy, and implementation programmes in LMICs and should prompt further studies to improve the strength and credibility of the evidence base.

Stigma is one of the main barriers for the full implementation of mental health services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Recently, many initiatives to reduce stigma have been launched in these settings. Nevertheless, the extent to which these interventions are effective and culturally sensitive remains largely unknown. The present review addresses these two issues by conducting a comprehensive evaluation of interventions to reduce stigma toward mental illness that have been implemented in LMICs. We conducted a scoping review of scientific papers in the following databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, EBSCO, OVID, Embase, and SciELO. Keywords in English, Spanish, and Portuguese were included. Articles published from January 1990 to December 2017 were incorporated into this article. Overall, the studies were of low-to-medium methodological quality—most only included evaluations after intervention or short follow-up periods (1–3 months). The majority of programs focused on improving knowledge and attitudes through the education of healthcare professionals, community members, or consumers. Only 20% (5/25) of the interventions considered cultural values, meanings, and practices. This gap is discussed in the light of evidence from cultural studies conducted in both low and high income countries. Considering the methodological shortcomings and the absence of cultural adaptation, future efforts should consider better research designs, with longer follow-up periods, and more suitable strategies to incorporate relevant cultural features of each community.

ObjectivesStigma about mental illness is a known barrier to engagement in mental health services. This study aimed to estimate the associations between religiosity and mental illness stigma among Black adults.DesignWe conducted an online cross-sectional study of Black adults in the United States (n=269, ages 18-65) from diverse ethnic backgrounds.ResultsMost (n=248 [92%]) participants attended religious services; while 21 (8%) never attended. Social distance was assessed as an index of past or current stigmatizing behavior. After adjusting for demographic factors, respondents with higher attendance at religious services or greater engagement in religious activities (e.g., prayer, meditation or Bible study) reported greater proximity to people living with mental health problems (RR=1.72; 95% CI: 1.14, 2.59 and RR=1.82; CI: 1.18, 2.79, respectively). Despite reporting greater past or current social proximity, respondents with higher religiosity indices also reported greater future intended stigmatizing behavior (or lower future intended social proximity) (RR’s=0.92-0.98). Ethnicity moderated the association between religiosity and future intended stigmatizing behavior. Black immigrants with higher religiosity reported lower future intended stigmatizing behavior (RR=1.16 CI: 1.02 – 1.32) whereas African-Americans with higher religiosity reported greater future intended stigmatizing behavior (RR = 0.83 CI: 0.76, 0.91).ConclusionsHigher indices of religiosity were associated with lower past or current stigmatizing behavior towards individuals living with mental health problems but not lower future intended stigmatizing behavior. Focusing specifically on future intended stigmatizing behavior and the respondent’s level of religiosity, age, and ethnicity may be critical for designing effective stigma-reducing interventions for Black adults.

Despite their training, psychiatrists have been found to have negative attitudes towards people with mental illness, including the patients they treat. Similarly, studies focused on service users have identified psychiatrists as a source of stigma. Even though negative attitudes in psychiatrists have been identified in different countries and settings, in Mexico the attitudes of these professionals have never been assessed. Because of this, we invited psychiatric trainees from a hospital in Mexico to participate in individual interviews to describe their opinions regarding mental health-related stigma, to evaluate their attitudes towards people with mental illness and to identify factors that could be influencing their attitudes. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. A total of 29 trainees participated in the study. The results suggested that trainees recognised psychiatrists can have negative attitudes towards people with mental illness, such as poor empathy, judgement and labelling, and mainly towards patients considered difficult and with borderline personality disorder. Participants recognised these attitudes can influence their relationship with patients, and considered it is necessary to develop interventions to improve their own attitudes and reduce mental health stigma. From this study we concluded Mexican psychiatrists are not free from stigma towards people with mental illness. However, Mexican psychiatric trainees are interested in improving their attitudes and reactions towards their patients.

Background People with mental illnesses are at an increased risk of experiencing human rights violations, stigma and discrimination. Even though mental health stigma and discrimination are universal, there appears to be a higher burden in low- and middle-income countries. Anti-stigma interventions need to be grounded in local evidence. The aim of this paper was to synthesize evidence on mental health stigma and discrimination in Ethiopia to inform the development of anti-stigma interventions. Methods This evidence synthesis was conducted as a part of formative work for the International Study of Discrimination and Stigma Outcomes (INDIGO) Partnership research program. Electronic searches were conducted using PubMed for scientific articles, and Google Search and Google Scholar were used for grey literature. Records fulfilling eligibility criteria were selected for the evidence synthesis. The findings were synthesized using a framework designed to capture features of mental health stigma to inform cultural adaptation of anti-stigma interventions. Results A total of 37 records (2 grey literature and 35 scientific articles) were included in the evidence synthesis. Some of these records were described more than once depending on themes of the synthesis. The records were synthesized under the themes of explanatory models of stigma (3 records on labels and 4 records on symptoms and causes), perceived and experienced forms of stigma (7 records on public stigma, 6 records on structural stigma, 2 records on courtesy stigma and 4 records on self-stigma), impact of stigma on help-seeking (6 records) and interventions to reduce stigma (12 records). Only two intervention studies assessed stigma reduction— one study showed reduced discrimination due to improved access to effective mental health care, whereas the other study did not find evidence on reduction of discrimination following a community-based rehabilitation intervention in combination with facility-based care. Conclusion There is widespread stigma and discrimination in Ethiopia which has contributed to under-utilization of available mental health services in the country. This should be addressed with contextually designed and effective stigma reduction interventions that engage stakeholders (service users, service providers, community representatives and service developers and policy makers) so that the United Nations universal health coverage goal for mental health can be achieved in Ethiopia.

ObjectivesASSET (Health System Strengthening in sub-Saharan Africa) is a health system strengthening (HSS) programme involving eight work-packages (ie, a research study that addresses a specific need for HSS) that aims to develop solutions that support high-quality care. Here we present the protocol for the implementation science (IS) theme within ASSET (ASSET-ImplmentER) that aims to understand what HSS interventions work, for whom and how, and how IS methodologies can be adapted to improve the HSS interventions within resource-poor contexts.SettingsPublicly funded health facilities in rural and urban areas in in Ethiopia, South Africa, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe.ParticipantsResearch staff including principal investigators, coinvestigators, field staff, PhD students, and research assistants.InterventionsWork-packages use a mixed-methods effectiveness–effectiveness hybrid designs. At the end of the pre-implementation phase, a workshop is held whereby the IS theme, jointly with ASSET work-packages apply IS determinant frameworks to research findings to identify factors that influence the effectiveness of delivering evidence-informed care. Determinants are used to select a set of HSS interventions for further evaluation, where work-packages also theorise selective mechanisms.In the piloting and rolling implementation phase, work-packages pilot the HSS interventions. An iterative process then begins involving evaluation, reflection and adaptation. Throughout this phase, IS determinant frameworks are applied to monitor and identify barriers/enablers to implementation. Selective mechanisms of action are also investigated. Implementation outcomes are evaluated using qualitative and quantitative methods. The psychometric properties of outcome measures including acceptability, appropriateness and feasibility are also evaluated. In a final workshop, work-packages come together, to reflect and explore the utility of the selected IS methods and provide suggestions for future use.Structured templates are used to organise and analyse common and heterogeneous patterns across work-packages. Qualitative data are analysed using thematic analysis and quantitative data are analysed using means and proportions.ConclusionsWe use a novel combination of IS methods at a programmatic level to facilitate comparisons of determinants and mechanisms that influence the effectiveness of HSS interventions in achieving implementation outcomes across different contexts. The study also contributes conceptual development and clarification at the underdeveloped interface of IS, HSS and global health.The ASSET-ImplementER theme is considered minimal risk as we only interview researchers involved in the different work-packages. To this effect we have received approval from King’s College London Ethics Committee for research that is considered minimal risk (Reference number: MRA-20/21-21772).

Worldwide, people with mental disorders are detained within the justice system at higher rates than the general population and often suffer human rights abuses. This review sought to understand the state of knowledge on the mental health of people detained in the justice system in Africa, including epidemiology, conditions of detention, and interventions. We included all primary research studies examining mental disorders or mental health policy related to detention within the justice system in Africa. 80 met inclusion criteria. 67% were prevalence studies and meta-analysis of these studies revealed pooled prevalence as follows: substance use 38% (95% CI 26–50%), mood disorders 22% (95% CI 16–28%), and psychotic disorders 33% (95% CI 28–37%). There were only three studies of interventions. Studies examined prisons (46%), forensic hospital settings (37%), youth institutions (13%), or the health system (4%). In 36% of studies, the majority of participants had not been convicted of a crime. Given the high heterogeneity in subpopulations identified in this review, future research should examine context and population-specific interventions for people with mental disorders. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13033-019-0273-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Care assistant workers as a new pattern of care providers in China play an important role in bridging the mental health treatment gap. Stigma and discrimination against people with mental disorders among care assistant workers is a barrier which adversely influences mental health service delivery. However, programs aimed at reducing stigma among care assistant workers are rare in China. Methods A total of 293 care assistant workers from four districts of Guangzhou, China were randomly divided into an intervention group (n = 139) and a control group (n = 154). The intervention group received anti-stigma training and the control group received traditional mental health training. Both trainings lasted for 3 h. Participants were measured before and after training using Perceived Devaluation and Discrimination Scale (PDD), Mental illness: Clinicians’ Attitudes (MICA) and Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS). Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, Chi square test or Fisher’s exact test. Multilinear regression models were performed to calculate adjusted regression coefficient of the intervention on PPD, MAKS, and MICA. Results There were significant lower scores on PDD and MICA in the intervention group after training when compared with the control group (both P

Background We tested the real-world effectiveness of a collaborative task-sharing model on depressive symptom reduction in hypertensive Primary Health Care (PHC) patients in South Africa. Method A pragmatic parallel cluster randomised trial in 20 clinics in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district, North West province. PHC clinics were stratified by sub-district and randomised in a 1:1 ratio. Control clinics received care as usual (CAU), involving referral to PHC doctors and/or mental health specialists. Intervention clinics received CAU plus enhanced mental health training and a lay counselling referral service. Participant inclusion criteria were ≥ 18 years old, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score ≥ 9 and receiving hypertension medication. Primary superiority outcome was ≥ 50% reduction in PHQ-9 score at 6 months. Statistical analyses comprised mixed effects regression models and a non-inferiority analysis. Trial registration number: NCT 02425124. Results Between April 2015 and October 2015, 1043 participants were enrolled (504 intervention and 539 control); 82% were women; half were ≥ 55 years. At 6 and 12 months follow-up, 91% and 89% of participants were interviewed respectively. One control group participant committed suicide. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome between intervention (N=256/456) and control (N=232/492) groups (55.9% versus 50.9%; adjusted risk difference = -0.04 ([95% CI = -0.19; 0.11], p = 0.6). The difference in PHQ-9 scores was within the defined equivalence limits at 6 and 12 months for the non-inferiority analysis. Limitations The trial was limited by low exposure to depression treatment by trial participants and by observed co-intervention in control clinics Conclusions Incorporating lay counselling services within collaborative care models does not produce superior nor inferior outcomes to models with specialist only counselling services. Funding This work was supported by the UK Department for International Development [201446] as well as the National Institute of Mental Health, United States of America, grant number 1R01MH100470-01. Graham Thornicroft is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South London at King's College London and King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Background Care assistant workers (CAWs) are a part of a new pattern of mental health care providers in China and play a significant role in bridging the human resource shortage. CAWs in China mainly include community cadres, community mental health staff, and community policemen. The mental health related knowledge and attitudes of CAWs could influence their mental health care delivery. This study aimed to assess mental health related knowledge and attitudes of CAWs in Guangzhou, China. Methods In November 2017, a study was conducted among 381 CAWs from four districts of Guangzhou, China. Participants were assessed using the Perceived Devaluation and Discrimination Scale (PDD), the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS), and the Mental illness: Clinicians’ Attitudes (MICA) Scale. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Bonferroni corrections and multivariable linear regression. Results The mean scores (standard deviation) of PDD, MAKS and MICA were 36.45 (6.54), 22.72 (2.56), and 51.67 (7.88), respectively. Univariate analyses showed that the older CAWs, community policemen and those who were less willing to deliver care to people with mental illness had significant higher MICA scores when compared with other staff (P P P Conclusion These findings suggest negative attitudes towards people with mental disorders among CAWs are common, especially among older staff. Community policemen suggest that they applied stereotypes of “violent mentally ill” people to all people they deal with who have mental disorders. The results also indicate human rights are being paid some attention to now, but need to be further continually improved in the future. Strategies for improving such negative attitudes and reducing the perceived stigma and discrimination should be carried out towards particular staff groups in an anti-stigma programme in Guangzhou, China.

Background and study objectives This study aimed to assess among Ukrainian adults: (1) knowledge of mental disorders; (2) attitudes towards people with mental health disorders, and to the delivery of mental health treatment within the community; and (3) behaviours towards people with mental disorders. Methodology A cross-sectional survey of Ukrainian adults aged 18–60 was conducted. Stigma-related mental health knowledge was measured using the mental health knowledge schedule. Attitude towards people with mental health disorders was assessed using the Community Attitudes towards Mental Illness scale. The Reported and Intended Behaviour scale was used to assess past and future intended behaviour towards people with mental health disorders. Results Associations between gender, age, and educational level and the knowledge and attitudes measures were identified. There was evidence of a positive association between being male and positive intended behaviours towards people with mental health disorders [mean difference (MD) = 0.509, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.021–0.998]. Older age was negatively associated with positive intended behaviours towards people with mental health disorders (MD = −0.017, 95% CI 0.0733 to −0.001). Higher education was positively associated with stigma-related mental health knowledge (MD = 0.438, 95% CI 0.090–0.786), and negatively associated with authoritarian (MD = 0.755, 95% CI 0.295–1.215) attitudes towards people with mental health problems. Conclusion Overall, the findings indicate a degree of awareness of, and compassion towards, people with mental illness among Ukrainian adults, although this differed according to gender, region, and education level. Results indicate a need for the adoption and scaling-up of anti-stigma interventions that have been demonstrated to be effective.

Background Responses to anticipateddiscrimination are common among mental health service users and can have adetrimental impact on their recovery. Since 2009, the Time to Change (TTC)anti-stigma program in England has aimed to improve service users’ empowerment,reducing public stigma and discrimination. In this paper, we aim to evaluatewhether service users’ awareness of TTC is associated with fewer responses toanticipated discrimination. Methods We used data collected for the evaluation of TTC from samples of mental health service users interviewed by telephone in annual surveys 2009-2014. Results Five thousand and nine hundredand twenty-three participants completed the survey, mainly suffering from mooddisorders (depression, 28.4%, n = 1,681) and schizophrenia related disorders(15.4%, n = 915). In 23.2% of cases,participants were aware of any aspects of the TTC program, while participationin TTC was reported by 2.6%. Being aware of the TTC program was notsignificantly associated with responses to anticipated discrimination, exceptfor those participating in the TTC campaign in 2013. Stopping oneself fromapplying for work was significantly associated with experienced discriminationin both finding (p Conclusions Awareness of a nationalanti-stigma program may not be sufficient to encourage people to seek work/educationor to be open about their illness in situations in which they currentlyanticipate discrimination. There is the need to identify new multi-levelstrategies for challenging anticipated discrimination, even focusing ondifferent target groups.

ObjectivesIn addition to risking their physical well-being, frontline physicians are enduring significant emotional burden both at work and home during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to investigate the levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms and to identify associated factors among Bangladeshi physicians during the COVID-19 outbreak.Methods and designA cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted between April 21 and May 10, 2020. Outcomes assessed included demographic questions, COVID-19 related questions, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).ResultsThe survey was completed by 412 Bangladeshi physicians. The findings revealed that, in terms of standardized HADS cut-off points, the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among physicians was 67.72% and 48.5% respectively. Risk factors for higher rates of anxiety or depressive symptoms were: being female, physicians who had experienced COVID-19 like symptoms during the pandemic, those who had not received incentives, those who used self-funded PPE, not received adequate training, lacking perceived self-efficacy to manage COVID -19 positive patients, greater perceived stress of being infected, fear of getting assaulted/humiliated, being more connected with social media, having lower income levels to support the family, feeling more agitated, less than 2 hours of leisure activity per day and short sleep duration. All these factors were found to be positively associated with anxiety and depression in unadjusted and adjusted statistical models.ConclusionsThis study identifies a real concern about the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among Bangladeshi physicians and identifies several associated factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the vulnerability of the physicians in this extraordinary period whilst they are putting their own lives at risk to help people infected by COVID-19, health authorities should address the psychological needs of medical staff and formulate effective strategies to support vital frontline health workers.STHRENGHTS & LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDYThis study reports a novel and concerning findings on the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms with identification of several important associated factors among Bangladeshi physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.The cross-sectional nature of the study design could not establish causal relationship between the dependent and independent variables.This study was carried out by conducting a web-based survey, which might generate sampling bias by excluding the physicians who do not have access to internet or inactive in social medias, and thus limit the generalizability of the findings.

Introduction: Early Intervention for a first episode of Psychosis (EI) is essential to improve outcomes. There is limited research describing real-world implementation of EI services.Method: Analysis of service characteristics, outcomes (described through a retrospective 2007–2017 Electronic Health Record (EHR) cohort study) and clinical research relating to the first 20 years of implementation of EI services in South London and Maudsley (SLaM) Trust.Results: SLaM EI are standalone services serving 443,050 young individuals in South-London, where (2017) incidence of psychosis (58.3–71.9 cases per 100,000 person-years) is greater than the national average. From 2007–2017 (when the EHR was established), 1,200 individuals (62.67% male, mean age 24.38 years, 88.17% single; two-thirds of non-white ethnicity) received NICE-compliant EI care. Pathways to EI services came mainly (75.26%) through inpatient (39.83%) or community (19.33%) mental health services or Accident and Emergency departments (A&E) (16%). At 6 year follow-up 34.92% of patients were still being prescribed antipsychotics. The 3 month and 6 year cumulative proportions of those receiving clozapine were 0.75 and 7.33%; those compulsorily admitted to psychiatric hospitals 26.92 and 57.25%; those admitted to physical health hospitals 6.83 and 31.17%, respectively. Average 3 months and 6 year days spent in hospital were 0.82 and 1.85, respectively; mean 6 year attendance at A&E was 3.01. SLaM EI clinical research attracted £58 million grant income and numerous high-impact scientific publications.Conclusions: SLaM EI services represent one of the largest, most established services of its kind, and are a leading model for development of similar services in the UK and worldwide.

BackgroundInstitutional injustice refers to structures that create disparities in resources, opportunities and representation. Marginalised people experience institutional injustice, inequalities and discrimination through intersecting personal characteristics and social circumstances. This study aimed to investigate sources of institutional injustice and their effects on marginalised people with experience of mental health problems.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 77 individuals from marginalised groups with experience of mental health problems, including psychosis, Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) populations, complex needs and lived experience as a work requirement. These were analysed inductively enabling sensitising concepts to emerge.FindingsThree processes of institutional injustice were identified: not being believed because of social status and personal backgrounds; not being heard where narratives did not align with dominant discourses, and not being acknowledged where aspects of identity were disregarded. Harmful outcomes included disengagement from formal institutions through fear and mistrust, tensions and reduced affiliation with informal institutions when trying to consolidate new ways of being, and damaging impacts on mental health and wellbeing through multiple oppression.ConclusionsInstitutional injustice perpetuates health inequalities and marginalised status. Master status, arising from dominant discourses and heuristic bias, overshadow the narratives and experiences of marginalised people. Cultural competency has the potential to improve heuristic availability through social understandings of narrative and experience, whilst coproduction and narrative development through approaches such as communities of practice might offer meaningful avenues for authentic expression.

To describe the receipt of a diagnosis, referral and treatment for depression in people receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), with depressive symptoms and attending primary care clinics in South Africa, and investigate factors associated with receiving these components of care.This is a secondary analysis of data from a randomised controlled trial of an intervention intended to improve detection and treatment of depression in primary care patients receiving ART. In this analysis, we combined cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the intervention and control arms. Using regression models and adjusting for intra-cluster correlation of outcomes, we investigated associations between socioeconomic characteristics, depressive symptoms, stress, disability and stigma, and receipt of a diagnosis, referral and treatment for depression.Of 2002 participants enrolled, 18% reported a previous diagnosis of depression by a healthcare worker and 10% reported having received counselling from a specialist mental health worker. Diagnosis, referral and counselling during the follow-up period were appropriately targeted, being independently more frequent in participants with higher enrolment scores for depressive symptoms, stress or disability. Participants with higher stigma scores at enrolment were independently less likely to receive counselling. Severe socio-economic deprivation was common but was not associated with treatment.While the receipt of a diagnosis, referral and treatment for depression were uncommon, they seemed to be appropriately targeted. Socio-economic deprivation was not associated with treatment.Décrire la réception d'un diagnostic, de l’orientation et du traitement pour la dépression chez les personnes recevant un traitement antirétroviral (ART), présentant des symptômes dépressifs et fréquentant des cliniques de soins primaires en Afrique du Sud, et étudier les facteurs associés à la réception de ces éléments de soins. MÉTHODES: Il s'agit ici d'une analyse secondaire des données d'un essai contrôlé randomisé d'une intervention destinée à améliorer la détection et le traitement de la dépression chez les patients sous ART dans les soins primaires. Dans cette analyse, nous avons combiné les données transversales et longitudinales des bras d'intervention et témoin. En utilisant des modèles de régression et en ajustant la corrélation intra-grappes des résultats, nous avons étudié les associations entre les caractéristiques sociodémographiques, les symptômes dépressifs, le stress, l’invalidité et la stigmatisation, et la réception d'un diagnostic, d'une orientation et d'un traitement pour la dépression. RÉSULTATS: Sur 2.002 participants inscrits, 18% ont déclaré un diagnostic antérieur de dépression par un agent de santé et 10% ont déclaré avoir reçu des conseils d'un agent spécialisé pour la santé mentale. Le diagnostic, l'orientation et le conseil pendant la période de suivi ont été ciblés de manière appropriée, étant indépendamment plus fréquents chez les participants ayant des scores d'inscription plus élevés pour les symptômes dépressifs, le stress ou l’invalidité. Les participants ayant des scores de stigmatisation plus élevés à l'inscription étaient indépendamment moins susceptibles de recevoir des conseils. La privation socioéconomique sévère était courante mais n'était pas associée au traitement.Bien que la réception d'un diagnostic, l’orientation et le traitement de la dépression soient rares, ils semblaient bien ciblés. La privation socioéconomique n'était pas associée au traitement.

Background Little is known about poverty trends in people with severe mental illness (SMI) over a long time span, especially under conditions of fast socioeconomic development. Aims This study aims to unravel changes in household poverty levels among people with SMI in a fast-changing rural community in China. Method Two mental health surveys, using ICD-10, were conducted in the same six townships of Xinjin county, Chengdu, China. A total of 711 and 1042 people with SMI identified in 1994 and 2015, respectively, participated in the study. The Foster-Greer-Thorbecke poverty index was adopted to measure the changes in household poverty. These changes were decomposed into effects of growth and equity using a static decomposition method. Factors associated with household poverty in 1994 and 2015 were examined and compared by regression analyses. Results The proportion of poor households, as measured by the headcount ratio, increased significantly from 29.8% in 1994 to 39.5% in 2015. Decomposition showed that poverty in households containing people with SMI had worsened because of a redistribution effect. Factors associated with household poverty had also changed during the study period. The patient's age, ability to work and family size were of paramount significance in 2015. Conclusions This study shows that the levels of poverty faced by households containing people with SMI has become more pressing with China's fast socioeconomic development. It calls for further integration of mental health recovery and targeted antipoverty interventions for people with SMI as a development priority.

Background The novel coronavirus pandemic calls for a rapid adaptation of conventional medical practices to meet the evolving needs of such vulnerable patients. People with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) may frequently require treatment with psychotropic medications, but are at the same time at higher risk for safety issues because of the complex underlying medical condition and the potential interaction with medical treatments. Methods In order to produce evidence-based practical recommendations on the optimal management of psychotropic medications in people with COVID-19, an international, multi-disciplinary working group was established. The methodology of the WHO Rapid Advice Guidelines in the context of a public health emergency and the principles of the AGREE statement were followed. Available evidence informing on the risk of respiratory, cardiovascular, infective, hemostatic, and consciousness alterations related to the use of psychotropic medications, and drug–drug interactions between psychotropic and medical treatments used in people with COVID-19, was reviewed and discussed by the working group. Results All classes of psychotropic medications showed potentially relevant safety risks for people with COVID-19. A set of practical recommendations was drawn in order to inform frontline clinicians on the assessment of the anticipated risk of psychotropic-related unfavorable events, and the possible actions to take in order to effectively manage this risk, such as when it is appropriate to avoid, withdraw, switch, or adjust the dose of the medication. Conclusions The present evidence-based recommendations will improve the quality of psychiatric care in people with COVID-19, allowing an appropriate management of the medical condition without worsening the psychiatric condition and vice versa.

BackgroundCoercive treatment comprises a broad range of practices, ranging from implicit or explicit pressure to accept certain treatment to the use of forced practices such as involuntary admission, seclusion and restraint. Coercion is common in mental health services.AimsTo evaluate the strength and credibility of evidence on the efficacy of interventions to reduce coercive treatment in mental health services. Protocol registration:https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/S76T3.MethodSystematic literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Campbell Collaboration, and Epistemonikos from January 2010 to January 2020 for meta-analyses of randomised studies. Summary effects were recalculated using a common metric and random-effects models. We assessed between-study heterogeneity, predictive intervals, publication bias, small-study effects and whether the results of the observed positive studies were more than expected by chance. On the basis of these calculations, strength of associations was classified using quantitative umbrella review criteria, and credibility of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach.ResultsA total of 23 primary studies (19 conducted in European countries and 4 in the USA) enrolling 8554 participants were included. The evidence on the efficacy of staff training to reduce use of restraint was supported by the most robust evidence (relative risk RR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.62–0.87; suggestive association, GRADE: moderate), followed by evidence on the efficacy of shared decision-making interventions to reduce involuntary admissions of adults with severe mental illness (RR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.60–0.92; weak association, GRADE: moderate) and by the evidence on integrated care interventions (RR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.46–0.95; weak association, GRADE: low). By contrast, community treatment orders and adherence therapy had no effect on involuntary admission rates.ConclusionsDifferent levels of evidence indicate the benefit of staff training, shared decision-making interventions and integrated care interventions to reduce coercive treatment in mental health services. These different levels of evidence should be considered in the development of policy, clinical and implementation initiatives to reduce coercive practices in mental healthcare, and should lead to further studies in both high- and low-income countries to improve the strength and credibility of the evidence base.

Background Stigma is a barrier for help-seeking, mental health service access, and contributes to the mental health treatment gap. Because the mental health treatment gap is greatest in low- and middle-income countries, it is vital to identify effective strategies to reduce stigma in these settings. To date, there has been a lack of synthesis of findings from interventions to reduce stigma related to mental disorders within India. Method A systematic review was conducted to provide an overview of the characteristics and effectiveness of stigma reduction interventions studies in India. PubMed, Embase and PsycINFO databases were searched for literature published up to 30th June 2020. Results From a total of 1,984 articles identified, only 9 were eligible for final inclusion, published between 1990-2020. No study was found from North, North-East, Central or East India. Most stigma-reduction interventions were multi-level, that is, using a combination of intra-personal, inter-personal and community level strategies to target changes in outcomes of individuals, environments and community groups. Three studies focused on health and stigma-related changes at the organisational/institutional level. No interventions focused on the governmental/structural level. There were only two randomised controlled trials, and two studies focused on all three stigma components of knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. Most interventions were delivered to community members. None focused on mental health professionals as intervention delivery target. Conclusion There is a need for the development of comprehensive, culturally acceptable evidence-based interventions that act at multiple levels, and involve a mixture of various stigma reducing strategies with multiple target groups.