The next wave? Mental health comorbidities and patients with substance use disorders in under-resourced and rural areas

Warfield, Sara; Pack, Robert P.; Degenhardt, Louisa; Larney, Sarah; Bharat, Chrianna; Ashrafioun, Lisham; Marshall, Brandon D.L.; Bossarte, Robert M.

doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2020.108189

Cited by 19 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 25 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Fourth, it will be important to monitor the extent to which rapid responses to delivering mental health care in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic to address the increased need for mental health support among the general population [ 62 ] and those with existing MHA conditions [ 63 - 66 ] are reflected in mental health policy. Several of the P/Ts have responded to COVID-19 by providing information to the public about COVID-19 and maintaining mental health via social media [ 67 ]; delivering cognitive behaviour therapy through text messaging with mental health professionals (eg, Alberta’s Text4Hope); expanding existing online mental health counseling programs (eg, British Columbia’s MindHealthBC); and expanding use of existing mental health services for children and youth, such as text, live chat, mobile apps, and phone-based services [ 68 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Priority Given to Technology in Government-Based Mental Health and Addictions Vision and Strategy Documents: Systematic Policy Review

Lal¹,

Siafa²,

Lee³

et al. 2021

J Med Internet Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to deliver mental health and addictions (MHA) services is a global priority, especially considering the urgent shift towards virtual delivery of care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to monitor the evolving role of technology in MHA services. Given that MHA policy documents represent the highest level of priorities for a government’s vision and strategy for mental health care, one starting point is to measure the frequency with which technology is mentioned and the terms used to describe its use in MHA policy documents (before, during, and after COVID-19). Yet, to our knowledge, no such review of the extent to which ICTs are referred to in Canadian MHA policy documents exists to date. Objective The objective of this systematic policy review was to examine the extent to which technology is addressed in Canadian government–based MHA policy documents prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to establish a baseline for documenting change. Methods We reviewed 22 government-based MHA policy documents, published between 2011 and 2019 by 13 Canadian provinces and territories. We conducted content analysis to synthesize the policy priorities addressed in these documents into key themes, and then systematically searched for and tabulated the use of 39 technology-related keywords (in English and French) to describe and compare jurisdictions. Results Technology was addressed in every document, however, to a varying degree. Of the 39 searched keywords, we identified 22 categories of keywords pertaining to the use of technology to deliver MHA services and information. The 6 most common categories were tele (n=16/22), phone (n=12/22), tech (n=11/22), online (n=10/22), line (n=10/22), and web (n=10/22), with n being the number of policy documents in which the category was mentioned out of 22 documents. The use of terms referring to advanced technologies, such as virtual (n=6/22) and app (n= 4/22), were less frequent. Additionally, policy documents from some provinces and territories (eg, Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador) mentioned a diverse range of ICTs, whereas others described only 1 form of ICT. Conclusions This review indicates that technology has been given limited strategic attention in Canadian MHA policy. Policy makers may have limited knowledge on the evidence and potential of using technology in this field, highlighting the value for knowledge translation and collaborative initiatives among policy makers and researchers. The development of a pan-Canadian framework for action addressing the integration and coordination of technology in mental health services can also guide initiatives in this field. Our findings provide a prepandemic baseline and replicable methods to monitor how the use of technology-supported services and innovations emerge relative to other priorities in MHA policy during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Priority Given to Technology in Government-Based Mental Health and Addictions Vision and Strategy Documents: Systematic Policy Review

Lal¹,

Siafa²,

Lee³

et al. 2021

J Med Internet Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In patients with mental disorders, somatic health is, to a certain extent, at greater risk than in the general population due to various peculiarities. For example, those of the psychiatric patient (higher prevalence of medical comorbidities, impaired comprehension ability, behavioral alterations that, in some cases, may make preventive measures, treatment, and monitoring difficult) or of individuals in inpatient settings, as in the psychiatric wards, or areas in the hospital without providers trained in somatic problems or challenging socioeconomic conditions [99][100][101]. Studies on the impact on suicidal ideation in individuals with previous pathology are sparse; thus, in subjects with substance use, an increase in suicidal ideation and risky consumption was observed related to COVID-19, although it did not seem to increase the risk of overdose [102].…”

Section: Suicide Risk In Subjects With Previous Psychiatric Pathologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Suicidal Behavior in the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Giner

Vera-Varela²,

Vega

et al. 2022

Curr Psychiatry Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose of Review Since the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been numerous social changes to try to contain the spread of the disease. These sudden changes in daily life have also changed the way we relate to others, in addition to creating a climate of uncertainty and fear. Therefore, the objective of this review is to compile published data of the consequences of suicidal behavior in the first months from the onset of the pandemic. Recent Findings The analysis reflects a concern about issues related to suicide since the beginning of the pandemic. A large number of online surveys have been released and have provided data on relatively large populations. The percentage of the population with suicidal ideation in that period seems to be approximately 5–15%. Many studies associate suicidal ideation with being young, female, and presence of sleep problems. Surveys of healthcare workers do not seem to indicate a higher prevalence of suicidal ideation compared to the general population. The incidence of suicide attempts seen in emergency departments did not seem to change, while the number of visits for other issues, unrelated to suicide, did decrease. The few studies on completed suicide do not indicate an increase in incidence in these first 6 months since March 2020, when the WHO declared the start of the pandemic. Summary It does not seem that there have been major changes in the figures related to suicidal behavior in the studies from the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, although it is still too early to know the consequences it will have long term. The social and economic damages resulting from the pandemic will certainly take a long time to recover.

show abstract

“…Fourth, it will be important to monitor the extent to which rapid responses to delivering mental health care in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic to address the increased need for mental health support among the general population [62] and those with existing MHA conditions [63][64][65][66] are reflected in mental health policy. Several of the P/Ts have responded to COVID-19 by providing information to the public about COVID-19 and maintaining mental health via social media [67]; delivering cognitive behaviour therapy through text messaging with mental health professionals (eg, Alberta's Text4Hope); expanding existing online mental health counseling programs (eg, British Columbia's MindHealthBC); and expanding use of existing mental health services for children and youth, such as text, live chat, mobile apps, and phone-based services [68].…”

Section: Principal Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Priority Given to Technology in Government-Based Mental Health and Addictions Vision and Strategy Documents: Systematic Policy Review (Preprint)

Lal¹,

Siafa²,

Lee³

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BACKGROUND The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to deliver mental health and addictions (MHA) services is a global priority, especially considering the urgent shift towards virtual delivery of care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to monitor the evolving role of technology in MHA services. Given that MHA policy documents represent the highest level of priorities for a government’s vision and strategy for mental health care, one starting point is to measure the frequency with which technology is mentioned and the terms used to describe its use in MHA policy documents (before, during, and after COVID-19). Yet, to our knowledge, no such review of the extent to which ICTs are referred to in Canadian MHA policy documents exists to date. OBJECTIVE The objective of this systematic policy review was to examine the extent to which technology is addressed in Canadian government–based MHA policy documents prior to the COVID-19 pandemic to establish a baseline for documenting change. METHODS We reviewed 22 government-based MHA policy documents, published between 2011 and 2019 by 13 Canadian provinces and territories. We conducted content analysis to synthesize the policy priorities addressed in these documents into key themes, and then systematically searched for and tabulated the use of 39 technology-related keywords (in English and French) to describe and compare jurisdictions. RESULTS Technology was addressed in every document, however, to a varying degree. Of the 39 searched keywords, we identified 22 categories of keywords pertaining to the use of technology to deliver MHA services and information. The 6 most common categories were tele (n=16/22), phone (n=12/22), tech (n=11/22), online (n=10/22), line (n=10/22), and web (n=10/22), with n being the number of policy documents in which the category was mentioned out of 22 documents. The use of terms referring to advanced technologies, such as virtual (n=6/22) and app (n= 4/22), were less frequent. Additionally, policy documents from some provinces and territories (eg, Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador) mentioned a diverse range of ICTs, whereas others described only 1 form of ICT. CONCLUSIONS This review indicates that technology has been given limited strategic attention in Canadian MHA policy. Policy makers may have limited knowledge on the evidence and potential of using technology in this field, highlighting the value for knowledge translation and collaborative initiatives among policy makers and researchers. The development of a pan-Canadian framework for action addressing the integration and coordination of technology in mental health services can also guide initiatives in this field. Our findings provide a prepandemic baseline and replicable methods to monitor how the use of technology-supported services and innovations emerge relative to other priorities in MHA policy during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

show abstract

The next wave? Mental health comorbidities and patients with substance use disorders in under-resourced and rural areas

Cited by 19 publications

References 25 publications

Priority Given to Technology in Government-Based Mental Health and Addictions Vision and Strategy Documents: Systematic Policy Review

Priority Given to Technology in Government-Based Mental Health and Addictions Vision and Strategy Documents: Systematic Policy Review

Suicidal Behavior in the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Priority Given to Technology in Government-Based Mental Health and Addictions Vision and Strategy Documents: Systematic Policy Review (Preprint)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About