Travel Risks for Those With Serious Mental Illness

Seeman, Mary V.

doi:10.21859/ijtmgh-040302

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 56 publications

(57 reference statements)

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“…This may be due to the low number of disclosures by travellers during their clinic registration. Any exacerbation of mental disorders during travel could present major challenges for the traveller, their companions as well as the local psychiatric health services at the host country which may be under resourced [40, 41].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retrospective analysis of older travellers attending a specialist travel health clinic

Darrat

Flaherty

2019

Trop Dis Travel Med Vaccines

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Background Older people represent a significant proportion of overseas travellers. The epidemiology of older international travellers is not well described in the literature. This study aims to identify demographics, travel characteristics and the medical profile of older travellers seeking pre-travel health advice in a specialist travel medicine clinic. Methods Records of travellers aged 60 years and older attending the Tropical Medical Bureau clinic in Galway, Ireland between 2014 and 2018 were examined. Descriptive and inferential analysis of data was performed. Results A total of 337 older travellers sought pre-travel health advice during the study period. The mean age of the cohort was 65.42 (±10) years. Most of the travellers (n = 267, 80%) had at least one travelling companion. Nearly half of older travellers (n = 155, 46.8%) were travelling with a single companion. Tourism was the main reason for travel for the majority (n = 260, 77.6%), followed by visiting friends and relatives (VFR) (n = 23, 6.9%) travellers. The mean interval remaining before the planned trip was 4.36 (±2) weeks, and the mean duration of travel was 3.16 (±1) weeks. The most popular single country of destination was India with 33 (9.8%) visitors, and South East Asia was the most popular region with 132 (39.2%) older travellers. The majority of travellers (n = 267, 79.2%) had a documented pre-existing medical condition. The most commonly reported medical conditions were hypertension (n = 26, 7.7%), dyslipidaemia (n = 18, 5.3%), diabetes mellitus (n = 12, 3.5%), insect bite sensitivity (n = 11, 3.3%), and hypothyroidism (n = 9, 2.6%). Antihypertensive agents (n = 32, 9.4%) and statins (n = 24, 7.1%) were the most frequently used medications. Typhoid (n = 112, 33.2%) and hepatitis A (n = 84, 24.9%) were the most common vaccinations administered to older travellers at the clinic. Conclusions This study provides an insight into the demographics, travel characteristics, and medical profile of elderly travellers seeking advice at a large travel clinic in Ireland. A wide range of travel destinations, diseases and medication use was reported among this group of travellers, which may enable travel medicine physicians to provide more tailored advice and to more appropriately counsel older travellers.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retrospective analysis of older travellers attending a specialist travel health clinic

Darrat

Flaherty

2019

Trop Dis Travel Med Vaccines

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“…46 Whatever the destination, travel away from home can induce an oppressive longing for familiar surroundings and a yearning for important persons left behind. 47…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility of Obtaining Sufficient Numbers of Responses to Questions About Travel Intentions, Thereby Facilitating Effective Health Messaging

Seeman

Goldfarb²,

Kuzan³

et al. 2019

Int J Travel Med Glob Health

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Introduction: The medical literature has identified a variety of health risks associated with travel. Risks depend on the susceptibility of the traveler, the specifics of the destination, the mode of transport, and on chance events. Ill-prepared travelers who underestimate travel risks may encounter a variety of health problems. In order to eventually increase the capability of travel risk prediction, the current study aimed to ascertain travel intent in China, a country traditionally difficult to penetrate through online survey. Methods: This pilot survey study used a reliable, anonymous, online survey method to determine the feasibility of obtaining a sufficient response in China to enable travel risk prediction. Results: The results are encouraging in that seven and a half thousand individuals in China responded over the course of one month. Most responders were from urban centers. Three to eleven percent of the respondents were over age 55 and planning to travel to potentially hazardous destinations. Conclusion: The combination of older age and geographic risk increases the chance of ill health during travel. Knowing who is planning to travel, where they are from, and where, when, and how they are planning to arrive at their destination opens a corridor to effective preventive public health programming and educational initiatives.

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“…The clinician should try to be consciously aware of personal biases with respect to the person, to the nature of his/her illness, and to the choice being made; (6) the clinician must be able to recognize the effects of age and culture on choices and decisions. In the end, safety has to be the prime consideration; (7) safety issues need to be discussed with the patient; (8) the clinician is advised to inquire about and become familiar with published outcome studies of all proposed body modifications, and to share these results with the patient; (9) a family meeting to expand the discussion and learn about ramifications for family and for community is always useful; (10) recommendations for specialist referral are usually needed; (11) if distance travel is involved in the proposed change, travel precautions need to be ensured[91]; (12) the issue of the patient’s competence to make significant decisions must be assessed; and (13) should there be imminent danger of injury to the patient or to others, hospital treatment must be arranged, against the patient’s will if necessary.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identity and schizophrenia: Who do I want to be?

Seeman

2017

WJP

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Many individuals with schizophrenia have occasional difficulty defining both to themselves and to others who they truly are. Perhaps for this reason they make attempts to change core aspects of themselves. These attempts may be delusional, but are too often unjustly dismissed as delusional before the potential value of the change is considered. Instead of facilitation, obstacles are placed in the way of hoped-for body modifications or changes of name or of religious faith. This paper discusses the various changes of identity sometimes undertaken by individuals with schizophrenia who may or may not be deluded. Ethical and clinical ramifications are discussed. The recommendation is made that, when clinicians respond to requests for help with identity change, safety needs to be the main consideration.

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Travel Risks for Those With Serious Mental Illness

Cited by 7 publications

References 56 publications

Retrospective analysis of older travellers attending a specialist travel health clinic

Retrospective analysis of older travellers attending a specialist travel health clinic

Feasibility of Obtaining Sufficient Numbers of Responses to Questions About Travel Intentions, Thereby Facilitating Effective Health Messaging

Identity and schizophrenia: Who do I want to be?

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