The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice

Clements, Patrick; Turkington, Aidan

2024 The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice

doi: 10.1108/jmhtep-12-2022-0102

This study aims to explore medical students’ attitudes to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The authors sought to determine correlates of baseline attitudes to ECT and whether specific forms of ECT teaching improved attitudes to ECT during students’ psychiatry placement.Design/methodology/approachAt the beginning of their placement, fourth-year medical students completed a questionnaire capturing background information and baseline attitudes. A second questionnaire, in the second half of the placement, recorded educational and clinical experience gained on ECT during placement, in addition to attitudes at this timepoint. The authors measured attitude using a five-point Likert scale and defined a positive shift in attitude as an improvement of ≥ 1 point between the two time points.FindingsAt Timepoint 1, 66% reported a positive attitude to ECT. This was associated with having attended a lecture and with having read a professional article on ECT at some time before the psychiatry placement. Attitudes significantly improved during the placement (66% vs 95% positive). Students who attended a lecture on ECT were more likely to have a positive shift in attitude, as were students who experienced three or more teaching modalities.Practical implicationsPersonal, social and medical problems arise from treatment-resistant psychiatric disorders. ECT is a safe and effective treatment for such disorders.Originality/valueIt is hoped that this study will contribute to the development of medical education, so that lectures on ECT, and three or more teaching modalities, are incorporated into the undergraduate medical curriculum.

Murphy, Fionnghuala; Phang, Fifi; Weaver, Alicia; Minnis, Helen; McFadyen, Anne; Dawson, Andrew

2024 The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice

doi: 10.1108/jmhtep-02-2023-0016

Despite the long-established importance of infant mental health, internationally this has not been mirrored in the provision of infant mental health services. Within Scotland in the UK, there has been significant recent government investment in developing infant mental health services. However, existing research identifies a massive knowledge and skills gap that could create barriers to implementation. This study aims to use qualitative methods to consider the views of relevant professional stakeholders on education and training within infant mental health.Design/methodology/approachThe authors completed semi-structured interviews with 14 professional stakeholders working in a health board in Scotland. This study used purposive sampling to include a broad range of professionals across health and social care services and analysed the resulting data using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) methodology. This study adopted a reflexive stance throughout, including the research team interviewing each other as part of the process.FindingsWithin the theme of education and training, we identified four sub-themes. These included roles for public health and societal education, training for parents, training for professionals and increasing professionals’ experience of infant mental health.Originality/valueThe issues identified are relevant in any area of the UK or internationally in considering the role of education and training in developing and maintaining new infant mental health services. Further research with families and with wider groups of professional stakeholders would be of further benefit.

Tan, Audrina S.Y.; Mankiewicz, Pawel D.

2024 The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice

doi: 10.1108/jmhtep-05-2023-0053

Internationally, among mental health difficulties, psychosis appears most stigmatised. Yet, research on mental health education specific to psychosis, including stigma reduction strategies, is limited. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a brief empirically informed indirect contact-based intervention (CBI) on reducing stigma associated with psychosis in the context of a Southeast Asian society.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 168 young adults were randomised into three groups, two intervention conditions and one active control. Stigmatisation levels were measured at pre-intervention, post-intervention and at a 30-day follow-up. Group differences in attitudes were analysed using a 3 × 3 two-way mixed-subjects ANOVA.FindingsResults revealed that there were no significant differences in declared stigma between the three conditions. However, a significant effect of time on the improvement of attitudes was observed at post-intervention. This effect was not sustained at follow-up.Social implicationsIndividual psychoeducational CBIs implemented in the context of collectivistic societies do not produce sustainable effects in the reduction of stigma. Although a transient desirable improvement in the attitudes occurs among individuals, this is subsequently counteracted by the influence of stigma existing on a systemic level. Therefore, public mental health education in collectivistic cultures should address societal mechanisms maintaining unhelpful perceptions of those with psychosis.Originality/valueThe study examined the effect of brief CBIs on the reduction of stigma associated with psychosis in a collectivistic society and demonstrated systemic limitations of individually delivered psychoeducational interventions.

Laufer, Avital; Khatib, Anwar; Finkelstein, Michal

2024 The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice

doi: 10.1108/jmhtep-08-2023-0072

This study aims to explore the link between mental health literacy (MHL) and resilience in two groups: individuals who underwent psychotherapy and a similar group who did not.Design/methodology/approachThe research involved 256 participants from Israeli–Arab and Israeli–Jewish communities. Half of the participants had previously received psychological treatment, whereas the other half had not. MHL was evaluated through the Mental Health Literacy Scale (O’Connor and Casey, 2015), whereas resilience was gauged using the concise Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (Connor and Davidson, 2003).FindingsThe results indicated that participants who had therapy had higher levels of MHL and resilience compared to those who were not in therapy. Being acquainted with mental health disorders was positively associated with resilience, independent of sociodemographic variables and therapy participation. An interaction effect was found, showing a positive association between MHL and resilience among those who had therapy, whereas a negative association was observed among those not in therapy. A negative association was also found between social closeness to mental health patients and resilience for respondents who did not participate in therapy and was unrelated to resilience among those who had therapy.Originality/valueThe findings suggest that having MHL is vital but it does not necessarily translate into personal application or effective coping strategy implementation. In fact, it may be that having knowledge, in the absence of taking any active measures, can even be harmful.

Patterson, Jodi Brooke; Kimzey, Michelle

2024 The Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice

doi: 10.1108/jmhtep-12-2022-0103

The purpose of this paper is to determine the relationship between trait and situational empathy, and the effect of educational activities on empathy of nursing students towards people living with dementia.Design/methodology/approachThis embedded mixed-methods study compared trait and situational empathy examined situational empathy pre/post didactic and experiential activities with nursing students and used qualitative data from focus group discussions to corroborate the quantitative data.FindingsThere was no significant difference between trait and situational empathy. Post intervention scores (situational) demonstrated improvements on empathic concern, shared affect, empathic imagination, helping motivation and cognitive empathy. Focus group discussions supported quantitative findings and also included distress.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations include lack of generalizability, single group threats and exclusion of stakeholder input. Single group threats include absence of a control group, familiarity with the CSES from pre-test to post-test and reactive measurements, as the students were observed by faculty while completing the Dementia Live activity. The perspective of stakeholders would strengthen the impact of the results on implementation.Practical implicationsInformation gleaned from this study can help inform administrators in education and in practice. CliftonStrengths assessment and Dementia Live simulation activities can be used for administrators, faculty and students in schools of nursing as well as administrators and health-care workers.Social implicationsInformation from this study can impact those living with dementia as well as their caregivers.Originality/valueMost studies involving health-care students and empathy do not delineate between trait and situational empathy. This study is unique in that it measured both and sought a relationship between the two. Determining one's personal attributes such as trait empathy, can help students capitalize on their strengths and ultimately enhance patient care.