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New Normal in Mental Health Care

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 17478

Special Issue Editors

1. Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands
2. Mental Health Care Instiute Eindhoven, 5626 ND Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Interests: social innovation; technological innovation; health services research; implementation research; mental health; sustainable health care
1. Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands
2. Mental Health Care Instiute Eindhoven, 5626 ND Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Interests: social innovation; technological innovation; implementation research; mental health; eHealth; game-based learning
1. Mental Health Care Instiute Eindhoven, 5626 ND Eindhoven, The Netherlands
2. Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands
Interests: user centered design; multistakeholder design, dementia care, social innovation, technological innovation; mental health care

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are proud to announce that a Special Issue on “The New Normal in Mental Health Care” in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is being organized. For detailed information on the journal, we refer you to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph.

Mental health care is in transition. Within the sector, multiple innovations are being introduced with the aim to transform mental health care to be better fit for purpose and become and remain sustainable for the years to come. This transformation includes digitalization, eHealth, person-centered and community-based health care services, shared decision making, client empowerment, strategic alliances, new care models, focus on prevention, transdiagnostic treatment, and financial and personnel rearrangements as exemplary for this transformation to a new normal in mental health care.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has urged mental health care to accelerate this transformation, which in turn asks for a broad range of interdisciplinary and crossing boundary research to gain insight into the new normal in mental health care. This research aims to underpin, facilitate, and accelerate innovation in mental health care. Papers addressing product innovation, service innovation, process innovation, technological innovation, system innovation, and/or social innovation from diverse disciplines are therefore invited for this Special Issue. In the papers, issues can be raised, discussed, and tackled on both the individual client and professional level as well as on the organizational, governance, and policy level. Especially those are invited which combine a high academic standard with a practical focus on providing insight into why, how, when, and by whom mental health care can be brought to its new normal.

Prof. Dr. Inge Bongers
Dr. Joyce Bierbooms
Dr. Liselore Snaphaan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mental healthcare
  • transformation
  • transition
  • social innovation
  • technological innovation
  • prevention
  • policy
  • eHealth
  • COVID19 pandemic

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 3899 KiB  
Article
I Need to Know: Using the CeHRes Roadmap to Develop a Treatment Feedback Tool for Youngsters with Mental Health Problems
by Ilja L. Bongers, David C. Buitenweg, Romy E. F. M. van Kuijk and Chijs van Nieuwenhuizen
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10834; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710834 - 31 Aug 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1679
Abstract
Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) are often used to monitor treatment outcomes in youth mental health care. Unfortunately, youngsters are rarely informed about the results of their PROMs or, when they are, it is in an insufficient manner. Therefore, a web application was developed—together [...] Read more.
Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) are often used to monitor treatment outcomes in youth mental health care. Unfortunately, youngsters are rarely informed about the results of their PROMs or, when they are, it is in an insufficient manner. Therefore, a web application was developed—together with youngsters—aimed at giving them feedback about their PROMs. The aim of this study is to describe the development process of the application. An expert panel consisting of youngsters, web designers and researchers, as well as a representative from a client organisation, developed the e-health application INK (short for ‘I Need to Know’) in an iterative process based on the Centre for eHealth Research roadmap (CeHRes roadmap). Youngsters prefer, among other aspects, a simple, easy-to-use e-health application with a colourful appearance and want to be able to compare their results across different time points and informants. The INK tool provides youngsters with insight into their PROM results. Based on the youngsters’ preferences, INK users can choose which feedback information is visible. INK facilitates youngsters’ active participation in their treatment as well as shared decision-making with their professional caregivers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Normal in Mental Health Care)
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14 pages, 550 KiB  
Article
Is Team Resilience More Than the Sum of Its Parts? A Quantitative Study on Emergency Healthcare Teams during the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Inge E. M. Hendrikx, Stef C. G. Vermeulen, Vera L. W. Wientjens and Remco S. Mannak
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 6968; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19126968 - 07 Jun 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2526
Abstract
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency healthcare workers have come under even more pressure than before, threatening the workers’ mental health and the continuity of care delivered by their teams. This study aims to investigate what conditions increase individual and team resilience, referring [...] Read more.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency healthcare workers have come under even more pressure than before, threatening the workers’ mental health and the continuity of care delivered by their teams. This study aims to investigate what conditions increase individual and team resilience, referring to the ability to “bounce back” from stressful situations. We also assess whether team resilience is the sum of the individual resilience of team members, or whether other conditions enhance team resilience and thus continuity of care, despite limited individual resilience. We collected survey data from 129 emergency healthcare team members in the Netherlands to examine to what extent transformational leadership and team familiarity influence the level of team resilience, either directly or mediated by individual resilience, accounting for psychological characteristics and social support. The results show two distinct pathways to enhance team resilience, directly by familiarizing team members with each other and by mobilizing family support, and indirectly but with a much weaker effect, by encouraging team members’ individual resilience through transformational leadership and staffing optimistic team members with high levels of self-efficacy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Normal in Mental Health Care)
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12 pages, 1401 KiB  
Article
The Impact of the COVID-19 Outbreak on Mental Wellbeing in Children with a Chronic Condition Compared to Healthy Peers
by Johanna W. Hoefnagels, Annelieke B. Schoen, Sabine E. I. van der Laan, Lyan H. Rodijk, Cornelis K. van der Ent, Elise M. van de Putte, Geertje W. Dalmeijer and Sanne L. Nijhof
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(5), 2953; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052953 - 03 Mar 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2307
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental wellbeing of children 8–18 years old with chronic conditions, by comparing pandemic data with pre-pandemic data and with healthy peers. Data were obtained from two ongoing [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental wellbeing of children 8–18 years old with chronic conditions, by comparing pandemic data with pre-pandemic data and with healthy peers. Data were obtained from two ongoing longitudinal cohorts: the PROactive cohort study following children with a chronic condition, and the WHISTLER population cohort. Mental wellbeing was assessed by three indicators: life satisfaction, internalising symptoms, and psychosomatic health. The stringency of the COVID-19-related lockdown was considered a moderating factor. Data on chronic patients were recorded before (n = 934, 65% girls) and during (n = 503, 61% girls) the pandemic, and compared to healthy peers during the pandemic (n = 166, 61% girls). Children with a chronic condition reported lower life satisfaction, but no clinically relevant changes in internalising symptoms or psychosomatic health, during the pandemic compared to before. In comparison to healthy peers, children with a chronic condition experienced decreased life satisfaction and psychosomatic health, but internalising symptoms did not differ between groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdown stringency was negatively associated with all indicators of mental wellbeing—worse life satisfaction, more internalising symptoms, and more psychosomatic symptoms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Normal in Mental Health Care)
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9 pages, 626 KiB  
Article
Improving Customisation in Clinical Pathways by Using a Modular Perspective
by Anne van Dam, Margot Metz and Bert Meijboom
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11129; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111129 - 22 Oct 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1421
Abstract
A standardised system of clinical pathways often conflicts with providing patient-centred heterogeneous care. Mental health care organisations are searching for new methods to become responsive towards unique treatment needs. Modularity is a method increasingly suggested to reconcile standardisation and customisation. The aim is [...] Read more.
A standardised system of clinical pathways often conflicts with providing patient-centred heterogeneous care. Mental health care organisations are searching for new methods to become responsive towards unique treatment needs. Modularity is a method increasingly suggested to reconcile standardisation and customisation. The aim is to investigate the extent to which modularity can be applied to make clinical pathways in specialist mental health care more flexible in order to stimulate shared decision making (SDM) and thereby customise care processes to patient contexts while maintaining evidence-based standards. Methods consist of literature research and a theory-based case study including document analysis and semi-structured interviews, which were performed at a Dutch specialist mental health care organisation. The results show that in current literature two modularity-based structures are proposed that support flexibility and customisation, i.e., ‘Prototype’ and ‘Menu-based’. This study reveals that departments tend to use the prototype method if they have predictable patient needs, evidence-based methods are available and there is sequency in treatment components. The menu-based method is preferred if there are unpredictable needs, or the evidence needed to create interconnectedness in treatment is lacking. In conclusion, prototype or menu-based methods are both suitable for applying SDM and reaching customisation in practice. The choice is determined by three characteristics: predictability of needs, availability of evidence and the interconnectedness of treatment components. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Normal in Mental Health Care)
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14 pages, 358 KiB  
Article
Integrating eHealth within a Transforming Mental Healthcare Setting: A Qualitative Study into Values, Challenges, and Prerequisites
by Karin Lorenz-Artz, Joyce Bierbooms and Inge Bongers
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10287; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910287 - 29 Sep 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1711
Abstract
Mental health care is shifting towards more person-centered and community-based health care. Although integrating eHealth within a transforming healthcare setting may help accomplishing the shift, research studying this is lacking. This study aims to improve our understanding of the value of eHealth within [...] Read more.
Mental health care is shifting towards more person-centered and community-based health care. Although integrating eHealth within a transforming healthcare setting may help accomplishing the shift, research studying this is lacking. This study aims to improve our understanding of the value of eHealth within a transforming mental healthcare setting and to define the challenges and prerequisites for implementing eHealth in particular within this transforming context. In this article, we present the results of 29 interviews with clients, social network members, and professionals of an ambulatory team in transition within a Dutch mental health care institute. The main finding is that eHealth can support a transforming practice shifting towards more recovery-oriented, person-centered, and community-based service in which shared-decision making is self-evident. The main challenge revealed is how to deal with clients’ voices, when professionals see the value of eHealth but clients do not want to start using eHealth. The shift towards client-centered and network-oriented care models and towards blended care models are both high-impact changes in themselves. Acknowledging the complexity of combining these high-impact changes might be the first step towards creating blended client-centered and network-oriented care. Future research should examine whether and how these substantial shifts could be mutually supportive. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Normal in Mental Health Care)

Review

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22 pages, 1663 KiB  
Review
Subjective Experiences of Mental Health Crisis Care in Emergency Departments: A Narrative Review of the Qualitative Literature
by Helena Roennfeldt, Marianne Wyder, Louise Byrne, Nicole Hill, Rory Randall and Bridget Hamilton
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(18), 9650; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189650 - 13 Sep 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4624
Abstract
Mental health presentations to the emergency department (ED) have increased, and the emergency department has become the initial contact point for people in a mental health crisis. However, there is mounting evidence that the ED is not appropriate nor effective in responding to [...] Read more.
Mental health presentations to the emergency department (ED) have increased, and the emergency department has become the initial contact point for people in a mental health crisis. However, there is mounting evidence that the ED is not appropriate nor effective in responding to people in mental health crises. Insufficient attention has been paid to the subjective experience of people seeking support during a mental health crisis. This review aims to describe the qualitative literature involving the subjective experiences of people presenting to the ED during a mental health crisis. The method was guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework for scoping studies and included keyword searches of PsycINFO, CINAHL, Medline and Embase. A narrative analysis, drawing on the visual tool of journey mapping, was applied to summarise the findings. Twenty-three studies were included. The findings represent the experience of accessing EDs, through to the impact of treatment. The review found points of opportunity that improve people’s experiences and characteristics associated with negative experiences. The findings highlight the predominance and impact of negative experiences of the ED and the incongruence between the expectations of people presenting to the ED and the experience of treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Normal in Mental Health Care)
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Other

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13 pages, 331 KiB  
Case Report
A Multiple Stakeholder Perspective on the Drivers and Barriers for the Implementation of Lifestyle Monitoring Using Infrared Sensors to Record Movements for Vulnerable Older Adults Living Alone at Home: A Qualitative Study
by Anna M. Braspenning, Karlijn Cranen, Liselore J. A. E. Snaphaan and Eveline J. M. Wouters
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(1), 570; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010570 - 05 Jan 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1914
Abstract
A variety of technologies classified as lifestyle monitoring (LM) allows, by unobtrusive monitoring, for supporting of living alone at home of vulnerable older adults, especially persons with neurocognitive disorders such as dementia. It can detect health deterioration, facilitate early intervention, and possibly help [...] Read more.
A variety of technologies classified as lifestyle monitoring (LM) allows, by unobtrusive monitoring, for supporting of living alone at home of vulnerable older adults, especially persons with neurocognitive disorders such as dementia. It can detect health deterioration, facilitate early intervention, and possibly help people avoid hospital admission. However, for LM to redeem its intended effects, it is important to be adopted by involved stakeholders such as informal and formal caregivers and care managers. Therefore, the aim of this qualitative study is to understand factors that drive or impede successful implementation of LM for vulnerable older adults, specifically using infrared sensors to record movements, studied from a multiple stakeholder perspective. An open coding process was used to identify key themes of the implementation process. Data were arranged according to a thematic framework based on the normalization process theory (NPT). All stakeholders agreed that LM could lead to various health benefits for older adults using LM. However, some did not perceive the LM system to be cost-efficient and expressed a need for more flexible health care structures for LM to be successfully implemented. All stakeholders acknowledged the fact that LM requires a transition of care and responsibilities, a clear eligibility strategy for clients, and a clear ambassador strategy for health care professionals, as well as reliable technology. This study highlights the complex nature of implementing LM and suggests the need for alignment within constructs of the NPT among stakeholders about new ways of collaboration in supporting living alone at home. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Normal in Mental Health Care)
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