Mental Health Care: Pandemic and Beyond

A special issue of Medicina (ISSN 1648-9144). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychiatry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 2842

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Emergency Mental Health, Sunshine Hospital, Western Health, Melbourne, Australia
2. Tutor for Master of Psychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Interests: emergency psychiatry; youth mental health; developmental psychiatry; social psychiatry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In light of the significant challenges and transformations observed in the delivery of mental health services during the recent global pandemic, this Special Issue seeks to delve deep into the innovations, adaptations, and resilience of mental health service providers and systems. The aim is not just to document the changes during the pandemic but to draw valuable lessons and insights from them that can shape the future of emergency mental health service delivery.

We believe that your expertise and insights in this field would greatly benefit our readers and contribute significantly to this body of knowledge.

Key topics include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Innovations in mental health delivery during the pandemic;
  • Challenges and barriers faced by service providers;
  • Studies showcasing adaptability and resilience;
  • Long-term implications and strategies for future preparedness;
  • Studies on the COVID-19 outbreak, preventive measures, etc.;
  • Studies related to leadership and clinical governance;
  • Special sections: youth mental health, neuropsychiatry, etc.

Dr. Soumitra Das
Guest Editor

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. Medicina 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 2200 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

  • emergency mental health
  • pandemic
  • service delivery
  • precautions

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

18 pages, 521 KiB  
Article
A Preliminary Investigation into the Use of Cannabis Suppositories and Online Mindful Compassion for Improving Sexual Function Among Women Following Gynaecological Cancer Treatment
by Samantha Banbury, Hannah Tharmalingam, Joanne Lusher, Simon Erridge and Chris Chandler
Medicina 2024, 60(12), 2020; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60122020 - 7 Dec 2024
Viewed by 932
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The impact of gynaecological cancer and its treatments on sexual intimacy can be profound on female sexuality. However, very few registered clinical trials have addressed sexual intimacy among this cohort. Materials and Methods: This preliminary randomised control trial (RCT) and [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: The impact of gynaecological cancer and its treatments on sexual intimacy can be profound on female sexuality. However, very few registered clinical trials have addressed sexual intimacy among this cohort. Materials and Methods: This preliminary randomised control trial (RCT) and content analysis assessed the effectiveness of a brief online mindful compassion group intervention adjunct with cannabis suppositories. Eighty-three participants aged between 18 and 50+ years who were at least six months post-cancer treatment were randomly allocated to one of four groups, depending on whether they were already using cannabis suppositories. These included a cannabis-only group (CO), a mindful-compassion group (MC), a combined mindful-compassion and cannabis suppositories group (COCM) and a care-as-usual group (CAU). Measurements of sexual function, sexual self-efficacy, mindful compassion, well-being and quality of life were taken at weeks 0, 4 and 12. Results: Sexual function, including arousal, lubrication and orgasms, improved for both the MC p = 0.002 and COCM p ≤ 0.001 groups; in addition, sexual pain was reduced in the COCM p = 0.008 and CO p ≤ 0.001 groups compared to the CAU and MC groups, where p ≥ 0.05. Feedback suggested that cannabis mediated the effects of mindful compassion and supported well-being, sexual self-efficacy, and quality of life. Participants also voiced a preference for cannabis suppositories when using dilators as part of their treatment and the use of sex toys instead of dilators, suggesting that dilators had negatively impacted their sexuality. Conclusions: These preliminary and exploratory outcomes look promising and provide a foundation for future research to develop varied healthcare options to improve mental health service delivery and quality of life for this cohort. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mental Health Care: Pandemic and Beyond)
Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 338 KiB  
Article
Psychometric Properties of the Anxiety Measure: Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-6 (SAVE-6) for Spanish Medical Students
by Aziz Sarhani-Robles, María Guillot-Valdés, Cristina Lendínez-Rodríguez, María Auxiliadora Robles-Bello, David Sánchez-Teruel and Nieves Valencia Naranjo
Medicina 2024, 60(11), 1803; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60111803 - 3 Nov 2024
Viewed by 776
Abstract
Backgroud and Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of SAVE-6 in the medical student population and assess its gender invariance. Subjects and Methods: The sample consisted of 320 medical students aged 18–23 years (153 men and 167 women) [...] Read more.
Backgroud and Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of SAVE-6 in the medical student population and assess its gender invariance. Subjects and Methods: The sample consisted of 320 medical students aged 18–23 years (153 men and 167 women) who completed an anonymous online questionnaire. Data collection took place in June 2024. To assess the scale structure, a descriptive analysis of the items was carried out, followed by a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). To analyze whether there were differences in the invariance of the measure by gender, a multigroup CFA was performed. Results: SAVE-6 showed high internal consistency, α = 0.89 and ω = 0.92, a minimum score of 12, a maximum score of 22, an unifactorial structure, and adequate convergent validity. Specifically, the following were found: the positive and significant relationship with HADS was 0.98 for the full scale, 0.76 for depression, and 0.91 for anxiety, and there was a negative and significant convergent validity with resilience (−0.82) and resilience to suicide attempts (−0.88). Regarding the gender invariance, relevant data is that the factor loadings between each item and the SAVE-6 factor were not the same, so women present a higher level of anxiety than men (Δχ 2 (6) = 42.53). Discussion: The results showed good internal reliability of SAVE-6 and good suitability. Data also revealed that they were not equal in relation to gender. Specifically, the scalar invariance revealed significant differences by items between men and women in anxiety. Conclusions: This scale can be applied to medical students as a reliable and valid instrument to assess the anxiety response to disease contagion in future health professionals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mental Health Care: Pandemic and Beyond)

Other

Jump to: Research

28 pages, 3325 KiB  
Systematic Review
Clozapine and Pneumonia: Synthesizing the Link by Reviewing Existing Reports—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Victor Zhao, Yiting Gong, Naveen Thomas and Soumitra Das
Medicina 2024, 60(12), 2016; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60122016 - 6 Dec 2024
Viewed by 667
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Clozapine is a highly effective antipsychotic used for treating treatment-refractory psychotic and mood disorders. However, clozapine also has a serious risk of side effects leading to mortality, particularly its potentiated risk of leading to pneumonia. This review aims to overview [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Clozapine is a highly effective antipsychotic used for treating treatment-refractory psychotic and mood disorders. However, clozapine also has a serious risk of side effects leading to mortality, particularly its potentiated risk of leading to pneumonia. This review aims to overview the demographic and health-related risk factors leading to pneumonia to better inform risk assessment for clozapine users and to summarise current theories on the mechanisms for clozapine-associated pneumonia. This paper will highlight the need to prioritise pneumococcal vaccination in this population group. Materials and Method: We conducted a literary search of five online databases conforming to PRISMA. Our review includes all peer-reviewed papers with original data that discuss clozapine and pneumonia and excludes case reports. Baseline information of participants, pneumonia-related information and information regarding risk factors and mechanisms causing pneumonia were also extracted. Results: Clozapine was found to have an increased risk of pneumonia compared to other antipsychotic medications. Factors included comorbidities, higher clozapine dosages, and concurrent use of other antipsychotic medications. Key mechanisms for clozapine-associated pneumonia include clozapine-induced hyper sedation, sialorrhea and neutropoenia. Conclusions: While clozapine improves overall mortality for patients, our review confirms clozapine has the highest risk of pneumonia of all antipsychotics. The review also highlights the prevalent underuse of pneumococcal vaccines among clozapine users and the urgent need to increase uptake. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mental Health Care: Pandemic and Beyond)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop