Social Determinants of Mental Health As Mediators and Moderators of the Mental Health Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Contracting COVID-19, being exposed to it, or being affected by societal containment measures can have consequences that are themselves social determinants of health. Preexisting social determinants of health also drive the disproportionately high prevalence of COVID-19 infection and deaths among minority, marginalized, and other vulnerable populations. Thus, the social determinants of mental health act as both mediators and moderators of the pandemic's impacts, and like all social determinants, the effects of the pandemic are underpinned by public policies and social norms. The major economic impacts of containment measures have had cascading effects that will affect mental health for years to come.

Violence risk assessment for young adults receiving treatment for early psychosis

AIM

Although the absolute risk of violence is small for individuals with mental illnesses, a specific subgroup of individuals who appear to be at increased risk for violence includes young people experiencing emerging or early psychosis. Prior research has identified risk factors for violence in this population, though no prior studies using a formal risk assessment tool have been identified. This study used the Historical Clinical Risk Management-20, version 3 (HCR-20) to identify risk of future violence among a sample of young adults with early psychosis and relevant predictors of risk unique to this population.

METHODS

The HCR-20 was administered to a sample of young adults with early psychosis (N = 53) enrolled at one OnTrackNY site, part of a statewide program providing early intervention services to young adults presenting with a first episode of non-affective psychosis. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted to explore the relative importance of the HCR-20 items for this population.

RESULTS

The average age of participants was 21.9 years (SD 3.6 years) and most were male (69.8%, n = 37). Most patients were assessed to be at low risk for future violence based on the Case Prioritization summary risk rating (67.9%, n = 36). The CFA identified 4 items that were not of relative predictive value in identifying the risk of violence in this sample: history of substance use (item H5), history of major mental disorder (item H6), living situation (item R2), and personal support (item R3).

CONCLUSION

This study presents a formal approach to assessing violence risk in a population at elevated risk of violence, demonstrates the feasibility of using a standardized risk assessment tool in early intervention services, and identifies factors of particular importance associated with predicting violence in this population. Future research should implement violence risk assessment with a structured tool such as the HCR-20 and assess its accuracy in predicting future violent behavior in this setting.

Associations between mental health shortage areas and county-level suicide rates among adults aged 25 and older in the USA, 2010 to 2018

OBJECTIVE

Suicide is a serious public health concern, but little is known about the relationship between access to mental health care and suicide deaths, and whether suicide rates differ by mental health provider Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs). This study investigated the associations between mental health HPSAs and suicide rates.

METHOD

We used generalized linear mixed models to test the associations between HPSAs and suicide rates from 2010 to 2018. For each county during a 3-year period, the total number of suicides was obtained from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER).

RESULTS

Mental health HPSAs had higher suicide rates (adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR), 1.06 [95% CI, 1.03-1.09]). The interaction terms of mental health HPSAs and time (adjusted IRR, 1.01 [95% CI, 1.00-1.01]) showed that the association between mental health shortage areas and suicide rates has increased over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Suicide rates are more common in mental health provider shortage areas, and this association has been growing over time. The study's findings suggest that many communities in the US are likely facing simultaneous challenges of limited access to mental health care, social and economic disadvantage, and high burden of suicide.

Structural Disadvantage and Culture, Race, and Ethnicity in Early Psychosis Services: International Provider Survey

OBJECTIVE

Little is known about provider perspectives on programmatic responses to structural disadvantage and cultural differences within early intervention in psychosis (EIP) services, programs, and models. The primary objective of this study was to investigate providers' perspectives on the impacts of disadvantage and minority race, ethnicity, and culture and to describe current practices and perceived gaps and concerns.

METHODS

An online survey of specialized EIP providers was disseminated in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, and Chile. A total of 164 providers, representing 110 unique sites, completed the survey. Closed-ended questions gathered demographic and program data, including information on formal assessment of trauma or adversity, integration of trauma-informed care, integration of formal cultural assessment tools, training focused on culture, programmatic changes to address culture-related issues, and consultation with cultural insiders. Open-ended questions addressed the demographic mix of the program's client population; the perceived role and influence of trauma, structural disadvantage, and cultural differences; and concerns and needs related to these topics. Frequencies were examined for closed-ended items; open-ended responses were systematically coded.

RESULTS

Overall, survey findings suggested low levels of implementation of a variety of assessment and support practices related to cultural diversity in EIP programs. Coding of open-ended responses revealed numerous concerns regarding the impacts of disadvantage and cultural difference on clients and perceived gaps in policy and implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

An expansion of research and service development aimed at better meeting the disadvantage- and culture-related needs of young people with early psychosis and their families should be a priority for the field.

Symptomatology and neurocognition among first-episode psychosis patients with and without cannabis use in the three months prior to first hospitalization

OBJECTIVE

The nature of associations between recent cannabis use and negative symptoms, positive symptoms, and neurocognitive deficits remains unclear. In a relatively large sample of well-characterized patients with first-episode psychosis, we hypothesized that, compared to first-episode patients without cannabis use in the three months prior to first hospitalization, those having used cannabis would have lesser negative symptoms, greater positive symptoms, and no differences in cognitive functioning. Dose-response relationships were also examined.

METHODS

Between 2008 and 2013, 247 first-episode psychosis patients were assessed during their hospitalization at one of six participating inpatient psychiatric units. Measures included the Longitudinal Substance Use Recall for 12 Weeks instrument, the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms, and the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB).

RESULTS

Anhedonia-asociality was significantly lower among those using cannabis in the past three months (10.7±4.6 v. 12.1±4.4, p=.023). Delusions were more severe among those having used cannabis (19.3±8.4 v. 15.9±9.1, p=.005), as was bizarre behavior (p=.01). There were no significant differences between those using and not using cannabis across nine MCCB measures. Correlations between the "dose" of cannabis and all of these measures were not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to those without cannabis use, those who use cannabis in recent months have lesser anhedonia-asociality, greater delusion and bizarre behavior severity, and no significant differences in neurocognition. Such characterizations could shed light on subgroups of individuals with first-episode psychosis, as well as risk factors for cannabis use in the early course of these disorders.

Subjective social status, objective social status, and substance use among individuals with serious mental illnesses

Subjective social status (SSS) and objective socioeconomic status (OSS) may appear to be similar social determinants of mental health, but are actually independently associated with diverse health outcomes including substance use and substance use disorders (SUDs). Such associations have not been examined among individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMI) despite their high prevalence of comorbid substance use; frequent treatment and recovery complications associated with such use; and high levels of economic disadvantage, discrimination, and inequities in this marginalized population. These psychosocial adversities manifest as poor mental illness outcomes, poor physical health, and early mortality in populations with SMI. We hypothesized that both SSS and OSS would predict substance use severity and SUD diagnoses in 240 patients with SMI. SSS, measured by the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status, was unassociated with a composite measure of income and education used to operationalize OSS. Additionally, SSS and OSS were differentially associated with various types of substance use disorders. Only OSS was associated with whether individuals smoked cigarettes, or the level of nicotine dependence. Conversely, only SSS was associated with drug use severity. Our results shed light on the potential for differential impacts of SSS and OSS among persons with SMI.

Neighborhood Predictors of Outpatient Mental Health Visits Among Persons With Comorbid Medical and Serious Mental Illnesses

OBJECTIVE

Individuals with serious mental illnesses are at risk of receiving inadequate outpatient mental health services, increasing the likelihood of medication nonadherence, readmission, and self-harm. The purpose of this study was to identify individual- and neighborhood-level factors associated with outpatient mental health visits.

METHODS

This study included 418 participants from two randomized trials of patients with comorbid medical conditions and serious mental illnesses across two study sites between 2011 and 2017. On the basis of individual addresses, data were collected about participants' distance to the nearest mental health facility and 13 neighborhood characteristics from the American Community Survey. Three neighborhood-level factors were derived from factor analysis. Poisson regression was used to assess associations between individual- and neighborhood-level characteristics and the number of visits to mental health providers. Known individual-level risk factors for outpatient follow-up were mutually adjusted in a model with neighborhood covariates added.

RESULTS

Male gender, older age, unemployment, and lower education level were associated with less outpatient mental health service utilization. Neighborhood-level residential mobility, defined as the combination of percentage of residents living in a different house in the past year and percentage of non-owner-occupied housing, was significantly associated with fewer mental health service visits even after controlling for other neighborhood- and individual-level factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Among individuals with comorbid medical conditions and serious mental illnesses, living in neighborhoods with higher residential mobility was associated with fewer visits to outpatient mental health providers. This finding suggests the importance of recognizing social conditions that may shape clinical interactions.

Mental Illness Prevention and Mental Health Promotion: When, Who, and How

Classification as primary, secondary, or tertiary prevention is based on when during the course of disease the intervention is provided. Another approach to classification-as universal, selective, or indicated preventive interventions-relates to who receives the intervention. The social determinants of health framework also provides a guide to prevention, which requires changing both public policies and social norms. It also addresses the weaknesses of the first two approaches, such as persistent health inequities regarding who has access to preventive services. The social determinants framework is a guide to providing timely and targeted preventive interventions in a way that ensures equal access.

Similarities and Differences in Associations Between Duration of Untreated Psychosis (DUP) and Demographic, Premorbid, and Symptom Severity Measures in Two Samples of First-Episode Psychosis Patients from Mexico and the United States

Early-psychosis researchers have documented that duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is an important predictor of outcomes in first-episode psychosis. Very few cross-national studies have been conducted, and none have been carried out involving patients from both Mexico and the U.S. We collaborated to answer three questions: (1) Are DUP estimates similar in two very different settings and samples? (2) Are demographic variables, premorbid adjustment, and symptom severity similarly related to DUP in the two different settings? (3) Does the same set of variables account for a similar proportion of variance in DUP in the two settings? Data on sociodemographic characteristics, premorbid adjustment, symptom severity, and DUP were available for 145 Mexican and 247 U.S. first-episode psychosis patients. DUP was compared, and bivariate analyses and multiple linear regressions were carried out in each sample. DUP estimates were similar (medians of 35 weeks in Mexico and 38 weeks in the U.S.). In the Mexican sample, DUP was associated with gender, employment status, premorbid social adjustment, and positive symptom severity (explaining 18% of variance). In the U.S. sample, DUP was associated with age, employment status, premorbid social adjustment, and positive symptom severity (but in the opposite direction of that observed in the Mexican sample), accounting for 25% of variance. Additional cross-national collaborations examining key facets of early-course psychotic disorders, including DUP, will clarify the extent of generalizability of findings, strengthen partnerships for more internationally relevant studies, and support the global movement to help young people struggling with first-episode psychosis and their families.

Developing and implementing a culturally informed mily otivational ngagement trategy (FAMES) to increase family engagement in first episode psychosis programs: mixed methods pilot study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Despite the proven effectiveness of coordinated specialty care (CSC) programmes for first episode psychosis in the USA, CSC programmes often have low levels of engagement in family psychoeducation, and engagement of racial and ethnic minority family members is even lower than that for non-Latino white family members. The goal of this study is to develop and evaluate a culturally informed FAmily Motivational Engagement Strategy (FAMES) and implementation toolkit for CSC providers.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This protocol describes a mixed methods, multi-phase study that blends intervention mapping and the Promoting Action on Research in Health Services framework to develop, modify and pilot-test FAMES and an accompanying implementation toolkit. Phase 1 will convene a Stakeholder Advisory Committee to inform modifications based on findings from phases 1 and 2. During phase 1, we will also recruit approximately 200 family members to complete an online survey to assess barriers and motivation to engage in treatment. Phase 2 we will recruit five family members into a 3-month trial of the modified FAMES and implementation toolkit. Results will guide the advisory committee in refining the intervention and implementation toolkit. Phase 3 will involve a 16-month non-randomised, stepped-wedge trial with 50 family members from five CSC programmes in community-based mental health clinics to examine the acceptability, feasibility and initial impact of FAMES and the implementation toolkit.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study received Institutional Review Board approval from Washington State University, protocol #17 812-001. Results will be disseminated via peer review publications, presentations at national and international conferences, and to local community mental health agencies and committees.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT04188366).

Chronic Disease Screening and Prevention Activities in Mental Health Clinics in New York State: Current Practices and Future Opportunities

To understand mental health clinics' chronic disease screening and prevention activities, we surveyed mental health clinics in New York State regarding 16 preventive services. Both numerical and qualitative data were collected. Responding clinics (123, 24.7%) were most likely to report having up-to-date screening/management of tobacco use (114, 92.7%) and were most likely to refer out for infectious disease and cancer screening (57.7%-62.6%). Compared to private/non-profit clinics, county- and state-operated clinics were more likely to refer out for infectious disease screening and to ensure up-to-date: lipid disorder screening, abnormal glucose screening, HIV screening, and cancer screenings. Clinics reported a need for: (1) hiring more (dedicated) medical staff; (2) providing staff trainings; (3) educating patients; and (4) integrating with patients' primary care providers. Implementing proven approaches-and developing new ones-for enhanced chronic disease prevention activities through improvements in policy, staffing, and reimbursement is warranted in mental health clinics.

Neighborhood-level predictors of age at onset and duration of untreated psychosis in first-episode psychotic disorders

OBJECTIVE

Recent years have witnessed growing interest in the role of the social environment in the development and outcomes of schizophrenia. We investigated whether neighborhood characteristics are associated with two important prognostic factors in early-course psychosis, age at onset of psychosis (AOP) and duration of untreated psychosis (DUP).

METHODS

Data were collected from patients admitted to the hospital for first-episode schizophrenia-spectrum disorder. We collected data on perceived neighborhood disorder during childhood/adolescence and extracted data on 13 neighborhood characteristics from the American Community Survey based upon individual addresses. Four neighborhood-level factors were derived from factor analysis. Multiple logistic regression analyses assessed the association between specific neighborhood characteristics and the two prognostic factors (earlier AOP and longer DUP) in early-course psychosis.

RESULTS

143 participants had valid addresses geo-coded. Neighborhood-level residential instability was associated with an earlier AOP (OR = 1.760; p = 0.022) even after controlling for known risk factors (OR = 2.026; p = 0.020) and also after controlling for individual-level residential instability (OR = 1.917; p = 0.037). The general socioeconomic status neighborhood factor (OR = 1.119; p = 0.019) and perceived neighborhood disorder (OR = 1.075; p = 0.005) were associated with a longer DUP. But only perceived neighborhood disorder (OR = 1.146; p = 0.011) remained significant, and general socioeconomic status was close to significant (OR = 1.215; p = 0.062), after controlling for individual-level predictors and socioeconomic status.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found evidence that neighborhood-level characteristics (in this case, residential instability) may be associated with earlier AOP, and perceptions of neighborhood disorder are associated with a longer treatment delay. Socioenvironmental factors should be more consistently considered going forward in research on early psychotic disorders.

Effects of perceived social status and discrimination on hope and empowerment among individuals with serious mental illnesses

Hope and empowerment are key elements of recovery in the context of serious mental illnesses (SMI). We examined predictors of hope among individuals with SMI and tested a hypothesized path model in which perceived social status and perceived discrimination adversely impact hope, directly and through their impacts on depressive symptoms. Data from 232 individuals with SMI receiving care in public-sector settings were used in both a multiple linear regression (predicting Herth Hope Scale scores), and in path analyses examining both direct and indirect effects of perceived social status (Social Status Ladder) and perceived discrimination (Everyday Discrimination Scale). Depressive symptoms, perceived social status, and perceived discrimination were predictive of hope. Path analyses revealed that perceived social status has a direct effect on hope and empowerment but also impacts hope through its effects on depression. Similarly, perceived everyday discrimination affects hope and empowerment, though this effect is mediated through its effects on depression. Two alternative models and a trimmed hypothesized model did not fit the data or improve fit. These social determinants of mental health should provoke program and policy change to improve mental health and enhance recovery among persons with SMI.

Addressing the Social Determinants of Mental Health: If Not Now, When? If Not Us, Who?

(Reprinted with permission from Psychiatric Services 2018; 69:844-846).

Associations Between Two Domains of Social Adversity and Recovery Among Persons with Serious Mental Illnesses Being Treated in Community Mental Health Centers

As mental health services are increasingly embracing the recovery model, we conducted a study to better understand how social adversity impacts recovery. We also examined how associations between social adversity and recovery are influenced (moderated or mediated) by symptom severity. Data on seven social adversity measures, eight recovery measures, and symptom severity were collected from 300 English-speaking participants, ages 18-65 years, with a diagnosis of a psychotic or mood disorder, from five community mental health agencies in diverse neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. We employed standard correlation, exploratory factor analyses, analysis of variance, and hierarchic regression procedures. Diagnostic category and gender impacted Home Environment Adversities (e.g., food insecurity, perceived neighborhood disorder), the diagnostic category-by-gender interaction influenced Social and Economic Adversities (e.g., years of education and income), and gender affected Recovery. Controlling for diagnostic category and gender, Social and Economic Adversities accounted for 1.7% of variance in Recovery, while Home Environment Adversities accounted for 8.6% (their joint influence was 3.4%). Although symptom severity did not moderate these associations, it partially mediated the effect of Social and Economic Adversities on Recovery, and substantially mediated the effect of Home Environment Adversities on Recovery. The extent to which patients with serious mental illnesses experience recovery may be meaningfully influenced not only by symptoms, but by their social and environmental circumstances.

The Social Determinants of Mental Health: Psychiatrists' Roles in Addressing Discrimination and Food Insecurity

The social determinants of mental health are societal problems that disrupt optimal mental health, increase risk for and prevalence of mental illnesses, and worsen outcomes among individuals with mental illnesses. The various social determinants, two of which are described herein because they are too often neglected-discrimination and food insecurity-are underpinned by an unequal and unjust distribution of opportunity, which, in turn, is driven by both public policies and social norms. Discrimination and social exclusion, especially based on race and ethnicity, are pervasive and will remain largely resistant to change within society until explicitly antiracist public policy is enacted and overtly racist social norms are replaced by attitudes of acceptance and social inclusion. Similarly, eradicating food insecurity will occur only through changes in both policy and social norms. Psychiatrists have an opportunity to screen for, thoroughly assess, and address social risks (including perceived discrimination and food insecurity) at the clinical level. They also can play an important role in the shaping of policy and changing of social norms at the community and societal levels. All of these interventions and activities will ultimately improve mental health, reduce the prevalence of mental illnesses, and improve outcomes for patients.

What Research on Crisis Intervention Teams Tells Us and What We Need to Ask

Developed over 30 years ago, the Crisis Intervention Team model is arguably the most well-known approach to improve police response to individuals experiencing mental health crisis. In this article, we comment on Rogers and colleagues' review (in this issue) of the CIT research base and elaborate on the current state of the evidence. We argue that CIT can be considered evidence based for officer level outcomes and call level dispositions. We then discuss the challenges that currently make it difficult to draw conclusions related to arrest, use of force, and injury related outcomes. More research, including a randomized, controlled trial is clearly needed. But we caution against focusing narrowly on the training component of the model, as CIT is more than training. We encourage research that explores and tests the potential of CIT partnerships to develop effective strategies that improve the mental health system's ability to provide crisis response and thus reduce reliance on law enforcement to address this need.

Major Mental Illness as a Risk Factor for Incarceration

OBJECTIVE

Individuals with serious mental illness are overrepresented in correctional populations. However, little is known about the representation of persons with serious mental illness at earlier stages in the criminal justice process. This research sought to measure the prevalence of arrestees in New York State who were treated for a major mental illness in the year before their arrest and to assess whether these individuals had a disproportionate rate of incarceration.

METHODS

Approximately 600,000 individuals arrested in New York State between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2013, were matched against public mental health records to identify defendants diagnosed as having a major mental illness in the 12 months before their arrest.

RESULTS

Between 4% and 6% of the arrestees were diagnosed as having a major mental illness during a mental health service visit in the 12 months prior to their arrest. A major mental illness diagnosis was associated with more than a 50% increase in the odds of a jail sentence for misdemeanor arrestees, after the analyses controlled for the other case characteristics. Conversely, it was unrelated to the likelihood of a prison sentence given a felony arrest, but it did moderate the effect of other case characteristics within the group of arrestees with felonies.

CONCLUSIONS

Differential adjudication of misdemeanor arrestees with a major mental illness diagnosis appears to contribute to their overrepresentation within the jail population. The role that poverty and pretrial incarceration may play in this relationship was not explored in this research and should be the subject of future investigation.

Law Enforcement and Clinician Partnerships: Training of Trainers for CIT Teams in Liberia, West Africa

The crisis intervention team (CIT) model was developed in the United States to align law enforcement goals with those of mental health advocates and service users. Liberia is the first low-income country where CIT has been implemented. After preliminary training of law enforcement officers and mental health clinicians by U.S. CIT experts, the program is now entirely implemented by Liberian personnel. In this column, the authors describe topics addressed in the 5-day training-of-trainers process to prepare Liberian mental health clinicians and law enforcement officers to conduct the program, along with feedback received from participants. They hope that this model can guide future initiatives aimed at fostering collaboration of law enforcement and mental health services in global mental health.

Recent violence and legal involvement among young adults with early psychosis enrolled in Coordinated Specialty Care

AIM

Individuals with serious mental illnesses have a small increased risk of engaging in violence or legal involvement compared to the general population. This seems to be particularly true for young adults experiencing early stages of psychosis. This study analysed the prevalence of and risk factors for reports of violence and legal involvement in a sample of young adults receiving Coordinated Specialty Care for early non-affective psychosis.

METHODS

A total of 373 young adults (ages 16-30) within 2 years of the onset of non-affective psychosis were enrolled in 10 Coordinated Specialty Care sites in New York State from October 2013 to August 2016. Baseline violent ideation or behaviour and legal involvement was described and predictors identified.

RESULTS

Approximately one-quarter of individuals had either recent violent ideation or behaviour at baseline (n = 90, 24.6%); nearly one-tenth of the sample reported recent legal involvement (n = 33, 9.0%). Individuals with violent ideation or behaviour had lower levels of education and were less likely to be working. Those with recent legal involvement were more likely to be male and more likely to have substance use (alcohol, cannabis and other drugs).

CONCLUSIONS

The overall rate of recent violent ideation or behaviour is similar to other studies; up to one-third of individuals experiencing a first-episode of psychosis (FEP) report violence. Recent legal involvement was strongly associated with substance use. This study presents insight into violence and legal involvement among individuals with FEP and indicates the need for further research.

Factor structure of the Cannabis Experiences Questionnaire in a first-episode psychosis sample

AIM

The Cannabis Experiences Questionnaire (CEQ) was developed to measure the subjective experiences of cannabis use both during and after intoxication. Despite the need to better understand the nature of the complex and significant relationship between cannabis use and early psychosis, this questionnaire has rarely been used in individuals with first-episode psychosis.

METHODS

We conducted a set of factor analyses using CEQ data from 194 first-episode psychosis patients who used cannabis in order to uncover the underlying factor structure of the questionnaire and thus the overarching types of psychological experiences during/after using cannabis in young people with psychotic disorders.

RESULTS

Our exploratory factor analysis identified 4 subscales, including: Distortions of Reality and Self-Perception (Factor 1), Euphoria Effects (Factor 2), Slowing and Amotivational Effects (Factor 3), and Anxiety and Paranoia Effects (Factor 4).

CONCLUSIONS

Elucidating the underlying factor structure of the CEQ in first-episode psychosis samples could help researchers move towards a deeper understanding of the types of experiences associated with cannabis intoxication among young adults with first-episode psychosis and could inform the development of programs designed to reduce use, improve the course of illness, and possibly delay or prevent the onset of psychotic symptoms in those at risk.