1
|
Muñoz-Ortega S, Santamaría-Guayaquil D, Pluas-Borja J, Alvarado-Villa G, Sandoval V, Alvarado R, Cherrez-Ojeda I, Faytong-Haro M. Mental Health in Healthcare Workers Post-COVID-19: A Latin American Review and Insights into Personalized Management Strategies. J Pers Med 2024; 14:680. [PMID: 39063934 PMCID: PMC11278025 DOI: 10.3390/jpm14070680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of enduring mental health on healthcare workers has become increasingly evident. This review focuses on post-pandemic mental health challenges faced by healthcare personnel in Latin America. This highlights the persistent burden on healthcare workers, especially women, which is exacerbated by economic disparities, inadequacies in the healthcare system, and ongoing occupational stressors. Our literature review, utilizing databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, scrutinized the mental health status of healthcare professionals in the region after the pandemic's peak. The analysis indicated sustained levels of psychological distress, with frontline workers and women continuing to be affected disproportionately. These findings emphasize the urgent need for personalized interventions to effectively address the complex mental health challenges in this context. This review advocates strategic interventions, including tailored psychological support, innovative diagnostics, and technological solutions, integrated into patient-centered care models. Such approaches aim to enhance the mental resilience and overall well-being of healthcare professionals across Latin America in the post-COVID era.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Muñoz-Ortega
- School of Health, Universidad Espíritu Santo-Ecuador, Samborondón 092301, Guayas, Ecuador; (S.M.-O.); (D.S.-G.); (J.P.-B.); (G.A.-V.); (I.C.-O.)
| | - Daniela Santamaría-Guayaquil
- School of Health, Universidad Espíritu Santo-Ecuador, Samborondón 092301, Guayas, Ecuador; (S.M.-O.); (D.S.-G.); (J.P.-B.); (G.A.-V.); (I.C.-O.)
| | - Jade Pluas-Borja
- School of Health, Universidad Espíritu Santo-Ecuador, Samborondón 092301, Guayas, Ecuador; (S.M.-O.); (D.S.-G.); (J.P.-B.); (G.A.-V.); (I.C.-O.)
| | - Geovanny Alvarado-Villa
- School of Health, Universidad Espíritu Santo-Ecuador, Samborondón 092301, Guayas, Ecuador; (S.M.-O.); (D.S.-G.); (J.P.-B.); (G.A.-V.); (I.C.-O.)
| | - Verónica Sandoval
- Research Center, Universidad Estatal de Milagro, Milagro 091050, Guayas, Ecuador;
| | - Rubén Alvarado
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Studies (CIESAL), Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2362735, Chile;
| | - Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda
- School of Health, Universidad Espíritu Santo-Ecuador, Samborondón 092301, Guayas, Ecuador; (S.M.-O.); (D.S.-G.); (J.P.-B.); (G.A.-V.); (I.C.-O.)
- Research Department, Ecuadorian Development Research Lab, Daule 090656, Guayas, Ecuador
- Research Department, Respiralab Research Group, Guayaquil 090512, Guayas, Ecuador
| | - Marco Faytong-Haro
- Research Center, Universidad Estatal de Milagro, Milagro 091050, Guayas, Ecuador;
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Andrade LI, Viñán-Ludeña MS, Sanchez C. Psychometric validation of the internet related experiences questionnaire and mobile related experiences questionnaire among Ecuadorian teenagers. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1390174. [PMID: 38899132 PMCID: PMC11186412 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1390174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Excessive internet and mobile cell phone use has been increasing in recent years especially in teenagers who are a vulnerable population. However, there is a lack of psychometric evaluation of instruments that allow to identify behavior regarding problematic use of the internet and cell phones in the Latin America, particularly in Ecuador. The main aim of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of two instruments: the Internet-related experiences questionnaire (IREQ) and Mobile-related experiences questionnaire (MREQ) in high school students (n = 4, 174, M age = 15.63; 51.19% male and 48.37% female). Methods The validation process was performed using one and two factors for both questionnaires according to previous literature. After checking the models proposed to date, the best fit model was the one-factor model for (IREQ) and one-factor model for (MREQ). Results and discussion The invariance was performed using two samples according to gender (male, female) and has been confirmed with an acceptable internal consistency for both questionnaires. For IREQ (All, ω = 0.80; Male, ω = 0.77; Female, ω = 0.82) and for MREQ (All, ω = 0.83; Male, ω = 0.82; Female, ω = 0.84). In addition, we performed the correlation analysis between IREQ, MREQ, and socio-demographic variables and finally, both instruments demonstrated strong psychometric qualities within the local population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Livia I. Andrade
- Department of Psychology, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Marlon Santiago Viñán-Ludeña
- Escuela de Ingeniería, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación e Inteligencia Artificial, ETSI Informática y de Telecomunicación, CITIC-UGR, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Carmen Sanchez
- Department of Psychology, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Almeida C, Novo A, Canut ML, Ferré-Grau C, Sequeira C. COVID-19-Evidence of the Impact of Literacy and Salutogenic Behaviours in Positive Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:845. [PMID: 37887494 PMCID: PMC10604396 DOI: 10.3390/bs13100845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Positive mental health is defined as the ability to perceive and interpret the context of a situation and to adapt to it whenever necessary. Considering the pandemic situation, identifying the factors that may have the greatest impact on quality of life and consequently, on positive mental health is paramount. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of health literacy on the adoption of behaviours that promote positive mental health during COVID-19. A descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted on a sample of 770 patients using a questionnaire for sociodemographic characterization, the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire and the Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire. Concerning health-promoting behaviours, those who sleep enough hours, exercise regularly, eat healthy and are more aware of mental health promotion activities, or have greater mental health literacy, have higher positive mental health scores. Thus, having more knowledge of mental health and adopting health-promoting behaviours improve positive mental health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cláudia Almeida
- ULSNE-Unidade Local de Saúde Nordeste, 5301-852 Bragança, Portugal
- Faculty of Nursing, Universitat Rovira y Virgili, 43003 Tarragona, Spain
| | - André Novo
- Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Escola Superior de Saúde, 5300-121 Bragança, Portugal
| | - Maria Lluch Canut
- Department of Public Health, Mental Health and Maternal and Child Health Nursing, Nursing School, University of Barcelona, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carme Ferré-Grau
- Faculty of Nursing, Universitat Rovira y Virgili, 43003 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Carlos Sequeira
- Escola Superior de Enfermagem do Porto, CINTESIS-Centro de Investigação em Tecnologias e Serviços de Saúde, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Puerto-Casasasnovas E, Galiana-Richart J, Mastrantonio-Ramos MP, López-Muñoz F, Rocafort-Nicolau A. Direct and Indirect Management Models in Public Health in the Framework of Mental Health. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:2279. [PMID: 36767645 PMCID: PMC9916335 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This article analyzes the relationship between per capita expenditure and financial and macroeconomic variables in the framework of mental health, in regions where the prevailing system is public healthcare governed by the state and in regions where the prevailing system is that of public ownership. The period 2006-2017 was analyzed. A simple linear regression analysis was carried out to determine the relationship between the expenditure per inhabitant and a series of relevant variables such as asset turnover, cash flow, and expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), applying statistical tests to validate the study. In regions where public-private co-financing prevails in the health system, two crucial variables to measure per capita expenditure on mental health were GDP per capita and cash flow of mental health providers. In the regions where management is direct, the crucial variables were asset turnover of mental health providers and expenditure on mental health as a percentage of GDP per capita. These elements are key to determining how to develop public investment policies in hospital systems in the different regions of Europe and the world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Puerto-Casasasnovas
- Departamento de Empresa, Facultad de Economía y Empresa, Universitat de Barcelona, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Departamento de Contabilidad y Finanzas, EAE Business School, 08015 Barcelona, Spain
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Camilo José Cela, 28692 Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Contabilidad y Finanzas, La Salle, Universitat Ramon Llull, 08022 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jorge Galiana-Richart
- Departamento de Empresa, Facultad de Economía y Empresa, Universitat de Barcelona, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Departamento de Contabilidad y Finanzas, EAE Business School, 08015 Barcelona, Spain
- Departamento de Contabilidad y Finanzas, La Salle, Universitat Ramon Llull, 08022 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Francisco López-Muñoz
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Camilo José Cela, 28692 Madrid, Spain
- Unidad de Neuropsicofarmacología, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i + 12), 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Portucalense Institute of Neuropsychology and Cognitive and Behavioural Neurosciences (INPP), Universidade Portucalense, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
| | - Alfredo Rocafort-Nicolau
- Departamento de Economía Financiera y Contabilidad, Universitat de Barcelona, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Almeida CPP, Novo AFMP, Lluch Canut MT, Ferré‐Grau C, Sequeira CADC. COVID-19 infection: Positive mental health, psychological vulnerability and sex: Cross-sectional study. J Nurs Scholarsh 2023; 55:123-130. [PMID: 36239008 PMCID: PMC9874471 DOI: 10.1111/jnu.12826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Since mid-March 2020, a state of emergency was decreed in Portugal due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, consequently, measures were implemented to protect public health, such as social isolation, which will certainly have a notable impact on the mental health of the population, especially in the most vulnerable groups. Positive Mental Health (PMH) is essential to deal with adversity, in this case with the pandemic, and to live better and with greater satisfaction. We consider it relevant to investigate how PMH was used as a resource to deal with the pandemic, depending on the level of vulnerability and sex. A, cross-sectional study was carried out whose the aim was to evaluate the levels of PMH and psychological vulnerability in people with COVOD-19 infection and analyze the association between PMH and psychological vulnerability among men and women. METHODS The instruments used were a sociodemographic characterization questionnaire, the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire, and the Psychological Vulnerability Scale (PVS), that were sent and filled out online. A quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational study was carried out. RESULTS After analyzing the results, it was found that approximately 50.4% of the respondents (n = 387) had global PMH values that place them in quartile 50. There was also a statistically significant difference between female and male PMH, with women showing greater psychological vulnerability and lower overall PMH. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the women present a greater psychological vulnerability and a lower level of PMH when compared to men. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Considering the study's statistically significant results, when we talk about mental health, we should always consider the sex variable as a vulnerability factor, in a pandemic or non-pandemic phase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - André Filipe Morais Pinto Novo
- Insituto Politécnico de Bragança, Escola superior de SaúdeBragancaPortugal,Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS)
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Regalado Chamorro M, Medina Gamero A, Tello Cabello R. [Mental health in adolescents: Internet, social networks and psychopathology]. Aten Primaria 2022; 54:102487. [PMID: 36257099 PMCID: PMC9583028 DOI: 10.1016/j.aprim.2022.102487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
|
7
|
Herraiz-Recuenco L, Alonso-Martínez L, Hannich-Schneider S, Puente-Alcaraz J. Causes of Stress among Healthcare Professionals and Successful Hospital Management Approaches to Mitigate It during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:12963. [PMID: 36232267 PMCID: PMC9565124 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic posed an immediate challenge to the management of hospitals in Germany and elsewhere. The risk of stress for front-line healthcare professionals forced occupational health and safety units to adopt a variety of protective measures, not all of which have been thoroughly validated. The main objective of the present analysis is to assess what the most important sources of stress were and which of the protective measures applied to counteract stress among healthcare staff had the greatest impact. A better understanding of these factors will improve hospital management and worker safety in a future health crisis situation and may also prove to be beneficial in non-crisis situations. For this purpose, in 2020, an exploratory, cross-sectional and quantitative study using a questionnaire created for this purpose was carried out on a total of 198 professionals-133 nurses and 65 physicians-at the Klinikum Mittelbaden Balg hospital in Baden-Baden, Germany, during the first wave of the pandemic. Statistical analyses showed that nurses suffer more stress than physicians and that stress is higher among professionals in critical care and emergency units than in units that are less exposed to infected patients. It was also found that measures such as salary incentives, encouragement of work in well-integrated teams, and perceived support from hospital management mitigate stress. These findings highlight the importance of support measures from management and superiors. Knowing the actual effectiveness of the measures applied by management and the factors mentioned above could help to protect healthcare professionals in the event of another pandemic or similar situations and may still be of value in dealing with the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Alonso-Martínez
- Department of Health Science, University of Burgos, Paseo de los Comendadores, s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain
| | | | - Jesús Puente-Alcaraz
- Department of Health Science, University of Burgos, Paseo de los Comendadores, s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Buitrago Ramírez F, Ciurana Misol R, Fernández Alonso MDC, Tizón JL. [COVID-19 pandemic: Effects on the mental health of healthcare professionals]. Aten Primaria 2022; 54:102359. [PMID: 35567920 PMCID: PMC9013602 DOI: 10.1016/j.aprim.2022.102359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
|
9
|
Tizón JL, Ciurana R, Fernández-Alonso MDC, Buitrago F. La salud mental de los jóvenes y la pandemia de la COVID-19: la parcialización y pixelación de la juventud. FMC : FORMACION MEDICA CONTINUADA EN ATENCION PRIMARIA 2022; 29:159-163. [PMID: 35502228 PMCID: PMC9045741 DOI: 10.1016/j.fmc.2021.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge L Tizón
- Grupo de trabajo de "Prevención en Salud Mental" del Programa de Actividades Preventivas y de Promoción de la Salud (PAPPS) de la SEMFYC (Sociedad Española de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria)
| | - Ramón Ciurana
- Grupo de trabajo de "Prevención en Salud Mental" del Programa de Actividades Preventivas y de Promoción de la Salud (PAPPS) de la SEMFYC (Sociedad Española de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria)
| | - María Del Carmen Fernández-Alonso
- Grupo de trabajo de "Prevención en Salud Mental" del Programa de Actividades Preventivas y de Promoción de la Salud (PAPPS) de la SEMFYC (Sociedad Española de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria)
| | - Francisco Buitrago
- Grupo de trabajo de "Prevención en Salud Mental" del Programa de Actividades Preventivas y de Promoción de la Salud (PAPPS) de la SEMFYC (Sociedad Española de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria)
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pulido-Fuentes M, Flores-Martos JA, Abad-González L, Navarta-Sánchez MV, Valera-Oviedo L, Cipriano-Crespo C. Emotions in the Time of COVID-19: Affections and Impacts among the Spanish Primary Care Workforce. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9:1723. [PMID: 34946447 PMCID: PMC8701181 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9121723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The literature review shows that most studies on the psychological impact of COVID-19 on healthcare professionals have focused on hospital staff, with few specifically addressing the primary care workforce. This study aims to explore primary care workers' verbal accounts of the emotions they experienced. METHODS This is a qualitative study carried out between July and December 2020 in Spain. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with primary care workers. Data were analysed through thematic content analysis. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. RESULTS A total of 53 primary care workers participated in the study, of whom 38 were individually interviewed, and 15 participated in three focus groups. Our analysis revealed themes in two categories: (1) from infection to affection; and (2) affected, but not patients-a discourse based on the acceptance of their experience as part of their work in primary care, creating an ideological construct or "shield" based on emotional self-management. CONCLUSIONS Self-reflection on the emotional impact of COVID-19 is scarce. Examples of emotional affections include an obsessive focus on hygiene, the inability to establish clear boundaries between the personal and the professional spheres, and experiencing-and having to self-manage-emotional strain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Montserrat Pulido-Fuentes
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Avenida Real Fábrica de Sedas s/n, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain;
| | | | - Luisa Abad-González
- Faculty of Education Sciences and Humanities, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 16071 Cuenca, Spain;
| | | | - Laura Valera-Oviedo
- Talaverana Multiple Sclerosis Association, ATAEM, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain;
| | - Carmen Cipriano-Crespo
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Avenida Real Fábrica de Sedas s/n, 45600 Talavera de la Reina, Spain;
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Medina-Gamero A, Regalado-Chamorro M. [Pandemic, confinement and gender violence: A dangerous trinomial]. Aten Primaria 2021; 53:102151. [PMID: 34271227 PMCID: PMC8276573 DOI: 10.1016/j.aprim.2021.102151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
|
12
|
Regalado-Chamorro M, Medina-Gamero A, Rosario-Pacahuala E. [Agoraphobia in times of confinement: Fear of losing control?]. Aten Primaria 2021; 53:102150. [PMID: 34271503 PMCID: PMC8277411 DOI: 10.1016/j.aprim.2021.102150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
|
13
|
Buitrago Ramírez F, Ciurana Misol R, Fernández Alonso MDC, Tizón García JL. [Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the general population: Reflections and proposals]. Aten Primaria 2021; 53:102143. [PMID: 34229154 PMCID: PMC8254403 DOI: 10.1016/j.aprim.2021.102143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
|
14
|
[Impact on mental healthcare after collaboration between primary healthcare and mental health services]. Semergen 2021; 47:385-393. [PMID: 34144866 DOI: 10.1016/j.semerg.2021.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The primary care physician is the professional with whom the psychiatric patient has contact first and most frequently. For this reason, a good coordination between the Primary Healthcare (PHC) and Mental Health (MH) services is essential to provide the best care to patients and at the same time optimise the limited resources of this service. The aim of this work is to determine whether the collaboration between PHC and MH results in a more efficient use of the limited resources in MH. METHODOLOGY An observational, retrospective, mirror study was carried out with a total sample of 135 patients over 16 years old referred for the first time from PHC to Psychiatry. The results during the first 6 months of the collaboration between PHC and MH (POST Group) are compared with those of the 6 months prior to the intervention (PRE Group). RESULTS After collaboration meetings, the percentage of patients who are discharged by the psychiatrist after the first visit decreases (32.2% vs. 16%) and the percentage of follow-up by psychiatry and psychology increases. Furthermore, the percentage of patients who do not attend the first visit decreases (23.3% vs. 13.7%). CONCLUSIONS The data suggest that the collaboration between PHC and MH improves the effectiveness and functioning of MH services.
Collapse
|