Further Reduction in Help-Seeking Behaviors Amidst Additional Barriers to Mental Health Treatment in Asian Populations: A Contemporary Review

Mental Health Well-Being and Attitudes on Mental Health Disorders among Family Physicians during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Connection with Resilience and Healthy Lifestyle

Family physicians (FPs) are exposed to high amounts of stress, and could be susceptible to the development of mental health disorders (MHD), especially after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the current study was to assess MHD history, attitudes toward MHDs and stress-coping strategies in FPs. An additional goal was to estimate their comprehensive well-being and investigate connections with resilience and a healthy lifestyle. A total of 483 FPs submitted their responses via online survey. MHD attitudes were assessed with the according questionnaires, while burnout levels, healthy lifestyle, resilience, job and life satisfaction were estimated with validated scales. Results have shown that 32.5% of FPs disclosed positive MHD history, while 68.7% used professional help. Resilience and healthy lifestyle levels were significantly higher in MHD negative FPs (p < 0.001), while burnout levels were lower (p < 0.001). Moreover, healthy lifestyle (β = 0.03, p < 0.001) was an independent correlate of resilience, while healthy lifestyle (β = -0.35, p < 0.001, and resilience (β = -1.82, p < 0.001) were of burnout levels. Finally, resilience (OR = 0.387, p < 0.001) and healthy lifestyle (OR = 0.970, p = 0.021) were shown as independent predictors of positive MHD history status. Strong promotion and education of FP population regarding resilience and healthy lifestyle should be utilized in practice in order to alleviate the possibility of mental health disturbances and the according consequences.

Family Conflicts Are Bitter Splits That Hurt: A Qualitative Inquiry Toward Understanding the Impact of Family Issues in Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder

Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder (FNSD) or Conversion Disorder, is a fairly common diagnosis among mental health patients in Pakistan. Despite its prevalence there's a dearth of research on the phenomenon, particularly on the experience of FNSD. The study was conducted with the aim to ascertain the lived experiences of individuals with Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder (FNSD) around stressful situations in their families in Pakistan. For this purpose, a total sample of 10 participants (Women = 8; Men = 2) were recruited from the psychiatry department of a tertiary care hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The two main themes revealed in the analyses were quarrels and unexpressed emotions. The sub-themes of quarrels included quarrels with family members, quarrels within family, parental/marital discord, and quarrels with extended family members. The subthemes for unexpressed emotions were hurt, anger, sadness, and jealousy. In conclusion, this study revealed that in Pakistan, stressors related to family serve as significant contributing factors in the development of FNSD.

Mental Health Help-Seeking and Associated Factors Among Public Health Workers During the COVID-19 Outbreak in China

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak in China has created multiple stressors that threaten individuals' mental health, especially among public health workers (PHW) who are devoted to COVID-19 control and prevention work. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of mental help-seeking and associated factors among PHW using Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use (BMHSU).

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 9,475 PHW in five provinces across China between February 18 and March 1, 2020. The subsample data of those who reported probable mental health problems were analyzed for this report (n = 3,417). Logistic and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations of predisposing, enabling, need, and COVID-19 contextual factors with mental health help-seeking.

Results: Only 12.7% of PHW reported professional mental help-seeking during the COVID-19 outbreak. PHW who were older, had more days of overnight work, received psychological training, perceived a higher level of support from the society, had depression and anxiety were more likely to report mental help-seeking (OR_m range: 1.02–1.73, all p < 0.05) while those worked in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were less likely to seek help (OR_m = 0.57, p < 0.01). The belief that mental health issues were not the priority (64.4%), lack of time (56.4%), and shortage of psychologists (32.7%) were the most frequently endorsed reasons for not seeking help.

Conclusions: The application of BMHSU confirmed associations between some factors and PHW's mental health help-seeking. Effective interventions are warranted to promote mental health help-seeking of PHW to ameliorate the negative impact of mental illness and facilitate personal recovery and routine work.