Arts Health Network NSW ACT’s Post

YOUTH HEAT SUICIDE LINK ☀ | A new study by researchers from the University of New South Wales, of 55,000 youth presentations to emergency departments with suicidal thoughts and behaviours demonstrates a clear link with hot weather. According to a report in the Medical Journal of Australia today: "Youth emergency presentations with suicidal thoughts and behaviour have increased in Australia, and globally over the past 10–15 years and these rises are not accounted for by known risk factors such as bullying, mental illness or the disruptions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Over the same time period, exposure to hotter weather has also increased, leading us to investigate a possible link between hot weather and youth emergency presentations with suicidal thoughts and behaviour. "Our suspicions were confirmed," say researchers Drs Cybele Dey, Lai Heng Foong & Emma Skowronski For details, follow the link ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gqZt9ByA Blacktown City Council Blue Mountains City Council Cumberland City Council Hawkesbury City Council Liverpool City Council (NSW) Penrith City Council Fairfield City Council Camden Council NSW Australia Swiss Re The Hills Shire Council Western Sydney University Centre for Western Sydney Western Sydney Health Sweltering Cities UNSW Medicine & Health Local Government NSW

Creative outlets as a means to improve mental health: Studies show that engaging in art-based activities is linked to improved psychological functioning. This has been particularly shown in creative activities whereby patient participation has resulted in reduced anxiety, improved cognitive skills and increased social exposure. Creative therapy has long been prescribed as a way to treat those suffering with mental health illnesses and remains an important part of occupational therapy today. Craft based activities promote multi-sensory engagement, repetitive actions and satisfaction – all of which have been proven to improve mood and lessen stress within participants. The repetitive nature of craft-based activities lends a meditative element whilst also requiring participants to focus on the task at hand. This is particularly beneficial for patients who come from difficult backgrounds as it serves as a positive distraction. Across the UK, hundreds of social creative groups have been set up as a way to tackle social isolation. For those who would otherwise not get this kind of regular interaction, having a place where they can consistently come and feel a part of a community, could be a life saver. There is a whole host of research that supports the use of creative-based groups as a social prescribing initiative. Feel free to have a look at a few that we have linked below: https://lnkd.in/e4CeMM7x https://lnkd.in/ejX_yTQx https://lnkd.in/eCtY5hHJ 

Investing in Young People’s Mental Health: A Path to Economic Stability 🌟 "Mentally healthy youth are more likely to excel academically, forge positive relationships, and smoothly transition into the workforce. This development of 'brain capital' is vital for insurers and society, as a resilient and mentally well workforce contributes to long-term economic stability and innovation." - Stephen McNeil, Senior Vice President of Growth, US, Kooth Digital Health As mental health needs continue to rise, digital health solutions are essential for insurers looking to expand access, reduce costs, and nurture a resilient generation. At Kooth, we provide free, safe, responsive, and anonymous online mental health support for young people through our app, Soluna. 👉 Learn more about the importance of mental healthcare for Gen Z and Soluna's impact here: https://lnkd.in/gP9PwygW

😷 It’s no secret that people facing health challenges often experience feelings of isolation, loneliness, and fear as they go through their health journey. 👩⚕️ 👨⚕️ Recognizing this, the healthcare landscape is shifting to a more patient-centered approach, where community support is slowly beginning to receive the recognition it deserves. Why is community support so powerful you ask? 🏥 A recent study out of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital showed that high Perceived Social Support (PSS) is strongly associated with recovery after injury. Surprised? Not really. Surveying 907 moderate to severely injured patients, the study found that lower Perceived Social Support (PSS) is strongly correlated with worse functional and mental health outcome metrics. Patients reporting weak or nonexistent Perceived Social Support were more likely to suffer from new functional limitations and chronic pain, in addition to being less likely to be back at work/school and being more likely to experience other mental health conditions, such as PTSD, depression and anxiety, at 6-12 months post-injury. 🤲 The study deemed them 'high risk' for poor post discharge outcomes after injury, and recommend creating a system that encourages building a stronger support network for these high-risk patients, emphasizing the importance of strong social support networks in improving recovery outcomes. ⚕The future of healthcare is collaborative. At Maitri, we understand the power of community in helping individuals through their health journey.  Our user centric app is designed to empower individuals to build their tribe, ask for, and manage help and watch their community show up for them in a meaningful way. Agree? Drop us a comment to share your experiences. #Maitri #redefinehelp #community #tribe #innovation #entrepreneurship #startup #techforgood #collaboration #inspiration #technology #healthcareinnovation #healthtech #patientcare #peersupport #mentalhealth #digitalhealth #impact #dogood

Effectively Utilizing Family Caregivers Background: Families, lifelong caregivers committed to helping their loved ones, are an overburdened and underused resource when it comes to helping an individual with severe mental illness. Given the scarcity of resources, families are often the de facto front-line community care providers. However, families are often left isolated and scrambling to find resources and services. Families face innumerable obstacles when seeking information about their loved one’s illness and treatment plans, and are frequently prevented from obtaining critical medical information about medications, or other key information that could affect the safety of their loved one or family.    When families are not supported or included in the circle of care, it leaves them unprepared for the intensive support they must provide – resulting in poorer patient outcomes. At the policy level, health care legislation, procedures, and funding decisions are prepared without meaningful input from families who have direct experience of helping someone with a severe and persistent mental illness. Consequently, inadequate legislation, ineffective practices and inappropriate resourcing continue despite their obvious failures. Position: Families are key stakeholders in the design and maintenance of healthcare systems that provide for their loved ones, and consequently must have a seat at all tables where decisions are made about services and legislation for individuals suffering from psychotic illnesses. Families must be included as key members of a patient’s treatment team and provided the opportunity for input and information about their loved one’s illness and treatment plans. Clinicians working with patients who suffer from severe mental illness should receive science-based training and guidance on how to prioritize and maintain therapeutic alliances with families in order to facilitate better treatment outcomes for their patients with severe mental illness. Families need easy access to psycho-education about severe mental illnesses. Supporting Research: Eassom, E., Giacco, D., Dirik, A., & Priebe, S. (2014). Implementing family involvement in the treatment of patients with psychosis: a systematic review of facilitating and hindering factors.  O’Reilly, R., Gray, J.E., Jung, J. (2015) Sharing Information with Families that Carry the Burden of Care for Relatives with Severe Mental Illness Journal of Ethics in Mental Health Nov 20, 2015 [PDF]

On the eve of the Social Prescribing Panel at the Fostering Creative Health conference, we share this new research paper by Prof Genevieve Dingle et al. A controlled evaluation of social prescribing on loneliness for adults in Queensland: 8-week outcomes. Results: Retention was high (79.4%) in the SP condition. Time × condition interaction effects were found for loneliness and social trust, with improvement observed only in SP participants over the 8-week period. SP participants reported significant improvement on all other outcomes with small-to-moderate effect sizes (ULS-8 loneliness, wellbeing, psychological distress, social anxiety). However, interaction effects did not reach significance. https://buff.ly/4aDNq1s

The Importance of Culturally Competent Mental Health Care for Hispanic Communities As mental health professionals it is our responsibility to be aware of the specific barriers Hispanic communities face when seeking mental health services. Newberry et al. (2024) highlights the significant barriers Hispanic individuals encounter, including stigma, financial constraints, and lack of culturally sensitive services. These barriers are often the cause of undiagnosed mental illness, contributing to the deterioration of community health. We must focus on culturally competent care that honours and incorporates Hispanic values, beliefs and practices to overcome these barriers. Not only will this facilitate greater access to care but it will also make treatment more efficient as patients and providers trust each other and are better able to communicate. Culturally competent care, among other things, also demands bilingual and bicultural mental health clinicians able to engage with patients and get to know the cultural context of their experience. Beyond this, public outreach and education is also key to spreading awareness about mental health and eliminating stigma in Hispanic communities. Additionally, a technology, like telehealth, can connect patients living in the faraway or underserved communities to get the care they require. This can also help those we do not feel like they can reach out publicly for help because of the stigma that comes along with seeking mental health care. We must commit to providing culturally competent care, in which we can improve the lives of the Hispanic community and support a more equitable mental health care system. Let us collaborate to dismantle these barries and break the stigma allowing everyone to have the care they need. Reference Newberry, J. A., Gimenez, M. A., Gunturkun, F., Villa, E., Maldonado, M., Gonzalez, D., Garcia, G., Espinosa, P. R., Hedlin, H., & Kaysen, D. (2024). Mental health care-seeking and barriers: a cross-sectional study of an urban Latinx community. BMC Public Health, 24(1). https://lnkd.in/eiMnk4h8

🏘️The Power of Community in Health: A Medical Perspective 🏥 Being part of a supportive community can profoundly impact our health and well-being. Here are some of the key benefits: 1. Mental Health Improvement: Communities can reduce stress and anxiety by providing emotional support and a sense of belonging. 2. Enhanced Physical Health: Group activities encourage regular exercise, and shared experiences help manage chronic diseases more effectively. 3. Improved Health Behaviors: Peer influence promotes healthier lifestyle choices and accountability. 4. Boosted Immune Function: Strong social ties enhance immune function, lowering infection risks. 5. Longevity: Research shows strong social connections lead to longer life expectancy. 6. Faster Recovery: Supportive communities aid quicker recovery from illnesses and surgeries. 7. Health Education: Communities share valuable health information, improving health literacy. 8. Emotional Well-being: Emotional support enhances coping mechanisms and overall emotional health. 9. Sense of Purpose: Shared health goals provide motivation and a sense of purpose. A study published in PLOS Medicine highlights that strong social connections can increase longevity by 50%, emphasizing the critical role of social support in health maintenance . At Sovi Health, we believe in the power of community to drive positive health changes. Join us in creating supportive environments where everyone can thrive. #CommunityHealth #MentalHealth #PhysicalHealth #Wellness #SoviHealth #HealthCommunity Reference: Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review. PLOS Medicine, 7(7), e1000316. [Link to study](https://lnkd.in/gTmeXadZ). Brian Bourey

Great to connect with Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children staff today. I shared my PhD research findings on CAMHS support for young people involved with Oranga Tamariki. So encouraging to hear about the work being done to strengthen relationships between CAMHS and OT 💪 My research showed that all the stories of good practice involved CAMHS clinicians bending the rules for young people aka ✨responsible subversion✨ 💡 Wouldn’t it be better if we could change the rules to better meet the needs of young people involved with Oranga Tamariki 💡 Instead of: ❌ One assessment/choice appointment with a clinician. ❌ Followed by 6 sessions of talking therapy with a different clinician. ❌ File closed after 3 missed appointments. ❌ File closed if the young person moves placement. It would be great if CAMHS teams were resourced and equipped to: ✅ Take the time needed to engage at a young person’s pace. ✅ Have a consistent care team, ideally co-working or team-working model. ✅ Smaller caseloads of 8 families to enable intensive support. ✅ Allocate 50% of the time to work with whānau and interagency liaison. ✅ Community-based mobile assertive outreach approach. Care-experienced young people deserve good mental health care that is tailored to their needs and to be recognised as a priority population. Ministry of Health New Zealand Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora

https://lnkd.in/eRWZR9rY Colleagues, I am sharing this new YouTube presentation on social prescribing. It says the NHS plans to deploy 9000 *more* link worker posts by 2030.  I was stumped at the point in the presentation (16:56 - 17:17) where the "doctor discovers there are some unmet non-medical needs so refers to the social prescriber...who then assess the needs and might eg give contacts for a local community centre...."😕I'm open to correction but 1. The GP never has time to explore that. But if they do, they should refer to OT.2. What qualifies a link worker to asses the person (who is unwell enough to see a GP) for their non-medical IE social needs? Ie to assess their societal, participatory, or psychosocial needs!? 3. Are the link workers trained as social workers, as psychologists, or some sort of therapeutic interventionist? 4. Most importantly do we not already have a discipline already with the qualifications to do this role expertly? 5. What the hell happened in the UK with OT when it saw social prescribing rising? A *cheaper* worker (no problem) but with no training/no supervision/regulation.  (See the NHS website)6. Any agency offering social prescribing/link workers is going to cash in now. Great... except the more vulnerable service users will suffer in the end. 7. I can see these "poor outcome cases" as being: any complex case (that includes any dual physical and psychosocial conditions...chronic, neurodegenerative, psych...), any complex home/families dynamics. 8. Who is ultimately responsible for this SP service? The GP? The SP with 0 months training? 9. And finally when right-minded OTs see this ignorant shift away from and complete disregard for our value they will become demoralised and LEAVE the profession in droves.... certainly in mental health. 10. There is a call for papers on SP right now. I hope practicing and research OTs and OT students respond with care. Why is OT as a profession not directly involved in social prescribing at the level of supervision, training and regulation when ALL of the skills and theoretical foundations are directly well within the OT scope of practice?? (See level 3 social prescribing training) No problem having this new level of community worker, but why reinvent the wheel?  And worse, why have this "new" wheel spinning freely by itself not even attached to the whole axle and chassis of the already established, clearly seminal, and regulated profession of occupational therapy?