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Three Strategies to Strengthen Therapist Follow-Through in Therapy Sessions: Examination of Accountability in Clinical Supervision.2 weeks agoClinical supervision is a natural opportunity for promoting therapist use of clinical practices supported by research in community mental health services. However, the research on thespecific strategies in supervision that are likely to have a positive impact is limited. One model from the organizational management literature suggests supervision behaviors that promote a sense of accountability-i.e., a perceived expectation to fulfill duties or obligations-may represent key strategies by which supervision promotes use of clinical practices supported by research. The present study aimed to identify the presence of "accountability strategies" during clinical supervision and investigate the association between strategies and therapist use of a clinical procedure supported by research during subsequent psychotherapy sessions. Transcripts of supervision sessions (n = 196) and subsequent treatment sessions (n = 196) were observationally coded for supervision accountability strategies and therapist follow-through use of an identified clinical procedure. Binary, multi-level logistic regression models were used to assess the association between accountability strategies during supervision and therapist use of a planned (i.e., "expected") practice during the subsequent therapy session. Results indicated explicit selection of the practice the therapist will use in their next treatment session, preparation through activities such as consulting manuals and practicing role plays, and review of how use of the practice went in the past increased the odds of therapist use of the expected practice during the next treatment session. These findings are notable as they demonstrate that supervision can directly influence therapist behavior through three specific strategies.Mental HealthCare/Management
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Perspectives of People with Serious Mental Illness on Artificial Intelligence-Based Companions: "If no one told you I love you today, you have someone that cares for you.".2 weeks agoArtificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping healthcare by enhancing clinical decision making, communication, and patient monitoring systems. Still, it is essential that these technologies lessen, rather than deepen, feelings of loneliness. This study centers the perspectives of individuals with serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder, to explore how they interpret and engage with conversational and companion-based AI in healthcare settings. By examining their perspectives, expectations, and concerns, the study highlights design factors that shape the perceived trustworthiness of AI tools. A secondary analysis of three focus groups was conducted across three supportive housing facilities in New York City, where qualitative data was subsequently collected, transcribed, and analyzed using RADar analysis. This study determined that participants expressed strong concerns about data privacy and misuse, but also recognized AI's potential to support reminders, mental health, and daily functioning. Trust in AI increased when tools were personalized, human-centered, and co-developed with people who understand lived experiences of serious mental illnesses. However, concerns remained about loss of critical thinking and overreliance. By emphasizing the lived experiences of adults with serious mental illness, this study identifies the factors that influence how they trust, use, and engage with AI in mental health care. These insights can guide the development of AI tools for individuals with serious mental illnesses.Mental HealthCare/Management
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Efficacy of the peer-led ''Honest, Open, Proud'' group program to improve stigma stress and quality of life in adolescents with mental illness: randomized controlled trial.2 weeks agoAdolescents with mental illness (MI) often experience public stigma and self-stigma and struggle with the dilemma whether to disclose their MI, which may reduce their quality of life (QoL). Disclosure decisions are central in coping with MI and stigma, as disclosure may improve well-being and facilitate help-seeking, but can be risky. The peer-led Honest, Open, Proud (HOP) group program was developed to support disclosure decisions and to reduce self-stigma. In this two-arm 2:1-randomized controlled trial, 113 adolescents with MI aged 13-21 years and at least moderate disclosure-related distress were recruited from three Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and an outpatient practice for child and adolescent psychiatry in Southern Germany. Participants were assigned to HOP plus treatment as usual (TAU) or to TAU alone. Primary outcomes (stigma stress and QoL, both at T1) and secondary outcomes were assessed at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1, 5 weeks after T0) and at follow-up 6 months after baseline (T2) and analyzed with mixed-model repeated measures. Compared to control, HOP significantly reduced stigma stress at T1 and T2. A significant increase in QoL was observed at T2, not T1. HOP led to improvements in attitudes to disclosure at school, university or work at T1, self-stigma and disclosure-related distress at T2, and empowerment at T1 and T2. Disclosure decisions at baseline did not moderate HOP effects. Since HOP reduces stigma stress and leads to broader improvements over time, it should be offered as a peer-led program to support adolescents in their coping with MI stigma.Mental HealthCare/Management
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Patient and Clinical Characteristics Associated With Subsequent Suicide Attempt Among Youth in the Emergency Department With a Positive Suicide Risk Screen.2 weeks agoTo evaluate sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with a subsequent suicide attempt among youth with a positive suicide risk screen in the emergency department (ED).
This secondary data analysis used the 2015 to 2019 Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network ED Screen for Teens at Risk for Suicide data set, a prospective cohort of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years in the ED. Adolescents with positive Ask Suicide-Screening Questions, a validated suicide risk screen, were included. Multivariable regression models assessed sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with suicide attempt, and mental health-related ED revisit/hospitalization, within 3 months after index ED visit.
Among 2,085 adolescents with a positive Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (40.7% age 14 to 15 years; 65.5% female, 49.0% Non-Hispanic White), 11.6% attempted suicide and 19.9% had an ED revisit/hospitalization within 3 months. Risk factors of suicide attempt included suicide attempt in the past month (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.84 to 3.45), prior mental health hospitalization (aOR 1.39, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.90), past nonsuicidal self-injury (aOR 2.06, 95% CI 1.41 to 3.01), and hopelessness (aOR 1.30, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.63). Risk factors of ED revisit/hospitalization within 3 months included prior mental health hospitalization (aOR 2.23, 95% CI 1.74 to 2.84), suicide attempt in the past month (aOR 1.63, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.14), and hopelessness (aOR 1.44, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.72).
Among youth with positive suicide risk screens in the ED, multiple sociodemographic and clinical factors were associated with subsequent suicide attempt and mental health-related ED revisits/hospitalizations. Following a positive suicide risk screen, these factors may be important for consideration when assessing risk and determining next steps in care.Mental HealthCare/Management -
Occurrence of self-harm behaviour and ideation in a prison mental health unit over a 3-year period.2 weeks agoObjectivePeople in prison have high rates of self-harm and suicide but little is known about the patterns of occurrence over time in custodial settings. Rates of psychiatric diagnoses in custodial settings are also high, and strong associations have been found between psychiatric diagnoses and risk of self-harm and suicidality.MethodsIn this short report, we present a study examining 3 years of data (2020-2023) from a mental health unit within a prison in New South Wales, Australia. We describe the characteristics of the cohort and report rates of self-harm and suicidal behaviours during the admittance.ResultsOverall, 20% of the cohort reported thoughts of self-harm at least once during their stay, and 9% of the cohort had at least one recorded self-harm incident. Multivariable binary logistic regression analyses revealed greater odds of self-harm for individuals with a recorded history of self-harm or suicidal behaviour and for those who reported thoughts of self-harm to staff during their stay.ConclusionsFindings from our study highlight the high rates of self-harm behaviour and ideation among people with mental illness in a custodial setting, supporting the need for targeted prevention and aftercare strategies.Mental HealthCare/Management
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Predicting Symptom Change in Mental Health Chatbot Interventions: A Meta-Analysis.2 weeks agoMental health-focused chatbots have emerged as scalable interventions that deliver therapeutic content through conversational interfaces. This meta-analysis of 35 studies (N = 1,780) indicates that chatbots can reduce depression (g = -.53, 95% CI [-.67,-.40]) and anxiety (g = -.36, 95% CI [-.46,-.27]) symptoms over time. However, wide prediction intervals reveal substantial heterogeneity, suggesting that while some interventions are associated with symptom reduction, others may increase them. Moderator analyses revealed that therapeutic alliance significantly predicted reductions in both depression and anxiety symptoms. Task and goal alliance significantly predicted a reduction in depression symptoms, while bond alliance did not. Similarly, treatment acceptability significantly moderated depression symptom change, noting the importance of perceived intervention appropriateness. Mental health chatbots designed using cognitive behavioral therapy and interventions delivered over longer durations were associated with larger symptom reductions, particularly for anxiety. In addition, populations with both clinical and self-reported diagnoses were associated with larger reductions in depression symptoms compared to interventions recruiting general populations. Findings also reveal considerable gaps in mental health chatbot development and evaluation, as few studies have examined key communication-related moderators, such as therapeutic alliance and acceptability, despite their demonstrated importance in the mental health communication and therapeutic literature.Mental HealthCare/Management
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Using the Danish Administrative Registers to Define Mental Disorders: Potential and Limitations of Using Different Data Sources.2 weeks agoAlthough the Danish health registers provide rich data for epidemiological mental health research, the comparability of findings is hindered by different definitions of mental disorders across studies. We aimed to describe different approaches taken by researchers to define mental disorders using Danish register data and quantify the impact of selecting different definitions on estimates of prevalence and incidence.
We undertook a scoping review to identify the approaches to define mental disorders using Danish register data and produced a narrative synthesis. We compiled tables of potential definitions for any mental disorder and specific types of mental disorders using nationwide Danish registers. Using these definitions, we quantified (i) the number of individuals fulfilling each definition during 2018 and 2018-2022 and (ii) the estimated cumulative incidence.
Our search identified 2185 papers, 1155 of which used Danish register data to define mental disorders to describe the study population, an exposure, or an outcome. Our estimates of the number of individuals fulfilling each definition and the estimated cumulative incidences indicated considerable variation with the data sources and variables used to define mental disorders within the Danish national registers. For example, the cumulative incidence of any mental disorder at 80 years among females varied between 29.2% when only psychiatric unit patient register data were used and 62.1% when somatic patient, prescription, cause of death, and health services register data were added.
The different data sources and variables used to define mental disorders can result in substantial variation in the numbers of identified cases. Studies should clearly document all variables and values used to define their disorders of interest, as well as describe the disorder they aim to capture, discussing the strengths and limitations of their approach and the likely impacts on the sensitivity and specificity of including or omitting data from other available registers.Mental HealthCare/Management -
Association Between Genetic Ancestry and Multiple Sclerosis Severity.2 weeks agoThe objective of this study was to determine whether genetic ancestry is associated with differences in the clinical course of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Participants with MS living in the United Kingdom >18 years old were recruited from 2021 to 2025 and genotyped from saliva using a commercial array. Genetic ancestry was inferred using a random forest classifier trained on a diverse reference dataset. Participant-reported MS characteristics including the Age-Related Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score (ARMSS) and age at MS diagnosis were ascertained at recruitment.
We analyzed data from 816 people with MS (pwMS), comprising 260 people of South Asian ancestry (31.9%), 163 of African ancestry (20.0%), 316 of European ancestry (38.7%), and 77 participants from other backgrounds. The included cohort was predominantly female (72.3% women), diagnosed with MS at a median age of 32 years (interquartile range [IQR] = 14.0) and recruited at a median age of 44.6 years (IQR = 18.2). Neither South Asian nor African ancestry was consistently associated with higher MS severity compared with European-ancestry participants. No genetic variants were associated with MS severity at genomewide statistical significance.
In this cross-sectional, diverse, UK cohort, neither South Asian nor African ancestry is associated with greater MS-related disability. These findings argue against a genetic basis for the previously observed differences between MS outcomes when contrasting ethnic groups. ANN NEUROL 2026.Mental HealthCare/Management -
Clinical and Electrodiagnostic Characteristics of COVID-19-Associated Guillain-Barré Syndrome: A Multicenter Study.2 weeks agoThis study aimed to define the clinical and electrodiagnostic characteristics of COVID-19-associated Guillain-Barré syndrome (C + GBS) diagnosed during a multicenter GBS study performed in Istanbul.
From the patients with GBS who were prospectively included in the multicenter study conducted from April 2019 to March 2022, two groups were extracted: (1) pre-pandemic patients (PP, April 2019-February 2020); and (2) C + GBS, consisting of patients with a positive COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction test within 4-6 weeks before the onset of symptoms. Clinical features and electrodiagnostic data acquired twice in the first 21 days of GBS and between the 4th and 6th weeks of the illness were compared between the groups.
There were 22 patients in the C + GBS and 69 in the PP groups. Patients with C + GBS were older than those in the PP group (58.9 ± 15.4 vs. 49.8 ± 17.5, p = 0.047). Motor signs/symptoms were more prevalent in the C + GBS group than in the PP group. In the C + GBS group, demyelinating subtype was significantly more frequent (82% vs. 52%, p = 0.031), and CSF cell count was lower (0.8 ± 1.8 vs. 5.7 ± 11.7 cells/all, p = 0.007) compared with the PP group. The clinical severity scores, treatment strategies and the time from the symptom onset to the nadir did not differ between the groups. None of the C + GBS patients, except one, had anti-ganglioside antibodies. The only significant parameter was the demyelinating subtype in the multivariate analysis.
Patients with C + GBS seemed to show a predominantly demyelinating subtype with no discernible differences in clinical features.Mental HealthCare/Management -
Strengthening rehabilitation globally: International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) strategy to action. Synopsis of the ISPRM President's Cabinet Strategy Planning Workshop.2 weeks agoThe President's Cabinet and panel of Past Presidents of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) convened a strategy session following the World Congress 2026 in Vancouver, Canada. Participants examined challenges and future strategic directions across the four ISPRM pillars: Advocacy, Communication, Education and Research, and Operations and Fiscal Health, using participatory Problem and Objective Tree Analysis methodology. This article provides an analysis of the strategy session and highlights the future trajectory of ISPRM and its role within the broader rehabilitation landscape. Participants identified a common strategic priority: strengthening regional and national society capacity whilst maintaining a coherent global framework, across all four pillars. For 'Advocacy', the emphasis was on demonstration of economic and societal value of rehabilitation; 'Communication' emphasized multilingual engagement and stronger relationship with regional and national societies; 'Education and Research' highlight the need for globally accessible evidence-generation and knowledge-sharing platforms; and 'Operations and Fiscal health' concentrated on creating sustainable governance and finance mechanisms. The discussion aligns closely with contemporary global rehabilitation initiatives, including World Health Organization (WHO) Rehabilitation 2030, the World Health Assembly resolution (WHA76.6) on 'Strengthening Rehabilitation in Health Systems', and the World Rehabilitation Alliance (WRA). The strategy session represents an important transition from aspirational goals toward measurable organizational transformation and provides a roadmap for positioning ISPRM as a leading global advocate, knowledge-broker, and catalyst for rehabilitation medicine development worldwide. Successful implementation of the strategies will depend on leadership accountability, prioritization of foundational activities, sustainable finance, and meaningful regional and national empowerment.Mental HealthCare/ManagementPolicyAdvocacy