Mental health literacy among pediatric hospital staff in the United Arab Emirates

BMC Psychiatry

Research Article

Mahmoud Saleh Elhalik¹  Nabeel Al-Yateem²  Shameran Slewa-Younan³  Walter Robb⁴  Sumaya Albloshi⁵  Rachel Rossiter⁶  Alaa Ahmad⁷ 

[1] Department & Neonatology Unit, Latifa Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates;Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, P O Box 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates;School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health, Faculty of Science, Charles Sturt University, Orange, Australia;Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences (RIMHS), University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates;Mental Health, Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia;Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia;Menzies Health Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia;Ministry of Health and Prevention, Dubai, United Arab Emirates;School of Nursing, Midwifery & Indigenous Health Charles Sturt University, Orange, Australia;Shaikh KHalifa Medical City (SKMC), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates;

关键词: Cross-cultural care;    Early intervention;    Health literacy;    Health promotion;    Mental health;    Professional practice gaps;    Pediatric care;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12888-017-1556-z

 received in 2017-04-07, accepted in 2017-11-22,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundIn the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 35% of the population are aged 0–24 years. A significant proportion of these young people are living with chronic conditions (e.g., asthma, type 1 diabetes, cardiac conditions, and genetically-transmitted conditions such as thalassemia and cystic fibrosis). This group has increased vulnerability to developmental delays and mental health problems, and is increasingly coming to the attention of service providers in mainstream schools, primary healthcare centers, and pediatric hospitals. Despite the government directing attention to improving the mental health of the UAE population, there is concern that mental health services are not growing at the rate needed to meet the mental health needs of children and young people with chronic conditions.MethodA cross sectional survey design was used to determine the mental health literacy of nurses and other healthcare professionals working with children with chronic illnesses. Participants completed a culturally-adapted mental health literacy questionnaire comprising three vignettes of fictional characters meeting diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder, psychosis, and depression with suicidal thoughts. Participants also completed the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10).ResultsParticipants were 317 healthcare professionals from across the UAE. The majority were nurses. Correct identification of the diagnosis for each vignette was limited, with the highest level of accuracy achieved for the psychosis vignette (n = 113, 54.3%). Accurate identification of appropriate evidence-based interventions was also limited. K10 scores indicated 40% of participants had moderate to high levels of psychological distress.ConclusionsThese findings are concerning and provide important data to inform the development of undergraduate and continuing education programs for nurses. The K10 scores suggest healthcare professionals are under considerable stress, highlighting the need to support healthcare professionals who experience multiple psychosocial stressors.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017