Encouraging majority support for immigrant access to health services:multiple categorization and social identity complexity as antecedents of health equality

Health disparities between groups remain even after accounting for established causes such as structural and economic factors. The present research tested, for the first time, whether multiple social categorization processes can explain enhanced support for immigrant health (measured by respondents’ behavioral intention to support immigrants’ vaccination against A H1N1 disease by cutting regional public funds). Moreover, the mediating role of individualization and the moderating role of social identity complexity were tested. Findings showed that multiple versus single categorization of immigrants lead to support their right to health and confirmed the moderated mediation hypothesis. The potential in developing this sort of social cognitive intervention to address health disparities is discussed.

Use of public oral health services by the adult population: a multilevel analysis

Background It is important to assess context to explain inequalities in oral health, particularly with regard to the type of service used; thus, this study aimed to identify the social determinants of public dental service use by adults and to assess whether, beyond the level individual, existing inequalities are also expressed in the context in which individuals are embedded. Methods A multilevel analysis with three levels of aggregation of variables was performed. The individual variables were derived from the database of the SB Minas Gerais project—a survey of oral health status of the population of Minas Gerais, a state of the Brazilian Southeast region. The variable at the neighborhood level came from the Census of 2010. The variables at the municipal level were obtained from available public databases relating to oral health services. At the municipal level, the Human Development Index (HDI) variable was chosen to represent quality of life in the municipalities. Results In the final model, the following individual variables were associated with greater use of public dental services: lower income (PR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.53; 2.58), higher number of residents at home (PR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.11; 1.68) and higher number of teeth requiring treatment (PR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.20; 1.84). With regard to context variables, a poorer infrastructure (PR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.40; 0.96) leads to a lower use of public services. Conclusion The use of public services is associated with family income, how this income is divided in households, the need for treatment presented by the individual and the organization of the existing oral health service infrastructure in the municipality.

Understanding the Diversity of User Requirements for Interactive Online Health Services

Peer reviewed

GPs' implicit prioritization through clinical choices – evidence from three national health services

Acknowledgments The authors are grateful for valuable comments and inputs from participants at a series of seminars and conferences as well as to our three anonymous referees.

Outpatient Mental Health Services in Mozambique: Use and Treatments.

To describe current outpatient mental health service use and treatments in Mozambique, the authors reviewed registry entries for 2,071 outpatient psychiatric visits at the Beira Central Hospital in Sofala Province from January 2012 to September 2014. Service use was most common for schizophrenia, followed by epilepsy, delirium, and organic behavioral disorders. Only 3% of consultations for schizophrenia were first-visit patients. Treatment seeking among women was more likely for mood and neurotic disorders and less likely for substance use disorders and epilepsy. First-generation antipsychotics, most often paired with promethazine, dominated treatment regimens. Evidence-based reforms are needed to improve identification of mood disorders and broaden care beyond severe mental disorders.

Providing a ‘whole-of-family’ approach to care: family-focused practices in mental health services

Introduction: Family members including children are all impacted by a family member’s mental illness. Although mental health services are increasingly encouraged to engage in family-focused practice, this is not a well-understood concept or practice in mental health care. Methods: An integrative review using systematic methods was conducted with international literature, with the aim of identifying concepts and practices of family-focused practice in child and youth and adult mental health services. Results: Findings from 40 peer-reviewed literature identified a range of understandings and applications of family-focused practice, including who comprises the ‘family’, whether the focus is family of origin or family of procreation or choice, and whether the context of practice is child and youth or adult. ‘Family’ as defined by its members forms the foundation for practice that aims to provide a whole-of-family approach to care. Six core practices comprise a family focus to care: assessment; psychoeducation; family care planning and goal-setting; liaison between families and services; instrumental, emotional and social support; and a coordinated system of care between families and services. Conclusion: By incorporating key principles and the core family-focused practices into their care delivery, clinicians can facilitate a whole-of-family approach to care and strengthen family members’ wellbeing and resilience, and their individual and collective health outcomes.

Psychiatric Nurses’ Practice with Parents who have Mental Illness, their Children and Families, within Adult Mental Health Services in Ireland

Introduction: While it is recommended that mental health professionals engage in family focused practice (FFP), there is limited understanding regarding psychiatric nurses’ practice with parents who have mental illness, their children and families in adult mental health services.

Methods: This study utilized a mixed methods approach to measure the extent of psychiatric nurses’ family focused practice and factors that predicted it. It also sought to explore the nature and scope of high scoring psychiatric nurses’ FFP and factors that affected their capacity to engage in FFP. Three hundred and forty three psychiatric nurses in 12 mental health services throughout Ireland completed the Family Focused Mental Health Practice Questionnaire (FFMHPQ). Fourteen nurses who achieved high scores on the FFMHPQ also participated in semi-structured interviews.

Results: Whilst the majority of nurses were not family focused a substantial minority were. High scoring nurses’ practice was complex and multifaceted, comprising various family focused activities, principles and processes. Nurses’ capacity to engage in FFP was determined by their knowledge and skills, working in community settings and own parenting experience.

Agreed-upon procedures reports on twelve agreements between the Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services of the Iowa Department of Education and child care centers for the period October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015

Agreed-upon procedures reports on twelve agreements between the Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services of the Iowa Department of Education and child care centers for the period October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015

Public health services

This brochure lists services given by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. It also lists South Carolina health agencies, their address and contact information.

A Letter of Consequence: Referral Letters from General Practitioners to Secondary Mental Health Services

The referral letter is a key instrument in moving patients from primary to secondary care services. Consequently, the circumstances in which a referral should be made and its contents have been the subject of clinical guidelines. This article is based on a project that demonstrated that physicians do not adhere to clinical guidelines when referring patients to secondary mental health services. This research supports earlier findings into noncompliance with guidelines by general practitioners (GPs). The authors briefly note possible reasons, which have been the subject of some debate. They also present a content analysis of referral letters to demonstrate the important ways in which they differ from guideline criteria. However, their central argument is that the role of the referral letter in relation to the GP’s repertoire of treatments has not been understood fully. Such understanding implies the need for a reexamination of the support available for GPs.