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Women's Health (London, England) 2023Studies suggest female Veterans are under-identified as homeless in the VA healthcare system, which may impact their ability to access necessary services. In addition,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Studies suggest female Veterans are under-identified as homeless in the VA healthcare system, which may impact their ability to access necessary services. In addition, the increasing number of female Veterans experiencing homelessness requires a better understanding of their access to necessary healthcare and social care.
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the barriers and facilitators for access to healthcare and social care among women Veterans experiencing homelessness.
DESIGN
A mixed methods systematic review was conducted and includes quantitative and qualitative primary research studies.
DATA SOURCES AND METHODS
Seven databases were searched for quantitative or qualitative research studies. Studies which addressed access or use of healthcare or social services, which were focused on female Veterans or allowed for comparison between male and female Veterans were included. Data were synthesized using a convergent integrated approach.
RESULTS
Thirty-five studies met inclusion criteria; 27 quantitative, 6 qualitative and 2 mixed methods studies. Three main themes resulted: (1) the comparison of access and use of healthcare and social services between women and men; (2) female specific barriers to access or use of social and health services; (3) female specific facilitators to access or use of social and health services.
CONCLUSIONS
Results showed although women Veterans had similar or better outcomes with permanent housing programming compared to men, gaps remain in the provision of emergency and short-term housing accommodations. In addition, many studies found that homeless women Veterans were unaware of the healthcare and social services available through the VA. Programs and policies need to ensure they are maximizing their reach to women Veterans experiencing homelessness by providing outreach and education, so they understand the benefits available when they discharge from the military and to understand the unique healthcare and social needs of women Veterans.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Veterans; Ill-Housed Persons; Social Work; Housing; Health Services Accessibility
PubMed: 37522527
DOI: 10.1177/17455057231189550 -
Journal of Intellectual & Developmental... Dec 2012Social inclusion is central to disability policies internationally. The high risk of social exclusion for people with intellectual disability is compounded for those... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Social inclusion is central to disability policies internationally. The high risk of social exclusion for people with intellectual disability is compounded for those with challenging behaviour.
METHOD
A systematic literature review examined how social inclusion of people with intellectual disability and challenging behaviour has been researched and operationalised in the empirical literature, and aimed to determine what evidence exists about the extent of social inclusion by people with intellectual disability and challenging behaviour.
RESULTS
A thematic analysis of the 14 papers identified that social inclusion has been poorly defined and measured, and that the little research that has occurred in respect of people with challenging behaviour has demonstrated their potential to be socially included.
CONCLUSIONS
Clearer conceptualisation of inclusion, and greater understanding of practices that support social inclusion and system level mechanisms, which ensure goals around inclusion gain prominence in funding and support plans, may address the neglect of this critical quality-of-life domain for people with challenging behaviour.
Topics: Conduct Disorder; Disabled Persons; Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Intellectual Disability; Severity of Illness Index; Social Identification; Social Isolation; Social Participation; Social Support
PubMed: 23002899
DOI: 10.3109/13668250.2012.721878 -
BMJ Open Apr 2017Social prescribing is a way of linking patients in primary care with sources of support within the community to help improve their health and well-being. Social... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
Social prescribing is a way of linking patients in primary care with sources of support within the community to help improve their health and well-being. Social prescribing programmes are being widely promoted and adopted in the UK National Health Service and so we conducted a systematic review to assess the evidence for their effectiveness.
SETTING/DATA SOURCES
Nine databases were searched from 2000 to January 2016 for studies conducted in the UK. Relevant reports and guidelines, websites and reference lists of retrieved articles were scanned to identify additional studies. All the searches were restricted to English language only.
PARTICIPANTS
Systematic reviews and any published evaluation of programmes where patient referral was made from a primary care setting to a link worker or facilitator of social prescribing were eligible for inclusion. Risk of bias for included studies was undertaken independently by two reviewers and a narrative synthesis was performed.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES
Primary outcomes of interest were any measures of health and well-being and/or usage of health services.
RESULTS
We included a total of 15 evaluations of social prescribing programmes. Most were small scale and limited by poor design and reporting. All were rated as a having a high risk of bias. Common design issues included a lack of comparative controls, short follow-up durations, a lack of standardised and validated measuring tools, missing data and a failure to consider potential confounding factors. Despite clear methodological shortcomings, most evaluations presented positive conclusions.
CONCLUSIONS
Social prescribing is being widely advocated and implemented but current evidence fails to provide sufficient detail to judge either success or value for money. If social prescribing is to realise its potential, future evaluations must be comparative by design and consider when, by whom, for whom, how well and at what cost.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
PROSPERO Registration: CRD42015023501.
Topics: Exercise; Humans; Prescriptions; Primary Health Care; Social Support; Social Welfare; Social Work; State Medicine; United Kingdom
PubMed: 28389486
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013384 -
International Journal of Mental Health... Jun 2021Mental health issues and disorders are major public health challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries in Southeast Asia, where chronic shortages in... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Mental health issues and disorders are major public health challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries in Southeast Asia, where chronic shortages in mental health services and human resources exist. The development of effective and accessible mental health systems in Southeast Asia will require evidence based psychological and social interventions. This systematic review provides a narrative synthesis of the evidence on the effectiveness of such interventions for mental health issues and disorders in Southeast Asia.
METHODS
A comprehensive literature search of 7 electronic databases (PsycINFO, Medline (Ovid), Cochrane library, EMBASE, SCOPUS, APA PsycArticles, and Social Care Online) was undertaken.
RESULTS
Thirty two studies employing RCT designs to evaluate the effectiveness of a range of psychological and social mental health interventions on a number of different mental health outcomes were included in this review. The disparate intervention programmes reviewed were categorised as: lay delivered, yoga, aerobic and/or meditation based, cognitive behavioural therapy oriented, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing based (EMDR), health worker delivered, and hybrid programmes. The majority of the studies included in this review were of low to moderate quality due to the variability in the quality of the study design. The highest quality, and most promising evidence came from the evaluations of lay delivered interventions. This evidence demonstrates the feasibility and potential sustainability of implementing such interventions in resource constrained contexts.
CONCLUSIONS
The review findings indicate that a disparate array of mental health interventions can be implemented effectively in a range of Southeast Asian mental health and health settings. There is a clear need for significantly more research however, through higher quality and larger scale RCTs before it will be known more definitively, if these interventions are effective, and for whom they are most effective in different Southeast Asian contexts.
PubMed: 34090491
DOI: 10.1186/s13033-021-00482-y -
Health & Social Work Nov 2008Suicide among African Americans is a neglected topic. Social workers practice in both clinical and nonclinical settings, and as the largest occupational group of mental... (Review)
Review
Suicide among African Americans is a neglected topic. Social workers practice in both clinical and nonclinical settings, and as the largest occupational group of mental health professionals, they have a unique opportunity to reach this underserved group. However, little is known about social work's empirical knowledge base for recognition and treatment of suicidal behavior among African Americans. The authors performed a systematic critical review of published articles by social workers on African American suicide and suicidal behavior, to ascertain the state of social worker's contribution to and knowledge of suicide risk factors and effective treatments. They conducted Web-based (for example, Social Work Abstracts, PsycINFO, PubMed, JSTOR) and manual searches of suicide research conducted by social work investigators and published in peer-reviewed journals from 1980 to 2005. References cited in the articles were used to identify candidate articles. According to the search results, social workers contributed only 11 empirical research articles focusing on African American suicide or nonfatal suicidal behavior. Risk factors for suicide are reviewed, and the implications for clinical social work practice and research are addressed.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Black or African American; Aged; Humans; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Social Work; Suicide; United States; Young Adult
PubMed: 19070272
DOI: 10.1093/hsw/33.4.249 -
The Australian and New Zealand Journal... Jul 2015Acute and/or severe social withdrawal behavior among youth was seen as a culture-bound psychiatric syndrome in Japan, but more youth social withdrawal cases in different... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Acute and/or severe social withdrawal behavior among youth was seen as a culture-bound psychiatric syndrome in Japan, but more youth social withdrawal cases in different countries have been discovered recently. However, due to the lack of a formal definition and diagnostic tool for youth social withdrawal, cross-cultural observational and intervention studies are limited. We aimed to consolidate existing knowledge in order to understand youth social withdrawal from diverse perspectives and suggest different interventions for different trajectories of youth social withdrawal.
METHOD
This review examined the current available scientific information on youth social withdrawal in the academic databases: ProQuest, ScienceDirect, Web of Science and PubMed. We included quantitative and qualitative studies of socially withdrawn youths published in English and academic peer-reviewed journals.
RESULTS
We synthesized the information into the following categories: (1) definitions of youth social withdrawal, (2) developmental theories, (3) factors associated with youth social withdrawal and (4) interventions for socially withdrawn youths. Accordingly, there are diverse and controversial definitions for youth social withdrawal. Studies of youth social withdrawal are based on models that lead to quite different conclusions. Researchers with an attachment perspective view youth social withdrawal as a negative phenomenon, whereas those who adopt Erikson's developmental theory view it more positively as a process of seeking self-knowledge. Different interventions for socially withdrawn youths have been developed, mainly in Japan, but evidence-based practice is almost non-existent.
CONCLUSION
We propose a theoretical framework that views youth social withdrawal as resulting from the interplay between psychological, social and behavioral factors. Future validation of the framework will help drive forward advances in theory and interventions for youth social withdrawal as an emerging issue in developed countries.
Topics: Humans; Models, Psychological; Social Behavior Disorders; Social Isolation
PubMed: 25861794
DOI: 10.1177/0004867415581179 -
Journal of Advanced Nursing Oct 2023To describe dyadic psycho-social intervention measures and to evaluate their influence on stroke survivors and caregiver's functional independence, quality of life,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
To describe dyadic psycho-social intervention measures and to evaluate their influence on stroke survivors and caregiver's functional independence, quality of life, depression, anxiety, self-efficacy and coping ability.
BACKGROUND
Because of the importance of dyadic intervention and the seriousness of the psycho-social problems of stroke survivors and caregivers, understanding the influence of dyadic psycho-social interventions is vital.
DESIGN
A systematic review and meta-analysis based on PRISMA guidelines.
DATA SOURCES
Nine databases were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials submitted from 1910 to 4 July 2022.
METHODS
The included papers were evaluated for quality, and quantitative data were standardly extracted and analysed by meta-analysis, followed by synthesis. The meta-analysis was carried out using Review Manager 5.4 software.
RESULTS
Fifteen randomized controlled trials were included (n = 2190 for patients, and n = 1933 for caregivers). Study results showed that dyadic psycho-social interventions significantly alleviated the depressive symptoms of patients, obviously improved the ability to function independently of patients and more quickly alleviated the care burden of caregivers.
CONCLUSIONS
This study provided moderate support for the benefits of dyadic psycho-social intervention in improving survivor and caregiver's functional independence, quality of life, depression, anxiety, self-efficacy and care burden. Nevertheless, due to limitations of the study, it was deemed necessary that this topic is studied further.
RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
This review suggests that dyadic psycho-social interventions should be considered as effective strategies for decreasing psycho-social problems of stroke survivors and caregivers, and provides evidence for the formulation of targeted intervention programs. The personalized implementation of such interventions should be the focus of clinical practice.
NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION
There was no patient or public contribution.
Topics: Humans; Quality of Life; Caregivers; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Stroke; Survivors; Social Work
PubMed: 37439492
DOI: 10.1111/jan.15781 -
International Journal For Equity in... Jul 2023Disadvantaged populations (such as women from minority ethnic groups and those with social complexity) are at an increased risk of poor outcomes and experiences.... (Review)
Review
Targeted health and social care interventions for women and infants who are disproportionately impacted by health inequalities in high-income countries: a systematic review.
BACKGROUND
Disadvantaged populations (such as women from minority ethnic groups and those with social complexity) are at an increased risk of poor outcomes and experiences. Inequalities in health outcomes include preterm birth, maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, and poor-quality care. The impact of interventions is unclear for this population, in high-income countries (HIC). The review aimed to identify and evaluate the current evidence related to targeted health and social care service interventions in HICs which can improve health inequalities experienced by childbearing women and infants at disproportionate risk of poor outcomes and experiences.
METHODS
Twelve databases searched for studies across all HICs, from any methodological design. The search concluded on 8/11/22. The inclusion criteria included interventions that targeted disadvantaged populations which provided a component of clinical care that differed from standard maternity care.
RESULTS
Forty six index studies were included. Countries included Australia, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, UK and USA. A narrative synthesis was undertaken, and results showed three intervention types: midwifery models of care, interdisciplinary care, and community-centred services. These intervention types have been delivered singularly but also in combination of each other demonstrating overlapping features. Overall, results show interventions had positive associations with primary (maternal, perinatal, and infant mortality) and secondary outcomes (experiences and satisfaction, antenatal care coverage, access to care, quality of care, mode of delivery, analgesia use in labour, preterm birth, low birth weight, breastfeeding, family planning, immunisations) however significance and impact vary. Midwifery models of care took an interpersonal and holistic approach as they focused on continuity of carer, home visiting, culturally and linguistically appropriate care and accessibility. Interdisciplinary care took a structural approach, to coordinate care for women requiring multi-agency health and social services. Community-centred services took a place-based approach with interventions that suited the need of its community and their norms.
CONCLUSION
Targeted interventions exist in HICs, but these vary according to the context and infrastructure of standard maternity care. Multi-interventional approaches could enhance a targeted approach for at risk populations, in particular combining midwifery models of care with community-centred approaches, to enhance accessibility, earlier engagement, and increased attendance.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
PROSPERO Registration number: CRD42020218357.
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Infant; Developed Countries; Maternal Health Services; Premature Birth; Social Support; Social Work
PubMed: 37434187
DOI: 10.1186/s12939-023-01948-w -
Supportive Care in Cancer : Official... Nov 2022To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of CBT for individuals diagnosed with cancer across a broad range of outcome domains, i.e., functional health,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of CBT for individuals diagnosed with cancer across a broad range of outcome domains, i.e., functional health, psychological health, health behaviors, social relational, and general wellness.
METHODS
A comprehensive search of 7 databases, 91 published reviews, and 4 professional websites was performed on August 30th, 2021. English-language clinical trials of CBT for cancer patients/survivors were included. Studies were independently screened, and data were extracted by 2 reviewers, and discrepancies were resolved by consensus among the investigative team. A total of 151 clinical trials (154 articles) published between 1986 and 2021 were included in the analysis.
RESULTS
CBT was overall effective for cancer patients/survivors in the domains of functional health, g = 0.931, p < 0.001, psychological health, g = 0.379, p < 0.001, and general wellness, g = 0.257, p < 0.001, but ineffective in domains of health behaviors, g = 0.792, p > 0.05, and social relational outcomes, g = 0.319, p > 0.05. Additional subgroup and moderator analyses further revealed CBT's differential treatment effect for different within domain outcomes, across different cancer disease stages, and CBT delivery format.
CONCLUSIONS
Findings of the study showed that CBT is an effective treatment for individuals diagnosed with cancer. However, treatment effects differ by important disease- and intervention-related factors, which should be considered when recommending CBT for cancer patients/survivors.
Topics: Humans; Cancer Survivors; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Treatment Outcome; Neoplasms; Cognition
PubMed: 36040671
DOI: 10.1007/s00520-022-07337-3 -
Population Health Management Feb 2022Recognizing that social factors influence patient health outcomes and utilization, health systems have developed interventions to address patients' social needs. Care...
Recognizing that social factors influence patient health outcomes and utilization, health systems have developed interventions to address patients' social needs. Care coordination across the health care and social service sectors is a distinct and important strategy to address social determinants of health, but limited information exists about how care coordination operates in this context. To address this gap, the authors conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed publications that document the coordination of health care and social services in the United States. After a structured elimination process, 25 publications of 19 programs were synthesized to identify patterns in care coordination implementation. Results indicate that patient needs assessment, in-person patient contact, and standardized care coordination protocols are common across programs that bridge health care and social services. Publications discussing these programs often provide limited detail on other key elements of care coordination, especially the nature of referrals and care coordinator caseload. Additional research is needed to document critical elements of program implementation and to evaluate program impacts.
Topics: Humans; Social Work; United States
PubMed: 34134511
DOI: 10.1089/pop.2021.0057