Contemporary issues in mental health consultation.

Introduces readers to this special issue of the Consulting Psychology Journal, which focuses on current approaches to the provision of mental health consultation in a variety of settings and from varying theoretical persuasions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Variables affecting group mental health consultation for teachers.

Examined the contribution of consultant style and group environment to consultee attitude toward the consultant and toward group mental health consultation. Ss were 150 student teachers who participated in 10-wk consultation groups. Consultees completed a consultant-style questionnaire, a 90-item group environment scale, and 2 semantic differentials. Data analysis indicated that identifiable process variables do contribute significantly to consultee attitude toward the consultant and toward group mental health consultation. Specifically, 94% of the variance in attitude toward consultation and 60% of the variance in attitude toward consultant are explained by clusters of items representing consultant style and by group environment subscales. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Quantifying the effects of community mental health consultation interventions.

A review of 1,643 consultation outcomes through meta-analytic studies reveals a moderate overall mean effect for consultation interventions. Utility formulas demonstrate these consultation interventions will provide an 11% improvement in outcome measures of consultee and organizational functioning. While the empirical evidence of the efficacy of consultation interventions is very substantial, the acceleration of the rate of change and the increasing complexity of organizational functioning require continuous reconsideration of current conceptual models of consultation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Accessibility and organizational power in the entry phase of mental health consultation.

Correlated indexes constructed to represent expert, legitimate, and reward power for each department of a college with the accessibility of each department to mental health consultants who began work with the college. Results support the hypothesis that accessibility to the consultant is inversely related to organizational power. Legitimate power appears to be the central factor in the data, although the power indexes were substantially correlated with each other and with accessibility. Results are interpreted in terms of power-dependency relationships within the organization. Implications for consulting are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teacher key opinion leaders and mental health consultation in low-income urban schools.

Diffusion theory posits that information is disseminated throughout a social network by the persuasion of key opinion leaders (KOLs). This study examined the relative and combined influence of peer-identified KOL teachers (n = 12) and mental health providers (n = 21) on classroom teachers' (n = 61) self-reported use of commonly recommended classroom practices for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in 6 low-income urban African American communities, relative to teachers (n = 54) at 4 matched schools who received mental health provider consultation only. Mixed-effects regression models showed that KOLs in collaboration with mental health providers promoted higher rates of teachers' self-reported use of recommended strategies than mental health providers alone, and that these effects were mediated by KOL support but not by mental health provider support. The results suggest an expanded role for KOL teachers as indigenous and natural supports for the dissemination and implementation of school-based mental health programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

File review consultation in the adjudication of mental health and chronic pain disability claims.

The role of the psychological file review consultant in assisting disability insurance carriers to adjudicate chronic pain and mental health claims is discussed. The authors advocate an empirical basis for the practice and outline the relevant professional issues and procedural steps to be taken in this consulting role. They examine the role of the consultant in evaluating the quality of assessment, whether empirically evaluated treatments have been applied, and what factors can be used in estimating return to work dates. Specific problems that a file review consultant might encounter and suggested solutions are described as are potential biases and ethical dilemmas that may occur when psychologists take on this emerging consulting role. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality feedback consultation to families in a managed mental health care practice.

This article presents personality assessment as valuable in expediting favorable outcomes in mental health service delivery. The unique role of the examining psychologist is discussed with respect to assessment paradigms, behavior sampling, and eliciting patient "ownership" of solutions. Solution-oriented therapy is presented as promoting client adaptiveness from a customer-oriented point of view. A consultation-feedback model is described, which integrated these themes. Several case examples are offered to illustrate identified principles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The process of mental health consultation: A systematic look within the context of community psychology.

The process of mental health consultation has been generally defined in terms of the techniques which the psychologist uses, "the how" of the consultant's role. The content, "the what" of this process is now being considered. The issues raised are partly based on the analysis of all consultation - contacts (N-56) collected during the first nine operational months of a project serving a sample population previously not reached by traditional clinical settings. Specifically this paper discusses the way in which a record-keeping method, devised specifically to account for "what" happens during a consultation, yields findings clarifying, complementing and at times diverging from what has been impressionistically reported to be content of the consultation process: a focus on psychopathology and intrapsychic conflicts of the consultee's charges. This pilot project in its attempt to systematically record all consultant's activities, has methodological implications for valid functional definitions of the mental health consultant within the context of community psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mental health consultation and psychology internship training.

Psychology interns trained in American Psychological Association-approved internship programs are expected to demonstrate an intermediate to advanced level of skill in mental health consultation. Where do students learn the skills to consult with colleagues, other professionals, or the public? This article describes a 1-year, 2-phase training experience in consultation at a university mental health service. The program is theory based, sequential, and builds over the course of the internship. Discussion underscores the positive impact of the training and reviews potential problems that may emerge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mental health consultation and Operation Head Start.

Presents the view that in most settings in which a psychotherapy model was used in consultation in Head Start, the consultation was at best disappointing. A model for community consultation is suggested as an alternative, noting the approach of Gerald Caplan which emphasizes diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. However, a more comprehensive theory of social environment and its effects on behavior is considered necessary. This would include findings from a number a fields, i.e., psychology, sociology, anthropology, education, and public health. The appropriate academic setting would be in the behavioral sciences unit of a school of public health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Lifestyle and mental health.

Mental health professionals have significantly underestimated the importance of lifestyle factors (a) as contributors to and treatments for multiple psychopathologies, (b) for fostering individual and social well-being, and (c) for preserving and optimizing cognitive function. Consequently, therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLCs) are underutilized despite considerable evidence of their effectiveness in both clinical and normal populations. TLCs are sometimes as effective as either psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy and can offer significant therapeutic advantages. Important TLCs include exercise, nutrition and diet, time in nature, relationships, recreation, relaxation and stress management, religious or spiritual involvement, and service to others. This article reviews research on their effects and effectiveness; the principles, advantages, and challenges involved in implementing them; and the forces (economic, institutional, and professional) hindering their use. Where possible, therapeutic recommendations are distilled into easily communicable principles, because such ease of communication strongly influences whether therapists recommend and patients adopt interventions. Finally, the article explores the many implications of contemporary lifestyles and TLCs for individuals, society, and health professionals. In the 21st century, therapeutic lifestyles may need to be a central focus of mental, medical, and public health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Research definitions of mental health and mental illness.

The conceptual and methodological difficulties involved in each of the various categories of definitions of mental health outlined in this review are discussed. Suggestions for further research are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Utilization of specialty mental health organizations by older adults: U.S. national profile

Data from the four most recent biennial inventories of mental health organizations and general hospital mental health services conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1988 through 1994) were used to examine utilization of specialty mental health organizations by older adults. The data show steady inverse trends in utilization rates for inpatient and ambulatory care. The oldest clients (age 75 and older) had both the highest percentage decrease in use of inpatient services and the highest percentage increase in use of ambulatory services. The expected growth of the older adult population will challenge the ability of systems of care to maintain or increase the rate of ambulatory mental health care.     

Basic behavioral science research for mental health: Social influence and social cognition.

Discusses the issues of social influence, social cognition, stereotyping and prejudice, and social and personal identity in basic behavioral science research for mental health. The significance of social influence for mental and physical health is illustrated by 3 lines of research: impact of persuasive messages, self-persuasion, and resisting pressure to change or conform. Three aspects of social cognition, including accessibility of social beliefs, causal attribution, and standards of self-evaluation, are given, and the prevalence of stereotyping is discussed. The significance of both social and personal identity in mental health is addressed, as well as the issue of coping with challenges to the identity. Directions for future research on social influence and social cognition are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social psychological correlates of mental illness and mental health.

If there is ever to be a single comprehensive theory and/or research program concerned with the etiology of mental illness, the widely diversified empirical and theoretical findings will have to be meaningfully integrated. The present paper critically reviews theories and research from the environmental-demographic level and the interpersonal level. The large number of phenotypical relationships reported have led only to vaguely formulated and speculative interpretations suggesting the need for a reformulation which will suggest genotypes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Migrant mental health: A model for indicators of mental health and health care consumption.

Objective: This study explores the relationship between mental health and health care consumption among migrants in the Netherlands. Design: Samples of the Turkish (n = 648), Moroccan (n = 102), and Surinamese (n = 311) populations in Amsterdam were examined. The study tested a hypothesized model of risk factors for psychiatric morbidity, indicators of well-being, and indicators of health care consumption. The model was specified on the basis of information from earlier research on the sample and literature on the topic. The model was tested and refined using structural equation modeling. Main outcome measures: Psychiatric morbidity and well-being measures were assessed with the CIDI 1.1 and MOS-sf-36 subscales, respectively. Health care consumption was assessed by the question "Have you ever consulted one or more of these professionals or health care facilities with respect to mental health problems or problems related to alcohol or drugs usage?" Results: The primary result of this study was the confirmation that health care consumption among migrants is predicted by need and predisposition factors, such as health condition and sociodemographic characteristics. In addition, mental health care consumption of migrants is predicted by acculturation characteristics. This result suggests an effect of cultural and migrant-specific factors in help-seeking behavior and barriers to mental health care facilities. Conclusions: Findings confirm the existence of migrant-specific mechanisms in health care consumption. Mental health care professionals should be aware of these. However, ignoring common ground for interventions unnecessarily creates distance between migrant groups and between migrant and indigenous Dutch groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)