Impact of the mental health reform in Israel on health care and mortality among people with severe mental illness.

Objective: Reports show disparities in the health care of people with severe mental illness (SMI). Yet, the moderating effect of mental health reforms on the health care disparities remain unexplored. The current study aimed to investigate the outcomes of the mental health reform in Israel on the use of health services among people with SMI.

Early adulthood psychiatric diagnoses and the subsequent risk of life-time incarceration: a cohort study.

Background: The association between incarceration and psychiatric disorders has been noted. Yet, existing studies are cross-sectional or examine the risk of recidivism, which has limited the predictive validity of psychiatric disorders as a risk factor for incarceration. To overcome this limitation, this study used a prospective cohort to examine whether psychiatric diagnoses in early adulthood predicted incarceration throughout a 30-year follow-up.

Mental Health Care Gap: The Case of the Slovak Republic.

This study explored unmet mental health and social care needs in the Slovak Republic and their adverse human rights consequences. We estimated treatment gap for persons aged 15-64 years in year 2015 affected by depressive, anxiety, substance use and schizophrenic disorders by comparing local treated prevalence rates with population estimated rates for Europe. Two-thirds of people with depressive disorders and over 80% of those with anxiety disorders and alcohol dependence were not receiving treatment.

Exposure to Genocide and the Risk of Dementia.

Competing hypotheses stating that past genocide exposure reduces (owing to resilience) versus increases (owing to vulnerabilities) the risk of dementia are yet to receive empirical support. This study tested these competing hypotheses. Registry data were extracted on 51,752 Israeli residents without dementia from September 2002 to January 2012; individuals were born between 1901 and 1945, alive on January 2012, and followed-up for the risk of dementia between January 2013 and October 2017.

Using the capabilities approach to understand inequality in primary health-care services for people with severe mental illness.

Background: Epidemiological studies show disparities in the provision of physical health-care for people with severe mental illness. This observation includes countries with universal health insurance. However, there is limited in-depth data regarding the barriers preventing equality of physical health-care provision for this population.

Association of maternal exposure to terror attacks during pregnancy and the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring: A population-based study.

This study tested the hypothesis that maternal exposure to terror attacks during pregnancy is associated with the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring. A population-based study was conducted of Israeli children born between 1975 and 1995 and that were registered in the Ministry of Interior and followed up in the Ministry of Health from birth to 2015 for the risk of schizophrenia (N = 201,048). The association between maternal exposure to terror attacks during pregnancy and the risk of schizophrenia in the offspring was quantified with relative risks (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) fitting Cox regression models unadjusted and adjusted for confounders.

Double disparities in the health care for people with schizophrenia of an ethnic-national minority.

Background: Studies have shown health care disparities among persons of minority status, including in countries with universal health care. Yet, a dearth of studies have addressed disparities resulting from the combined effect of two minority status groups: severe mental illness and ethnic-national sector filiation. This study aimed to compare the differential health care of Jewish- and Arab-Israelis with schizophrenia in a country with a universal health insurance.

Excess mortality in persons with severe mental disorders: a multilevel intervention framework and priorities for clinical practice, policy and research agendas.

Excess mortality in persons with severe mental disorders (SMD) is a major public health challenge that warrants action. The number and scope of truly tested interventions in this area remain limited, and strategies for implementation and scaling up of programmes with a strong evidence base are scarce. Furthermore, the majority of available interventions focus on a single or an otherwise limited number of risk factors.

Health Care and Mortality among Persons with Severe Mental Illness.

Objective: Reports show disparities in the health care of persons with severe mental illness (SMI), including in countries with universal health insurance. However, the moderating effect on disparities of specific mental health legislation is yet to be studied. The study aimed to investigate equality of health care for people with SMI in a country with a national health insurance and a comprehensive rehabilitation law for persons with mental disabilities.

Transgenerational effects of genocide exposure on the risk and course of schizophrenia: A population-based study.

Background: Hypotheses about the sequel of parental genocide exposures on the offspring's risk and course of schizophrenia remain untested.

Aims: To test hypotheses related to the transgenerational transmission of parental genocide exposure on the risk and course of schizophrenia.

Methods: Data were extracted from the National Population Register on all offspring (N=51.

Psychological Factors Associated with Emotional Distress among Palestinian Arabs from East Jerusalem Accessing Psychiatric Care in Israel.

Background: The Palestinian population residing in East Jerusalem is characterized by high rates of poverty and unemployment and is subject to discrimination in various forms, including infrastructure of mental health services. Little is known about the help seeking needs and practices of East Jerusalem residents.

Method: We examined socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of a consecutive sample Palestinian residents from East Jerusalem (N=50) who accessed a specially assigned psychiatric clinic in Israel.

Primary mental health prevention themes in published research and academic programs in Israel.

Background: The World Health Organization Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan (CMHAP) 2013-2020 proposes the implementation of primary prevention strategies to reduce the mental health burden of disease. The extent to which Israeli academic programs and published research adhere to the principles spelled out by the CMHAP is unknown.

Objective: To investigate the presence of mental health primary prevention themes in published research and academic programs in Israel.

Presenting problems and treatment expectations among service users accessing psychiatric outpatient care: are there gender differences?

Background: Community-based studies have documented gender differences in mental health problems and service utilization. This mixed methods study explored gender differences in severity of emotional distress, referral paths, presenting problems and care expectations among service users upon accessing outpatient psychiatric care.

Methods: Consecutive service users (N=284, 64% women) who presented for a new or repeated episode of care in adult outpatient clinics completed questionnaires on a measure of emotional distress, treatment history and referral path.

The effects of pre-natal-, early-life- and indirectly-initiated exposures to maximum adversities on the course of schizophrenia.

Background: The effects of pre-natal-, early-life- and indirectly-initiated exposures to protracted maximum adversity on the course of schizophrenia are unknown.

Aims: To compare the aforementioned Holocaust directly exposed subgroups with an indirectly exposed subgroup on the course of schizophrenia.

Method: The study population were: Israeli Jews in-uterus or born in Nazi-occupied or dominated European nations by the end of the persecution of the Jews, who were alive in 1950, and who had a last discharge diagnosis of schizophrenia in the Israel National Psychiatric Case Registry by 2013 (N=4933).

Mental health stigma and attitudes to psychiatry among Bangladeshi medical students.

Background: The shortage of specialized human resources in mental health in Bangladesh requires active recruitment of psychiatric residents. In addition, the involvement of positively inclined health personnel, for example, medical doctors, emerges as an immediate priority.

Aim: To explore stigma among medical students toward persons with mental disorders (PMDs) and their attitudes toward psychiatry.

Predictors of mental health care stigma and its association with the therapeutic alliance during the initial intake session.

Objective: We investigated the association between socio-demographic and clinical variables with mental health care stigma, and the impact of the latter on the quality of the therapeutic alliance measured at intake.

Method: Consecutive clients (N = 236) filled questionnaires upon accessing services for a new episode of care. Immediately following the intake, a randomly selected sample of clients and their corresponding therapists (n = 102) completed the Working Alliance Inventory - Bond Scale.

Cancer incidence and mortality following exposures to distal and proximal major stressors.

Purpose: Severe psychological trauma has been shown to leave psychological and biological sequelae, including compromise of the neuro-hormonal and immunological systems. Despite much research, the putative effect of such stressor on cancer remains ambiguous. This study maximized the exploration of cancer incidence and mortality by combining a proximal (parental bereavement) with a distal major stressor (Holocaust exposure) on both risks.

Ethnic disparities in mental health treatment gap in a community-based survey and in access to care in psychiatric clinics.

Background: Contrasting social status of ethnic groups differentially impacts the use of psychiatric services, including in Israel, despite its universal health system. However, relevant studies are limited.

Aims: To examine ethnic differences in mental health treatment gap and in access to specialized care.

Comorbidity of common mental disorders with cancer and their treatment gap: findings from the World Mental Health Surveys.

Objective: This study aimed to study the comorbidity of common mental disorders (CMDs) and cancer, and the mental health treatment gap among community residents with active cancer, cancer survivors and cancer-free respondents in 13 high-income and 11 low-middle-income countries.

Methods: Data were derived from the World Mental Health Surveys (N = 66,387; n = 357 active cancer, n = 1373 cancer survivors, n = 64,657 cancer-free respondents). The World Health Organization/Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used in all surveys to estimate CMDs prevalence rates.