Older Adults' Perspectives on Using Digital Technology to Maintain Good Mental Health: Interactive Group Study.

Background: A growing number of apps to support good mental health and well-being are available on digital platforms. However, very few studies have examined older adults' attitudes toward the use of these apps, despite increasing uptake of digital technologies by this demographic.

Objective: This study sought to explore older adults' perspectives on technology to support good mental health.

Computer Interactive Reminiscence and Conversation Aid groups-Delivering cognitive stimulation with technology.

Introduction: Group-based cognitive stimulation is the only nonpharmacologic intervention recommended by the UK National Institute for Clinical and Health Excellence for people with dementia. The potential of technology to extend the availability of group-based cognitive stimulation has not been tested.

Methods: One hundred sixty-one people with dementia participated in an eight-session group activity using Computer Interactive Reminiscence and Conversation Aid (CIRCA).

Co-creation of the Safewards Model in a Forensic Mental Health Care Facility.

Violence and aggression are highly complex problems in mental health care facilities; thus, multi-faceted conflict-reduction strategies are required to mitigate and reduce violence. Safewards is an evidence-informed model aimed at preventing events that have the capacity to trigger aggression and violence. Effectiveness studies of the implementation of Safewards have shown mixed results, including that implementation strategies failed to engage staff and fidelity was low.

Impact of smartphone-assisted prenatal home visits on women's use of facility delivery: Results from a cluster-randomized trial in rural Tanzania.

Background: About half of births in rural Tanzania are assisted by skilled providers. Point-of-care mobile phone applications hold promise in boosting job support for community health workers aiming to ensure safe motherhood through increased facility delivery awareness, access and uptake. We conducted a controlled comparison to evaluate a smartphone-based application designed to assist community health workers with data collection, education delivery, gestational danger sign identification, and referrals.

System Development Guidelines From a Review of Motion-Based Technology for People With Dementia or MCI.

As the population ages and the number of people living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) continues to increase, it is critical to identify creative and innovative ways to support and improve their quality of life. Motion-based technology has shown significant potential for people living with dementia or MCI by providing opportunities for cognitive stimulation, physical activity and participation in meaningful leisure activities, while simultaneously functioning as a useful tool for research and development of interventions. However, many of the current systems created using motion-based technology have not been designed specifically for people with dementia or MCI.

Staff and patient accounts of PRN medication administration and non-pharmacological interventions for anxiety.

Most psychiatric inpatients will receive psychotropic PRN medication during their hospital stay for agitation, anxiety, and/or insomnia. While helpful in some cases, caution is warranted with regard to PRN use due to inherent risks of additional medication; therefore, experts advise that non-pharmacological interventions should be attempted first where indicated. However, research to date highlights that, in practice, non-pharmaceutical approaches are attempted in a minority of cases.

Documentation of psychotropic pro re nata medication administration: An evaluation of electronic health records compared with paper charts and verbal reports.

Aims And Objectives: To describe the documentation of pro re nata (PRN) medication for anxiety and to compare documentation at two hospitals providing similar psychiatric services, one that used paper charts and another that used an electronic health record (EHR). We also assessed congruence between nursing documentation and verbal reports from staff about the PRN administration process.

Background: The ability to accurately document patients' symptoms and the care given is considered a core competency of the nursing profession (Wilkinson, Nursing process and critical thinking, Saddle River, 2007); however, researchers have found poor concordance between nursing notes and verbal reports or observations of events (e.

Neuropsychological Profile of a Girl with Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome.

We report the neuropsychological profile of a 6-year-old girl with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, a rare X-linked immunodeficiency disorder associated with thrombocytopenia, eczema, recurrent infections, and malignancy. Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome occurs almost exclusively in males and is extremely rare in females, with no known research focused on cognitive and academic functioning in this population. Our patient was referred due to concerns about her memory and academic functioning.

Patient Partnership: One Organization's Journey.

Patient partnership has become a central element of healthcare delivery in many countries. The concept has specific relevance in mental health, as it is a critical enabler of recovery and healing (Bailey and Williams 2014). Patient partnership implies active engagement of patients in shaping decisions at the direct care, organizational and system level (Health Quality Ontario 2017).

Mending the Cracks: A Case Study in Using Technology to assist with Transitional Care for Persons with Dementia.

Transitions between hospital and community are particularly challenging for vulnerable adults experiencing behavioural and psychological symptoms (BPSD) of dementia. Too often, miscommunication results in triggering a recurrence of disruptive behaviours leading to frustration of staff and families. As part of the implementation of Health Quality Ontario (HQO) Quality Standards, this project involved improving transitions using an electronic-based care plan on a 23-bed geriatric dementia unit in a mental health hospital.

Nursing Leadership: Making a Difference in Mental Health and Addictions.

Five nurse leaders in mental health offer their perspectives on key issues facing the sector and reflect on how nurses can make a difference in the following critical areas: nursing practice, transitions of care, innovative technologies, challenging stigma and creating patient partnerships.

Efficacy and safety of maintenance electroconvulsive therapy for sustaining resolution of severe aggression in a major neurocognitive disorder.

We report a novel electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) regimen for sustaining the resolution of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) using alternating acute and maintenance ECT (M-ECT) trials. A 64-year-old man presenting with major neurocognitive disorder was admitted for acute behavioural disturbances and physical aggression. With few treatment options, the impact on patients' quality of life often supersedes cognitive symptoms and is a predictor of long-term institutionalisation.

The role of smartphones in encouraging physical activity in adults.

Lack of physical activity is a global public health issue. Behavioral change interventions utilizing smartphone applications (apps) are considered a potential solution. The purpose of this literature review was to: 1) determine whether smartphone-based interventions encourage the initiation of, and participation in, physical activity; 2) explore the success of interventions in different populations; and 3) examine the key factors of the interventions that successfully encouraged physical activity.

Multidimensional approach to restraint minimization: The journey of a specialized mental health organization.

The executive-level witnessing and review of restraint events has been identified as a key strategy for restraint minimization. In the present study, we examined the changes in restraint practices at a tertiary-level mental health-care facility with implementation of an initiative, in which representatives from senior management, professional practice, peer support, and clinical ethics witnessed seclusion and restraint events, and rounded with clinical teams to discuss timely release and brainstorm prevention strategies. Interrupted time series analysis compared the change from pre-implementation (14 months prior) to postimplementation (35 months' following) in the number of incidents/month, total hours/month, and average hours/incident/month for each of seclusion and mechanical restraint.

Communicating with people living with dementia who are nonverbal: The creation of Adaptive Interaction.

Loss of verbal language production makes people with dementia appear unreachable. We previously presented a case study applying nonverbal communication techniques with a lady with dementia who could no longer speak, which we termed Adaptive Interaction. The current small-n study examines the applicability of Adaptive Interaction as a general tool for uncovering the communication repertoires of non-verbal individuals living with dementia.

Using the NANA toolkit at home to predict older adults' future depression.

Background: Depression is currently underdiagnosed among older adults. As part of the Novel Assessment of Nutrition and Aging (NANA) validation study, 40 older adults self-reported their mood using a touchscreen computer over three, one-week periods. Here, we demonstrate the potential of these data to predict future depression status.

Analysis of non-pharmacological interventions attempted prior to pro re nata medication use.

The aim of the present study was to elucidate what non-pharmacological interventions are applied by nursing staff prior to the administration of psychotropic pro re nata (PRN) medication. Best practices would instruct clinical staff to provide non-pharmacological strategies, such as de-escalation and skills coaching, as the first response to patient distress, anxiety, or agitation. Non-pharmacological strategies might be safer for patients, promote more collaborative relationships, and facilitate greater skills development for managing symptoms.

Observing prioritization effects on cognition and gait: The effect of increased cognitive load on cognitively healthy older adults' dual-task performance.

Previous studies exploring the effects of attention-prioritization on cognitively healthy older adults' gait and cognitive dual task (DT) performance have shown DT cost in gait outcomes but inconsistent effects on cognitive performance, which may reflect task difficulty (the cognitive load). This study aimed to identify whether changing the cognitive load during a walking and counting DT improved the challenge/sensitivity of the cognitive task to observe prioritization effects on concurrent gait and cognitive performance outcomes. Seventy-two cognitively healthy older adults (Mean=73years) walked 15m, counted backwards in 3s and 7s as single tasks (ST), and concurrently walked and counted backwards as DTs.

Classification of childhood onset eating disorders: A latent class analysis.

This study tested the hypothesis that latent class analysis (LCA) would successfully classify eating disorder (ED) symptoms in children into categories that mapped onto DSM-5 diagnoses and that these categories would be consistent across countries. Childhood onset ED cases were ascertained through prospective active surveillance by the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit, the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program, and the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit for 36, 24, and 14 months, respectively. Pediatricians and child psychiatrists reported symptoms of any child aged ≤ 12 years with a newly diagnosed restrictive ED.

The Use of Motion-Based Technology for People Living With Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Literature Review.

Background: The number of people living with dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is increasing substantially. Although there are many research efforts directed toward the prevention and treatment of dementia and MCI, it is also important to learn more about supporting people to live well with dementia or MCI through cognitive, physical, and leisure means. While past research suggests that technology can be used to support positive aging for people with dementia or MCI, the use of motion-based technology has not been thoroughly explored with this population.

The Value of Electronic Medical Record Implementation in Mental Health Care: A Case Study.

Background: Electronic medical records (EMR) have been implemented in many organizations to improve the quality of care. Evidence supporting the value added to a recovery-oriented mental health facility is lacking.

Objective: The goal of this project was to implement and customize a fully integrated EMR system in a specialized, recovery-oriented mental health care facility.

Homelessness and aging: The contradictory ordering of 'house' and 'home'.

The concepts of 'house' and 'home' are compelling and contradictory. They are compelling because they elicit the desired sentiments of permanence, feeling 'at home', and maintaining continuity in one's life. At the same time, they can be experienced as contradictory where organizational practices and the socio-cultural imperatives of individual responsibility, cost containment, and rationed services are concerned.

A Web-Based Patient Portal for Mental Health Care: Benefits Evaluation.

Background: Treatment for mental illness has shifted from focusing purely on treatment of symptoms to focusing on personal recovery. Patient activation is an important component of the recovery journey. Patient portals have shown promise to increase activation in primary and acute care settings, but the benefits to tertiary level mental health care remain unknown.