[Peer Support: Utilization and Benefit in Severe Mental Illness - Results from an Observational, Cross-Sectional Study]

[The Standardised Recording of Psychosocial Help Needs within Psychiatric Acute Treatment in a Socio-Educational Counselling Context]

People with mental illness often have complex social problems. Up to now, there has been no systematised/standardised recording of social assistance needs in acute psychiatric care. One reason for this is the lack of adequate instruments and the increasing workload. The review analyses established needs assessment instruments with regard to their suitability for addressing the question. It becomes clear that these instruments are insufficiently suitable for a structured assessment of the need for psychosocial support. This results in the need for the development of a short and standardised instrument for the assessment of psychosocial support needs, which can be used as part of multiprofessional diagnostics within psychiatric care.

Experiencing (Shared) Decision Making: Results from a Qualitative Study of People with Mental Illness and Their Family Members

(1) Background: There is a fundamental shift in healthcare toward shared decision making (SDM). This study explores SDM from the perspective of individuals affected by mental illness and their family members and investigates factors which promote and hinder the process. (2) Methods: We conducted N = 15 telephone interviews (n = 4 adults affected by mental illness, n = 5 family members, n = 6 both applicable, the majority reporting experiences with affective and anxiety disorders). Data were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed according to procedures established by Mayring. (3) Results: Individuals affected by mental illness and their family members have a strong desire to be involved in treatment decisions and to participate in finding a diagnosis. Often these stakeholders are denied the opportunity to participate; sometimes enabling behaviors impede participation. The stigmatization of mental illnesses is a major barrier. There are also structural barriers to SDM within the healthcare system. Peer support, self-help associations, and psychosocial counseling services are important to empowering individuals and promoting SDM. (4) Conclusions: SDM has the potential to improve the quality of mental healthcare. Barriers can be mitigated and new approaches for interventions in the psychiatric sector have been identified. This study has also shown the importance of understanding SDM as a process that should begin at the diagnostic phase.