| Version | Summary | Created by | Modification | Content Size | Created at | Operation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexandre Gonzalez-Rodriguez | + 4080 word(s) | 4080 | 2021-04-26 05:07:53 | | | |
| 2 | Vivi Li | Meta information modification | 4080 | 2021-05-19 03:21:42 | | |
The World Health Organization (WHO) developed a 7-year Mental Health Action Plan in 2013, which recommends integration of health and social care services into community-based settings, implementation of strategies for health promotion and prevention of illness, and support of research. In this entry, we highlight partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) for delusional disorder (DD), with a special focus on the health and psychosocial needs of women.
For many decades, delusional disorder (DD) has been perceived by health professionals as a treatment-resistant disorder [1]. DD is also reported as being problematic for family members, partly because DD patients adhere poorly to prescribed medications, do not willingly attend treatment appointments, and seem often to be unaware that they are ill [2]. It is, however, possible to help families develop home-based therapeutic skills while patients receive specialized treatment in the community [3]. The current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), defines DD as a disorder characterized by the presence of one or more delusions lasting for at least one month, without prominent hallucinations, affective symptoms or other psychotic symptoms such as those seen in schizophrenia [4]. Despite this definition, research into the disorder points to a significant association with affective morbidity [5], seen more frequently in women than in men. This is one reason why gender-specific interventions are important in psychiatric services for DD.
Epidemiological data regarding DD are not without controversy. DSM-5 reports a lifetime prevalence of approximately 0.2%, whereas some publications have estimated the prevalence of DD to lie between 24 and 30 per 100,000 [6]. Psychosocial risk factors and research settings influence the prevalence and incidence data. As an example, studies of prison inmates show an estimated prevalence of nearly 0.24%, substantially higher than that found among community recruits [7].
Multidetermined gender differences in psychopathological and clinical features of schizophrenia, a disorder related to DD, have been widely investigated, but are under-researched in DD [1]. DSM-5 mentions no gender differences in the content of delusions or in the prevalence of DD, whereas some research has reported significant gender differences in both affective and substance use comorbidity [8]. Discrepancies among studies are probably due to the major influences of age, reproductive status, and cultural influences on this disorder. Importantly, DD is a psychotic disorder that typically starts in middle age, which, in women, coincides with menopause, the end of the reproductive life cycle [1]. This is a time of increased vulnerability in women, accompanied by specific medical and psychosocial needs [9]. Characteristically, age at onset of DD is approximately 45 years, which means a physiological decline in estrogen levels, an increase in medical comorbidities, and psychological losses for women—loss of fertility, adolescent children leaving home, and aging parents dying [1]. Such factors, as well as cultural traditions and the impact of socio-economic circumstances in women, influence the presentation of DD and determine best practice.
Our research group conducted a retrospective longitudinal study with a one-year follow-up, which included 78 patients with DD consecutively admitted to an inpatient unit [10]. When compared to men, women showed a delayed age at onset and required a longer duration of hospitalization. However, other investigators studying outpatient populations have found no gender differences in the course of illness or resource need [11]. Partial hospitalization patients have not been studied.
We undertook the present review in the context of the 2013–2020 World Health Organization (WHO) goals for mental health, which WHO characterized as being fundamental to global health [12]. WHO stated that persons with mental illness currently suffer service discrimination and neglect. The organization elaborated a mental health action plan that emphasizes the integration of health and social care services into community-based settings. The plan includes the implementation of strategies for health promotion and prevention of illness, as well as advocating for an increase in the research evidence base [12]. WHO also addresses women’s human rights and recommends gender-responsive approaches that recognize the need to protect women in situations of psychosocial risk, such as barriers to education, migration stress, and domestic abuse.
Thus far, very few studies have focused on women’s needs in the specific context of DD [13]. Since all women with psychosis had been reported to engage poorly with physical health services, our group recently investigated the rates of gynecological service use in outpatient women with DD [14]. We found that 48% of the sample had not received gynecological attention over the past 2–3 years. Because this population showed poor adherence to gynecological screening and low attendance at gynecological appointments, we recommended a potential solution—the reinforcement of the nurse–patient relationship. This relationship is considered to be crucial for patient engagement, attendance at appointments, adherence to prescription drug regimens, and compliance with routine health screening [15].
| Theme 1 |
| Promotion of mental health |
| Prevention of mental health |
| Theme 2 |
| Improvement of quality, equity, and continuity of care |
| Theme 3 |
| Integration of health and social models of care |
| Theme 4 |
| Appropriate training for health workers |
A PHP is a service program that bridges the gap between hospital and community mental health settings [31]. Patients live at home and attend the PHP up to seven days a week to receive family and group therapy, psycho-educational programming, individual therapies and psychopharmacological and cognitive assessment and monitoring [32]. Staff is multidisciplinary and can offer patients additional programs such as exercise programs, budgeting help, school and vocational help, art and music therapies, and other creative outlets.
As per the recommendations of WHO, health promotion, disease prevention, and attention to physical health can all be delivered in the PHP setting.
| Health Promotion and Prevention of Mental and Physical Ill-Health | |
|---|---|
| Nurses | |
| Individual assessment and therapy | Medication management Psychopathological monitoring Health promotion (cancer screening and adherence to psychiatric, medical, and gynecological appointments) Patient and family support |
| Group therapies | Lifestyle intervention: motivation, learning, empowerment strategies, and behavioral skills Psychoeducation Sleep hygiene |
| Psychologists | |
| Individual assessment and therapy | Psychopathological assessment and behavioral monitoring Identification of psychotic exacerbation and emotional responses to delusional ideas Encouraging adherence Cognitive–behavioral therapy for insomnia, smoking cessation, and psychotic symptoms |
| Group therapies | CBT for psychopathological symptoms CBT for insomnia and smoking cessation Psychoeducation Family therapy |
| Moderator | Potential Intervention | Mediator | Potential Intervention | Behaviors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substance use disorders Social isolation |
Psychotherapy Pharmacological treatment Psychosocial intervention |
Hostility | Antipsychotics Antidepressants (when needed) Psychotherapy |
Aggressive behaviors |
| Aggressivity | ||||
| Impulsivity | ||||
| Depressive symptoms | Suicide attempts | |||
| Paranoid symptoms |
| Aims | |||
| To determine and compare the prevalence of DD in two neighborhoods of Barcelona, Spain (La Mina, Verneda) and describe psychosocial risk factors | |||
| Methods | |||
| Cross-sectional study of cases of DD included in the electronic Case Registry of the La Verneda–La Mina Community Mental Health Unit. | |||
| Results | |||
| Total Sample | La Verneda | La Mina | |
| Cases of DD | N = 209 | N = 145 | N = 64 |
| Prevalence of DD | 20.17/10,000 inhabitants | 18.13/10,000 inhabitants | 27/10,000 inhabitants |
| Employment Situation | Inactive: 115 (62.2%) Active: 70 (37.8%) |
Inactive: 75 (60.0%) Active: 51 (40%) |
Inactive: 40 (78.8%) Active: 19 (32.2%) |
| Conclusions | |||
| Prevalence of DD in this community-based sample is higher than the prevalence reported in hospital-based studies | |||
| Prevalence of DD is higher in neighborhoods with high frequency of psychosocial and socioeconomic risk factors | |||
Mental health research is one of the objectives of WHO’s Mental Health Action Plan [12]. It is one of the critical ingredients for mental health planning and evaluation. PHPs are potentially useful settings for the clinical assessment of symptoms and of the efficacy of treatments. Psychometric instruments can be used to routinely collect data and evaluate response to pharmacological or non-pharmacological treatments. As outlined earlier, antecedents to delusion formation can also be investigated more easily than in hospital settings. One example is the investigation into the role of traumatic experience in the development of delusions [68].
Research in PHPs is easily integrated into ongoing programming. For instance, a focus on women with DD can rigorously investigate the many areas that differentiate men and women—response to pharmacological agents or CBT, hormonal effects, domestic relationships, parental relationships, therapeutic relationships, physical and psychiatric comorbidities, substance abuse, employment opportunities, delusional content, aggressive and suicidal tendencies [69].