TY - JOUR
T1 - Emotional and cognitive difficulties, help-seeking, and barriers to treatment in neurological disorders
AU - Gandy, Milena
AU - Karin, Eyal
AU - Fogliati, Vincent J.
AU - Meares, Susanne
AU - Nielssen, Olav
AU - Titov, Nickolai
AU - Dear, Blake F.
PY - 2018/11
Y1 - 2018/11
N2 - Purpose/Objective: To (a) explore the mental health and wellbeing of Australian adults with neurological disorders, (b) examine their history of help-seeking behavior and perceived barriers to treatment for emotional and cognitive difficulties, and (c) assess their interest in online self-management programs. Method/Design: A sample of 2,254 (mean age = 46.3 year; SD = 14.1; 80% were female), Australians with a neurological disorder completed an online survey of standardized measures of mental health and wellbeing, and questions about help-seeking and perceived barriers to treatment. Results: There was consistent evidence of poor mental health and wellbeing across measures of psychological distress (Kessler 10, K10; M [24.6]; SD [8.6]), depression (Neurological Depressive Disorders Inventory-Epilepsy, NDDI-E; M [15.6]; SD [4.3]), disability (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0, WHODAS 2.0;M[16.3]; SD [10.2]), Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS;M[20.0]; SD [8.0]), and perceived cognitive deficits (Perceived Cognitive Questionnaires, PDQ) in attention/concentration (M [2.1]; SD [1.2]); retrospective memory (M [2.0]; SD [1.0]); prospective memory (M [1.7]; SD [.9]); and planning/ organization (M[2.0]; SD [1.0]). Participants reported using both formal (e.g., advice from GP and neurologist) and informal help-seeking (e.g., searching the Internet) for both emotional symptoms and cognitive difficulties, but most (>70%) reported unmet needs and experiencing barriers to seeking care, including the lack of available services and beliefs that symptoms could not change. Conclusions/Implications: We found high levels of comorbid psychological distress among people with neurological disorders, widespread barriers to receiving care, and a high level of interest in an online self-management program that might help overcome barriers to accessing psychological treatment for mood symptoms and impaired cognitive function.
AB - Purpose/Objective: To (a) explore the mental health and wellbeing of Australian adults with neurological disorders, (b) examine their history of help-seeking behavior and perceived barriers to treatment for emotional and cognitive difficulties, and (c) assess their interest in online self-management programs. Method/Design: A sample of 2,254 (mean age = 46.3 year; SD = 14.1; 80% were female), Australians with a neurological disorder completed an online survey of standardized measures of mental health and wellbeing, and questions about help-seeking and perceived barriers to treatment. Results: There was consistent evidence of poor mental health and wellbeing across measures of psychological distress (Kessler 10, K10; M [24.6]; SD [8.6]), depression (Neurological Depressive Disorders Inventory-Epilepsy, NDDI-E; M [15.6]; SD [4.3]), disability (World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0, WHODAS 2.0;M[16.3]; SD [10.2]), Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS;M[20.0]; SD [8.0]), and perceived cognitive deficits (Perceived Cognitive Questionnaires, PDQ) in attention/concentration (M [2.1]; SD [1.2]); retrospective memory (M [2.0]; SD [1.0]); prospective memory (M [1.7]; SD [.9]); and planning/ organization (M[2.0]; SD [1.0]). Participants reported using both formal (e.g., advice from GP and neurologist) and informal help-seeking (e.g., searching the Internet) for both emotional symptoms and cognitive difficulties, but most (>70%) reported unmet needs and experiencing barriers to seeking care, including the lack of available services and beliefs that symptoms could not change. Conclusions/Implications: We found high levels of comorbid psychological distress among people with neurological disorders, widespread barriers to receiving care, and a high level of interest in an online self-management program that might help overcome barriers to accessing psychological treatment for mood symptoms and impaired cognitive function.
KW - barriers
KW - online
KW - cognitive rehabilitation
KW - psychological distress
KW - quality of life
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85053698750&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/rep0000241
DO - 10.1037/rep0000241
M3 - Article
C2 - 30247055
AN - SCOPUS:85053698750
SN - 0090-5550
VL - 63
SP - 563
EP - 574
JO - Rehabilitation Psychology
JF - Rehabilitation Psychology
IS - 4
ER -