Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services

Includes bibliographical references.

Caring for the Entire Unit: Psychiatric Nurses' Use of Awareness -- Palliative Care for Terminally III Individuals with Bordeline Personality Disorder -- Pediatric bipolar disorder: onset, risk factors, and protective factors -- Veterans' prospective attitudes about mental health treatment using telehealth.

[Article Title: Improving Treatment for Nurses and Nursing Students With Substance Use Disorders: The Time Is Now / Julie Worley, p. 2-3] Abstract: Nurse and nursing students have the same rate of substance use disorders (SUDs) as the general public (Emergency Nurses Association, 2017).;[Article Title: Cannabinoids and Mental Health, Part 1: The Endocannabinoid System and Exogenous Cannabinoids / Andrew Penn, p. 7-10] Abstract: The increasing public acceptance of cannabis and the proliferation of cannabis products in the marketplace has coincided with more patients using the drug as a substitute for psychiatric medications or as an adjunctive treatment modality for psychiatric conditions, despite limited evidence of efficacy. With a goal of furthering harm-reduction efforts in psychiatric nursing, the current article reviews the fundamentals of the endocannabinoid system in humans and the exogenous phytocannabinoids that act on this regulatory neurotransmitter system. The basics of cannabis botany are also reviewed to help nurse clinicians understand the heterogeneous nature of cannabis products. This foundational knowledge will help improve clinical interactions with patients who use cannabis and provide the necessary understanding of cannabinoids needed to undertake further scientific query into their purported benefits in psychiatric disease states.;[Article Title: Effective Strategies for Working With Patients With Substance Use Disorders / Julie Worley, p. 11-15] Abstract: Substance use is at epidemic proportions in the United States. Substance use disorders (SUDs) are difficult to treat and considered to be chronic with a high mortality rate. Nurses are in a prime position to help patients with SUDs in a variety of settings, but they often lack knowledge about the disorder and the skills to provide effective care. The identification and treatment of co-occurring disorders, such as trauma, are important when providing care for patients with SUDs. Empathy and perspective taking were once thought to be helpful when working with patients, but evolving thought is that compassion is more effective as it involves feeling for, and not with, patients and includes taking action to help another. Harm reduction strategies, such as accepting people where they are, as well as the use of motivational interviewing strategies are also effective when working with patients with SUDs. Involving patients with SUDs in their treatment plans through shared decision making is also effective in building a therapeutic relationship and improves outcomes. ;[Article Title: Caring for the Entire Unit: Psychiatric Nurses' Use of Awareness / Andrea E. Thomson, Fran Racher and Karen Clements, p. 17-23] Abstract: Psychiatric nurses have a level of responsibility for everyone residing on the unit, which contributes to the need to nurse the population on the unit as a whole. Because the knowledge base regarding psychiatric nursing interventions in acute care settings is limited, this hermeneutic phenomenological study explored psychiatric nurses' experiences in providing nursing interventions to adult clients in acute care settings. Six expert psychiatric nurses were recruited through purposive, snowball sampling and were interviewed individually to gain a rich understanding of the psychiatric nursing interventions they provided to adult clients in acute care mental health settings. Analysis of the data revealed themes of awareness and person-centered care. This article focuses on the theme of Awareness, with subthemes of self-awareness, awareness of the client, and situational awareness. Situational awareness in psychiatric nursing has remained generally unexplored, and this research adds to the current knowledge base. Implications for practice, research, and education are discussed.;Palliative Care for Terminally Ill Individuals With Borderline Personality Disorder / Terry L. Terpstra and Shelley Williamson, p. 24-31] Abstract: Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) exhibit persistent patterns of instability in mood, impulse control, self-image, and interpersonal relationships. These issues complicate quality end-of-life care for this population and are of particular concern for hospice and palliative care nurses and health care providers. This article presents case studies of terminally ill individuals with BPD as a series of vignettes that present common clinical issues encountered by the palliative care team. Interventions suggested in the literature as well as approaches used by team members when working with terminally ill individuals with BPD are discussed.;[Article Title: Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: Onset, Risk Factors, and Protective Factors / Ann Roselle, p. 32-37] Abstract: The current article discusses the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children throughout the years as it has evolved, focusing on very early-onset and early-onset bipolar disorder. Proper care of children with bipolar disorder requires a thorough understanding of the subtleties in symptoms at different developmental ages, as well as a shift in diagnostic thinking, which grew to include disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD). DMDD was added to address potential overdiagnosis of an already unusual diagnosis in young children. Critical discussion of risk factors, protective factors, and lack of data to support protective factors in the literature follows. Implications for advanced practice RNs are included, as these children transition from pediatric practice to adult practice. ;[Article Title: Veterans' Prospective Attitudes About Mental Health Treatment Using Telehealth / Elizabeth M. Goetter, Allyson M. Blackburn, Lauren M. Laifer and Naomi Simon, p. 38-43] Abstract: The current study examined Veterans' attitudes about the potential use of telepsychiatry for mental health treatment in routine clinical settings. Data were collected from Veteran outpatients (N = 253) who completed a series of self-report screening measures as part of their initial evaluation at an outpatient clinic providing care to Veterans with deployment-related mental health problems. Using a de-identified data repository, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as attitudes and level of comfort with receiving treatment through telehealth were assessed. Overall interest in telepsychiatry was mixed, with 25.7% of patients being "not at all comfortable" and 13.4% being "extremely comfortable" using telepsychiatry from home. Approximately one third (32.8%) of participants indicated a clear preference for telepsychiatry compared to in-person mental health visits. There were no differences in telepsychiatry preferences by symptom severity, demographic variables, rural versus urban location, or endorsed barriers to care. Although telepsychiatry may be a viable means of increasing access, patient preference should be considered, as a substantial percentage of Veterans in this study preferred in-person visits.