IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i23p15847-d986801.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Mental Health Interventions Delivered by Frontline Health Care Workers in Emergency Health Services: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Min Peng

    (King’s Health Economics, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK)

  • Tao Xiao

    (Department of Emergency Response and Preparedness, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
    Psychological Rescue Branch, China Association for Disaster and Emergency Rescue Medicine, Haidian District, Beijing 100080, China)

  • Ben Carter

    (Department of Biostatistics and Health informatics, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK)

  • Pan Chen

    (Hunan Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China)

  • James Shearer

    (King’s Health Economics, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK)

Abstract

This systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mental health interventions delivered by frontline health care workers in disasters and public health emergencies. Six databases and trial registries were searched, and manual searches were conducted. Of the 221 studies identified, 21 were included. Meta-analyses assessed differences between the intervention and control in terms of PTSD outcomes. Eleven studies of 1802 participants were incorporated in the meta-analysis. Interventions delivered or prompted by specialist health care workers showed significant and large effects in improving PTSD-related symptoms with a SMD = 0.99 (95% CI: 0.42–1.57, p = 0.0007). Interventions delivered or prompted by frontline non-specialist health care workers showed significant but small effects in improving PTSD-related symptoms with SMD of 0.25 (95% CI: 0.11–0.39; p = 0.0007). The results showed that most mental health interventions delivered by frontline health care workers effectively supported affected people. Mental health interventions delivered by mental health care professionals are effective in reducing PTSD-related disorders in natural disasters. Future adequately powered RCTs are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of mental health interventions delivered by trained non-specialists. Economic modelling may be useful to estimate cost effectiveness in low- and middle-income countries given the difficulties of conducting studies in disaster and emergency settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Min Peng & Tao Xiao & Ben Carter & Pan Chen & James Shearer, 2022. "Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Mental Health Interventions Delivered by Frontline Health Care Workers in Emergency Health Services: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-20, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:23:p:15847-:d:986801
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/23/15847/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/23/15847/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Marit Sijbrandij & Rebecca Horn & Rebecca Esliker & Fiona O’May & Relinde Reiffers & Leontien Ruttenberg & Kimberly Stam & Joop de Jong & Alastair Ager, 2020. "The Effect of Psychological First Aid Training on Knowledge and Understanding about Psychosocial Support Principles: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-11, January.
    2. Semrau, M. & Van Ommeren, M. & Blagescu, M. & Griekspoor, A. & Howard, L.M. & Jordans, M. & Lempp, H. & Marini, A. & Pedersen, J. & Pilotte, I. & Slade, M. & Thornicroft, G., 2012. "The development and psychometric properties of the humanitarian emergency settings perceived needs (HESPER) scale," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 102(10), pages 55-63.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lennart Reifels & Michel L. A. Dückers, 2023. "Disaster Mental Health Risk Reduction: Appraising Disaster Mental Health Research as If Risk Mattered," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(11), pages 1-14, May.
    2. Tay, Alvin Kuowei & Rees, Susan & Chan, Jack & Kareth, Moses & Silove, Derrick, 2015. "Examining the broader psychosocial effects of mass conflict on PTSD symptoms and functional impairment amongst West Papuan refugees resettled in Papua New Guinea (PNG)," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 70-78.
    3. Karin Hugelius & Maya Semrau & Marie Holmefur, 2020. "Perceived Needs Among Asylum Seekers in Sweden: A Mixed Methods Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-10, July.
    4. Karin Hugelius & Charles Nandain & Maya Semrau & Marie Holmefur, 2021. "The Reliability and Feasibility of the HESPER Web to Assess Perceived Needs in a Population Affected by a Humanitarian Emergency," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-11, February.
    5. Cori L. Tergesen & Dristy Gurung & Saraswati Dhungana & Ajay Risal & Prem Basel & Dipesh Tamrakar & Archana Amatya & Lawrence P. Park & Brandon A. Kohrt, 2021. "Impact of Service User Video Presentations on Explicit and Implicit Stigma toward Mental Illness among Medical Students in Nepal: A Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-23, February.
    6. Holly Blake & Alisha Gupta & Mahnoor Javed & Ben Wood & Steph Knowles & Emma Coyne & Joanne Cooper, 2021. "COVID-Well Study: Qualitative Evaluation of Supported Wellbeing Centres and Psychological First Aid for Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-27, March.
    7. Ling Wang & Ian Norman & Tao Xiao & Yamin Li & Mary Leamy, 2021. "Psychological First Aid Training: A Scoping Review of Its Application, Outcomes and Implementation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-23, April.
    8. Hiroki Asaoka & Yuichi Koido & Yuzuru Kawashima & Miki Ikeda & Yuki Miyamoto & Daisuke Nishi, 2021. "Longitudinal Change of Psychological Distress among Healthcare Professionals with and without Psychological First Aid Training Experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-12, November.
    9. Tania Pearce & Lyndal Bugeja & Sarah Wayland & Myfanwy Maple, 2021. "Effective Elements for Workplace Responses to Critical Incidents and Suicide: A Rapid Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-17, April.
    10. Marine Tessier & Josianne Lamothe & Steve Geoffrion, 2021. "Adherence to Psychological First Aid after Exposure to a Traumatic Event at Work among EMS Workers: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-16, October.
    11. Julia Corey & Frédérique Vallières & Timothy Frawley & Aoife De Brún & Sarah Davidson & Brynne Gilmore, 2021. "A Rapid Realist Review of Group Psychological First Aid for Humanitarian Workers and Volunteers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-16, February.
    12. Lawrence A. Palinkas & Meaghan L. O’Donnell & Winnie Lau & Marleen Wong, 2020. "Strategies for Delivering Mental Health Services in Response to Global Climate Change: A Narrative Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-19, November.
    13. Kathryn L Falb & Alexandra H Blackwell & Julianne Stennes & Jeannie Annan, 2020. "Cash assistance programming and changes over time in ability to meet basic needs, food insecurity and depressive symptoms in Raqqa Governorate, Syria: Evidence from a mixed methods, pre-posttest," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(5), pages 1-15, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:23:p:15847-:d:986801. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.