Taysha N Bruno Ortiz, Sofia Chu DeChristofaro, Michelle Cheng, Margarita Alegría
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Abstract: In an evolving health care landscape, community health workers (CHWs) have emerged as invaluable assets, bridging gaps to mental health service access and fostering community resilience. In this article, we explore the multifaceted responsibilities shouldered by CHWs, encompassing outreach, education, and support, and underscore their unique abilities to establish trust within diverse communities. We also highlight evolving recognition of CHWs as integral health care team members and examine the growing body of evidence on CHW effectiveness in enhancing mental health outcomes, reducing disparities, and promoting preventative measures. Additionally, we review how, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CHW role has shifted with increased demand for their services within the mental health care landscape. The pandemic laid bare the vulnerabilities in existing health care structures, disproportionately affecting communities with limited resource access, including mental health support. Furthermore, we review six primary research domains that could potentially help expand the CHW workforce: standardization and training, sustainability and retention, integration into health systems, impact measurement, cost-effectiveness and financing, and scaling up and adaptation. Last, we examine the pandemic's transformative effects on CHWs; we shed light on their resilience and adaptability in the face of unprecedented challenges and underscore their heightened relevance within the evolving health care response paradigm post-COVID.
期刊介绍:
The Harvard Review of Psychiatry is the authoritative source for scholarly reviews and perspectives on important topics in psychiatry. Founded by the Harvard Medical School''s Department of Psychiatry, the Harvard Review of Psychiatry features review papers that summarize and synthesize the key literature in a scholarly and clinically relevant manner. Topics covered include: Schizophrenia and related disorders; Mood disorders; Personality disorders; Substance use disorders; Anxiety; Neuroscience; Psychosocial aspects of psychiatry; Ethics; Psychiatric education; and much more.
In addition, a Clinical Challenges section presents a case with discussion from a panel of experts. Brief reviews are presented in topic-specific columns that include Cross-Cultural Psychiatry, History of Psychiatry, Ethics, and others.