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Abstract
Aim Mental health conditions and behavioural issues were seen to be on the rise even before the COVID-19 pandemic(1). The enforced isolation caused by Covid19 pandemic has led to further increase in mental health issues and severity of presentations to emergency departments in Ireland(2). However, extremely long waiting lists to access Psychology or Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services further compounds the problem(3,4). We have designed The Happiness Toolkit (figure 1) which is a resource comprising of six evidence-based techniques that has proven to boost self-esteem, develop resilience and promote positive mental health while awaiting Psychology and CAMHS input. We aim to explore if the Happiness Toolkit allows children and their families to engage in positive mental health practices that may lead to improved mental health or cessation of symptoms in an inpatient setting.
Material and Method We undertook retrospective chart review of children less than 16 years of age with behavioural and mental health disorders who presented to the Paediatrics Unit in a Regional Hospital in Ireland from May 2022 to September 2023 and received intervention in the form of the Happiness Toolkit.
The Happiness Toolkit. Six components of the happiness toolkit.
Results Thirteen patients aged 10 to 15 years old were included during this study period. 84.6% were female. Anxiety was the most common symptom (n=9) followed by eating disorder (n=8), intentional overdose (n=6), suicidal ideation (n=4), deliberate self-harm (n=4) and depression (n=4). All patients received the Happiness Toolkit as part of their management care plan after establishing a therapeutic alliance. All patients were compliant with self-care skills of smiling a vision, mindfulness, and positive physical contact. Twelve patients expressed satisfaction with practising emotional intelligence. Nine patients were compliant with social relatedness and positive physical contact (table 1).
Patient satisfaction on components of the happiness toolkit
Conclusions The results of this study are promising regarding the use of the Happiness Toolkit alongside psychology and CAMHS in treating paediatric mental health conditions in an inpatient setting.