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Does mental illness have a place alongside social and recovery models of mental health in service users' lived experiences? Issues and implications for mental health education
- Author:
- BARNES Helen
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice, 6(2), 2011, pp.65-75.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Social, empowerment and recovery models in mental health, promoting the principles of social inclusion and control over one’s life have become very influential in policy and practice. The author suggests that this “de-emphasises” mental illness understandings in mental health education today. She questions how responsive these perspectives may be to service users, and reviews the value of mental illness concepts to social model approaches. The paper first reviews research concerning service users' experiences of mental illness. It then investigates the roots of mental illness stigma, tracing these back to socio-historical discourses predating mental illness concepts. Against this background, the evolution of mental illness theories and their value to service users is appraised. Concerns with the traditional associations between the medical model and stigma; notions of biological causation, and loss of autonomy, have lead social and recovery models to de-emphasise the notion of mental illness. However a major argument of this paper is that mental health stigma is located not in the notion of mental illness itself but rather in pre-existing societal ideas. These findings have implications for the development of social approaches in mental health education which embrace mental illness alongside social understandings which are just as important in recovery.
Social exclusion and psychosis: exploring some of the links and possible implications for practice
- Author:
- BARNES Helen
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Mental Health, 2(2/3), 2004, pp.207-233.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This article considers aspects of the possible impact of social exclusion upon psychosis and the implications of this for mental health social work practice. Against a background of calls for evidence based practice, and increasing recognition of the significance of theories and understandings as the foundations of practice, the article first explores current and historical ways of viewing and intervening with the relationship between social adversity and mental health. Then, alternative understandings of this relationship, supported by recent research regarding the impact of trauma and extreme social adversity upon physiological and physical processes implicated in mental ill-health, are discussed. These approaches have major implications for social work practice with psychosis, suggesting that experiences of trauma and disadvantage, and interventions seeking to alleviate the inner and outer effects of these experiences-tasks central to the social work remit-can make a significant difference to mental health outcomes. However, this is not to advocate a simple (albeit under-resourced) 'social solution'! On the contrary, the understandings underpinning these approaches recognise biological processes play a role in mental and physical ill-health: importantly, however, they can be shown to question the stigma traditionally attached to the concept of biological disorder in mental health, thus pointing to the value of a truly biopsychosocial approach with psychosis, involving fully holistic interventions that differ from those currently dominant, and which carry implications for more egalitarian worker-user relationships. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580)
A comment on Stroud and Pritchard: child homicide, psychiatric disorder and dangerousness: a review and an empirical approach
- Author:
- BARNES Helen
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 31(3), June 2001, pp.481-492.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
On the basis of a review of research on child and adult homicide and mental disorder, along with an original study of these connections, Stroud and Pritchard suggest that diagnoses of mental disorder and other 'psychopathologies' can be useful in identifying adults at risk of community child homicide, and thus advocate that social work practice should focus attention on these issues in seeking to prevent child homicide. Issues contained in the paper, however, appear to present a number of concerns with considerable implications for social work practice. These concerns relate to the following: the conclusions drawn in the paper about the prevalence of mental disorder amongst people committing child homicide, the implications of the paper's findings and conclusions for the knowledge base and strategies social workers should be employing in identifying and managing risk of child homicide, and the implications of the paper for social work values.
Exclusion and mental health: the relationship context of mental health practice
- Author:
- BARNES Helen
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work Education (The International Journal), 18(4), November 1999, pp.401-415.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This paper will explore relationship aspects of social exclusion and consider their implications for mental health and for social work mental health practice. Current understandings of the impact of exclusionary social relations tend to focus on their implications for people's capacity to achieve need satisfaction, and thus seek to address the denial of inner and outer resources. However, a further dimension of these relations is that of their meanings for people, arising in discourses involving exclusion from relationships of respect. Evidence indicates that these meanings result in the experience of trauma, which can be shown to make its own contribution to disempowerment in the mental health context. In accordance with this, research suggests that relationships between the worker and service user which involve respect result in good mental health outcomes, and simultaneously provide a foundation for anti-discriminatory practice. The paper suggests that social work education in respect of these issues may be approached using the broad framework of radical empowerment theory, which relates discriminatory social relations to societal discourses. Within this framework, the paper explores particular educational strategies in respect of the trauma-related aspects of exclusion.
Understanding the worklessness dynamics and characteristics of deprived areas: research summary
- Authors:
- BARNES Helen, et al
- Publisher:
- Great Britain. Department for Work and Pensions
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 2p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Key findings of a study to examine the dynamics of worklessness in deprived areas are summarised in four bullet points. The study used individual level data from the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS). The findings aim to inform area-based policies to tackle the causes of worklessness, the nature of regeneration and employment support required.
Understanding the worklessness dynamics and characteristics of deprived areas
- Authors:
- BARNES Helen, et al
- Publisher:
- Great Britain. Department for Work and Pensions
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 75p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
This research examined some unanswered questions about the dynamics of worklessness in deprived areas. It had been suggested that in certain deprived neighbourhoods individuals make the transition from worklessness into employment and move away to less deprived areas. As these people move away they are replaced by inflows of other workless people who may themselves find employment and move on in a similar way. Therefore, although people experience positive individual level employment outcomes whilst living in a neighbourhood, the area may change little over time and may appear unresponsive to initiatives aimed at reducing worklessness. This research examines this issue and the associated policy implications. Employment status changes and geographical movements of individuals in non-improver deprived areas were examined, comparing the situation in 2004 with that of 2007. It was found that approximately 70% of workless people in 2004 were also workless in 2007. Nevertheless, approximately 15% were in employment in 2007. A higher proportion of individuals who had claimed JSA or IS-LP in 2004 made the transition into employment. Overall, the report research found that there was a widespread, but not universal, phenomenon of catching up, whereby deprived areas narrowed the gap with the national average during the favourable economic climate of 2004-2007.
Unsuccessful employment and support allowance claims: qualitative research
- Authors:
- BARNES Helen, et al
- Publisher:
- Great Britain. Department for Work and Pensions
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 54p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This qualitative study, commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions, provides a detailed understanding, from a customer perspective, of the views and subsequent experiences of people who apply for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) but whose claim is unsuccessful – either because their claim was closed by Jobcentre Plus or withdrawn by the customer before it was assessed, or because the customer was found fit for work and not entitled to ESA. Sixty people who had recently made an unsuccessful ESA claim were interviewed in March 2011 in two areas in the South East and West Midlands. An important reason why ESA claims in this sample were withdrawn or closed before they were fully assessed was because the person recovered and either returned to work, or claimed a benefit more appropriate to their situation. The report discusses the experiences of ESA claimants in the light of original expectations and explores their views of their future work prospects. Finally, it categorises the different facets of claim experiences and characteristics of claimants.
Work, savings and retirement among ethnic minorities: a qualitative study
- Authors:
- BARNES Helen, TAYLOR Rebecca
- Publisher:
- Corporate Document Services; Great Britain. Department for Work and Pensions
- Publication year:
- 2006
- Pagination:
- 92p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Leeds
This research study was designed to examine the different factors that affect the work, savings and retirement decisions of ethnic minority groups. The aim of this qualitative research was to fill acknowledged gaps in existing research to ensure that policies are appropriate and sensitive to any cultural differences. The findings are based on depth interviews conducted with people from the six main ethnic minority groups in the UK (Indian, Pakistani, Black Caribbean, Black African, Bangladeshi and Chinese), including those below and above State Pension age. The research was carried out on behalf of the Department by the Policy Studies Institute.
Pathways to work: qualitative research on the condition management programme
- Authors:
- BARNES Helen, HUDSON Maria
- Publisher:
- Corporate Document Services; Great Britain. Department for Work and Pensions
- Publication year:
- 2006
- Pagination:
- 67p.
- Place of publication:
- Leeds
This report assesses the Condition Management Programme (CMP), which is a voluntary element of the Pathways to Work pilot introduced in October 2003, which aims to increase the number of Incapacity Benefit recipients who move towards work. The CMP aims to tackle deep-seated barriers to work such as anxiety and lack of confidence. Widely varying models of delivery have been adopted to deliver the CMP, including in-house, full or partly contracted out, condition-specific or generic, and involving one or more Primary Care Trusts. The report presents an analysis of implementing and delivering this new provision, including working with people claiming Incapacity Benefit, and in developing relationships with Jobcentre Plus and other local agencies. The report includes a discussion of the lessons learned, and advice for those areas which are starting to develop CMP provision, as following a phased roll-out, the pilot provision will apply in a third of the UK by October 2006.
Pathways to work: extension to some existing customers: early findings from qualitative research
- Authors:
- BARNES Helen, HUDSON Maria
- Publisher:
- Great Britain. Department for Work and Pensions
- Publication year:
- 2006
- Pagination:
- 61p.
- Place of publication:
- London
The incapacity benefit pilots (also known as the ‘Pathways to Work' pilots) commenced in October 2003 in three locations in Great Britain and was extended to a further four locations in April 2004. The aim of the pilots is to extend help to new incapacity benefit claimants from Jobcentre Plus offices in order to encourage and facilitate a return to employment. Innovations include: introduction of personal advisers to work with all new incapacity benefit claimants; series of up to six work-focused interviews; access to health condition management; financial help through the Return To Work Credit.