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Religiosity and the mental health of adolescents in Great Britain
- Authors:
- MELTZER Howard Ian, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Religion and Culture, 14(7), 2011, pp.703-713.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Recent studies of the association between religion or spirituality and mental health among young people suggest an equivocal relationship; variability being associated with the type of mental disorder or symptoms studied and the dimensions of religiosity that were measured. This study investigated the religiosity correlates of childhood psychopathology; strength of belief, importance of being able to practice one’s religion, and worship frequency. Questions on religiosity were included in the mental health survey of children in Great Britain administered to 2992 11–19-year-olds in 2007. The Development and Well-Being Assessment was used to generate rates of clinically recognisable mental disorders. The proportion of children who say they have any religion varies considerably by type of religious denomination in terms of how firmly they hold their religious beliefs, the importance of practicing their religion and attendance at services or prayer meetings. The relationships found between the measures of religiosity (strength of belief, importance of practice and attendance) and the two broad categories of childhood psychopathology, emotional and conduct disorders, suggest that all the religiosity variables need to be included in further studies. It would be desirable to have information on religiosity for all members of the family so that the child’s beliefs can be seen in the context of parental religiosity and other family factors.
Mental well-being in the religious and the non-religious: evidence for a curvilinear relationship
- Authors:
- GALEN Luke William, KLOET James D.
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Religion and Culture, 14(7), 2011, pp.673-689.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The prevailing view of the relationship between religiosity and mental health is a linear one; that more religiosity is associated with greater well-being. However previous studies have tended to sample from a highly religious general population and combined the low or weakly religious together with the completely non-religious or atheists. Church members are typically compared with non-religious unaffiliated individuals, thus confounding belief with group effects (e.g. social support). This study, in the MidWest, examined mental well-being, utilising the full range of certainty of belief or non-belief in God. In the first study, church (n=325, mean age 46 years, 30% male) and secular group members (n= 333, mean age 44 years, 64% male) were compared on measures of life satisfaction and emotional stability. The second study used a large survey of the non-religious. A curvilinear relationship was found such that those with higher belief certainty (both confidently religious and atheists) have greater well-being relative to those with low certainty (unsure and agnostics). Multiple regressions controlling for social and demographic variables reduced, but did not eliminate this curvilinear relationship. The authors conclude that mechanisms of well-being may involve a confident worldview rather than religious beliefs themselves.
The mental health of young people aging out of care and entering adulthood: Exploring the evidence from England and France
- Authors:
- STEIN Mike, DUMARET Annick-Camille
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 33(12), December 2011, pp.2504-2511.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
This article reviews the evidence from England and France on the mental health of young people ageing out of care and into adulthood. It is the first comparative review of the two countries and concentrates on the evidence on the mental health of young people in the general population, young people living in care, young people aging out of care, and young adults. The article shows the high levels of psychological adversity of young people entering car, and the high rates of mental health problems of young people in care compared with the general population of young people. It highlights the increased risk of mental and physical problems at the time of ageing out of care, and the general improvement in longer-term outcomes for young adults, although some continue to have serious mental health problems. In conclusion, the article argues that interventions across the life course of young people are needed in both countries.
Wives’ tales: the experience of trans partners
- Author:
- CHASE Lisa M.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 23(4), October 2011, pp.429-451.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The process of transitioning from one gender to another has implications for that person’s partner. However, to date there has been little research into the partner’s views and experiences of this process. This article presents an account of a qualitative study on the subjective experience of 6 white females, aged 38 to 63 years, who were coupled with a trans-person undergoing a gender transition by means of hormones and/or surgery. A psychoanalytic case-study design was used to collect in-depth and reflective data that were analysed and interpreted. Subjective viewpoints across cases are discussed. Implications for future research are presented.
Self-help strategies to reduce emotional distress: what do people do and why? A qualitative study
- Author:
- MARLEY Elizabeth
- Journal article citation:
- Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 11(4), December 2011, pp.317-324.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Managing distress is a complex and multi-dimensional process unique to each individual. However, some people with emotional distress prefer to utilise self-help strategies to reduce their symptoms rather than seek professional help. However, little is known about the strategies employed. This study investigated which self-help approaches might be employed to reduce the effects of emotional distress, and the reasons for these choices. Data were drawn from semi-structured interviews with 11 clerical employees in Scotland and analysed using grounded theory. Analysis of the data revealed five main categories: experiencing an emotional event; relationships with others; other choices; factors influencing self-help choices; and barriers to help-seeking. The use of self-help options was determined by a person's core beliefs, their social networks, and ideas about coping. Such beliefs may hinder help-seeking. The author concluded that people tend to engage in activities that are familiar to them already, rather than attempt new ones. Self-help strategies distracted the person from their problems and contributed to physical and mental well-being. Implications for practice are presented.
Mental well-being: for a smart, inclusive and sustainable Europe: a paper to present the first outcomes of the implementation of the 'European pact for mental health and well-being'
- Author:
- IMPACT CONSORTIUM
- Publisher:
- European Union. Directorate General for Health and Consumers
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 24p.
- Place of publication:
- Brussels
In June 2008, the “European Pact for Mental Health and Well-being” was launched at the High-Level Conference “Together for Mental Health and Well-Being” as a joint effort of the Commissioner for Health and Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. The Pact objectives are to support and inform EU Member States’ policy-makers and other stakeholders, and to promote best practice and encourage actions to help address common challenges and tackle health inequalities. The Pact provides an EU-framework that enables exchange and cooperation between Member States or stakeholders in different sectors to act on the challenges and opportunities in promoting better mental health for the European population. This paper presents the first outcomes of the implementation of the ‘European Pact for Mental Health and Well-being’. The aim of this document is to concisely present the relevance of mental well-being for the Europe 2020 strategic objectives, and present the outcomes of the first implementation phase of the European Pact for Mental Health and Well-being in the context of EU- health policy and its strategic policy objectives.
Wellbeing and welfare: a psychosocial analysis of being well and doing well enough
- Author:
- TAYLOR David
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Policy, 40(4), October 2011, pp.777-794.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
- Place of publication:
- Cambridge
It has been suggested that focussing on well-being allows society to consider a more rounded human experience, whereas welfare tends to focus on economic utility. This article, in attempting to avoid this separation, proposes a view of well-being and welfare as being mutually beneficial. It presents a perspective to reveal highly normative views of well-being and agency employed in these political and academic discourses. The article suggests a view of agency for well-being which is contextual, includes non-rational action and is oriented to being well enough with others. Instead of a concern with outcome measures such as happiness, it proposes a view of well-being as a process which varies according to context. The specific content of well-being is seen as generated through both close and distant relationships, an approach that challenges contemporary social policy to well-being which is individualised and market-led.
Is hope or mental illness a stronger predictor of mental health?
- Authors:
- VENNING Anthony, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 13(2), May 2011, pp.32-39.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The Complete State Model (CSM) of mental health considers an individual to have Complete Mental Health (CMH) if they report high levels of subjective well-being and very low levels of mental illness. While the absence of mental illness may be a consequence of mental health, the absence of mental illness does not necessarily signal or lead to mental health. This suggests that a focus on mental illness may not be the best way to promote mental health. This study aimed to test whether hope was a stronger predictor of mental health in young people than was mental illness. The data for the study were drawn from the South Australian Youth Mental Health Survey, an online survey conducted to gather information on a number of mental health indicators completed by 3913 young South Australians aged 13 to 17 years. The results indicated that hope was a significantly stronger predictor of mental health than was mental illness. These results imply that the focus of strategies to promote mental health may be best redirected to building a young person’s positive strengths, such as hope, to promote mental health and indirectly prevent mental illness.
Child-report data and assessment of the social environment in schools
- Author:
- BOWEN Natasha K.
- Journal article citation:
- Research on Social Work Practice, 21(4), July 2011, pp.476-486.
- Publisher:
- Sage
This study reports on an analysis of data from the child report components of a comprehensive, multiple-source, social environment assessment tool designed to help schools identify and address factors contributing to poor school performance among students. The study examined the quality of data collected with the online Elementary School Success Profile (ESSP) for Children from 1,172 third to fifth graders in North Carolina, United States. Factor analysis procedures for ordinal and clustered data were used. Of the 80 original items, 61 loaded on 13 dimensions in a first-order model that had good fit in 3 random subsamples. Children in Grades 3 through 5 may not be reliable reporters about neighbourhood adults’ caring. However, 12 statistically sound and independent dimensions related to school, peers, family, and overall well-being were acquired. The authors concluded that the ESSP for Children provided school staff with quality data to use alongside family and teacher ESSP data to guide intervention strategies within schools.
Divorce and the wellbeing of older Australians
- Authors:
- GRAY Matthew, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Ageing and Society, 31(3), April 2011, pp.475-498.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
In most developed countries, the number of older people who have experienced divorce at some point in their lives will increase in coming decades. However, there is a lack of research on the long-term effects of divorce in later life. This study, drawing from Australian data, examines the long-term impacts of divorce on the well-being of older Australians. Dimensions of well-being examined are social interaction and connectedness, perceived social support, life satisfaction, and physical and mental health. Findings suggest that while divorce has a long-lasting, negative impact on well-being that persists into later life for both men and women, the negative effects of divorce are largely confined to those who do not re-partner. One important difference between men and women is that for women who are divorced and remain single, the negative effects of divorce are found for general health, vitality and mental health. For men, there appear to be no long-term effects of divorce on physical or mental health. While there appears to be some effect of divorce on perceived social support for both older men and women, the effects of divorce on social support are less pervasive in later life than the effects of divorce on satisfaction with life.