Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Experiencing the relationship with a sibling coping with mental health problems: dilemmas of connection, communication, and role
- Authors:
- KOVACS Tehila, POSSICK Chaya, BUCHBINDER Eli
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 27(5), 2019, pp.1185-1192.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Prolonged mental health problems of one family member influences the whole family system, including sibling relationships. The current research focuses on the way siblings of persons with mental health problems experience the relationship. The findings identify the challenges and difficulties these siblings face and can help mental health practitioners support siblings as well as their brothers and sisters with mental health problems. This qualitative research employs the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis method. Data were collected through in‐depth semi‐structured interviews with 14 adult siblings of persons coping with prolonged mental health problems. The sample included seven men and seven women, between the ages of 20–55. Three main themes were identified: (a) Connection: Between involvement and distance; (b) Communication: Controlled confrontation or cautious vagueness; (c) Role: Positioning in the sibling relationship. The discussion introduces the Relational Dialectics Theory in order to understand contradictory statements that arise from the interviewees’ experience of dialectal tensions between: involvement versus distancing; direct confrontation versus cautious vagueness; and opposing positions in relation to the sibling coping with mental health problems. A multi‐voiced discourse allows for dialogue that incorporates the contradictory poles of the dialectic, thus enabling the siblings to balance the tension in the relationship. In addition, the concept of ambiguous loss is used to interpret the findings. The study is limited by the small homogeneous sample. The results highlight the need for practitioners to give special attention to siblings of persons with mental health problems in order to help them process and cope with the challenges in the relationship, thus providing an opportunity for growth and empowerment. (Edited publisher abstract)
Perceptions of professionals about the nature of rehabilitation relationships with persons with mental illness and the dilemmas and conflicts that characterize these relationships
- Authors:
- FINARET Anderea Eini, SHOR Ron
- Journal article citation:
- Qualitative Social Work, 5(2), June 2006, pp.151-166.
- Publisher:
- Sage
The development of rehabilitation relationships with persons with mental illness is a topic that has had limited attention in psychiatric rehabilitation literature. This research presents findings from in-depth interviews that were conducted with 10 psychiatric rehabilitation workers in Israel. Six of them were social workers, two were psychologists, and two were occupational therapists. Eight central components that characterize the development of rehabilitation relationships have been highlighted. These components indicate that the rehabilitation relationship is unconventional and differs in many ways from traditional therapeutic relationships. In addition, the challenge of coping with the conflicts and dilemmas which professionals encounter during the implementation of these components has been emphasized. The findings illuminate the need to develop a knowledge base that would prepare rehabilitation workers to cope with these difficulties and provide suitable professional training and supervision.
Post-traumatic stress disorder and depression
- Authors:
- BLEICH Avi, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 170, May 1997, pp.479-482.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Examines psychiatric morbidity following war-related psychic trauma, with a special focus on the depressive comorbidity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). Subjects consisted of Israeli veterans who sought psychiatric treatment 4-6 years after having been exposed to war trauma. Concludes that within post-traumatic psychiatric morbidity of combat origin, PTSD and MDD are the most prevalent disorders. In addition it appears that PTSD, although related to post-traumatic MDD beyond a mere sharing of common symptoms, is at the same time differentiated from it as an independent diagnostic category.
Stress and coping patterns of parents of the mentally ill in Israel
- Author:
- GIDRON B.
- Journal article citation:
- International Social Work, 34(2), April 1991, pp.159-170.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Stress and coping patterns were examined as distinctive factors in the first study of Israeli parents who care for their mentally ill sons or daughters. The authors surveyed fifty parents of the mentally ill in Israel, examining self-reported inventories of potential stresses and coping strategies. Parents reported their greatest concerns surrounded their child's future and their own difficulties in acceptance of their situation. They reported coping by relying on professionals and spouses, and did not report a significant reliance on natural support networks. These findings are examined in the context of studies conducted in other nations.
New grandparents’ mental health: the protective role of optimism, self-mastery, and social support
- Authors:
- SHLOMO Shirley Ben, TAUBMAN-BEN-ARI Orit
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Family Social Work, 15(4), July 2012, pp.254-271.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
First-time grandparents report conflicting feelings in the wake of the transition to their new role. The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of optimism, self-mastery, perceived social support, and background variables (age, physical health, economic status) to mental health following the transition to grandparenthood. The sample consisted of 257 first-time Israeli grandparents (156 grandmothers and 101 grandfathers), of whom 151 were maternal grandparents and 106 were paternal grandparents. The participants were asked to complete a series of self-report questionnaires. Analysis was conducted to examine: differences between grandparents by gender and lineage; associations between mental health and the independent variables; and the unique and combined contribution of the independent variables to the mental health of new grandparents. The results indicate the importance of internal and external resources, as well as of health and economic status, for the mental health of new grandparents. The value of designing relevant preventive interventions by family social workers to assist grandparents in coping with their new role is discussed.
Guardianship of people with mental disorders
- Authors:
- MELAMED Yuval, DORON Israel, SHNITT Dan
- Journal article citation:
- Social Science and Medicine, 65(6), September 2007, pp.1118-1123.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
The duty of a guardian is to protect a patient who is unable to care for himself or herself. Guardianship has been considered an abrogation of autonomy while conversely it often prevents irreversible harm to the patient. We examined the decision-making process for appointing a guardian in 60 cases from one mental health center in Israel, by examining the patients’ medical records and court appeals. The results of our study suggest that guardians are usually appointed only in extreme cases, though alternative solutions are rarely sought, and that clear criteria for physicians when recommending guardianship are lacking.
Does activity level in online support groups for distressed adolescents determine emotional relief
- Authors:
- BARAK Azy, DOLEV-COHEN Michal
- Journal article citation:
- Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 6(3), September 2006, pp.186-190.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Online support groups are widely used for numerous types of distress areas, but relatively little has been empirically examined to date in regard to their effectiveness in providing emotional relief to participants as claimed. The current study aimed at testing a possible moderator affecting participants' emotional relief when using an online support group: the degree of active involvement. This subject was explored by investigating the number of main and response messages that 20 randomly selected participants posted, as well as the number of replies they received, over the course of three months of participation in an open, online support group intended for suicidal and severely distressed adolescents in Israel. Level of distress was measured by a thematic analysis of main messages posted by the participants that was conducted by three pre-trained, expert judges. Results revealed that although the level of participants’ distress did not change over time, on the average, it was significantly correlated with activity level: the higher the number of posts and replies, the lower the level of distress in following months. Implications of these findings for the application and facilitation of online support groups are discussed.
Trauma exposure in pre-school children in a war zone
- Authors:
- THABET Abel Aziz Mousa, KARIM Khalid, VOSTANIS Panos
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 188(2), February 2006, pp.154-158.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This study investigates the relationship between exposure to war trauma and behavioural and emotional problems among pre-school children. A total of 309 children aged 3–6 years were selected from kindergartens in the Gaza Strip, and were assessed by parental reports in regard to their exposure to war trauma, using the Gaza Traumatic Checklist, and their behavioural and emotional problems, using the Behaviour Checklist (BCL) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The results found that pre-school children were exposed to a wide range of traumatic events. The total number of traumatic events independently predicted total BCL and SDQ scores. Exposure to day raids and shelling of the children’s houses by tanks were significantly associated with total behavioural and emotional problems scores. The authors conclude that direct and non-direct exposure to war trauma increases the risk of behavioural and emotional problems among pre-school children, which may present as non-specific psychopathology.
Adjustment disorder amongst welfare social service clients: the role of period of service receipt and social worker’s alternation
- Authors:
- MAHAT-SHAMIR Michal, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 52(1), 2022, pp.44-60.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Adjustment disorder is a maladaptive reaction to common life events. Levels of adjustment disorder can serve as one of the indicators of the effectiveness of social services interventions. Yet, the role of service receipt period and of social worker alternation in explaining levels of adjustment disorder remains unclear. In order to explore this issue, structured questionnaires were distributed to a random sample of 190 clients of a social services department in Israel. Whilst no significant differences were found between service receipt periods with regard to clients’ adjustment disorder, clients treated by a single social worker reported lower levels of adjustment disorder than those treated by alternating social workers. Furthermore, new and long-standing clients, treated by alternating social workers displayed higher levels of adjustment disorder than those treated by a single social worker. The importance of therapeutic alliance is discussed in light of the present findings. (Edited publisher abstract)
Families with parental mental illness: studying a home-based intervention program
- Authors:
- OPPENHEIM-WELLER Shani, SHTARK Tammi, ALDOR Roy
- Journal article citation:
- Child and Family Social Work, 26(4), 2021, pp.617-628.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study is the first to systematically examine the implementation of the BROSH program, a therapeutic intervention program developed in Israel for families in which one or both parents suffer from mental illness. The program is multidisciplinary, encompassing the collaboration of four different services. It aims to engage the families into therapy by building a strong working alliance and helping in emotional stress regulation. Further, the program aims to prevent parental hospitalization and children's out-of-home placement. This study conducted an in-depth investigation of the functioning of parents and children participating in the program. This study analysed protocols that followed 11 families throughout the multidisciplinary professionals' meetings. The findings indicate that the functioning of parents and children showed positive changes - improved stress regulation by parents and children and more familial engagement in the treatment program. It seems that both parents and children participating in the BROSH program benefitted from it by establishing coping abilities and being able to receive therapeutic help. (Edited publisher abstract)