Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Research watch: the power of genetic and biological explanations to reduce social inclusion
- Author:
- HOLTTUM Sue
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 16(3), 2012, pp.116-120.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This review summarises two recent research papers relating to the use of biological explanations. The first paper highlights how unhelpful it can be to over-use genetic explanations for various human experiences, and the second paper discusses the unhelpfulness of exclusively biological explanations for mental health conditions. The first paper explores the many ways in which genetic explanations are over-used to understand race, ethnicity, the sexes, sexual orientation, crime, mental health and obesity. This over-use of genetic explanations leads to various negative consequences, among them social exclusion, but may be counteracted by better explanations of both the relatively weak nature of genetic influences and how people's genes and environment interact. The second paper examines evidence about whether it is really helpful to think of mental health conditions as illnesses “like any other”. The author points to the need for promoting a more holistic understanding of human experience, and against focusing too narrowly on only one kind of cause, namely biological, and mostly on one aspect of biology – genes.
How included are mental health service users in decisions about their medication?
- Author:
- HOLTTUM Sue
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 20(3), 2016, pp.141-148.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to consider four recent articles relating to how included service users are in decision making about their medication in mental health services. Design/methodology/approach: One article describes conversations between a psychiatrist and service users about medication. The second paper describes a study in which young people were supported with the aim of developing their confidence to challenge medication decisions. The third paper reports on interviews with both professionals and service users about medication decisions. The fourth paper presents a theory of how the wider context can affect medication decision making in mental health. Findings: The first paper shows how a psychiatrist can persuade service users to accept medication decisions. The second paper shows how some young people can challenge medication decisions if they have the right support. The third paper illustrates how both professionals and service users may doubt service users’ ability to decide about medication, and pessimistically suggests that shared decision making may be unrealistic. In contrast to this, the fourth paper offers hope of changing how mental health services are organised in order to enable service users to be more empowered about medication decisions. Originality/value: A model of shared decision making is being imported into mental health from physical health. These four papers illustrate problems with a simple transfer from physical to mental health. The present paper points to differences in apparent awareness of different clinical researchers of the need to tackle service users’ disempowerment in mental health care, showing how some researchers are tackling this. (Publisher abstract)
Now I have a voice: service user and carer involvement in clinical psychology training
- Authors:
- HOLTTUM Sue, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 15(4), 2011, pp.190-197.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
UK universities have only recently begun to address the need for a partnership with service users in higher education. This paper describes the challenges and rewards of service user and carer involvement in clinical psychology training as experienced in Canterbury Christ Church University. The aim of involvement is to ensure that trainee clinical psychologists understand the experiences and perspectives of mental health service users and their carers. Members of the service user and carer advisory group Salomons Advisory Group of Experts by Experience (SAGE) regularly take part in a variety of clinical psychology training sessions. Three members of SAGE describe their contributions to the work. The challenges of inclusion and specific approaches that are used to work with these challenges are explored. They require that everyone involved should fully acknowledge the social and historical barriers in order to work together to overcome them.
Research watch: Coronavirus (COVID-19), mental health and social inclusion in the UK and Ireland
- Author:
- HOLTTUM Sue
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 24(3), 2020, pp.117-123.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: This paper aims to examine recent papers on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, including implications for some of the groups of people already less included in society. Design/methodology/approach: A search was carried out for recent papers on mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: Two papers describe surveys of adults in the UK and Irish Republic in the first days of lockdown. Low income and loss of income were associated with anxiety and depression. These surveys could not examine distress in Black and minority ethnicities, who have higher death rates from COVID-19. Two surveys of children and young people report distress and what can help. One paper summarises a host of ways in which the pandemic may affect mental well-being in different groups, and what might help. Another calls for research to understand how to protect mental well-being in various groups. Originality/value: These five papers give a sense of the early days of the pandemic, especially in the UK. They also highlight the needs of some specific groups of people, or the need to find out more about how these groups experience the pandemic. They suggest some ways of trying to ensure that everyone has the best chance to thrive in the aftermath of the pandemic. (Edited publisher abstract)
Mental health recovery is social
- Author:
- HOLTTUM Sue
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 18(3), 2014, pp.110-115.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to summarise two 2014 research papers that highlight the role of social interactions and the social world in recovery in the context of mental distress. Design/methodology/approach: The author summarise two papers: one is about two theories from social psychology that help us understand social identity – our sense of who we are. The other brings together and looks at the similarities and differences between ten different therapies that can be called resource-oriented – that is, they focus on people's strengths and resources rather than what is wrong with them. Findings: The paper on social identity gives a convincing case for incorporating teaching about social identity – and the social groups to which people belong – into the training of mental health professionals. The paper on resource-oriented therapies suggests that social relationships are a main component of all ten therapies examined. This second paper suggested a need for more research and theory relating to resource-oriented therapies. Social identity theory could help address this issue. Mental health services may be able to help people more by focusing on their established and desired social identities and group-belonging, and their strengths, than is usual. Originality/value: These two papers seem timely given the growing recognition of the role of social factors in the development and maintenance of mental distress. More attention to social factors in recovery could help make it more self-sustaining. (Publisher abstract)
Research Watch: talking therapy for anxiety and social difficulties may improve social inclusion after diagnosis with schizophrenia
- Author:
- HOLTTUM Sue
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 18(1), 2014, pp.7-12.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to summarize two 2013 papers on psychological therapies for people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Design/methodology/approach: The first paper is a report of a small study of cognitive behaviour therapy for anxiety in people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia attending an early intervention service. The second paper is a review of several studies looking at therapies to help people understand what others are feeling and thinking, and so cope better in social situations. Findings: Out of 11 people referred to the anxiety group, seven stayed until the end. Their self-rated anxiety and depression decreased significantly. The review of therapies for social situations suggests that there is a need for more than just training in understanding other people. It is probably necessary to offer a package of therapy that involves role-play and practising skills in actual situations, and possibly involving friends or family members. Originality/value: These papers report on therapies that have only recently begun to be considered for people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. It seems much more attention needs to be paid to helping people with anxiety when they have this diagnosis, and also to helping people cope in social situations so that they can participate in important social activities and work. (Publisher abstract)