Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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An occupational perspective of the recovery journey in mental health
- Authors:
- KELLY Mary, LAMONT Scott, BRUNERO Scott
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73(3), March 2010, pp.129-135.
- Publisher:
- Sage
The philosophy of occupational therapy and that of recovery are markedly similar; however, there is limited research linking occupation to recovery in mental health. This study aimed to explore the relationship between recovery and occupation in consumers with mental health problems. A qualitative method in the form of narratives was chosen in exploring the uniquely subjective experiences of mental health, occupation and recovery. Five members of a mental health support group (GROW) were engaged in semi-structured interviews, whereby individual narratives were analysed through comparative methods to identify categories and themes. Five categories emerged: (1) The recovery map, (2) GROW has just given me the platform, (3) You have to become active, (4) The great barriers and (5) Where am I now ... I couldn't bear it if I was any better. The participants' experiences of recovery highlighted the necessity for occupational engagement in a supported environment. The benefits of occupation included feelings of social cohesion, meaning, purpose, normalisation, routine, competence, productivity, skill acquisition, routine and pleasure. These factors enabled the participants to re-establish self-concepts and subsequently promoted mental health. The findings may have implications for occupational therapy practice, whereby occupational therapy could facilitate a leadership role in recovery-orientated mental health services.
Adult adjustment of survivors of institutional child abuse in Ireland
- Authors:
- CARR Alan, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 34(7), July 2010, pp.477-489.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Institutional child abuse is perpetrated by adults working in, or peers within, institutions serving children in the community, such as residential care centres, schools, reformatories, churches, and recreational facilities. This study focused on the adjustment of adults who suffered institutional abuse in childhood within the context of Irish religiously-affiliated residential reformatories and industrial schools, aiming to document the rate of psychological disorders and difficulties. 247 adult survivors of institutional abuse were recruited from those who had attended the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (a statutory body established by the Irish Government in 2000), and were interviewed and completed versions of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. The study found that the prevalence of psychological disorders among participants was over 80%, with anxiety, mood and substance use disorders being the most prevalent diagnoses. The researchers concluded that there was an association between the experience of institutional abuse in childhood and the prevalence of adult mental health problems.
Economic costs and preference-based health-related quality of life outcomes associated with childhood psychiatric disorders
- Authors:
- PETROU Stavros, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 197(5), November 2010, pp.395-404.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This study estimated the costs and preference-based health-related quality of life outcomes associated with a range of childhood psychiatric disorders during the eleventh year of life. Participants included 190 extremely preterm children and 141 term-born controls, who undertook psychiatric assessment using the Development and Well Being Assessment and the Kaufman-Assessment Battery for Children. Questionnaires completed by parents and teachers described the children’s utilisation of health, social and education services at the age of eleven. Parents also described their child’s health status using the Health Utilities Index health status classification system. The paper presents detailed costs and health utilities associated with psychiatric disorders for the preterm population and term-born population. The authors suggest that the results of the study should be used to inform future economic evaluations of interventions aimed at preventing childhood psychiatric disorders or alleviating their effects.
Compliance with NICE guidelines in the management of self-harm
- Authors:
- MULLINS Diane, MACHALE Siobhan, COTTER David
- Journal article citation:
- Psychiatrist (The), 34(9), September 2010, pp.385-389.
- Publisher:
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
Five percent of people attending accident and emergency services show signs of psychiatric problems, and another 20-30% have psychiatric symptoms as well as physical disorders. The most common problem presented is self-harm. This study aimed to identify the provision of psychosocial assessments for all people attending an accident and emergency department in Ireland with a presentation indicative of self-harm over a 12 month period, and examined whether the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for self-harm were met. A total of 834 attendances for self-harm were recorded. Findings showed that a psychosocial assessment was undertaken by a member of the liaison psychiatry team in 59% of attendances, but single male patients under 45 years of age represented 39% of those who did not receive a psychosocial assessment. In order to meet the NICE guidelines for standards of care it is suggested that levels of psychosocial assessment need to be improved for single men under the age of 45 years.
Group-based problem-solving therapy in self-poisoning females: a pilot study
- Author:
- BANNAN Noreen
- Journal article citation:
- Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 10(3), September 2010, pp.201-213.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
In this pilot study 18 females (aged 18 to 53 years) who had presented to an accident and emergency department of an inner city hospital in Ireland following an episode of deliberate non-fatal self-poisoning were equally randomised to a time-limited, group-based problem-solving intervention or to a treatment as usual control group. The intervention group underwent 8 sessions of group therapy each lasting 150 minutes, with the initial 4 sessions held twice weekly, the next two sessions held weekly, and the final two sessions held at two week intervals. The control group received standard individual therapy in the outpatients or day hospital. All clients were assessed using standardised questionnaires for depression, hopelessness, suicidal ideation and social problem-solving skills. Adherence with therapy was good with only one client in each group failing to adhere to the treatment schedule. The treatment group experienced significant reductions in levels of depression, hopelessness, suicidal ideation and improvements in self-assessed social problem-solving skills. Improvements in mental health and aspects of self-assessed problem-solving skills continued to be evident at two months follow-up in this group. The control group did not change significantly over time on mental health measures or social problem solving abilities. The authors conclude that these preliminary findings suggest that group-based problem-solving therapy is effective in the management of deliberate self-poisoning.
Gender and self-reported mental health problems: predictors of help seeking from a general practitioner
- Authors:
- DOHERTY D. Tedstone, KARTALOVA-O’DOHERTY Y.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Health Psychology, 15(1), February 2010, pp.213-228.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The main topic of this paper is an examination of the socio-demographic and health status factors that predict help seeking for self-reported mental health problems from a general practitioner (GP), for adults of both genders, because it has been reported previously that many people do not seek help when experiencing psychological distress. Using data from the HRB National Psychological Wellbeing and Distress Survey in Ireland in 2005 and 2006, 382 participants who had reported mental health problems in the previous year, with approximately 60% female and 40% male, were selected. The findings showed gender differences in the models of predictors between males and females with more factors influencing attendance at the GP for males and females. Only access to free health care and social limitations predicted female attendance, a range of seven socio-demographic and psychological factors influenced male attendance – self-reporting embarrassment, limitations in physical activities, martial status, employment status, access to free health care, location/size of household, and level of education. This, say the authors, suggests a ‘gender sensitive approach’ to mental health policies and promotion and to preventative practice programs would be well placed in GP surgeries and at a primary care level generally.
Profiles of adult survivors of severe sexual, physical and emotional institutional abuse in Ireland
- Authors:
- FITZPATRICK Mark, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse Review, 19(6), November 2010, pp.387-404.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
In this research funded by the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, 247 adult survivors of severe institutional abuse in Ireland were interviewed with a standard assessment protocol which included instruments which assessed history of child abuse and current psychological functioning. Participants were aged 40 to 83 years, 54.7% were male; on average they had spent 10 years living in an institution and it had been 22-65 years since they had suffered institutional abuse. Profiles were identified for subgroups that described severe sexual (n=60), physical (n=102), or emotional (n=85) abuse as their worst forms of maltreatment. Significant intergroup differences were found for gender, age, length of time living with family before entering an institution, reasons participants believed they were placed in institutions and institutional management. Survivors of severe sexual abuse were found to have the most abnormal profile, which was characterised by higher rates of all forms of child maltreatment and higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol and substance abuse, antisocial personality disorder, trauma symptoms and life problems. Survivors of severe emotional abuse were better adjusted than the other two groups. The profiles of survivors of severe physical abuse occupied an intermediate position between the other two groups. Implications for future research, practice and policy are discussed. The authors comment that a thorough assessment of abuse history and current functioning should be conducted when providing services to adult survivors of institutional abuse. Survivors of severe sexual abuse may require more intensive services.