Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Individual peer support: a qualitative study of mechanisms of its effectiveness
- Authors:
- GIDUGU Vasudha, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Community Mental Health Journal, 51(4), 2015, pp.445-452.
- Publisher:
- Springer
Peer-delivered services for individuals with psychiatric conditions have proliferated over the past three decades. The values and principles underlying peer support have been explored, but understanding is lacking of its mechanisms of action. To shed light on the processes of peer support, the authors conducted a study with individuals who had received substantial individual peer support. Individual interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and examined using a thematic analysis approach. Analysis suggests that individual peer support provided various practical, emotional, and social supports which were perceived as beneficial. Participants valued having someone to rely on, a friend, and someone to socialise with. The authors, however, found that individuals’ expectations of peer support did not always comport with available services. Participants viewed peer support as especially valuable because of the opportunity for a non-treatment based, normalising relationship. It is concluded that peer support complements rather than supplants needed traditional mental health services. (Edited publisher abstract)
Mental health and barriers to employment
- Author:
- McART Dervala
- Journal article citation:
- Probation Journal, 61(1), 2014, pp.85-87.
- Publisher:
- Sage
This report explores the numerous barriers to employment of people with experience of mental health conditions − namely discriminatory attitudes of employers, low expectations of health professionals and ineffective models of supported employment. The report highlights that in February 2013, over 724,000 people were claiming employment and support allowance because of mental and behavioural disorders. The report evidences that many of these people want to work and would like more help to return to employment, but they are lacking the necessary support from employers and health professionals, and are facing barriers created by employment models. (Publisher abstract)
Health and mental health needs and experiences of minority clients in Portugal
- Authors:
- MOLEIRO Carla, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Migration Health and Social Care, 5(1), June 2009, pp.15-24.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The paper addresses diversity, multi-culturalism and mental health. It reports qualitative data from a larger project on multi-cultural counselling competencies in Portugal which sought to meet the needs identified by specific minority groups by developing integrative, responsive and culturally sensitive treatments. A qualitative study is presented, with the aim of exploring the representations of mental health and illness held by ethnic minority groups in Portugal, as well as their specific needs and obstacles encountered in their interactions with health professionals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the results indicate that the meanings of health and mental health varied. Meanings of psychological health were related to general well-being. Help-seeking behaviours were associated with providing and receiving family and social support, mainly among participants of African descent. Although the great majority of participants had had no experience of counselling or psychotherapy, they expected psychologists to be multiculturally sensitive, as well as knowledgeable about diversity and multi-culturalism. Implications for development of mental health services for minority clients are discussed.
Social comparison of distress and mental health help-seeking in the US general population
- Author:
- MOJTABAI Ramin
- Journal article citation:
- Social Science and Medicine, 67(12), December 2008, pp.1944-1950.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
The role of social comparison of distress in the mental health help-seeking process remains largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to examine the association of socially compared distress with mental health help-seeking and perceived need for mental health care in a population sample. In 36,679 adult participants of the 2003 US National Survey on Drug Use and Health, data on 12-month help-seeking and perceived unmet need for care were compared between participants who described themselves as more worried, nervous or anxious than others vs. participants who described themselves as no more worried, nervous or anxious than others. Compared to participants who described themselves as no more worried, nervous or anxious, than others, those who described themselves as more worried, nervous or anxious were significantly more likely to seek professional help or to perceive an unmet need for such help. It is concluded that social comparison of distress is a significant correlate of mental health help-seeking and perceived unmet need for such help. Individual variations in social comparison of distress may partly explain the discrepancy between need - as measured by non-compared distress - and help-seeking in the general population.
Investigating staff knowledge and attitudes towards working with adults with learning disabilities and mental health problems
- Authors:
- ROSE Nikki, O'BRIEN Alex, ROSE John
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, 1(3), September 2007, pp.52-59.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Government policy in the UK suggests a shift in service provision so that the treatment of people with a learning disability who have mental health problems should be undertaken by mainstream mental health services rather than specialist learning disability services. Staff members from both specialist and mainstream services took part in a series of focus groups to discuss their experiences and attitudes about working with this group of people. Findings form the study suggest that staff with mainstream services currently feel that they are inadequately trained to deal with the often complex mental health needs of this group. Conversely, staff in learning disability services expressed concern about loosing their specialist skills in generic services. The implications of the themes are raised are discussed, particularly in relation to future service provision.
Working for individual choice
- Author:
- GRAHAM Cecil
- Journal article citation:
- A Life in the Day, 4(4), November 2000, pp.29-32.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Action Mental Health, under its previous name ITO, has long been an established part of the mental health scene in Northern Ireland. Over the past few years it has faced up to the challenge of modernising its services to meet user aspirations and, more ambitiously, has tried to change the way mental illness is perceived by the whole community.
Use of mental health screening instruments by non-medical helping professionals a needs assessment
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 29(11), 2014, pp.2068-2090.
- Publisher:
- Sage
When screening women intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors for mental health concerns, helping professionals must balance the very real concerns that arise with diagnostic labels with the equally real difficulties related to mental health problems. To better understand whether and how mental health screening tools can be more useful in this process, the current study reports findings from an online needs assessment. The nationally representative sample included 325 professionals who work with IPV survivors in United States. Overall, participants have a positive attitude about assessing mental health concerns even though most do not conduct such assessments. From this, the following four areas are highlighted: (a) a need for training, (b) the appropriateness of screening, (c) factors that limit use, and (d) assessment tools. Findings also suggest it may be beneficial to develop instruments and/or protocols that are tailored to the unique needs/experiences of IPV survivors. (Publisher abstract)
Perceived need and use of child mental health services in Korea
- Authors:
- CHO Sun-Mi, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Community Mental Health Journal, 45(1), February 2009, pp.56-61.
- Publisher:
- Springer
This study examined the degree of perceived need and use of child mental health services in Korea, as well as the factors associated therewith. The sample consisted of 3,477 children aged 8–13 years. Overall, 10.4% of the parents demonstrated a perceived need for mental health services regarding their children’s emotional or behavioural problems, while 1.9% used mental health services. Although the perceived need for mental health services is high, only a small proportion of children receive them. Whether a child receives mental health care is influenced by the child’s psychopathology, especially when social and/or thought problems exist.
Dementia and well-being: possibilities and challenges
- Author:
- COOK Ailsa
- Publisher:
- Dunedin Academic Press
- Publication year:
- 2008
- Pagination:
- 90p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Edinburgh
In recent years, policy and legislation in both England and Scotland has sought to promote the well-being of users of health and social care services, such as people with dementia. Most recent policy across the UK has identified key objectives, attainment of which is essential to the well-being of service users as governments have introduced a range of initiatives to ensure that services deliver good outcomes to service users. To date, however, there has been very little consideration of how inclusive this agenda is to people with dementia. Ailsa Cook addresses this gap by reviewing critically recent health and social care policy in Scotland and England in light of the growing body of empirical research into the experiences and perspectives of people with dementia. She draws on this evidence to consider the particular challenges associated with delivering four key outcomes to people with dementia identified by policy makers as fundamental to well-being. These are: independence, health, choice and social inclusion. The book examines the potential for current policy proposals to meet the needs of people with diverse experiences of dementia and considers the particular issues relating to including people with dementia as partners in policy and practice - a key principle underpinning all health and social care. In so doing the book contributes a much needed policy perspective to the field of dementia, as well as providing a fresh lens through which to consider the difference that proposed policies can make to a diverse range of service users. Intended as a text for Dementia Studies and gerontology students the specific focus of this book on the inter-relationship of policy and dementia ensures its place as a key reference for policy makers and administrators assessing the impact of policies, both implemented and proposed.
Teachers' perspectives of children's mental health service needs in urban elementary schools
- Authors:
- WILLLIAMS James Herbert, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Schools, 29(2), April 2007, pp.95-107.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This study uses a phenomenological approach to investigate elementary school teachers' perspectives on children's mental health service needs. Focus groups were conducted at two elementary schools with differing levels of available social services in a moderate-sized urban midwestern school district in the United States. Data collection centred on six prominent themes from children's mental health and school social work literature: school safety, parental support and involvement, problem recognition, knowledge of community resources, service effectiveness, and service barriers. Similarities and differences were evident when comparing responses across schools. Implications for practice are discussed.