Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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The relationship between mental health literacy regarding schizophrenia and psychiatric stigma in the Republic of Ireland
- Authors:
- O'KEEFFE Donal, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health, 25(2), 2016, pp.100-108.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
Background: There is an unclear relationship between mental health literacy (MHL) and psychiatric stigma. MHL is associated with both positive and negative attitudes to mental illness. Aims: This study was conducted to assess MHL regarding schizophrenia and the degree of psychiatric stigma displayed by the general public in the Republic of Ireland. Method: A face-to-face in-home omnibus survey was conducted with a representative sample of residents of the Republic of Ireland. Participants (N = 1001) were presented with a vignette depicting schizophrenia and were asked questions to determine their ability to recognise the condition and to ascertain their attitudes towards schizophrenia and mental illness. Results: Among the participants, 34.1% correctly identified schizophrenia. Higher age, higher socioeconomic status, and an urban geographic location predicted identification. Those who did not correctly identify schizophrenia were significantly more optimistic about recovery and perceived people with schizophrenia as less dangerous. However, only the relationship with perceived dangerousness was considered robust. Conclusions: Participants with higher MHL displayed more negative attitudes to mental illness. Findings have implications internationally for MHL and anti-stigma campaigns. (Edited publisher abstract)
Public perceptions, knowledge and stigma towards people with schizophrenia
- Authors:
- SMITH Valerie, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Public Mental Health, 10(1), 2011, pp.45-56.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Schizophrenia is a complex mental illness, and a significant portion of the general public holds stigmatising attitudes towards people with schizophrenia. Using questionnaires to gather information from undergraduates attending a school in the southwest United States, this study aimed to examine the perceptions and attitudes of young non-professionals towards people with schizophrenia. The article presents analysis of the results of the survey, undertaken with 330 undergraduates (approximate average age 23 years) during the 2007 academic year. The findings were that those with higher knowledge about schizophrenia and family members with schizophrenia reported higher levels of tolerance. However, participants with a family member diagnosed with mental illness reported less social distance comfort to persons with schizophrenia as opposed to those without mental illness in the family. Gender differences indicated that women held more tolerant attitudes toward schizophrenia than men.
Talking taboos
- Author:
- JOHNSTONE Lucy
- Journal article citation:
- Open Mind, 87, September 1997, pp.8-10.
- Publisher:
- MIND
Presents a selection of views on definitions, causes, and interpretations of schizophrenia and on living with the diagnosis.
A systematic examination of the nature and content of vignettes in schizophrenia research
- Authors:
- ALDERSEY Heather Michelle, HUYNH Doan Chinh, WHITLEY Rob
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health, 25(3), 2016, pp.189-196.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
Background: Vignettes are often used in psychiatric research, yet there are few systematic studies on their content, creation, and use. Aims: This article describes a study of: (a) how researchers create vignettes in research on schizophrenia and (b) how these vignettes portray individuals with schizophrenia. Method: The authors conducted a systematic search of the PubMed database for articles between 2008 and 2012 that used vignettes to measure attitudes about schizophrenia. They analysed the identified vignettes using a tool developed in reference to DSM criteria. Results: Within the vignettes, 98% of individuals portrayed demonstrated delusions, 91% demonstrated hallucinations and 29% demonstrated disorganised speech. The majority of vignettes portrayed individuals under 25 years and when both genders were not depicted, researchers chose to depict men much more frequently than women (41% vs. 8%). A majority of articles did not use original vignettes (55%), and many of the articles (53%) contained vignettes created by one team of researchers. Most vignettes did not include positive language or recovery-oriented information. Conclusions: This study highlights a need for critical thought on vignette development and utilisation, especially as psychiatry is now moving towards a recovery-based understanding of mental illness. (Edited publisher abstract)
Illness beliefs in schizophrenia
- Authors:
- KINDERMAN Peter, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Social Science and Medicine, 63(7), October 2006, pp.1900-1911.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Beliefs about health and illness shape emotional responses to illness, health-related behaviour and relationships with health-care providers in physical illness. Researchers are beginning to study the illness beliefs of people with psychosis, primarily using models developed in relation to physical illness. It is likely that modifications to these models will be necessary if they are to apply to mental disorders, and it is probable that some of the assumptions underlying the models will be inappropriate. In particular, different dimensions of understanding may be present in mental illness in comparison to those identified in physical illness. The present study examines the beliefs of 20 patients in the UK diagnosed with schizophrenia, including 10 currently psychotic inpatients and 10 outpatients in remission, about their experiences, using qualitative interviews and thematic analysis. Patients currently experiencing psychosis did not identify their experiences as separable ‘illnesses’ and did not have ‘illness beliefs’. Patients currently in a period of remission appraised their experiences as distinct from their own normal behaviour, but used conceptual frameworks of understanding that deviated significantly from conventional ‘health belief’ models. Patients’ ways of understanding mental illness did not parallel those described in physical illnesses. Methods for assessing beliefs about mental illness should therefore not be transferred directly from studies of beliefs about physical illness, but should be tailored to the nature of patients’ beliefs about mental illness.
A study investigating mental health literacy in Pakistan
- Author:
- SURHAIL Kausar
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health, 14(2), April 2005, pp.167-181.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
This study was conducted to assess public mental health beliefs in Pakistan. In a large-scale survey, conducted in three cities of Punjab along with their neighbouring suburbs, a total of 1750 people from all walks of life were read a vignette describing symptoms of either psychosis or major depression. Survey participants were requested to provide diagnosis, causes, prognosis, and possible treatments for the disorders. The findings showed that depression was four times more likely to be diagnosed than psychosis. A logistic regression analysis with forward selection for the predictors showed that the type of disorder, education status and area of residence contributed significantly to one's ability to diagnose. More people believed that GPs (23.76%), psychologists (23.92%) and psychiatrists (20.73%) were the right people to consult for these problems. There were also some who considered hakims and homeopaths (4.22%), magical (13.11%) and religious healers (13.54%) as the appropriate people to contact. Those recognizing mental disorders were more likely to identify the underlying causes, prognosis and appropriate treatment of the problems. The current findings suggest a need to initiate large mental health movements in Pakistan to increase the mental health awareness of people, especially targeting uneducated and rural populations.
Assessing cognitive representations of mental health problems. II. The illness perception questionnaire for schizophrenia: relatives' version
- Authors:
- LOBBAN Fiona, BARROWCLOUGH Christine, JONES Steven
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 44(2), June 2005, pp.163-179.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The ways in which relatives respond to patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia has been shown to impact on outcome. Understanding variation in relatives' responses is essential if successful interventions are to be developed. This study builds on previous research exploring attributions that relatives make about symptoms. The development of a new measure to assess beliefs that relatives have about schizophrenia is reported; The Illness Perception Questionnaire for Schizophrenia – Relatives version (IPQS–Relatives). Sixty-two relatives completed the IPQS–Relatives, along with measures of general psychopathology, burden, appraisal of coping, and expressed emotion. The psychometric properties of the IPQS–Relatives were analysed, including internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and discriminant and concurrent validity. IPQS–Relatives subscales were shown to be internally consistent and stable over time. Correlations with measures of general psychopathology, distress, burden, coping, and criticism indicate that the subscales have good concurrent validity. The study concludes the IPQS–Relatives can be used to assess relatives' beliefs about schizophrenia. This measure may aid family interventions that target beliefs associated with negative outcome for patients and their relatives.
Factors influencing social distance toward people with mental illness
- Authors:
- LAUBER Christoph, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Community Mental Health Journal, 40(3), June 2004, pp.265-274.
- Publisher:
- Springer
When identifying ways to reduce stigmatization because of mental illness it is crucial to understand contributing factors. Social distance—the willingness to engage in relationships of varying intimacy with a person—is an indicator of public attitudes toward persons with mental illness. Multiple linear regression analysis of the results of a vignette-based opinion survey conducted on a representative population sample in Switzerland (n = 594). The level of social distance increases if situations imply social closeness. The vignette describing a person with schizophrenia, attitudes to general aspects of mental health (lay helping, community psychiatry), emotions toward those affected, and the attitude toward consequences of mental illness (medical treatment, medication side effects, negative sanctions, e.g. withdrawal of the driver license) were found to predict social distance. Demographic factors such as age, gender, and the cultural background influence social distance. The explained variance (R2) is 44.8%. Social distance is a multifaceted concept influenced by, e.g., socio-economic and cultural factors, but also by the respondent's general attitude toward (mental) health issues. These results suggest that more knowledge about mental illnesses, especially schizophrenia, may increase social distance. The findings presented here may help to focus anti-stigma campaigns not only on transmission of knowledge, but on integrating different approaches.
Voices of reason, voices of insanity: studies of verbal hallucinations
- Authors:
- LEUDAR Ivan, THOMAS Philip
- Publisher:
- Routledge
- Publication year:
- 2000
- Pagination:
- 235p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Discusses the experience of auditory hallucinations, through six case histories of historical and modern individuals. Argues that what was once perceived as a sign of virtue is now seen as a sign of insanity. Covers issues such as philosophical concepts of the self, contemporary psychiatric views, therapeutic work with voice hearers, and media treatment of mental illness.
Relocating madness: from the mental patient to the person
- Authors:
- BARHAM Peter, HAYWARD Robert
- Publisher:
- Free Association
- Publication year:
- 1995
- Pagination:
- 189p.,bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
Reports on how people with mental health problems perceive the community care reforms, focusing in particular on a group of people with schizophrenia. Their experiences of housing, poverty, stigma, medication, psychiatric services in the community, and the meaning of madness are examined. The relocation of madness is explored as a process that involves the creation and negotiation of new frames of understanding, and new styles of relationship, between former mental patients and 'normal' society.