Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Parallel Lives: promoting recovery through participant-led research
- Authors:
- LLWEELLYN Penny, RICHARDSON Mark, PHILLIPS Rhiannon
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 17(1), 2015, pp.34-45.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
A group of people with lived experience of mental health problems explored the archived records of a defunct ‘Lunatic Asylum’ and reported on their findings. This was a participant-led project with researchers supported by a tutor and a member of the archive staff. Participants controlled the whole project, choosing their own areas of investigation and how they would study these. They also designed and delivered a presentation of their findings to the public. A focus group, held to evaluate the project, found that the ‘group’, as an entity, was vital to the success of the project, which has uncovered much information about the lives of mentally ill ‘patients’ in the nineteenth century. It has also given the participants valuable research experience. Their control over the study led to increased confidence and empowered participant-researchers to consider routes for progression and increased aspirations for the future which can include recovery.
‘Listen, empower us and take action now!’: reflexive-collaborative exploration of support needs in bipolar disorder when ‘going up’ and ‘going down’
- Authors:
- BILLSBOROUGH Julie, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health, 23(1), 2014, pp.9-14.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
Background: People with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder experience mood fluctuation from depression to mania, and their support needs may differ during these fluctuations. Aims: To investigate support needed during periods of mania and depression, and when ‘going up’ or ‘going down’. Method: Five service user researchers were supported in a reflexive-collaborative approach to undertake and analyse semi-structured interviews with 16 people with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and 11 people providing informal support. Results: Support needs differed when becoming manic or depressed. When manic, people needed a calming approach and encouragement to avoid overly stimulating activities. When depressed, positive activity and engaging in everyday life routines were helpful. Three core themes determined the effectiveness of support: (1) being listened to with active engagement through affirmation and encouragement, (2) empowerment through development of personal coping and self-management strategies, and (3) early action and understanding of early warning signs to respond to developing crises and protect wellbeing. Conclusion: Periods of depression or mania, and lesser ‘ups’ and ‘downs’, all require different support needs. Active listening and engagement, facilitating empowerment and appropriate early action are crucial elements of effective support. (Publisher abstract)
Recovery capital: what enables a sustainable recovery from mental health difficulties?
- Author:
- TEW Jerry
- Journal article citation:
- European Journal of Social Work, 16(3), 2013, pp.360-374.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
There is increasing international interest in recovery approaches in mental health; and this connects with an emerging focus within European social work around promoting capability and sustainability. Research at a population level would suggest that social factors rather than medical interventions are the main determinants of recovery from mental health difficulties. However, this is not yet reflected in social work practice, which can still be dominated by biomedical perspectives and a focus on risk management. Drawing upon and extending analyses of social and other forms of capital, this paper outlines the basis for a new paradigm for mental health social work that is specifically oriented towards enabling the development of personal efficacy and social capability. Such an approach is explicitly focused on achieving longer-term sustainability rather than shorter-term problem solving. (Edited publisher abstract)
Enterprise, employment and empowerment: the social firm sector's mission
- Author:
- REYNOLDS Sue
- Journal article citation:
- A Life in the Day, 12(4), November 2008, pp.27-31.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The author, Chief Executive of Social Firms UK, outlines the latest developments in the social firm sector's mission to provide real jobs for people with severe disadvantages, such as those with mental health problems. The article highlights the work of a number of social firms.
A tribute to autonomy and public mental health
- Author:
- TYRER Peter
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Public Mental Health, 7(2), November 2008, pp.4-6.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This commentary examines the autonomy-control argument in public mental health and how services have been developed over the years from prejudiced asylums, to community-based care. The author discusses how people with mental ill health, who have struggled to gain independence and autonomy of their lives, are finally enjoying their emancipation.
Evaluating the impact of participatory art projects for people with mental health needs
- Authors:
- HACKING Sue, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 16(6), December 2008, pp.638-648.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Participatory art projects for people with mental health needs typically claim outcomes such as improvements in confidence, self-esteem, social participation and mental health. However, such claims have rarely been subjected to robust outcome research. This paper reports outcomes from a survey of 44 female and 18 male new art project participants attending 22 art projects in England, carried out as part of a national evaluation. Outcomes were quantified through self-completed questionnaires on first entry to the project, during January to March of 2006, and 6 months later. The questionnaires included three measures: empowerment, mental health [Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (CORE)] and social inclusion. Paired t-tests were used to compare overall change, and mixed model repeated measures analysis of variance to compare subgroups, including age, gender, educational level, mental health and level of participation. Results showed significant improvements in empowerment, mental health and social inclusion. Participants with higher CORE scores, no new stress in their lives and positive impressions of the impact of arts on their life benefited most over all three measures. Positive impressions of the impact of arts were significantly associated with improvement on all three measures, but the largest effect was for empowerment rather than mental health or social inclusion. This study suggests that arts participation positively benefits people with mental health difficulties. Arts participation increased levels of empowerment and had potential to impact on mental health and social inclusion.
Transforming systems of care: the American Association of Community Psychiatrists guidelines for recovery oriented services
- Author:
- SOWERS Wesley
- Journal article citation:
- Community Mental Health Journal, 41(6), December 2005, pp.757-774.
- Publisher:
- Springer
Promotion of recovery has recently been recognized as an organizing principle for the transformation of behavioral health services. Recovery is a personal process of growth and change which typically embraces hope, autonomy and affiliation as elements of establishing satisfying and productive lives in spite of disabling conditions or experiences. Recovery oriented services replace paternalistic, illness oriented perspectives with collaborative, autonomy enhancing approaches and represent a major cultural shift in service delivery. Recovery oriented services replace the myth of chronicity and dependence with a message of individualism, empowerment and choice in the context of collaborative relationships with service providers. This article presents the Guidelines for Recovery Oriented Services developed by the American Association of Community Psychiatrists to facilitate the transformation of services to this new model. The guidelines are divided into three domains: administration, treatment, and supports, each consisting of several elements for which recovery enhancing characteristics are defined. Several example indicators are also provided for each element.
Balance of power
- Author:
- SINES David
- Journal article citation:
- Nursing Times, 18.11.93, 1993, pp.52-55.
- Publisher:
- Nursing Times
Argues that the prevailing culture must change if mental health nurses are to work towards the meaningful empowerment of users.
Mental health consumers' motives for seeking advocacy support: a qualitative exploration
- Authors:
- STOMSKI N.J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Community Mental Health Journal, 54(5), 2018, pp.607-615.
- Publisher:
- Springer
Advocacy plays a vital role in ensuring that mental health consumers’ rights are maintained. However, the primary issues for which consumers seek advocacy support remain unknown. Understanding these issues provides a sound basis from which advocacy organisations may develop a clear service delivery focus. This study addresses the literature gap through presenting a qualitative analysis of 60 records from an advocacy service. Four major themes emerged, across which two key issues were dominant: the sense of fearfulness and disempowerment. These issues accentuate the importance of advocates in enhancing the agency of mental health consumers. (Publisher abstract)
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)