Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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The effects of mental illness on families within faith communities
- Authors:
- ROGERS Edward B., STANFORD Matthew, GARLAND Diana R.
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Religion and Culture, 15(3), 2012, pp.301-313.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
It is understood that families are negatively affected when a member has a mental illness. This study investigated the experiences and values of families caring for a mentally ill loved one within the context of a Christian faith community. Almost 6,000 participants in 24 churches representing four Protestant denominations completed a survey describing their family's stresses, strengths, faith practices, and desires for assistance from the congregation. Findings showed mental illness in 27% of families, with those families reporting twice as many stressors on average. Families with mental illness present scored lower on measures of family strength and faith practices. Help with mental illness was a priority for those families affected by it, but ignored by others in the congregation. These findings indicate that mental illness is not only prevalent in church communities, but is accompanied by significant distress that often goes unnoticed. The authors concluded that partnerships between mental health providers and congregations may help to raise awareness in the church community.
How does prison visiting affect female offenders' mental health? Implications for education and development
- Authors:
- DE MOTTE Claire, BAILEY Di, WARD James
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice, 7(4), 2012, pp.170-179.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Women in custody are said to be five times more likely to have a mental health problem than the general population. Visits by relatives or volunteers are one way of preserving familial ties and increasing social support. This paper sets out to determine the state of visiting for women in the English prison system and to explore the relationship between women's mental health and visits in prison. The authors gathered data from a review of the academic and grey literature as well as relevant internet forums and blogs. All literature published from 1983 onwards was included to coincide with the introduction of Pat Carlen's campaigning group Women in Prison (WIP). The review focused on literature from England and Wales to reflect the National Criminal Justice System. Key themes revealed include; visit rejection, the importance of visits for maintaining identity and the contradicting emotions that women in prison experience when visited. The authors note that although social relationships and family ties are protective factors for prisoners' mental wellbeing, the number and frequency of visits to offenders in custody has declined. The role of prison visiting schemes to improve the mental wellbeing of women in custody is explored, including the implications for the education and training of staff and visitors involved in the process.
Effects of home on the mental health of British forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan
- Authors:
- MULLIGAN Kathleen, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 201(3), September 2012, pp.193-198.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Most studies of the mental health of UK armed forces are retrospective. However, the Operational Mental Health Needs Evaluation (OMHNE) surveys of personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan took place during deployment. This study analyses the data collected to examine the influence of factors related to home and family life on the mental health of UK armed forces. A total of 2042 British forces personnel were included in the study. Prevalence of common mental disorders was assessed with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and post-traumatic stress disorder with the PTSD Checklist – Civilian version (PCL-C). The prevalence of common mental disorders was 17.8% and of probable PTSD was 2.8%. Perceived home difficulties significantly influenced the mental health of deployed personnel in proportion to the degree of difficulty. This finding was independent of combat exposure and only partially mitigated by being well led and reporting subjectively good unit cohesion; however, the effect of the totality of home-front events was not improved by the latter. Poor perceived military support for the family had a detrimental impact on deployment mental health. The armed forces offer many support services to the families of deployed personnel and, it is suggested, ensuring that the efforts being made on their behalf are well communicated might improve the mental health of deployed personnel.
Do childhood adversities cluster in predictable ways? A systematic review
- Authors:
- JACOBS Jennifer, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies, 7(2), 2012, pp.103-115.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Childhood adversities have frequently been linked to a range of difficulties throughout the lifespan including mental health problems, poor physical health and substance abuse. Prior research has found that it is uncommon for adversities to occur in isolation, with exposure to multiple adversities being the norm. The aim of this study was to systematically review prior research which has investigated whether childhood adversities occur in predictable clusters. Following a systematic search of the published research, 12 studies meeting the selection criteria were identified. Eleven of these studies found that childhood adversities did cluster in predictable ways. The number of clusters or factors found ranged from 2 to 7. However, the structure and composition of these clusters were highly inconsistent across the studies. This inconsistency may be due to variation in the number and type of adversities examined, in the definition of ‘childhood’, in the methodologies and criteria used to identify childhood adversities and in the analyses applied to the data. It was suggested in several of the studies that adversities centring on family functioning were most salient in predicting future mental health and behavioural difficulties. Suggestions are provided for future research.
An exploration of MSW field education and impairment prevention: what do we need to know?
- Authors:
- POOLER David K., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 22(7), 2012, pp.916-927.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Social work students come from all types of backgrounds and bring personal issues into their educational training. The purpose of this study was to examine the types of challenges social work students face and how practicum performance is impacted by them. The study involved analysis of secondary data obtained from 125 social work students enrolled in a course in human behaviour in the social environment at a large urban university in Midwest United States. The data was collected during 3 web-based assignments as part of the class coursework. A total of 62% of students reported some current challenge or past family problem. More than a quarter of students reported a parent with mental health and substance abuse problems. Students' self-reported substance abuse problems (9%), and mental health problems (16%). Regression analysis showed that performance during the second semester of the first-year practicum was influenced by current and early family experiences but that by the second year there was no impact. The article concludes that social work students are resilient and figure out how to manage and process the impact their own issues have on their practice. Some of the possible ways that social work students overcome and manage personal challenges that impact their field placement are explored.
Polytraumatization and trauma symptoms in adolescent boys and girls: interpersonal and noninterpersonal events and moderating effects of adverse family circumstances
- Authors:
- NILSSON Doris Kristina, GUSTAFSSON Per E., SVEDIN Carl Göran
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 27(13), September 2012, pp.2645-2664.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Previous research has highlighted that polyvictimisation or polytraumatisation among adolescents are important predictors of reported trauma-related symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate the cumulative effect of interpersonal and noninterpersonal traumatic life events (IPEs and nIPEs, respectively) on the mental health of adolescents and to determine if the adverse impacts of this trauma were moderated by adverse family circumstances (AFC). A total of 462 adolescents from 13 different schools and 27 classes completed the questionnaire, the Linköping Youth Life Experience Scale (LYLES), together with Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC). The findings showed that the lifetime accumulation of interpersonal, noninterpersonal, and AFC was independently related to trauma-related symptoms in both boys and girls. The number of AFCs moderated the mental health impact of both IPEs and nIPEs in boys, but not in girls. The article concludes that cumulative exposure to both interpersonal and noninterpersonal traumatic events is important for the mental health of adolescents, and, at least for boys, family circumstances seem to be relevant for the impact of trauma. The implications for practice are discussed.
Including families and carers: an evaluation of the Family Liaison Service on inpatient psychiatric wards in Somerset, UK
- Author:
- STANBRIDGE Roger
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Review Journal, 17(2), 2012, pp.70-80.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
National mental health policies for working age adults and older people recommend the development of working partnerships between people who use mental health services, their families and carers and professionals. In Somerset, a Family Liaison Service has been developed aiming to improve communication between staff and families. In this model, a member of staff, with systemic family therapy training and experience in working with families, is employed to work alongside psychiatric ward staff to jointly hold meetings with families as part of the assessment and admissions process. The aim of this article is to describe the development of the Family Liaison Service and report on evaluation of its progress. Evaluation data was collected in 3 ways: audit data collected on the number of meetings offered and conducted; feedback from families using the service; and a survey of staff experience. The findings suggest that, although there is still progress to be made, considerable success has been achieved in embedding the service on inpatient units with a substantial increase in meetings held between staff and families. Feedback from families is positive and staff report increased confidence in engaging with families and carers.
Out of trouble: families with complex problems: a guide for funders
- Author:
- van POORTVLIET Matthew
- Publisher:
- New Philanthropy Capital
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 17p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Children from troubled families are eight times more likely to be suspended or excluded from school than other children, and ten times more likely to be in trouble with the police. The government defines troubled families as those where parents are out of work, children are not in school, and family members are involved in anti-social behaviour and crime. These families often face a range of other problems as well, such as mental and physical ill-health, domestic violence, drug and alcohol addiction, isolation, and relationship breakdowns. Such problems are often long-standing and inter-generational. This is a guide for funders who want to improve the lives of troubled families and their communities, and reduce the huge costs associated with them. It identifies effective approaches that are helping to prevent and address problems facing troubled families. Section 1 describes who troubled families are, the scale of the problem and the costs involved. Section 2 looks at how government services and charities are supporting families in trouble. Section 3 identifies effective projects and priorities for independent funding. Section 4 considers the role of independent funding in supporting families in trouble.
The family model: managing the impact of parental mental health on children
- Author:
- FALKOV ADRIAN
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 200p.
- Place of publication:
- Hove
The Family Model aimed toward a greater understanding of the complex interplay between mental ill health in parents, the development and mental health of their children, and the relationships within family units affected by mental ill health. The model has proved extremely durable, and in this handbook the Family Model has been extensively revised and refined in the light of developments in the field over the last 10 years. Many features have been retained whilst enhancements have been added to ensure contemporary relevance in an ever-growing field. This enhanced Family Model provides the conceptual framework to support clinical approaches to family focused practice. Additional principles have been added, including a service dimension to ensure that service provision is explicitly incorporated into thinking and practice, and a culture and community component to ensure that broader factors influencing individuals and impacting on family life are also addressed.
Good practice guidance for involving carers, family members and close friends of service users in research
- Author:
- NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH RESEARCH. Mental Health Research Network
- Publisher:
- National Institute for Health Research. Mental Health Research Network
- Publication year:
- 2012
- Pagination:
- 32p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Currently, carers are rarely included in the development or implementation of mental health research. However the negative impact of a severe mental health problem is experienced not just by individuals but also by their family and friends. It is estimated that there are 1.5 million carers who have intimate knowledge of this impact. This guide focuses on the valuable role of carers in mental health research. It provides practical and accessible guidance to researchers, commissioners of research, service users and carers. Drawing on a number of case studies, the guidance sets out how carers should be included in research, at what stages of the research process carers can be involved and identifies the core principles for the inclusion of carers.