Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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The Stigma Scale: a Canadian perspective
- Authors:
- MEIER Amanda, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work Research, 39(4), 2015, pp.213-222.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Stigma is a devastating psychosocial issue for many individuals with mental illness. This study examined the mental illness stigma experiences of 380 individuals with a self-reported psychiatric diagnosis in London, Ontario, Canada, using the Stigma Scale, a tool recently developed in the United Kingdom (UK). Data for the Canadian sample were examined and compared with those from the UK pilot group. Results indicated that both samples experienced mental illness stigma, with Canadian participants reporting fewer stigma experiences on close to half of the scale items. In general, the results suggested that antistigma efforts have achieved some successes, particularly for targeted recipient groups; however, the need remains for continued and varied methods of stigma reduction to eliminate stigma within society. (Publisher abstract)
Psychological functioning of people living with chronic pain: a meta-analytic review
- Authors:
- BURKE Anne L.J., MATHIAS Jane L., DENSON Linley A.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 54(3), 2015, pp.345-360.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Objectives: This meta-analysis synthesised the literature from a general chronic pain (CP) perspective to systematically identify and compare the psychological problems most commonly associated with CP. Methods: Four databases were searched from inception to December 2013 (PsychINFO, The Cochrane Library, Scopus, and PubMed) for studies comparing the psychological functioning of adults with CP to healthy controls. Data from 110 studies were meta-analysed and Cohen's d effect sizes calculated. Results: The CP group reported experiencing significant problems in a range of psychological domains (depression, anxiety, somatisation, anger/hostility, self-efficacy, self-esteem and general emotional functioning), with the largest effects observed for pain anxiety/concern and somatisation; followed by anxiety and self-efficacy; and then depression, anger/hostility, self-esteem and general emotional functioning. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that individuals with CP are more likely to experience physically focussed psychological problems than other psychological problems and that, unlike self-efficacy, fear of pain is intrinsically tied to the CP experience. This challenges the prevailing view that, for individuals with CP, problems with depression are either equal to, or greater than, problems with anxiety, thereby providing important information to guide therapeutic targets. (Edited publisher abstract)
Evaluating the mental health of recently arrived refugee adults in Western Australia
- Author:
- LILLEE Alyssa
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Public Mental Health, 14(2), 2015, pp.56-68.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to measure the levels of psychological distress in adults entering Western Australia (WA) as refugees through the Australian Humanitarian Programme. To determine if the introduction of mental health screening instruments impacts on the level of referrals for further psychological/psychiatric assessment and treatment. Design/methodology/approach: Participants were 300 consecutive consenting refugee adults attending the Humanitarian Entrant Health Service in Perth, WA. This service is government funded for the general health screening of refugees. The Kessler-10 (K10) and the World Health Organisation’s post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) screener were the principal outcome measures used. Findings: Refugees had a high rate of current probable PTSD (17.2 per cent) as measured with the PTSD screener and mean K10 scores were significantly higher than general population norms. The K10 showed high accuracy for discriminating those with or without probable PTSD. Being married and having more children increased the risk of probable PTSD. In regard to region of origin, refugees from Western and Southern Asia had significantly higher scores on both screeners followed by those from Africa with those from South-Eastern Asia having the lowest scores. Referral rate for psychiatric/psychological treatment was 18 per cent compared to 4.2 per cent in the year prior to the study. Practical implications: This study demonstrates increased psychological distress including a high rate of probable PTSD in a recently arrived multi-ethnic refugee population and also demonstrates significant variations based on region of origin. In addition, it supports the feasibility of using brief screening instruments to improve identification and referral of refugees with significant psychological distress in the context of a comprehensive general medical review. Originality/value: This was an Australian study conducted in a non-psychiatric setting. The outcomes of this study pertain to refugee mental health assessed in a general health setting. The implications of the study findings are of far reaching relevance, inclusive of primary care doctors and general physicians as well as mental health clinicians. In particular the authors note that the findings of this study are to the authors’ knowledge unique in the refugee mental health literature as the participants are recently arrived refugees from diverse ethnic groups. (Publisher abstract)
A comparison of substance abuse severity among homeless and non-homeless adults
- Author:
- HUNTLEY Sylvia S.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 25(4), 2015, pp.312-321.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This study aimed to determine whether mental health status and being homeless were significant predicators of substance abuse severity among adults and to determine whether mental health status was a significant predictor of substance abuse severity among adults over and above homeless status. Data were collected from 60 individuals from the Baltimore metropolitan area in the United States. Thirty individuals were homeless and attended a breakfast program; 30 individuals were residents of a community in close proximity to the program. Modes of measurement consisted of the Addiction Severity Index Self Report Form and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Data for this study were coded numerically and analysed using multiple regression analysis. Results revealed that housing status was a significant predictor of alcohol abuse and that mental health status was not a significant predicator of substance abuse severity over and above homeless status. (Edited publisher abstract)
Emotional security in the family system and psychological distress in female survivors of child sexual abuse
- Authors:
- CANTON-CORTES David, CANTON Jose, CORTES María Rosario
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 51, 2015, pp.54-63.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
The Emotional Security Theory (EST) was originally developed to investigate the association between high levels of interparental conflict and child maladaptative outcome. The objective of the present study was to analyse the effects of emotional security in the family system on psychological distress among a sample of young female adult survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA). The role of emotional security was investigated through the interactive effects of a number of factors including the type of abuse, the continuity of abuse, the relationship with the perpetrator and the existence of disclosure for the abuse. Participants were 167 female survivors of CSA. Information about the abuse was obtained from a self-reported questionnaire. Emotional security was assessed with the Security in the Family System (SIFS) Scale, and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) was used to assess psychological distress. In the total sample, insecurity (preoccupation and disengagement) was correlated with high psychological distress scores, whereas no relationship was found between security and psychological distress. The relationship between emotional insecurity and psychological distress was stronger in cases of continued abuse and non-disclosure, while the relationship between emotional security and distress was stronger in cases of extrafamilial abuse and especially isolated or several incidents and when a disclosure had been made. No interactive effect was found between any of the three emotional variables and the type of abuse committed. The results of the current study suggest that characteristics of CSA such as relationship with the perpetrator and, especially, continuity of abuse and whether or not disclosure had been made, can affect the impact of emotional security on psychological distress of CSA survivors. (Publisher abstract)
Mental health as perceived by persons with mental disorders – an interpretative phenomenological analysis study
- Authors:
- MJOSUND Nina Helen, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 17(4), 2015, pp.215-233.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
In this interpretative phenomenological analysis study, the author's explored how persons with mental disorders perceive mental health. Adapting a salutogenic theoretical framework, 12 former inpatients were interviewed. The analysis revealed experiences of mental health as a movement, like walking up and down a staircase. Perceived mental health is expressed both verbally in an everyday language and through body language. Mental health is an aspect of being that is always present and which is nourished by four domains of life: the emotional; physical; social and spiritual domains. Mental health is experienced in everyday life as a sense of energy, and as more or less wellbeing. Exploring persons' meanings of mental health from a subjective perspective can extend the knowledge base that can be used in mental health promotion strategies. (Edited publisher abstract)
Adolescent mental health: frontline briefing
- Author:
- BEVINGTON Dickon
- Publisher:
- Research in Practice
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 16
- Place of publication:
- Dartington
This briefing provides an overview of adolescent mental health for frontline practitioners in teams offering family support, social work and youth work and offers some practical guidelines and tools to support them. The briefing focuses in particular on the concept of ‘mentalisation’ which offers practically applicable theory to inform direct practice. Sections cover: what adolescence is; the challenges and difficulties of adolescence and the brain development that occurs during this time; mental health and mental ill health in adolescence; the impact of trauma, neglect and abuse, and the role of resilience. The final section looks at how universal and frontline services can support adolescents with mental health problems and offers tips on working with individual clients, your team and wider networks. (Edited publisher abstract)
Debt and health: a briefing
- Author:
- PAPARELLA Giuseppe
- Publisher:
- Picker Institute Europe
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 18
- Place of publication:
- Oxford
This policy briefing draws on recent research and surveys to investigate the relationship between debt and health. It looks at the social and health costs of debt, how debt can impact on mental health and what health and social care professionals can do to help. It then suggests cost-effective policy measures to help support those in debt, which include the provision of debt training to health and social care professionals and the development of coordinated ‘debt care pathways’ between local health and advice services. It also calls for future research to establish the effects of different types of debt, the dynamics of the relationship between debt and mental health and relationship between debt and severe mental health problems. (Edited publisher abstract)
Randomised controlled trials: the straightjacket of mental health research
- Author:
- FAULKNER Alison
- Publisher:
- McPin Foundation
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 19
- Place of publication:
- London
This paper challenges the current domination of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews of RCTs in mental health research and evidence-based healthcare, suggesting that we need to populate the landscape with alternative sources of knowledge and evidence from a survivor researcher perspective. Of greatest concern is that the uncritical reification of the RCT marginalises the knowledge or evidence produced by mental health service users and survivors. The report contends that survivor research (user-controlled research) has a major contribution to make to the knowledge base about mental health and to the debate about what constitutes acceptable evidence in mental health care and argues that the existing research structures and the evidence hierarchy, in which RCTs are held to be the 'gold standard', are preventing this contribution from being realised. (Edited publisher abstract)
The effect of physical activity on mental health among adolescents with and without self-reported visual impairment: the Young-HUNT Study, Norway
- Authors:
- BRUNES Audun, FLANDERS W. Dana, AUGESTAD Liv Berit
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Visual Impairment, 33(3), 2015, pp.183-199.
- Publisher:
- Sage
This study was conducted in Nord-Trøndelag, Norway, during the period 1995–1997, with a follow-up 4 years later, to examine the effect of physical activity (PA) on mental health according to self-reported vision categories among adolescents. Self-reported measurements were used to assess PA and vision at baseline, and mental health problems and well-being at follow-up. The main linear regression analyses included 1417 adolescents between the age of 12 and 17 years, of which 46 had reported visual impairment. Among those reporting no impairment, conducting <1 day per week of PA was significantly associated with having lower levels of well-being at follow-up compared to those conducting ⩾1 day of PA. Among those reporting visual impairment, the mental health benefits of conducting weekly PA compared with conducting non-weekly PA were observed only among those who were more emotionally unstable or introvert at baseline. In conclusion, further longitudinal studies are warranted to examine whether the mental health responses of PA may be dependent on the adolescent’s vision status. (Edited publisher abstract)