Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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An investigation of mental health care delivery from consumers’ perspectives
- Author:
- LEIPERSBERGER Tatjana
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 15(1), 2007, pp.1-21.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
People who are both homeless and suffering from severe mental problems face many difficulties, which are explored in semi-structured interviews with 25 individuals recruited from a mental health centre in a large Midwestern city. The Constant Comparative Method of analysis revealed a range of barriers to engagement with mental health services, including: personal distrust and fear; poverty; the inexperience and high turnover of mental health staff; and societal stigma against homelessness and mental illness. The findings give support to the importance of a single helping individual, and the availability of private space. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Correlates of readiness to change in victims of intimate partner violence
- Authors:
- JOHNSON Nicole L., JOHNSON Dawn N.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Aggression Maltreatment and Trauma, 22(2), 2013, pp.127-144.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a problem linked to a number of health problems such as the development of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and substance use dependence. Mental health treatment is important for victims of IPV; however, victims do not always seek the treatment they need. A victim’s stage of change, or readiness to change, could be one variable impacting his or her pursuit of treatment and other pertinent resources. The aim of this study was to investigate a wide range of factors (i.e., violence, PTSD, depression, SUD, and overall distress) that might influence readiness to change in a diverse sample of women residing in battered women’s shelters. Interviews were conducted with 223 women recruited from 2 shelters in the Midwest between 2003 and 2007. The findings showed that victims with more psychopathology and distress, as well as more social support, were more ready to change. Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, overall distress, and social support were the strongest predictors of readiness to change. Finally, victims higher in readiness to change were more likely to seek mental health treatment and other IPV-related services.
Between a rock and a hard place? Locus of control, religious problem-solving and psychological help-seeking
- Authors:
- ANDREWS Shinquina, SREFURAK James Tres, MEHTA Sheila
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Religion and Culture, 14(9), 2011, pp.855-876.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
An in-depth understanding of help-seeking is essential to the proliferation and effective delivery of services in the mental health professions. Drawing on a college and community sample, this study used hierarchical multiple regression to examine the relative contributions of demographic variables, psychological treatment experience, religious service attendance, locus of control, and religious problem-solving style in predicting attitudes towards psychological help-seeking. Participants were recruited from a small public university and church congregations in Alabama. The final sample consisted of 189 participants (80% female; mean age 35.6 years). Women, those holding a graduate degree, and those with treatment experience held more positive attitudes towards psychological help-seeking. While neither the locus of control nor religious problem-solving scales alone were related to help-seeking, several significant interaction effects were observed. God-centred locus of control was a positive predictor of psychological help-seeking, but only for older participants. Chance locus of control was a negative predictor, but only for graduate degree holders. Finally, self-directing religious problem-solving style was a negative predictor, especially for individuals also endorsing a deferring religious problem-solving style. The authors note that the sample largely consisted of educated, religious, African-American women.
Psychological distress and engagement in HIV-related services among individuals seeking mental health care
- Authors:
- BASTA Tania, SHACHAM Enbal, REECE Michael
- Journal article citation:
- AIDS Care, 20(8), September 2008, pp.969-976.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
In the US, HIV-related mental health care has been funded for its ability to help engage and retain individuals living with HIV into other components of HIV-related care and treatment. However, little is known empirically about the types of HIV prevention and care with which they are, or need to be, connected. To explore this, data were collected from 617 individuals upon their self-enrolment in HIV-related mental health care in a large US city with high rates of HIV infection. Nearly a third of the participants (n=195) were “minimally engaged” in care services, 53% were “moderately engaged” and 15.6% were “highly engaged”. There were significant differences between level of care engagement according to one's ethnicity, with African-Americans and Latinos more likely to be highly engaged in care services compared to their Caucasian counterparts. Furthermore, individuals who were highly engaged in services had significantly lower levels of depression than their less engaged peers. Results suggest that while ethnic minorities were engaged in a higher number of care services, they were enrolling in mental health care following enrolment in other care services. Given the numerous benefits of engaging in HIV-related mental health early in the course of infection, it is important that case managers and primary care physicians educate African-Americans and Latinos on the benefits of mental health care in order to facilitate earlier engagement in HIV-related mental health services.
Adult day centers and mental health care
- Authors:
- RICHARDSON Virginia E., DABELKO Holly, GREGOIRE Tom
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Mental Health, 6(3), 2008, pp.41-58.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Nearly a fifth of US adults over 55 are estimated to suffer from mental disorders unrelated to ageing, and this study examines mental health issues among 280 clients (mean age 77) of five adult day centres in Ohio. Cluster analysis revealed two main types of participant profile: more likely to be female, single, African America, low income, more reliant on public funding, and with no psychiatric diagnosis; or, more likely to be male, married, higher income, more reliant on private funding, and with a psychiatric diagnosis. Those in the second profile left the day centre at a faster rate than those in the first. Both profiles were similar in respect of age, education, care giving, religious affiliation, household size, service intensity, functional limitations, nutrition risk and prior nursing home placement. There were slight differences in respect of years of education and frequency of previous hospital admissions. The implications of the findings for social workers assessing and providing services in adult day centres are discussed. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
To what extent are the Christian clergy acting as frontline mental health workers? A study from the North of England
- Authors:
- WOOD Emily, WATSON Roger, HAYTER Mark
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Religion and Culture, 14(8), 2011, pp.769-783.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Studies outside the UK have shown that when people with mental health issues visit clergy for help they often do this before, or instead of, seeing health professionals. This paper presents the findings of a research study in one city in the North of England, exploring the nature and extent of Christian clergy’s involvement with people with mental health issues. It presents data on the prevalence and nature of their involvement with mental health issues within their communities, their attitudes towards mental health and mental health services and also looks at the referral practices. In total 39 members of the clergy sent responses after two sets of questionnaires were sent; 21.4% of the 182 that were asked to participate. The authors conclude that the clergy do see people with mental health problems but the frequency varies amongst individuals and is not dependent on denomination. Some members of the clergy reported negative experience of trying to work collaboratively with mental health professionals. Overall these findings agreed with other studies that a very high percentage of British clergy do refer on, unlike North American clergy who rarely do, and this was not related to denomination.
Engagement with health and social care services: perceptions of homeless young people with mental health problems
- Authors:
- DARBYSHIRE Philip, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 14(6), November 2006, pp.553-562.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The present qualitative study describes and discusses the perspectives and experiences of young homeless people with mental health problems in relation to their interactions with health and social care services. Working in partnership with Streetlink, a supported accommodation assistance programme in Adelaide, Australia, the authors interviewed 10 homeless young people, aged from 16 to 24 years of age, who had experienced mental health problems. In-depth interviews elicited accounts of the best and worst of the participants' experiences of health and social care services. Access to services was not identified as being a significant problem in comparison with the participants' concerns regarding the quality of the services encountered. The central findings stress the importance of a respectful and supportive climate in relation to the qualities of service provision that the young people identified as valuable for their continuing treatment or consultation.