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Betting on a different horse: a qualitative analysis of mental health in health promotion policies
- Authors:
- SOLIN Pia, LEHTO Juhani
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 3(3), September 2004, pp.8-17.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
Aims to analyse the position and role of mental health in health promotion policy. Policy documents from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, England and Portugal indicate that, although mental health is considered a serious issue, it is problematic in policy terms. Arguments make the case for the importance of mental health within the health promotion agenda, including the classification of mental illness as a public health problem, socio-economic and individual costs of mental health problems, and the view that mental wellbeing is a crucial element of overall health. However, problems of definition and measurement, and a traditional focus on treatment and care, continue to make mental health promotion problematic for policy makers.
Intentions to seek (preventive) psychological help among older adults: an application of the theory of planned behaviour
- Authors:
- WESTERHOF Gerben J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 12(3), May 2008, pp.317-322.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The study is carried out from the theory of planned behaviour and distinguishes attitudes (psychological openness), subjective norms (indifference to stigma), and perceived behavioural control (help-seeking propensity) in explaining behavioural intentions with regard to seeking preventive and therapeutic psychological help. One hundred and sixty seven Dutch adults between 65 and 75 years of age filled out a questionnaire measuring these concepts. Results found older adults have low intentions to seek professional help for psychological problems. Their intentions to use preventive help are somewhat higher. Older adults are rather indifferent to stigma and they perceive control, but they are less open to professional help when it comes to their own person. Regression analyses revealed that psychological openness and help-seeking propensity are related to intentions to seek preventive and therapeutic help.
Coping defence and depression in adolescents hearing voices
- Authors:
- ESCHER Sandra, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health, 12(1), February 2003, pp.91-99.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
The level of self-initiated coping defences in the face of auditory hallucinations reflects the degree to which the psychotic experiences are exceeding the person's resources. As it has been suggested that individuals who feel overwhelmed by their psychotic experiences are also more likely to develop depression, greater levels of self-initiated coping defences should predict onset of depression in the context of auditory hallucinations. Eighty adolescents who reported hearing voices were examined at baseline and followed-up three times over a period of 3 years. Fifty per cent were receiving professional care, but 50% were not in need of care. Baseline measurement of self-initiated coping defences and psychopathology were used as predictors of depression at follow-up. Baseline level of self-initiated coping was strongly associated with baseline severity of positive psychotic symptoms. Coping at baseline, with the exception of active problem solving, predicted an increase in the level of depression over the follow-up period, independent of baseline psychopathology, demographic characteristics, receipt of professional care and appraisals and attributions related to the voices. The results suggest that individuals who have a tendency to feel overwhelmed by the experience of voices, as evidenced by a more defensive style of response, are more likely to develop depression.
Patient advocacy in psychiatry: the Austrian and Dutch models
- Author:
- FORSTER Rudolf
- Journal article citation:
- International Social Work, 41(2), April 1998, pp.155-168.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Advocacy has emerged as a key concept in the process of the modernisation of western psychiatry. This article combines a general discussion of the advocacy approach with an analysis of its application in practice. Two projects which are among the most advanced projects of professional advocacy in European mental health are used for discussion.
Can Assertive Community Treatment remedy patients dropping out of treatment due to fragmented services?
- Authors:
- DRUKKER Marjan, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Community Mental Health Journal, 50(4), 2014, pp.454-459.
- Publisher:
- Springer
Previously, many patients with severe mental illness had difficulties to engage with fragmented mental health services, thus not receiving care. In a Dutch city, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) was introduced to cater specifically for this group of patients. In a pre–post comparison, changes in mental health care consumption were examined. All mental health care contacts, ACT and non-ACT, of patients in the newly started ACT-teams were extracted from the regional Psychiatric Case Register. Analyses of mental health care usage were performed comparing the period before ACT introduction with the period thereafter. After the introduction of ACT, mental health care use increased in this group of patients, although not all patients remained under the care of ACT teams. ACT may succeed in delivering more mental health care to patients with severe mental illness and treatment needs who previously had difficulties engaging with fragmented mental health care services. (Publisher abstract)
From a ‘state mental Hospital' to new homes in the city: longitudinal research into the use of intramural facilities by long-stay care-dependent psychiatric clients in Amsterdam
- Authors:
- DUURKOOP Pim, VAN DYCK Richard
- Journal article citation:
- Community Mental Health Journal, 39(1), February 2003, pp.77-92.
- Publisher:
- Springer
In 1986, the traditional psychiatric hospital where 70% of Amsterdam's intramural treatment took place, was closed down. The progress of two groups of long-stay patients was followed for five years after their transferral to new small-scale facilities in Amsterdam. The ADL (activities of daily living) functioning of the most severely impaired clients improved and their psychiatric symptoms decreased, while no improvement was seen in the functioning of the more independent clients. This evaluation makes clear that the improvement of the severely disabled patients depends on the intensity of care given. The improvement in the new facilities is no guarantee for a further development into a less care-intensive environment. The more independent clients, however, could more easily be transferred to less care-intensive facilities.
Assertive community treatment in Amsterdam
- Authors:
- DEKKER J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Community Mental Health Journal, 38(5), October 2002, pp.425-436.
- Publisher:
- Springer
In Amsterdam in 1993, an intensive case management project was initiated. This article describes this Dutch project as it was tested in a randomised clinical trial using regular outpatient and inpatient care as the control conditions. All the patients in this project are very ill and most of them suffer from schizophrenia. The new form of care has the same effect on everyday problems as regular care. The basis of this data is too narrow for the drawing of conclusions about the risk of suicide. Longer follow-up would be advisable in order to improve understanding of this problem.
Caring for mentally ill people in Europe
- Authors:
- VAN OS Jan, NEELEMAN Jan
- Journal article citation:
- British Medical Journal, 5.11.94, 1994, pp.1218-1221.
- Publisher:
- British Medical Association
Despite legislation to harmonise mental health practice throughout Europe and convergence in systems of training there remains an extraordinary diversity of psychiatric practice in Europe. Approaches to tackling substance misuse vary among nations; statistics on psychiatric morbidity are affected by different approaches to diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders; attitudes towards mental illness show definite international differences. Everywhere, though, mental health care for patients with psychotic illness is a "cinderella service", and there is a general move towards care falling increasingly on the family and the community.