Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Work, employment, and mental illness: expanding the domain of Canadian social work
- Authors:
- SHANKA Janki, BARLOW Constance A., KHALEMA Ernest
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Work in Disability and Rehabilitation, 10(4), October 2011, pp.268-283.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Social work literature conclusively shows that people who experience mental health issues perceive work as fundamental to their recovery. However, despite evidence that work and employment are an important component of recovery for people who experience mental illness, social work education in Canada seldom offers graduate training or courses on the significance of work in peoples' lives or on the practices involved in helping to gain and retain employment for these individuals. In this article the authors suggest that the high levels of unemployment among people who experience mental illness, and the rising incidence of mental health and addictions issues in workplaces, offer the opportunity, as well as the mandate, for social work educators to provide professional education in the area of employment support and assistance. The article discusses how social workers can overcome the barriers to employment, and how they can support employees with mental illness make a successful return to work.
Social exclusion and mental health - how people with mental health problems are disadvantaged: an overview
- Author:
- BOARDMAN Jed
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 15(3), 2011, pp.112-121.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Social exclusion is a major problem in the UK. Evidence shows that those with mental health problems or learning disabilities are excluded from participation in many areas of society. This article provides an overview of aspects of social exclusion, and the way in which certain groups are excluded from mainstream society. It summarises the main findings of the work of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Scoping Group on Social Exclusion and Mental Health. The article suggests that a person is socially excluded if they do not participate in key activities of the society in which he or she lives. People with mental health problems, particularly those with long-term psychoses, are among the most excluded groups. They may be excluded from material resources and living in relative poverty, excluded from socially valued productive activity, excluded from social relations and neighbourhoods, and also excluded from civic participation and health and health services.
Recovery, social inclusion and the practice of psychiatrists
- Author:
- CURRIE Alan
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 15(3), 2011, pp.143-150.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Promoting social inclusion is crucial to the work of mental health practitioners. This review explores the practices which support social inclusion and recovery. The working practices and prevailing theoretical models in psychiatry are also considered in the context of understanding how these practices and models can support social inclusion. Literature suggests that social inclusion is central to being in recovery. Social inclusion is also a platform on which to participate in life's activities and to learn to live well again. The practices which support these approaches are consistent with medical models of care, with the bio-psychosocial model that prevails in psychiatric practice and with existing guidelines on the nature and purpose of the therapeutic relationship. However, there are obstacles that impede adopting new practices, including creating additional work, increased risk in a risk-averse environment, and incompatibility with current models of medical practice. This paper describes the cost of exclusion, the value of inclusion, the practices which support recovery and social inclusion, and refutes the arguments for not adopting this approach to practice.
The development of the stages of recovery scale for persons with persistent mental illness
- Authors:
- SONG Li-yu, HSU Su-Ting
- Journal article citation:
- Research on Social Work Practice, 21(5), September 2011, pp.572-581.
- Publisher:
- Sage
This study evaluated the development of a scale to be used as a way to evidence the effects of recovery-oriented services. A 51-item scale was created to evaluate both the component processes and outcomes of recovery. Four hundred and seventy one participants from 24 rehabilitation centres in Taiwan were administered the questionnaire. Factor analysis produced a 45-item scale with six subscales, including three components of process and three outcomes. The construct validity was confirmed. Each subscale has very good internal consistency, and the 3-5 weeks test and retest reliability was also high. The measure was found to significantly differentiate the rehabilitation sample and the better functioning sample. The external construct validity was also ensured. Results were also found to support the psychometric property of the Stages of Recovery Scale (SRS). The authors concluded that the measure could be used for both assessment and evaluation to document the evidence of a recovery-oriented programme.
Conceptual framework for personal recovery in mental health: systematic review and narrative synthesis
- Authors:
- LEAMY Mary, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 199(6), December 2011, pp.445-452.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
A recovery orientation is mental health policy in most Anglophone countries. However the implications of recovery orientation for working practice are unclear and guidelines for developing recovery–based services have only recently become available. Current approaches to understanding personal recovery are primarily based on qualitative research or consensus methods. The aims of this study were to undertake a systematic review of the available literature and to use a modified narrative synthesis to develop a new conceptual framework for recovery. A conceptual framework in this context being a network, or a plane, of interlinked concepts that together provide a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon and an empirical basis for future recovery-orientated research and practice. A total of 5208 papers were identified, 366 reviewed, and 97 were included in this analysis. The emergent conceptual framework consists of: 13 characteristics of the recovery journey; five recovery processes comprising: connectedness; hope and optimism about the future; identity; meaning in life; and empowerment (giving the acronym CHIME); and recovery stage descriptions which mapped onto the transtheoretical model of change. Studies that focused on recovery for individuals of black and minority ethnic origin showed greater emphasis on spirituality and stigma and identified two additional themes: culturally specific facilitating factors and collectivist notions of recovery.
There seems no place for place: a gap analysis of the recovery literature
- Authors:
- YATES Ian, HOLMES Guy, PRIEST Helena
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Public Mental Health, 10(3), 2011, pp.140-150.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
In this paper, the authors initially provide an overview of research focusing on the relationship between people's mental health and their social and physical environment, and then present the findings of a literature search on these factors and recovery from mental health difficulties. Database searches were used to identify specific literature exploring the role of place and people's social environments in terms of recovery from mental health problems. The paper presents the findings from thematic analysis of the 11 studies selected, which identified 4 main themes: place, social context and identity; safety and security; social connectedness; contradictory impacts of the mental health system. The authors argue that recent qualitative research has over emphasised the subjective experience of recovery at the expense of a rich description of the place in which research is conducted, and that this dislocates recovery from its geographic location and the wider social, political and economic systems in which it occurs. They conclude that there is a gap in the current literature concerning recovery, and that in order to understand the environmental factors that contribute to recovery research needs to include rich descriptions of the physical and social environment.
Self-care in mental health services: a narrative review
- Authors:
- LUCOCK Mike, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 19(6), November 2011, pp.602-616.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Self-care is an important approach to the management of long-term health conditions. The aim of this review is to understand self-care from the perspective of mental health service users. Systematic searches of the literature were conducted for qualitative empirical studies of the views of people with mental health problems on self-care or the related concepts of self-management, self-help or recovery. These concepts all entail individuals having more choice and control over treatment and a greater role in recovery and maintaining their health and well-being. Twenty qualitative studies were selected which identify self-care behaviours and strategies that support the management of and recovery from mental health problems. The methods used in these studies are critically appraised and the key themes extracted. The findings highlight challenges to this approach in mental health. It is important for services to provide the right balance between providing care, support and treatment when required and the autonomy of the individual. The findings are used to develop a conceptual framework of the relationships between self-care support, self-care behaviours and strategies, and well-being for the individual.
Complete mental health recovery: bridging mental illness with positive mental health
- Authors:
- PROVENCHER Helene L., KEYES Corey L. M.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Public Mental Health, 10(1), 2011, pp.57-69.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
In this paper, the authors argue that the study and promotion of recovery can be augmented by adopting the model of mental health as a complete state. The article describes a model of positive mental health incorporating 13 dimensions which relate to emotional well-being (positive emotions such as happiness and life satisfaction) and positive functioning (a sense of engagement and fulfilment reflecting psychological well-being and social well-being). It discusses the relevance of positive mental health to recovery, asserting that from the perspective of complete mental health, recovery is seen as restoration from mental illness and optimisation of positive mental health, and illustrates pathways to complete mental health over the recovery process. The authors note that both the alleviation of mental illness and the promotion of positive mental health, distinct but complementary processes, are viewed as necessary to move towards recovery.
A preliminary review of an outpatient dual diagnosis recovery group programme
- Authors:
- CHILTON John, PARRISH Margarete, CRONE Diane
- Journal article citation:
- Groupwork, 21(3), 2011, pp.78-91.
- Publisher:
- Whiting and Birch
Estimates suggest that one third of service users in the UK with serious mental illness have concurrent substance misuse conditions or ‘dual diagnoses’. A challenge facing professionals working with people with dual diagnosis involves the integration of both mental health and substance-related practice in order to provide meaningful services to meet the complex spectrum of needs that characterise dual diagnosis. This article discusses an ongoing recovery group therapy programme designed to address the psycho-educational and therapeutic needs associated with dual diagnosis. The group programme comprises 10 weekly hour-long sessions covering different topics facilitated by mental health nurses trained in group therapy. The group participants are required to complete screening instruments pre- and post-group treatment. The findings presented in this article relate to the first 20 participants who completed the first programme. Fourteen of these participants completed the programme. The development of relationships between group members proved to be a powerful influence for positive change. Participants reported improved mental health functions and diminished reliance on substances during the group treatment process. The benefits of groupwork among this population and implications for good practice are discussed.
Meanings of recovery from the perspective of people with dual diagnosis
- Authors:
- HIPOLITO Maria Mananita S., CARPENTER-SONG Elizabeth, WHITLEY Rob
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 7(3), July 2011, pp.141-149.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This article examines the notion of recovery, based on the perspectives of people with dual diagnosis living in recovery communities. Recovery communities seek to create intentional, safe, relationship-centred communities for people living with co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders in shared or congregate housing sites. The findings reported in this paper were obtained as part of an ongoing ‘Creating Communities’ research project that aims to examine the impact of the communities on processes of recovery. As part of this study, focus groups have been conducted with residents at 4-month intervals. This analysis draws on data collected in 2009 and 2010 into meanings of recovery. The findings reveal that recovery is a multifaceted concept for individuals living with co-occurring disorders. The analysis yielded 3 dimensions of the meaning of recovery: acknowledgment; present orientation; and transformation and growth.