Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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An integral approach to mental health recovery: implications for social work
- Author:
- STARNINO Vincent R.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 19(7), October 2009, pp.820-842.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The term recovery has become increasingly popular in the area of mental health care. Recently, it has been described by policy makers as the guiding vision for transforming the mental health system. Problematic, however, is that a lack of clarity continues to exist regarding how recovery is to be defined. Definitional attempts often appear to have competing opinions about what the concept exactly stands for. This causes confusion for both professionals and consumers desiring to adopt a recovery approach. This article organises and connects insights from different views of mental health recovery by drawing on aspects of Ken Wilber's integral theory. The intention is to create a conceptual framework that brings together the competing ideological positions held by key stakeholders who have helped to shape the contemporary recovery paradigm. The resulting model comprises 4 quadrants which present a framework for situating recovery themes alongside their respective philosophical underpinnings. The implications for social work practice and education is discussed.
What does “recovery” from mental illness and addiction mean? Perspectives from child protection social workers and from parents living with mental distress
- Authors:
- SCOTT Anne Lorraine, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 87, 2018, pp.95-102.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
The mental health consumer movement initiated the development of the recovery approach, in which self-determination, human rights and the living of a hopeful life superseded merely symptom management for people living with mental illnesses and addictions. To what degree has this reimagined path to recovery shaped social work practice? In this paper we analyse the perspectives of eleven social workers doing child protection work in Aotearoa New Zealand. We examine also the accounts of thirteen parents living with mental illness or addiction who have been involved in child custody investigations in Aotearoa New Zealand. We ask whether the social workers understand recovery as possible for such parents, and if so, how they see it occurring. We found that there is a substantial difference between the way the social workers and the parents conceived of such ‘recovery’. While parents' descriptions of recovery reflected those of the mental health consumer movement, social workers tended to operate with a focus on clinical intervention, symptom and risk management. (Edited publisher abstract)
The recovery framework as a way of understanding families' responses to mental illness: balancing different needs and recovery journeys
- Authors:
- WYDER Marianne, BLAND Robert
- Journal article citation:
- Australian Social Work, 67(2), 2014, pp.179-196.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Personal recovery is a guiding principle in mental health and suggests that consumers own and are responsible for their own recovery. An exclusive focus on the recovery of those living with mental illness challenges the relevance of recovery concepts to families’ experiences. This paper extends these recovery principles to consider if the recovery framework is helpful in understanding families’ experiences. We distinguished the family's recovery task by recovery-oriented support and the family's own recovery journey. By applying recovery frameworks developed by Davidson et al. and Leamy et al. to these two tasks, we were able to highlight similarities and points of tension between consumer and family recovery tasks. The tasks for families include: (1) maintaining hope; (2) reconnecting; (3) overcoming secondary trauma; and (4) journeying from carer to family. Family response to mental illness is a dynamic, multilayered process rather than a static and enduring role of caregiving. The recovery framework offers an alternative way to understand a family's response to mental illness and suggests possibilities for social work practice with families. (Edited publisher abstract)
Mental health stigma and discrimination: the experience within social work
- Authors:
- GORMLEY David, QUINN Neil
- Journal article citation:
- Practice: Social Work in Action, 21(4), December 2009, pp.259-272.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The stigma experienced by mental health service users has been examined by many authors but is rarely found within the social work literature. This paper explores the stigma experienced by service users within a social work context, and considers the strategies employed by various individuals and groups seeking to challenge the effects of stigma, highlighting the need to include social work in this debate. Semi-structured interviews were held with 6 social workers and 6 service users to determine their perspectives on some of the key concepts within the stigma discourse, on individuals’ experience of psychiatric services, on the relationships between professionals and service users, and the contribution of a recovery approach in addressing stigma. The paper concludes that local authority social work departments need to play a much more prominent role in tacking mental health stigma and discrimination. This requires policy developments, involvement of service users in planning and development of services, incorporating the experience of stigma within assessments, and improving multi-disciplinary collaboration to tackle stigma and discrimination. In addition, social work academics need to respond to the deficit of research in this area.
Professional differences in attitudes toward and utilization of psychiatric recovery
- Authors:
- HARDIMAN Eric R., HODGES John Q.
- Journal article citation:
- Families in Society, 89(2), April 2008, pp.220-227.
- Publisher:
- The Alliance for Children and Families
This article examines mental health provider attitudes toward and utilisation of psychiatric recovery concepts in practice settings. Comparisons are made between providers from three major professional disciplines (social work, psychology, and psychiatry) surveyed using a national random sample of 301 mental health providers. Findings indicate that although there is familiarity with recovery-based principles among providers, and high reported belief in the recovery model, actual utilization of recovery content in practice settings remains mixed. Significant differences between disciplines suggest that psychologists may be less familiar with the recovery model, less likely to see it as a feasible approach for their caseloads, and less likely to emphasize it as a primary goal when working with consumers. Implications for practitioners, policymakers, and planners are provided.
Faith-based trauma intervention: spiritual-based strategies for adolescent students in faith-based schools
- Authors:
- VIS Jo-Ann, BATTISTONE Amy
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work, 33(3-4), 2014, pp.218-235.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
A traumatic event can occur at any point in an adolescent’s life. Yet, research suggests that the negative impact of a traumatic event on adolescent’s well-being can be minimised with timely and effective intervention. Careful review of the trauma literature identifies the significance of both community and faith-based intervention in positive post-traumatic recovery. A link has been identified between the use of Christian strategies and a decreased risk of post-traumatic symptoms. However, the literature examined suggests that adolescents may avoid the use of Christian strategies during their recovery because of the effects that their developmental milestones have on their perception of the Christian faith. Based on this research, spiritual based strategies are discussed in an effort to effectively respond to the spiritual and psychological needs of adolescents in faith-based schools in the occasion of a traumatic event. This article outlines literature promoting the significance of Christian-based trauma intervention strategies for adolescents and how social workers can assist school personnel to apply these strategies in the event of a trauma. (Edited publisher abstract)