Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 10 of 50
Psychosocial groupwork for older adults having substance use and mental health issues: the participants speak
- Authors:
- WHITE-CAMPBELL Marilyn, LUKETIC Lea, MacDONALD Stephanie
- Journal article citation:
- Groupwork, 24(1), 2014, pp.60-80.
- Publisher:
- Whiting and Birch
Community Outreach Programs in Addictions (COPA) is a Canadian organisation that assists older adults who live with substance misuse and mental health issues. COPA College, a psycho educational mutual aide support group consists of weekly group sessions. The programme uses a Solution Focussed approach which provides support to socially disadvantaged older adults with substance and mental health issues through a group format. This article sets out to evaluate participant reactions and determine if participants decrease substance use following completion of the group. One-on-one semi-structured interviews with ten participants were conducted. Participants were asked to rate the importance of different aspects of the programme and discuss alcohol intake following involvement in the group. Aspects of the programme rated highly by all the participants included learning new information, the breadth of topics discussed and the harm reduction approach taken by the programme. Finally, the general atmosphere of the group was considered very important, especially being comfortable in the group and combining humour with learning, and an opportunity for reflective, sharing peer support. (Edited publisher abstract)
Meeting the training needs of staff working with older people with dual diagnosis
- Authors:
- SAXTON Louise, LANCASHIRE Stuart, KIPPING Cheryl
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Dual Diagnosis, 4(1), 2011, pp.36-46.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Dual diagnosis initiatives, particularly those related to training, have largely focused on working age adults. Professionals working with older people need to identify whether dual diagnosis is present and provide effective assessment and treatment, but they often lack knowledge, skills and confidence in working with this group. This paper describes the development and preliminary evaluation of a 5-day course designed to meet the needs of staff working with older people who have a dual diagnosis. The course was designed to provide Level 1 (‘core’) and Level 2 (‘generalist’) competencies for staff working in mental health of older adults (MHOA) services. The training was intended for practitioners in a variety of clinical roles. It was taught using a range of methods including didactic presentations, small group discussions, videos, exercises, role-play, homework and clinical supervision. Evaluation of the course involved a short battery of self-report questionnaires aiming to assess changes to knowledge, confidence and attitudes which were completed prior to and on completion of training. The students' perceptions of the quality of the programme were also obtained. The evaluation indicated that significant changes were achieved in knowledge and confidence after the course. Although there were some changes in attitudes these did not reach significance.
Development and implementation of a dual diagnosis strategy for older people in south east London
- Authors:
- RAO Rahul, SHANKS Andy
- Journal article citation:
- Advances in Dual Diagnosis, 4(1), 2011, pp.28-35.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
There is growing recognition of the public health needs of the increasing numbers of older people with mental health problems and substance misuse. Policy guidance directed at both mental health and substance misuse services has repeatedly highlighted the need to prevent clients from ‘falling through the net’ between services, and this has led to an increase in localised responses with the intention of ensuring that treatment options are available for this client group. This paper describes the development and implementation of one particular dual diagnosis strategy in an inner city area in London. The dual diagnosis strategy was designed to improve the detection, treatment and health outcomes for older people with dual diagnosis who are referred to mental health of older adults (MHOA) services, and to champion excellence within the MHOA Directorate. A needs assessment highlighted that the majority of staff were unlikely to have the specialist skills, knowledge, confidence or competence required for working with this group. This led to the commissioning of training to address this. In addition, 3 care pathways were created to allow seamless transition between services, thus enabling older adults with dual diagnosis to receive the care that they require.
Implementing a gero-infused curriculum in advanced-level MSW courses in health, mental health and substance abuse: an evaluation
- Authors:
- FENSTER Judy, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 53(7), October 2010, pp.641-653.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The aim of this project was to increase the capacity of US Master of Social Work (MSW) graduates to serve older adults and their families in health, mental health, and substance abuse settings. The project team undertook a systematic review of each social work faculty syllabus at Adelphi University, in a suburb of New York city, for existing content on gerontology, and developed gerontology-infused model syllabi and teaching modules for each course. They then examined change in students' perception of geriatric self-competency and students' substantive knowledge of the gerontology-infused curriculum subject matter, using a sample of 333 MSW students. The results indicated that students exposed to the new mental health and substance abuse courses reported significantly higher substantive knowledge about working with older adults, and felt more strongly than those in the comparison group that they had learnt about working with older adults in these specific settings.
Narrative therapy, older adults, and group work?: practice, research, and recommendations
- Authors:
- POOLE Jennifer, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work with Groups, 32(4), October 2009, pp.288-302.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This article reports on the use of narrative therapy with a diverse group of older adults dealing with mental health and substance misuse issues. Narrative therapy supports individuals to critically assess their lives and develop alternative and empowering life stories that aim to keep the problem in its place. Although the literature suggests this is a promising intervention for individuals, there is a lack of research on narrative therapy and group work. In 2006, a team of Canadian social work practitioners and allied researchers set out to explore what narrative therapy might look like if it were provided in a group rather than individually. Based in a clinical gerontology programme at an urban mental health centre in Toronto, the team developed and researched a narrative therapy group for older adults coping with mental health and substance misuse issues. The final group consisted of 12 adults ranging in age from 55 to 70. Taking an ethnographic approach, field notes and interviews were analysed to determine how, when, and for whom, such a group could be beneficial. The article concludes that narrative therapy is highly suitable for older adults coping with substance misuse and mental health issues and may be more effective for this particular community when provided in a group.
Twelve-month prevalence of DSM-IV mental disorders among older Asian Americans: comparison with younger groups
- Authors:
- KIM Jinseok, CHOI Namkee G.
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 14(1), January 2010, pp.90-99.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Both lifetime and current prevalence estimates of mental disorders in the general population have consistently shown ages differences. Using public-use data from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS), 2002-2003, this study aimed to compare the 12-month prevalence of depressive, anxiety, or intermittent explosive disorder among older Asian Americans to that among younger groups, and to examine age group differences in correlates for these mental disorders. The results found that the 12-month prevalence rate among older adults, 7.4% in the 60+ group, was significantly lower than those among younger groups. They also found that correlates of mental disorder were not the same among different age groups. Among the 60+ group, ethnicity, work status, years in the United States, family conflict, and social disability score were the significant covariates of a diagnosis of mental disorder. The findings appear to suggest that, compared with younger cohorts, older Asian Americans may have lower reactivity to life stressors and more adaptive coping strategies.
The role of social isolation of elders in recidivism of self-neglect cases at San Francisco Adult Protective Services
- Author:
- SPENSLEY Catherine
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, 20(1), 2008, pp.43-61.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This study is based on data for 704 individuals from the automated client tracking system of the San Francisco Adult Protective Services. Bivariate and multivariate analyses showed a positive relationship between substance or alcohol abuse and a relapse to self-neglect, and a negative relationship between cognitive decline and such relapse. No significant relationships were found for social isolation or mental health concerns and recidivism. These findings support previous studies that have identified a significant relationship between self-neglect and substance abuse. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Effects of dependency on compliance rates among elder abuse victims at the New York city department for the aging, elderly crime victim's unit
- Authors:
- POWELL Mebane E., BERMAN Jacquelin
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 46(3/4), 2006, pp.229-247.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The literature on elder abuse recognizes the dependency of the abuser on the victim as a substantial risk factor for elder abuse. This study aimed to explore how the issue of dependency of the abuser on the victim as well as the victim on the abuser may impact the victim's acceptance rate of referrals (compliance). Dependency was defined by the total score for each case on the Victim Dependency Scale and Abuser Dependency Scale. Compliance was defined as the act of accepting a referral and compliance rates were determined by counting the total number of referrals the victim accepted. Findings indicated that the only factor associated with compliance rates was if the abuser had a mental illness/substance abuse problem. If the abuser did have this problem, the victim was significantly more likely to accept a referral for services as compared to victims whose abusers did not have a mental illness/substance abuse problem. The authors offer explanations as to why this research was important and the implications it has on future research. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Understanding community care: a guide for social workers
- Author:
- McDONALD Ann
- Publisher:
- Palgrave Macmillan
- Publication year:
- 2006
- Pagination:
- 216p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Basingstoke
- Edition:
- 2nd
Second edition of text introducing community care services for people with mental health problems, older people, substance misusers, people with HIV/AIDS, and disabled people.
Health services utilization between older and younger homeless adults
- Authors:
- NAKONEZNY Paul A., OJEDA Michael
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 45(2), April 2005, pp.249-254.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This American study examineed the relationship between health services utilization delivered by means of the Homeless Outreach Medical Services (HOMES) programme and health services utilization delivered by means of the Parkland emergency room and inpatient units among a sample of older and younger homeless adults being served by the Parkland Health and Hospital System. The HOMES programme uses two 40-ft-long mobile medical units and a fixed-site outpatient clinic to provide primary health care on a walk-in, no-charge basis to individuals who are homeless. A quasi-experimental design was used, and health services utilization data was randomly selected from 293 male and 288 female homeless patients from among the 14,876 homeless patients aged 20–64 years who used HOMES and the Parkland Health and Hospital System between June 1, 1992, and June 30, 1999. The dependent variables were measurements of inpatient and outpatient utilization of psychiatric, substance abuse, and musculoskeletal services by homeless patients. Inpatient and outpatient utilization patterns by age were assessed. Results found older homeless individuals utilized the HOMES more than inpatient services for substance abuse and musculoskeletal conditions, but they utilized inpatient services the most for psychiatric-related conditions. The authors conclude this level of inpatient utilization is perhaps a result of greater severity or progression of mental illness among older homeless adults. The level of outpatient utilization is probably because the HOMES program mitigates many of the barriers that prevent homeless individuals from obtaining primary medical care.