Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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How does prison visiting affect female offenders' mental health? Implications for education and development
- Authors:
- DE MOTTE Claire, BAILEY Di, WARD James
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice, 7(4), 2012, pp.170-179.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Women in custody are said to be five times more likely to have a mental health problem than the general population. Visits by relatives or volunteers are one way of preserving familial ties and increasing social support. This paper sets out to determine the state of visiting for women in the English prison system and to explore the relationship between women's mental health and visits in prison. The authors gathered data from a review of the academic and grey literature as well as relevant internet forums and blogs. All literature published from 1983 onwards was included to coincide with the introduction of Pat Carlen's campaigning group Women in Prison (WIP). The review focused on literature from England and Wales to reflect the National Criminal Justice System. Key themes revealed include; visit rejection, the importance of visits for maintaining identity and the contradicting emotions that women in prison experience when visited. The authors note that although social relationships and family ties are protective factors for prisoners' mental wellbeing, the number and frequency of visits to offenders in custody has declined. The role of prison visiting schemes to improve the mental wellbeing of women in custody is explored, including the implications for the education and training of staff and visitors involved in the process.
The impact of domestic abuse for older women: a review of the literature
- Authors:
- McGARRY Julie, SIMPSON Chris, HINCHLIFF-SMITH Kathryn
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 19(1), January 2011, pp.3-14.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The UK has an ageing population, and emerging national policy initiatives are beginning to recognise domestic abuse as an issue for older women. As such, it is fundamental that health and social care professionals are able to both identify domestic abuse and understand the particular experiences and needs of older women affected by domestic abuse. This literature review aimed to: provide a comprehensive summary of the impact of domestic abuse for older women particularly within the context of health; to explore the particular barriers to recognition and reporting abuse; and to highlight the particular gaps in our knowledge and understanding from a policy and care provision perspective. Overall findings showed that, while research in this area may be scarce, the work that has been undertaken to date would suggest that domestic abuse is both a significant and an under-recognised phenomenon with a wide-ranging impact on the lives and health of older women. Findings also suggest that older women’s experiences of domestic abuse are distinctly different from those in younger age groups and that these differences have not been adequately acknowledged.
Mental health and domestic abuse: a review of the literature
- Author:
- WOMEN'S AID
- Publisher:
- Women's Aid
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Pagination:
- 61
- Place of publication:
- Bristol
This literature review presents an overview of available evidence around domestic abuse, mental health and trauma in the United Kingdom. It reviews a total of 64 publications, including peer-reviewed academic literature, grey literature2, good practice guidance and case studies. The research questions guiding the review were: 1. What evidence is there of the link between domestic abuse and mental health trauma? 2. What are the barriers facing survivors in attempting to access and continuing to access mental health support? 3. How do specialist domestic abuse services (including ‘by and for’ services) meet the mental health recovery needs of survivors? Key findings include: domestic abuse is a major driver of women’s mental ill health; while there is clear evidence that the trauma of being subjected to domestic abuse has negative consequences on survivors’ mental health, this is often poorly understood by health practitioners – problematically, the focus becomes on what is ‘wrong’ with the survivor and the cause (domestic abuse) is side-lined or overlooked; sexism, racism and other intersecting forms of structural inequality and discrimination perpetuate health inequalities and create barriers to survivors accessing mental health support; specialist domestic abuse services (including partnership work with healthcare professionals) are an important part of the response to survivors’ mental health needs, but these services are often under-funded; perpetrators weaponise survivors’ mental ill health as part of their coercive and controlling behaviour and as a way of discrediting survivors. The emerging evidence suggests the benefits of trauma-informed approaches which contextualise mental health within broader socio-political systems and experiences. More research is needed to build the evidence base for this. (Edited publisher abstract)
Poor quality employment is worse for mental health than no job at all and contributes to mental distress in new mothers
- Author:
- HOLTTUM Sue
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 16(2), 2012, pp.66-71.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Two recent research papers on employment and mental health, one relating to all sectors of the working age population and the other to women who had recently had a child, are reviewed and summarised in this article. Both studies involved large samples of people in Australia. In the first study, information from a longitudinal survey was used to follow people over time and assess whether the quality of employment was related to mental health. It found that mental health was significantly better for people who were in jobs compared to those who were not, but that a poor quality job was no better than unemployment in terms of mental health and that, when the effect of other predictors of mental ill health was taken into account, a poor quality job was worse than no job at all. The second study focused on employed women who had given birth in the previous 12 months and had returned to work. It assessed the effect of working conditions on mental health, and found that quality of employment predicted whether they experienced mental distress, with psychological distress significantly associated with poor employment conditions. The author reports that the papers add to understanding of the relationship between mental health and employment, and comments that social inclusion through employment may depend not only on being in work but on the quality of that work.
Termination of pregnancy: a review of psychological effects on women
- Author:
- LIPP Alison
- Journal article citation:
- Nursing Times, 13.1.08, 2008, pp.26-29.
- Publisher:
- Nursing Times
Following a literature search and appraisal, this article explores some of the main themes arising from studies on the psychological impact of the termination of pregnancy. The results demonstrate that negative psychological effects are more likely in certain high-risk women. A table of indicators has been developed which could assist nurses in recognising whether a woman is a risk of negative psychological effects after termination.
Is exercise helpful for women aged 50 and over with mental health problems and what are the barriers to exercise?
- Authors:
- TINKER Anthea, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, 18(2), 2017, pp.93-103.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of exercise on the mental health problems of older women. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on information from academic literature, government publications and publications from other relevant bodies. It is a scoping study and is not a systematic review because of the constraints of the resources. Findings: There is growing evidence about the value of exercise for the mental health of older women but few evaluated examples of how this can be achieved. Research limitations/implications: There is a gap in the literature about this topic with few evaluated examples of how more older women can be encouraged to take more exercise. Practical implications: Policy makers, practitioners and older people themselves would gain from a greater emphasis on exercise as a means of improving quality of life and for reducing healthcare budgets through fewer referrals to services. Social implications: Greater emphasis on exercise for older women would increase their quality of life through a reduction in mental health problems. Originality/value: There is limited research which links mental health, exercise and older women, especially regarding the barriers to exercise that older women with diagnosed mental health problems may face. (Publisher abstract)
Addressing PTSD in low-income victims of intimate partner violence: moving toward a comprehensive intervention
- Author:
- SCHMIDT Ioana Dana
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work: A journal of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 59(3), 2014, pp.253-260.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Research indicates that female victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) are at risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other negative mental health outcomes. Low-income women of colour experience IPV at disproportionately high rates and may need a comprehensive array of resources to recover from victimisation. Although cognitive–behavioural therapy, a psychotherapeutic approach, has been established as the most effective treatment for PTSD in some populations, psychotherapy may not be sufficient for this population of survivors. This article reviews the relevant research and literature on treatment approaches for victims of IPV and provides an overview of studies investigating more holistic intervention approaches that feature components such as social support groups and advocacy, in addition to psychotherapy. Relying on conservation of resources theory, which posits a relationship between resources and psychological stress, and a relationship-oriented ecological framework, this article presents a model of a comprehensive intervention for disadvantaged minority victims of IPV that can help address issues related to PTSD and empower survivors to access necessary resources. (Edited publisher abstract)
Arab American women, mental health, and feminism
- Author:
- KAKOTI Sally A.
- Journal article citation:
- Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work, 27(1), February 2012, pp.60-70.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Through a review of literature from Arab and non-Arab American and international authors from 1989 to 2009, this article examines the mental health needs of Arab American women from a feminist viewpoint. It discusses Arab American women, culture, race, ethnicity and Arab people, feminism and the US environment, the mental health needs of immigrant women, and culturally competent practice. It identifies a lack of culturally competent mental health services for Arab American women, but acknowledges that resources for mental health practitioners are becoming available and notes positive initiatives. The author argues that there is a need for culturally competent mental health services integrated with an awareness of the oppressive ideology that affects Arab American women, and recommends development of a manual of best practice for culturally competent feminist mental health services for Arab American women.
Trauma experiences and posttraumatic stress disorder among women in the United States military
- Authors:
- CHAUMBA Josphine, BRIDE Brian E.
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Mental Health, 8(3), May 2010, pp.280-303.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Nearly 8% of Americans will experience post traumatic stress disorder as some point in their lives, with women twice as likely as men. For those serving in the military, the rate is 30%. With the growing number and expanding roles of women in the military, the negative effect of military trauma make their mental health a priority. This paper examines literature on military trauma, post traumatic stress disorder, and the provision of mental health services among females in the United States military. Common themes in the literature suggest that female military personnel experience three main types of trauma: combat trauma, including witnessing death or serious injury; sexual trauma referring to both sexual assault and harassment; and environment-induced trauma resulting from over-exposure to extreme conditions such as heat, extreme living conditions and infectious diseases. In addition, they have increased risks of developing post traumatic stress disorder. Although gender-sensitive services that address trauma among military women have grown, post traumatic stress disorder remains under-diagnosed and undertreated among female veterans. Implications for social work practice are also discussed.
Suicide and homelessness
- Authors:
- BONNER Adrian, LUSCOMBE Claire
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Public Mental Health, 8(3), September 2009, pp.7-19.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Suicide behaviour rates vary significantly between countries due to a range of cultural, behavioural and health-related factors. Gender and age-related factors also appear to be important. The homeless population is particularly at risk, due to multiple complex issues that relate to social exclusion, alcohol, drug, mental health and nutritional issues. Studying homeless people is problematic due to access, the transitory nature of their contact with statutory services, problems of self-report and recall. There is an increasing interest from practitioners and academic researchers in spiritual factors that appear to modulate the responses of an individual to the internal and external threats that underlie the motivation to end his or her life. Effective approaches to suicide prevention and crisis management require a good understanding of the interplay between this complex set of biological, psychological and social domains. These are explored in the final section of this review. This paper aims to provide a non-systematic review of the existing literature published in academic journals and relevant ‘grey literature’ and focuses on themes in the literature that may inform both policy and practice.