Search results for ‘Subject term:"severe mental health problems"’ Sort:
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‘It feels as if time has come to a standstill’: institutionalised everyday lives among youth with a mental illness
- Authors:
- KESSING Malene Lue, RAVN Signe
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Youth Studies, 20(8), 2017, pp.959-973.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This paper focuses on the everyday lives of young people with a severe mental illness living temporarily at a social psychiatric housing facility in Denmark. In the paper we take a temporal approach to the analysis of this and we draw on Henri Lefebvre’s work on rhythm analysis to investigate the differences between the rhythms of everyday life within the institution and the rhythms of what is perceived as the everyday life of ‘ordinary’ youth. The authors also show how digital technologies play a central part in these institutionalised everyday lives by creating connections as well as disruptions between different time-spaces. Centrally, the authors point to the positive and negative consequences this has for the young peoples’ sense of self. Empirically, the paper is based on a four-month ethnographic fieldwork at the housing facility in 2014. (Edited publisher abstract)
The role of national policies and mental health care systems in the development of community care and community support: an international analysis
- Authors:
- HOOF Frank, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health, 24(4), 2015, pp.202-207.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
Aims: To get a better understanding of the ways in which national policies and (mental) health care systems can enhance the development of community support and social inclusion for people with severe mental illness. Method: A comparison was made between the experiences of 75 key persons on regional community support development regarding national policies and systems in Denmark, England and the Netherlands respectively. Results: Four themes stood out as being particularly instrumental in the development of community support: implementation of a national policy on social inclusion; development of a national framework of responsibilities, entitlements and services; solid funding and social inclusion incentivizing reimbursement systems; and integrated care. Conclusion: National governments do have opportunities to take or retake the lead to ensure that community support and social inclusion of persons with severe mental illness health problems are not just ideological slogans but solid policy. (Edited publisher abstract)
Outcomes of Nordic mental health systems: life expectancy of patients with mental disorders
- Authors:
- WAHLBECK Kristian, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 199(6), December 2011, pp.453-458.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
People with mental disorders show excess mortality due to natural and unnatural deaths. The gap in life expectancy between psychiatric patients and the population at large is seen as a proxy indicator of the effectiveness of social policy and health service provision. This study evaluated the achievements of Nordic mental health care reforms by looking at the life expectancy of people with serious mental disorders in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. Nationwide 5-year consecutive cohorts of people admitted to hospital for mental disorders between 1987–2006 were examined. The risk population was identified from hospital discharge registers and mortality data were retrieved from cause-of-death registers. The main outcome measure was life expectancy at age 15 years. People admitted to hospital for a mental disorder had a 2-3 fold higher mortality than the general population in all three countries; the gap in life expectancy was more pronounced for men than for women. Overall the gap decreased during the study period, especially for women, but a notable exception was Swedish men with mental disorders. In spite of the positive general trend, men with mental disorders still live 20 years less, and women 15 years less, than the general population. The authors believe that their results support further development of the Nordic welfare state model, i.e. tax-funded community-based public services and social protection.
GPs and involuntary admission: a qualitative study
- Authors:
- JEPSEN Britta, LOMBORG Kirsten, ENGBERG Marianne
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of General Practice, 60(577), August 2010, pp.604-606.
- Publisher:
- Royal College of General Practitioners
Legislation governing involuntary admissions (sectioning) of mentally ill patients differs between European countries but medical authorities are often given responsibility for making the decision. Despite this, and the serious implications for the patient, little is known about GPs' experiences with involuntary admission. This study aimed to explore these experiences with a group of GPs in Denmark. One focus group and six individual interviews were carried out with 13 GPs who had sectioned at least one of their patients to the psychiatric hospital in Aarhus. The GPs found handling involuntary admission unpleasant, stressful and time consuming. They felt nervous about the process and thought that the psychiatric system did not take them seriously. However they did feel relief and professional satisfaction when providing the patient with the help that was needed and handling a situation well. Although prior knowledge about the patient made it easier to section their own patients, the doctors were concerned about the harm that could be done to the doctor-patient relationship. It is concluded that the unpleasant experiences and uncomfortable feelings resulting from involuntary admissions reflect an undesirable and stressful working environment.
Cost analysis of community based family support of patients with severe mental illness
- Authors:
- VILLEMOES Marie Konge, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Community Mental Health Journal, 54(5), 2018, pp.625-633.
- Publisher:
- Springer
Community-based family support is a new option to patients with severe mental illness in which the patient and a volunteer family meet on a regular basic. This study examined whether this support could reduce patients’ use of psychiatric services. This matched case-control study included 86 patients with severe mental illness. 40 patients were offered the intervention: community-based family support intervention. Patients’ use of psychiatric hospital services was followed from 2 years before to 2 years after the intervention using a difference-in-difference analytical approach. Although community-based family support seemed to reduce hospital admission, the reduction in cost did not compensate the cost of the programme. However, this does not rule out the potential cost effectiveness, and future studies should assess the clinical benefits and cost effectiveness of community-based family support. The present study does not provide sufficient basis for recommending the general implementation of community-based family support. (Publisher abstract)
Co-production of community mental health services: organising the interplay between public services and civil society in Denmark
- Authors:
- VAEGGEMOSE Ulla, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care in the Community, 26(1), 2018, pp.122-130.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Co-production involves knowledge and skills based on both lived experiences of citizens and professionally training of staff. In Europe, co-production is viewed as an essential tool for meeting the demographic, political and economic challenges of welfare states. However, co-production is facing challenges because public services and civil society are rooted in two very different logics. These challenges are typically encountered by provider organisations and their staff who must convert policies and strategies into practice. Denmark is a welfare state with a strong public services sector and a relatively low involvement of volunteers. The aim of this study was to investigate how provider organisations and their staff navigate between the two logics. The present analysis is a critical case study of two municipalities selected from seven participating municipalities, for their maximum diversity. The study setting was the Community Families programme, which aim to support the social network of mental health users by offering regular contact with selected private families/individuals. The task of the municipalities was to initiate and support Community Families. The analysis built on qualitative data generated at the organisational level in the seven participating municipalities. Within the two “case study” municipalities, qualitative interviews were conducted with front-line co-ordinators (six) and line managers (two). The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded using the software program NVivo. The results confirm the central role played by staff and identify a close interplay between public services and civil society logics as essential for the organisation of co-production. Corresponding objectives, activities and collaborative relations of provider organisations are keys for facilitating the co-productive practice of individual staff. Organised in this way, co-production can succeed even in a mental health setting associated with social stigma and in a welfare state dominated by public services. (Publisher abstract)
Mortality and causes of death in a total national sample of patients with affective disorders admitted for the first time between 1973 and 1993
- Authors:
- HOYER Eyd Hansen, MORTENSEN Preben Bo, OLESEN Anne V.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 176, January 2000, pp.76-82.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This Danish study describes the pattern of mortality in patients with affective disorder and to study changes in suicide risk during the study period. Mortality from all natural and unnatural causes was elevated in all subgroups of affective disorder. More attention should be paid to the risk of suicide and physical illness in patients with affective disorders.