How Art may be a Tool for Understanding Other Cultures and their Perception of Illness

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
M. Kastrup
Keyword(s):  
Help Seeking ◽  
Therapeutic Process ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Mental Health Staff ◽  
The World ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Impact

Cultural background has a significant influence upon how we perceive illness, our attitudes to illness and our help-seeking behaviour.But culture is only one of many influences on our health related beliefs and behaviours. Other factors include e.g. individual factors related to age, gender, sociodemographic background, but also environmental factors such as urban or rural setting, pollution, globalization.If we want to understand and assess the impact of culture in a particular clinical case, the use of art may be a valuable tool to facilitate this understanding and serve as a bridge over cultural incongruities.The paper will discuss ways in which the application of artistic elements in the therapeutic process may serve as a useful intervention and ultimately as a vehicle to increase the cultural competence of mental health staff. In an increasingly complex, globalised world with patient populations originating from all parts of the world this may prove to be a profitable instrument.

scholarly journals The impact of Recovery Colleges on mental health staff, services and society

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 481-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Crowther ◽  
A. Taylor ◽  
R. Toney ◽  
S. Meddings ◽  
T. Whale ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Mechanisms Of Action ◽  
Advisory Panel ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Mental Health Staff ◽  
Social Care Service ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Impact

AbstractAimsRecovery Colleges are opening internationally. The evaluation focus has been on outcomes for Recovery College students who use mental health services. However, benefits may also arise for: staff who attend or co-deliver courses; the mental health and social care service hosting the Recovery College; and wider society. A theory-based change model characterising how Recovery Colleges impact at these higher levels is needed for formal evaluation of their impact, and to inform future Recovery College development. The aim of this study was to develop a stratified theory identifying candidate mechanisms of action and outcomes (impact) for Recovery Colleges at staff, services and societal levels.MethodsInductive thematic analysis of 44 publications identified in a systematised review was supplemented by collaborative analysis involving a lived experience advisory panel to develop a preliminary theoretical framework. This was refined through semi-structured interviews with 33 Recovery College stakeholders (service user students, peer/non-peer trainers, managers, community partners, clinicians) in three sites in England.ResultsCandidate mechanisms of action and outcomes were identified at staff, services and societal levels. At the staff level, experiencing new relationships may change attitudes and associated professional practice. Identified outcomes for staff included: experiencing and valuing co-production; changed perceptions of service users; and increased passion and job motivation. At the services level, Recovery Colleges often develop somewhat separately from their host system, reducing the reach of the college into the host organisation but allowing development of an alternative culture giving experiential learning opportunities to staff around co-production and the role of a peer workforce. At the societal level, partnering with community-based agencies gave other members of the public opportunities for learning alongside people with mental health problems and enabled community agencies to work with people they might not have otherwise. Recovery Colleges also gave opportunities to beneficially impact on community attitudes.ConclusionsThis study is the first to characterise the mechanisms of action and impact of Recovery Colleges on mental health staff, mental health and social care services, and wider society. The findings suggest that a certain distance is needed in the relationship between the Recovery College and its host organisation if a genuine cultural alternative is to be created. Different strategies are needed depending on what level of impact is intended, and this study can inform decision-making about mechanisms to prioritise. Future research into Recovery Colleges should include contextual evaluation of these higher level impacts, and investigate effectiveness and harms.

The effectiveness of a sensory modulation workshop on health professional learning

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 317-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilbert Azuela ◽  
Linda Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Sensory Modulation ◽  
Mental Health Staff ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Workshops are commonly used to up-skill staff and their usefulness can be determined by measuring whether or not learning needs have been met and, in particular, whether attitudes have changed. In the field of mental health, sensory modulation workshops have been introduced to educate staff about preventative measures that reduce the use of seclusion and restraint for service users with challenging behaviours. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of such a workshop. Design/methodology/approach A one-day workshop was developed based on a review of the literature and feedback from previous workshops, and with input from an industry-based reference group. An evaluation tool was designed to measure the learning outcomes, i.e., the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the 23 participants. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS v20) was used to analyse the data. Multi-variate analysis of variance was used to determine the relationship between variables. Findings A significant increase in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of mental health staff was identified after the one-day workshop (F=106.346, df=1, p<0.000). When considering which participants showed most benefits, it was shown that the demographics had no effect, i.e., education level, practice discipline, years of work experience in mental health, and previous sensory modulation training. Practical implications Measuring learning outcomes provides essential information about whether or not the learning objectives have been met. This allows future workshops to be tailored to ensure that the learning opportunity is at the correct level for the learners. More traditional evaluations that elicit the views of the content covered and teaching methods should additionally be used to supplement this information. Originality/value Workshops are often evaluated on the basis of the participants’ subjective response to a quick questionnaire. Developing a tool to measure outcomes is a more effective way to determine what has been learned and to ensure that positive outcomes for individuals and their organisations can be reached.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Suicide Survivors—A Hidden Grieving Population

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Pinto ◽  
Joana Soares ◽  
Alzira Silva ◽  
Rosário Curral ◽  
Rui Coelho
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Social Stigma ◽  
Complicated Grief ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Suicide Survivors ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support ◽  
The Impact

Present time has been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. People are grieving several non-death related situations: the loss of a job, of a status, of a role, of their life. Restrictive measures and uncertainty about the future makes individuals vulnerable to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Mental health support has been hindered and teams are reinventing themselves to reach people in need. Nevertheless, decompensation of previous psychiatric disorders, increasing levels of depression and anxiety, economical handicaps and fear of the infection, are prompting several cases of COVID-19 related suicides worldwide. Every suicide affects between 5 and 80 individuals, which are known as suicide survivors. Suicide grief is particularly challenging, with rates of complicated grief as high as 40%. Suicide survivors are at increased risk of developing depression, anxiety disorders and of suicidal behaviors. Moreover, feelings of guilt and shame, as well as social stigma, are major obstacles for them to reach form help. This article aims to review the existing literature on COVID-19 related suicides, complicated grief in suicide survivors and highlight modifiable risk factors for both conditions, as well as propose some public health measures to reduce the impact of the pandemic context on self-inflicted harm and its consequences on families, friends and the community. Obstacles to access to mental health support need to be overcome through the use of technology. Technicians should actively approach populations more vulnerable to develop suicidal ideation. Social media have the obligation to provide accurate an non-sensationalistic information. Families and friends should maintain social proximity, despite the need for physical distancing. When a suicide death occurs, police forces and health staff should be prepared to share the news with the family using an empathic and humane approach and providing psychological support. Funerals, memorials and other services should be held as much as possible. Closer contacts should be signalized and closely followed in order to detect the need for specific interventions. Help seeking behaviors should be promoted. Additionally, people should be educated on suicide and its impacts, in order to reduce stigma.

scholarly journals The arrogance of insight?

1993 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Perkins ◽  
Parimala Moodley
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Distress ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Explanatory Models ◽  
Physical Illness ◽  
Psychological Models ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviour ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Use Of Health Services

People's beliefs about illness, distress and disability profoundly influence their experience of, and responses to, such problems. Medical anthropologists have long recognised the importance of explanatory models of physical illness and the impact of these on the provision and use of health services. Similarly, psychological models of physical illness and related behaviour stress the importance of the ways in which people conceptualise or understand their difficulties. These are central in determining emotional responses to illness, help-seeking and illness-related behaviours, attitudes towards and compliance with treatment. Eisenbruch (1990) argues that, “the culturally constructed ideas held by the patient about the cause and nature of disease” are as important in relation to mental distress and disturbance. Help-seeking behaviour, attitudes towards and compliance with treatment are of central concern in psychiatry and all of these are influenced by people's understandings of their difficulties. Yet relatively little attention has been paid to the ways in which people conceptualise their mental distress.

Modern Features of the Transformation of the World and Russian Labor Markets

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-12
Author(s):  
Vasiliy Svistunov ◽  
Valeriya Konovalova ◽  
Vitaliy Lobachyev
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Labor Markets ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Cation Composition ◽  
The World ◽  
Digital Development ◽  
The Impact

The article is devoted to the assessment of the impact of modern digital technologies on the world and Russian labor market. The relevance of the chosen problem is explained by the fact that the achieved level of digital development of society has a signifi cant impact on the size of labor markets, the qualifi cation composition of workers, the demand for certain professions. The article presents the results of the analysis of the impact of digital technology on the growth of Russia’s GDP, the contribution of individual factors of growth in value added of diff erent sectors of the economy, including the sectoral dimension, the dynamics of digital technologies across regions of the country. The article presents the results of studies characterizing new trends in the labor market, formed as a response to the increasingly active penetration of the digital economy in the socioeconomic sphere of society.

scholarly journals Examining ways to enhance active transportation and the impact on commuters’ health, wellbeing and sustainable development

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Papageorgiou ◽  
Eudokia Balamou ◽  
Theophano Efstathiadou ◽  
Athanasios Maimaris
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Cardiovascular Complications ◽  
Active Transportation ◽  
World Health ◽  
The World ◽  
Relevant Variables ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Impact

Active transportation and physical activity is a major remedy to health-related problems in our society. According to the World Health Organization the lack of physical activity is one of the leading risk factors for global mortality as well as health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular complications and other diseases that are threatening public health. To reduce the health risks of physical inactivity, active transportation and generally physical activity have recently gained great interest in our modern societies. This paper investigates ways to enhance active transportation and the impact on commuters’ health, wellbeing and urban sustainability. As a result, a theoretical framework is developed that explores the relevant variables that influence commuter’s willingness for active mobility.

A systemic response to supporting frontline inpatient mental health staff in coping with the COVID-19 outbreak

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Padraig Cotter ◽  
Nicola Jhumat ◽  
Eshia Garcha ◽  
Eirini Papasileka ◽  
Jennifer Parker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Support Staff ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Mental Health Staff ◽  
Frontline Staff ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Care Workforce ◽  
Inpatient Mental Health ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to outline the process of supporting frontline inpatient mental health staff in developing ways of coping with COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach A whole system approach was used in formulating and developing support structures with particular focus on relationship-focused coping. Findings Interventions were developed to support staff in coping with problem-focused (e.g. systemic changes) and emotion-focused challenges (e.g. deaths of colleagues). These included psychoeducation, mindfulness-based meditation and rituals to mark the deaths of colleagues. Staff SPACE (Stopping to Process and Consider Events) sessions were used to support staff in managing the many emotions they were experiencing. Positive psychology-based interventions were used to keep morale up and help people to stay motivated. The process of seeking feedback and making changes was introduced to support staff in feeling heard and having a voice. The maternal or master intervention within each of the above was the relational component. Practical implications This work aimed to boost the emotional and psychological literacy of the system. This will be important in the aftermath of the pandemic and could have many benefits thereafter. Social implications The post-COVID-19 health-care workforce will experience significant challenges in terms of readjustment and recovery. It is important that appropriate measures are put in place to ameliorate this. Originality/value An innovative systemic formulation of the impact of COVID-19 on frontline staff, and a coordinated way of dealing with this, is outlined.

“The dual diagnosis attitudes survey”: understanding the attitudinal impact of training across mental health and alcohol and drug service systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 137-149
Author(s):  
Gavin Foster
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Dual Diagnosis ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Specific Training ◽  
Mental Health Staff ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regional Partnership ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Anecdotal feedback obtained from alcohol and drug and mental health staff across the eastern metropolitan region of Melbourne, Australia suggests that attitudes towards working with people experiencing a dual diagnosis are becoming more positive. The purpose of this paper is to understand if dual diagnosis-specific training delivered to staff within mental health and alcohol and other drug services was a factor positively influencing attitudes. Design/methodology/approach No formal evaluation assessing the impact of dual diagnosis-specific training on staff attitudes had previously occurred within this region of Australia. Access to staff on two occasions from three distinct sectors provided an opportunity to examine if and, to what degree, attitudes can be influenced by dual diagnosis-specific training. Using a co-designed attitudes survey, information was gathered from mental health and alcohol and drug staff on their attitudes to working with people with co-occurring mental health and substance use problems. Findings Two surveys were conducted involving 186 staff in 2012 and 110 staff in 2016. The dual diagnosis attitudes survey showed that positive attitudes to working with people experiencing a dual diagnosis were associated with recency of training. While attitudes may be improved by dual diagnosis training, these findings cannot exclude the impact of other dual diagnosis capacity building activities. Originality/value This study highlights the benefits of a regional partnership between mental health and alcohol and drug services and people with lived experience of dual diagnosis and the benefit of recent co-designed dual diagnosis training on longitudinally assessed worker attitudes.

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