HIV/Aids and Mental Illness Dual Diagnosis: Exploring Healthcare Professionals’ Perspective

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
R. Balzano ◽  
M. Guidi ◽  
D. Sepio ◽  
L. Martini ◽  
V. Puro ◽  
...  

Aims:A growing body of scientific literature emphasizes a strong linkage between HIV/Aids and serious mental illness. In the Italian context, specialized services for combined management of dual diagnosis are increasingly requested, and healthcare professionals (HPWs) have to face up the difficulty emerging by this new situation. To bridge these gaps, the present study aimed at studying the representations of dual diagnosis, analyzing HPWs’ experiences from their own perspectives, in order to understand their difficulty and create future good practices in healthcare services.Method:A quali-quantitative study was conducted with a multidisciplinary sample of professionals (N=91), drawn by HIV/Aids and Mental Health sites. Due to the exploratory nature of the research, data were collected from semi-structured interviews: HPWs were asked about their work experiences with HIV/Aids and Mental Illness. The interviews were fully audio-taped and verbatim transcribed. A computer-aided lexical correspondence analysis was conducted by a dedicated text-analysis software.Results:Data analysis showed out two main factorial dimensions: the first regarding the representation of the “Management of dual diagnosis within Health Services”, and the second one referring to the “categorization of HIV/Aids-Mental Illness co-morbidity”. Furthermore, four different Representational Conceptions were highlighted, corresponding to as many different ways HPWs use to represent/depict the aims of Health Service in relation to HIV/Aids-Mental Illness co-morbidity.Conclusion:This study reveals that socio-cultural meanings of dual diagnosis are not fixed; rather, they are ongoing co-constructed within the activities carried out by the HPWs involved in their specific health contexts in the exercise of their profession.

Author(s):  
Vaitsa Giannouli

This chapter provides a review not only of classic literature on healthcare business and ethics, but also an introduction to the legal changes in the Greek healthcare system with ethical values on focus. A study examining in both a quantitative and qualitative way what the Greek healthcare experts think and feel about ethics and healthcare services presents the factors that shape attitudes towards ethical values from the viewpoint of the healthcare professionals. For this reason, 34 semi-structured interviews, accompanied by the administration of perceived cohesion scale, generalized immediacy scale, job affect scale, state anxiety inventory, Maslach burnout inventory, and the attitude towards business ethics questionnaire revealed that healthcare professionals do have knowledge of ethical values and moral responsibility, but no clear connections with specific emotional aspects were found. The chapter concludes with future directions on how business ethics can be further examined and applied.


Author(s):  
Taylor Riffel ◽  
Shu-Ping Chen

Background: The stigma of mental illness causes delays in seeking help, and often compromises victims’ therapeutic relationships with healthcare providers. The knowledge, attitudes, and behavioural responses of future healthcare professionals toward individuals with mental illnesses are explored here to suggest steps that will reduce mental illness stigma in healthcare providers. Methods: A generic qualitative approach—Qualitative Description—was used. Eighteen students from nine healthcare programs at a Canadian University participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Participants answered questions regarding their knowledge, attitudes, and behavioural responses towards individuals with mental illnesses. Thematic content analysis guided the data analysis. Results: Four main themes were constructed from the data: positive and negative general perceptions toward mental illness; contact experiences with mental illnesses; mental illness in a healthcare setting; and learning about mental illness in healthcare academia. Conclusions: Students showed well-rounded mental health knowledge and mostly positive behaviours toward individuals with mental illnesses. However, some students hold stigmatizing attitudes and do not feel prepared through their academic experiences to work with individuals with mental illnesses. Mental health education can reduce the stigma toward mental illness and improve the care delivered by healthcare professionals.


Author(s):  
Vaitsa Giannouli

Over the last few decades, healthcare business and ethical values have been the focus of legal changes, especially in the Greek Healthcare System. The purpose of this chapter was to examine in both a quantitative and qualitative way what the Greek healthcare experts think and feel about ethics and healthcare services and to present the factors that shape attitudes towards ethical values from the viewpoint of the healthcare professionals. For this reason, 34 semi-structured interviews, accompanied by the administration of perceived cohesion scale, generalized immediacy scale, job affect scale, state anxiety inventory, Maslach burnout inventory, and the attitude towards business ethics questionnaire revealed that healthcare professionals in Greece do have knowledge of ethical values and moral responsibility, but no connections with specific emotional aspects were found. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications, and future directions on how business ethics can be further examined and applied.


2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 40-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tainara Serodio Amim Rangel Porto ◽  
Carla Marins Silva ◽  
Octavio Muniz da Costa Vargens

The aim of this study was to know the meanings attributed by female health professionals to the process of caring for women with HIV, considering their vulnerability in the context of feminization of HIV/AIDS. It is a qualitative study based on the grounded theory method and symbolic interactionism, conducted in two public maternity hospitals in Rio de Janeiro, from November 2009 to April 2010. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews with twelve female health professionals. The core category that emerged was "Speaking as a Professional and Thinking about Caring", which focused on the meaning of care, and the integration of two categories, the first being the concerns of being a woman/professional caring for women with HIV and the second being the meanings of professional care provided to women with the virus. It was concluded that the professionals still maintained the former perception of HIV/AIDS, contributing to increased gender vulnerability to HIV, discrimination and prejudice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khetsiwe P. Masuku ◽  
Nomfundo Moroe ◽  
Danielle Van der Merwe

Background: Despite legal and adopted frameworks purporting access to healthcare and rehabilitation services, which are both a human right and key to developmental issues, women who are deaf and/or hard of hearing (HoH) are still excluded and experience barriers when accessing healthcare services. Largely, this is attributed to communication barriers between healthcare professionals and women who are deaf and/or HoH. There have been limited research studies carried out on women with invisible disabilities, such as deafness, especially amongst African women.Objectives: This study sought to gain insights into the communication experiences of women who are deaf or HoH when accessing public healthcare services in hospitals in Johannesburg.Methods: A qualitative research study employing semi-structured interviews with 10 African women who are deaf and/or HoH residing in Johannesburg, South Africa and attending government healthcare facilities was conducted. Participants were purposively selected. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.Results: Data revealed the following themes: communication barriers resulting in compromised quality of care and infringement on participants’ right to confidentiality; accommodation that is not accommodative and negative attitudes of healthcare professionals.Conclusion: The findings of this study confirm the alienating, exclusion, marginalisation, discrimination, invisibility, lack of independence and autonomy of women who are deaf and/or HoH when accessing healthcare services. Therefore, this study argues for a need for the conscientisation of healthcare professionals on communication needs of persons who are deaf and/or HoH. This has implications for the implementation of training programmes that will address communication, reasonable accommodation and attitudes of healthcare professionals.


Author(s):  
Su-Lyn Boo ◽  
Jaymee Loong ◽  
Wai-Sheng Ng

This is a preliminary qualitative study, using a basic interpretive approach, to investigate the work experiences of people with mental illness in Malaysia. Six females and four males (aged 30-70) from a residential home for the mentally ill participated in semi-structured interviews. Three inter-relating themes emerged, namely the experience of self at work, perception of work, and experience of others at work. All participants reported problems in either work or family relationships; most of which interfered with their work. In addition, findings suggest that the participants' self experience may be related to the extent of one's illness integration, experience of psychosis, attitude towards illness, locus of control, and self-efficacy. Limitations and implications of the study are also discussed.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gamze Senyurek ◽  
Mustafa Volkan Kavas ◽  
Yesim Isil Ulman

Abstract Background: It’s known that people living with HIV (PLWH) are subjected to stigmatization and discrimination while accessing healthcare services. The purpose of this study is to understand the perceptions of PLWH in Turkey, about whom there are limited data on how their lives are affected by such experiences. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 20 people, and the obtained data were analyzed thematically.Results: The results highlighted the following themes: problems with patients’ autonomy, failure to protect patients’ confidentiality and personal health data, spouse/partner notification issues, and stigmatizing and discriminatory attitudes intrinsic to healthcare professionals’ approach. The attitudes of healthcare professionals and health institutions negatively influence the utilization of healthcare services by PLWH. Conclusions: We have argued the necessity to raise the healthcare professionals’ and the society’s knowledge and awareness, and develop national policies that would contribute to structure partner notification services and prevent HIV-related discrimination and stigmata.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S479-S479
Author(s):  
J. Millman ◽  
K. Galway ◽  
O. Santin ◽  
J. Reid

IntroductionSerious mental illness (SMI) is associated with poorer cancer outcomes. Reasons for such inequalities are unclear; those with this comorbidity receive fewer specialist interventions and die earlier than the general population. Further exploratory work is required.ObjectivesExploring the experience of SMI and cancer from the perspective of those affected by this comorbidity and those caring for them professionally or informally.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with ‘key patients’ living with SMI who had received a cancer diagnosis (n = 7), significant others who had supported key patients (n = 4) and healthcare professionals who had worked with at least one KP (n = 17). A panel of patients and professionals ratified interview guides. Interviews were analysed thematically.ResultsMental health professionals were more confident in their knowledge of the needs of this population than oncology professionals, but were challenged by working with patients with major physical health needs. Key patients’ mental health appeared to remain stable after cancer diagnosis, and they expressed altruism towards others with comorbid cancer and SMI. Significant others and healthcare professionals were more likely to critique systemic aspects of care than were key patients.ConclusionsProfessionals feel challenged when working outside of their usual job role. Training needs include mental illness awareness in an oncology setting. Improved coordination and communication is required, encompassing significant others as well as professional groups. SMI may protect against the psychological impact of cancer. Key patients were keen to provide advice and support to others in similar situations. Further research is needed into these areas.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Bulbulia ◽  
S Laher

<div class="column"><p><span><strong>Background</strong>. </span><span>Western definitions of, and approaches to, mental illness have been critiqued for their lack of incorporation of cultural and spiritual elements.</span></p><p><span><br /> </span><strong>Objective. </strong><span>To explore perceptions of mental illness, particularly in terms of the role of Islam in the understanding of mental illness among South African Muslim psychiatrists practising in Johannesburg. </span></p><p><span><strong>Methods</strong>. </span><span>Using a qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 7 Muslim psychiatrists in the Johannesburg area. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the transcribed data.<br /> </span></p><p><strong>Results. </strong><span>Psychiatrists subscribe to a more biomedical model of illness. The findings of this study also suggest that psychiatrists attempt to remain objective and to refrain from imposing their religious and cultural beliefs on their patients. However, their conceptualisation of mental illness is influenced by their religion and culture. Furthermore, all participating psychiatrists indicated that they always draw on Islamic values when treating their patients. Issues of cultural competence were also highlighted. Psychiatrists indicated that they were open to collaboration with traditional healers and psychologists but that this was quite challenging. </span></p><p><span><strong>Conclusion</strong>. </span><span>The necessity for formal bodies to develop routes for collaboration between healthcare professionals and traditional healers was brought to the fore. So, too, was the need to incorporate indigenous theory and knowledge into mainstream definitions and approaches to mental illness. </span></p></div>


Author(s):  
Ina Thon Aamodt ◽  
Anna Strömberg ◽  
Ragnhild Hellesø ◽  
Tiny Jaarsma ◽  
Irene Lie

Self-care monitoring at home can be a challenge for patients with heart failure (HF). Tools that leverage information and communication technology (ICT), comprise medical devices, or have written material may support their efforts at home. The aim of this study was to describe HF patients’ experiences and their prioritization of tools that support, or could support, self-care monitoring at home. A descriptive qualitative design employing semi-structured interviews was used with HF patients living at home and attending an HF outpatient clinic in Norway. We used a deductive analysis approach, using the concept of self-care monitoring with ICT tools, paper-based tools, medical devices, and tools to consult with healthcare professionals (HCPs) as the categorization matrix. Nineteen HF patients with a mean age of 64 years participated. ICT tools are used by individual participants to identify changes in their HF symptoms, but are not available by healthcare services. Paper-based tools, medical devices, and face-to-face consultation with healthcare professionals are traditional tools that are available and used by individual participants. HF patients use traditional and ICT tools to support recognizing, identifying, and responding to HF symptoms at home, suggesting that they could be used if they are available and supplemented by in-person consultation with HCPs.


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