scholarly journals Introduction: Mental Health and Human Rights: Social Policy and Sociological Perspectives

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia Lewis

Recognition of the effects of social, economic, political and cultural conditions on mental health and the personal, social and economic costs of a growing global mental health crisis (WHO, 2001; EC, 2005) mean that mental health and well-being are a current feature of social policy agendas at UK, European and world levels, with debate increasingly becoming framed in human rights terms. In the UK, policy drives to address social exclusion and health inequalities as key social and economic rights issues have encompassed attention to mental health and distress (DoH, 2003; Social Exclusion Unit, 2004) and mental health has been identified as a priority area for the new Equality and Human Rights Commission (Diamond, 2007; DRC, 2007). At the European level too, rights-based social policy approaches to promoting social cohesion (European Committee for Social Cohesion, 2004) and policy directives on the ‘right to health’ (Commission of the European Communities, 2007) have been centrally concerned with mental health and well-being, and have been accompanied by a European strategy on mental health for the EU (EC, 2005). At a global level, the World Health Organisation has declared enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health to be a fundamental human right (WHO, 2006). It has launched a new appeal on mental health which draws attention to the impact of human rights violations and cites social isolation, poor quality of life, stigma and discrimination as central issues for those with mental health needs (Dhanda and Narayan, 2007; Horton, 2007; WHO, 2007).

BJPsych Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross G. White ◽  
Catharina Van Der Boor

Summary The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and well-being were assessed in a convenience sample of 600 UK adults, using a cross-sectional design. Recruited over 2 weeks during the initial phase of lockdown, participants completed an online survey that included COVID-19-related questions, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the World Health Organization (Five) Well-Being Index and the Oxford Capabilities Questionnaire for Mental Health. Self-isolating before lockdown, increased feelings of isolation since lockdown and having COVID-19-related livelihood concerns were associated with poorer mental health, well-being and quality of life. Perceiving increased kindness, community connectedness and being an essential worker were associated with better mental health and well-being outcomes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-125
Author(s):  
Sofia Sousa

: Mundo Segundo is MC, producer and ex b-boy, but he is also an inescapable figure of Portuguese hiphop. He is even one of the most active ambassadors of the movement in Portugal. In this interview, we talk about his artistic career and we approach some of the questions that guide the current situation. We discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the music-making process, reflected on the relations between music, mental health and well-being and, in addition, obtained his vision on the potentialities of a social intervention through the arts, in disadvantaged contexts and target of social exclusion. Parallel to these topics, perceptions about (in)safety were also reflected upon.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Marshall ◽  
Kate Lanyi ◽  
Rhiannon Green ◽  
Georgie Wilkins ◽  
Fiona Pearson ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND There is increasing need to explore the value of soft-intelligence, leveraged using the latest artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) techniques, as a source of analysed evidence to support public health research activity and decision-making. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to further explore the value of soft-intelligence analysed using AI through a case study, which examined a large collection of UK tweets relating to mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS A search strategy comprising a list of terms related to mental health, COVID-19, and lockdown restrictions was developed to prospectively collate relevant tweets via Twitter’s advanced search application programming interface over a 24-week period. We deployed a specialist NLP platform to explore tweet frequency and sentiment across the UK and identify key topics of discussion. A series of keyword filters were used to clean the initial data retrieved and also set up to track specific mental health problems. Qualitative document analysis was carried out to further explore and expand upon the results generated by the NLP platform. All collated tweets were anonymised RESULTS We identified and analysed 286,902 tweets posted from UK user accounts from 23 July 2020 to 6 January 2021. The average sentiment score was 50%, suggesting overall neutral sentiment across all tweets over the study period. Major fluctuations in volume and sentiment appeared to coincide with key changes to any local and/or national social-distancing measures. Tweets around mental health were polarising, discussed with both positive and negative sentiment. Key topics of consistent discussion over the study period included the impact of the pandemic on people’s mental health (both positively and negatively), fear and anxiety over lockdowns, and anger and mistrust toward the government. CONCLUSIONS Through the primary use of an AI-based NLP platform, we were able to rapidly mine and analyse emerging health-related insights from UK tweets into how the pandemic may be impacting people’s mental health and well-being. This type of real-time analysed evidence could act as a useful intelligence source that agencies, local leaders, and health care decision makers can potentially draw from, particularly during a health crisis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 104-110
Author(s):  
Z. Budayova ◽  
L. Ludvigh Cintulova

The research study analyses the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and identifies changes in the life satisfaction of seniors in social services facilities. The research sample consisted of 79 seniors in social services facilities, the sample consisted of ten participants, data collection took place in the period from November 2020 to April 2021, where the method of qualitative research was used in empirical research, through semi-structured interviews to determine the impact of Covid-19 on We collected the data collected by open coding and pointed to those dimensions of the lives of seniors that were most marked by pandemic measures against the spread of Covid-19.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gökmen Arslan ◽  
Murat Yıldırım ◽  
Mega M. Leung

Research Problem: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a multi-faceted crisis worldwide. Researchers and health authorities in various parts of the world echoed the dire condition of the public's mental health. This study sought to examine the mediating effect of personal meaning on the association between coronavirus (COVID-19)-related suffering, mental health problems, and life satisfaction. Participants included 231 adults (mean age = 46.65 ± 13.98; 68% female) and completed measures of suffering related to COVID-19, meaning, life satisfaction, and mental health problems online.Results: Findings from mediation analysis showed that suffering had significant associations with personal meaning, mental health, and well-being. Furthermore, personal meaning was significantly associated with adults' mental health and well-being and mediated the negative effect of suffering on mental health and well-being.Discussion: Overall, results from this study indicate that personal meaning is an important promotive factor that may help to understand the negative effect of coronavirus-related suffering on mental health and well-being amid the public health crisis.


Author(s):  
David Bolton

In the Introduction, the author describes the background to the book and his personal experiences of violence in Northern Ireland - as a social worker and health and social services manager in Enniskillen and Omagh. He addresses the impact of loss and trauma linked to conflict and the implications for mental health and well-being. The structure of the book is outlined and the author sets the rest of the book in the argument that the mental health of conflict affected communities should be an early and key consideration in peace talks, politics and post-conflict processes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 397
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Brook ◽  
Melanie Freeman ◽  
Graeme Ditchburn

Concerns about the increased risk to mental health in fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers in the construction and resources industries led to increased public and government scrutiny, resulting in Western Australia’s adoption of a code of practice. In general, research has found that a higher incidence of psychological distress in FIFO workers has resulted from high compression rosters and work–family conflict, as well as feelings of isolation. Risk controls, such as perceived levels of support, have been found to be significantly related to improved mental health and organisational outcomes. Organisations need to address the non-financial needs of their workers and look to develop their perceived support, job satisfaction and adjustment to the FIFO lifestyle. This paper outlines practical risk controls and interventions organisations can take to improve psychological and organisational outcomes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (02) ◽  
pp. 082-089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Ramkunwar Yadav

Abstract Background Mental health has been conceptualised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as not just the absence of illness but as a state of well-being in which the individual can cope with normal stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and make a contribution to the community. To achieve this or to explain it to the stakeholders, a doctor needs to be well versed with the normal functioning of the human mind. Homoeopathic doctors must have this knowledge to help them understand and treat their patients or advise prevention. Lack of this knowledge in the undergraduate years fails to suitably equip them, thereby hampering their own growth and clinical functions. These papers (in two parts) will deal with the teaching of basic and applied psychology and abnormal psychology and psychiatry to homoeopathic undergraduates. Aim The main aim of this study is to teach homoeopathic undergraduate students the basic psychological concepts required for understanding human behaviour through cased based presentations Methodology Plan of teaching psychology to undergraduate students with a case-based approach was formulated by the Psychiatric Department of Dr. M.L. Dhawale Homoeopathic Institute (MLDMHI), Palghar. Postgraduate students prepared topics with the help of a lesson plan template under the guidance of faculty. Peer evaluation along with student feedback helped to gauge the impact of the lectures and to design improvements. Results Thirteen topics, one each week, covered the assigned portion for basic psychology. Reports of around 30 students and 2 lecturers for each lecture over 3 years were evaluated. These indicated satisfaction with contents and desire to have more such lectures. Multiple choice questions post lectures allowed to identify the changes in knowledge and interest of students in the subject. Discussion Basic and comprehensive knowledge of psychology will allow students/physicians to look at the cases not only from the view point of physical antecedents but also from a more holistic and comprehensive point of view. Conclusion Educational ethos demands the incorporation of case-based teaching in undergraduates especially in the teaching of psychology, to expose the shades of normal and abnormal states of mind through case-based teachings.


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