Ole Taeao Afua, the New Morning: A Qualitative Investigation Into Samoan Perspectives on Mental Health and Culturally Appropriate Services

2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 300-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiwi Tamasese ◽  
Carmel Peteru ◽  
Charles Waldegrave ◽  
Allister Bush
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Relational Self ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Culturally Appropriate

Objectives: The first objective was to develop a culturally appropriate research method to investigate Samoan perspectives on mental health issues. The second objective was to apply this to identify cultural values and understandings important in the care and treatment of Samoan people with mental health problems. Method: Gender-specific focus groups consisting of Samoan elders and service providers were facilitated by Samoan researchers in the Samoan language. Systematic analysis of the transcripts, adapted to the cultural context, were conducted in Samoan and later translated into English. Results: A culturally derived method, referred to as Fa'afaletui, reflecting Samoan communal values and familiar institutional structures within the community, allowed each focus group to come to a consensual view on issues discussed. The Samoan self was identified as an essential concept for understanding Samoan views of mental health. This self was described as a relational self and mental wellness as a state of relational harmony, where personal elements of spiritual, mental and physical are in balance. Mental ill health was sometimes linked to breaches of forbidden and sacred relationships, which could be addressed effectively only within protocols laid down in the culture. Additional stressors contributing to mental ill-health were identified as low income, unemployment, rising housing costs and the marginalization of Samoan cultural norms in New Zealand. Participants identified the need for a culturally based mental health service for Samoan people to address key cultural factors. Conclusions: The Fa'afaletui method is a new research method which is sensitive and responsive to Samoan cultural norms and is methodologically rigorous. Such an approach may be relevant for other Pacific Island cultures and other cultures, which have a strong emphasis on collectivity. The Samoan concept of self provides a theoretical foundation for understanding the mental health needs of Samoan people and a basis for developing appropriate services.

Barriers and Supports Experienced by Pacific Peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Mental Health Services

2021 ◽  
pp. 002202212110398
Author(s):  
Christina Fa’alogo-Lilo ◽  
Claire Cartwright
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Service Users ◽  
The Family

As with minority groups internationally, Pacific peoples in New Zealand (Pasifika) experience higher rates of mental health problems than the general population, and are less likely to access mental health services. This study investigated the barriers and supports for Pasifika accessing and using mental health services with participation of 25 Pasifika (10 service-providers, 11 ex-service-users, and 4 ex-service-users/providers) in order to gain their key informant perspectives. A Pasifika-appropriate Talanoa approach was used to guide the data-collection process and the qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Barriers included stigma among Pasifika regarding mental health problems, commitment to finding solutions within the family, and both mistrust and lack of knowledge of services. Within the services, non-Pasifika providers often lacked understanding of the collectivist cultural values and practices of Pasifika, including spiritual beliefs. They were more likely to use services if the providers were respectful of Pasifika practices and paid attention to developing relationships in a culturally appropriate way. This included involvement of the Pasifika family, when possible. Service-users often benefited from contact with Pasifika providers within mainstream services. These results support previous cross-cultural research that indicates the importance of offering evaluation and intervention services grounded in an understanding and respect for the cultural significance and meaning of mental health problems for the person, the family, and their community. While efforts are made to address these issues in New Zealand, change is slow and ongoing cultural training for service-providers along with psychoeducation for Pasifika about mental health services is strongly desirable.

scholarly journals Increasing demand for school counselling through a lay counsellor-delivered classroom sensitisation intervention: a stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial in New Delhi, India

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. e003902
Author(s):  
Rachana Parikh ◽  
Adriaan Hoogendoorn ◽  
Daniel Michelson ◽  
Jeroen Ruwaard ◽  
Rhea Sharma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
New Delhi ◽  
Stepped Wedge ◽  
Whole School ◽  
Cluster Randomised ◽  
Randomised Controlled

IntroductionWe evaluated a classroom-based sensitisation intervention that was designed to reduce demand-side barriers affecting referrals to a school counselling programme. The sensitisation intervention was offered in the context of a host trial evaluating a low-intensity problem-solving treatment for common adolescent mental health problems.MethodsWe conducted a stepped-wedge, cluster randomised controlled trial with 70 classes in 6 secondary schools serving low-income communities in New Delhi, India.The classes were randomised to receive a classroom sensitisation session involving a brief video presentation and moderated group discussion, delivered by a lay counsellor over one class period (intervention condition, IC), in two steps of 4 weeks each. The control condition (CC) was whole-school sensitisation (teacher-meetings and whole-school activities such as poster displays). The primary outcome was the proportion of students referred into the host trial. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of students who met mental health caseness criteria and the proportion of self-referred adolescents.ResultsBetween 20 August 2018 and 9 December 2018, 835 students (23.3% of all students) were referred into the host trial. The referred sample included 591 boys (70.8%), and had a mean age of 15.8 years, SD=0.06; 194 students (31.8% of 610 with complete data) met mental health caseness criteria. The proportion of students referred in each trial conditionwas significantly higher in the IC (IC=21.7%, CC=1.5%, OR=111.36, 95% CI 35.56 to 348.77, p<0.001). The proportion of self-referred participants was also higher in the IC (IC=98.1%, CC=89.1%, Pearson χ2 (1)=16.92, p<0.001). Although the proportion of referred students meeting caseness criteria was similar in both conditions (IC=32.0% vs CC=28.1%), the proportion weighted for the total student population was substantially higher in the IC (IC=5.2%, CC=0.3%, OR=52.39, 95% CI 12.49 to 219.66,p<0.001).ConclusionA single, lay counsellor-delivered, classroom sensitisation session increased psychological help-seeking for common mental health problems among secondary school pupils from urban, low-income communities in India.Trial registration numberNCT03633916.

Recovery Star: validating user recovery

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoff Dickens ◽  
Judy Weleminsky ◽  
Yetunde Onifade ◽  
Philip Sugarman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Mental Health Recovery ◽  
Addictive Behaviour ◽  
Health Service Providers ◽  
The Uk

Aims and methodMental Health Recovery Star is a multifaceted 10-item outcomes measure and key-working tool that has been widely adopted by service providers in the UK. We aimed to explore its factorial validity, internal consistency and responsiveness. Recovery Star readings were conducted twice with 203 working-age adults with moderate to severe mental health problems attending a range of mental health services, and a third time with 113 of these individuals.ResultsMental Health Recovery Star had high internal consistency and appeared to measure an underlying recovery-oriented construct. Results supported a valid two-factor structure which explained 48% of variance in Recovery Star ratings data. Two Recovery Star items (‘relationships’ and ‘addictive behaviour’) did not load onto either factor. There was good statistically significant item responsiveness, and no obvious item redundancy. Data for a small number of variables were not normally distributed and the implications of this are discussed.Clinical implicationsRecovery Star has been received enthusiastically by both mental health service providers and service users. This study provides further evidence for its adoption in recovery-focused mental health services and indicates that items relating to addictive behaviour, responsibilities and work could be further developed in future.

scholarly journals Trauma, Sleep and Mental Health Problems in Low-Income Young Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1145
Author(s):  
Rachel A. Fusco ◽  
Yan Yuan ◽  
Hyunji Lee ◽  
Christina E. Newhill
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Trauma Exposure ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
The Relationship

Low-income young adults are more likely to have exposure to trauma, which increases risk for mental health problems. Although adequate sleep promotes good health, people with histories of trauma are more likely to have sleep problems. The current study explored whether poor sleep mediated the relationship between trauma exposure and mental health. A sample of 143 low-income 18–24-year-old young adults completed depression, anxiety, and trauma exposure measures and wore sleep monitors for four nights. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine both direct and indirect effects of variables. Results showed that higher trauma exposure was associated with depression and anxiety. Mean sleep hours per night was fewer than six, far below recommended guidelines for optimal health and functioning. Fewer sleep hours partially mediated the relationship between both trauma exposure and depression and anxiety, and the direct effect from trauma remained significant after adjusting for the partial mediation from sleep.

“Broken windows”: Relationship between neighborhood conditions and behavioral health among low-income African American adolescents

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 527-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dexter R Voisin ◽  
Dong Ha Kim
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
African American ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
African American Youth ◽  
African American Adolescents ◽  
Broken Windows ◽  
Neighborhood Conditions

This study explored the association between neighborhood conditions and behavioral health among African American youth. Cross-sectional data were collected from 683 African American youth from low-income communities. Measures for demographics, neighborhood conditions (i.e. broken windows index), mental health, delinquency, substance use, and sexual risk behaviors were assessed. Major findings indicated that participants who reported poorer neighborhood conditions compared to those who lived in better living conditions were more likely to report higher rates of mental health problems, delinquency, substance use, and unsafe sexual behaviors. Environmental factors need to be considered when addressing the behavioral health of low-income African American youth.

scholarly journals Mobile Health for All: Public-Private Partnerships Can Create a New Mental Health Landscape

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. e26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dror Ben-Zeev
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Severe Mental Illness ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Mobile Technology ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
The U.S

Research has already demonstrated that different mHealth approaches are feasible, acceptable, and clinically promising for people with mental health problems. With a robust evidence base just over the horizon, now is the time for policy makers, researchers, and the private sector to partner in preparation for the near future. The Lifeline Assistance Program is a useful model to draw from. Created in 1985 by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Lifeline is a nationwide program designed to help eligible low-income individuals obtain home phone and landline services so they can pursue employment, reach help in case of emergency, and access social services and healthcare. In 2005, recognizing the broad shift towards mobile technology and mobile-cellular infrastructure, the FCC expanded the program to include mobile phones and data plans. The FCC provides a base level of federal support, but individual states are responsible for regional implementation, including engagement of commercial mobile phone carriers. Given the high rates of disability and poverty among people with severe mental illness, many are eligible to benefit from Lifeline and research has shown that a large proportion does in fact use this program to obtain a mobile phone and data plan. In the singular area of mobile phone use, the gap between people with severe mental illness and the general population in the U.S. is vanishing. Strategic multi-partner programs will be able to grant access to mHealth for mental health programs to those who will not be able to afford them—arguably, the people who need them the most. Mobile technology manufacturing costs are dropping. Soon all mobile phones in the marketplace, including the more inexpensive devices that are made available through subsidy programs, will have “smart” capabilities (ie, internet connectivity and the capacity to host apps). Programs like Lifeline could be expanded to include mHealth resources that capitalize on “smart” functions, such as secure/encrypted clinical texting programs and mental health monitoring and illness-management apps. Mobile phone hardware and software development companies could be engaged to add mHealth programs as a standard component in the suite of tools that come installed on their mobile phones; thus, in addition to navigation apps, media players, and games, the new Android or iPhone could come with guided relaxation videos, medication reminder systems, and evidence-based self-monitoring and self-management tools. Telecommunication companies could be encouraged to offer mHealth options with their data plans. Operating system updates pushed out by the mobile carrier companies could come with optional mHealth applications for those who elect to download them. In the same manner in which the Lifeline Assistance Program has helped increase access to fundamental opportunities to so many low-income individuals, innovative multi-partner programs have the potential to put mHealth for mental health resources in the hands of millions in the years ahead.

Vietnamese-American family caregivers of persons with mental illness: Exploring caregiving experience in cultural context

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 846-865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quynh Nhu (Natasha) Bui ◽  
Meekyung Han ◽  
Sadhna Diwan ◽  
Tran Dao
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
American Family ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Vietnamese American

While involvement of family caregivers can play an important role in the recovery process of persons with serious mental illness (SMI), family caregivers often endure poor health and mental health issues due to caregiving-related distress. These challenges may be exacerbated for Vietnamese American families due to cultural values (e.g., familism and stigma). This qualitative exploratory study examined how Vietnamese American family caregivers of persons with SMI describe their caregiving experience. Using convenience and snowball sampling, the study recruited 21 participants who took part in two Vietnamese-language focus groups. Key findings of the study addressed three themes: (1) the influence of cultural and religious values on caregiving and mental health; (2) the negative impact of caregiving on caregivers’ wellbeing; and (3) the stigma attached to mental illness. The study offers useful insights to assist mental health practitioners in tailoring culturally appropriate and effective services for Vietnamese caregivers.

The Role of Cultural Values in the Folk Psychiatry Explanatory Framework: A Comparison of Chinese- and Euro-Canadians

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 703-707
Author(s):  
Sylvanna M. Vargas ◽  
Jessica Dere ◽  
Laura Garcia ◽  
Andrew G. Ryder
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Cultural Group ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Chinese Canadian

The Folk Psychiatry (FP) model proposes a process through which people understand mental illness, comprising four dimensions: pathologizing, moralizing, psychologizing, and medicalizing. Cultural group differences have been observed in previous research using part of this model, with one prior study suggesting that adherence to cultural values may partly explain these differences. The current study, therefore, evaluated whether horizontal–vertical and individualism–collectivism values contribute to explaining Chinese-Canadian (CC) versus Euro-Canadian (EC) cultural group differences among the FP dimensions. Undergraduate CC ( n = 252) and EC ( n = 296) students participated in an online survey, in which they read vignettes about a person exhibiting symptomatic behaviors of major depression. They were then asked about their impressions of the person’s behavior, based on FP scales. Our results show that CCs were more likely to pathologize and moralize the behaviors described in our study vignette, whereas ECs were more likely to employ psychologizing explanations. When compared with ECs, CCs were significantly more likely to endorse vertical individualism and vertical collectivism and less likely to endorse horizontal collectivism. There was an indirect effect of cultural group on moralizing through the endorsement of vertical (i.e., hierarchical) values. Our findings suggest that valuing social order and adherence to social norms may partly explain why some people view mental health problems as a personal fault.

The effects of a community mental health intervention project upon family caregivers of persons with suspected mental illness in the Chinese cultural context

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (6) ◽  
pp. 1067-1082 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petrus Ng ◽  
Daniel KW Young ◽  
Jiayan Pan ◽  
King-Keung Law
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Intervention

Family members play an important role in caregiving with more emphasis on early intervention for people suffering from mental illness. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, this study examines the effects of a community mental health intervention project (CoMHIP) on burdens of caregivers who have family members with suspected mental illness. Results showed that family caregivers’ burden and psychological stress level had been reduced ( p < .001). The caregivers subjectively experienced a significant reduction in stress regarding the caregiving subscales, supervision, tension, worrying and urging after seeking CoMHIP service. Findings for the study have implications on social work interventions regarding family caregiving of people with suspected mental health problems.

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