scholarly journals Reconstructing my identity

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Academic Identity ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Personal Story ◽  
Loss Of Self ◽  
University Setting

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to offer an insight into mental health illness in academia, and its impact on academic identity. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts an evocative autoethnographic approach, utilising diary entries collected during the author’s three-month absence from her university due to depression and anxiety. A contemporary methodology, autoethnography seeks to use personal experience to provide a deeper understanding of culture. In this personal story, the author explores her decline in mental health and subsequent re-construction of her academic identity in order to enhance understanding of the organisational culture of higher education. Findings This paper illustrates how, rather than being an achievement, academic identity is an ongoing process of construction. Although mental health illness can contribute to a sense of loss of self, identity can be re-constructed during and after recovery. Autoethnographic explorations of depression and anxiety in higher education provide a deeper understanding of an often stigmatized issue, but researchers should be alive to the political and ethical pitfalls associated with deeply reflexive research. Originality/value There is little autoethnographic research on mental health illness in a university setting. This paper offers unique insights into the lived experience of depression and anxiety in the context of academic life, through the lens of academic identity.

Recovery colleges: long-term impact and mechanisms of change

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Thompson ◽  
Laura Simonds ◽  
Sylvie Barr ◽  
Sara Meddings
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
College Attendance ◽  
Personal Recovery ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Educational Paradigm ◽  
Long Term Impact

Purpose Recovery Colleges are an innovative approach which adopt an educational paradigm and use clinician and lived experience to support students with their personal recovery. They demonstrate recovery-orientated practice and their transformative role has been evidenced within mental health services. The purpose of this study is to explore how past students understand the influence of the Recovery College on their on-going recovery journey. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory, qualitative design was used and semi-structured interviews took place with 15 participants. Data was analysed using the “framework method” and inductive processes. Findings All participants discussed gains made following Recovery College attendance that were sustained at one year follow-up. Three themes emerged from the data: Ethos of recovery and equality; Springboard to opportunities; and Intrapersonal changes. Originality/value This research explores students’ experiences a year after attendance. This contrasts to most research which is completed immediately post course. This study contributes to the emergent evidence base highlighting the longitudinal positive impact of Recovery Colleges. This study is of value to those interested in recovery-oriented models within mental health. Recovery Colleges are gaining traction nationally and internationally and this research highlights processes underlying this intervention which is of importance to those developing new Recovery Colleges.

Is co-production working well in recovery colleges? Emergent themes from a systematic narrative review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Louise Bester ◽  
Anne McGlade ◽  
Eithne Darragh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Social Care ◽  
The Body ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practitioner Attitudes ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Impact

Purpose “Co-production” is a process in health and social care wherein service users and practitioners work in partnership. Recovery colleges (RCs) are educational establishments offering mental health education; a cornerstone feature is that courses are designed and delivered in parity by both mental health practitioners and “peers” – people with lived experience of mental illness. This paper aims to consider, through the identification of key themes, whether co-production within RCs is operating successfully. Design/methodology/approach The paper is a systematic review of qualitative literature. Relevant concept groups were systematically searched using three bibliographic databases: Medline, Social Care Online and Scopus. Articles were quality appraised and then synthesised through inductive thematic analysis and emergent trends identified. Findings Synthesis identified three key themes relating to the impact of co-production in RCs: practitioner attitudes, power dynamics between practitioners and service users, and RCs’ relationships with their host organisations. As a result of RC engagement, traditional practitioner/patient hierarchies were found to be eroding. Practitioners felt they were more person-centred. RCs can model good co-productive practices to their host organisations. The review concluded, with some caveats, that RC co-production was of high fidelity. Originality/value RC research is growing, but the body of evidence remains relatively small. Most of what exists examine the impact of RCs on individuals’ overall recovery and mental health; there is a limited empirical investigation into whether their flagship feature of parity between peers and practitioners is genuine.

Prevalence and association of discrimination and bullying and the impact on mental health in an occupational setting

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Stratton ◽  
Michael J. Player ◽  
Ariane Dahlheimer ◽  
Isabella Choi ◽  
Nicholas Glozier
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Occupational Setting ◽  
Male Dominated ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Impact

PurposeDiscrimination and bullying contribute to mental ill-health in the workplace. At face value, they would seem linked but are often dealt with by different legislations. Workplace studies generally focus on bullying and population studies on discrimination. The authors aimed to evaluate the prevalence and relationship of discrimination and bullying in a male-dominated workforce, associated factors and relative impact on mental ill-health.Design/methodology/approachAn online cohort survey was conducted amongst employees of an Australian mining company, measuring discrimination, bullying, demographics and workplace and health factors over two months. Cross-sectional and prospective analyses assessed the prevalence of each, their association and their effects on depression and anxiety.FindingsA total of 580 employees (82% male) participated. There was no association between workplace bullying (n = 56, 9.7%) and discrimination (n = 160, 27.6%). Discrimination, but not bullying, was associated with higher depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation and lower well-being and resilience. After controlling for demographic, workplace and health and well-being factors, depression had the main effect on discrimination ß = 0.39, p = 0.003. Discrimination predicted an increase in depression scores at follow-up F (1, 129) = 4.88, p = 0.029.Originality/valueIn this male-dominated industry, discrimination was more prevalent than bullying. Discrimination, but not bullying, was associated with poorer mental health both cross sectionally and prospectively. Supporting the need to assess and manage discrimination and bullying in the workplace independently and the need for interventions to reduce a broader range of adverse interpersonal behaviours.

Association of shift work with depression and anxiety in middle-aged adults: a large cross-sectional study among Iranian industrial manufacturing employees

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 291-300
Author(s):  
Zeinab Alizadeh ◽  
Hamidreza Roohafza ◽  
Awat Feizi ◽  
Nizal Sarrafzadegan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Shift Work ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Steel Company ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This study aimed to examine the association of shift work with depression and anxiety in a large sample of formal and contractual employees of a mill steel company, Isfahan, Iran. Design/methodology/approach This cross-sectional study was performed in 2014 among 3,060 formal and contractual employees of a mill steel company Isfahan, Iran, randomly selected from 16,000 people. Data gathering was done by some validated Iranian version of self-administered questionnaires including, International Physical Activity – Short Form, Effort–Reward Imbalance, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Logistic regression was used as the main statistical method. Findings The results showed individuals in the rotating shift compared with day shift had a higher risk of depression (OR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.12–1.84). Whereas after adjustment for various confounders, this relationship was not significant (OR: 1.19; 95% CI: 0.81–1.76). Anxiety was not associated with shift work, both in crude and adjusted models (OR: 1.08; 95% CI: 0.81–1.44) and (OR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.67–1.19), respectively. Research limitations/implications Owing to the cross-sectional design of this study, cause–effect relationships could not be inferred from our findings. All the data used in the present analysis were collected by self-administered questionnaires. Practical implications Although our findings did not show significant association between shift work and mental health, further studies are suggested for obtaining informative data worldwide in this regard among workforce particularly among industrial employees. Originality/value Few studies have addressed the effects of shift work on mental health among industrial employees worldwide, and there is no study in developing countries.

Recovery-oriented support work: the perspective of people with lived experience

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 457-468
Author(s):  
Dagmar Narusson ◽  
Jean Pierre Wilken
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Personal Recovery ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Support Work

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on individuals who experience mental health difficulties with the services they receive from “support workers” as part of a personal recovery model, this study will obtain individuals reflections, experiences and opinions on how support helps them stay well and facilitates their personal recovery process. Recovery is seen through the lens of the CHIME framework (Connectedness–Hope–Identity–Meaning–Empowerment). Design/methodology/approach The sample size included 13 people who experience mental health difficulties and are receiving support from mental health care services. The structured interview was designed based on the INSPIRE measurement and the CHIME framework structure. The qualitative content analyses, discursive framing approach and CHIME as a framework made it possible to examine the key activities of recovery-oriented support work revealed in the data. Findings Participants valued the enhancement of hope provided by support workers and also expressed it was important as they were non-judgemental. Identity and meaning in recovery could be enhanced by sharing powerful stories about the individuals’ own life and health experiences, and those of support workers or others. Inclusive behaviour in public spaces and trying out new interest-based activities together were considered as empowering. Originality/value This research helps to understand the value of personal recovery support activities given the societal changes (tension between survival vs self-expression values) and highlights the need for value-based recovery-oriented education and practice.

scholarly journals Qualitative systematic literature review: the experience of being in seclusion for adults with mental health difficulties

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Mellow ◽  
Anna Tickle ◽  
Michael Rennoldson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Positive Experiences

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic search of the peer-reviewed qualitative literature investigating the lived experience of seclusion for adults with mental health difficulties, to appraise the quality of the existing literature and synthesise findings. Background: seclusion is a controversial intervention for the short-term management of unsafe behaviours in inpatient mental health services. There has been some sporadic interest in service users’ experiences of this. Design/methodology/approach Systematic literature review and meta-synthesis: data sources – databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PSYCINFO were searched in July 2015; review methods – the Joanna Briggs Institute’s Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument tools for critical appraisal and data extraction were used to review papers and synthesise findings. Findings A small number of papers were found, which were of mixed quality. Originality/value The existing research is limited in both quantity and quality. Although most participants from the existing research described seclusion as mostly negative with the potential for causing iatrogenic harm, some described more positive experiences, often in the context of compassionate interactions with staff.

A multifaceted intervention to improve mental health literacy in employees of a multi-campus university: a cluster randomised trial

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola J. Reavley ◽  
Terence V. McCann ◽  
Stefan Cvetkovski ◽  
Anthony F. Jorm
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Randomised Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Cluster Randomised Trial ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to assess whether a multifaceted intervention could improve mental health literacy, facilitate help seeking and reduce psychological distress and alcohol misuse in staff of a multi-campus university in Australia. Design/methodology/approach – In this cluster randomised trial (ACTRN12610001027000), nine campuses were paired, with one of each pair randomly assigned to either intervention or control. Interventions (which were whole-of-campus) included e-mails, posters, campus events, factsheets/booklets and mental health first aid training courses. A monitoring sample of staff were recruited from each campus. Participants had a 20-minute computer-assisted telephone interview at baseline, and at the end of academic years 1 and 2. The interview assessed mental health literacy, help seeking for mental health problems, psychological distress and alcohol use. The primary outcomes were depression and anxiety levels and alcohol use and pertained to the individual level. Six campuses were randomised to intervention and three to control and all campuses were included in the analysis. Findings – There were no effects on depression and anxiety levels and alcohol use. Recall of intervention elements was greater in the intervention group at the end of the two-year assessment period. Staff in the intervention group showed better recognition of depression, greater knowledge of the National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines for safe levels of drinking and a greater intention to seek help for alcohol misuse from a general practitioner. Originality/value – Future interventions should involve more focused interventions that include consideration of working conditions and their influence on mental health, as well as addressing mental illness among employees, regardless of cause.

scholarly journals Feeling down and understanding depression

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-7
Author(s):  
Peter Cronin ◽  
Liam Peyton ◽  
Eddie Chaplin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Learning Disability ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Mental Health ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to offer a perspective on depression and self-help from two experts with lived experience of learning disabilites. Design/methodology/approach This paper outlines the authors’ presentation and experiences at the recent Learning Disability Today conference. Findings The paper shares some things we can do to help our mental wellbeing. Originality/value This paper offers the view of two people with learning disabilities lived experience of depression. The paper also offers and insight into some of the strategies they use to manage and encourage positive mental health.

Creating a recovery focused workforce: supporting staff well-being and valuing the expertise of lived experience

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liz Walker ◽  
Rachel Perkins ◽  
Julie Repper
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Workforce Development ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Practitioner ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Workforce Issues ◽  
Blue Print

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that if mental health services are to genuinely support the recovery of those who they serve then recovery principles must permeate all facets of the organisation, in particular human resources and workforce development. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws on the principles of recovery-focused approaches to people who use services and explores how these might guide a recovery-focused approaches to human resources and workforce issues. Findings – The recovery principles like recognising and utilising the expertise of lived experience, co-production and shared decision making, peer support, focusing on strengths and becoming an expert in your own self-care all have as much relevance for creating a recovery-focused workforce as they do in the recovery journeys of those who use services. Everyone who uses services is “more than a mental patient” and everyone who provides services is “more than a mental health practitioner” – we need to use all the assets that everyone brings. Originality/value – Although there has been a great deal of discussion about the features of recovery-focused services, there has been little, if any, consideration of extending the principles of recovery to human resources. The aim of this paper is not to offer a blue print but to begin an exploration of what a recovery-focused approach to workforce issues might look like.

From lived experience to experiential knowledge: a working model

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shimri Hadas Grundman ◽  
Neta Edri ◽  
Renana Stanger Elran
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Experiential Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Working Model ◽  
Peer Specialists ◽  
Health Field ◽  
And Training

Purpose This paper aims to present a working model for using experiential knowledge in the work of lived experience practitioners within the mental health field. Design/methodology/approach The working model is constructed from three key elements, namely, components of lived experience, the Library of Life Experiences and the NISE technique for sharing experiential knowledge (NISE: need identification; inner identification; sharing experiential knowledge and interpersonal encounter). Findings The model will be described, followed by central themes that emerged from a pilot course that was taught in Israel in 2019 to a group of peers working in the mental health system. The central themes were: developing peer identity; sharing peer language; internalizing the working model; understanding the peer role; and awakening social consciousness. Originality/value The original working model and training course were co-produced and co-conducted by peer specialists and mental health professionals, for the use of lived experience practitioners.

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