Special issue: Enhancing physical well‐being in people with mental illness living in rural and remote communities

AbstractThe present study examines the relationships between perceived discrimination, internalized stigma, and well-being in a sample of people with mental illness. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 213 outpatients from the Spanish public network of social care. Perceived discrimination was positively and significantly correlated with internalized stigma (p < .01 for all measures of perceived discrimination). Blatant individual discrimination, subtle individual discrimination, and internalized stigma were negatively correlated with life satisfaction, affect balance, and psychological well-being (p < .01 for all cases, except for blatant individual discrimination and affect balance, for which is p < .05). Regression and mediation analyses indicate that subtle individual discrimination is the kind of discrimination most negatively associated to the well-being measures (life satisfaction: B = –.18, p < .10; affect balance: B = –.19, p < .10; psychological well-being: B = –.21, p < .05), and that this association is mediated by internalized stigma. Future research should confirm these findings in a longitudinal or experimental model. In light of our findings, we suggest the development and implementation of intervention programs that target subtle discrimination, and point at the importance of implementing programs to reduce internalized stigma.

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Intervening with persons experiencing mental illness and substance use: Patient perceptions of helpful care during psychiatric hospitalization

International Journal of Whole Person Care ◽

10.26443/ijwpc.v5i1.155 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lydia Ould Brahim ◽

Cezara Hanganu ◽

Catherine P. Gros

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Substance Use ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Psychiatric Hospitalization ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Providers ◽

Healing Environment ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

Whole Person ◽

Health Promoting

Background30 - 50% of people with mental illness also experience a substance use problem or concurrent disorder (CD). This dual diagnosis is associated with complex health and social problems, high suicide risk and poor longterm outcomes. Persons with CD have unique needs which present significant challenges for health providers during psychiatric hospitalization. While hospital personnel play a significant role in promoting health and well-being, what “helpful care” means to persons with CD during psychiatric hospitalization remains unexplored, and the health benefits unknown. Research QuestionWhat actual and/or potential interventions, attitudes, actions, and behaviours are perceived as “helpful” by persons with CD during psychiatric hospitalization?MethodsQualitative-descriptive design; individual, semi-structured audio-recorded interviews with 12 inpatient adults diagnosed with CD.ResultsParticipants reported both beneficial and harmful practices.Examples of helpful interventions occurred within 3 distinct areas: 1) building a therapeutic relationship; 2) engaging in health-promoting activities within a healing environment; 3) managing substance use in tandem with mental illness. ImplicationsFindings highlight the importance of relational interventions for persons with CD. This includes actions aimed at tailoring care to fit each individual while offering interpersonal approaches, attitudes and behaviours that are collaborative, caring and respectful. Helpful activities include assisting with daily care, advocating for time outside, offering teaching and learning sessions and facilitating discharge. There is an urgent call to prevent harmful practices and to understand and promote interventions consistent with whole person care for hospitalized clients with CD.

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Collaborative risk-driven intervention: research supporting technology-enabled opportunities for upstream virtual services in rural and remote communities

Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being ◽

10.35502/jcswb.55 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 76

Author(s):

Chad Nilson

Keyword(s):

Human Service ◽

Well Being ◽

Pilot Project ◽

Community Safety ◽

Limited Information ◽

Rural And Remote ◽

Remote Communities ◽

Large Size ◽

Information And Communication ◽

Hub Model

In 2011, Canada’s Hub Model of Collaborative Risk-Driven Intervention was launched in Prince Albert, SK. Since that time, over 60 communities across the country have replicated the initiative, resulting in over 9,500 rapid interventions of acutely-elevated risk. For the most part, however, these multi-sector efforts to detect elevations in risk, share limited information, and mitigate risk before harm occurs, have taken place in small-to-large-size communities. Still uncertain, is how the benefits of the Hub Model can be expanded to support individuals in rural and remote communities. This article represents a compilation of extracts from a larger body of work conducted to research, explore, and propose a pilot project for application of collaborative risk-driven intervention in a virtual environment. Part of this effort includes a review of literature on the Hub Model, adaptations of human service initiatives, and the relationship between human service provision and information and communication technology (ICT). Consultations with 199 different human service and ICT professionals lay the groundwork for development of theory, assumptions, risks, options, and solutions for implementation of a tech-enabled Hub. Of course, the implications for service mobilization through a remote presence extend far beyond just the Hub Model. Therefore, this article aims to encourage and inspire action-based research that propels a wide variety of tech-enabled opportunities for improving community safety and well-being.

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Depression in the Workplace

10.1093/oso/9780198801900.003.0023 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Alan Bogg ◽

Sarah Green

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Legal Protection ◽

Well Being ◽

Legal Framework ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

Working People ◽

Labour Standards ◽

Being There

This chapter discusses depression in the workplace from the perspective of employment law. Despite the myth that people with mental illness are unable to work, it is almost certain most working people will be working alongside someone who has experienced mental illness. The idea that mental health at work is a marginal concern is no longer sustainable, and reflects ingrained fears and prejudices about the ‘otherness’ of mental illness. The legal framework regulating employment is important in ensuring that work and employment have a constructive part to play in public health strategies to promote mental health and well-being. There are several avenues of legal protection available to those with mental illness such as depression. This chapter explores three regulatory approaches to depression at work that should be regarded as complementary, each with a distinctive contribution to achieving the so-called ‘inclusive workplace’ for those with mental health problems such as depression: the private law approach, the equality law approach, and the labour standards approach.

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Preferences of people with mental illness for engaging in exercise programs under COVID-19 restrictions

Australasian Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/1039856220975299 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 103985622097529

Author(s):

Justin J Chapman ◽

Emily Hielscher ◽

Sue Patterson ◽

Nicola Reavley ◽

Wendy J Brown ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Illnesses ◽

Physical Activity Program ◽

Exercise Programs ◽

Activity Program ◽

People With Mental Illness ◽

The Impact

Objectives: People with mental illness may be vulnerable to decline in mental health and reduced physical activity because of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions. The aim of this study was to inform the design of physical activity interventions for implementation under these conditions to improve/maintain well-being and physical activity in this population. Methods: People with mental illness who had participated in a physical activity program prior to the pandemic were invited to complete a survey about the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and physical activity and their preferences for engaging in a physical activity program under pandemic-related restrictions. Results: More than half the 59 respondents reported worse mental health and lower physical activity during the pandemic. The preferred format for a physical activity program was one-on-one exercise instruction in-person in a park. Program components endorsed as helpful included incentivization, provision of exercise equipment and fitness devices, and daily exercise programs. About a third of the participants reported limitations in using technology for a physical activity program. Conclusions: In-person exercise support is preferred by people with mental illnesses during pandemic-related restrictions. Enablement strategies such as providing equipment and self-monitoring devices should be utilized; assistance may be needed to incorporate the use of technology in exercise programs.

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A social network analysis of the role of social contact in mental illness stigma using the 2018 General Social Survey

10.31235/osf.io/e9c27 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Brea Louise Perry ◽

Elizabeth Felix ◽

Megan Bolton ◽

Erin L. Pullen ◽

Bernice A. Pescosolido

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Social Network ◽

General Social Survey ◽

Social Contact ◽

Well Being ◽

Mental Illness Stigma ◽

Empirical Literature ◽

Negative Stereotypes ◽

Social Survey ◽

People With Mental Illness

Despite decades of research and dozens of public health campaigns, stigma continues to negatively affect the well-being and life chances of people labeled with a mental illness. One of the most promising directions for reducing stigma lies in Allport’s (1954) theory of intergroup contact, suggesting that social interactions with people with mental illness invalidate negative stereotypes, decrease fear and anxiety, and enable perspective-taking and empathy. While the empirical literature is largely supportive of the contact hypothesis, social network theory indicates that the degree to which contact reduces stigma should depend on the nature, magnitude, and valence of exposure to people with mental illness. We address this question using data from the National Stigma Study – Replication II (NSS-R II), fielded on a special module of the 2018 General Social Survey (N=1,179). We find that simply knowing someone with mental illness, or even the number of people one knows, explains little about the public’s desire for social distance, endorsement of coercion, or perceptions of dangerousness. However, having stronger relationships with more people with mental illness, and having more friends and family (but not more peripheral ties) with mental illness, are associated with reductions in stigma. In contrast, exposure to more dangerousness or violence among people in the network with mental illness is associated with greater levels of stigma, while contact with more people who are in treatment for mental illness (as opposed to untreated) is linked to less stigma.

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Social Connection and Online Engagement: Insights From Interviews With Users of a Mental Health Online Forum

JMIR Mental Health ◽

10.2196/11084 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. e11084 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Jennifer Smith-Merry ◽

Gerard Goggin ◽

Andrew Campbell ◽

Kirsty McKenzie ◽

Brad Ridout ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Lived Experience ◽

Peer Support ◽

Well Being ◽

Social Connection ◽

Online Forums ◽

Rural And Remote ◽

Online Forum ◽

Being There

Background Over the past 2 decades, online forums for mental health support have emerged as an important tool for improving mental health and well-being. There has been important research that analyzes the content of forum posts, studies on how and why individuals engage with forums, and how extensively forums are used. However, we still lack insights into key questions on how they are experienced from the perspective of their users, especially those in rural and remote settings. Objective The aim of our study was to investigate the dynamics, benefits, and challenges of a generalized peer-to-peer mental health online forum from a user perspective; in particular, to better explore and understand user perspectives on connection, engagement, and support offered in such forums; information and advice they gained; and what issues they encountered. We studied experiences of the forums from the perspective of both people with lived experience of mental illness and people who care for people with mental illness. Methods To understand the experience of forum users, we devised a qualitative study utilizing semistructured interviews with 17 participants (12 women and 5 men). Data were transcribed, and a thematic analysis was undertaken. Results The study identified 3 key themes: participants experienced considerable social and geographical isolation, which the forums helped to address; participants sought out the forums to find a social connection that was lacking in their everyday lives; and participants used the forums to both find and provide information and practical advice. Conclusions The study suggests that online peer support provides a critical, ongoing role in providing social connection for people with a lived experience of mental ill-health and their carers, especially for those living in rural and remote areas. Forums may offer a way for individuals to develop their own understanding of recovery through reflecting on the recovery experiences and peer support shown by others and individuals enacting peer support themselves. Key to the success of this online forum was the availability of appropriate moderation, professional support, and advice.

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