scholarly journals Associative stigma among mental health professionals in Singapore: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e028179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louisa Picco ◽  
Sherilyn Chang ◽  
Edimansyah Abdin ◽  
Boon Yiang Chua ◽  
Qi Yuan ◽  
...  

Objectives(1) Investigate and explore whether different classes of associative stigma (the process by which a person experiences stigmatisation as a result of an association with another stigmatised person) could be identified using latent class analysis; (2) determine the sociodemographic and employment-related correlates of associative stigma and (3) examine the relationship between associative stigma and job satisfaction, among mental health professionals.DesignCross-sectional online survey.ParticipantsDoctors, nurses and allied health staff, working in Singapore.MethodsStaff (n=462) completed an online survey, which comprised 11 associative stigma items and also captured sociodemographic and job satisfaction-related information. Latent class analysis was used to classify associative stigma on patterns of observed categorical variables. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine associations between sociodemographic and employment-related factors and the different classes, while multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between associative stigma and job satisfaction.ResultsThe latent class analysis revealed that items formed a three-class model where the classes were classified as ‘no/low associative stigma’, ‘moderate associative stigma’ and ‘high associative stigma’. 48.7%, 40.5% and 10.8% of the population comprised no/low, moderate and high associative stigma classes, respectively. Multinomial logistic regression showed that years of service and occupation were significantly associated with moderate associative stigma, while factors associated with high associative stigma were education, ethnicity and occupation. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that high associative stigma was significantly associated with lower job satisfaction scores.ConclusionAssociative stigma was not uncommon among mental health professionals and was associated with sociodemographic factors and poorer job satisfaction. Associative stigma has received comparatively little attention from empirical researchers and continued efforts to address this understudied yet important construct in conjunction with future efforts to dispel misconceptions related to mental illnesses are needed.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei Wang

BACKGROUND The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global public health emergency that has caused worldwide concern. The mental health of medical students under the COVID-19 epidemic has attracted much attention. OBJECTIVE This study aims to identify subgroups of medical students based on mental health status and explore the influencing factors during the COVID-19 epidemic in China. METHODS A total of 29,663 medical students were recruited during the epidemic of COVID-19 in China. Latent class analysis of the mental health of medical students was performed using M-plus software to identify subtypes of medical students. The latent class subtypes were compared using the chi-square test. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine associations between identified classes and related factors. RESULTS In this study, three distinct subgroups were identified, namely, the high-risk group, the low-risk group and the normal group. Therefore, medical students can be divided into three latent classes, and the number of students in each class is 4325, 9321 and 16,017. The multinomial logistic regression results showed that compared with the normal group, the factors influencing mental health in the high-risk group were insomnia, perceived stress, family psychiatric disorders, fear of being infected, drinking, individual psychiatric disorders, sex, educational level and knowledge of COVID-19, according to the intensity of influence from high to low. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggested that latent class analysis can be used to categorize different medical students according to their mental health subgroup during the outbreak of COVID-19. The main factors influencing the high-risk group and low-risk group are basic demographic characteristics, disease history, COVID-19 related factors and behavioral lifestyle, among which insomnia and perceived stress have the greatest impact. School administrative departments could utilize more specific measures on the basis of different subgroups, and provide targeted measures.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuang Liu ◽  
Yue Zhang ◽  
Ran Zhang ◽  
Rongxun Liu ◽  
Lijuan Liang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global public health emergency that has caused worldwide concern. The mental health of medical students under the COVID-19 epidemic has attracted much attention. This study aims to identify subgroups of medical students based on mental health status and explore the influencing factors during the COVID-19 epidemic in China. Methods: A total of 29,663 medical students were recruited during the epidemic of COVID-19 in China. Latent class analysis of the mental health of medical students was performed using M-plus software to identify subtypes of medical students. The latent class subtypes were compared using the chi-square test. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine associations between identified classes and related factors. Results: In this study, three distinct subgroups were identified, namely, the high-risk group, the low-risk group and the normal group. Therefore, medical students can be divided into three latent classes, and the number of students in each class is 4325, 9321 and 16,017. The multinomial logistic regression results showed that compared with the normal group, the factors influencing mental health in the high-risk group were insomnia, perceived stress, family psychiatric disorders, fear of being infected, drinking, individual psychiatric disorders, sex, educational level and knowledge of COVID-19, according to the intensity of influence from high to low. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that latent class analysis can be used to categorize different medical students according to their mental health subgroup during the outbreak of COVID-19. The main factors influencing the high-risk group and low-risk group are basic demographic characteristics, disease history, COVID-19 related factors and behavioral lifestyle, among which insomnia and perceived stress have the greatest impact. School administrative departments could utilize more specific measures on the basis of different subgroups, and provide targeted measures.


2012 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mieke Verhaeghe ◽  
Piet Bracke

In contrast with growing attention given to the stigma experiences of mental health service users, the stigma literature has paid almost no attention to mental health professionals. This study focuses on experiences of associative stigma among these professionals. We investigate the link between associative stigma and three dimensions of burnout as well as job satisfaction among mental health professionals, and the link of associative stigma with self-stigma and client satisfaction among service users. Survey data from 543 professionals and 707 service users from diverse mental health services are analyzed using multilevel techniques. The results reveal that among mental health professionals associative stigma is related to more depersonalization, more emotional exhaustion, and less job satisfaction. In addition, in units in which professionals report more associative stigma, service users experience more self-stigma and less client satisfaction. The results reveal that associative stigma is related to more depersonalization, more emotional exhaustion, and less job satisfaction among mental health professionals.


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 457-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie D. Patnode ◽  
Leslie A. Lytle ◽  
Darin J. Erickson ◽  
John R. Sirard ◽  
Daheia J. Barr-Anderson ◽  
...  

Background:While much is known about the overall levels of physical activity and sedentary activity among youth, few studies have attempted to define clusters of such behaviors. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe unique classes of youth based on their participation in a variety of physical activity and sedentary behaviors.Methods:Latent class analysis was used to characterize segments of youth based on patterns of self-reported and accelerometer-measured participation in 12 behaviors. Children and adolescents (N = 720) from 6th-11th grade were included in the analysis. Differences in class membership were examined using multinomial logistic regression.Results:Three distinct classes emerged for boys and girls. Among boys, the 3 classes were characterized as “Active” (42.1%), “Sedentary” (24.9%), and “Low Media/Moderate Activity” (33.0%). For girls, classes were “Active” (18.7%), “Sedentary” (47.6%), and “Low Media/Functional Activity” (33.7%). Significant differences were found between the classes for a number of demographic indicators including the proportion in each class who were classified as overweight or obese.Conclusions:The behavioral profiles of the classes identified in this study can be used to suggest possible audience segments for intervention and to tailor strategies appropriately.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun Sol Lee ◽  
Vin Ryu ◽  
Ji Hyun Lee ◽  
Hyeon Hong ◽  
Hyeree Han ◽  
...  

Background: Job stress of mental health professionals can have a negative impact on them, particularly their psychological health and mortality, and may also affect organizations' and institutions' ability to provide quality mental health services to patients.Aim: This study aimed to: (1) investigate the validity and reliability of the Korean Mental Health Professionals Stress Scale (K-MHPSS), (2) develop K-MHPSS cut-off points to measure clinical depression and anxiety, and (3) examine whether specific stressors vary by area of expertise.Methodology: Data were collected via an online survey over 3 months, from August to October 2020. An online survey using a survey website was administered to volunteers who accessed the link and consented to participate. Data from 558 participants (200 clinical psychologists, 157 nurses, and 201 social workers) were included in the final analysis. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses were conducted to examine the factor structure of the K-MHPSS; concurrent validity of the scale was determined by analyzing correlation; internal consistency was determined by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. In addition, ROC curve analysis and Youden's index were used to estimate optimal cut-off points for K-MHPSS; one-way ANOVA was performed to investigate the difference among the three groups.Results: The seven-factor model of the original scale did not be replicated by Korean mental health professionals. The K-MHPSS had the best fit with the six-factor model, which consists of 34 items. Concurrent validity was confirmed, and overall reliability was found to be good. The K-MHPSS cut-off points for depression and anxiety appeared to slightly different by professional groups. Furthermore, nurses and social workers showed significantly higher total scores compared to clinical psychologists, and there are significant differences in subscale scores among professionals.Conclusion: The Korean version of the MHPSS has appropriate psychometric properties and can be used to assess the occupational stress of mental health professionals. It can also serve as a reference point for screening clinical level of depression and anxiety in mental health professionals.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 173-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Cosgrave ◽  
Myfanwy Maple ◽  
Rafat Hussain

Purpose Some of Australia’s most severe and protracted workforce shortages are in public sector community mental health (CMH) services. Research identifying the factors affecting staff turnover of this workforce has been limited. The purpose of this paper is to identify work factors negatively affecting the job satisfaction of early career health professionals working in rural Australia’s public sector CMH services. Design/methodology/approach In total, 25 health professionals working in rural and remote CMH services in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, for NSW Health participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Findings The study identified five work-related challenges negatively affecting job satisfaction: developing a profession-specific identity; providing quality multidisciplinary care; working in a resource-constrained service environment; working with a demanding client group; and managing personal and professional boundaries. Practical implications These findings highlight the need to provide time-critical supports to address the challenges facing rural-based CMH professionals in their early career years in order to maximise job satisfaction and reduce avoidable turnover. Originality/value Overall, the study found that the factors negatively affecting the job satisfaction of early career rural-based CMH professionals affects all professionals working in rural CMH, and these negative effects increase with service remoteness. For those in early career, having to simultaneously deal with significant rural health and sector-specific constraints and professional challenges has a negative multiplier effect on their job satisfaction. It is this phenomenon that likely explains the high levels of job dissatisfaction and turnover found among Australia’s rural-based early career CMH professionals. By understanding these multiple and simultaneous pressures on rural-based early career CMH professionals, public health services and governments involved in addressing rural mental health workforce issues will be better able to identify and implement time-critical supports for this cohort of workers. These findings and proposed strategies potentially have relevance beyond Australia’s rural CMH workforce to Australia’s broader early career nursing and allied health rural workforce as well as internationally for other countries that have a similar physical geography and health system.


Author(s):  
Bruce G Taylor ◽  
Weiwei Liu ◽  
Elizabeth A. Mumford

The purpose of this study is to understand the availability of employee wellness programs within law enforcement agencies (LEAs) across the United States, including physical fitness, resilience/wellness, coping skills, nutrition, mental health treatment, and substance use treatment. The research team investigated whether patterns of LEA wellness programming are identifiable and, if so, what characteristics describe these patterns. We assess using latent class analysis whether there are distinct profiles of agencies with similar patterns offering different types of wellness programs and explore what characteristics distinguish agencies with certain profiles of wellness programming. Data were from a nationally representative sample of 1135 LEAs: 80.1% municipal, 18.6% county and 1.3% other agencies (state-level and Bureau of Indian Affairs LEAs). We found that many agencies (62%) offer no wellness programming. We also found that 23% have comprehensive wellness programming, and that another group of agencies specialize in specific wellness programming. About 14% of the agencies have a high probability of providing resilience coping skill education, mental health and/or substance use treatment services programming. About 1% of the agencies in the United States limit their programming to fitness and nutrition, indicating that fitness and nutrition programs are more likely to be offered in concert with other types of wellness programs. The analyses revealed that agencies offering broad program support are more likely to be large, municipal LEAs located in either the West, Midwest or Northeast (compared with the southern United States), and not experiencing a recent budget cut that impacted wellness programming.


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