Safe but isolated – an interview study with Iraqi refugees in Sweden about social networks, social support, and mental health

Background: Problems with social networks and social support are known to be associated with mental ill-health in refugees. Social support after migration promotes resilience. Aim: To study how Iraqi refugees who arrived in Sweden after the year 2000 perceived their social networks and social support, and to relate the observed network characteristics and changes to the refugees’ mental health and well-being. Method: Semi-structured interviews with 31 refugees, including questions on background and migration experiences, a biographical network map, and three health assessment scales. The findings were analysed with descriptive statistics and content thematic analysis. Results: The respondents’ networks were diminished. Social support was continued to be provided mainly by family members and supplemented by support from authorities. The main themes of the refugee experience of post-migration challenges were weakened social networks, barriers to integration and challenges to cultural and religious belonging. Failed reunion and worrying about relatives was described as particularly painful. Negative contacts with authority persons were often seen as humiliating or discriminating. Acquiring a new cultural belonging was described as challenging. At the same time, changing family and gender roles made it more difficult to preserve and develop the culture of origin. Traumatic experiences and mental health problems were common in this group. Family issues were more often than integration difficulties associated with mental health problems. Conclusion: In order to strengthen post-migration well-being and adaptation, authorities should support the refugees’ social networks. Clinicians need to address post-migration problems and challenges, including the meaning and function of social networks.

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Comparing the social networks of service users with long term mental health needs living in community with those in a general adult in-patient unit

International Journal of Social Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/00207640211017590 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 002076402110175

Author(s):

Roberto Rusca ◽

Ike-Foster Onwuchekwa ◽

Catherine Kinane ◽

Douglas MacInnes

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Networks ◽

Social Network ◽

Patient Group ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Problems ◽

Practical Support ◽

The Social

Background: Relationships are vital to recovery however, there is uncertainty whether users have different types of social networks in different mental health settings and how these networks may impact on users’ wellbeing. Aims: To compare the social networks of people with long-term mental illness in the community with those of people in a general adult in-patient unit. Method: A sample of general adult in-patients with enduring mental health problems, aged between 18 and 65, was compared with a similar sample attending a general adult psychiatric clinic. A cross-sectional survey collected demographic data and information about participants’ social networks. Participants also completed the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale to examine well-being and the Significant Others Scale to explore their social network support. Results: The study recruited 53 participants (25 living in the community and 28 current in-patients) with 339 named as important members of their social networks. Both groups recorded low numbers in their social networks though the community sample had a significantly greater number of social contacts (7.4 vs. 5.4), more monthly contacts with members of their network and significantly higher levels of social media use. The in-patient group reported greater levels of emotional and practical support from their network. Conclusions: People with serious and enduring mental health problems living in the community had a significantly greater number of people in their social network than those who were in-patients while the in-patient group reported greater levels of emotional and practical support from their network. Recommendations for future work have been made.

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Vocational rehabilitation via social firms: a qualitative investigation of the views and experiences of employees with mental health problems, social firm managers and clinicians

BMC Psychiatry ◽

10.1186/s12888-021-03577-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nicola Morant ◽

Alyssa Milton ◽

Eleanor Gilbert ◽

Sonia Johnson ◽

Nicholas Parsons ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Focus Groups ◽

Vocational Rehabilitation ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Problems ◽

Management Support ◽

Mental Health Clinicians ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

The Uk

Abstract Background Employment within social firms in the UK is under-developed and under-researched, but a potentially beneficial route to vocational rehabilitation for people with mental health problems. This study explores the views and experiences of employees with mental ill-health, managers of social firms and mental health clinicians, in order to understand the potential value of social firms for the vocational rehabilitation, employment and well-being of people with mental health problems. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 employees with mental health problems in 11 social firms in England. A focus group and individual interviews were conducted with 12 managers of social firms. Two focus groups were held with 16 mental health clinicians. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Most employees expressed very positive views about working in a social firm. In responses from both employees and social firm managers, an overarching theme regarding the supportive ethos of social firms encompassed several related features: openness about mental health issues; peer, team and management support; flexibility; and support to progress and develop skills over time. Managers identified benefits of employing people with mental health problems who were sufficiently recovered. Knowledge of social firms within clinician focus groups was very limited, although clinicians thought they could be a welcome additional vocational resource. Conclusions High levels of job satisfaction among social firm employees may be explained by the supportive ethos of these working environments. Social firms have potential to be a helpful addition to the range of vocational pathways available for people with mental ill-health. Further mixed methods investigations of experiences and outcomes in order to understand who engages with and benefits from this form of vocational rehabilitation would be valuable in informing decisions about scaling up the model.

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Understanding University Students’ Experiences, Perceptions, and Attitudes Toward Peers Displaying Mental Health-related Problems on Social Network Sites (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.23465 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Taewan Kim ◽

Hwajung Hong

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

College Students ◽

At Risk ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Design Guideline ◽

Perceptions And Attitudes ◽

Health Related

BACKGROUND College students are at a vulnerable age; among those with serious mental health problems, this period is frequently when the first episodes appear. As a result, college students are increasingly disclosing their vulnerable, stigmatized experiences on social networking sites (SNSs). Understanding students’ perceptions and attitudes toward their peers who are dealing with mental health problems is vital to the efforts to eliminate peer exclusion and foster social support. OBJECTIVE This work aims to provide a better understanding of how college perceive and react to their fellow students’ mental health related activities on SNSs. We investigate how students recognize, perceive, and react to peers who display mental health related challenges on SNSs. METHODS Survey with 226 students, and semi structured interviews with 20 students were conducted at six universities in South Korea. RESULTS We revealed that a considerable number of college students did not proactively provide support even when they identified at-risk peers because of stigmatized content, unusual online activities, or a gap between online and offline identities. We found that the students’ lack of knowledge, confidence, and expectations as well as their desire to maintain distance from at-risk peers hindered social support. CONCLUSIONS On the basis of this study’s finding, we discuss SNS design guideline that would help these platforms facilitate support exchanges among peers while minimizing potential risks.

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WOMEN’S RECEPTION ON SOCIAL SUPPORT IN INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT @gethappy.id

WACANA, Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Komunikasi ◽

10.32509/wacana.v19i1.997 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 40

Author(s):

Sari Monik Agustin ◽

Agatha Josephine

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Social Media ◽

Physical Health ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Problems ◽

Female Group ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Physical Health Problems

Previous research also shows that social media has positive and negative roles related to interpersonal relationships and mental health. The social media used significantly increases social capital and mental well-being, which benefits people with low self-esteem and life satisfaction. Some psychotherapists even use an Instagram platform as their therapeutic medium. This preliminary study frameworks are Stuart Hall’s reception theory, the concept elaborations of social support and online social support, as well as a discussion of the character of social media, Instagram. This paper is based on a qualitative research with data from interviews with 3 female informants on 20-29 years old and gethappy.id account followers. This research succeeded in identifying 2 receptions that emerged from the female group of Instagram account followers gethappy.id. The dominant reader comes from informants who have severe physical health problems and mental health problems related to these physical health problems. Meanwhile, negotiating reader arise from informants who do not have personal physical and mental health problems, but who have a social environment with physical and mental health problems. Another important finding is that the main social support remains family and friends. Social media support is needed when the two main social supports are not present.

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Barriers and facilitators to recognize and discuss depression and anxiety experienced by adults with vision impairment or blindness: a qualitative study

BMC Health Services Research ◽

10.1186/s12913-021-06682-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Edine P. J. van Munster ◽

Hilde P. A. van der Aa ◽

Peter Verstraten ◽

Ruth M. A. van Nispen

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Visually Impaired ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Low Vision ◽

Healthcare Providers ◽

Health Problems ◽

Vision Impairment ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Structured Interviews

Abstract Background Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent, but often unrecognized in adults with vision impairment (VI) or blindness. The purpose of this study was to explore visually impaired and blind adults’ views on facilitators and barriers in recognizing and discussing mental health problems. Methods Semi-structured interviews, based on the Integrated Model for Change, were conducted with 16 visually impaired or blind adults receiving support from three Dutch low vision service organizations. Interview data was analyzed using the framework approach. Results Participants perceived their focus on practical support with regard to their VI, lack of mental health literacy, and misattribution of symptoms of depression or anxiety as barriers for recognizing mental health problems. With regard to discussing mental health problems, they perceived difficulties in acknowledging their VI and mental health problems due to feelings of vulnerability and inequality. Participants mentioned that their social support system and healthcare providers (could) facilitate them in recognizing and discussing mental health problems. However, participants thought that healthcare providers currently often lacked the knowledge, skills and attitude to recognize and discuss this topic with their clients. Conclusion Our findings suggest that visually impaired and blind adults may experience several barriers to recognize, acknowledge and discuss mental health. Healthcare providers and social support systems seem essential for them in reducing these barriers. However, there might be a mismatch between the needs of visually impaired and blind adults and healthcare providers’ knowledge, skills and attitude. Training healthcare providers may improve detection of depression and anxiety in adults with VI or blindness, and enhance clinician-patient communication on mental health.

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A Public Mental Health Study Among Iraqi Refugees in Sweden: Social Determinants, Resilience, Gender, and Cultural Context

Frontiers in Sociology ◽

10.3389/fsoc.2021.551105 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

Author(s):

Önver A. Çetrez ◽

Valerie DeMarinis ◽

Maria Sundvall ◽

Manuel Fernandez-Gonzalez ◽

Liubov Borisova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Gender Differences ◽

Social Determinants ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Public Mental Health ◽

Health Problems ◽

Health Study ◽

Iraqi Refugees ◽

Mental Health Study

This public mental health study highlights the interactions among social determinants and resilience on mental health, PTSD and acculturation among Iraqi refugees in Sweden 2012-2013.Objectives: The study aims to understand participants' health, resilience and acculturation, paying specific attention to gender differences.Design: The study, using a convenience sampling survey design (N = 4010, 53.2% men), included measures on social determinants, general health, coping, CD-RISC, selected questions from the EMIC, PC-PTSD, and acculturation.Results: Gender differences and reported differences between life experiences in Iraq and Sweden were strong. In Sweden, religious activity was more widespread among women, whereas activity reflecting religion and spirituality as a coping mechanism decreased significantly among men. A sense of belonging both to a Swedish and an Iraqi ethnic identity was frequent. Positive self-evaluation in personal and social areas and goals in life was strong. The strongest perceived source of social support was from parents and siblings, while support from authorities generally was perceived as low. Self-rated health was high and the incidence of PTSD was low. A clear majority identified multiple social determinants contributing to mental health problems. Social or situational and emotional or developmental explanations were the most common. In general, resilience (as measured with CD-RISC) was low, with women's scores lower than that of men.Conclusions: Vulnerability manifested itself in unemployment after a long period in Sweden, weak social networks outside the family, unsupportive authorities, gender differences in acculturation, and women showing more mental health problems. Though low socially determined personal scores of resilience were found, we also identified a strong level of resilience, when using a culture-sensitive approach and appraising resilience as expressed in coping, meaning, and goals in life. Clinicians need to be aware of the risks of poorer mental health among refugees in general and women in particular, although mental health problems should not be presumed in the individual patient. Instead clinicians need to find ways of exploring the cultural and social worlds and needs of refugee patients. Authorities need to address the described post-migration problems and unmet needs of social support, together comprising the well-established area of the social determinants of health.

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Peran Spiritual Dalam Penyembuhan Skizofrenia : A Literature Review

Jurnal Keperawatan Muhammadiyah ◽

10.30651/jkm.v5i2.5515 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Fadma Aji Pramudita ◽

Iman Permana

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Problems ◽

Pharmacological Therapy ◽

Care Providers ◽

Literature Study ◽

Schizophrenic Patients

Mental health is one of the health problems in the world, including in Indonesia, one of which is schizophrenia. Management of schizophrenia not only uses pharmacological therapy but also with non-pharmacological therapy. Spirituality is believed to have a role in the treatment of schizophrenia. Purpose: This article aims to identify and analyze research articles about the spiritual role in healing in schizophrenic patients. This article search uses a literature study approach from several ProQuest, Ebsco ScienceDirect databases, and Google Scholar databases, using the keywords "Spiritual OR Spirituality AND Mental disorder OR Mental Illness OR Schizophrenia". Based on the screening process of 509,589 journals, 9 articles were obtained by selecting inclusion criteria. The results obtained are summarized in 2 theme forms including the spiritual role in mental health problems where the importance of health professionals involves the spiritual dimension in health services as well as the spiritual concepts that play a role in handling mental problems; the second theme is about the spiritual role in schizophrenia healing, which is that spiritual can affect active and adaptive coping in schizophrenia patients. Social support activities, age, service satisfaction, spiritual well-being, and symptom severity are identified as aspirators in the quality of life of patients with schizophrenia. Conclusion: Four things that are felt to have a significant effect on healing schizophrenic patients include interactions or therapeutic relationships with health care providers, increased self-awareness of disease, social support, and the use of psychotropic drugs to reduce symptoms that arise.

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Teenage Pregnancy in Malaysia: Understanding the Importance of Social Support in Relation to Coping, Resilience and Mental Health

International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering - 2 ◽

10.35940/ijrte.b1012.0982s1019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (2S10) ◽

pp. 79-87

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Teenage Pregnancy ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Problems ◽

Vital Role ◽

Teenage Mothers ◽

Ways Of Coping ◽

Poor Social Support

Losing the social support from family and friends may affect coping, resilience and increase a risk of mental health problems among pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers. This article aims to describe the importance and availability of social support related to coping, resilience and mental health among unwed pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers in Malaysia during their stay in a shelter home. A purposive sampling was employed to select seventeen respondents from 128 unmarried pregnant and teenage mothers; age 10 to 18 years living in four different shelter homes owing that they were pregnancy out of wedlock. The findings are based on analysis of interviews and questionnaires related to social support, ways of coping, resilience and mental health. The study found strong indication in both, the qualitative and quantitative data, that unwed pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers have poor social support in terms of availability and adequacy. Hence, it reflected in their ways of coping, resilience, and put them at risk to develop mental health problems if untreated. The authorities and the staff in shelter homes are advice to take seriously social support aspects, especially from the family since they play a vital role for well-being and mental health of unwed pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers.

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Social support and mental health

Journal of Asian Pacific Communication ◽

10.1075/japc.00011.ki ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 226-250

Author(s):

Eyun-Jung Ki ◽

JooYoung Jang

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Support ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Immigrant Women ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Problems ◽

Online Support ◽

Informational Support ◽

Korean Immigrant

Abstract Immigrants experience adversity and hardship in a new environment. These experiences negatively affect their psychological well-being. Online support forums are preferred channels to seek and receive social support for mental health issues. Accordingly, this study analyzed online support forums for Chinese and Korean immigrant women, focusing on different types of mental health problems, support-seeking strategies used, social support received and the relationships between them. Asian immigrant women with mental health problems primarily sought social support by sharing their personal experiences and received informational support “most”. Informational support was most frequently offered for depression, anxiety disorder, and personality disorder, but emotional support was most frequently provided for impulse control. While informational support was most commonly offered with requests for information, emotional support was most repeatedly reported for statements of extreme behavior.

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Embitterment as a Specific Mental Health Reaction during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Psychopathology ◽

10.1159/000517447 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Beate Muschalla ◽

Clio Vollborn ◽

Anke Sondhof

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Illness ◽

Online Survey ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Affective State ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Problems ◽

Social Consequences ◽

High Rate ◽

Perceived Injustice

Introduction: Embitterment can occur as a reaction to perceived injustice. During the pandemic and restrictions in daily living due to infection risk management, a range of many smaller or severe injustices have occurred. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate what characterizes persons with high embitterment, mental illness, embitterment and mental illness, and those without embitterment or mental health problems. Methods: We conducted an online survey including persons from the general population in November 2020 and December 2020, the phase during which a second lockdown took place, with closed shops, restaurants, cultural and activity sites. 3,208 participants (mean age 47 years) gave self-ratings on their present well-being, burdens experienced during the pandemic, embitterment, wisdom, and resilience. Results: Embitterment occurred among 16% of the sample, which is a high rate in comparison with 4% during pre-pandemic times. Embitterment was weakly correlated with unspecific mental well-being. There were more persons with embitterment than those with embitterment and a mental health problem. Persons with embitterment reported less coronavirus-related anxiety than persons without embitterment. However, embittered persons reported more social and economic burdens and more frequent experiences of losses (job loss and canceling of medical treatments). Embittered persons perceive their own wisdom competencies on a similar level as persons with mental health problems or persons without mental health problems. Conclusion: Embitterment is a specific potentially alone-standing affective state, which is distinguishable from general mental health and coping capacities (here: wisdom). The economic and social consequences of pandemic management should be carefully recognized and prevented by policy.

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