Endings and Beginnings: An Autoethnography of a Father’s Journey through His Son’s Madness, Loss, and a Quest for Meaning

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 326-347
Author(s):  
Douglas J. Engelman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Family Member ◽  
Social Stigma ◽  
Transformative Experiences ◽  
Quest For Meaning ◽  
Wounded Storyteller ◽  
The Moment

In our society, individuals with mental illness often are stigmatized due to misunderstanding and fear. Families with a member diagnosed as a person with mental illness may find themselves forced to restructure themselves around the idea that they are now coping with a family member who may be subject to social stigma and who may draw them into that same negative framework. In this autoethnographic story, I recall and describe the moment my relationship with my son changed forever—the moment he revealed his mental illness to me. This moment altered my own life course—from businessman, to academic, to wounded storyteller. Personally, transformative experiences like mine tend to create writers because we feel compelled to share our experiences in the form of stories. This is my story, but it could be the story of any parent and child in any family.

scholarly journals Blood Donation across the Life Course: The Influence of Life Events on Donor Lapse

2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tjeerd W. Piersma ◽  
René Bekkers ◽  
Wim de Kort ◽  
Eva-Maria Merz
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Family Member ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Blood Donation ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Blood Collection ◽  
Longitudinal Survey Data ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Human And Social Capital ◽  
The Life Course

This article examines how blood donation loyalty changes across the life course as a result of life events. Previous studies have shown that life events affect involvement in prosocial behavior, possibly as a result of loss of human and social capital. Using registry data from the blood collection agency in the Netherlands, linked to longitudinal survey data from the Donor InSight study (N = 20,560), we examined whether life events are related to blood donor lapse. Childbirth, losing a job, and starting a job increase the likelihood of donor lapse, while health-related events (i.e., blood transfusion in a family member, death of a family member) decrease the likelihood of donor lapse. Moreover, results showed how social and practical concerns explain donors’ decisions to donate blood after the occurrence of life events. We discuss theoretical implications for further studies on prosocial and health-related behavior.

Social stigma in severe mental illness in Tunisia: Clinical and socio-demographic correlates

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S577-S577 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Ouali ◽  
R. Jomli ◽  
R. Nefzi ◽  
H. Ouertani ◽  
F. Nacef
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Severe Mental Illness ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Social Stigma ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Competing Interest

IntroductionMental patients generally internalize some of the negative conceptions about how most people view them: they might be considered incompetent or untrustworthy or believe that people would not want to hire, or marry someone with mental illness. A lot of research on stigma has been conducted in western countries; however, little is still known on the situation in Arab-Muslim societies.ObjectivesTo evaluate social stigma as viewed by patients suffering from severe mental illness (SMI)MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study on clinically stabilized patients with schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder (BD) according to DSM IV, who were interviewed in our out-patients clinic with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire, containing 8 opinions on the social inclusion and stigmatization of psychiatric patients, with special reference to the local cultural context (e.g.: “It is better to hide mental illness in order to preserve the reputation of my family”)ResultsWe included 104 patients, 51% with schizophrenia and 49% with BD. Mean age was 38.4 years (18–74 years); 59.6% were males. Overall social stigma scores were high. Social stigma in patients was correlated with gender, age, place of residence and diagnosis. Patients with BD showed significantly less social stigma than patients with schizophrenia.ConclusionOur results show the need for a better understanding of this phenomenon in patients with SMI, but also within Tunisian society, in order to elaborate anti stigma strategies adapted to the local context.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Challange and Fighting Social Stigma in Patient With Schizophrenia in Indonesia.

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (01) ◽  
pp. 76-77
Author(s):  
Amar Akbar ◽  
Imam Zainuri ◽  
Lilik Ma'rifatul Azizah ◽  
Kyle Dornhofer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Antipsychotic Drugs ◽  
Social Stigma ◽  
Physical Restraint ◽  
Social Intervention ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Government Program ◽  
People With Mental Illness

Purpose - This article aims to give an opinion on the cause of still the case of pasung in Indonesia, physical restraint and reduction in people with mental illness (called pasung in indonesia), still found in indonesia, government program ” indonesia free of pasung” still can not erase indonesia from pasung. Design/methodology/approach -The approach to literature study causes the escape especially social stigma that occurs to make the case of the pipe still continues to exist Findings -The findings of many literature studies suggest that social stigma is a cause of social restraint in patients with severe psychiatric disorders Originality/value -The value of this study envolve Empowering people with mental disorders through social intervention can reduce the side effects of antipsychotic drugs and simultaneously help self-stigma in people with mental disorders

scholarly journals Mental Illness Stigma. A Comparative Cross-sectional Study of Social Stigma, Internalized Stigma and Self-esteem

2021 ◽  
pp. 000-000
Author(s):  
Clara González-Sanguino ◽  
Sara González-Domínguez ◽  
Miguel A. Castellanos ◽  
Manuel Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social Stigma ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Mental Illness Stigma ◽  
Internalized Stigma ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional

scholarly journals Life course adversity in the lives of formerly homeless persons with serious mental illness: Context and meaning.

2012 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 421-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah K. Padgett ◽  
Bikki Tran Smith ◽  
Benjamin F. Henwood ◽  
Emmy Tiderington
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Serious Mental Illness ◽  
Homeless Persons ◽  
Formerly Homeless

Life course approaches to mental illness: the emergence of a concept

2013 ◽  
pp. 3-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karestan C. Koenen ◽  
Sasha Rudenstine ◽  
Ezra Susser ◽  
Sandro Galea
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Life Course
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