How Do Feminist-Identified Women Cope With Discrimination? A Feminist Standpoint and Grounded Theory Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurel B. Watson ◽  
Mirella J. Flores ◽  
Morgan Grotewiel ◽  
Jenna M. Brownfield ◽  
Sara Aslan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Religion And Spirituality ◽  
Feminist Standpoint ◽  
Womanist Identity ◽  
The Face ◽  
Feminist Attitudes

Women experience a higher incidence of mental health concerns compared to men, and scholars have located these challenges within a discriminatory sociocultural context. Although scholars have suggested that feminist attitudes may shield women from discrimination, research on the protective role of feminist attitudes is discrepant and suggests that there are distinct differences between those who do and do not self-identify as feminist; namely, self-identifiers may be more protected in the face of discrimination. Utilizing grounded theory and intersectional feminist standpoint methodologies, in this study we sought to understand the ways that self-identified womanist and feminist women cope with discrimination. We found that women’s feminist and cultural identities intersected, each informing the other and influencing coping mechanisms and well-being. Moreover, results demonstrated that feminist women call upon a variety of different coping mechanisms in response to discrimination, including advocacy, social support, self-care, cognitive processes, disengagement, connecting to one’s femininity, and religion and spirituality. Although possessing a feminist and/or womanist identity appeared to be protective in some cases, at other times it did not. Some participants expressed feeling marginalized from the feminist community and felt that their greater awareness of oppression was an additional source of distress. Based on these findings, we provide suggestions for mental health clinicians and research scholars.

scholarly journals Becoming Resilient: Promoting the Mental Health and Well-Being of Immigrant Women in a Canadian Context

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith A. MacDonnell ◽  
Mahdieh Dastjerdi ◽  
Nimo Bokore ◽  
Nazilla Khanlou
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Immigrant Women ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Constructivist Grounded Theory ◽  
Educational Backgrounds ◽  
Theoretical Sampling ◽  
Study Process ◽  
Health And Well Being

This paper reports on grounded theory findings that are relevant to promoting the mental health and well-being of immigrant women in Canada. The findings illustrate how relationships among settlement factors and dynamics of empowerment had implications for “becoming resilient” as immigrant women and how various health promotion approaches enhanced their well-being. Dimensions of empowerment were embedded in the content and process of the feminist health promotion approach used in this study. Four focus groups were completed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with 35 racialized immigrant women who represented diverse countries of origin: 25 were from Africa; others were equally represented from South Asia (5), Asia (5), and Central or South America and the Caribbean (5). Participants represented diverse languages, family dynamics, and educational backgrounds. One focus group was conducted in Somali; three were conducted in English. Constructivist grounded theory, theoretical sampling, and a critical feminist approach were chosen to be congruent with health promotion research that fostered women’s empowerment. Findings foreground women’s agency in the study process, the ways that immigrant women name and frame issues relevant to their lives, and the interplay among individual, family, community, and structural dynamics shaping their well-being. Implications for mental health promotion are discussed.

scholarly journals Resilience, mood, and mental health outcomes during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Psederska ◽  
Georgi Vasilev ◽  
Briana DeAngelis ◽  
Kiril Bozgunov ◽  
Dimitar Nedelchev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Face ◽  
Low Prevalence

Background: The fundamental challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic may have lasting negative effects on the quality of mental health worldwide. Resilience is considered an important protective factor in reducing the risk of psychopathology in the face of various adverse events, such as the ongoing health crisis. The aims of the current study were to: (1) evaluate the predictive utility of resilience in accounting for positive and negative moods, substance use, depression and anxiety; and (2) compare negative and positive moods experienced before the pandemic to emotions reported during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria, when the country still had low prevalence of infections and fatalities. Methods: 179 Bulgarian participants completed the international online Minnesota Global Survey on Stress and Resilience in the Face of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), which included measures of resilience, depression and anxiety, substance use, positive and negative moods experienced both before and during the COVID-19 outbreak. Results: Resilience predicted higher levels of positive affect and lower anxiety, depression, and negative mood during the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Bulgaria. A significant increase was found in negative mood and a corresponding decrease in positive mood in the time since COVID-19 began spreading compared to before the pandemic.Conclusions: Results suggest that the initial wave of the COVID-19 crisis impacted individuals’ well-being, even in countries with relatively low prevalence of COVID-19 and associated fatalities. In this challenging global setting, resilience may serve as a buffer against negative emotional states and psychological distress.

scholarly journals Religion, spirituality and mental health

2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Dein ◽  
Christopher C. H. Cook ◽  
Andrew Powell ◽  
Sarah Eagger
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Religious Faith ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Mental Health Clinicians ◽  
Active Engagement ◽  
Full Understanding ◽  
Engagement With Services

SummaryResearch demonstrates important associations between religiosity and well-being; spirituality and religious faith are important coping mechanisms for managing stressful life events. Despite this, there is a religiosity gap between mental health clinicians and their patients. The former are less likely to be religious, and recent correspondence in the Psychiatric Bulletin suggests that some at least do not consider it appropriate to encourage discussion of any spiritual or religious concerns with patients. However, it is difficult to see how failure to discuss such matters can be consistent with the objective of gaining a full understanding of the patient's condition and their self-understanding, or attracting their full and active engagement with services.

Living With Parkinson’s: The Process of Finding Optimism

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (12) ◽  
pp. 1781-1793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Gardenhire ◽  
Natira Mullet ◽  
Stephen Fife
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Current Article ◽  
Personal Accounts ◽  
Five Phases

Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often experience poor mental and emotional well-being, which negatively affect their quality of life. Optimism is a protective factor which has been shown to promote resiliency, reduce distress in health crises, and protect against the effects of negative mental health outcomes. The current article utilized grounded theory methodology to examine personal accounts ( N = 85) detailing how individuals were able to cultivate optimism despite challenges presented by PD. The grounded theory indicated that a process occurs in which individuals with PD move through the following five phases on their journey toward optimism: (a) diagnosis, (b) initial reactions, (c) adjustment, (d) acceptance, and (e) living with optimism. These findings indicate that individuals with PD often struggle to experience optimism. Nevertheless, by reframing optimism as a choice rather than a feeling, participants were able to make decisions that allowed them to progress on their journey toward optimism.

scholarly journals Mental Health Promotion in School: Schoolchildren’s and Families’ Viewpoint

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristiina Puolakka ◽  
Anne Konu ◽  
Irma Kiikkala ◽  
Eija Paavilainen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Theory Method ◽  
Health Work ◽  
Mental Health In Schools ◽  
Grounded Theory Method ◽  
Research Material ◽  
Mental Health Work

While developing mental health work in schools, it is very important to consider the viewpoint of pupils. Parents can also give remarkable information on their children’s viewpoint. The purpose of this study was to produce a description of the concepts used by schoolchildren aged 12–16 years and their families associated with promoting mental health in schools. The research material comprised interviews with schoolchildren and mothers, and verbal answers from the school well-being profile survey(n=426). The analysis was conducted by applying the grounded theory method as introduced by Strauss. The study was conducted in a Finnish comprehensive school.

scholarly journals When COVID-19 enters in a community setting: an exploratory qualitative study of community perspectives on COVID-19 affecting mental well-being

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e049851
Author(s):  
Naureen Akber Ali ◽  
Anam Shahil Feroz ◽  
Noshaba Akber ◽  
Rida Feroz ◽  
Salima Nazim Meghani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Community Perception ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Anxiety And Fear

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increased level of anxiety and fear among the general population related to its management and infection spread. Considering the relevance of present circumstances, we explored perceptions and attitudes of community members towards their mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.SettingWe conducted an exploratory qualitative study using a purposive sampling approach, at two communities of Karachi, Pakistan.ParticipantsIn-depth interviews were conducted with community members including, young adults, middle-aged adults and older adults of both genders. Study data were analysed manually using the thematic analysis technique.Primary outcomeThe primary outcome is assessing community perception towards their mental well-being amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.ResultsA total of 27 in-depth interviews were conducted, between May and June 2020. Three overarching themes were identified: (1) impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of the general communities; (2) current coping mechanisms to adapt to the new reality and (3) recommendations to address the mental health of communities. Generally, community members underwent increased anxiety and fear due to the contagious nature of the virus. Alongside, social, financial and religious repercussions of the pandemic have also heightened psychological distress among community members. However, community members were able to point out some of the coping mechanisms such as getting closer to God, connecting with family, participating in mental health sessions and resetting lives by indulging in diverse activities. Simultaneously, they also recommended the need for remote mental health services for elders and continuous efforts by the government to address the mental health needs of the community.ConclusionCOVID-19-associated mental health consequences have hit every individual in society. The study finding has the potential to guide the development of context-specific innovative mental health programmes to overcome the pandemic repercussions.

scholarly journals The Influence of COVID-19 on Stress, Substance Use, and Mental Health Among Postsecondary Students

2021 ◽  
pp. 216769682110140
Author(s):  
Zachary R. Patterson ◽  
Robert L. Gabrys ◽  
Rebecca K. Prowse ◽  
Alfonso B. Abizaid ◽  
Kim G. C. Hellemans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Post Secondary Education ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Face ◽  
Health And Well Being

Emerging adults, including post-secondary education students, are disproportionately affected by the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The speed with which society moved in attempt to minimize the spread of the virus left many students with uncertainty and concern about their health, mental health, and academic futures. Considering that post-secondary students are a population at risk, it is important to determine how students respond in the face of the pandemic, and what coping mechanisms or supports will result in improved mental health outcomes. This knowledge will be helpful for post-secondary institutions to understand how COVID-19 has influenced the health and well-being of their students, and may facilitate the implementation of strategies to support their students. This narrative review explores evidence on how COVID-19 has impacted students with the overall goal to provide a set of recommendations to post-secondary institutions to help meet the evolving needs of this population.

scholarly journals Qualitative study on mental health and well-being of Syrian refugees and their coping mechanisms towards integration in the UK

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. e046065
Author(s):  
Priyamvada Paudyal ◽  
Mais Tattan ◽  
Maxwell J F Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Cultural Difference ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Structured Interviews

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the mental well-being of Syrian refugees and identify their coping mechanisms and pathways towards integration into new communities.DesignQualitative study using in-depth semi-structured interviews.Setting and participantsAdult Syrian refugees (>18 years old) currently residing in South East of England.Results12 participants (3 women and 9 men) took part in the study, all were born in Syria and the majority (n=9) were over 45 years of age. Our findings show that Syrian refugees face constant challenges as they try to integrate into a new society. Loss of and separation from loved ones as well as the nostalgia for the homeland were often cited as a source of psychological distress that created an overwhelming sense of sadness. Participants reported that they struggled for connectedness due to cultural difference and the problematic nature of rapidly formed migrant communities in their new setting. They believed in ‘being their own doctor’ and turning to faith, ritual and nature for healing and comfort. Taboo and stigma around mental health and language barriers were cited as barriers to accessing mental healthcare services.ConclusionPast experiences and present challenges frame Syrian refugees’ sense of well-being, impact use of healthcare and risk future mental health problems. It is hoped that this study will act as a catalyst for further research on this vulnerable group to promote integration, community support and culturally sensitive mental health services.

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