scholarly journals “Crazy person is crazy person. It doesn’t differentiate”: an exploration into Somali views of mental health and access to healthcare in an established UK Somali community

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Linney ◽  
Siyan Ye ◽  
Sabi Redwood ◽  
Abdi Mohamed ◽  
Abdullahi Farah ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Mental health conditions have been shown to disproportionately affect those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. Somali communities globally have relatively high levels of mental illness, but low levels of mental health service use, with numerous barriers to care identified. This study was conducted in an established UK Somali community in the South West of England and aimed to explore community beliefs and views about the causes of mental illness, treatment for mental illness, and access to medical services in general. Participants were asked about how mental health and illness are understood and conceptualised, along with the cultural meaning of mental illness and its manifestations in relation to men, women and young people. Design Using a community-based participatory research design, in partnership with local Somali community organisations, the research team conducted four focus groups with a total of 23 participants aged over 18. Open-ended questions were used to facilitate discussion. Transcripts were analysed thematically. Results The participants discussed the role of migration and associated stress from the civil war and how that could contribute to mental illness. Participants tended to view the symptoms of mental illness as physical manifestations such as headaches and to describe a strong community stigma where those with mental health conditions were viewed as “crazy” by others. Barriers to accessing healthcare included language barriers, waiting times and a mistrust of doctors. Various ideas for improvements were discussed, including ideas to reduce stigma and ideas for community initiatives. Conclusion Cultural considerations and reducing stigma are vital in improving understanding of mental illness and improving access to mental health services, along with building relationships and trust between the Somali community and health care workers.

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Rüsch ◽  
M. Müller ◽  
V. Ajdacic-Gross ◽  
S. Rodgers ◽  
P.W. Corrigan ◽  
...  

Aims.To examine stigma- and knowledge-related barriers to help-seeking among members of the general population.Methods.In a representative survey of young to middle-aged Swiss adults (n = 8875), shame about a potential own mental illness, perceived knowledge about and satisfaction with one's mental health, psychiatric symptoms and attitudes towards help-seeking were assessed.Results.A latent profile analysis of all participants yielded two groups with different attitudes towards help-seeking. Relative to the majority, a one-in-four subgroup endorsed more negative attitudes towards seeking professional help, including psychiatric medication, and was characterized by more shame, less perceived knowledge, higher satisfaction with their mental health, younger age, male gender and lower education. Among participants with high symptom levels (n = 855), a third subgroup was reluctant to seek help in their private environment and characterized by high symptoms as well as low satisfaction with their mental health.Conclusions.Shame as an emotional proxy of self-stigma as well as poor subjective mental health literacy may be independent barriers to help-seeking. Interventions to increase mental health service use could focus on both variables and on those individuals with more negative views about professional help, in the general public as well as among people with a current mental illness.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 71-73
Author(s):  
Natasha E. Latzman ◽  
Heather Ringeisen ◽  
Valerie L. Forman–Hoffman ◽  
Breda Munoz ◽  
Shari Miller ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Lewis Cowie ◽  
Luke Hendrickson

By linking Education, Health, and Welfare data in the Multi-Agency Data Integration Project (MADIP), our analysis looked at the impact of poor mental health on the likelihood of completing an undergraduate degree in Australia. IntroductionCompletion of a bachelor degree is important to both the student and the government, as it provides lifelong benefits and prevents investment loss. Previous research has reported conflicting findings regarding whether students with mental ill health are less likely to complete a degree, with an estimated 25 per cent of young adult university students experiencing mental ill-health each year. Objectives and ApproachOur research analysed national mental health service use and related pharmaceutical prescriptions linked with education data to determine the extent and effect of known mental health conditions on undergraduate student six-year completion rates. We followed a de-identified cohort of 120,000 students who commenced an undergraduate degree for the first time in 2011 for six years. Summary statistics and a binomial logit was used on a matched sample to confirm significance. ResultsWe found that students with a known mental health condition had a significantly lower six-year completion rate (58 per cent) than those students with no known mental health condition (71 per cent). By simulating a randomised control trial controlling for a wide range of demographics, we showed that these results held and that completion rates worsened with increasing severity of mental health conditions, as measured by usage of psychiatric services. ConclusionIntegrated data assets such as MADIP help us better understand the interaction between student success and mental health conditions which in turn will help us improve policy and better evaluate programs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 784-797
Author(s):  
Cristie Glasheen ◽  
Valerie L. Forman-Hoffman ◽  
Sarra Hedden ◽  
Ty A. Ridenour ◽  
Jiantong Wang ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-89
Author(s):  
Hyun-Jin Jun ◽  
Jordan E DeVylder ◽  
Lisa Fedina

Abstract Police violence is reportedly common among those diagnosed with mental disorders characterized by the presence of psychotic symptoms or pronounced emotional lability. Despite the perception that people with mental illness are disproportionately mistreated by the police, there is relatively little empirical research on this topic. A cross-sectional general population survey was administered online in 2017 to 1,000 adults in two eastern U.S. cities to examine the relationship between police violence exposure, mental disorders, and crime involvement. Results from hierarchical logistic regression and mediation analyses revealed that a range of mental health conditions are broadly associated with elevated risk for police violence exposure. Individuals with severe mental illness are more likely than the general population to be physically victimized by police, regardless of their involvement in criminal activities. Most of the excess risk of police violence exposure related to common psychiatric diagnoses was explained by confounding factors including crime involvement. However, crime involvement may necessitate more police contact, but does not necessarily justify victimization or excessive force (particularly sexual and psychological violence). Findings support the need for adequate training for police officers on how to safely interact with people with mental health conditions, particularly severe mental illness.


2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 208-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parashar P Ramanuj ◽  
Carlos FA Carvalho ◽  
Robert Harland ◽  
Philippa A Garety ◽  
Tom KJ Craig ◽  
...  

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