scholarly journals How do we engage global communities in the de-stigmatisation of mental illness?

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 184-187
Author(s):  
Paul Illingworth

The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged that high-income countries often address discrimination against people with mental health problems, but that low/middle income countries often have significant gaps in their approach to this subject—in how they measure the problem, and in strategies, policies and programmes to prevent it. Localised actions have occurred. These include the Hong Kong government's 2017 international conference on overcoming the stigma of mental illness, and the 2018 London Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit. Furthermore, the UK's Medical Research Council has funded Professor Graham Thornicroft (an expert in mental health discrimination and stigma) to undertake a global study. These and other approaches are welcome and bring improvements; however, they often rely on traditional westernised, ‘global north’ views/approaches. Given the rapid global demographic changes/dynamics and the lack of evidence demonstrating progress towards positive mental health globally, it is time to consider alternative and transformative approaches that encompasses diverse cultures and societies and aligns to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically UN SDG 3 (Good health and wellbeing). This article describes the need for the change and suggests how positive change can be achieved through transnational inclusive mental health de-stigmatising education.

2019 ◽  
pp. 53-70
Author(s):  
Judith K. Bass ◽  
Emily E. Haroz ◽  
Norman Sartorius

This chapter reviews cultural and contextual influences on the presentation and prevalence of mental health problems in low- and middle-income countries. “Culture” is defined as shared norms, beliefs, values, and attitudes, while “context” refers to resource availability and political/social situation. The chapter includes discussion of the local “emic” and universal “etic” approaches to understanding mental health and shows the ways in which cultural and contextual variation influences the understanding, presentation, and treatment of mental and behavioral disorders. Research on understanding the effects of culture on differences in diagnosis and prevalence of mental disorders, as well as processes of recovery, is reviewed as well as guidelines developed by the World Health Organization. The way in which cultural and contextual differences affect choice and implementation of treatment and prevention programs is discussed.


Author(s):  
Nor Shela Saleh, Et. al.

Mental health problems in society are becoming new and more distressing as explained by the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the World Health Organization. Mental problems occur amongst working adults, the elderly, adolescents and children, men and women. Recent research confirms that the causes of mental health problems are due to genetic problems, personal problems, financial problems, learning pressures and stress at workplace. The effects of mental health problems can lead to depression, emotional tension, personality disorder and suicide. In order to obtain a wealth of information, researchers have accompanied critical analysis studies by viewing at several empirically established from previous studies. The first finding shows that mental illness classified as a brain disorder, an emotional disorder and an abnormal attitude. The second finding explains that the level of mental health knowledge among students is still low. The third study examines the causes of schizophrenia, which have four causes of the disease, namely genetic factors, drugs, work stress and poverty. The fourth finding explains the experience of caring for a mentally ill person who is also having trouble in the life of the patient's family. Generally, this study explains that mental illness is a problem that has various negative effects on various people. Implications of mental illness transpire over the long term if treatment not properly performed. Therefore, proactive initiatives prerequisite to be taken by all parties to ensure the quality of life of the people will perfect and normal devoid of interruption of mental illness.


2010 ◽  
Vol 197 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daphna Levinson ◽  
Matthew D. Lakoma ◽  
Maria Petukhova ◽  
Michael Schoenbaum ◽  
Alan M. Zaslavsky ◽  
...  

BackgroundBurden-of-illness data, which are often used in setting healthcare policy-spending priorities, are unavailable for mental disorders in most countries.AimsTo examine one central aspect of illness burden, the association of serious mental illness with earnings, in the World Health Organization (WHO) World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys.MethodThe WMH Surveys were carried out in 10 high-income and 9 low- and middle-income countries. The associations of personal earnings with serious mental illness were estimated.ResultsRespondents with serious mental illness earned on average a third less than median earnings, with no significant between-country differences (χ2(9) = 5.5–8.1, P = 0.52–0.79). These losses are equivalent to 0.3–0.8% of total national earnings. Reduced earnings among those with earnings and the increased probability of not earning are both important components of these associations.ConclusionsThese results add to a growing body of evidence that mental disorders have high societal costs. Decisions about healthcare resource allocation should take these costs into consideration.


2004 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 451-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. F. Chung ◽  
M. C. Wong

Aims and MethodThe study was intended to rectify the lack of data on how Chinese people experience the stigma of mental illness. A questionnaire on perceived stigmatisation, experiences of rejection and ways of coping with stigma was completed by 193 persons attending a psychiatric out-patient clinic in Hong Kong.ResultsMost of the participants were aware of the stigma associated with mental illness, but experiences of rejection were relatively less frequent. Eleven per cent of the respondents indicated that they were neglected by health care professionals and 8% had been avoided by family members. The most frequently reported coping method was maintaining secrecy about the illness.Clinical ImplicationsIn China, people with mental health problems experience stigma in various degrees. However, some of the people surveyed expressed feelings of relief that others were supportive and sympathetic towards their illness. Mental health professionals should maintain optimism in helping their patients to cope with the stigma.


2021 ◽  
Vol 03 (01) ◽  
pp. 80-91
Author(s):  
Tauheed Zahra ◽  
◽  
Farhan Ahmad Faiz ◽  
Farrah Ahmed ◽  
◽  
...  

The World Health Organization recognizes vaccine related myths and conspiracies as the world's top threat to public health safety, particularly in low middle-income countries. The current study aims to explore the beliefs of the general public towards the vaccine acceptance and the hesitancy. The study explicates the COVID 19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy determinants through an in-depth qualitative approach. A total of 30 male and female millennials from different education backgrounds were interviewed through an interview guide. This study reveals that people have different beliefs related to the vaccine authenticity which plays a vital role in the reluctance towards it. Findings from paper is similar to literature that people from good educational background have similar thoughts towards COVID 19 vaccination. Disregard for the vaccine was caused by various factors, such as misinformation, safety concerns, and personal knowledge. This level of distrust was associated with the social worlds that participants experienced during the pandemic. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is a complex relationship that involves the spread of misinformation. Vaccine programs should provide a focused, localized, and empathetic response to counter misinformation. Keywords: COVID-19, vaccines, myths, hesitancy, vaccines awareness, pandemic, conspiracy, corona virus


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (T2) ◽  
pp. 188-191
Author(s):  
Nurul Husnul Lail ◽  
Rizanda Machmud ◽  
Adnil Edwin ◽  
Yusrawati Yusrawati ◽  
Anwar Mallongi

BACKGROUND: Mental illness or mental health problems during pregnancy in low- and middle-income countries are very high; the average prevalence reaches 15.6%. Subsequent research was conducted by Indian in the Jakarta and Bogor regions in the period January–June 2018 regarding the incidence of perinatal depression by 23.6% in the Bogor. AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the mental illness or mental health problems during pregnancy in low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: This research is qualitative research. This research was conducted in January–June 2019 in the Bogor independent practice midwife. Informants in the study came from the East Jakarta Health Office, Chair of the Indonesian Midwives Association, Head of the Health Center, Coordinating Midwives, Pregnant Women and husbands, and families of pregnant women. Data are analyzed by Regression Logistic. RESULTS: Construction model mental health of mothers during pregnancy in independent practice midwives is very important and needs attention. Pregnancy is still considered a physical change that needs to be intervened because it is easier to handle and easily detects it. Maternal examination during pregnancy is carried out by midwives, in the implementation of mental health checks during pregnancy for pregnant women, this role has not all been carried out optimally. CONCLUSION: This research suggests conducting socialization with midwives as well as across-related sectors to get political support in carrying out activities in health facilities and independent practice midwives.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudha Subhadra Kallakuri ◽  
Pallab K Maulik ◽  
Prachi Kaistha ◽  
Maree Hackett

Abstract Background: Adolescence is a very important transitional phase for an individual as they move from childhood to adulthood. In 2007, the World Health Organization reported that 16% of the global burden of disease and injuries occur among adolescents i.e. those aged between 10 and 19 years, most of them starting by the age of 14 years and usually become serious; if left unrecognised or unattended at that point in time. Several risk factors are associated with increases in the mental health disorders. It is pertinent to promote interventions which teach life skills like regulating one’s emotions, building resilience, and dealing with difficult situations with confidence and strength. This mixed-methods systematic review aims to synthesise best available evidence on the barriers and facilitators to help seeking for mental illnesses among adolescents in Low-Middle-Income Countries Methods and Analyses: The systematic review will be conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Systematic searches will be carried out in electronic databases like PubMed,EMBASE, PsychINFO, Sociofile, CINAHL to identify studies relevant to the review question. At the first stage, titles and abstracts of articles retrieved through the searches will be examined against the eligibility criteria. The second stage will involve independent full-text screening of included articles by two reviewers. All qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method research studies which explicitly answer the research questions will be considered in this review. Methodological appraisal (Risk of Bias) will be conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute's standardized critical appraisal tools or other standardized critical appraisal tools contingent on the study design by two reviewers. Data will be extracted on the aims/purpose, study design, geographical location, study population, study duration, interventions (if applicable) outcomes, and results of included studies. Data analyses will be conducted using the convergent approach to analysis of mixed methods research using JBI guidance. Discussion: The research will help to identify gaps in knowledge and generate evidence for health departments to look more specifically at the mental health of adolescents and challenges of addressing them. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO: CRD42020214349


Author(s):  
Rebecca McKnight ◽  
Jonathan Price ◽  
John Geddes

One in four individuals suffer from a psychiatric disorder at some point in their life, with 15– 20 per cent fitting cri­teria for a mental disorder at any given time. The latter corresponds to around 450 million people worldwide, placing mental disorders as one of the leading causes of global morbidity. Mental health problems represent five of the ten leading causes of disability worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in mid 2016 that ‘the global cost of mental illness is £651 billion per year’, stating that the equivalent of 50 million working years was being lost annually due to mental disorders. The financial global impact is clearly vast, but on a smaller scale, the social and psychological impacts of having a mental dis­order on yourself or your family are greater still. It is often difficult for the general public and clin­icians outside psychiatry to think of mental health dis­orders as ‘diseases’ because it is harder to pinpoint a specific pathological cause for them. When confronted with this view, it is helpful to consider that most of medicine was actually founded on this basis. For ex­ample, although medicine has been a profession for the past 2500 years, it was only in the late 1980s that Helicobacter pylori was linked to gastric/ duodenal ul­cers and gastric carcinoma, or more recently still that the BRCA genes were found to be a cause of breast cancer. Still much of clinical medicine treats a patient’s symptoms rather than objective abnormalities. The WHO has given the following definition of mental health:… Mental health is defined as a state of well- being in which every individual realizes his or her own po­tential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.… This is a helpful definition, because it clearly defines a mental disorder as a condition that disrupts this state in any way, and sets clear goals of treatment for the clinician. It identifies the fact that a disruption of an individual’s mental health impacts negatively not only upon their enjoyment and ability to cope with life, but also upon that of the wider community.


2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 338-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shailaja Bandla ◽  
NR Nappinnai ◽  
Srinivasagopalan Gopalasamy

Background: Floods are the most common type of natural disaster, which have a negative impact on mental health. Following floods, survivors are vulnerable to develop PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), depression, anxiety and other mental health problems. Aim: The aim is to study the psychiatric morbidity in the persons affected by floods during December 2015. Materials and methods: This study was carried out in Chennai and Cuddalore. In total, 223 persons who were directly exposed to floods were assessed. PTSD Checklist–Civilian Version, Beck’s Depression Inventory, Beck’s Anxiety Inventory and World Health Organization–Five Well-Being Scale (WHO-5) were used in the study. Chi-square test was used to compare the means. Results: Overall, psychiatric morbidity was found to be 45.29%; 60 (26.9%) persons had symptoms of PTSD. Anxiety was found in 48 (27.4%) and depression was found in 101 (45.29%) persons; and 11 (4.9%) persons have reported an increase in substance abuse. Conclusion: Following disaster like floods, there is a need for better preparedness in terms of basic necessities and medical and psychological assistance, particularly emphasizing the needs of older persons in order to prevent the development of psychiatric problems.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (S1) ◽  
pp. S-16-S-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Aboaja ◽  
Puja Myles ◽  
Peter Hughes

This paper describes the evaluation of a pilot e-supervision programme, with a focus on feasibility. The findings suggest that e-supervision in mental health using the World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) Intervention Guide and case-based discussions is valued by participants and can improve the knowledge, confidence and beliefs of primary care doctors in low- and middle-income countries.


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