scholarly journals Mental Health Support in the Perinatal Period for Women With a Personality Disorder Diagnosis: A Qualitative Study of Women's Experiences

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Zacharia ◽  
Billie Lever Taylor ◽  
Angela Sweeney ◽  
Nicola Morant ◽  
Louise M. Howard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Professional Relationships ◽  
New Mothers ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support

Women who receive a diagnosis of personality disorder may face particular challenges in the context of having a baby. However, this area has received little attention. This study aimed to qualitatively explore experiences of mental health support during the perinatal period in a group of mothers who self-reported having a personality disorder diagnosis. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 women who received mental health support during the perinatal period. These data were analyzed thematically. Key themes related to women feeling judged to be unfit mothers; not feeling heard or understood by services; feeling that services struggled with the complexity of their needs; valuing specialist support to cope with their struggles in motherhood; and valuing professional relationships that resembled real-life friendships. Our findings raise questions about how best to provide support to this group of women and about the use and consequences of the diagnosis of personality disorder among new mothers.

scholarly journals “Mental health support is like a secret society”: A qualitative study of the impact of peer support on women’s mental health treatment experiences during the perinatal period.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chloe Rice ◽  
Emma Ingram ◽  
Heather O’Mahen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Perinatal Mental Health ◽  
Formal Support ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support

Abstract Background Perinatal mental health problems are prevalent, affecting up to 20% of women However, only 17–25% receive formal support during the perinatal period. In this qualitative study, we sought to examine women’s experiences with peer support for mental health problems during the perinatal period. Methods Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with twenty-five mothers from the UK who had utilised peer support for a perinatal mental health problem. Data was analysed using thematic analysis. Results Seven major themes were identified in women’s help seeking process and experience of peer support. These included; perinatal specific precipitating factors that contributed to their mental health problems, barriers in the form of unhelpful professional responses, feelings of isolation, acceptance of the problem and need to actively re-seek support, finding support either through luck or peer assistance. Conclusions Peer support showed promise as an effective means to reduce perinatal mental health difficulties; either as a form of formal support or as an adjunct to formal support. The results highlight ways to improve perinatal women’s access to mental health support through peer-based mechanisms.

scholarly journals Understanding the Role of Social Media–Based Mental Health Support Among College Students: Survey and Semistructured Interviews (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piper Vornholt ◽  
Munmun De Choudhury
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support

BACKGROUND Mental illness is a growing concern within many college campuses. Limited access to therapy resources, along with the fear of stigma, often prevents students from seeking help. Introducing supportive interventions, coping strategies, and mitigation programs might decrease the negative effects of mental illness among college students. OBJECTIVE Many college students find social support for a variety of needs through social media platforms. With the pervasive adoption of social media sites in college populations, in this study, we examine whether and how these platforms may help meet college students’ mental health needs. METHODS We first conducted a survey among 101 students, followed by semistructured interviews (n=11), of a large public university in the southeast region of the United States to understand whether, to what extent, and how students appropriate social media platforms to suit their struggle with mental health concerns. The interviews were intended to provide comprehensive information on students’ attitudes and their perceived benefits and limitations of social media as platforms for mental health support. RESULTS Our survey revealed that a large number of participating students (71/101, 70.3%) had recently experienced some form of stress, anxiety, or other mental health challenges related to college life. Half of them (52/101, 51.5%) also reported having appropriated some social media platforms for self-disclosure or help, indicating the pervasiveness of this practice. Through our interviews, we obtained deeper insights into these initial observations. We identified specific academic, personal, and social life stressors; motivations behind social media use for mental health needs; and specific platform affordances that helped or hindered this use. CONCLUSIONS Students recognized the benefits of social media in helping connect with peers on campus and promoting informal and candid disclosures. However, they argued against complete anonymity in platforms for mental health help and advocated the need for privacy and boundary regulation mechanisms in social media platforms supporting this use. Our findings bear implications for informing campus counseling efforts and in designing social media–based mental health support tools for college students.

Mental health support for youth offending teams: a qualitative study

2003 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Callaghan ◽  
Bridget Young ◽  
Francis Pace ◽  
Panos Vostanis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support

scholarly journals Mental health problems of women undergoing divorce process

2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maksuda Akter ◽  
Roquia Begum
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Social Program ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Brain Stroke ◽  
Health Support ◽  
Behavioral Impairments ◽  
Functional Areas

Purpose of the study was to explore the mental health problems in different functional areas of women who are undergoing divorce process. It was found that these women were suffering from various types of psychological problems. Symptoms found in different functional areas included ? physiological function impairments (e.g. weakness and tired, low appetite, sleep disturbance, headache, chest pain, brain stroke, senseless, numbness etc.), emotional function impairments (e.g. helplessness all the time, severely depressed, frustrated, anxious, upset, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, low confidence, low self?esteem, etc.), cognitive impairments (e.g. distressful thought about real life crisis ? ?I have become valueless?, ?I have no way?, ?I do not want to live anymore? etc.), behavioral impairments (e.g. unable to perform household chores, lose temper for every silly thing, misbehave with family members and relatives etc.), occupational function impairments (e.g. declined level of interest, unable to take any responsibility, dependent on others, etc.), social function impairments (e.g. avoided any social program, felt embarrassed to meet other people, isolated etc.), sexual function impairments (e.g. no interest in this area, no demand etc.). These findings suggest that women in divorce process have strong need for mental health support for rebuilding their mental health status.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/dujbs.v21i2.11517Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 21(2): 191-196, 2012 (July)

scholarly journals Men’s Help-Seeking for Distress: Navigating Varied Pathways and Practices

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Vickery
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Emotional Expression ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Friendship Networks ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Health Support

There is a widely accepted dominant narrative surrounding men’s mental health help-seeking, that men are less likely to pursue formal mental health support on account of hegemonic masculine ideals that limit emotional expression and vulnerability. Across the literature, little attention has been given to the varied ways in which men can and will seek out help when experiencing mental health troubles. This paper reports findings from a qualitative study of men’s experiences of distress, specifically focused on their help-seeking and everyday coping and management of distress. Between 2016 and 2017, 38 individual interviews were carried out in South Wales, United Kingdom, with men of a range of ages (21–74 years of age) and social backgrounds. Analysis identifies nuanced help-seeking practices and pathways, emphasizing ways in which men can and will engage with mental health support. Some men struggled with articulating personal issues in mental health terms, and some portrayed ambivalence to help-seeking, yet at the same time reconstructed help-seeking to positively align with masculine values. The paper further highlights the significant influence of familial and friendship networks in the help-seeking process as well as the value of therapy for men experiencing mental health difficulties, challenging the idea that masculinity inhibits the disclosure of emotional problems. Awareness of the diversity of ways in which men can actively engage with their mental health is needed so that mental health support interventions and practitioners can best reach out to men experiencing distress and provide gender-sensitive support suitable to a range of different men.

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