scholarly journals MENTAL ILLNESS, MENTAL HEALTHCARE, AND HOMELESSNESS IN MISSISSIPPI

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Tamara Stewart
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mamakota Maggie Molepo ◽  
Faniswa Honest Mfidi

Mental illness is more than just the diagnosis to an individual – it also has an impact on the social functioning of the family at large. When a parent or relative has a mental illness, all other family members are affected, even the children. The purpose of the study was to provide insight into the lived experiences of young people who live with mental healthcare users and the way in which their daily coping can be maximised. A qualitative, descriptive, phenomenological research was undertaken to explore and describe the lived experiences of young people who live with mental healthcare users in the Limpopo province, South Africa. Audiotaped, unstructured in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 young people who grew up and lived with a family member who is a mental healthcare user in their homes, until data saturation was reached. A content analysis was used to derive themes from the collected qualitative data. Four major themes emerged as features reflective of the young people’s daily living with mental healthcare user, namely psychological effects, added responsibilities, effects on school performances, and support systems. This study recommends that support networks for young people be established through multidisciplinary team involvement and collaboration and the provision of burden-sharing or a relief system during times of need. With the availability of healthy coping mechanisms and support systems, the daily living situations and coping of young people could be maximised, thereby improving their quality of life while living with their family members with mental illness.


2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (05) ◽  
pp. 421-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandros Maragakis ◽  
Ragavan Siddharthan ◽  
Jill RachBeisel ◽  
Cassandra Snipes

Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) are more likely to experience preventable medical health issues, such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and cardiovascular disease, than the general population. To further compound this issue, these individuals are less likely to seek preventative medical care. These factors result in higher usage of expensive emergency care, lower quality of care, and lower life expectancy. This manuscript presents literature that examines the health disparities this population experiences, and barriers to accessing primary care. Through the identification of these barriers, we recommend that the field of family medicine work in collaboration with the field of mental health to implement ‘reverse’ integrated care (RIC) systems, and provide primary care services in the mental health settings. By embedding primary care practitioners in mental health settings, where individuals with SMI are more likely to present for treatment, this population may receive treatment for somatic care by experts. This not only would improve the quality of care received by patients, but would also remove the burden of managing complex somatic care from providers trained in mental health. The rationale for this RIC system, as well as training and policy reforms, are discussed.


2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendrik J. Loubser ◽  
Judith C. Bruce ◽  
Daleen Casteleijn

In the specialised nursing field of acute mental illness nurses expressed a need to measure and evaluate their patients’ mental-health outcomes both empirically and routinely. The aim was to develop and test a measurement tool, named the DELTA nursing measure, which could be embedded routinely into the nursing process and care plans, enabling the psychiatric nurses to score and evaluate their patients’ acute mental-health outcomes. A qualitative, exploratory study design was used to address two sequential objectives. Firstly, qualitative data that described observable behaviours in patients with acute mental illness were collected from psychiatric nurses (n = 5) who were experienced in acute mental healthcare. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis techniques to design and construct the DELTA nursing measure. In the second objective, the nursing utility of the DELTA nursing measure was studied. This was done by training and testing a new team of psychiatric nurses (n = 25) working in a 116-bed acute psychiatric hospital, in the application of the DELTA nursing measure. After 30 months a focus group (n = 6) representing this team was held to explore their perceptions and experiences of the nursing utility of the newly-developed measure. The descriptive data were analysed using deductive content analysis techniques. The outcome of the DELTA nursing measure as a routine nursing measure of acute mental illness provided good results. The nursing-utility characteristics have confirmed positive responses with regard to its acceptance, usefulness and confidence as a worthwhile tool to be used in expediting nursing services in acute mental healthcare. The positive responses to the DELTA nursing measure are noteworthy. It has the potential to add substantial value to the mental health care field in nursing by adding a measurable dimension to patient outcomes, a much needed requirement by patients, multidisciplinary teams and healthcare funders.In die gespesialiseerde verplegingsveld van akute psigiatrie het verpleegkundiges ’n behoefte uitgespreek om roetineweg pasiënte se geestesgesondheidsuitkomste empiries te meet en te evalueer. Die doel van die studie was om ’n meetinstrument, genoemd die ‘DELTA nursing measure’, te ontwikkel en toets wat ingebed kan word in die verplegingsproses en versorgingsplan en wat psigiatriese verpleegkundiges in staat kan stel om roetine-weg die pasiënte se akute geestesgesondheidsuitkomste te meet en te evalueer. ’n Kwalitatiewe, eksploratiewe studie ontwerp is gebruik om twee opeenvolgende doelwitte aan te spreek. Eerstens is kwalitatiewe data wat observeerbare gedrag in pasiënte met akute geestessiektes beskryf ingesamel van psigiatriese verpleegkundiges (n = 5) wat ervaring het in akute geestesgesondheidsorg. Die data is geanaliseer met induktiewe inhouds analiese tegnieke om die ontwerp en konstruksie van die ‘DELTA nursing measure’ te bewerkstellig. In die tweede doelwit was die ‘DELTA nursing measure’ se bruikbaarheid vir verpleging bestudeer. Om dit te doen was ’n nuwe span psigiatriese verpleegkundiges (n = 25) wat werksaam was in ’n 116-bed akute psigiatriese hospitaal opgelei en getoets in die gebruik van die ‘DELTA nursing measure’. Na 30 maande is ’n fokusgroep (n = 6) gehou wat verteenwoordigend was van die span om hulle persepsies en ervarings van die nuut-ontwikkelde meetskaal se bruikbaarheid te eksploreer. Beskrywende data is met behulp van deduktiewe inhouds tegnieke geanaliseer. Die uitkoms van die ‘DELTA nursing measure’ as ’n routine verplegingmeetskaal vir die bepaling van akuutheid in psigiatrie het baie goeie resultate opgelewer. Die bruikbaarheidseienskappe het positiewe response bevestig dat aanvaarding, betroubaarheid en vertroue bereik is en dat dit ’n nuttige instrument is om die verplegingsdiens te bevorder. Die positiewe response op die ‘DELTA nursing measure’ is merkwaardig. Dit het die potensiaal om ’n betekenisvolle bydrae te lewer tot die psigiatriese verplegingsveld omdat dit ’n meetbare dimensie toevoeg tot pasient uitkomste, ’n hoogs-benodigde vereiste van pasiënte, multidissiplinêre spanne en gesondheidsorgbefondsers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Toner ◽  
Clare Anderson ◽  
Shammane Joseph Jackson

This paper examines discussions among physicians, psychologists, public health officials, religious leaders and others who participated in the Caribbean Conferences on Mental Health between 1957 and 1969. Their discussions demonstrate major changes in the understanding of causes, definitions and appropriate treatments of mental health conditions, compared to the late nineteenth century, which saw a wave of major reforms to the management of mental illness in public asylums. Although major shifts in professional understandings of mental health were evident in the mid-twentieth century, the Caribbean Conferences on Mental Health reveal that the problems hindering the implementation of these new approaches were largely similar to those that Guyana and other Caribbean countries continue to face today.


BJGP Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. BJGPO.2021.0201
Author(s):  
Nancy Jennifer Sturman ◽  
Ryan Williams ◽  
Marianne Wyder ◽  
Johanna Lynch

BackgroundAlthough GPs provide care to many patients with severe and persistent mental illness, the role and skillset of the GP in this space are contested. Patients are less satisfied with GP care of mental health than physical health issues.AimTo explore patient expectations and experiences of GP roles in their mental health, and identify opportunities for improving mental health care in general practice.Design & settingPatient participants were recruited from community mental health clinics in Brisbane, Australia.MethodIndividual semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of patients. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed professionally. The authors conducted an inductive thematic analysis, attending to participant vulnerability and reflexivity.Results16 interviews were conducted by one author (RW), average duration 29 minutes. Three overarching themes were identified: being heard; being known; and being safe. Participants greatly valued ‘good GPs’ who were able to detect early signs of relapse, and with whom they came to feel heard, known and safe over time. Experiences of perfunctory, hurried care and avoidance of mental health issues were also reported. Many participants were uncertain whether GP training in mental health was sufficient to keep them safe. Patients may suspect negative attitudes to mental illness in GPs who actively engage predominantly with their physical health.ConclusionSome GPs play central roles in patients’ mental healthcare. Barriers for others need further exploration, and may include time, confidence and/or expertise. Findings challenge GPs to engage more actively and effectively with these patients in theirgeneral practice consultations.


Author(s):  
Cameron Watson ◽  
Edgardo Juan Tolentino ◽  
Dinesh Bhugra

Prejudice is a universal phenomenon and all human beings carry at least one prejudice in them, whether this is against individuals with mental illness or migrants. Often potential factors can also cause prejudice. In many clinical settings, migrants with mental illness can face double jeopardy, leading to facing further discriminations at a number of levels. Individuals with mental illness in many countries do not have the right to vote, marry, make a will or inherit property, or the right to employment. Migrants in many countries do not have full rights as citizens. Double or triple jeopardy means that migrants with mental healthcare needs often fail to get their needs met at a number of levels. Prejudice and discrimination are learned behaviours, whereas stigma is often a negative attitude. Racism is a form of discrimination, but it takes the form of xenoracism if the migrant is white, although shared whiteness does not exclude the possibility of racism.


2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (10) ◽  
pp. 364-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Killaspy

SummaryIn this issue, Dr Lodge makes a plea for continuity of care in the face of the increased specialisation of mental healthcare over recent years. However, continuity of care is not a straightforward concept and its relationship to clinical outcome is not established. The increased specialisation of mental healthcare reflects an evolving evidence base that has increased our understanding of mental illness and the treatments and delivery systems that are most effective. In other words, specialisation is the sign of a progressive field.


Author(s):  
Sinclair Wynchank ◽  
Dora Wynchank

Although telemental health (TMH) in Africa shares much with TMH in well-resourced nations, significant differences exist. These mainly result from relatively small funds available for all forms of healthcare, inadequate infrastructure, lack of mental healthcare personnel, and cross-cultural difficulties. The majority of individuals with severe mental illness receive no treatment in most African countries. This lack has been alleviated in part by some “North–South” and “South–South” TMH programs, in addition to other locally initiated programs. African TMH has emphasized provision of a wide variety of TMH—education, managing psychotrauma in regions of violent upheavals, and the provision of other TMH services. Novel African telecommunications techniques and means of providing TMH, for example using broadcast media and diasporic mental healthcare personnel, are outlined. So, future African TMH will surely grow because of decreasing equipment costs, but principally because of proven effectiveness and the power of such interventions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Gaebel ◽  
A. Kerst ◽  
B. Janssen ◽  
T. Becker ◽  
M. Musalek ◽  
...  

Abstract Background. The quality of mental health services is crucial for the effectiveness and efficiency of mental healthcare systems, symptom reduction, and quality of life improvements in persons with mental illness. In recent years, particularly care coordination (i.e., the integration of care across different providers and treatment settings) has received increased attention and has been put into practice. Thus, we focused on care coordination in this update of a previous European Psychiatric Association (EPA) guidance on the quality of mental health services. Methods. We conducted a systematic meta-review of systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and evidence-based clinical guidelines focusing on care coordination for persons with mental illness in three literature databases. Results. We identified 23 relevant documents covering the following topics: case management, integrated care, home treatment, crisis intervention services, transition from inpatient to outpatient care and vice versa, integrating general and mental healthcare, technology in care coordination and self-management, quality indicators, and economic evaluation. Based on the available evidence, we developed 15 recommendations for care coordination in European mental healthcare. Conclusions. Although evidence is limited, some concepts of care coordination seem to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of mental health services and outcomes on patient level. Further evidence is needed to better understand the advantages and disadvantages of different care coordination models.


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