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 STAVOVI PREMA OSOBAMA S POTEŠKOĆAMA MENTALNOG ZDRAVLJA

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-203
Author(s):  
Ana Petak ◽  
Sanja Narić ◽  
Roberta Matković
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Significant Interaction Effect ◽  
College And University ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Support Seeking ◽  
Health Support ◽  
Attitudes Toward Mental Illness

ATTITUDES TOWARD PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH DIFFICULTIES The implementation of modern approaches that seek to deinstitutionalize traditional psychiatric services is hampered by unfavorable attitudes of the community towards people with mental disabilities. Stigma is one of the most important factors that delay seeking help and negatively affects the quality of life of people with mental health problems. The research was conducted to describe attitudes towards people with mental health problems and determine their relationship with socio-demographic variables, information, and personal experience with mental health problems. There were 108 participants aged 21 to 59 (71% female, 64.5% college and university degrees). The Community Attitudes toward Mental Illness scale (CAMI) (Taylor & Dear, 1981) and a survey questionnaire were used online. Participants have generally benevolent attitudes toward all dimensions of the scale. Higher self-assessment of knowledge about mental health problems leads to more favorable attitudes towards authoritarianism, and younger age to less social restraint. Participants with a high school diploma have more negative attitudes towards the dimensions of authoritarianism and benevolence than participants with a university degree. There are no significant differences in attitudes regarding the experience of seeking mental health support, but on the authoritarian dimension, there is a significant interaction effect of being informed and mental health support seeking. The results indicate the importance of further research into the relationship between attitudes and mental health support seeking and the level of being informed on mental health issues. Key words: mental health; mental health difficulties; attitudes; stigmatization

scholarly journals Usual care for mental health problems in children with epilepsy: A cohort study

F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 1907 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Welch ◽  
Roz Shafran ◽  
Isobel Heyman ◽  
Anna Coughtrey ◽  
Sophie Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Routine Practice ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Health Support

Background: Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic paediatric conditions. Children and young people with epilepsy are at a significantly higher risk of developing mental health problems relative to the general population, yet the majority of these problems are unrecognised and under-treated in clinical practice. Although there is little epilepsy-specific guidance as to what interventions to use, researchers suggest there is no reason why clinicians should not be using the evidence base. Given the poor prognosis of untreated mental health difficulties, this cohort study sought to identify what psychological treatment young people with epilepsy with mental health needs receive in routine practice. Methods: Participants were children and young people aged 3 to 18 attending paediatric neurology clinics. The parents of those children who met threshold for impairing symptoms on the Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire were asked to complete the Development and Well-being Assessment (DAWBA), an online clinical assessment designed to generate psychiatric diagnoses. Participants who met clinical threshold for a disorder according to the DAWBA were provided with a bespoke measure asking questions regarding their experience with treatment for mental health support. Results: 16 of the 46 parents who completed the DAWBA reported that they had experienced previous or current support for their child’s mental health difficulties. The mental health support offered to families was highly variable, inadequate and often not clearly compliant with existing UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for mental health treatment in children and young people. Conclusions: The present study demonstrates the inconsistency and inadequacy of mental health provision for children and young people with epilepsy. Future work should explore reasons for the treatments offered failing to adhere to existing guidance for mental health difficulties in children, as well as possible solutions to this.

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 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 Predictors of Mental Health Help Seeking Among Cambodian Adolescents

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sareth Khann ◽  
Dang Hoang Minh ◽  
Bahr Weiss
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Adolescent Mental Health ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Culturally Specific ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support

Mental health problems are a major global burden. Understanding what motivates people to seek help for mental health problems thus is important so society can best support people in help-seeking. The present study investigated predictors of mental health help-seeking among Cambodian adolescents. Participants were 391 Cambodian high-school students, assessed on (a) culturally-specific mental health syndromes (Culturally-Specific Syndrome Inventory); (b) depression (PHQ-9); (c) anxiety (GAD-7); (d) functional impairment (Brief Impairment Scale); (e) quality of life (Q-LES-Q-SF); and (f) help-seeking from different sources (e.g., friends, psychologists) (General Help-Seeking Questionnaire).  Help seeking from mental health professionals was predicted by mental health symptoms but not by life impairment or quality of life, suggesting that these constructs are not understood as part of adolescent mental health in Cambodia. However, informal support was predicted by impairment and quality of life, suggesting that Cambodian adolescents are aware of life impairment and quality of life, desire to improve their lives, but are unaware of these constructs’ connection to mental health. Results suggest areas for public health campaigns in Cambodia to target to increase adolescent mental health support seeking. Results also suggest it may be useful to develop informal online mental health support resources for Cambodian adolescents.

scholarly journals Usual care for mental health problems in children with epilepsy: A cohort study

F1000Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 1907
Author(s):  
Alice Welch ◽  
Roz Shafran ◽  
Isobel Heyman ◽  
Anna Coughtrey ◽  
Sophie Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Young People ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Routine Practice ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Health Support

Background: Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic paediatric conditions. Children and young people with epilepsy are at a significantly higher risk of developing mental health problems relative to the general population, yet the majority of these problems are unrecognised and under-treated in clinical practice. Although there is little epilepsy-specific guidance as to what interventions to use, researchers suggest there is no reason why clinicians should not be using the evidence base. Given the poor prognosis of untreated mental health difficulties, this cohort study sought to identify what psychological treatment young people with epilepsy with mental health needs receive in routine practice. Methods: Participants were children and young people aged 3 to 18 attending paediatric neurology clinics. The parents of those children who met threshold for impairing symptoms on the Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire were asked to complete the Development and Well-being Assessment (DAWBA), an online clinical assessment designed to generate psychiatric diagnoses. Participants who met clinical threshold for a disorder according to the DAWBA were provided with a bespoke measure asking questions regarding their experience with treatment for mental health support. Results: 16 of the 46 parents who completed the DAWBA reported that they had experienced previous or current support for their child’s mental health difficulties. The mental health support offered to families was highly variable, inadequate and often not clearly compliant with existing UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for mental health treatment in children and young people. Conclusions: The present study demonstrates the inconsistency and inadequacy of mental health provision for children and young people with epilepsy. Future work should explore reasons for the treatments offered failing to adhere to existing guidance for mental health difficulties in children, as well as possible solutions to this.

scholarly journals Inequalities in the identification and management of common mental disorders in the perinatal period: An equity focused re-analysis of a systematic review

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248631
Author(s):  
Stephanie L. Prady ◽  
Charlotte Endacott ◽  
Josie Dickerson ◽  
Tracey J. Bywater ◽  
Sarah L. Blower
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Minority Women ◽  
Perinatal Mental Health ◽  
Ethnic Minority Women ◽  
Current Guidance

Objective Maternal mental health problems in the perinatal period can cause significant distress and loss of functioning, and can have lasting impact on children. People living in disadvantage are at risk of health inequalities, including for perinatal mental health. A review of current guidance found that overall implementation of the UK detection and management strategy was satisfactory, but equity was not considered in the review. Greater understanding of implementation equity is needed. We aimed to reanalyse an existing systematic review on the implementation of current guidance for the identification and management of perinatal mental health problems for equity. Methods Studies reporting the presence or absence of variation by a social, economic or demographic group were quality appraised and the presence and direction of disparity tabled. We calculated standardised absolute prevalence estimates for overall detection and management, and absolute and relative estimates by determinants grouping. A thematic analysis of the studies that examined potential reasons for disparity was undertaken. Results Six studies, with no major quality concerns, provided consistent evidence of reduced identification and management for ethnic minority women, both those who do, and do not, speak English. There was less consistent evidence of inequality for other axes of social disparity and for characteristics such as age, parity and partnership status. Explanations centred on difficulties that translation and interpretation added to communication, and hesitancy related to uncertainty from healthcare providers over cultural understanding of mental health problems. Conclusion The identification and management of perinatal mental health problems is likely to be inequitable for ethnic minority women. Further systems-based research should focus on clarifying whether other groups of women are at risk for inequalities, understand how mismatches in perception are generated, and design effective strategies for remediation. Inequalities should be considered when reviewing evidence that underpins service planning and policy decision-making.

scholarly journals The Mental Health of People with Disabilities

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Narsimulu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
General Population ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Support Needs ◽  
Disabled People ◽  
Physical Impairments ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support

Disabled people are more likely to experience a lot, or a great deal, of worry than those who are not disabled. People with disabilities (e.g. physical impairments such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury etc) are just as likely as the general population to experience mental health problems. They may be even more likely than the general population to need and use mental health services. Possible reasons for this may include – higher rates of poverty and unemployed amongst disabled people which are themselves associated with poor mental health; the greater risks of abuse experienced by disabled children and adults; and, some people with mental health support needs may be more likely to become physically disabled as a result of accidents or attempted suicide. There is also increasing acknowledgement that long-term mental health problems are correlated with conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. People with disabilities appear to be at greater risk of mental health problems than the general population and therefore make a disproportionate contribution to mental health morbidity internationally. The personal and social costs of mental disorders are considerable throughout the world. The mental health of populations has been recognized as an international priority (World Health Organisation 2005). An important part of addressing this will be attending to the needs of people with disabilities who are a disproportionately disadvantaged group. In the following sections we briefly examine what is currently known about the association between disability and mental health. It is suggested that people with physical impairments and mental health support needs tend to be overlooked by policy-makers and commissioners of services. Many people with disabilities report having difficulty accessing mental health services because of their physical impairments. Many also have difficulty accessing physical disability services because of the inadequate recognition of mental health needs with disability related services.

“Walking wounded or wounded healer?” Does personal experience of mental health problems help or hinder mental health practice? A review of the literature

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Conchar ◽  
Julie Repper
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Wounded Healer ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – A systematic review of the literature on “wounded healers” was undertaken to identify, define and interpret the term and its application within the mental health environment. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Eight key medical/social sciences databases were interrogated. In total, 835 papers were identified in the systematic database search and abstracts were obtained for each to determine whether they met the inclusion criteria. In total, 237 sources were retrieved for critical reading, to assess relevance and value to the review, and 125 documents were subsequently included. Through thematic analysis a number of themes and sub themes were identified Findings – The archetypal image of the wounded healer originates in ancient mythology and crosses many cultures. There are many interpretations and applications of the belief that having healed their own wounds a person is in a better position to heal others, however, the evidence to support this is not so robust. Of more direct relevance to contemporary practice are reports of supporting staff with mental health problems to make a contribution to mental health services, most recently through the employment of peer support workers. Originality/value – As peer support workers are increasingly being employed in mental health services, it is helpful to consider the many existing staff who bring personal experience of mental health problems. This paper explores the evidence that their lived experience makes a difference to the way that they work and considers their employment support needs.

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