scholarly journals Social Distance from Mental Illness Among Counseling, Social Work, and Psychology Students and Helping Professionals

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-37
Author(s):  
Douglas R. Tillman ◽  
David D. Hof ◽  
Aiste Pranckeviciene ◽  
Auksė Endriulaitienė ◽  
Rasa Markšaitytė ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Psychology Students ◽  
Helping Professionals ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Impact

Negative stereotypes of people with mental illness may lead to stigma of those with mental illness, impacting their self-confidence and willingness to seek mental health treatment. Few studies have looked at the health professional’s role and the impact they may have on the stigmatization process of people with mental illness. The purpose of this article was to better understand the concept of social distance among individuals in the helping professions of counseling, social work, and psychology. A total of 305 students and 95 professionals from counseling, social work and psychology participated in this study. Results revealed that counseling, social work, and psychology students, and helping professionals do not differ in their need for social distance from people with mental illness. Helping professionals reported significantly more social distance from people with mental health problems in close personal relationships, compared to their social relationships. In conclusion, there were no significant differences in social distance observed as a function of professional experience.

Reducing the Mental Health–Related Stigma of Social Work Students

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 164-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Rubio-Valera ◽  
Ignacio Aznar-Lou ◽  
Mireia Vives-Collet ◽  
Ana Fernández ◽  
Montserrat Gil-Girbau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Control Group ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a social contact and education intervention to improve attitudes to mental illness in first-year social work students. This was a 3-month cluster randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms: intervention (87) and control group (79). The intervention was a workshop led by an OBERTAMENT activist (a person with a mental illness trained in communication skills and empowerment by a social worker). We assessed intended future behavior toward people with mental illness, personal and perceived stigma, and mental health–related attitudes (self-reported questionnaire). The intervention improved social work students’ attitudes ( d ≈ 0.50, p < .05) and reduced personal stigma toward people with mental illness ( d = 0.35, p = .04) as well as improving their future intended behavior 2 weeks after the intervention ( d = 0.51, p = .01). The intervention impact on authoritarian attitudes toward people with schizophrenia was maintained after 3 months ( d = 0.94, p = .01). Long-term impact needs to be improved.

scholarly journals Lay Beliefs about Treatments for People with Mental Illness and Their Implications for Antistigma Strategies

2005 ◽  
Vol 50 (12) ◽  
pp. 745-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Lauber ◽  
Nordt Carlos ◽  
Rössler Wulf
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Belief Systems ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Evidence Based Treatments ◽  
Social Treatment ◽  
Nonmedical Treatment

Objective: First, to describe factors influencing the public's attitude toward treatment recommendations for people with mental illness; second, to identify coherent belief systems about the helpfulness of specific interventions; and third, to discuss how to ameliorate mental health literacy and antistigma strategies. Method: Participants of a representative telephone survey in the general population ( n = 1737) were presented with a vignette depicting a person with either schizophrenia or depression. From a list of suggestions, they were asked to recommend treatments for this person. We used a factor analysis to group these proposals and used the factors as the dependent variables in a multiple regression analysis. Results: Treatment suggestions are summarized in 4 groups, each characterizing a specific therapeutic approach: 1) psychopharmacological proposals (that is, psychotropic drugs), 2) therapeutic counselling (from a psychologist or psychiatrist or psychotherapy), 3) alternative suggestions (such as homeopathy), and 4) social advice (for example, from a social worker). Medical treatments were proposed by people who had a higher education, who had a positive attitude toward psychopharmacology, who correctly recognized the person depicted in the vignette as being ill, who were presented with the schizophrenia vignette, who kept social distance, and who had contact with mentally ill people. The variables could explain alternative and social treatment proposals only to a small extent. Conclusions: The public's beliefs about treatment for people with mental illness are organized into 4 coherent systems, 2 of which involve evidence-based treatments. Medical treatment proposals are influenced by adequate mental health literacy; however, they are also linked to more social distance toward people with mental illness. Additionally, efforts to better explain nonmedical treatment suggestions are needed. Implications for further antistigma strategies are discussed.

scholarly journals Using simulation to educate police about mental illness: A collaborative initiative

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Stanyon ◽  
Bill Goodman ◽  
Marjory Whitehouse
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
The Impact

Mental illness is a major public health concern in Canada and also globally. According to the World Health Organization, five of the top ten disabilities worldwide are mental health disorders. Within Canada, one in five individuals is living with mental illness each year. Currently, there are 6.7 million Canadians living with mental illness and over 1 million Canadian youth living with mental illness. Police are frequently the first responders to situations in the community involving people with mental illness, and police services are increasingly aware of the need to provide officers with additional training and strategies for effectively interacting with these citizens.This study examined the effectiveness of four online, interactive video-based simulations designed to educate police officers about mental illness and strategies for interacting with people with mental illness. The simulations were created through the efforts of a unique partnership involving a police service, a mental health facility and two postsecondary institutions. Frontline police officers from Ontario were divided into one of three groups (simulation, face to face, control). Using a pre- and post-test questionnaire, the groups were compared on their level of knowledge and understanding of mental illness. In addition, focus groups explored the impact of the simulations on officers’ level of confidence in engaging with individuals with mental illness and officers’ perceptions of the simulations’ ease of use and level of realism. The study’s findings determined that the simulations were just as effective as face-to-face learning, and the officers reported the simulations were easy to use and reflected real-life scenarios they had encountered on the job. As mental health continues to be a major public concern, not only in Canada but also globally, interactive simulations may provide an effective and affordable education resource not only for police officers but for other professionals seeking increased knowledge and skills in interacting with citizens with mental illness.Keywords: policing, mental illness, education, computer-based simulation

Dentistry students’ views about mental illness and impact of a targeted seminar on knowledge and attitudes: a mixed-method study

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Patterson ◽  
Pauline Ford
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Dental Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge And Attitudes ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to inform education of non-mental health professionals who provide care to people with severe mental illness; to describe dentistry students’ knowledge and views about mental illness, including willingness to engage in various social situations with a person hospitalised for mental illness; and to assess and understand the impact of a targeted lecture on views and attitudes. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employed mixed methods to examine dental students’ knowledge and views about mental disorder before and after a seminar covering mental disorder, disadvantage and oral health. Findings from a bespoke questionnaire administered to third-year dental students were triangulated with qualitative data gathered in interviews with a subsample. Findings – Students understood mental disorder broadly, employing diverse causal models. Although knowledge was typically grounded in media stereotypes, attitudes were benevolent and most students reported willingness to provide dental care to affected individuals. The seminar, especially the consumer delivered section, was valued and associated with increased appreciation of the impact of mental disorder on oral health and need for assertive action to promote access to care. However, students reported being reluctant to disclose their own mental health problems for fear of being considered a professional or personal failure. A minority knew how to seek support if a friend talked of suicide. Research limitations/implications – This study highlights the need for further investigation of the knowledge and attitudes of dentistry students pertinent to provision of care to people with mental illness and to examine the links between attitudes and practice. The paper also provides a useful foundation for development of brief educational interventions, particularly the value in integrating the service user perspective, and their evaluation. Research should also examine the impact of mental health education on practice. Practical implications – A single inexpensive educational session, such as the one the paper developed may support reconsideration of often unconscious views of mental illness which might affect practice. Social implications – If people with mental illness are to receive equitable access to health care, non-mental health professionals should be supported to develop knowledge and attitudes which are conducive to inclusive treatment. An education session such as this could be helpful. Originality/value – There is scant literature examining attitudes of dentistry students and no reports of mental health-specific education with this population.

scholarly journals Report review: Not for service: experiences of injustice and despair in mental health care in Australia

2006 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 261
Author(s):  
Michael Summers ◽  
Peter McKenzie
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Summary Report ◽  
Current State ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Service Experiences

IT IS ONLY BY EXAMINING the impact of public policies on the lives of people that we can begin to assess the success or failure of those policies. With this as a starting point, Not for service presents an extensive (just over 1000 pages) and balanced picture of the impact of policies on the lives of people with mental illness and their families and friends. The authors take care to state that their research is not a rigorous examination of the extent to which the National Standards for Mental Health Services have been implemented, but do observe that the ?volume and consistency of the information demonstrate the gaps and difficulties governments have had in meeting these standards? (p 14). The report is lengthy, but is well laid out and ?easy? to read, although the content will leave any reader feeling uneasy about the current state of our mental health system. There is also a shorter (96 page) summary report available.

scholarly journals Newspaper depictions of mental and physical health

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 308-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marian Chen ◽  
Stephen Lawrie
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Advocacy Groups ◽  
Media Portrayals ◽  
Daily Newspapers ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Physical Disorders ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental And Physical Health

Aims and methodMedia portrayals of mental illness have long been recognised as being misleading and stigmatising. Following the campaigns of several advocacy groups to address this issue, we aimed to evaluate the impact on mental health reporting over time. We repeated a survey we did 15 years ago using the same methods. Nine UK daily newspapers were surveyed over a 4-week period and coded with a schema to analyse the reporting of mental health compared with physical health.ResultsIn total, 963 articles – 200 on mental health and 763 on physical health – were identified. Over half of the articles on mental health were negative in tone: 18.5% indicated an association with violence compared with 0.3% of articles on physical health. However, there were more quotes from patients with mental disorders than physical disorders (22.5% v. 19.7%) and an equal mention of treatment and rehabilitation.Clinical implicationsMental health in print media remains tainted by themes of violence, however some improvement in reporting in recent years is evident, in particular by providing a voice for people with mental illness.

scholarly journals Preferences of people with mental illness for engaging in exercise programs under COVID-19 restrictions

2020 ◽  
pp. 103985622097529
Author(s):  
Justin J Chapman ◽  
Emily Hielscher ◽  
Sue Patterson ◽  
Nicola Reavley ◽  
Wendy J Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Physical Activity Program ◽  
Exercise Programs ◽  
Activity Program ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
The Impact

Objectives: People with mental illness may be vulnerable to decline in mental health and reduced physical activity because of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions. The aim of this study was to inform the design of physical activity interventions for implementation under these conditions to improve/maintain well-being and physical activity in this population. Methods: People with mental illness who had participated in a physical activity program prior to the pandemic were invited to complete a survey about the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and physical activity and their preferences for engaging in a physical activity program under pandemic-related restrictions. Results: More than half the 59 respondents reported worse mental health and lower physical activity during the pandemic. The preferred format for a physical activity program was one-on-one exercise instruction in-person in a park. Program components endorsed as helpful included incentivization, provision of exercise equipment and fitness devices, and daily exercise programs. About a third of the participants reported limitations in using technology for a physical activity program. Conclusions: In-person exercise support is preferred by people with mental illnesses during pandemic-related restrictions. Enablement strategies such as providing equipment and self-monitoring devices should be utilized; assistance may be needed to incorporate the use of technology in exercise programs.

scholarly journals At home or in hospital: Home treatment and mental health stigma

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110095
Author(s):  
Allerdiena A Hubbeling ◽  
Jared G Smith
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Home Treatment ◽  
Mental Health Stigma ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
The Uk ◽  
At Home

Background: Stigmatized attitudes towards people with mental illness may influence treatment choice for oneself and others. Aim: To gauge the attitudes of the UK general public towards treatment at home for mental illness and to assess the extent to which non-acceptability was related to stigmatized attitudes. Methods: Two hundred and two (101 female) people living in the UK completed an online (vignette) questionnaire in which we asked demographic details and personal experience of mental illness. To measure stigma, we used an adapted version of the Attitudes to Mental Illness Questionnaire (AMIQ) with vignettes asking about treatment at home and using scales for social distance and poor expectations; participants also filled in the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS). Results: Participants did not evidence overall agreement with treatment at home for mental illness (i.e. >0; range = −16-to-+16, Mean ( M) = 0.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) = −0.08, 1.80, p = .073), although they showed significant agreement with treatment at home should they experience mental illness themselves (range = −8-to-+8, M = 1.36, CI = 0.82, 1.89, p < .001). Acceptability for treatment at home differed according to specific mental illness considered (range = −4-to-+4); depression ( M = 0.47, CI = 0.13, 0.81, p = .006) and alcohol abuse ( M = 1.46, CI = 1.14,1.77, p < .001) were considered suitable for being treated at home but schizophrenia was not ( M = −0.78, CI = −1.13,−0.43, p < .001). Multivariate analyses revealed that older age and attitudes indicating comfort with less social distance from people with mental illness were independently associated with treatment at home agreeability. Conclusions: Public acceptability of home treatment for mental illness remains ambivalent in the UK, most obviously when considering treatment approaches for individuals other than themselves and for people with schizophrenia. Disagreement with home treatment is particularly evident in younger people and those who prefer less social contact with people with mental illness.

Mental health literacy and attitude towards people with mental illness: A trend analysis based on population surveys in the eastern part of Germany

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 225-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.C. Angermeyer ◽  
A. Holzinger ◽  
H. Matschinger
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Trend Analysis ◽  
Social Distance ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mental Health Literacy ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Population Surveys ◽  
People With Mental Illness

AbstractBackgroundThere is growing evidence that mental health literacy has improved in western countries in recent years. The question arises as to whether this trend is paralleled by an improvement of attitudes towards people with mental illness.AimTo examine the development of mental health literacy and the desire for social distance towards people with schizophrenia and major depressive disorder in Eastern Germany over a time period of eight years.MethodA trend analysis was carried out using data from two population surveys conducted in the eastern part of Germany in 1993 and 2001. By means of a fully structured interview psychiatric labelling, causal beliefs, help-seeking and treatment recommendations as well as the desire for social distance was assessed.ResultsWhile there was an increase in the mental health literacy of the public, the desire for social distance from people with major depression and schizophrenia remained unchanged or even increased.ConclusionsThe assumption underlying a number of anti-stigma campaigns, namely that educating people about mental disorders may automatically lead to the improvement of their attitudes towards the mentally ill, appears questionable.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document