scholarly journals Alcohol, Other Drugs Use and Mental Health among African Migrant Youths in South Australia

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lillian Mwanri ◽  
William Mude
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Acculturative Stress ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Social Stressors ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
African Migrant

This paper was part of a large study that explored suicide among African youths in South Australia. The paper reports perspectives about alcohol and other drugs (AOD) use and mental health among African migrant and refugee youths in South Australia. The study employed a qualitative inquiry, conducting 23 individual interviews and one focus group discussion with eight participants. An acculturative stress model informed data analysis, interpretation and the discussion of the findings that form the current paper. African migrant and refugee youths revealed challenging stressors, including related to cultural, socioeconomic, living conditions, and pre- and post-migration factors that contributed to mental health problems and the use of AOD in their new country. The traumatic loss of family members and social disruption experienced in their countries of origin were expressed as part of factors leading to migration to Australia. While in Australia, African migrant and refugee youths experienced substantial stressors related to inadequate socioeconomic and cultural support, discrimination, poverty, and unemployment. Participants believed that differences in cultural perspectives about AOD use that existed in Africa and Australia also shaped the experiences of social stressors. Additionally, participants believed that these cultural differences and the identified stressors determined AOD use and mental health problems. The findings highlight the need to understand these social and cultural contexts to improve mental health services and help reduce the use of AOD, which, when problematic, can influence the health and integration experiences of these populations.

scholarly journals Resilience and Its Association with Depression, Emotional and Behavioural Problems, and Mental Health Service Utilisation among Refugee Adolescents Living in South Australia

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahereh Ziaian ◽  
Helena de Anstiss ◽  
Georgia Antoniou ◽  
Peter Baghurst ◽  
Michael Sawyer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Service ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Behavioural Problems ◽  
Refugee Children ◽  
Service Utilisation ◽  
Emotional And Behavioural Problems

Background. Despite the frequency of traumatic or stressful events experienced by refugee children and adolescents prior to migration and following resettlement, the majority do not experience mental health problems emphasising the critical nature of resilience. While a host of factors deemed to be protective of mental health in young refugees have been identified, there has been little research exploring the role of resilience as a distinct psychological construct. This study aimed to explore the nature of psychological resilience in refugee adolescents and the relationship between resilience and depression, other emotional and behavioural problems, and mental health service uptake. Method. One hundred and seventy multiethnic refugee adolescents aged 13–17 from South Australia were administered a survey comprising the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results. Females tended to have higher resilience, as did those adolescents who had been living in Australia longer. Adolescents suffering from depressive symptoms or other emotional or behavioural problems had lower resilience. There was little evidence of an association between resilience scores and exposure to trauma or service utilisation. Discussion. Fostering resilience may be critical to efforts to prevent or reduce mental health problems in refugee adolescents.

scholarly journals Workshop: Predictors and developmental timing of mental health problems among sexual minority individuals

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Sexual Minorities ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Social Stressors

Abstract As consistently shown across studies from various parts of the world, sexual minority individuals (e.g., those identifying as lesbian, gay, and bisexual [LGB]) are significantly at a higher risk for depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and behavior when compared to heterosexuals. The increased risk for poor mental health among sexual minority populations is believed to be a consequence of LGB individuals’ increased exposure to specific social stressors related to navigating a stigmatized minority identity. Studies trying to explain health inequalities based on sexual orientation have mainly focused on so-called minority stress processes, such as discrimination, internalized homophobia, expectations of rejection, and stress of concealing one’s sexual orientation. This workshop will give examples of studies from various European countries on mental health predictors and trajectories by using various approaches such as population-based sampling, longitudinal data collection, and comprehensive theoretical frameworks. Dr. Gemma Lewis (University College London, UK) will present results showing that sexual orientation-based disparities in mental health are present already in early adolescence and increase throughout the school years. Arjan van der Star (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden) will present population-based data suggesting that openness about sexual orientation is not directly linked to lower risk of depression among sexual minorities, but is instead dependent on access to social support. Conor Mahon (Dublin City University, Ireland) will present results showing minority stressors as predictors of social anxiety among sexual minority men. Associate professor John Pachankis (Yale University, USA) will present results showing that, in addition to increased exposure to social stressors, barriers to societal integration can partially explain the elevated risk of suicidality among sexual minorities. Key messages Sexual minorities are a higher risk of mental health problems, such as depression, social anxiety, and suicidality, as compared to heterosexuals and these disparities can be identified early in life. Sexual orientation-based mental health disparities seem to be based both on disproportionate stigma-related stress and a higher prevalence of general risk factors for poor mental health.

The Mental Health Status of Adolescents Released from Custody: A Preliminary Study

1996 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 326-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert John Kosky ◽  
Michael Gifford Sawyer ◽  
Michael Fotheringham
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Juvenile Detention ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Mental Health Clinics ◽  
Detention Centre ◽  
Health Clinics ◽  
One Year

Objective: To describe the prevalence of mental health problems and the social circumstances of young offenders after their release from custody in a juvenile detention centre. Method: The subjects were 37 adolescents from an original sample of 101 adolescents who had been remanded in a juvenile detention centre in Adelaide, South Australia. The adolescents were evaluated at the time of their initial detention in custody and again 1 year later. Results: The adolescents reported having a large number of social and mental health problems after their release from custody. One year after their release, 32% of the adolescents scored above the recommended ‘cut off score on the Youth Self Report. This represents a rate of disorder three to four times higher than that reported by adolescents in the community and is comparable to the rate reported by adolescents attending mental health clinics. Conclusions: Adolescents remanded in juvenile detention centres experience continuing mental health problems after their release from custody. As well, they experience considerable social dysfunction. There is an urgent need for more active therapeutic follow-up of these young people.

Local terms and understandings of mental health problems in Burundi

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pacifique Irankunda ◽  
Laurie Heatherington ◽  
Jessica Fitts
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Health Clinic ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Causal Beliefs ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
And Gender

A pilot study and two intensive studies were conducted to document the local vocabularies used by Burundians to describe mental health problems and their understandings about the causes. The pilot study—in which 14 different large groups of community members awaiting appointments at a village health clinic were engaged in open-ended discussions of the local terminology and causal beliefs about mental health problems—suggested three key syndromes: akabonge (a set of depression-like symptoms), guhahamuka (a set of trauma-related symptoms), and ibisigo (a set of psychosis-like symptoms). In Study 1 ( N = 542), individual interviews or surveys presented participants with the names of these syndromes and asked what they considered to be the symptoms and causes of them. Study 2 ( N = 143) cross-validated these terms with a different sample (also in individual interviews/surveys), by presenting the symptom clusters and asking what each would be called and about their causes. Findings of both studies validated this set of terms and yielded a rich body of data about causal beliefs. The influence of education level and gender on familiarity with these terms was also assessed. Implications for the development of mental health services and directions for future research are discussed.

Persons with mental disorder in jails and prisons – legislation and practice in Georgia

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S594-S594
Author(s):  
N. Zavradashvili ◽  
M. Eliashvili ◽  
E. Zhorzholadze ◽  
N. Makhashvili
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Legal Traditions ◽  
Depth Interview ◽  
Competing Interest

IntroductionStatistics shows that in most countries prevalence of mental health problems are much higher among prisoners than the general population. Country approach to regulating mental health needs of persons with mental disorder who come into contact with justice system depends on variety of cultural or legal traditions, as well as on different concepts and structures of mental health care delivery.ObjectiveThe aim of the survey was to study and assess the established practice of implementation of the legal procedure relating to individuals who commit crime and have mental health problems in Georgia.MethodsQualitative analysis including desk review, in-depth interview and focus group discussion was conducted. Preceding from the research objectives the current legislation with regard of people with the mental disorder has been analyzed; the interviews on the shortcomings and problems of the implementation of the law in practice have been conducted with key informants.ResultsThe study acknowledges that recent changes in Georgian legislation imports much of the civil law standards and processes relating to admission, detention and compulsory treatment of criminal detainees with mental health problems. However, due to the ambiguous, ambivalent and incomplete nature of the aforementioned changes, the penal and administrative courts, as well as the clinicians are facing serious difficulties and confusions in their work.ConclusionsIt is discussed that there is a strong need for closer cooperation between mental health and justice systems to treat mentally disordered persons both in the system and after they are released into the community.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals A Dataset of Students’ Mental Health and Help-Seeking Behaviors in a Multicultural Environment

Data ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minh-Hoang Nguyen ◽  
Manh-Toan Ho ◽  
Quynh-Yen T. Nguyen ◽  
Quan-Hoang Vuong
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Acculturative Stress ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Domestic Students ◽  
Help Seeking Behaviors ◽  
Multicultural Environment ◽  
Health Studies

University students, especially international students, possess a higher risk of mental health problems than the general population. However, the literature regarding the prevalence and determinants of mental health problems as well as help-seeking behaviors of international and domestic students in Japan seems to be limited. This dataset contains 268 records of depression, acculturative stress, social connectedness, and help-seeking behaviors reported by international and domestic students at an international university in Japan. One of the main findings that can be drawn from this dataset is how the level of social connectedness and acculturative stress are predictive of the reported depression among international as well as domestic students. The dataset is expected to provide reliable materials for further study of cross-cultural public health studies and policy-making in higher education.

scholarly journals Soft drink consumption and mental health problems among adults in Australia

2010 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1073-1079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zumin Shi ◽  
Anne W Taylor ◽  
Gary Wittert ◽  
Robert Goldney ◽  
Tiffany K Gill
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Related Problem ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Soft Drink ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Soft Drink Consumption

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the association between soft drink consumption and mental health problems, including self-reported doctor-diagnosed anxiety, stress-related problem and depression, suicidal ideation and psychological distress, among adults in South Australia.DesignData were collected using a risk factor surveillance system. Each month a representative random sample of South Australians was selected from the Electronic White Pages with interviews conducted using computer-assisted telephone interviewing.SettingSouth Australia.SubjectsParticipants were aged 16 years and above.ResultsAmong 4741 participants, 12·5 % reported daily soft drink consumption of more than half a litre. High levels of soft drink consumption were positively associated with depression, stress-related problem, suicidal ideation, psychological distress and a current mental health condition, but not anxiety. Overall, 24·0 % of those having suicidal ideation reported consuming more than half a litre of soft drink per day. In the multivariate analysis, after adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, those who consumed more than half a litre of soft drink per day had approximately 60 % greater risk of having depression, stress-related problem, suicidal ideation, psychological distress or a current mental health condition, compared with those not consuming soft drinks. The soft drink to total fluid consumption ratio had similar associations with mental health problems.ConclusionsThere is a positive association between consumption of soft drinks and mental health problems among adults in South Australia.

Changing Demand for Mental Health Services in the Emergency Department of a Public Hospital

2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 74-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross Kalucy ◽  
Lyndall Thomas ◽  
Diane King
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Admission Rates ◽  
Number Of Patients

Objective: Deinstitutionalization and mainstreaming may have contributed to increased attendance in public emergency departments by people with mental health problems. This study describes changing patterns of attendances by patients with mental health problems to the emergency department (ED) of a public teaching hospital in Adelaide, South Australia. Method: Records from a 10-year period from the ED were examined to identify changes in the number of, and diagnoses for, patients attending for primarily mental health concerns. Admission rates, detention and length of stay (LOS) were also examined in an attempt to identify trends. Results: A tenfold increase in the number of patients attending the ED with primarily mental health problems has occurred over the 10-year period. This is within the context of relatively stable total ED presentations. The increase has been observed in all diagnostic categories although the greatest increase, by percentage, has been for psychotic disorders. A lesser increase was observed for patients presenting with overdose. People presenting with psychotic disorders are also more likely to be detained and admitted. LOS in the ED has also increased along with increasing demand. Conclusions: Reasons for the increased demand are likely multifactorial. While deinstitutionalization and mainstreaming have contributed, the closure of the ED at the local psychiatric hospital does not account entirely for the change. Insufficient community-based mental health services may also contribute to the reasons why people present to the ED and lack of inpatient beds contributes to the increasing LOS experienced in the ED.

scholarly journals Enhancing credibility:

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 181-200
Author(s):  
Ulla Rantakeisu ◽  
Lena Ede
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sick Leave ◽  
Psychiatric Diagnosis ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Western World ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Grounded Theory Method ◽  
Part Time ◽  
To Come

In the Western world mental health problems are increasing and in Sweden these problems are the most common reason for sick leave. Diagnoses of adjustment disorders and reactions to severe stress are increasing the fastest out of all mental health problems. The aim of this study is to contribute new insights into employees’ experiences and management of being on sick leave with a stress-related psychiatric diagnosis. The empirical material consisted of individual interviews with 26 employees who were on sick leave from at least part-time employment because of a stress-related diagnosis. The grounded theory method was used to analyse the results. In the generated model, we propose that sick-listed employees engage in enhancing credibility in relation to themselves and others, here attempting to come across as credible and, thus, avoiding disbelief and the negative attributions of being on sick leave with a psychiatric diagnosis. The interviewees shared the general concern that being perceived as either healthier or sicker than the case may be, as well as greater sensitivity to what others might think, which was manifested as being on guard and controlling their behaviour and emotional display. To return to work, the sick-listed employees tended to re-evaluate their previous performance at work and saw the illness as self-inflicted and as the result of not having been capable of drawing the line between work and leisure.

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