An Important Book for Public Mental Health Professionals: Government and Nongovernment Organizations

2004 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 258-261
Author(s):  
Fern Cramer-Azima
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Nongovernment Organizations

The “constant tug-of-war” in mental health care in Greece

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 121-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niki Kyriakidou ◽  
Sofia Triliva
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Therapeutic Services ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on how mental health professionals involved in the therapeutic treatment of children in public mental health facilities in Greece experience and talk about the impact of the socioeconomic crises on the psychotherapeutic process. Design/methodology/approach In all, 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted and phenomenologically informed thematic analysis was used in analysing the data. Findings The results coalesced into two all-encompassing thematic structures articulating the following: first, the socioeconomic crises have permeated society and therapeutic praxis like a torrential and chronic rain storm. This has resulted in a deluge in demand for therapeutic services within the public mental health sector; second, mental health professionals describe their positioning and work as “a constant tug-of-war” where they are inundated and often overwhelmed with work, find themselves identifying with service users and taking on several roles simultaneously, and being challenged to find solutions often in dire and complex situations. They describe how creativity and flexibility are in demand in their day-to-day interactions and if they are to intervene in place of a health and welfare system that is faltering. Doing therapeutic work under such circumstances appears to be both emotionally onerous and stimulating with regard to conceptualising new ways of intervening in such complex psychosocial situations. Research limitations/implications The study is limited in that only mental health professionals presented their experiences and service users were not included. The findings do highlight how severe austerity policies impact mental health services and peoples’ lives. Practical implications The study has implications for policy regarding the provision and organisation of mental health services in contexts where crises and economic turmoil prevail. Social implications The results associate severe austerity with major changes in family and community life. Originality/value The paper provides insights and implications on how mental health services are impacted by socioeconomic conditions.

scholarly journals Health professionals’ experiences of providing care for women survivors of sexual violence in psychiatric inpatient units.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol O'Dwyer ◽  
Laura Tarzia ◽  
Sabin Fernbacher ◽  
Kelsey Hegarty
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Psychiatric Inpatient ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Trauma Informed ◽  
Inpatient Units

Abstract Background Survivors of sexual violence commonly access mental health services. Psychiatric inpatient units in Australia are predominately mixed gender and may further retraumatise these women. Sexual violence is under-recognised by mental health professionals and there is a lack of adequate policy or direction for mental health service services. To date, only a small amount of research has focused on health professionals’ experiences of providing trauma-informed care to women in psychiatric settings, with most studies focused on specific practices or interventions. Qualitative data is particularly lacking on this topic. This is a critical gap in the knowledge given that health professionals are key to detecting and addressing victimisation. The aim of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of healthcare professionals’ experiences and perceptions in providing care to women who are survivors of sexual violence in psychiatric inpatient units.Methods This qualitative study utilised semi-structured interviews with 40 health professionals recruited from four psychiatric inpatient units within a large Australian public mental health organisation. Data were examined using thematic analysis.Results Three main themes were developed to describe participants’ experiences of the care provided to women; 1) Dismissing and denying; 2) Acknowledging but unprepared; 3) Empathising but despairing. Discussion Gender, professional training, adherence to the biomedical model, and level of experience influenced health professionals’ experiences.Conclusions Health professionals in this study held varying attitudes towards female consumers and responses to sexual violence. Our findings suggest the need to address individual staff perception and promote trauma-informed and gender-sensitive care across all disciplines, genders, and levels of experience.

scholarly journals Health professionals’ experiences of providing care for women survivors of sexual violence in psychiatric inpatient units.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol O'Dwyer ◽  
Laura Tarzia ◽  
Sabin Fernbacher ◽  
Kelsey Hegarty
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Psychiatric Inpatient ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Trauma Informed ◽  
Inpatient Units

Abstract Background: Survivors of sexual violence, who are predominantly women, commonly access mental health services. Psychiatric inpatient units in Australia are predominately mixed gender and may further retraumatise these women. Sexual violence is under-recognised by mental health professionals and there is a lack of adequate policy or direction for mental health service services. To date, only a small amount of research has focused on health professionals’ experiences of providing trauma-informed care to women in psychiatric settings, with most studies focused on specific practices or interventions. Qualitative data is particularly lacking on this topic. This is a critical gap in the knowledge given that health professionals are key to detecting and addressing victimisation. The aim of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of healthcare professionals’ experiences and perceptions in providing care to women who are survivors of sexual violence in psychiatric inpatient units. Methods: This qualitative study utilised semi-structured interviews with 40 health professionals recruited from four psychiatric inpatient units within a large Australian public mental health organisation. Data were examined using thematic analysis. Results: Three main typologies were developed to describe participants’ experiences of the care provided to women; 1) Dismissing and denying; 2) Acknowledging but unprepared; 3) Empathising but despairing. Discussion: Gender, professional training, adherence to the biomedical model, and level of experience influenced health professionals’ experiences. Conclusions: Health professionals in this study held varying attitudes towards female consumers and responses to sexual violence. Our findings suggest the need to address individual staff perceptions and promote trauma-informed and gender-sensitive care across all disciplines, genders and levels of experience.

scholarly journals The current state of mental healthcare in Bangladesh: part 2 – setting priorities

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
M. Tasdik Hasan ◽  
Tasnim Anwar ◽  
Enryka Christopher ◽  
Sahadat Hossain ◽  
Md Mahbub Hossain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Financial Resources ◽  
Current State ◽  
Mental Health Facilities

This is the second of a two-part profile on mental healthcare in Bangladesh. It describes the state of mental health research in the country and presents a set of priorities for addressing improvements to the fundamental gaps in mental healthcare highlighted in part 1. Focus on building infrastructure for public mental health facilities, training skilled mental health professionals, adequate distribution of financial resources and addressing stigma are all priorities that will contribute to significantly improving mental healthcare in Bangladesh.

Views of general public, mental health professionals and patients’ relatives about schizophrenia: An Italian multi-centric survey

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 532-532
Author(s):  
A. Fiorillo ◽  
C. De Rosa ◽  
C. Malangone ◽  
M. Luciano ◽  
D. Giacco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
General Public ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Mental Health Workers ◽  
Italian Population

IntroductionViews on the causes and psychosocial consequences of schizophrenia of the Italian population, patients’ relatives and mental health professionals can influence detection and outcome of these disorders.AimsTo investigate the opinions on schizophrenia in a sample of 614 lay respondents, 465 mental health professionals and 709 key-relatives.MethodsThe survey was conducted in 30 randomly selected geographical areas with the Questionnaire about Opinions on mental illness (QO).ResultsThe results show significant differences among the three groups as regards opinions about patients’ civil rights and social competence of patients with schizophrenia. In particular, the belief that patients’ behaviors are unpredictable is maintained by 18% of mental health workers and by 35% of family members and the general public. As regards causes, 68% of relatives, 20% of mental health workers and 34% of general public believe that schizophrenia is caused by psychosocial factors only. Forty-eight percent of the relatives affirmed that they are fully convinced of the usefulness of pharmacological treatment compared to 28% of professionals and 25% of the Italian population. With respect to civil rights, about half of the relatives is fully convinced that patients with schizophrenia should not have children compared to 17% of mental health workers and to 19% of the general public.ConclusionsThese results underline the need to conduct sensitization campaigns about schizophrenia focused on specific aspects of the disease, such as unpredictability, civil rights and opportunities to recovery of patients, taking into account the target population to which they are addressed.

scholarly journals Health professionals’ experiences of providing care for women survivors of sexual violence in psychiatric inpatient units

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol O’Dwyer ◽  
Laura Tarzia ◽  
Sabin Fernbacher ◽  
Kelsey Hegarty
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Psychiatric Inpatient ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Trauma Informed ◽  
Inpatient Units

Abstract Background Survivors of sexual violence, who are predominantly women, commonly access mental health services. Psychiatric inpatient units in Australia are predominately mixed gender and may further retraumatise these women. Sexual violence is under-recognised by mental health professionals and there is a lack of adequate policy or direction for mental health service services. To date, only a small amount of research has focused on health professionals’ experiences of providing trauma-informed care to women in psychiatric settings, with most studies focused on specific practices or interventions. Qualitative data is particularly lacking on this topic. This is a critical gap in the knowledge given that health professionals are key to detecting and addressing victimisation. The aim of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of healthcare professionals’ experiences and perceptions in providing care to women who are survivors of sexual violence in psychiatric inpatient units. Methods This qualitative study utilised semi-structured interviews with 40 health professionals recruited from four psychiatric inpatient units within a large Australian public mental health organisation. Data were examined using thematic analysis. Results Three main typologies were developed to describe participants’ experiences of the care provided to women; 1) Dismissing and denying; 2) Acknowledging but unprepared; 3) Empathising but despairing. Discussion Gender, professional training, adherence to the biomedical model, and level of experience influenced health professionals’ experiences. Conclusions Health professionals in this study held varying attitudes towards female consumers and responses to sexual violence. Our findings suggest the need to address individual staff perception and promote trauma-informed and gender-sensitive care across all disciplines, genders, and levels of experience.

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