The well-being of children of parents with a mental illness: the responsiveness of crisis mental health services in Wellington, New Zealand

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 600-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ari S. Pfeiffenberger ◽  
Amanda J. D'Souza ◽  
Mark A. Huthwaite ◽  
Sarah E. Romans
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Well Being

"It's Either Do It or Die"

Crisis ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 173-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie H. M. Peterson ◽  
Sunny C. Collings
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Suicidal Thoughts ◽  
And Behavior

Abstract. Background: The role of self-management of suicidality was investigated as part of a larger qualitative study of suicidality among people with experience of mental illness in New Zealand. Aims: To understand how people self-manage suicidality, why they self-manage, and the effects that self-management may have on suicidal thoughts and behavior. Method: Twenty seven people with experience of mental illness and suicidality were interviewed. A narrative thematic analysis was performed. Results: People had either drifted into self-management (while still using or instead of using mental health services) or chosen self-management because they were unhappy with mental health services, desired independence, or had difficulty accessing services. Self-management of suicidality included: using active ways to reduce, distract, and protect themselves from suicidal thoughts and feelings; practical ways of looking after themselves; reframing thoughts; getting to know themselves better; and peer support. Conclusion: Self-management of suicidality can encourage independence and resilience, a sense of citizenship, mutuality, and achievement.

scholarly journals Suicide in New Zealand

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 527-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Said Shahtahmasebi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Objective Assessment ◽  
Psychological Autopsy ◽  
Case Histories ◽  
Type Studies ◽  
International Experts

This paper explores and questions some of the notions associated with suicide including mental illness. On average, about two-thirds of suicide cases do not come into contact with mental health services, therefore, we have no objective assessment of their mental status or their life events. One method of improving our objective understanding of suicide would be to use data mining techniques in order to build life event histories on all deaths due to suicide. Although such an exercise would require major funding, partial case histories became publicly available from a coroner's inquest on cases of suicide during a period of three months in Christchurch, New Zealand. The case histories were accompanied by a newspaper article reporting comments from some of the families involved. A straightforward contextual analysis of this information suggests that (i) only five cases had contact with mental health services, in two of the cases this was due to a previous suicide attempt and in the other three it was due to drug and alcohol dependency; (ii) mental illness as the cause of suicide is fixed in the public mindset, (iii) this in turn makes psychological autopsy type studies that seek information from families and friends questionable; (iv) proportionally more females attempt, but more men tend to complete suicide; and (v) not only is the mental health-suicide relationship tenuous, but suicide also appears to be a process outcome. It is hoped that this will stimulate debate and the collaboration of international experts regardless of their school of thought.

Psychiatrists' Recommendations for Improving Bicultural Training and Maori Mental Health Services: A New Zealand survey

2000 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Johnstone ◽  
John Read
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Well Being ◽  
High Response Rate ◽  
The Many ◽  
High Level

Objective: In the context of Maori being over-represented as clients, and under-represented as professionals in New Zealand's mental health system, this study ascertained the beliefs of New Zealand's psychiatrists about issues pertaining to Maori mental health. The overriding objective was to gather recommendations as to how to improve bicultural training and mental health services for Maori. Method: A questionnaire involving closed and open-ended questions was sent to 335 New Zealand psychiatrists. Results: Of the 247 psychiatrists (74%) responding, 40% believed their training had prepared them to work effectively with Maori. Recommendations for improving training focused on the need for greater understanding of Maori perspectives of well-being. Recommendations for improving mental health services for Maori highlighted the need for more Maori professionals and for Maori-run services. No psychiatrists thought that pakeha clinicians should not work with Maori clients, but the majority (70%) recognised the need to consult with Maori staff when doing so. Twenty-eight psychiatrists (11.3%), all male, New Zealand born, and with 10 or more years clinical experience, believed that Maori were biologically or genetically more predisposed than others to mental illness. Several respondents offered other racist comments. Conclusions: The high response rate and the many positive recommendations suggest a high level of constructive interest in these issues among psychiatrists. Comparisons with a simultaneous survey of psychologists are made. It is hoped that the recommendations might inform those responsible for training programs and for providing or purchasing mental health services.

scholarly journals Mental well-being: An important outcome for mental health services?

2015 ◽  
Vol 207 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angharad de Cates ◽  
Saverio Stranges ◽  
Amy Blake ◽  
Scott Weich
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Outcome Measure ◽  
Prognostic Significance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Well Being

SummaryMental well-being is being used as an outcome measure in mental health services. The recent Chief Medical Officer's (CMO's) report raised questions about mental well-being in people with mental illness, including how to measure it. We discuss whether mental well-being has prognostic significance or other utility in this context.

Is Pacific language ability protective of prevalence of mental disorders among Pacific peoples in New Zealand?

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eirenei Taua'i ◽  
Rose Richards ◽  
Jesse Kokaua
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Disorder ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Pacific People ◽  
Language Promotion

Aims: To explore associations between experiences of mental illness, migration status and languages spoken among Pacific adults living in NZ. Methods: SURVEY FREQ and SURVEY LOGISTIC procedures in SAS were applied to data from Te Rau Hinengaro: The New Zealand (NZ) Mental Health Survey, a survey of 12,992 New Zealand adults aged 16 and over in 2003/2004. Pacific people were over sampled and this paper focuses on the 2374 Pacific participants but includes, for comparison, 8160 non-Maori-non-Pacific (NMNP) participants. Results: Pacific migrant respondents had the lowest prevalence of mental disorders compared to other Pacific peoples. However, Pacific immigrants were also less likely to use mental health services, suggesting an increased likelihood of experiencing barriers to available mental health care. Those who were born in NZ and who were proficient in a Pacific language had the lowest levels of common mental disorders, suggesting a protective effect for the NZ-born population. Additionally, access to mental health services was similar between NZ-born people who spoke a Pacific language and those who did not. Conclusions: We conclude that, given the association between Pacific language and reduced mental disorder, there may be a positive role for Pacific language promotion in efforts to reduce the prevalence of mental health disorder among Pacific communities in NZ.

Transdiagnostic versus Diagnosis-Specific Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders and Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Nina Reinholt ◽  
Morten Hvenegaard ◽  
Anne Bryde Christensen ◽  
Anita Eskildsen ◽  
Carsten Hjorthøj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Outpatient Mental Health ◽  
End Of Treatment

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP) delivered in a group format could facilitate the implementation of evidence-based psychological treatments. <b><i>Objective:</i></b> This study compared the efficacy of group UP and diagnosis-specific cognitive behavioral therapy (dCBT) for anxiety and depression in outpatient mental health services. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In this pragmatic, multi-center, single-blinded, non-inferiority, randomized controlled trial (RCT), we assigned 291 patients with major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or agoraphobia to 14 weekly sessions in mixed-diagnosis UP or single-diagnosis dCBT groups. The primary test was non-inferiority, using a priori criteria, on the World Health Organisation 5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5) at the end of the treatment. Secondary outcomes were functioning and symptoms. We assessed outcomes at baseline, end-of-treatment, and at a 6-month follow-up. A modified per-protocol analysis was performed. <b><i>Results:</i></b> At end-of-treatment, WHO-5 mean scores for patients in UP (<i>n</i> = 148) were non-inferior to those of patients in dCBT (<i>n</i> = 143; mean difference –2.94; 95% CI –8.10 to 2.21). Results were inconclusive for the WHO-5 at the 6-month follow-up. Results for secondary outcomes were non-inferior at end-of-treatment and the 6-month follow-up. Client satisfaction and rates of attrition, response, remission, and deterioration were similar across conditions. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> This RCT demonstrated non-inferior acute-phase outcomes of group-delivered UP compared with dCBT for major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and agoraphobia in outpatient mental health services. The long-term effects of UP on well-being need further investigation. If study findings are replicated, UP should be considered a viable alternative to dCBT for common anxiety disorders and depression in outpatient mental health services.

The Current Situation in Psychiatry and its Effects on the Delivery of Mental Health Services in the Next Decade

1971 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J. Horvath
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Behavioral Treatment ◽  
Additional Data ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Medical Model ◽  
Behavioral Disorder ◽  
Treatment Alternative

As long as mental illness is regarded as primarily a behavioral disorder, current and foreseeable manpower shortages in psychiatry make it necessary to increase the participation of nonmedical personnel in the treatment process. The controversy between those advocating behavioral treatment and those favoring the medical model cannot be resolved due to the fact that our current knowledge of the biologic roots of mental illness is inadequate. A breakthrough in research in this area could resolve the argument and solve the manpower problem by transferring psychiatric disorders into physiologic disease susceptible to medical treatment. Alternative models for the delivery of mental health services can be developed to allow for different possibilities in the outcome of research. Additional data is needed, especially on the costs and effectiveness of future therapies, before an evaluation of programs can be carried out.

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