Domestic abuse and mental health: the amplified risks created during the pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Idura N. Hisham ◽  
Jacqueline Sin ◽  
Khadj Rouf ◽  
Danny Taggart ◽  
Giles Townsend ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Domestic Abuse ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Public Health Emergencies ◽  
Economic Recessions ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Previous Disease

SUMMARY No recent pandemic has had such a severe socioeconomic impact as COVID-19. Significant economic uncertainty and social restrictions have led to increased levels of stress for many. There has been increased social isolation, financial stress and alcohol intake, all of which can increase domestic abuse and other forms of household abuse. Increases in abuse in the home found in other public health emergencies and economic recessions can be seen now – reported UK domestic abuse rates have increased since the start of COVID-19. This article focuses on how COVID-19 and its anticipated aftermath exacerbate the risk factors for domestic abuse in the general population and discusses clinical implications for mental health practitioners in the UK. It aims to provide a point of learning based on previous disease outbreaks and recessions, with a focus on specific factors, such as unemployment and alcohol misuse, and how these contribute to increasing incidence and severity of abuse – and more importantly, how mental health professionals can mitigate these for patients, 1 in 3 of whom are estimated to have already experienced abuse before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The social representation of mental ill-health in communities of mental health practitioners in the UK and France

1998 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 663-685 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Morant
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
Mental Health Practitioners ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Expert Status ◽  
Professional Practitioners ◽  
The Uk

As society's practical experts on mental ill-health, mental health professionals work at the interface between politics, “expert” theories of mental illness and their lay equivalents in common sense. This paper describes research conducted from the perspective of social representations theory exploring the basic understanding of mental ill-health amongst communities of mental health practitioners in the UK and France. Professionals construct notions of mental ill-health articulated around three central themes of difference, distress and disruption, and adopt social rather than medical models of their work. Despite their expert status, professionals' representations are fraught with uncertainties that are lived out in eclectic treatment strategies. This research highlights the role of interactions between politics, professional practitioners and lay representations in contemporary societal constructions of mental ill-health.

scholarly journals Rates and predictors of uptake of mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic: an analysis of 26,720 adults in the UK in lockdown

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feifei Bu ◽  
Hei Wan Mak ◽  
Daisy Fancourt
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Social Study ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Gender Education ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Purpose The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has put a great strain on people’s mental health. A growing number of studies have shown worsening mental health measures globally during the pandemic. However, there is a lack of empirical study on how people support their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to examine a number of formal and informal mental health support. Further, it explored factors that might be associated with the use of different types mental health support. Methods Data from 26,720 adults in the UCL COVID-19 Social Study were analysed between 13th April 2020 and 3rd July 2020. Data were analysed using logistic and Poisson regression models. Results About 45% of people reported talking to friends or family members to support their mental health, 43% engaging in self-care activities, 20% taking medication, 9% speaking to mental health professionals, 8% talking to a GP or other health professional, and another 8% using helpline or online services. Gender, education, living status, loneliness, pre-existing mental health conditions, general depression and anxiety, coping and personality were found to be associated with the use of mental health support. Conclusion While the negative impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are inevitable, people can play an active role in managing their mental health. Understanding the patterns and predictors of various kinds of mental health support during the pandemic is crucial for future service planning and delivery through recognising potential barriers to mental health care faced by certain groups.

scholarly journals Loss and assimilation: Lived experiences of Brexit for British nationals living in Luxembourg

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Maria Knight ◽  
Dean Fido ◽  
Henry William Lennon ◽  
Craig A. Harper
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Critical Realist ◽  
Political Upheaval ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Political Realities

Inconsistent political realities are associated with mental health issues such as hopelessness, anxiety, and depression. The psychological impact of Brexit is clearly an important and timely issue, but hitherto has been understudied. This study uses a critical realist approach to qualitatively explore the lived experiences of British Citizens living in Luxembourg during the Brexit era. The study carried out semi-structured interviews with 8 British nationals aged 18-65. An experientially-focused Thematic Analysis was conducted, exploring two main themes: Loss (with psychological and broader social implications) and Integration (contrasting the mover's community with the receiving community). This study demonstrates the psychological impact of Brexit and highlights the urgency for future researchers and mental health practitioners alike – both in the UK and overseas – to consider the human consequences associated with political upheaval. Open access materials for this project can be viewed here: https://osf.io/38rg7/?view_only=b8c04dfc3fe5474f9aff4897e370b3e6.

scholarly journals Current issues in Scandinavian acute psychiatric wards

2006 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torleif Ruud ◽  
Nils Lindefors ◽  
Anne Lindhardt
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Psychiatric Units ◽  
Acute Psychiatric Wards ◽  
Field Information ◽  
The Right

AbstractThe aim of the paper is to provide an overview of some of the most important issues faced by acute inpatient facilities in three Scandinavian countries, including reflections and critical remarks for discussion in this field. Information was drawn from scientific articles and official reports published in recent years, as well as the authors' own knowledge of acute facilities in their home countries. Acute inpatient facilities, including General Hospital Psychiatric Units (GHPUs), in all Scandinavian countries have several issues and problems in common, which include the organisation and capacity of acute services, the assessment of dangerousness and suicidality, the use of coercion and efforts to reduce coercion, the need to define and improve the quality of acute services, and the necessity to improve collaboration and continuity between acute services and other services. Although the emphasis some of these issues receive can vary across the three countries, Scandinavian mental health professionals (and policy makers) have begun to systematically share their experiences in developing a growing spirit of collaboration. Despite the role of welfare state and the deployment of substantial resources in Scandinavian countries, mental health practitioners are struggling to implement best practices in acute wards, to develop differentiated forms of acute services, and to reach the right balance and coordination between acute services and other services.

Counter-radicalization, public health, and racism: A case analysis of Prevent

2021 ◽  
pp. 203-216
Author(s):  
Tarek Younis
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Far Right ◽  
Public Consciousness ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Colour Blindness ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Psychological Risk

The threat of terrorism is well documented to be associated with Muslims and Islam in British public consciousness. This chapter will emphasize the sociopolitical context underlying public health strategies seeking to address radicalization and extremism, especially given the UK government’s recent pivoting of its ‘Prevent’ policy within mental health services. Drawing upon two years of empirical fieldwork exploring the impact of the Prevent duty in the National Health Service, this chapter will outline several key issues with counter-radicalization policies enacted within health settings. Firstly, I found that mental health professionals—especially Muslims—self-censored their critical thoughts of Prevent, largely as a result of the political and moral subscript underlying counterterrorism: the ‘good’ position was to accept their counterterrorism duty, and the ‘bad’ position was to reject it. Secondly, Prevent significantly emphasizes reliance on ‘trusting one’s gut’ given the elusive framework of psychological risk factors it outlines during training. In turn, the government engages in what I call performative colour blindness: the active recognition and erasure of a common sense that associates racialized Muslims with the threat of terrorism. Colour blindness, however, is known to be integral for the maintenance of institutionally racist practices in contemporary times. This chapter ends by highlighting two understated issues of racism in contemporary public health approaches to counter-radicalization: the reinvigorated impulse to ‘tackle’ the far-right and the question of coercion and accountability.

Violence Risk Assessment

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Piel ◽  
Ronald Schouten
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Violence Risk ◽  
Mental Health Clinicians ◽  
The Public ◽  
Core Skill ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Violent Acts ◽  
Single Standard

The problem of violence in our society has received increasing attention from the public and mental health professions in recent years, and assessing the risk of violence has become a core skill for mental health clinicians and forensic specialists alike. In fact, mental health practitioners in all clinical settings are tasked with assessing and managing their patients’ risk of violence. Although research on the nature of violence and factors that increase the likelihood that a person will commit violent acts has grown in the past several decades, there is no single standard protocol or tool for assessing the risk of violence. This chapter reviews the key risk factors for violence that are supported by research, examines the relationship between mental disorders and violence, and describes approaches that mental health professionals can use to assess the risk of violence.

Human rights

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Fellner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Mental Health Staff ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
International Issues ◽  
Correctional Mental Health ◽  
Policies And Practices

In this chapter, North American and international issues are reviewed covering the range of human rights issues, challenges, and controversies that exist in correctional mental health care. This chapter provides a brief overview of the key internationally recognized human rights that should inform the work of correctional mental health professionals. Human rights reflect a humanistic vision predicated on the foundation of human dignity, which complement the ethical principles of beneficence and non-maleficence. The human rights framework supports correctional mental health staff in their efforts to protect patients from harm and provide them the treatment they need. Human rights provide a universally acknowledged set of precepts that can be used during internal and external advocacy. Mental health professionals should not – consistent with their human rights and ethical obligations – acquiesce silently to conditions of confinement that harm prisoners and violate human rights. They are obligated not only to treat inmates with mental illness with independence and compassion, but to strive to change policies and practices that abuse inmates and violate their rights, even those that involve custodial decisions (e.g. segregation, use of force, restraints). In short, for practitioners who want improved policies and practices, human rights offers a powerful rationale and vision for a different kind of correctional mental health services. The more correctional mental health practitioners embrace and advocate for human rights, the greater the likelihood prisoners’ rights will be respected.

Mental Health Professionals' Evaluations of the Integral Intake, A Metatheory-Based, Idiographic Intake Instrument

2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Marquis ◽  
Janice Holden
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Integral Theory ◽  
Mental Health Counseling ◽  
Mental Health Practitioners ◽  
Health Counseling ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Health Experts ◽  
Better Than

This study assessed mental health experts' comparative evaluations of the two existing published idiographic intake instruments, the Adlerian-based Life-Style Introductory Interview (LI) and the Multimodal Life History Inventory (MI), along with Marquis' (2002; in press) newly developed Integral Intake (II), grounded in Ken Wilber's (1999d) integral theory. Fifty-eight counseling/psychotherapy educators and experienced mental health practitioners perused the three instruments and then used the author-developed Evaluation Form to respond to open-ended questions, as well as to rate and rank them on 11 dimensions: the instrument's overall helpfulness, comprehensiveness, and efficiency, and 8 fundamental dimensions of clients (thoughts, emotions, behaviors, physical aspects, culture, environmental systems, spirituality, and what is most meaningful to them). Respondents evaluated the LI consistently worst, and the II better than the MI on all three instrument dimensions and four of the eight client dimensions. We discuss the II's potential to become a standard in the field of mental health counseling.

scholarly journals COVID-19: the perfect vector for a mental health epidemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Idura N. Hisham ◽  
Giles Townsend ◽  
Steve Gillard ◽  
Brishti Debnath ◽  
Jacqueline Sin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Public Response ◽  
Connecting The Dots ◽  
Mental Health Effects ◽  
Previous Disease

Summary In times of crisis, people have historically had to band together to overcome. What happens when they cannot? This article examines the reality of people forced to isolate from one another during one of the most turbulent events of their lives: the COVID-19 pandemic. Connecting the dots of topics including fear, social stigmas, global public response and previous disease outbreaks, this article discusses the negative mental health effects that individuals and communities will likely suffer as the result of social distancing, isolation and physical infection.

Psychopharmacology and Mental Health Practice: An Important Alliance

2011 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 196-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Kaut
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Psychiatric Treatment ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
Contextual Analysis ◽  
Mental Health Practitioners ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Mental Health Assessment ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Drug Treatments

Many mental health professionals are concerned about an increasingly "medicalized" society, driven in part by significant growth in biomedical research and biological perspectives on psychological disorders. The modern medical era, which has endorsed reductionism as the principal way of viewing many health conditions, offers many options for treating psychiatric diagnoses. Pharmacology is a major influence in psychiatric treatment decisions, and despite questions by mental health practitioners about reliance on drugs (Murray, 2009), psychopharmacology provides helpful alternatives. However, pharmacological options for mental health concerns should not be considered in isolation, and the use of drug treatments for cognitive, emotional, and behavioral disorders warrants careful contextual analysis. Mental health practitioners are encouraged to view pharmacology within a comprehensive sociohistorical framework that recognizes the value of a reductionist perspective as part of psychology's rich cognitive and behavioral contributions to contemporary mental health assessment and intervention.

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