scholarly journals Experience of stigma among Chinese mental health patients in Hong Kong

2004 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 451-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. F. Chung ◽  
M. C. Wong
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Chinese People ◽  
The People ◽  
Mental Health Patients ◽  
Stigma Of Mental Illness

Aims and MethodThe study was intended to rectify the lack of data on how Chinese people experience the stigma of mental illness. A questionnaire on perceived stigmatisation, experiences of rejection and ways of coping with stigma was completed by 193 persons attending a psychiatric out-patient clinic in Hong Kong.ResultsMost of the participants were aware of the stigma associated with mental illness, but experiences of rejection were relatively less frequent. Eleven per cent of the respondents indicated that they were neglected by health care professionals and 8% had been avoided by family members. The most frequently reported coping method was maintaining secrecy about the illness.Clinical ImplicationsIn China, people with mental health problems experience stigma in various degrees. However, some of the people surveyed expressed feelings of relief that others were supportive and sympathetic towards their illness. Mental health professionals should maintain optimism in helping their patients to cope with the stigma.

scholarly journals Mental health problems, benefits and tackling discrimination

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 200-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Galloway ◽  
Billy Boland ◽  
Gareth Williams
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Clinical Evidence ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Mental Health Policy ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Advisory Board ◽  
Policy Institute

SummaryPoverty is strongly associated with mental illness. Access to state benefits can be a lifeline for people with mental health problems in times of hardship and can assist them on their journey of recovery. However, benefit application processes can discriminate against those with mental illness and can result in individuals unjustly missing out on support. Clinical evidence from mental health professionals can ameliorate these challenges and ensure that people get access to financial help.Declaration of interestDr Billy Boland is on the advisory board of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute.

scholarly journals Tensions and Paradoxes of Stigma: Discussing Stigma in Mental Health Rehabilitation

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (16) ◽  
pp. 5943
Author(s):  
Jenny Paananen ◽  
Camilla Lindholm ◽  
Melisa Stevanovic ◽  
Elina Weiste
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Rehabilitation Centers ◽  
Health Rehabilitation ◽  
Mental Health Rehabilitation

Mental illness remains as one of the most stigmatizing conditions in contemporary western societies. This study sheds light on how mental health professionals and rehabilitants perceive stigmatization. The qualitative study is based on stimulated focus group interviews conducted in five Finnish mental health rehabilitation centers that follow the Clubhouse model. The findings were analyzed through inductive content analysis. Both the mental health rehabilitants and the professionals perceived stigmatization as a phenomenon that concerns the majority of rehabilitants. However, whereas the professionals viewed stigma as something that is inflicted upon the mentally ill from the outside, the rehabilitants perceived stigma as something that the mentally ill themselves can influence by advancing their own confidence, shame management, and recovery. Improvements in treatment, along with media coverage, were seen as the factors that reduce stigmatization, but the same conceptualization did not hold for serious mental illnesses. As the average Clubhouse client was thought to be a person with serious mental illness, the rehabilitation context designed to normalize attitudes toward mental health problems was paradoxically perceived to enforce the concept of inevitable stigma. Therefore, it is important for professionals in rehabilitation communities to be reflexively aware of these tensions when supporting the rehabilitants.

scholarly journals Efficiency and Outcome of Healing Practices Performed by Spirit Dancers in Healing Mental Illness – A Patient’s Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 803-808
Author(s):  
Prakasha Amin ◽  
Mohan A.K
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Traditional Healers ◽  
Traditional Healing ◽  
Black Magic

BACKGROUND In many rural communities, the cause of mental illness is attributed to black magic, spirit possession of past sin and the coastal region of Karnataka is not exempted from it. The natives of this region ascribe the cause of mental illness to the spirit or demigod, and they seek the help of traditional healers such as spirit dancers for the recovery. This help-seeking behaviour of the people results in delay in seeking psychiatry care and affects the recovery of the person with mental health problems. Therefore, this study explores the opinion of clients undergone traditional healing for mental health problems and the results of the study could contribute to planning an appropriate health promotion activity to promote community mental health. METHODS The present study was explorative, undertaken in the Udupi district of Karnataka state, which explores the views of the respondents about the cause of mental health problem and the outcome of traditional healing for their problems. Altogether 200 clients visiting traditional healers for mental health care were interviewed based on the snowball sampling technique and the interview schedule was used as a tool to gather the data. RESULTS Of the 200 respondents interviewed, 27.5 percent were adults (31 to 40 years), while 43.1 percent were unemployed. Black magic was found to be the major cause for mental health problems among 25.5 percent of the respondents; whereas, 26 percent of the respondents felt recovered completely after undergoing traditional healing for mental health problems. CONCLUSIONS The recognition of mental health problems is very much essential for people with mental health problems to seek professional help. This could help mental health professionals to diagnose illness at the very beginning and provide better mental health care. However, the explanatory model of the patients needs to be taken into consideration while providing modern medical care. KEY WORDS Black Magic, Mental Illness, Serpent Worship, Spirt Dancer, Traditional Healers

scholarly journals How do we engage global communities in the de-stigmatisation of mental illness?

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 184-187
Author(s):  
Paul Illingworth
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Good Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Low Middle Income Countries ◽  
Stigma Of Mental Illness ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged that high-income countries often address discrimination against people with mental health problems, but that low/middle income countries often have significant gaps in their approach to this subject—in how they measure the problem, and in strategies, policies and programmes to prevent it. Localised actions have occurred. These include the Hong Kong government's 2017 international conference on overcoming the stigma of mental illness, and the 2018 London Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit. Furthermore, the UK's Medical Research Council has funded Professor Graham Thornicroft (an expert in mental health discrimination and stigma) to undertake a global study. These and other approaches are welcome and bring improvements; however, they often rely on traditional westernised, ‘global north’ views/approaches. Given the rapid global demographic changes/dynamics and the lack of evidence demonstrating progress towards positive mental health globally, it is time to consider alternative and transformative approaches that encompasses diverse cultures and societies and aligns to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically UN SDG 3 (Good health and wellbeing). This article describes the need for the change and suggests how positive change can be achieved through transnational inclusive mental health de-stigmatising education.

scholarly journals Attitude of Non-Mental Health Professionals Towards Mental Illness in a Tertiary Care Center

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (02) ◽  
pp. 23-28
Author(s):  
Nishad P. M. A. ◽  
Dilshana N. B. ◽  
Anil Kakunje ◽  
Ravichandra K. ◽  
Kamran Chisty
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Psychiatric Illness ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Primary Objective

BACKGROUND Mental and behavioral disorders are major health problems. Stigma can prevent the care and treatment of the mentally ill. There is a gross underestimation of psychiatric comorbidities among patients by non-mental health professionals. A positive attitude of these health professionals has a crucial role in the treatment of patients suffering from psychiatric illness. The primary objective of the study is to study the attitude of various nonmental health professionals towards mental illness. METHODS It is a crosssectional descriptive study, conducted in a private medical college in Mangalore, Karnataka in India. The study had 76 participants consisting of doctors and nurses. Instruments used were a semi-structured demographic proforma and Mental illness: Clinicians Attitude Scale - Version 4 (MICA-4). MICA-4 is a 16- item scale used for assessing attitude towards mental illness. RESULTS The total number of subjects included was 76 among which doctors constituted 57 and nurses 19. As the experience and age of the participants increased, a shift to the positive attitude towards psychiatric illness was noted. Specialist doctors had a higher positive attitude compared to non-specialist medical graduates and nurses. CONCLUSIONS It is essential to have structured training in psychiatry for all health care professionals.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid Program for Chinese People in Hong Kong

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel F. K. Wong ◽  
Ying Lau ◽  
Sylvia Kwok ◽  
Prudence Wong ◽  
Christopher Tori
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
Chinese People ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Good Mental Health ◽  
Quasi Experimental

Purpose: Chinese people generally lack knowledge of mental illness. Such phenomenon may lead to a delay in seeking psychiatric treatments. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program in improving mental health knowledge of the general public in Hong Kong. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was adopted whereby 138 participants received MHFA training and 139 partook in seminars on general health, respectively. All participants filled out a standardized questionnaire before, at the end, and 6-month after the training. Results: Findings demonstrated that MHFA training might be effective in enhancing participants’ knowledge of mental disorders, reducing stigma, and improving perceived confidence in providing help to people with mental illness. Effect size statistics revealed mostly modest to moderate improvements in major variables in the experimental group. Conclusion: It is recommended that culturally attuned MHFA program can be used as prevention strategy to promote good mental health in Chinese communities.

Attitude of Non-Mental Health Professionals Towards Mental Illness in a Tertiary Care Center

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (02) ◽  
pp. 23-28
Author(s):  
Nishad P. M. A. ◽  
Dilshana N. B. ◽  
Anil Kakunje ◽  
Ravichandra K. ◽  
Kamran Chisty
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Psychiatric Illness ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Primary Objective

BACKGROUND Mental and behavioral disorders are major health problems. Stigma can prevent the care and treatment of the mentally ill. There is a gross underestimation of psychiatric comorbidities among patients by non-mental health professionals. A positive attitude of these health professionals has a crucial role in the treatment of patients suffering from psychiatric illness. The primary objective of the study is to study the attitude of various nonmental health professionals towards mental illness. METHODS It is a crosssectional descriptive study, conducted in a private medical college in Mangalore, Karnataka in India. The study had 76 participants consisting of doctors and nurses. Instruments used were a semi-structured demographic proforma and Mental illness: Clinicians Attitude Scale - Version 4 (MICA-4). MICA-4 is a 16- item scale used for assessing attitude towards mental illness. RESULTS The total number of subjects included was 76 among which doctors constituted 57 and nurses 19. As the experience and age of the participants increased, a shift to the positive attitude towards psychiatric illness was noted. Specialist doctors had a higher positive attitude compared to non-specialist medical graduates and nurses. CONCLUSIONS It is essential to have structured training in psychiatry for all health care professionals.

scholarly journals Stigma creating stigma: a vicious circle

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 145-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sokratis Dinos
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Stigma Of Mental Illness ◽  
And Bisexual ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Socially Excluded ◽  
Minority Ethnic

SummaryDespite anti-stigma campaigns in the UK in recent years, the experiences of people with mental health problems indicate that stigma is still a major problem. The stigma of being a member of a socially excluded group, based on socioeconomic, personal or cultural/ethnic characteristics, should be considered alongside the stigma of mental illness. Membership of a stigmatised group (not based on mental illness) is often itself a risk factor for developing mental health problems. This article discusses the experiences of people from Black and minority ethnic and lesbian, gay and bisexual groups to explore how stigma can create more stigma.

scholarly journals A Mental Health First Aid Service in an Italian University Public Hospital during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 4244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Mauro Maldonato ◽  
Mario Bottone ◽  
Alessandro Chiodi ◽  
Grazia Isabella Continisio ◽  
Raffaella De Falco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Public Hospital ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Mental Health First Aid ◽  
Clinical Communication ◽  
Fear And Anxiety

The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been extremely stressful and has produced fear and anxiety throughout the population, representing a psychological emergency. This work aimed at presenting a mental health first aid service established within an Italian university public hospital context to address four different population targets (i.e., people vulnerable to mental health problems, health-care professionals, people in isolation, and general citizenship). Specifically, the organizational structure comprising four different areas (i.e., management, clinical, communication, and research) and first data collected from the foundation of the service until 3 May 2020 are presented. Findings indicated that anxiety and fear of contagion were the main motivations prompting both the general population and health-care professionals to ask for a psychological help. Furthermore, findings indicate that clients’ current quality of life was perceived as lower than in the past but also that imagined in the future, highlighting the importance of psychological first aid interventions. This service may represent an example for helping mental health professionals in developing similar services in their local realities, promoting health and individual and community resilience.

Decriminalizing mental illness: specialized policing responses

CNS Spectrums ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Dempsey ◽  
Cameron Quanbeck ◽  
Clarissa Bush ◽  
Kelly Kruger
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Large City ◽  
First Responders ◽  
Emergency Rooms ◽  
Crisis Intervention Team ◽  
Community Based Programs ◽  
Mental Health Patients ◽  
Intervention Team

De-institutionalization of mental health patients has evolved, over nearly 3 generations now, to a status quo of mental health patients experiencing myriad contacts with first-responders, primarily police, in lieu of care. The current institutions in which these patients rotate through are psychiatric emergency units, emergency rooms, jails, and prisons. Although more police are now specially trained to respond to calls that involve mental health patients, the criminalization of persons with mental illness has been steadily increasing over the past several decades. There have also been deaths. The Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model fosters mental health acumen among first responders, and facilitates collaboration among first responders, mental health professionals, and mental health patients and their families. Here, we review some modern, large city configurations of CIT, the co-responder model, the mitigating effects of critically situated community-based programs, as well as barriers to the success of joint efforts to better address this pressing problem.

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