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Emotional wellbeing as a matter of relationships and love: insights for social work from mental health peer mentor trainees, carers and practitioners
Abstract
The research gathered lived experience accounts of emotional wellbeing as a counter to the over-focus on illness and deficit language and approaches in mental health practice. The exploratory research study involved semi-interviews with mental health peer mentor trainees, carers and practitioners to explore their ideas about emotional wellbeing, what enabled it and what challenged their wellbeing. Emotional wellbeing was understood as a fluctuating continuum of capacities to engage in everyday activities, to self-care and to foster relationships with others. The absence of emotional wellbeing was linked to a reduced quality of relationships and ability to love.
... Correlational studies were found between Emotional styles and Social intelligence. Ross et al. (2023) stated that emotional health is associated with the quality of relationships and the capacity for love, indicating that it influences social interactions. Likewise, positive and productive connections with others are more likely to be maintained when we learn to constructively regulate our feelings (Main, 2020). ...
... The study's findings are reinforced by several research studies that illuminate the relationship between emotional well-being and social dynamics. Ross et al. (2023) highlighted the significant impact of emotional health on the quality of relationships and the capacity for love, indicating its profound influence on social interactions. Additionally, Main (2020) emphasized the importance of constructive emotional regulation in fostering positive and lasting social connections. ...
Emotional Styles and Social Intelligence are significant factors in maintaining a healthy well-being and good interpersonal relationships, which contribute to one’s mental health. Due to the changing circumstances, a decline in students’ mental health was evident. This study delves into the correlation between Emotional Styles and the Social Intelligence of university students, providing insights into how emotional well-being influences social relationships. A total of 375 university students participated, providing a diverse sample for a comprehensive investigation into these variables. The analyzed data revealed that the level of Emotional Styles is moderately evident among university students, emphasizing social intuition as the highest. On the other hand, there is a slightly high level of Social Intelligence, particularly the social information processing dimension. Pearson r analysis showed a positive correlation between the variables (p= <0.001; r=0.472). Furthermore, linear regression analysis highlights social intuition (p=0.041; t=2.049) and sensitivity to context (p=0.003; t=2.953) as significant predictors of Social Intelligence, emphasizing the importance of understanding nonverbal cues and contextual sensitivity in interpersonal interactions. With these results, the research recommends exploring additional factors, such as empathy and self-regulation, on the dimensions of Emotional Styles that could significantly influence Social Intelligence. Moreover, this research might consider increasing the sample size to include more diverse representations from the LGBTQ+ community in their demographic profile.
... Love has become the subject of considerable attention among scholars exploring the concept of love in social work and education (e.g., Byrne 2016; Collins 2023; Gatwiri and Ife 2023;Ross 2023;Vincent 2016). In hooks' (2001, p. 4) seminal work All About Love, she cites Peck's (1978) definition of love as "the will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth". ...
This article considers how undocumented youth in the UK survive and construct their everyday lives in precarious circumstances. Drawing on multiple in-depth narrative interviews with (n = 7) undocumented youth, I illustrate how these young people focus on the future and engage in purposeful activities as a way of enduring the everyday challenges of living with no papers. I reflect on the relationships, which young people draw on to enable them to endure adversity and rebuild their everyday lives. I conclude that the presence of love and community is critical for young people’s survival, safety and wellbeing, and I suggest how practitioners and researchers might make use of these findings.
Most students in the institutions of higher learning are in the stage of identity-formation. This period is characterized by emotional, economic, social, and behavioral transformations which subject students to crises leading to poor state of wellness and is discussed in this chapter. Adjustment into this new environment owing to the identity crisis and relational concerns is therefore a fact that cannot be ignored. Significantly, despite all these adversities, the university student has to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed. This book chapter will focus on emotional wellbeing and its components. It will further offer an explanation of the strategies students can use for coping with emotional wellbeing that are tailored around its components.
The present paper aims to understand the relationship between work-life conflict, emotional well-being, burnout, and the recently emerged quiet quitting phenomenon. Considering the importance of understanding quiet quitting antecedents and outcomes, as well as it’s relation with the above-mentioned variables, the authors propose a study within the Portuguese hospitality industry aiming to better understand this new phenomenon. Hospitality is especially vulnerable in what concerns to human resources practices and employee’ well-being, and considering its contribution to the economy and its long-lasting difficulties in retaining talent. Bearing this in mind, the present work seems to have several contributions, being this, to our knowledge, the first study relating these four concepts, in Portugal, and, specifically, within the hospitality industry. The theoretical framework covers four important constructs: work-life conflict, emotional well-being, burnout, and quiet quitting. Results from the literature review suggest a negative relationship between work-life conflict and well-being. Conflicts are correlated with increasing burnout. It is also recognized that employees may adopt quiet quitting behaviors, in order to protect themselves from burnout and to improve their work-life balance. This work contributes to the literature by identifying some key risk factors that can foster quiet quitting.
Background
The severity of mental health issues among university students in rural areas can affect the outcomes of their studies. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with self-esteem, resilience, mental health, and psychological self-care among university students.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 729 undergraduate students by a self-administered questionnaire. Using convenience sampling, the participants were chosen from four majoring in Public Health at University of Phayao in Northern Thailand.
Results
Approximately 82% of university students had mental health problem. Backward logistic regression analysis showed that 1) a good relationship with family had a significantly positive effect on self-esteem (p-value <0.05); 2) a good relationship with friends was significantly associated with high resilience (p-value <0.05); 3) having a disease/s and a relationship with family had a significant effect on mental health problem (p-value <0.05); 4) being female, perceived normal weight, and a good relationship with family were significantly related to high psychological self-care (p-value <0.05).
Conclusion
Gender, incurrent disease, perceived weight status, relationship with friends and family were associated with self-esteem, resilience, mental health, and psychological self-care among university students. Our findings can be incorporated in a support policy and integrated into the public health curriculum. University administrators and faculty have an opportunity to formulate an intervention program and provide services that could mitigate mental health problems and improve the well-being of students at their university.
Social work is not an easy occupation in which to participate—whether as a service user, practitioner, or service administrator. By its very nature, all actors are likely to experience uncomfortable physical sensations, difficult emotions, mental stresses, and moral challenges. While not a panacea to combat the impact of the complex issues experienced during a social work encounter, research has established that the body is not only necessary to navigate social difference and oppression, but also crucial to social workers’ wellbeing and the attainment of social justice (Cameron & McDermott, 2007; Johnson, 2015; Mensinga, 2017; Pyles, 2018). Embodiment is key to this process.
A step-by-step guide to conducting a thematic analysis within the context of learning and teaching.
Data saturation is the most commonly employed concept for estimating sample sizes in qualitative research. Over the past 20 years, scholars using both empirical research and mathematical/statistical models have made significant contributions to the question: How many qualitative interviews are enough? This body of work has advanced the evidence base for sample size estimation in qualitative inquiry during the design phase of a study, prior to data collection, but it does not provide qualitative researchers with a simple and reliable way to determine the adequacy of sample sizes during and/or after data collection. Using the principle of saturation as a foundation, we describe and validate a simple-to-apply method for assessing and reporting on saturation in the context of inductive thematic analyses. Following a review of the empirical research on data saturation and sample size estimation in qualitative research, we propose an alternative way to evaluate saturation that overcomes the shortcomings and challenges associated with existing methods identified in our review. Our approach includes three primary elements in its calculation and assessment: Base Size, Run Length, and New Information Threshold. We additionally propose a more flexible approach to reporting saturation. To validate our method, we use a bootstrapping technique on three existing thematically coded qualitative datasets generated from in-depth interviews. Results from this analysis indicate the method we propose to assess and report on saturation is feasible and congruent with findings from earlier studies.
Background
Navigating the world of qualitative thematic analysis can be challenging. This is compounded by the fact that detailed descriptions of methods are often omitted from qualitative discussions. While qualitative research methodologies are now mature, there often remains a lack of fine detail in their description both at submitted peer reviewed article level and in textbooks. As one of research’s aims is to determine the relationship between knowledge and practice through the demonstration of rigour, more detailed descriptions of methods could prove useful. Rigour in quantitative research is often determined through detailed explanation allowing replication, but the ability to replicate is often not considered appropriate in qualitative research. However, a well described qualitative methodology could demonstrate and ensure the same effect.
Methods
This article details the codebook development which contributed to thematic analysis of qualitative data. This analysis formed part of a mixed methods multiphase design research project, with both qualitative and quantitative inquiry and involving the convergence of data and analyses. This design consisted of three distinct phases: quantitative, qualitative and implementation phases.
Results and conclusions
This article is aimed at researchers and doctoral students new to thematic analysis by describing a framework to assist their processes. The detailed description of the methods used supports attempts to utilise the thematic analysis process and to determine rigour to support the establishment of credibility. This process will assist practitioners to be confident that the knowledge and claims contained within research are transferable to their practice. The approach described within this article builds on, and enhances, current accepted models.
Amidst major new initiatives in research that are beginning to address the pedagogic dimension of building capacity in social science research methods, this paper makes the first move to apply the lens of inclusive pedagogy to research methods pedagogy. The paper explores the ways in which learning social science research methods is hard and may be anxiety-provoking, which has sometimes led to a deficit discourse in which learners are positioned as ill-prepared and fearful. Learners can then be blamed for being hard to teach when an inclusive pedagogical lens would support a more asset-based discourse. Nonetheless, the authors argue that without traditional deficit-based solutions of the remedial class, special needs label or special teacher within the methods learning environment, methods teachers have developed their own responses. These pedagogic responses, elicited from the authors’ research using methods of expert interviews, focus groups and video-stimulated dialogue, address challenges associated with the learner, the learning material and the teacher’s context. The paper differentiates between practical solution-focused strategies and more holistic approaches. The authors illustrate how methods teachers reach out to diverse learners and they conclude that data and standpoints are used in inclusive teaching to make connections and to support learning.
Exposure to childhood adversity has an impact on adult mental health, increasing the risk for depression and suicide. Associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and several adult mental and behavioral health outcomes are well documented in the literature, establishing the need for prevention. The current study analyzes the relationship between an expanded ACE score that includes being spanked as a child and adult mental health outcomes by examining each ACE separately to determine the contribution of each ACE. Data were drawn from Wave II of the CDC-Kaiser ACE Study, consisting of 7465 adult members of Kaiser Permanente in southern California. Dichotomous variables corresponding to each of the 11 ACE categories were created, with ACE score ranging from 0 to 11 corresponding to the total number of ACEs experienced. Multiple logistic regression modeling was used to examine the relationship between ACEs and adult mental health outcomes adjusting for sociodemographic covariates. Results indicated a graded dose-response relationship between the expanded ACE score and the likelihood of moderate to heavy drinking, drug use, depressed affect, and suicide attempts in adulthood. In the adjusted models, being spanked as a child was significantly associated with all self-reported mental health outcomes. Over 80% of the sample reported exposure to at least one ACE, signifying the potential to capture experiences not previously considered by traditional ACE indices. The findings highlight the importance of examining both cumulative ACE scores and individual ACEs on adult health outcomes to better understand key risk and protective factors for future prevention efforts.
This paper applies a critical analysis of the impact of neo-liberal driven management reform to examine changes in Australian primary health care (PHC) services over five years. The implementation of comprehensive approaches to primary health care (PHC) in seven services: five state-managed and two non-government organisations (NGOs) was tracked from 2009 to 2014. Two questions are addressed: 1) How did the ability of Australian PHC services to implement comprehensive PHC change over the period 2009–2014? 2) To what extent is the ability of the PHC services to implement comprehensive PHC shaped by neo-liberal health sector reform processes? The study reports on detailed tracking and observations of the changes and in-depth interviews with 63 health service managers and practitioners, and regional and central health executives. The documented changes were: in the state-managed services (although not the NGOs) less comprehensive service coverage and more focus on clinical services and integration with hospitals and much less development activity including community development, advocacy, intersectoral collaboration and attention to the social determinants. These changes were found to be associated with practices typical of neo-liberal health sector reform: considerable uncertainty, more directive managerial control, budget reductions and competitive tendering and an emphasis on outputs rather than health outcomes. We conclude that a focus on clinical service provision, while highly compatible with neo-liberal reforms, will not on its own produce the shifts in population disease patterns that would be required to reduce demand for health services and promote health. Comprehensive PHC is much better suited to that task.
The trustworthiness of results is the bedrock of high quality qualitative research. Member checking, also known as participant or respondent validation, is a technique for exploring the credibility of results. Data or results are returned to participants to check for accuracy and resonance with their experiences. Member checking is often mentioned as one in a list of validation techniques. This simplistic reporting might not acknowledge the value of using the method, nor its juxtaposition with the interpretative stance of qualitative research. In this commentary, we critique how member checking has been used in published research, before describing and evaluating an innovative in-depth member checking technique, Synthesized Member Checking. The method was used in a study with patients diagnosed with melanoma. Synthesized Member Checking addresses the co-constructed nature of knowledge by providing participants with the opportunity to engage with, and add to, interview and interpreted data, several months after their semi-structured interview.
This article studied and compared the two nonprobability sampling techniques namely, Convenience Sampling and Purposive Sampling. Convenience Sampling and Purposive Sampling are Nonprobability Sampling Techniques that a researcher uses to choose a sample of subjects/units from a population. Although, Nonprobability sampling has a lot of limitations due to the subjective nature in choosing the sample and thus it is not good representative of the population, but it is useful especially when randomization is impossible like when the population is very large. It can be useful when the researcher has limited resources, time and workforce. It can also be used when the research does not aim to generate results that will be used to create generalizations pertaining to the entire population. Therefore, there is a need to use nonprobability sampling techniques. The aim of this study is to compare among the two nonrandom sampling techniques in order to know whether one technique is better or useful than the other. Different articles were reviewed to compare between Convenience Sampling and Purposive Sampling and it is concluded that the choice of the techniques (Convenience Sampling and Purposive Sampling) depends on the nature and type of the research.
Compassion fatigue (CF) is stress resulting from exposure to a traumatized individual. CF has been described as the convergence of secondary traumatic stress (STS) and cumulative burnout (BO), a state of physical and mental exhaustion caused by a depleted ability to cope with one’s everyday environment. Professionals regularly exposed to the traumatic experiences of the people they service, such as healthcare, emergency and community service workers, are particularly susceptible to developing CF. This can impact standards of patient care, relationships with colleagues, or lead to more serious mental health conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety or depression. A systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions to reduce CF in healthcare, emergency and community service workers was conducted. Thirteen relevant studies were identified, the majority of which were conducted on nurses (n = 10). Three included studies focused on community service workers (social workers, disability sector workers), while no studies targeting emergency service workers were identified. Seven studies reported a significant difference post-intervention in BO (n = 4) or STS (n = 3). This review revealed that evidence of the effectiveness of CF interventions in at-risk health and social care professions is relatively recent. Therefore, we recommend more research to determine how best to protect vulnerable workers at work to prevent not only CF, but also the health and economic consequences related to the ensuing, and more disabling, physical and mental health outcomes.
Treatments have been developed and tested to successfully reduce the symptoms and disabilities of many mental illnesses. Unfortunately, people distressed by these illnesses often do not seek out services or choose to fully engage in them. One factor that impedes care seeking and undermines the service system is mental illness stigma. In this article, we review the complex elements of stigma in order to understand its impact on participating in care. We then summarize public policy considerations in seeking to tackle stigma in order to improve treatment engagement. Stigma is a complex construct that includes public, self, and structural components. It directly affects people with mental illness, as well as their support system, provider network, and community resources. The effects of stigma are moderated by knowledge of mental illness and cultural relevance. Understanding stigma is central to reducing its negative impact on care seeking and treatment engagement. Separate strategies have evolved for counteracting the effects of public, self, and structural stigma. Programs for mental health providers may be especially fruitful for promoting care engagement. Mental health literacy, cultural competence, and family engagement campaigns also mitigate stigma's adverse impact on care seeking. Policy change is essential to overcome the structural stigma that undermines government agendas meant to promote mental health care. Implications for expanding the research program on the connection between stigma and care seeking are discussed.
© The Author(s) 2014.
The current study investigated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and vicarious trauma (VT) symptoms among mental health
professionals (MHPs) working in communities exposed to high levels of trauma related to rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip.
The study assessed direct and vicarious traumatic exposure. The study also explored the relationship between professional
supports (for example, training, supervision) and sense of professional self-efficacy with MHPs’ PTSD and VT symptoms. Results
indicate that MHPs working in the more severely affected community of Sderot reported higher objective, subjective, and professional
exposure as well as higher levels of PTSD and VT symptoms compared with MHPs working in some of the other Gaza-bordering communities.
Although PTSD and VT were found to be highly correlated, there were some distinct predictors. PTSD was predicted by professional
experience, subjective exposure, and professional self-efficacy. VT was further predicted by years of education and professional
support. The findings indicate that MHPs exposed to concurrent primary trauma and VT are at increased risk for psychological
distress and may require targeted interventions to boost their resilience. Opportunities for respite, interventions to increase
professional self-efficacy, and appropriate professional supports may buffer the effects of concurrent primary trauma and
VT exposure.
Empirical research within critical psychology is strongly associated with the use of qualitative methods. In the field of qualitative psychology a distinction can be made between experiential and critical approaches (Braun & Clarke, 2012a, Reicher, 2000), both of which involve some kind of critique of mainstream psychology. Experiential approaches aim to capture participants’ experiences and perspectives and ground research in participants’ accounts, rather than researcher’s categories, but view language as a reflection of “internal categories of understanding” (Reicher, 2000: 3), and so assume it is possible to ‘read off’ participants’ thoughts, feelings and practices from their use of language. By contrast, critical approaches challenge what experiential approaches have in common with mainstream psychology – the assumption that language is only of interest as a description of inner states. Critical approaches (usually some version of discourse analysis) understand and analyse language as something that is constitutive, rather than reflective, of our social and psychological words, as a form of social action. One of the most common qualitative methods is (some form of) thematic analysis (TA); however, there is debate about whether TA is an experiential or a critical approach, and thus an appropriate analytic method for critical psychology.
Buckley and Chiang define research methodology as “a strategy or architectural design by which the researcher maps out an approach to problem‑finding or problem‑solving.”[1] According to Crotty, research methodology is a comprehensive strategy ‘that silhouettes our choice and use of specific methods relating them to the anticipated outcomes,[2] but the choice of research methodology is based upon the type and features of the research problem.[3] According to Johnson et al. mixed method research is “a class of research where the researcher mixes or combines quantitative and qualitative research techniques, methods, approaches, theories and or language into a single study.[4] In order to have diverse opinions and views, qualitative findings need to be supplemented with quantitative results.[5] Therefore, these research methodologies are considered to be complementary to each other rather than incompatible to each other.
Objective:
Aggressive behaviour in psychosis is not uncommon. Community provision for people with psychosis has left informal caregivers to take on a greater role in their care. However, few studies have explored links between patient-initiated violence in mental health caregiving relationships and caregiver functioning. Our study investigated caregiver reports of aggressive acts committed by their relative with psychosis and their links to caregiver appraisals of the caregiving relationship and caregiver outcomes.
Method:
Caregivers of patients with a recent relapse of psychosis, recruited to a psychological therapy trial, completed the audiotaped Camberwell Family Interview at baseline. This semi-structured interview includes questions on the quality of the relationship between caregiver and patient, and patient history of violence. Seventy-two transcripts of interviews were assessed for reports of patient-initiated violence.
Results:
One-half of the caregiver sample (52.9%) reported an incident of patient-initiated violence during their interview; 62.2% of these involved violence toward themselves, and 24.3% toward property. Reports of patient violence were associated with caregiver ratings of hostility expressed toward patients, lower self-esteem, and emotion-focused coping. People caring on their own were more likely to report incidents of patient violence. Younger patients, males, and inpatients were more frequently identified as having a history of this kind of violence.
Conclusions:
Our findings suggested that caregiver reports of patient-initiated violence in psychosis are not uncommon. Mental health staff need to be aware of the risks of such violence for caregivers of people with psychosis, and consider appropriate procedures for minimizing it.
The burden of caring for family members with mental illness has been researched extensively; however, knowledge of spouse carers’ experiences is limited. In this article, we explore this from a carers’ perspective, with 28 spouse carers, using qualitative open-ended semistructured interviews and a grounded theory approach informed by the social interactionism tradition to collect and analyze the data. We present six interrelated themes around the central theme of this being “a real and genuine relationship.” The findings indicate that caring for a spouse with severe mental illness is a unique role compared with other caring roles. First and foremost, spouse carers strive for the relationship with their partner and accommodate mental illness into their lives to protect the relationship. Because of this, they often lead surreal lives marked by significant emotional pressure and isolation. This has implications for how mental health service providers work with and support spouse carers.
Progressive social work perspectives that draw on both critical theories and postmodern thought, provide highly relevant and appropriate frameworks to inform social work practice in the mental health field. Despite this, the literature overviewed indicates that the majority of social work practice conducted in mental health settings reflects an uncritical embrace of the medical model of psychiatric illness, and therefore largely neglects social work approaches which utilize critical principles. The following article explores the possibilities for applying a critical model of social work practice to the mental health field, and argues the necessity for social workers to actively engage with critical practice, even in medically dominated settings, to effectively work towards the espoused social justice ethics and mission of the social work profession.
he implementation of deinstitutional- ization in the 1960s and 1970s, and the increasing ascendance of the com- munity support system concept and the practice of psychiatric rehabilitation in the 1980s, have laid the foundation for a new 1990s vision of service delivery for people who have men- tal illness. Recovery from mental illness is the vision that will guide the mental health system in this decade. This article outlines the fundamental services and assumptions of a recov- ery-oriented mental health system. As the recovery concept becomes better understood, it could have major implications for how future mental health systems are designed. The seeds of the recovery vision were sown in the aftermath of the era of deinstitutionalization. The failures in the imple- mentation of the policy of deinstitutionalization confronted us with the fact that a person with severe mental illness wants and needs more than just symptom relief. People with severe
A new evidence base is emerging, which focuses on well-being. This makes it possible for health services to orientate around promoting well-being as well as treating illness, and so to make a reality of the long-standing rhetoric that health is more than the absence of illness. The aim of this paper is to support the re-orientation of health services around promoting well-being. Mental health services are used as an example to illustrate the new knowledge skills which will be needed by health professionals.
New forms of evidence give a triangulated understanding about the promotion of well-being in mental health services. The academic discipline of positive psychology is developing evidence-based interventions to improve well-being. This complements the results emerging from synthesising narratives about recovery from mental illness, which provide ecologically valid insights into the processes by which people experiencing mental illness can develop a purposeful and meaningful life. The implications for health professionals are explored. In relation to working with individuals, more emphasis on the person's own goals and strengths will be needed, with integration of interventions which promote well-being into routine clinical practice. In addition, a more societally-focussed role for professionals is envisaged, in which a central part of the job is to influence local and national policies and practices that impact on well-being.
If health services are to give primacy to increasing well-being, rather than to treating illness, then health workers need new approaches to working with individuals. For mental health services, this will involve the incorporation of emerging knowledge from recovery and from positive psychology into education and training for all mental health professionals, and changes to some long-established working practices.
Clearly, mental health professionals are subjected to similar organizational stressors as other workers. They also face additional emotional strain by the very nature of their professions in dealing with troubled persons often over extended periods of time. Further understanding of these problems and develop ment strategies, such as insight-oriented training, requires a greater appreciation of the interactions between home-work and the individual. This broader-based ongoing research is imperative not just to protect the health of the carers and their patients/clients but is, we believe, an ethical requirement. Best care can only be provided to others by carers who are themselves well.
Building on modified labeling theory, I examine the relationships between stigma, psychological well-being, and life satisfaction among persons with mental illness. The study uses longitudinal data from 610 individuals in self-help groups and outpatient treatment. Results from cross-sectional and lagged regression models show adverse effects of stigma on the outcomes considered. However, much of the effects of anticipated rejection are due to discriminatory experiences. The results also indicate that stigma is related to depressive-anxiety types of symptoms but not psychotic symptoms. Although the findings show that the negative effect of stigma on life satisfaction is partly mediated by self-concept, reciprocal effects models indicate that the relationship between self-concept and life satisfaction is bi-directional. The study suggests ways in which stigma processes need to be explored in greater detail.
Well-being is a complex construct that concerns optimal experience and functioning. Current research on well-being has been derived from two general perspectives: the hedonic approach, which focuses on happiness and defines well-being in terms of pleasure attainment and pain avoidance; and the eudaimonic approach, which focuses on meaning and self-realization and defines well-being in terms of the degree to which a person is fully functioning. These two views have given rise to different research foci and a body of knowledge that is in some areas divergent and in others complementary. New methodological developments concerning multilevel modeling and construct comparisons are also allowing researchers to formulate new questions for the field. This review considers research from both perspectives concerning the nature of well-being, its antecedents, and its stability across time and culture.
This paper introduces and applies an operationalization of mental health as a syndrome of symptoms of positive feelings and positive functioning in life. Dimensions and scales of subjective well-being are reviewed and conceived of as mental health symptoms. A diagnosis of the presence of mental health, described as flourishing, and the absence of mental health, characterized as languishing, is applied to data from the 1995 Midlife in the United States study of adults between the ages of 25 and 74 (n = 3,032). Findings revealed that 17.2 percent fit the criteria for flourishing, 56.6 percent were moderately mentally healthy, 12.1 percent of adults fit the criteria for languishing, and 14.1 percent fit the criteria for DSM-III-R major depressive episode (12-month), of which 9.4 percent were not languishing and 4.7 percent were also languishing. The risk of a major depressive episode was two times more likely among languishing than moderately mentally healthy adults, and nearly six times greater among languishing than flourishing adults. Multivariate analyses revealed that languishing and depression were associated with significant psychosocial impairment in terms of perceived emotional health, limitations of activities of daily living, and workdays lost or cutback. Flourishing and moderate mental health were associated with superior profiles of psychosocial functioning. The descriptive epidemiology revealed that males, older adults, more educated individuals, and married adults were more likely to be mentally healthy. Implications for the conception of mental health and the treatment and prevention of mental illness are discussed.
This paper provides a brief overview of the literature on the impact of caring on the mental health of informal caregivers in the areas of aged care, disability and mental health. Factors discussed that may impact on caregivers' mental health include the relationship between the caregiver and care recipient, the nature of the care recipient's disability and the stage of the caregiving process. Several moderators of the impact of caring on mental health are described: including socio-economic factors, social support and coping strategies. This information provides a context within which to examine the type of interventions appropriate to assist caregivers in various situations.
This article summarizes the conception and diagnosis of the mental health continuum, the findings supporting the two continua model of mental health and illness, and the benefits of flourishing to individuals and society. Completely mentally healthy adults—individuals free of a 12-month mental disorder and flourishing—reported the fewest missed days of work, the fewest half-day or greater work cutbacks, the healthiest psychosocial functioning (i.e., low helplessness, clear goals in life, high resilience, and high intimacy), the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease, the lowest number of chronic physical diseases with age, the fewest health limitations of activities of daily living, and lower health care utilization. However, the prevalence of flourishing is barely 20% in the adult population, indicating the need for a national program on mental health promotion to complement ongoing efforts to prevent and treat mental illness. Findings reveal a Black advantage in mental health as flourishing and no gender disparity in flourishing among Whites.
The aim of this study was to explore the extent to which the person-in-environment approach is part of the professional ideology
of social workers in Israel and the degree to which they actualize it in their professional practice. The study examines the
perceived importance of various goals of the social work profession and the perceived fittingness of diverse social work activities,
actual professional activities, practice levels, and perceived attainment of social work goals. Based on the responses of
400 social workers from a wide variety of social services agencies in Israel, the results indicate that ideologically, the
workers place a dual focus on the individual and society, with focus on the individual somewhat stronger. However, in practice
the social dimension is marginal and the person-in-environment approach is hardly evident.
This article provides a content analysis of articles published in Australian Social Work, the British Journal of Social Work, the International Journal of Social Welfare and International Social Work from 2007 to 2017 regarding the practice of acknowledging Indigenous participants and knowledges in articles that contain Indigenous content. This article argues that acknowledgement is an important way of recognising and showing respect for Indigenous people, as active agents in the research process. Indigenous cultural ideas, values and principles are now contributing to and informing a significant amount of research. Ways are suggested by which authors and journals can develop good practice when acknowledging Indigenous peoples respectfully within their research. This research found a need for the development of specific journal editorial policies and guidelines for authors who wish to publish content pertaining to Indigenous peoples that adequately reflects their contribution while protecting and acknowledging Indigenous knowledge, ideas and ownership of information.
Mental health carers often have relationship difficulties with the person for whom they are caring and experience high rates of interpersonal problems compared to the general population. This study piloted a manualised 12-week group ACT and Schema intervention for mental health carers’ interpersonal problems, examining acceptability and preliminary effectiveness. This study had a mixed-methods design, with assessment booklets administer red at weeks 1, 6 and 12 of the program and focus groups conducted three months post. Participants comprised 24 mental health carers across five groups. Results indicated high attendance rates and positive perceptions of the intervention. Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed significant improvements in interpersonal problems, experiential avoidance, caregiving avoidance, mindfulness and wellbeing over time. Qualitative results highlighted themes of group process, reactivity, changes in emotion, acceptance of caregiving, communication, agency and connection. In conclusion, ACT and Schema group interventions show promise for mental health carers’ interpersonal problems, however, larger controlled trials are required.
This book brings together two bodies of knowledge - wellbeing and recovery. Wellbeing and 'positive' approaches are increasingly influencing many areas of society. Recovery in mental illness has a growing empirical evidence base. For the first time, overlaps and cross-fertilisation opportunities between the two bodies of knowledge are identified. International experts present innovations taking place within the mental health system, which include wellbeing-informed new therapies, e-health approaches and peer-led recovery communities. State-of-the-art applications of wellbeing to the wider community are also described, across education, employment, parenting and city planning. This book will be of interest to anyone connected with the mental health system, especially people using and working in services, and clinical and administrators leaders, and those interested in using research from the mental health system in the wider community.
Practitioner researchers often experience difficulties in understanding and using the plethora of approaches to the ways in which practice can be theorized, and mistakenly feel they must be committed to one main approach. In this article I argue that an inclusive approach to the many different methods is crucial to social work. I develop this approach by describing, in broad terms, the major different approaches to theorizing and the methods associated with this. I begin by relating an inclusive approach to the changes in knowledge-making becoming recognized with postmodernism. I then develop an inclusive approach by examining three major areas: what theory is; how it is generated; and who it should be generated by. I end by arguing that an inclusive approach best fits the range of practice which social workers wish to research, but that it must include research of the ‘tacit’ knowledge of practitioners.
Background:
Shortened life expectancy of people with mental illness is now widely known and the focus of research and policy activity. To date, research has primarily reflected perspectives of health professionals with limited attention to the views and opinions of those most closely affected. The voice of carers is particularly minimal, despite policy stipulating carer participation is required for mental health services.
Aim:
To present views and opinions of carers regarding physical health of the people they care for.
Methods:
Qualitative exploratory. Two focus groups and one individual interview were conducted with 13 people identifying as carers of a person with mental illness. Research was conducted in the Australian Capital Territory. Data analysis was based on the thematic framework of Braun and Clarke.
Results:
Two main themes were interaction between physical and mental health; and, carers' own physical and mental health. Participants described the impact of mental illness and its treatments on physical health, including their own.
Conclusions:
Carers are acknowledged as crucial for the delivery of high quality mental health services. Therefore they have an important role to play in addressing the poor physical health of people with mental illness. Hearing their views and opinions is essential.
Attending to the social and emotional wellbeing of those from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural backgrounds is widely recognised to play a key role in effective social work practice. However, relatively little is currently known about what effective practice comprises, and significant challenges exist in any effort to demonstrate that programs do achieve significant change both for individual participants and the communities in which they live. This paper considers one program, Seasons for Healing, to illustrate the type of intervention that holds promise when working with adults and discusses the difficulties that arise in both defining and assessing program outcomes.
Caring for a family member or friend can have major impacts on the personal life and wellbeing of carers. Identifying those who experience poor subjective wellbeing, factors that contribute to this, and ways in which services can be more effectively provided is essential in supporting carers in their role. This study surveyed carers from across New South Wales and found that carers of people with mental health issues reported poorer health and mental health themselves than any other group of carers, despite being more likely to access supportive services. The effectiveness of personal coping strategies employed by mental health carers is also discussed. Survey results raise implications regarding the support of mental health carers and their subjective wellbeing.
Second Opinion introduces students to the theories, concepts, issues, and contexts of health sociology. New to this 5th edition are chapters on drug use and abuse in Australia; well-being and wellness; updated statistics; more on cyber-bullying and mental health and more content on the National Health Reform, key health policy developments, and international comparison of Australia's health care system.
AimTo explore the meaning of the term recovery to people with experience providing and receiving mental health services.Background
Internationally, governments have proposed recovery-oriented mental health policy. In practice, people managing mental health difficulties struggle to recover, self-manage, or improve their quality of life. Mental health services increasingly provide acutely focused and poorly coordinated services to people experiencing mental health difficulties, with self-management, wellness and recovery overlooked.DesignA cooperative enquiry, action research design guided the study. Participants were people with experience of mental health difficulties from consumer, carer and clinician perspectives.Method
Data were collected between August 2012–July 2013. Analysis was conducted using an iterative process for the duration of the study. A thematic network was developed that reflected key organizing themes.ResultsThe overarching theme developed from the participants' group discussions, reflections, actions and observations was recovery as an ongoing quest in life. This global theme was constructed from five organizing themes: ‘finding meaning’, ‘an invisible disability’, ‘empowerment and agency’ ‘connection’ and ‘the passage of time’.Conclusion
Participatory approaches support the inclusion of lived experience perspectives. Structured processes are needed to bring different perspectives together to find solutions, through dialogue, and acknowledge the barriers to participation that people who use mental health services experience. The lack of integration of lived experience perspectives demonstrates forms of discrimination that inhibit consumer participation and prevent the recovery-oriented transformation required in mental health systems.
Over the past two decades, mental health practice has become increasingly focused on assessing and managing the risks posed by service users. British researchers have made significant advances in studying the consequences of risk management for community-based health and welfare services, but in Australia this field remains largely undeveloped. Drawing on my experiences as a social worker in a Melbourne-based Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team from 1991 to 2008, the present paper offers a reflective analysis of the shift in practice orientation that has emerged through the growing prominence of risk as a foundation for intervention. Specifically, I argue that this shift has led to a narrowing of service provision and that “low-risk” clients are newly disadvantaged, often excluded from service.
An examination of the place of exploration in the social sciences
This contribution attempts to re-examine some of the premises upon which our thinking and acting, as they relate to issues of peace and justice, are based. The emphasis throughout is on reconnecting issues and themes which have seemingly become separate and distinct and on examining their implications for social work practice and – by implication – theory.
Seven types of evidence are reviewed that indicate that high subjective well-being (such as life satisfaction, absence of negative emotions, optimism, and positive emotions) causes better health and longevity. For example, prospective longitudinal studies of normal populations provide evidence that various types of subjective well-being such as positive affect predict health and longevity, controlling for health and socioeconomic status at baseline. Combined with experimental human and animal research, as well as naturalistic studies of changes of subjective well-being and physiological processes over time, the case that subjective well-being influences health and longevity in healthy populations is compelling. However, the claim that subjective well-being lengthens the lives of those with certain diseases such as cancer remains controversial. Positive feelings predict longevity and health beyond negative feelings. However, intensely aroused or manic positive affect may be detrimental to health. Issues such as causality, effect size, types of subjective well-being, and statistical controls are discussed.
There is growing evidence to show that mental health professionals by the nature of their work are particularly vulnerable to stress with all its detrimental effects on service delivery and quality of care. This comes at a time when mental health services in many countries are under considerable strain. The present paper examines the multifaceted stressors encountered by the mental health team and recommends possible ways of reducing burnout through innovative intervention strategies. The detection of emotional distress and psychological dysfunctioning in mental health providers is outlined and their management carefully considered.
Social determinants of health
- Australian Government
Organizational stress as a barrier to trauma-sensitive change and system transformation
- S Bloom
- Bloom S.
Bloom, S. (2017). Organizational stress as a barrier to trauma-sensitive change and system
transformation. Drexel University.