Deaf Children and Young People’s Experiences of Using Specialist Mental Health Services

Deaf children have an increased prevalence of mental health problems compared with hearing children. Generic Child And Adolescent Mental Health Services do not have the skills or expertise to meet the mental health needs of this group of children. Three teams in England provide specialist mental health services for deaf children. This research explored children’s experiences of using these services. Twenty‐four deaf children participated in the study. Overall children valued and benefited from the service. The expertise of the staff and the presence of deaf clinicians were key to these positive experiences.     

Self-Care Practices and the Professional Self

ABSTRACT

Consistently and actively engaging in self-care has been shown to improve the performance of mental health practitioners by reducing burnout, vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and other stress-related psychological problems. Not only is this important to the individual practitioner’s well-being, but ethical standards also mandate the recognition and remediation of any physical, mental, or emotional self-impairment to maintain high standards of care for clients. Professionals in small communities, like the Deaf community, however, confront unique challenges in attending to their self-care. This article investigates these challenges—as well as the rewards—experienced by Deaf and hearing counselors working in mental health care with deaf clients.     

The work–family challenge and mental health

The work–family literature is dominated by studies of white middle-class workers. In this study, we sought to expand this focus by examining work–family issues from the perspective of Mexicans who have immigrated to the USA within the past five years. Using data from qualitative in-depth interviews (N?=?22) and quantitative structured interviews (N?=?150), we documented the work–family experiences associated with immigration, and we examined the extent to which these experiences differed by gender as well as their mental health effects. The in-depth interviews clearly indicated that separation from family and community was a common and poignant strain experienced by Mexican immigrants who came to the USA to find work, and that these experiences did not differ between women and men. Quantitative analyses corroborated the qualitative findings by indicating women and men had similar levels of work–family strain. Analyses also indicated that higher levels of work–family strain were associated with more perceived stress, anxiety and depression, and that these associations did not differ between women and men. Finally, modest evidence suggested that the effects of work–family strain on mental health may be lower when the realities experienced by immigrants in finding employment and sending money home matched their expectations. This study adds a new voice to the work–family literature and the context and results make clear the tension between work and family: families frequently benefit from adults’ paid work, but this paid work is not without costs.     

Stress,Depression, and Drug Use Among Aging Mexican American Men Living in the Barrio

Residing in Mexican American barrios might place individuals at heightened risk for chronic financial and acute stress, which are associated with adverse mental health outcomes. Stressors could be exacerbated for substance users. This research explores relations between chronic financial stress, acute stress, and depressive symptomatology among aging Mexican American heroin and other drug-using men. A prospective cohort study and field-intensive outreach methodology were used to recruit 227 men for in-depth interviews. Participants were categorized into depressed and nondepressed groups based on symptomatology measured by the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Chronic financial stress (i.e., poverty) and acute stress (i.e., Life Events Questionnaire) associated with depressive symptomatology were tested using logistic regression. Findings suggest scores of depressive symptoms among substance users are highly related to chronic financial stress. Community-level interventions targeting chronic stressors present in the barrio could be especially salient in improving the mental health of Latino drug users.     

Deaf Families’ Unique Experiences and Obstacles

ABSTRACT

This article focuses on deaf children of deaf parents who grew up using American Sign Language (ASL) in deaf culture. Deaf children of deaf parents described their unique experiences of struggling with obstacles, including quality of education, low expectations from professionals, unwanted sympathy, mental health therapists’ lack of cultural competency, and not being asked for valuable perspectives or advice. The advice from deaf children of deaf parents is included in the article. By bringing greater attention to this population, mental health, school, and other professionals can increase their awareness of deaf families’ unique needs in their work environment.     

关于内蒙古地区高职生心理健康状况的调查研究

为了进一步了解高职生的心理健康、焦虑以及抑郁情况,本研究采用了大学生心理健康调查问卷(UPI)、焦虑自评量表(SAS)、抑郁自评量表(SDS)对内蒙古电子信息职业技术学院的部分在校生进行了测查,结果表明高职男生与女生在心理健康水平、焦虑程度、抑郁程度方面均存在显著差异,女生存在的问题多于男生;独生子女与非独生子女在心理健康水平、焦虑程度方面存在显著差异,独生子女的问题多于非独生子女。     

Art as therapy: an effective way of promoting positive mental health?

The aim of this study is to evaluate the contribution that creative arts can play in promoting positive mental health and well-being. The research is based on a case study of an innovative art therapy programme delivered by a community-based mental health organisation in Northern Ireland, as part of a supported recovery programme. The study reported here explored the experiences and perceptions of the service users through in-depth interviews and focus groups. The art as therapy course was credited with improvements in self-esteem and self-confidence. It provided a safe space for reflection on mental health issues. Participants described the programme as cathartic and a springboard for engagement in a wide range of further projects. It is concluded that this type of project which addresses mental health issues in a supportive, positive, non-clinical environment can encourage and facilitate empowerment and recovery through accessible creative programmes. However, to date these programmes are time-limited, small-scale and marginal to the approach adopted by statutory service providers.     

Consensus or contention: an exploration of multidisciplinary team functioning in an Irish mental health context

Multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) are conventionally recommended in mental health care literature as an important way to offer holistic treatment provision to patients. This study aims to explore multidisciplinary teamwork in contemporary mental health settings, particularly what aids and hinders the process of multidisciplinary teamworking, and the social work contribution in such teams. In order to attain an in-depth exploration of these phenomena, a single case study design was employed. Within this design, data were generated through semi-structured interviews and structured observation of a mental health MDT in Ireland. These data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The research highlights how the concept of mental illness is contested within this MDT, with the medical model dominant within an environment of fluid working arrangements. Professional role blurring and stereotyping were found to impact the division of labour on this team, with role negotiation found to be an integral part of retaining a professional's practice identity. This research raises concerns for social work's capacity to function within mental health MDTs in Ireland, and highlights ways in which social work educators might respond in order to empower Irish social workers to meet the challenges of mental health multidisciplinary teamworking.     

From past trauma to post-traumatic growth: The role of self in participants with serious mental illnesses

Studies have shown that people with serious mental illness are more likely to have experienced trauma compared to the general population. This qualitative study employed a grounded theory approach to explore how trauma histories influenced the process of triggering, developing, and recovering from serious mental illness. Findings based on in-depth interviews with 15 participants illustrated the intersection of trauma, serious mental illness, and post-traumatic growth. Experiencing trauma compromised participants’ self-functioning, causing issues such as affect dysregulation, distorted self- and other- concepts and relationship difficulties, meaninglessness, and existential fears, all of which negatively impacted participants’ mental health and behavior. At the same time, participants with serious mental illness were able to achieve post-traumatic growth with the “transformed-self” via self-acceptance, self-exploration, self-worth, and self-fulfillment. Findings of this study have useful implications for trauma-informed care in mental health treatment. Mental health professionals should address clients’ trauma histories to prevent re-traumatization and design trauma-informed programs that use and build clients’ inner resources and strengths to promote post-traumatic growth.     

A Preliminary Understanding of Search Words used by Children,Teenagers and Young Adults in Seeking Information about Depression and Anxiety Online

Abstract

There is a dearth of research related to mental health search word literacy for under 25's. The knowledge of a young person's mental health information search practices is piecemeal, derived from general search literacy studies. A young person’s access to mental health information online is highly due to the level of stigma and poor mental health literacy surrounding depression and anxiety. This study explored what search words young people aged 5–26 (N?=?630) used to identify information and/or help for depression and anxiety. The research hypothesis was supported that those under age 13 would have a more limited use of “disorder” phrases (compared to “thoughts/feeling” phrases) in their search for mental health information related to their symptoms. All age and gender groups were as likely to use thoughts/feelings terms, however, those over 13?years were almost three times more likely to combine their thoughts/feelings terms with disorder terms, compared to those less than 13?years. Results give indication that search engine optimization by expert mental health sources should take into account feeling-based vocabulary used by specific age and gender groups, in order to guide these young people to authoritative mental health information.     

“We're the Normal Ones Here”: Community Involvement,Peer Support,and Transgender Mental Health

This article uses ethnographic methods to explore how peer support and community involvement influence the mental health and well-being of transgender (or, trans) people in the southeastern United States. The study builds on existing research that suggests that trans community involvement and peer support among trans people enhance mental health experiences and moderate the effects of stigma and discrimination on health outcomes. Through qualitative analysis of 158 hours of participant observation and 33 in-depth interviews with members of a trans community organization in the U.S. Southeast, this paper identifies three key processes through which peer support and community involvement enhance the mental health and well-being of trans people: (1) the normalization of trans identities and experiences; (2) the creation of a social support network; and (3) the empowerment of trans people.     

Collaboration Between Community Mental Health and Juvenile Justice Systems: Barriers and Facilitators

Recent studies have confirmed a high prevalence of youth with diagnosable mental health disorders within the juvenile justice system, as well as the vulnerability of youth in the mental health system who enter the juvenile justice system. This high prevalence of dual system involvement has spawned challenges of collaboration between the mental health and juvenile justice systems to provide needed services to youth and their families. Seventy-two in-depth interviews were conducted with 18 youth and their parents/guardians, mental health professionals from five different community mental health centers, and juvenile justice professionals in urban and rural communities in a Midwest state in the United States. Professionals, youth and parents identified several important factors that facilitated collaboration, as well as a myriad of barriers that needed to be overcome. Findings suggest ways to improve partnerships between the two systems and the development of supportive policies and procedures.     

Are we doing enough? Stigma,discrimination and human rights violations of people living with schizophrenia in India: Implications for social work practice

ABSTRACT

In India, the human rights of people living with mental illness (PLMI) are poorly articulated and hence less researched. Using in-depth and focus group interviews, this study explores multiple perspectives on stigma, discrimination, and human rights violations of people living with schizophrenia (PLS) within their web of relationships in the city of Mumbai, India. Thematic analysis shows that abusive experiences at home, stigma associated with mental health services and barriers to meaningful employment contribute to human rights violations. Implications for strengthening the role of mental health professionals including social workers to promote, protect and actualize the rights of PLS are stressed.     

Agency among young people in marginalised positions: towards a better understanding of mental health problems

ABSTRACT

Agency in marginalised youth has been studied from various perspectives, yet the challenges that mental health problems pose for their agency remain poorly understood. Drawing on data from a study on youth transitions fractured by mental health problems, this study sheds light on this important issue. The data consists of 49 life story interviews with young adults. Using Ruth Lister’s four-dimensional taxonomy of agency, the analysis shows how everyday struggles with mental distress are entangled with the practices of the social security system, medical care, education, labour markets, and work life. It also reveals how emerging attempts at strategic agency can fail or flourish depending on the response of the social and structural context. If strategic agency is restricted by institutional practices, it will soon return to day-to-day struggling or become everyday resistance and cynicism towards the system. However, if the strategic agency is supported by institutional practices, a genuine path out of distress emerges. The paper suggests that taking seriously the experiences of mental distress and situating them in a specific socio-political context is essential for understanding youth agency today.     

College students coping with interpersonal stress: Examining a control-based model of coping

Objective: The ways that college students cope with stress, particularly interpersonal stress, may be a critical factor in determining which students are at risk for impairing mental health disorders. Using a control-based model of coping, the present study examined associations between interpersonal stress, coping strategies, and symptoms. Participants: A total of 135 undergraduate students from 2 universities. Methods: Interpersonal stress, coping strategies, depression, anxiety, and somatization were assessed via self-report. Results: Students reporting more interpersonal stress reported more depression, anxiety, and somatization, and they reported less use of engagement coping strategies and greater use of disengagement coping strategies. Engagement coping strategies accounted for a significant portion of the association between interpersonal stress and mental health symptoms. Unexpectedly, coping strategies did not moderate the association between stress and mental health symptoms. Conclusion: Interventions designed to improve students' coping strategies may be an effective way to reduce mental health problems on college campuses.     

The Need for Web-Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy Among University Students

ABSTRACT

This study investigates students' need for a web-based cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) intervention program for preventing depression, the mental health status of those who felt a need for such a program, and underlying factors of the intention to use web-based self-help. A conceptual model for explaining intention to use web-based self-help is proposed. Nearly half of the participants reported a need for help with psychological problems, but only a third of these actually sought help from traditional mental health services. In conclusion, there is a need for web-based self-help, and web-based CBT has the potential to attract a group of students who, so far, have not been reached by traditional mental health services.     

Gender and the Mental–Physical Health Connection Among U.S. Adults

Using data from the 1995, 1998, and 2001 panels of Aging, Status, and Sense of Control (ASOC) Survey, we examine gender differences in the relationship between self‐rated physical health and mental health over time (n = 2,543). Gender‐stratified path models highlight how the nature of the mental–physical health relationship changes when we use indicators of mental health that have traditionally been labeled as female sensitive (depression) or male sensitive (heavy drinking). Results show that women and men are similar in that mental health has a stronger effect on physical health than the reverse. However, this is only the case when we use gender‐sensitive measures of mental distress: Men who drink heavily and women who are depressed report poorer self‐rated physical health over time, while heavy drinking for women and depression for men have no significant effects on their self‐rated physical well‐being. These results provide evidence of a health process that is gendered in its expression but more universal in its outcome—the exact measure might vary, but men and women alike are physically harmed by mental health problems.     

Can Family Relationships Explain the Race Paradox in Mental Health?

Biomedical research consistently finds that Blacks have worse physical health than Whites, an expected pattern given Blacks' greater exposure to psychosocial stress, poverty, and discrimination. Yet there is surprising lack of consensus regarding race differences in mental health, with most scholars finding similar or better mental health outcomes among Blacks than Whites. Past research often attributes this “race paradox in mental health” to the notion that Blacks have stronger family networks than Whites, yet few studies have explicitly tested whether stronger family relationships among Blacks (if they exist) can account for these findings. Using data from the 2003–2005 National Survey of American Life (N = 4,259) revealed that minimal race differences in family relationships fail to explain the race paradox in mental health. The results have implications for mental health measurement, the provision of culturally appropriate mental health care, and how scholars understand the nature of family relationships among Black Americans.     

Longitudinal Change in Adolescent Depression and Anxiety Symptoms from before to during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aimed to examine changes in depression and anxiety symptoms from before to during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in a sample of 1,339 adolescents (9–18 years old, 59% female) from three countries. We also examined if age, race/ethnicity, disease burden, or strictness of government restrictions moderated change in symptoms. Data from 12 longitudinal studies (10 U.S., 1 Netherlands, 1 Peru) were combined. Linear mixed effect models showed that depression, but not anxiety, symptoms increased significantly (median increase = 28%). The most negative mental health impacts were reported by multiracial adolescents and those under ‘lockdown’ restrictions. Policy makers need to consider these impacts by investing in ways to support adolescents’ mental health during the pandemic.     

The intersection of extreme poverty and familial mental health in the United States

Approximately 22% of children in the United States live in poverty, with high rates of caregiver depression and child disruptive behavior disorders (DBD). The current study aims to explore the relationships between living in extreme poverty and both child and parent mental health. Data are comprised of findings from the first effectiveness study of the 4Rs and 2Ss intervention, in addition to preliminary data from an implementation study currently underway (n = 484). Families with an annual income of less than $9,999 reported significantly greater child DBD scores and prevalence of clinically significant levels of caregiver depressive symptoms compared to income levels over $10,000. Findings support the recommendation for parental mental health to be attended to within the context of child mental health services.