Rural and Urban Differences Among Mental Health Consumers in One Midwestern State

Abstract

This study examines differences in rural and urban mental health service utilization and service satisfaction. A cross-sectional survey design was used to gather information from a sample of 311 mental health consumers regarding their use of services relative to accessibility, availability, affordability, and acceptability. Data were collected from respondents individually or in small groups in various locations in one Midwestern state. Study findings showed that rural consumers are aware of fewer services, use fewer services, and are less satisfied with services than are urban consumers. Implications for rural mental health policy, practice, and future research are discussed.     

Implementation of a Mental Health Task Force in a collegiate-based emergency medical services organization

Abstract

Objective: A Mental Health Task Force (MHTF) was implemented in 2016 by a collegiate-based emergency medical services (CBEMS) organization to (1) improve mental health emergency response and to (2) address concerns for the mental health of CBEMS providers. Participants: Skidmore College EMS is a Basic Life Support First Response service staffed by volunteer undergraduate students. Methods: In coordination with faculty and staff, students in the MHTF developed trainings, peer support structures, community events, policies, and informational resources. Results: Sixteen students joined the MHTF within 1 year. Over 35 Skidmore College EMS members received training on mental health emergency response, peer-support, and self-care. Debriefing programs, mindfulness-based events, shift-length limitations, and access to informational resources promoted the mental health of Skidmore College EMS members. Conclusions: Implementing an MHTF is an innovative, student-led approach to coupling education on emergency response with programming that supports the mental health of CBEMS providers.     

A Critical Review of Family Caregiving of Mental Health Consumers in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT

This paper is a critical review on the family caregiving of mental health consumers in Hong Kong. The writer has a brief review on related studies of family caregiving of mental health consumers. In comparing with those in the U.K. and the U.S.A., family caregivers of mental health consumers in Hong Kong are lonely, stigmatized and unsupported by mental health services and members in the community.     

Neighborhood Experiences and Community Integration

Abstract

This exploratory study examines the social interactional aspect of community integration among persons with psychiatric disabilities. Six focus groups were conducted with 18 mental health consumers in three publicly sponsored community residential programs and 11 staff members providing services to these consumers. Mental health consumers reported both positive and negative experiences in their interactions with community residents. Despite perceived differences between persons with psychiatric disabilities and their neighbors, consumers considered reciprocity and mutual accommodation to be critical for building social relationships in their communities. Mental health providers suggested that social integration can be facilitated by developing independent living and social skills, by overcoming self-stigma and institutional and homeless mindsets, and by having a supportive community of consumers.     

Factors Affecting Subjective Weil-Being for Rural Elderly Individuals

Abstract

A cross-sectional survey design was used to examine the relationships between spirituality, religiousness, social support, and the subjective well-being in a sample of 215 elderly individuals in the rural counties of West Virginia and North Carolina. The Brief Multidimensional Measures of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS) was used to measure various domains of religiousness/spirituality, including daily spiritual experiences, values/beliefs, forgiveness, private religious practice, religious/spiritual coping, and religious support. Multivariate analyses found social support was positively related to life satisfaction and spirituality/religiousness was inversely related to depression. These findings provide health/mental health care providers and social workers with information that can increase their awareness of and sensitivity to services or programs that are congruent with religious/spiritual values and beliefs in order to enhance quality of life among rural elderly individuals.     

Use of Various Health Care Services by Students in Helsinki

Abstract

Review of the working of various health care schemes has revealed predominant use by a certain group of “large-scale consumers.” The concomitant use of various services (health, dental, and mental health care) was studied within the Helsinki Health Center of the Finnish Student Health Service from January 1, 1980 to August 31, 1980. The group consisted of 16,174 students. The characteristics of the groups of patients who used only the mental health care service and of those who used all three services were also studied. Within each sector, there were fewer patients than expected who did not use the services of other sectors. The number of patients visiting dental and health care services, mental health and health care services, and all three services were greater than expected. The groups of patients who used only the mental health care service and those who used all three services were surprisingly similar. The greatest difference between the groups probably lay in their need for somatic and dental care. The organization, which incorporates mental health, dental, and health care services in the same building offers improved possibilities for care of the patient as a whole. On the basis of this study, there is no reason to think that such an organization leads to misuse of the various services.     

Health,wellness, and workplace experiences of lesbian,gay, and bisexual social workers

Abstract

Using data from an online survey of 6,112 licensed social workers in 13?U.S. states, rates of reported behavioral health problems and service utilization, physical health problems, adverse childhood experiences, workplace stress, and compassion satisfaction were compared between heterosexual male, heterosexual female, gay/bisexual male, and lesbian/bisexual female respondents. Sexual minority workers reported far higher rates of mental health problems and service utilization, higher rates of physical problems, more frequent reporting of adverse childhood experiences, with no differences found between groups regarding workplace stress and compassion satisfaction. Minority stress theory and historical trauma are used as frameworks to conceptualize the findings.     

Do student service members/veterans experience worse mental health stigma than their peers? A comparative study in a national sample

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Examine differences in mental health treatment-related stigma in student service members and veterans (SSM/Vs) and peers from 57 post-secondary institutions across the United States. Methods: In total, 909 SSM/Vs and 1818 demographically- and institutionally-matched non-SSM/Vs completed assessments of stigma-related barriers to mental health service utilization as part of the Healthy Minds Study between 2011 and 2015. Results: When compared to non-SSM/V peers, SSM/Vs reported more mental health treatment-related stigma toward help-seekers and less confidence in the helpfulness of therapy/counseling and psychotropic medications. However, effect sizes were small in magnitude (ds = .10 to .16), and depressed students in both groups reported greater stigma. Conclusions: SSM/Vs experience greater treatment-related stigma than non-SSM/V peers, which may deter service use in many cases. However, differences in stigma were small and other under-studied barriers to help-seeking may apply to the substantive subset of SSM/Vs and non-SSM/Vs who may benefit from utilizing available services.     

Mental Health Consumer and Carer Participation in Professional Education: ‘Getting There Together’ for Children of Parents with Mental Illness and Their Families

Abstract

‘Getting There Together’ is a professional education seminar developed as a collaborative project by professionals, mental health consumers and carers aimed at service providers who work with children of parents with mental illness and their families. The need for such professional education concerning this group is well recognised and the project reported herein was initiated by a reference group of professionals, consumers and carers focusing on children of parents with mental illness in the Eastern region of Melbourne (Victoria, Australia). The project began and continued as a collaborative effort during development and implementation, which ensured the experience, point of view and voice of consumers and carers was central to the material prepared, and at the time of seminar presentations. Seminar participants were from the family welfare, child care and supported housing sectors. Seminar participants found the first person accounts of consumers and carers the most helpful aspects of the seminars because they gave new insights into the experiences of carers and of mental health consumers as parents, as well as an understanding of ‘… the whole family, and how the child fits into the picture’.     

Organizational culture,climate and person-environment fit: Relationships with employment outcomes for mental health consumers

Although the effects of organizational culture, climate and person-environment fit have been widely studied in the general population, little research exists in this area regarding consumers of mental health services. This research focuses on organizational culture, climate and person-environment fit and their relationship to employment outcomes for mental health consumers. It also examines specific components of organizational culture which are both desired and perceived by mental health consumers. Thirty-six (N=36) consumers were recruited into one of two groups: individuals who were employed at the time of the study and those who had recently left their jobs. Instruments used were the Workplace Climate Questionnaire (WCQ) and the Organizational Culture Profile (OCP). Significant differences were found between groups along the dimensions of organizational culture/climate and person-environment fit. Although few differences were found between groups with regards to desired workplace characteristics, many differences in perceived characteristics were found. The findings point to the importance of assessing the organizational culture/climate and its congruence with individuals' value systems as part of the work integration process.     

Predicting job satisfaction of mental health peer support workers (PSWs)

ABSTRACT

The Mental Health Recovery Model is an empowering service philosophy which has been transforming the field of mental health. An important service approach to actualizing this model is hiring peer support workers (PSWs) who are peers advanced in recovery and employed to assist other peers in their recovery process. This study reports on factors hypothesized to affect PSW job satisfaction. Using multiple regression analyses, organizational culture and relationship with peers predicted 29% of job satisfaction. Based on these findings, suggestions are offered to assist social work administrators in effectively integrating and supporting PSWs in the workplace.     

Understanding paid peer support in mental health

This study aimed to explore, articulate and expand on existing concepts of recovery and paid peer support within consumer-operated mental health organizations. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 32 participants to identify elements of paid peer support work in two organizations in Queensland, Australia. Participants included peer-supported consumers, paid peer support workers, managers and other key stakeholders. Through a grounded theory analysis, eight categories of paid peer support were identified. For the most part, the categories aligned well with evidence in the literature. However, two of these categories, issues of power and the ‘dark side’ of peer support, have been relatively unexplored and understated in previous studies. These findings provide an expanded understanding of the role of paid peer support as part of the recovery process in mental health service delivery. The effective use of paid peer support workers can be enhanced through attention to the issues identified.     

Social work in mental health services: A survey of the field

Abstract

A survey of social workers employed in mental health services was conducted in Victoria in mid-1997. Approximately 300 social workers were identified as working in the sector. About half were employed in adult clinical services, 23% in psychiatric disability services, 12.4% in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, and the rest in a range of other services. More than 90% worked in a community based service or team. The number of entry-level (SW I) positions in clinical services was found to have declined over the last ten years from 61 to 14, resulting in a lack of opportunities for social workers to gain experience in base grade positions, and difficulty in recruiting to SW II positions. Major issues of concern reported by social workers included: the lack of accommodation and other community resources for consumers; diminished opportunities for professional development, supervision, and discipline-specific training; lack of professional recognition; increasing workloads; and organisational emphasis on throughput rather than quality.     

Asian Americans and Mental Health Services

Abstract

Research in the 1970s and 1980s revealed that Asian Americans, compared with other ethnic groups, tended to under-utilize mental health services. This article is aimed at adding new information to the literature by examining data from the 1990s. The raw data comprised 97,212 total admissions representing 45,774 total individuals utilizing mental health services during a four-year period in San Diego County, California. By comparing our findings with previous research cases on utilization patterns of mental health services, new evidence is found about Asian Americans in terms of their (1) underrepresentation in mental health services, (2) presentation of more severe symptoms than those of other racial/ethnic groups when first seen at clinics, (3) lower dropout rates and higher average lengths of stay than other racial/ethnic groups, and (4) higher percentages of using day treatment and outpatient programs but lower percentage of using inpatient programs.     

The Role of a Psychiatric Pharmacist in College Health

Abstract

Published evidence indicates there is a growing prevalence of psychiatric illnesses on college campuses, and that approximately one quarter of students may be taking psychotropic medications. But attracting and retaining experienced mental health care professionals to college health settings is a challenging task. The psychiatric pharmacist is one professional resource that can serve as both a clinical and educational consultant for college mental health services. A pilot psychiatric pharmacist service project is described.     

A Survey of Campus Peer Counseling Activities

Abstract

The directors of counseling services at 200 colleges and universities were contacted by mail and asked to complete a survey regarding peer counseling activities on their campuses. One hundred fifty-six responses to this questionnaire were received; one hundred twenty-two indicated ongoing peer counseling activities in a wide variety of settings at their respective campuses. The most common client concerns confronted by peer counselors involved academic difficulties and relationships with friends and lovers. The survey identified a variety of peer counseling training programs, from one-weekend, intensive encounter-type experiences to full-year credit courses in counseling and therapy. Also examined were the funding resources available for peer counseling centers, which often proved quite marginal, and the amount of interaction between student counselors and professional mental health service staff members. Although the authors have been able to uncover a great many peer counseling programs on college campuses, there is a dearth of systematic research evaluating the effectiveness of the services provided by these centers or the appropriateness of various peer counselor training programs. Such work should be encouraged.     

Acceptance of Online Health Services for Self-Help in the Context of Mental Health: Understanding Young Adults’ Experiences

ABSTRACT

This article explores the understanding of the acceptance of online health services from a self-help perspective in the context of mental health. By examining the experiences of young adults, this article develops a framework to leverage the current understanding of the factors that would support the acceptance and use of these types of services. To this end, a multidisciplinary perspective incorporating knowledge from the service marketing, health, and information systems literature is used. The results suggest that the production of online services that are meant for self-help purposes necessitates a focus on the acceptance of technology and, more importantly, instrumental value creation, as the purpose of using these types of services should be better understood and supported by technological solutions. This study also identifies several technological features supporting both the acceptance of technology and users’ ability to achieve well-being. Furthermore, when developing services for health self-help purposes, the issue of branding to increase acceptance should be assessed. From a user perspective, there appears to be a difference regarding whether the services are positioned as health services or as wellness services.     

Mental Health Among College Students: Do Those Who Need Services Know About and Use Them?

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine connections between university students' mental health and their knowledge and use of campus mental health services. Participants and Methods: In March 2001, a sample of undergraduate students (N = 266) completed a Web-based questionnaire, providing information related to their mental health, knowledge of mental health services, and use of those services. Results: Students who were mentally distressed were more likely to know about and use services; however, some students who reported to be mentally distressed either did not know about services or knew about services but did not use them. Living off campus, identifying as male, and having fewer years in college were related to less knowledge of campus mental health services. In addition, female sex and number of years in college were predictive of higher service use. Conclusions: With the high prevalence rates and severity of mental health problems, university mental health providers must continue to make strategic efforts to disseminate knowledge about mental health services to all students.