Discharge procedures for mentally ill people: The perspective of former psychiatric patients on their primary social network, quality of life and future life expectations

This article on literature about social networks and social support in order to integrate a number of key concepts and findings that must be considered in research about the social conditions of mentally ill people. Interviews with 53 former psychiatric patients were carried out to get their perspective on their social network, quality of life and future life expectations. The duration of and stigma attached to mental illness, being without work and gender seemed to have the most influence on the primary network. The same issues, except for gender, together with place of residence, financial difficulties and inability to exert influence over one's own situation influenced the respondents' quality of life and their expectations of the future. These findings are analysed and discussed from a social psychological perspective.     

贫困大学生社会适应性研究——以温州各高校为例

在高校中,贫困大学生是一个特殊的群体,他们在社会适应方面存在问题,诸如自卑心理严重、自尊心极强;因经济贫困引发"精神贫困"或"心理贫困";心理承受能力偏差;知识面窄、综合素质较低;就业观念陈旧等。要提高贫困大学生的社会适应性,就要提高贫困大学生的心理弹性,着力推动其心理朝着健康方向发展;改善贫困大学生的经济状况,解决其学习工作的后顾之忧;提高贫困大学生的综合素质,引导其树立合理的就业观。     

全球化视野中的朱子学

当前,朱子学的研究已是一种超越国界、超越历史的学术活动,朱子学研究的全球化早已成为一个既成事实。朱子学是行动的哲学,实践的哲学。早在700年前,朱子思想积极参与了东亚思想一体化进程,此时的朱子已经是世界化的朱子。立足于当代与未来,全球化需要什么样的朱子学？朱子学的精神怎样参与人类精神的建构？我们认为,在全球化的背景下,朱子关于“全体大用”、“理一分殊”、书院教育、身心修炼、家礼、关爱弱势群体、文化谱系的承传等理念仍具有积极的现代意义。只有把朱子学真正落实为一种全球共同遵循的生活方式,这才是真正意义上的朱子学的全球化。     

Empowering Alliances in Pursuit of Social Justice: Social Workers Supporting Psychiatric-Survivor Movements

This article reviews historical and current examples of harmful and forced treatments as well as scientific discrimination that have been applied to people diagnosed with mental illness. It discusses anti-psychiatric social action in North America from 1970 to the present. A review of social work's foundations in social justice, empowerment, and person-in-the-environment perspectives highlights the congruencies and communal benefits for both the social work profession and psychiatric-survivor movements. Through this discussion, it is apparent that the professed values of the social work profession are actually more compatible with psychiatric-survivor movements than with any allegiances to the biomedical model of psychiatry.     

Reclaiming Self

In this article I use performance poetry pieces to reflect upon my experiences of living with a disability as a person of color, a woman, and an immigrant. It is my firm contention that, although listening to the stories of the clients we meet on our journeys is integral to creating individual and structural changes and raising awareness of mental health issues, as social workers it is just as important to share our own personal and collective stories of mental health, stigma, and recovery. As helpers and change makers, it is unlikely that we can influence mental health policy purely from behind the wall of positivism. Stories of clients as well as stories of our lived experiences are critical to challenging the strong divide that characterizes the social work academy: the us/them, service provider/service user, and the expert/client. Furthermore, my hope is that this article will add to the literature concerning the traumas experienced by immigrant women in their private domains.     

African American Stepfather–Stepchild Relationships,Marital Quality,and Mental Health

ABSTRACT

This study examined associations between stepfather–stepchild relationship quality, stepfathers’ depressive symptoms, and two aspects of marriage: marital quality and positive marital interactions. Marital quality was assessed in terms of commitment, trust, passionate and friendship-based love, and happiness. Marital interactions were assessed in terms of intimacy, shared activities, and verbal communication. Using data collected from 149 recently married African American stepfathers, structural equation modeling revealed that when stepfathers reported more positive relationships with their stepchildren, they also reported more positive marital quality and a higher frequency of positive marital interactions (relationship-solidifying activities), and that, in turn, was associated with stepfathers experiencing fewer depressive symptoms.     

Understanding Parental Grief as a Response to Mental Illness: Implications for Practice

ABSTRACT

Parents who are raising children with mental illness struggle with feelings of grief and loss. Kubler-Ross' (1969 Kubler-Ross , E. ( 1969 ). On death and dying . New York : Scribner . [Google Scholar]) stages of grieving (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) are examined as experienced by parents raising children with chronic mental illness. Practice implications for social workers who are working with children and their parents are discussed. Acknowledging and understanding parental grief, while providing emotional support, leads to a more effective working partnership. This collaboration of parents and social worker can result in more effective treatment for the child with mental illness. Examples from one of the co-author's personal experiences are included.     

Wraparound Services: An Effective Intervention for Families Impacted by Severe Mental Illness

ABSTRACT

Children and families impacted by severe mental illness (SMI) have multiple strains that effect family functioning, child safety, and parental rights. Traditional services for children and families struggling with severe mental illness have not achieved success in improving family functioning and keeping families intact. Wraparound is a philosophy and a system of care with a promising evidence base that could enhance collaboration of child welfare, mental health, and community services to work more effectively with families impacted by SMI.     

Supporting Vulnerable Families Through School-Based Mental Health Services: Results of Caregiver and Teacher Focus Groups

Family perspectives facilitate participation and positive outcomes in child mental health treatment. In schools, families and teachers must cooperate to best meet children's mental health needs, also making teacher perspectives important. In this study, caregivers and teachers participated in focus groups following the pilot year of a school-based mental health (SBMH) project. Participants noted successes and challenges of the project and suggested improvements. Although this study focuses on the SBMH project, many of the study implications are applicable to other school mental health programs and may be of value to school and community practitioners.     

Correlates of Sexual Abuse in a Sample of Adolescent Girls Admitted to Psychiatric Inpatient Care

We examined correlations of child sexual abuse among 300 adolescent girls in psychiatric inpatient treatment. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.)-based psychiatric diagnoses were obtained from the Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children—Present and Lifetime and from data on family and behavioral characteristics from the European Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI). A total of 79 girls (26.3%) had experienced child sexual abuse during their lifetime. Child sexual abuse was associated with an adolescent’s home environment, sibling status, smoking, posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis, self-mutilating behavior, and suicidal behavior. At least 62% of the perpetrators were acquaintances of the victims. Correlates of child sexual abuse can be used to identify child sexual abuse victims and persons at heightened risk for child sexual abuse.