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Purpose: To illuminate long-term experiences of mental illness from both research and autobiographical accounts. Design: A literature review of English-language papers, 1950-2014, relating to the experience of long-term mental illness indexed in AgeInfo, AMED, ASSIA, British Nursing Index (BNI), CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycEXTRA, and PsychINFO. Findings: Twenty-five research papers and nine autobiographic accounts met the review criteria. Thematic analysis revealed nine themes: fear, explanation seeking, stigma, disability, coping strategies, control, support, change and learning, and life history. Specific gaps of note relate to age differences, acknowledgement of longevity of mental illnesses, and different cultural perspectives. Research Implications: There is an absence of longitudinal studies focused on experiences of long-term mental illness. The considerable length-of-time implicated in the experiences suggests that more individual life experience rather than illness focused studies are needed, enabling a holistic understanding. This includes studies from cultures other than the Western world. Greater transparency is needed in justifying age inclusions or passive exclusion of older peoples' perspectives. Practical Implications: Knowledge of long-term mental illness experiences is of great importance to mental health practitioners. Evidence-based services cannot be provided if we do not have an holistic understanding of long-term mental illness. Social Implications: This review questions our ability to provide effective support for those experiencing long-term mental illness, in particular older people and different cultural perspectives. Originality/Value: There appear to be no literature reviews that focus on the individual experience of long-term mental illness. It highlights the surprisingly small number of research studies available to inform mental health practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stigmatised attitudes are known to be associated with negative outcomes in schizophrenia, yet there is little focus on the role of stigma in the recovery process. Attempts to develop interventions to reduce self-stigma in schizophrenia have not been found effective. This paper presents a theoretical integration based on a narrative review of the literature. PsycINFO, Medline and Embase databases were searched up to the 11th December 2023. Studies were included if they were: i) empirical studies using qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods studies investigating mental health stigma; ii) included participants based in the United Kingdom, fluent in English, between the ages of 16 and 70, meeting criteria for a schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis. Fourteen studies were included. In Part 1, we propose a novel theoretical model derived from a synthesis of service-user perspectives on the relationship between stigma and schizophrenia. Stigmatised attitudes were commonly perceived to be caused by a lack of education and further exacerbated by disinformation primarily through the media and cultural communities. Stigma led to negative self-perceptions, negative emotional responses, social isolation and increased symptom severity, ultimately acting as a barrier to recovery. In Part 2, we identify several factors that ameliorate the impact of stigma and promote clinical and subjective recovery among service-users: education, empowerment, self-efficacy, self-acceptance, hope and social support. We argue that the notion of stigma resistance may be helpful in developing new interventions aimed at promoting recovery in individuals with schizophrenia. Wider implications are discussed and recommendations for future research and practice are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the psychosocial impact of being diagnosed with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The paper clarifies some of the key misconceptions about the virus, especially the impact HCV has on people who have been recently diagnosed. An individual's reaction to the HCV diagnosis and the subsequent lifestyle challenges to maintain health, well-being, family, and social networks are discussed, particularly the issues surrounding mental health in respect to a recent chronic illness diagnosis and how to manage the trajectory of the illness in the community and individually. HCV disclosure and its effect on intimacy are also detailed. For people living with both a diagnosed mental illness and HCV, managing the illness can be complicated. Not only are these individuals concerned about their mental illness, its treatment, and the social stigma and discrimination associated with it, they also may be alarmed over their future physical health. The paper is preliminary to research using the psychotherapeutic approach of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in groups of persons with a dual diagnosis of mental illness and HCV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this qualitative study was to describe nursing students' experiences of hearing distressing voices through content analysis of essays regarding changes they encountered during simulation. Data, obtained from undergraduate (n = 237) and graduate (n = 128) students' short self-reflection papers, were analysed using a six-step thematic analysis. The following six themes emerged: (a) experiencing cognitive and perceptual challenges, (b) feeling unpleasant emotions, (c) dealing with functional changes and hardships, (d) experiencing somatic changes, (e) making attempts to cope, and (f) facing lingering impact. The findings suggest that students' experiences of voice-hearing simulation closely resembled the voice-hearers' actual experience. Simulation is an effective teaching modality to introduce nursing students to the world voice-hearers live in and to prepare them for clinical practice enlightened through understanding of what it is like to hear distressing voices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sample of women ( n = 5) participated in a qualitative service evaluation concerning an open-ended, therapeutic group for women only. Data analysis followed suggestions by Halcomb and Davidson (2006). Main themes derived from the evaluation included: 'Groups are different from individual work', 'Belonging/ not being alone', 'Performance in the group', 'The group as a safety net', 'Life improvements and hope for the future' and 'The extent of emotional despair felt'. In this paper, several sub-themes within the main themes and relevant theories and implications for theory and service provision are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this systematic review was to identify the issues related to the vulnerability and psychosocial risk factors of people who identify as transgender. A search of relevant electronic databases from 2007 to 2017 was conducted. Included studies involved transgender people, vulnerability, and risk factors. Following the application of rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 21 papers were considered suitable for the review. The identified themes included sexual risks, substance use, psychological vulnerability risk factors, and protective factors and behaviors. Nurses are in a strong position to address pertinent concerns and to provide the necessary psychosocial supports to this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cyclical pattern of violence in the lives of homeless female ex-offenders may precipitate ongoing substance use and recidivism; all of which have shown to be mounting public health issues affecting successful reentry. This paper, which analyzed baseline data from a longitudinal study of 126 female ex-offenders in Los Angeles and Pomona, California, highlighted the factors found to be associated with violent crime among homeless female ex-offenders. A multiple logistic regression model for whether or not the last conviction was for a violent offense indicated that poor housing (p= .011) and self-reported anger or hostility (p< .001) were significant correlates. An ordinal regression model for the number of violent offenses also indicated that affectionate support was associated with committing fewer number of violent crimes (p= .001), while positive social interactions (p= .007), and anger/hostility (p= .015) were associated with greater number of violent crimes. Implications for developing a comprehensive array of strategies that can mitigate the pattern of violence often seen in the lives of homeless female who have recently exited jails and prisons is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents one major theme of findings from a doctorate study. The study used a narrative enquiry approach, to gather parenting narratives of adult children of parents with mental illness. A Partnership Model for a Reflexive Narrative for Participant and Researcher (Partnership Model) was used to invite participants into the study, while encouraging a space for reflection for both the adult children and researcher. In total, 13 adult children participants constructed their narratives of living with childhood parental mental illness, alongside their current parenting role. Their stories reflected childhood experiences of fear and emergence of mistrust of others, particularly their parent with mental illness. For some participants, fear and mistrust continued into adulthood. Many adult children reported their childhood experiences of feeling lonely and isolated. They felt unable to disclose their experiences of parental mental illness to others. In addition, participants were unable to access information about their parent's condition, leaving them feeling unprepared and unskilled, despite their childhood desire to help their parent. This furthermore, compounded their sense of fear and isolation. Early identification of children and families experiencing mental illness is important to facilitate dialogue, psychoeducation and support. Social and health professionals have an important opportunity to enhance the social integration and support for families experiencing parental mental illness, to reduce long-standing fear, isolation and mistrust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Clubhouse model is a widely used approach to psychosocial rehabilitation that has been a pioneer in supporting recovery-oriented programmes. Little consideration has been given however, to the theories that guide research of the recovery practices used by Clubhouses. In this paper, we provide a description of self-determination theory, including its philosophical background followed by explanation of its relevance to health care and Clubhouse contexts. We argue that self-determination theory provides a robust social constructionist theoretical framework that is well-suited to informing research related to psychosocial rehabilitation, recovery-oriented practices and the Clubhouse model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the concept of recovery in the context of serious mental illness. The analysis uses literature from multiple health care disciplines and different uses of 'recovery' in every- day language, technical applications, and popular culture. This iterative process concludes with a definition of recovery from serious mental illness: a nonlinear process of self-organization and adaptation that offsets the personal disintegration of mental illness and enables the individual to reconceive his or her sense of self and well-being on all biopsychosocial levels. The relevance of the concept is reevaluated with this definition for potential usage in the mental health care setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This purpose of this paper is to present a typology of common aggressive events that occur in the context of adolescent dating violence. The typology is based on 42 transcripts of interviews with young adults, ages 18 to 21, who described dating violence they had experienced when adolescents (ages 13–18). One-hundred and eighty-four text units that contained a description of an event involving aggression or violence between the participant and a dating partner were extracted from the transcripts. Cross-case analysis was used to create categories of events that shared similar characteristics. The analysis yielded eight types of aggressive events: (a) tumultuous, (b) explosive, (c) scuffling, (d) violating, (e) threatening, (f) controlling, (g) disparaging, and (h) rejecting, ignoring, or disrespecting. The typology can provide a foundation for further research on adolescent dating violence from a situational perspective and can be used as a tool to promote discussion of dating violence with victimized or at-risk youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the applicability of Peplau's Interpersonal Relations Theory to the context of computer-mediated communication. Although Peplau never intended her theory be applied to this mode of communication, research from the fields of communication and social psychology suggest that such application may be possible. After Peplau's theory is briefly summarized, research and theory dealing with computer-mediated communication are explored, and questions for future research endeavors are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on American public told by the leaders being a resilient, strong, and brave people. Topics include interested especially in any pandemic-related research guided by resilience theory; and multiple level of analysis containing genetic, epigenetic, developmental, demographic, cultural, economic, and social variables.

The concept of dependence covers a broad range of experiences. Many health-related professions, including nursing, use the concept in the context of substance use and addiction; however, the use of the concept is often confusing and lacks distinct boundaries. Researchers and theorists in nursing require conceptual clarification and definition because it helps ensure effective theory development and operationalization of the concept as a research variable. A concept analysis using Rodgers' Evolutionary Method is presented, resulting in a revised definition of dependence, as it relates to substance use disorders and addiction. This analysis and resultant definition are timely to the nation's opioid use disorder epidemic. Surrogate terms, related concepts, attributes, assumptions, consequences, and a model case of dependence support the assertion for a change in terminology and culminate with clarification of a new definition for use in nursing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate associations among depressive symptoms, trust of healthcare provider, and health behavior in adolescents who live in a rural area. Two hundred twenty-four adolescents aged 14–19 years old attending public high school in the Midwestern United States were surveyed. Results showed a diagnosis of depression, trust of healthcare provider, health awareness, and stress management predicted depressive symptoms in adolescents living in a rural area. Healthcare providers should take extra care to promote trust in the healthcare provider-patient relationship with adolescents and to follow guidelines for annual screening of adolescents for depressive symptoms. Nursing implications include adolescent psychoeducation to improve health awareness and stress management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article, the author discusses the myths and conspiracy theories about the corona virus (COVID-19) and the driving force behind them. Also cited are the public advisories by the World Health Organization (WHO) to debunk said myths and theories, the myths about COVID-19 treatments like the use of antibiotics, and the studies on conspiracy beliefs.

The article focuses on Cross-Cultural Research. Topic include discussed all conducted extensive reviews of the methodological challenges; increasing internationalization of companies demands a high volume of accurate international information to assist decision making in product production and marketing.

It is recognised that physical activity has a positive impact on quality of life, social well-being and overall health of people with severe mental illness. However, there is a lack of theory informed programmes that support people with mental illness to adopt regular physical activity behaviour. The aim of this case study was to identify determinants of long-term physical activity among people with severe mental illness that may then inform the development of more suitable physical activity programmes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 people (13 men and 2 women) with a mean age of 36.7 [standard deviation (SD)=11.8] who had a diagnosed mental illness and were attending a physical activity programme run by a mental health non-governmental organisation. Interview data was analysed using the documentary method to emphasise the perspective of people with severe mental illness. Three participation types were generated in the context of individuals' physical activity orientation and social background—first 'rehabilitative orientated' (physical activity as a supportive measure to re-enter the labour market and develop a daily routine); second 'social-orientated' (social well-being within the group as the primary motive); finally, 'trust-orientated' (a sense of trust that encourages participation). Based on these type-specific categories, it is suggested that different settings (mental health care centres and sport clubs) might be needed to attract and maintain the physical activity engagement of people with severe mental illness. In the context of sport clubs, it is recommended that coaches undergo training in mental health literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines clinician experience in adopting a contemporary psychodynamic model of care by exploring the experiences and perspectives of staff at an Australian hospital-based sexual assault service (SAS), reflecting then on implications for how to best engage clinicians in a model of care change and training. The Conversational Model of Therapy (CMT) is a contemporary psychodynamic approach integrating evidence from developmental psychology, neuroscience and trauma. Training was provided in the CMT approach to Short-Term Intensive Psychodynamic Psychotherapy seeking to enable the service to better provide for the needs of adult clients with less recent sexual assault experiences and/or those able to receive a short-term psychotherapy. Five semi-structured individual interviews and one focus group (with four participants) were undertaken to identify SAS staff perceptions of their experiences after initial training of up to 13 sessions with CMT. Thematic analysis was performed to identify, analyse and report patterns in the responses with the following themes emerging: the challenges staff face in providing a service to clients; coping mechanisms staff utilise in their work; the current service structure and how this compares with their experiences of CMT, and; feelings and thoughts on SAS staff being evaluated. Findings provide evidence that the majority of staff understood the need for change and were able to undertake training towards this due to effective coping mechanisms within their work and good support from within their team. The research also highlights the need to ensure effective training to evaluate participants' understanding of the model being taught. In the context of training experience elsewhere, learning and synthesis of all of the knowledge relevant to a psychodynamic model of care may require experiential learning through supervision of audio-recorded sessions, although this has challenges in the SAS context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inpatient psychiatric facilities in the United States lack systematic regulation and monitoring of a variety of patient safety concerns. We conducted a qualitative analysis of 61 news articles to identify common causes and types of harms within inpatient psychiatric facilities, with a focus on physical harm. The news articles reported on patient self-harm, patient-patient violence, and violence between patients and staff, noting that youth, older adults, and veterans were especially vulnerable. Harms occurred throughout the care continuum — at admission, during the inpatient stay, and at discharge — and retaliation towards whistleblowers deterred facility accountability. We recommend 1) addressing staffing shortages, 2) instituting systematic monitoring of critical incidents and the experiences of consumers and staff, 3) improving both inpatient safety and post-discharge community supports, and 4) continued journalistic coverage of harms within inpatient psychiatric facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the literature regarding health-related stigma in adolescents and adults living with sickle cell disease (SCD). Four domains were identified from 27 studies: (1) social consequences of stigma; (2) the effect of stigma on psychological well-being; (3) the effect of stigma on physiological well-being; and (4) the impact of stigma on patient-provider relationships and care-seeking behaviors. Current literature revealed that SCD stigma has detrimental consequences. Methodological issues as well as research and practice implications were identified. Future research should further examine the impact of health-related stigma on self-management of SCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are prevalent in the United States and costly to society. SUDs contribute significantly to decreased quality of life and overdose deaths. Physical activity (PA) interventions may be one efficacious method to improve recovery and long-term abstinence from substance use; although PA interventions have resulted in positive physical and psychological outcomes, their adherence and attrition rates have been problematic. To address lack of adherence and high attrition rates, it is important to understand the preferences and attitudes for PA among patients in SUD treatment. We, therefore, conducted a literature review to examine preferences and attitudes for PA among adults with SUDs. Five articles met inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings from this small sample of studies suggest that adults with SUDs are interested in PA. Walking, strength training, and cycling were the activities preferred most frequently. Participants said that they would like to engage in these activities either alone or with small groups and would prefer their exercise options to be located at facilities they already frequented, such as treatment clinics. Nurses are well positioned to assess patient preferences and attitudes and to enhance recovery efforts in this population. Further exploration of this population's unique preferences and attitudes regarding PA may lay the groundwork for efficacious PA interventions with improved adherence and attrition rates, which may lead to improved recovery outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life expectancy is greatly reduced in patients with schizophrenia, and cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of mortality. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and to investigate the relationships between self-rated health, sense of coherence, CVD risk, and body mass index (BMI) among people with severe mental illness (SMI) in psychiatric outpatient settings. Nearly 50% of the participants were exposed to moderate/high risk of CVD and over 50% were obese. The results showed no statistically relationships between the subjective and objective measures (Bayes factor <1) of health. The integration of physical health into clinical psychiatric nursing practice is vital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss Norwegian service users' experiences with community mental health treatment in general, and the interprofessional Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model in particular. To gain the right to treatment, service users have to accept certain limitations, such as medication and community treatment orders (CTOs). Seventy participants responded to five open-ended questions. In addition, eight of them participated in either focus group or interviews. A collaborative approach, using Stepwise-Deductive Induction (SDI) method was used to analyze the participants' experiences. The results showed that the treatment contributes to an experience of autonomy but also one of restriction. It provides service users with enhanced normalcy, but simultaneously a feeling of deviance. There needs to be an ongoing reflection and discussion about those paradoxes in treatment, and service users have to be involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on the legalization of the use of marijuana in medical and non-medical in the U.S. Topics discussed include professor Raphael Mechoulam of Hadassah Medical School who pioneered the use of cannabis for treating asthma and glaucoma, a meta-analysis on the use of cannabinoids in chronic pain treatment, and the book "Weed the People, the Future of Legal Marijuana in America," by Bruce Barcott.

Severe burn injuries are highly traumatic requiring lengthy recovery. High levels of distress in the early stages of treatment have been associated with poor physical and psychosocial recovery outcomes. Identifying traits relating to distress and personal coping styles may aid screening. Type-D, or ‘distressed’, personality may be such a trait. Type-D personality refers to an ongoing personality organization defined by a tendency to experience greater negative emotions and thoughts while simultaneously socially inhibiting their expression (Denollet et al., 1996. Type-D has been linked to poor health outcomes in those with cardiovascular disease as well as other populations and has been found to be associated with elevated psychological symptoms. Currently, there are no investigations in the literature looking at Type-D in the severe burns injury population. This study aimed to investigate Type-D in severe burn injury patients, specifically regarding the presence of psychological symptoms in early treatment, using data gathered during a pilot study conducted at a severe burn injury unit. The DS-16, Davidson Trauma scale and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale scores were analysed along with demographic and clinical data in 54 participants (40 males, 14 females). Participants who were found to have Type-D displayed significantly higher levels of psychopathology. Additionally, Type-D was found to be a significant predictor of psychological symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers the author's insights on the association between stigma and the psychiatric and mental health professions. Topics include the factors influencing the negative image of the psychiatry profession based on the study by Moller-Leimkuhler and colleagues, the perception of the public about the mental health nursing (MHN) profession, and the things to consider to prevent the negative view of the public and other health professionals regarding mental health and mental disorder.

Although clinicians and researchers are interested in the phenomenon of resilience, there is no agreedupon definition of resilience. Scientific evidence suggests that resilience is influenced by intrapersonal (e.g. personality traits) and environmental (e.g. social support) variables. A concept analysis was conducted to better understand the meaning of resilience. In this analysis, the antecedent of resilience was a potentially traumatic event; the defining attributes were ego-resiliency, emotion regulation, social support, and heredity; and the consequenceswere none to mild psychopathological symptoms and positive adaptation. This analysis can help nurses better understand resilience and its relationships to both intrapersonal and environmental variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the Children's Resourcefulness Scale (C-CRS) for Taiwanese children. An instrument for assessing resourcefulness skills in children and adolescents, the CRS was translated into Mandarin Chinese, and a cross-sectional investigation was conducted with a convenience sample of 368 fifth and sixth graders recruited from three geographically diverse locations in Taiwan. Internal consistency statistics from the total sample and subgroups were between .57 and .71 with lower alphas for subgroups with disadvantaged socioeconomic status. Findings suggest that the C-CRS has the potential to assess children's resourcefulness skills in the Taiwanese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of deaths by suicide has increased over the last few years. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore components of resilience in adolescents who survived a suicide attempt from the perspective of nine psychiatric nurses. Resilience was used as a guiding conceptual framework which proposes that resilience is the interplay between risk and protective factors. Three categories emerged including risk factors, protective factors, and future recommendations of suicide prevention strategies. The perspectives gained from this study will help develop nursing interventions for adolescents to overcome risk factors and to build on their protective factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the psychological aspects of the resilience among spouses of U.S. service members during deployment. Topics discussed include information on the mental health challenges faced by the spouses of service members during deployment; discussions on the emotions and fears faced by the military spouses; and the information on the impacts of the risk factors in hindering the development of resilience in the military spouses.

This study aimed to analyze and synthesize findings from qualitative studies that explored the experiences of tenants with serious mental illness regarding housing support and contextual issues. Twenty-four articles were identified using a systematic search strategy. The total number of informants was N = 769. The reported findings were transcribed and analyzed using a systematic text condensation approach. The tenants’ experiences were categorized into two main categories and subcategories (in parenthesis): Support Issues (Experience of Support Needs, Experiences with Receiving Support, Experiences with Support Approach) and Contextual Issues (Neighborhood Experiences, Community Experiences). The subcategories, with themes and subthemes, offer an in-depth understanding of the tenants’ complex experiences concerning housing support and contextual issues. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Assault of staff in psychiatric hospitals is a frequent occurrence, and studies indicate that hospital staff are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We performed a correlational study with a convenience sample of 172 staff in a psychiatric hospital and compared the rate of traumatic events (TEs), resilience, confidence, and compassion fatigue to PTSD symptoms (PTSS). Regression analyses identified two variables that were unique predictors of PTSS: (1) trauma-informed care (TIC) meeting attendance and (2) burnout symptoms. Severe TEs, age, and compassion satisfaction also contributed to the model. Attention to these factors may help reduce PTSS in psychiatric staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of excellence in nursing education has led to efforts to recruit students into baccalaureate and graduate programs. Additionally, a need exists to prepare practitioners to meet the mental health needs of health care recipients, including veterans. As a strategy for meeting these objectives, educators from an urban private college proposed a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) program. This program was developed in response to an identified need in the community for improved mental health services. Although several groups in need would be served, attention was focused on veterans in need of care as well as those veteran students interested in Psychiatric Mental Health (PMH) nursing. Some factors that supported this thinking included the proximity of the campus to the Veterans Administration Medical Center and other veteran community services, the college's significant number of student veterans, and its distinction as among the most veteran friendly campuses in the nation. This article reviews the literature that supports the need for graduate education in this specialty and the value of providing educational opportunities for interested veterans. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To expose inconsistencies and contradictions in the nurse leadership literature (“text”), this article adopts a deconstructive approach and draws upon the work of Derrida in examining the text or discourse. What is almost entirely missing in the literature are articles that ask difficult, searching questions that challenge some of the taken-for-granted truths or maxims about nursing leadership. The current examination of the literature, described in this article, shows: (a) a lack of convergence of the literature and health care/nursing organizations concerning leadership, (b) a conflation of nursing leadership with managerial or administrative positions, and (c) a possible lack of understanding about the complexity of nursing leadership coupled with an unwillingness to raise these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Leadership behaviors and actions influence others to act, and leadership in clinical practice is an important mediator influencing patient outcomes and staff satisfaction. Indeed, positive clinical leadership has been positioned as a crucial element for transformation of health care services and has led to the development of the Practice Doctorate Movement in the United States. Nurse educators in health care have a vital leadership role as clinical experts, role models, mentors, change agents, and supporters of quality projects. By enacting these leadership attributes, nurse educators ensure a skilled and confident workforce that is focused on optimizing opportunities for students and graduates to integrate theory and practice in the workplace as well as developing more holistic models of care for the consumer. Nurse educators need to be active in supporting staff and students in health care environments and be visible leaders who can drive policy and practice changes and engage in professional forums, research, and scholarship. Although nurse educators have always been a feature of the nursing workplace, there is a paucity of literature on the role of nurse educators as clinical leaders. This discursive article describes the role and attributes of nurse educators with a focus on their role as leaders in mental health nursing. We argue that embracing the leadership role is fundamental to nurse educators and to influencing consumer-focused care in mental health. We also make recommendations for developing the leadership role of nurse educators and provide considerations for further research such as examining the impact of clinical leaders on client, staff, and organizational outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with a history of traumatic life events can become distressed or re-traumatized as the result of healthcare experiences. These patients can benefit from trauma-informed care that is sensitive to their unique needs. However, despite the widespread prevalence of traumatic life experiences such as sexual assault and intimate partner violence, trauma-informed care has not been widely researched or implemented. The purpose of this synthesis of the literature is to examine existing research on trauma-informed care for survivors of physical and sexual abuse. The following themes are discussed: trauma screening and patient disclosure, provider-patient relationships, minimizing distress and maximizing autonomy, multidisciplinary collaboration and referrals, and trauma-informed care in diverse settings. This synthesis also explores implications for trauma-informed care research, practice and policy. The themes identified here could be used as a framework for creating provider and survivor educational interventions and for implementing trauma-informed care across disciplines. The findings of this synthesis support further research on patient and provider experiences of trauma-informed care, and research to test the efficacy of trauma-informed care interventions across healthcare settings. Universal implementation of trauma-informed care can ensure that the unique needs of trauma survivors as patients are met, and mitigate barriers to care and health disparities experienced by this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to gain a greater understanding of predictors of the unmet physical and mental healthcare needs of homeless, stimulant-using, gay and bisexual (G/B) men. This study correlated baseline self-reported unmet physical and mental healthcare needs among stimulant-using homeless G/B men (n = 422, 18–46 years of age). A structured questionnaire was administered at baseline and data were collected from October 2009 to January 2013. The study was approved by the University of California Human Subjects’ Protection committee and the Friends Research Institute Human Research Protection Committee. Logistic regression revealed that those who self-reported ever being married, being in fair or poor health and in moderate-to-very severe pain, were more likely to experience unmet needs for physical health care. In terms of unmet mental health needs, those who self-reported moderate-to-very severe pain and/or those reporting having sex while high, were more likely to report unmet needs for mental health care. In contrast, those reporting receiving social support from others were less likely to have an unmet mental healthcare need. Research implications are discussed as they relate to access to healthcare needs among this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on stress-related health outcomes in African-American women often neglects “network-stress”: stress related to events that occur to family, friends, or loved ones. Data from the African-American Women's Well-Being Study were analyzed to examine self-stress and network-stress for occurrence, perceived stressfulness, and association with symptoms of psychological distress. Women reported a higher number of network-stress events compared with self-stress events. Occurrences of network-stress were perceived as undesirable and bothersome as self-stress. Both types of stress were significantly associated with psychological distress symptoms. Including network-stress may provide a more complete picture of the stress experiences of African-American women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the lived experience of incarceration for those with autism using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Eight adults who were incarcerated in New South Wales, Australia, were interviewed. The lived experience of incarceration for the participants was about being in an unpredictable environment characterised by ever-changing routines and complex social situations. Participants were deprived of their ability to create predictability in their environment, and experienced confusion and distress when forced to comply with actions that were in conflict with their logic. Mental health nursing case management is recommended to address the needs of incarcerated persons with autism. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Mental illness often requires hospitalization, with high readmission rates. One way to improve outcomes and reduce readmission rates is for consumers to attend outpatient appointments. However, a major challenge in delivery of mental health outpatient treatment is missed appointments. When consumers miss appointments for outpatient follow-up, they also miss an opportunity for recovery. Non-attendance rates in psychiatric outpatient clinics have been a topic of considerable interest and attendance at appointments has been used as an indicator of quality of service provision. Strategies used to address missed appointments have been met with minimal success in improving engagement in treatment and do not offer evidence-based guidance regarding solutions to this challenge. Simple measures to gain consumer feedback on levels of therapeutic alliance and engagement in shared decision-making are available and can be used in clinical sessions to support recovery-based care. Psychiatric mental health nurses can engage consumers in recovery-based services that have salience to motivate them to engage in treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to synthesize research on female street level prostitutes for application in mental health practice and identification of future research needs. The data were from reports conducted in Westernized countries on female street level prostitutes between the years 2000 and 2014. Street level prostitutes are at high risk for HIV/STIs, chronic and acute physical/mental health problems, and violence, but there is a paucity of research on resilience and coping skills. We conclude that street level prostitutes suffer severe health disparities, yet they do not seek health care on a consistent basis. It is important for mental healthcare providers to offer women a safe, non-judgmental environment while providing assessment and referral. Future research on mental health consequences as well as resilience and coping skills would support effective interventions that address the women holistically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore relatives’ experiences when their family member is under an outpatient commitment order. A descriptive and exploratory approach was used based on qualitative interviews with 11 relatives. The relatives felt they had responsibility for the patient, but experienced a lack of recognition for their contribution to the treatment. Relatives paid little attention to coercion, but were more concerned about whether the follow-up care improved the patient's social functioning. They further reported an unmet need for information and guidance from healthcare staff to improve cooperation in the patient's care and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) interventions are popular as a treatment strategy for myriad diagnoses in various settings, and may be beneficial for parents of children with developmental delays (DD). However, prior research suggests extreme levels of stress and extraordinary demands on time among these parents, making the feasibility of effectively implementing MBSR with this population questionable. This study examined the feasibility of administering standard MBSR to a diverse community-based sample of parents of young children with DD. The potential impact of MBSR interventions includes improvement in parents’ mental health, and collateral benefits for the family environment, including improved child behavior. Nurses may have an integral role in interdisciplinary teams providing MBSR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Culture enhances the ability to address the stressors related to ethnicity/race, employment, and lifestyle. From this interaction, two coping patterns emerge: individualist-oriented or collectivist-oriented, of which women prefer the latter. However, there is limited knowledge about the impact of ethnicity/race on the coping strategies of Black working women in the USA. Therefore, the purpose of this cross-sectional survey was to examine the coping strategies of two groups of Black women, those who work in non-professional service-related jobs and those employed as professionals. We explored Black women from two southern states, Florida and Georgia, in their use of coping strategies for everyday stressors. A modified version of Lazarus and Folkman's Transactional Model was used as the framework of this study. The sample for this cross-sectional survey consisted of 313 Black women employed in non-professional service jobs and 343 in professional roles. The thoughts and actions related to coping in everyday stressors were measured with The Ways of Coping Questionnaire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study aims to illuminate the interactions between one woman (Alice) with schizophrenia, dementia, and challenging behaviour and her professional caregivers. We performed participant observations of these interactions and conducted informal interviews at the residential home where the woman lived. The transcripts were subjected to qualitative content analysis. The results showed that the interactions between Alice and her caregivers were experienced as hovering between heaven and hell. Alice struggled to bring order into her chaotic life world by splitting herself and others, and her caregivers struggled to protect Alice's and their own dignity by limiting her challenging behaviours. They also strived to understand their own and Alice's behaviour. Current practice in caring for people with challenging behaviour usually focuses on symptom reduction through medication and behavioural modification. Instead, we suggest moving toward an understanding of the experiences behind the challenging behaviours and designing person-centred care based on each patients’ reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for mental health services in the United States taxes the existing care continuum and is projected to increase as federal initiatives such as the Affordable Care Act and mental health parity improve access to, and coverage for, mental health services. Quality health care providers, such as psychiatric-mental health nurses, are needed to bolster the mental health system. Prior research has focused on the unpopularity of psychiatric nursing as a career choice for nursing students. The purpose of this study is to understand how seasoned psychiatric nurses came to choose and remain in the specialty; descriptive phenomenology is used. In a face-to-face interview, eight registered nurses described their experiences with psychiatric nursing as a student, their entry into psychiatric nursing, and factors related to their longevity in the specialty. Giorgi's Existential Phenomenological Research Method was employed to analyze the interview data. Three themes emerged related to career choice: Interest Developed Prior to or While in Nursing School, Personal Relevance, and Validation of Potential. Three themes emerged related to retention: Overcoming Stereotypes to Develop Career Pride, Positive Team Dynamics, and Remaining Hopeful. Nurse educators play an important role in identifying talent, validating capability, enhancing interest, and increasing students’ confidence to pursue a psychiatric nursing career, while nursing administrators and clinical specialists play a key role in retention. Findings also stimulate pertinent questions surrounding the long-term viability of the psychiatric-mental health nursing specialty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although often overlooked, subclinical symptoms of postpartum depression, anxiety, or other mental health symptoms among new mothers increase the risk of more severe problems and can adversely affect maternal and infant health. We conducted focus groups with 92 new mothers and interviews with 20 healthcare providers to elucidate perceptions of mental health needs among first-time mothers and how healthcare providers address these needs. Our findings suggest that a tradition of focusing exclusively on severe presentations of mental health issues may limit maternal and provider ability to address the full spectrum of mental health needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore first-generation Korean-Americans’ knowledge about depression and attitudes about depression treatment options. Self-report survey data were gathered from 73 first-generation Korean-Americans (KAs) using instruments developed for this study. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics including t-tests. Data indicated participants lacked knowledge about depression. Among all depression treatment options, exercise was the option that first-generation KAs were most willing to try and was rated as having the least shame attached to it. Taking an antidepressant was the option KAs reported being most unwilling to try and had the highest shame attached to it. No significant differences in knowledge about depression and attitudes about depression treatment options were found between low and high acculturation groups, with the exception that the high acculturation group demonstrated more agreement than the low acculturation group with the item that emotional symptoms, such as mood changes, can be depression symptoms. These results suggest that initiating depression treatment with exercise may be the most acceptable starting point in treating depression in first-generation KA immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Support of parents of children with cancer requires healthcare personnel to be knowledgeable about the prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms among Iranian parents of children with cancer. This study was conducted to fulfill this aim in the South-East of Iran. Using the Impact of Event Scale -Revised, for parents of children with cancer, 200 parents in two hospitals supervised by Kerman University of Medical Sciences, were assessed. The total mean score of post-traumatic stress symptoms was 41.70. Among all categories of the Impact of Event Scale -Revised, the highest mean belonged to the category of 'intrusion' 16.03 ( SD  =  6.24) and the lowest one belonged to the category of 'hyperarousal' 10.68 ( SD  =  4.58). Based on the results, mothers had higher post-traumatic stress symptoms compared with fathers ( p < 0.05). Adjusted odds ratio showed that the prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms among mothers was 2.49 times more than that among fathers ( p  =  0.01). There was no association between sociodemographic data and post-traumatic stress symptoms. More research is needed to elucidate the Iranian parents' experience of having children with cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]