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This interview sample survey of adult residents of San Francisco's Chinatown was conducted in an effort to understand the phenomenon of underutilization of mental health services by Chinese Americans and the reasons underlying this phenomenon. Findings revealed that the use rate of mental health services was extremely low, with only 5% of respondents having sought mental health services, suggesting that this ethnic community has not yet seen the gains promised by the community mental health movement. At the same time, reported psychological disorders in the community were quite prevalent; a sizable number of respondents admitted to symptoms of emotional tension, depression, loneliness, and psychological-physiological symptoms. Thus, need is high, but demand is small. Findings suggested that underutilization is not due to unwillingness to admit to symptoms nor to use of alternative cultural sources of help; rather, lack of knowledge of existing services seems to be a major contributor to low use rates. Other contributing factors include the belief among some respondents that mental disorders cannot be prevented, lack of awareness of how psychological problems can be treated, and a low priority attached to seeking professional help for depression. Compared to other low-income Americans, Chinatown residents demonstrated more determination than resignation in handling personal problems. Moreover, approaches to handling problems were varied and often multiple in nature. The survey confirmed some existing notions about mental health among Asian Americans, while disconfirming other assumptions.

Indian government, in particular, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, came out with a visionary document titled : National Mental Health Policy of India - New Pathways, New Hope in October, 2014 for promotion of mental health, prevention of mental illness, enabling recovery of mental illness, promoting destigmization and desegregation, and ensuring socio-economic inclusion of persons affected by mental illness by providing accessible, affordable and quality health and social care to all persons through their life span, within a right – based framework.

Objective: The aim of this paper is to advance and enrich innovative thinking about mental health issues from an Indigenous perspective, through consideration of the gap between Indigenous mental health research and Indigenous mental health practice.

This is a personal account of the transition from the child to the adult mental health services. The title references Janus, the Roman god of transitions. As such, the narrative looks to the past and the future in youth mental health. The discussion begins with a brief examination of the phenomenon of personal accounts in the broader context of evidence-based knowledge. There are a number of themes discussed throughout this perspective including access to education and loss of vocational capacity as a result of illness and service involvement. The discussion emphasises the importance of ‘Time’ in the delivery of services and provides justification for improved access to vocational and/or therapeutic options for young people with mental health difficulties. Time is also used as a structural device in order to communicate lived experience of mental illness, treatment and recovery.

This study assessed the prevalence of and factors associated with congregation-based programming in support of people with mental illness.To estimate the proportion of congregations that provide mental health programming, this study reports analyses of survey responses from the 2012 National Congregations Study, a nationally representative survey of religious congregations in the United States (N=1,327). The analysis used multivariate logistic regression to identify congregational characteristics associated with the provision of mental health programming.Nearly one in four U.S. congregations (23%) provided some type of programming to support people with mental illness. Approximately 31% of all attendees belonged to a congregation that provided mental health programming. Congregational characteristics associated with providing mental health programming included having more members and having members with higher incomes, employing staff for social service programs, and providing health-focused programs. Other significant predictors included engaging with the surrounding community (that is, conducting community needs assessments and hosting speakers from social service organizations) and being located in a predominantly African-American community.Greater coordination between mental health providers and congregations with programs that support people with mental illness could foster more integrated and holistic care, which in turn may lead to improved recovery outcomes.

Self-direction is a model for organizing services and support in which the service user is at the center of an individualized budgeting and planning process. Mental health program directors are key...

This study examined public perception of stigmas relating to mental illness six months after a reform, which integrated mental health care into primary care in Israel. The results reveal that the public feels uncomfortable seeking referral to mental health services through the public health system, with Arab Israelis and men expressing lower levels of comfort than did Jewish Israelis. The current reform has not solved the issue of public stigma regarding mental health care. The study suggests that the current reforms must be accompanied over time with appropriate public education regarding mental illness.

Mental health is a major concern throughout the world. The lifetime prevalence of mental health problems in Singapore for those aged 18 years and above was reported to be 12%. However, studies on mental health literacy are relatively scarce in Singapore. The aim of this paper is to provide a topical review of local studies on mental health literacy, people's knowledge of, and attitude toward mental illness, and beliefs about mental health treatment. A narrative review of studies on mental health literacy in Singapore covering the period from 1995 to 2016 highlights the findings from various local studies about attitudes toward mental illness, belief about the causes, and help-seeking behavior. Findings revealed that many lay people are unable to recognize different types of mental disorders. Negative attitudes toward mental illness that hinders individuals from seeking professional treatment, and help-seeking, are the common themes that emerge from the findings. Health professionals have differing views about the causes and treatment of mental disorders. Findings also revealed that treatment seeking and attitudes and beliefs toward mental illness are related to mental health literacy. Implications for promoting mental health literacy are provided.

We know much about the alarming trends in youth mental health; however, we know far less about the journeys that Canadian youth are taking toward better mental health. This article begins with a conceptual synthesis of the literature about the ways in which scholars are invoking the journeys of youth. We then present two examples of youth journeys in mental health from our current Atlantic Canada Children’s Effective Service Strategies in Mental Health project (ACCESS-MH) and conclude that journey approaches to youth mental health research could support the implementation of Canada’s mental health strategy in unique and crucial ways.

Background Migration is associated with a number of stress factors which can affect mental health. Ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status can intertwine with and influence the process of migration and mental health. Philippine migration to Europe has increased in recent years and has become more feminised. Knowing more about the factors that influence immigrants’ mental health and coping can help aid health care delivery and policy planning. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the contextual factors that influence the mental health of Filipinas living in Norway and their coping strategies. Method Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with fourteen Filipinas 24–49 years, living in Norway. The analysis was informed by the post-colonial feminist perspective in order to examine the process by which gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic status interact with contextual factors in these women’s lives and influence their wellbeing. Results Data analysis revealed that all informants experienced some level of stress or distress. Two main factors: Sense of belonging and Securing a future contributed to the women’s level of distress associated with living abroad as an immigrant woman. Distress was heighted by the women’s multiple, transnational roles they occupied; roles as workers, breadwinners, daughters, wives and mothers. None of the women had sought professional help for their distress. Religion and informal support from friends and family appear to help these women cope with many of the challenges they face as immigrant women living and working abroad. Conclusions Filipinas face a number of challenges related to their status as immigrant women and the juggling of their transnational lives. Understanding the context of these women’s lives may aid the identification of mental health problems. Although the women show resilience and appear to cope successfully, some may benefit from professional help.

Our study measured minority individuals’ social status factors and frequency of discrimination experiences, in order to delineate social mechanisms linking race/ethnicity to mental status (specifically, to current mood/anxiety disorder and self-rated mental health). In this nationally representative secondary research, our data analyses drew on the cross-sectional “Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys,” dating 2001–2003. The sample for the final model numbered 9368 respondents (2016 Asians, 2676 Latinos, 4676 blacks). Across races/ethnicities, better mental health was associated with male gender, higher income, marriage, more education, and less-frequent discrimination experiences; discrimination experiences could impair health, especially among blacks. Marriage’s strong contribution to Asians’ mental health did not hold among blacks; education’s contribution to Latinos’ mental health did not hold among blacks either. Blacks’ mental health was unaffected by immigration status, but Asian and Latino immigrants showed less-robust mental health than native-born counterparts. Across the three racial/ethnic groups studied, differences were noted in relationships between self-reported mental health status and the employed social status and discrimination factors.

Migration has been associated with distress and severe mental health problems among a range of populations around the world, including the Polish people. Poles are currently the largest immigrant population in the United Kingdom and, despite these statistics, little is still known about mental health needs of this group. This study adopted a systematic review design to explore the existing literature in the area. Five electronic databases were searched with eight studies meeting the inclusion criteria. These studies were analysed by means of thematic synthesis. Three main themes were observed in these studies: 1) The negative mental health aspects of migration - this included frustration and multiple stresses; language difficulties; financial hardship; discrimination and isolation; unfamiliarity with the culture, cultural stigma and shame. 2) The positive mental health aspects of migration - comprised of freedom and new opportunities. 3) Coping – this incorporated personal traits; social capital and culture as well as individual differences. Current findings support broader literature into migrant stress and highlight a range of mental health needs of the studied population. The discursive component of this paper considers the implications for professionals working with this group and highlights the need for more specific research in this area.

Accessible summaryWhat is known on the subject? Mental health literacy is a fairly new concept, first introduced in 1997. It refers to what people know and believe about mental health disorders. People's knowledge and beliefs help them to recognize, manage and prevent mental disorders. Generally, older adults have lower health literacy compared to young and middle-aged adults. What this study adds to existing knowledge? This is the first study on the mental health literacy of Korean older adults. This study looks beyond peoples’ ability to recognize mental health disorders and their opinions about them. It identifies factors that are associated with mental health literacy (level of education and social support, the number of people in one's social circles and how individuals rate their health). What are the implications for practice? Older adults might get more out of mental health literacy programmes in group or social settings. Programmes that use older adult peer educators/supporters, such as the “older people's champions” of the Healthy Passport programme in England, might make the programmes more effective. Mental health campaigns, such as Australia's beyondblue, might increase mental health literacy of older adults. AbstractIntroduction Korea is experiencing rapid population ageing, spurring an increased need for mental health services for the elderly. Approximately one-third of Korean older adults experience depressive symptoms, and Korea has the highest elder suicide rate among 34 developed nations. Mental health literacy is an important component of promoting mental health, yet studies on the concept have been conducted in few countries. Aim This study examines the level of mental health literacy among Korean older adults and identifies factors associated with their mental health literacy. Method A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 596 community-dwelling Korean adults aged 65 and older. Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use framed the study. Results Overall, participants displayed low levels of mental health literacy. They had difficulty recognizing their mental health issues and had limited knowledge about self-help strategies. Mental health literacy was positively associated with education, social support, social network and health status. Discussion and Implications This study highlights a need for efforts to increase mental health literacy among Korean older adults. Strategies that have the potential to empower this population to proactively attend to their mental health include community-based education and national mental health campaigns.

This article examines differences in the discourse from a medical towards a psychosocial approach on mental health problems in Iceland by employing a systematic comparison of the use of terms about...

Little is known about the perspectives of individuals with mental illness on community mental health services (CMHS) in China. The current study aimed to explore these perspectives. Semi-structured interviews were completed with a purposive sample of 25 individuals with mental illness recruited from three communities in Guangzhou City, China. The Colaizzi method was used for data analysis. Three main themes were identified: (a) patients' perceptions of CMHS , (b) patients' barriers to accessing CMHS , and (c) patients' expectations of CMHS . The identified issues should be taken into consideration in improving CMHS. CMHS staff, including nurses, should make patients more aware of CMHS. To increase CMHS use and make it more responsive to patients' expectations, staff should try to resolve patients' stigma and desire to return to society. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services , 55 (7), 30–37.]

Introduccion. El enfoque intercultural hacia las comunidades nativas americanas requiere el conocimiento de los conceptos y las practicas que favorecen o perjudican la salud de estas poblaciones desde su propia perspectiva. Objetivo. Comprender el significado de salud y salud mental que circula en las narrativas de la comunidad reetnizada indigena muisca de Cota y el potencial de la musicoterapia comunitaria para promoverlas. Materiales y metodos. Estudio de caso con enfoque cualitativo tipo investigacion social de segundo orden. Para la recoleccion de datos se utilizo cartografia social, entrevistas a profundidad, grupos focales, observacion participante y proceso musicoterapeutico. Resultados. La comunidad maneja un concepto de salud diferente al de la sociedad mayoritaria. No hay division entre los conceptos de salud y salud mental. La musica esta integrada a las actividades comunitarias y de sanacion. Conclusiones. La reetnizacion es una decision politica con implicaciones culturales, organizativas y de salud. Las comunidades reetnizadas no pueden ser equiparadas con la sociedad dominante ni con otros grupos indigenas en cuanto a decisiones en salud. La salud publica requiere un dialogo intercultural que permita el trabajo adecuado con estas comunidades.

Contemporary discussions around language, stigma and care in mental health, the messages these elements transmit, and the means through which they have been conveyed, have a long and deep lineage. Recognition and exploration of this lineage can inform how we communicate about mental health going forward, as reflected by the 9 papers which make up this special issue. Our introduction provides some framework for the history of communicating mental health over the past 300 years. We will show that there have been diverse ways and means of describing, disseminating and discussing mental health, in relation both to therapeutic practices and between practitioners, patients and the public. Communicating about mental health, we argue, has been informed by the desire for positive change, as much as by developments in reporting, legislation and technology. However, while the modes of communication have developed, the issues involved remain essentially the same. Most practitioners have sought to understand and to innovate, though not always with positive results. Some lost sight of patients as people; patients have felt and have been ignored or silenced by doctors and carers. Money has always talked, for without adequate investment services and care have suffered, contributing to the stigma surrounding mental illness. While it is certainly ‘time to talk’ to improve experiences, it is also time to change the language that underpins cultural attitudes towards mental illness, time to listen to people with mental health issues and, crucially, time to hear.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of private and public sector managers in Barbados regarding the concepts of mental health and illness at work. It also explored their interactions and experiences with persons with mental illness at work and various forms of support and resources needed to improve the overall management of these persons within the organisational setting. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study used an exploratory research design based on two focus groups of private and public sector managers. Findings The findings revealed that both private and public sector managers understood the distinction between the concepts of mental health and mental illness. However, managers believed that high levels of stigma and discrimination exist in both private and public sector workplaces due to a lack of understanding of mental illness, cultural norms, and socialisation in Barbados regarding mental illness and negative stereotypes. However, workplace education and promotion, associated workplace policies, and employee assistance programmes (EAPs) were identified as key strategies for effectively addressing issues of mental health stigma and the management of persons with mental illness at work. Research limitations/implications Due to the qualitative approach used and small sample selected based on non-probability sampling, generalising the findings to larger populations is heavily cautioned. Practical implications Organisations in both private and public sectors should emphasise workplace mental health interventions such as mental health education and awareness, the development and implementation of supportive and flexible policies, and EAPs. These strategies are likely to help destigmatisation efforts and enhance managers’ understanding of mental health and the management of persons with mental illness. Originality/value This study provided a rich and in-depth understanding of mental health and illness from the perspective of private and public sector managers in a small developing country in the Caribbean. The Caribbean region possesses a dearth of empirical research concerning issues of mental health and illness at work.

Mental health is a major resource for athletes in relation to their performance and development. Concurrently, athletes experience additional mental health risk factors compared to non-athletic pop...

Social work and allied fields are in constant search for novel approaches to reduce mental health disparities and promote mental wellness. Promotion of mental health through social networking sites may be an innovative approach to reduce disparities, especially for marginalized populations. In the current sociopolitical climate, American Muslims face increased levels of discrimination, which is associated with poor mental health. This study explores the use of social networking sites for mental health promotion by organizations serving American Muslims and provides recommendations for effective population level mental health promotion.

Background: A sound mental health is the key component of health and the absence of mental health could create a great deal of burden to the functioning of a nation. As well the attitudes of the public towards mental health issues are important factors in fighting the stigma with mental disorders Aim: To investigate the Saudi people level of mental health literacy and attitudes regarding mental disorders and those affected people. Participants and Methods: A descriptive cross sectional survey was used and a convenient sample of 255 subjects from general Saudi population attending to general public collections area, such as, shopping malls, universities, and restaurants in Jeddah city. The tool consisted of sociodemographic data sheet and self-administered checklist developed by Kumar et al., 2012 for assessing the attitude and awareness level of public towards mental disorders. Results: A total of 255 people were interviewed. Most of the respondents 66.3% were females and the majority of the studied population have little awareness and had negative attitude toward the nature of mental illness as well 72.2% indicted that Evil Spirit causing mental illness. Negative attitude responses were ranging from 47 -57% regarding stigmatization, after effect and treatment. Conclusion and recommendations: the findings concluded that there was a decreased level of mental health literacy among studied population as well as negative attitudes and stigmatization of mental illness. Therefore, more work needs to be done to educate the public about the psychobiological underpinnings of psychiatric disorders and the value of effective treatments.

Guided by the stress process tradition, complex links between religion and mental health have received growing attention from researchers. This study gauges individuals’ public and private religiosity, uses a novel measure of environmental stress—negative media portrayal of religion—and presents two divergent hypotheses: (1) religiosity as stress-exacerbating attachment to valued identities producing mental health vulnerability to threat and (2) religiosity as stress-buffering social psychological resource. To assess these hypotheses, we analyze three mental health outcomes (generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and general mental health problems) in national U.S. data from 2010 (N = 1,714). Our findings align with the stress-buffering perspective. Results show that individuals low in public and private religiosity tend to have worse mental health with greater negative media portrayal. High public or private religiosity tends to nullify the relationship between negative media portrayal and mental health.

Background School-based mental health practice holds promise in meeting unmet mental health needs of American children by expanding access to quality mental health care for hard-to-reach populations such as those in rural regions. The purpose of the present study was to address four specific aims: 1) To replicate findings from prior studies regarding educators' perspectives of mental health promotion in school; 2) To extend prior research by examining specific needs for mental health training; 3) To compare the responses between the educators in rural schools and urban schools within the same geographic and political context of a large Midwestern state; and 4) To explore similarities and differences of the educators' perspectives based on participants' roles including administrators, teachers and school mental health providers. Methods A total of 786 educators including 127 administrators in a large Midwestern state completed a one-time, anonymous online survey. Descriptive analyses were employed to explore the perspectives of educators regarding the current status of mental health promotion in school. Additionally, independent samples t-tests were run to examine the differences in the educators' perspectives based on region (rural vs. urban). Finally, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the differences in the educators' perspectives based on participants' roles. Results Results replicated previous findings, indicating a large percentage of educators reporting a high level of concerns for student mental health needs (93%) and the need for further training in mental health (85%). Mental health disorders, behavior management, and specialized skills such as social skills were identified as the top three areas of need for further training. While no differences were found between educators in urban and rural schools in other topics, significantly more respondents in rural schools (27%) reported that their schools hire mental health professionals as compared to urban schools (13%). The ANOVA results indicated that school-based mental health professionals and administrators are significantly more concerned about students' mental health needs than teachers (p = 0.000). Conclusion A majority of participants take students' mental health issues seriously and many feel that current resources and training opportunities could be expanded. An area of future research could be exploring current mental health trainings provided to educators and examine how their specific training needs are addressed. An important strategy to decrease mental health care disparity by geographic region may be statewide initiatives to increase the number of mental health professionals in rural areas. The discrepancy in the level of mental health concerns expressed by teachers and administrators may suggest a need for school-wide initiatives to foster shared commitments to promoting students' mental health across various staff roles.

Adolescent males are at relatively high risk of developing mental health disorders and show low rates of help seeking when mental health disorders arise. Parents are the primary source of support for adolescents and therefore have an important role in mental health promotion and prevention of mental health disorders. The aim of this study was to examine the perceptions of adolescent males’ parents on the potential role of community sport clubs in adolescent mental health promotion. Forty-six parents of adolescent males took part in 10 focus groups to investigate parents’ mental health knowledge, beliefs and attitudes, perceptions of the role of sport clubs in mental health promotion and disorder prevention, and factors that might promote or limit participation in (and effectiveness of) mental health-focused interventions. Thematic analysis revealed that parents had low levels of mental health literacy, were worried about the development of mental health disorders, but reported favourable attitudes...

Young people’s perspectives about mental health concepts shape both their interactions with sufferers of mental illness and their actions related to their own mental health. The current study employed a cross-sectional qualitative design to explore how adolescents (aged 12–18 years) speak about mental health and illness in order to gain insight into young people’s perceptions and experiences and contribute to shaping approaches to policy and practice. When discussing mental health concepts and appropriate behaviours toward sufferers of mental illness, adolescents conveyed a sense of acceptance and understanding of the potential complexity and severity of mental health problems. In contrast, when discussing mental health in the context of their own lives, a stronger sense of scepticism was conveyed, with students expressing difficulty with the lack of visible markers of mental health and confusion determining authenticity in the mental health states conveyed by their peers. Interestingly, adolescen...

Mental hospitals in India, as elsewhere in the world, have played an important role in the care of persons with mental illness. Since their inception, they have both been decried for gross violations of human rights and dignity as well as lauded as places of refuge and care for persons turned away by the communities. In a country where community interventions for mental health care are still fragmentary, the mental hospital still continues to be a relevant and legitimate locus of care along with other limited resources available for the care of persons with mental illness outside of the family. In India, positive changes in the infrastructure and resourcing of mental hospitals, reductions in involuntary admissions and improvements in facilities have largely occurred through judicial interventions. Recent pilot interventions for rehabilitation of long-stay patients point towards the need to develop rehabilitation and community facilities for persons with severe mental illness.

Service delivery challenges persist for African American youth who are impacted by mental health conditions. Along with access, of primary concern is the absence of an Afrocentric perspective that ...

There is extensive literature acknowledging inequalities in health, particularly mental health services for adults, children and young people from Black and minority ethnic communities in the UK. However, there is little existing evidence on UK Pakistani young people’s views of mental health and mental health services. Four focus-group discussions were carried out (n = 33 participants) at local schools, madrasas and a youth group; and data analysed using a framework approach. The findings from this study highlighted a number of barriers to accessing mental health services. Participants had a poor awareness of mental health services and treatment options. Most respondents referred to GPs as their first point of contact for mental health concerns. Knowledge of treatment options for mental illness focused mainly on counselling. There was little awareness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or family-based CBT as a therapeutic regime. Based on the findings of this study it is clear that young peopl...

BackgroundStigma related to mental health is a major barrier to help-seeking resulting in a large treatment gap in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). This study assessed changes in knowledge, attitude and behaviour, and stigma related to help-seeking among participants exposed to an anti-stigma campaign.MethodThe campaign, using multi-media interventions, was part of the SMART Mental Health Project, conducted for 3 months, across 42 villages in rural Andhra Pradesh, in South India. Mixed-methods evaluation was conducted in two villages using a pre-post design.ResultsA total of 1576 and 2100 participants were interviewed, at pre- and post-intervention phases of the campaign. Knowledge was not increased. Attitudes and behaviours improved significantly (p < 0.01). Stigma related to help-seeking reduced significantly (p < 0.05). Social contact and drama were the most beneficial interventions identified during qualitative interviews.ConclusionThe results showed that the campaign was beneficial and led to improvement of attitude and behaviours related to mental health and reduction in stigma related to help-seeking. Social contact was the most effective intervention. The study had implications for future research in LMIC.

Examining the sources of health communication that young adults with mental health challenges receive regarding service use is critical to curbing the societal concern of unmet mental health needs of this population. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 59 young adults, all of whom were diagnosed with a mood disorder and used public mental health services and additional public systems of care during childhood. Thematic analysis was utilized. Of the 59 participants, 45 nominated at least one supportive adult, with a total of 97 relationships analyzed. Results indicate that the majority of messages came from informal supports (e.g., family) who spoke positively about mental health services. Fewer messages came from formal supports (e.g., professionals). Messages included statements surrounding beliefs toward services, social norms (approval and disapproval), self-efficacy, and image considerations around using services. These findings can suggest ways that mental health service engagement i...

For the past 2 years during Mental Health Week in Australia, the ABC has dedicated a week of programming across all of its platforms to mental health issues. The ‘Mental As’ campaign has been widely praised for creating awareness and raising funds for mental health research, while also drawing some strong criticism. This article provides a thematic analysis of a selection of media and public responses to Mental As with particular attention to the following four themes: starting a national conversation; combating stigma; emphasising the political economy of mental health; and resisting restitution narratives. The analysis draws upon the concept of ‘biocommunicability’ to explore the links between people’s responses to the campaign and their uptake or resistance of the subject positions it invited them to adopt. The article seeks to offer some insight into the ways in which media and communication practices can figure in the biopolitics of mental health.

Recent years have seen renewed emphasis on the importance of mental health policy as a key component of health and social policy at both national and international levels. In 2001 the European Commission produced a public health framework for mental health in the EU. In the same year, the World Health Organisation devoted its annual health report to mental health and called on countries to formulate, update and implement mental health policies. The EU and WHO initiatives both recognised that the challenges facing mental health policy makers are increasingly transnational in scope, related to issues such as rapid demographic change, increased transnational migration, the protection of human rights and the implementation of a growing number of international laws, directives and protocols in relation to mental health care.Significant progress has been made in the development of Irish mental health services over the past 40 years. Nevertheless, many challenges remain. The aims of this paper are to outline:• Prevailing theoretical perspectives on mental health policy• Mental health policy in Ireland since the last major policy revision in 1984• Relevant economic and demographic changes in Ireland since 1984• Relevant clinical, legislative and policy developments in relation to mental health• Future directions for mental health policy.Electronic literature searches were performed using Psyclit (American Psychological Association, 1887–2003), Medline (United States National Library of Medicine, 1985 – 2003), with broad search terms related to mental health policy. Additional books and papers were identified by tracking back through references and consulting with colleagues. Policy documents and selected literature on Irish psychiatric services were reviewed and related to recent literature on mental health policy.

Young men are grossly over represented in Irish suicide statistics, yet this group is the least likely to use mental health services. This paper outlines why young men are reluctant to access mental health services, framing the problem in the context of risk factors for suicide such as binge drinking and social change. The paper argues that de-stigmatising mental illness and encouraging young men to seek help for emotional problems should be a priority for policymakers.

Studies have consistently found that East Asian immigrants in North America are less likely to use mental health services even when they experience levels of distress comparable to Euro-Americans. Although cultural factors that may prevent East Asian immigrants from seeking mental health care have been identified, few studies have explored ways to foster appropriate help-seeking and use of mental health services. Recent work on mental health literacy provides a potential framework for strategies to increase appropriate help-seeking and use of services. This paper reviews the literature on help-seeking for mental health problems among East Asian immigrants living in Western countries to critically assess the relevance of the mental health literacy approach as a framework for interventions to improve appropriate use of services. Modifications needed to develop a culturally responsive framework for mental health literacy are identified.

There are calls across America for police to re-imagine themselves as "guardians" rather than "warriors" in the performance of their innumerable duties. The contentious history of police attitudes and practices surrounding encounters with people affected by mental illnesses can be understood through the lens of this wider push toward guardianship. At least as far back as the de-institutionalization of mental health care and the profound lack of community-based resources to fill service deficits, the role of police as mental health interventionists has been controversial and complex. This paper reviews the first wave of reform efforts designed to re-shape police sensibilities and practices in the handling of mental health-related encounters. We argue that such efforts, centred on specialized training and cooperative agreements with the health care sector, have advanced a guardian mindset through improved knowledge and attitudes about mental health vulnerabilities and needs. Building on the progress made, we suggest there are critical opportunities for a new wave of efforts that can further advance the guardianship agenda. We highlight three such opportunities: (1) Enhancing experiences of procedural justice during mental health-related encounters; (2) Building the evidence base through integrated data sets; and (3) Balancing a "case-based" focus with a "place-based" focus.

A number of international studies have highlighted the prevalence of mental health disorders, and the combined lifetime incidence of mental illnesses has been estimated to be as high as 30 percent worldwide. Due to geopolitical, economic, cultural, and religious factors, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have been recognized as being particularly susceptible to the socioeconomic impact of mental health disorders, and our report examines the current state of mental healthcare policies in the Arab world and discusses the administrative/infrastructural and social/cultural challenges faced in the provision of adequate mental health care in Kuwait.

Consumer participation in the education of health professionals is increasing, particularly in mental health nursing education and storytelling remains the most frequent approach to consumer involvement. The use of story has tended to be accepted as a legitimate educational tool with limited critique or consideration of its potential consequences presented within the academic literature. A qualitative exploratory research study was undertaken with mental health nurse academics (n = 34) and consumer educators and academics (n = 12), to investigate the perceptions and experiences of mental health nurses and consumers regarding the involvement of consumers in mental health nursing education. Data were analysed thematically. Story was a major theme to emerge from consumer participants and received some attention from nurse academics. Consumers and nurses both referred to the power of story to convey the human experience of mental illness diagnosis and service use; and the vulnerability that can result from storytelling. Consumers also described: story as expectation; preparation and support; and the politics of story. All participants supported the value of storytelling in mental health nursing education. Consumers had considered the complexities in far greater detail. The ongoing value of story as an educational technique requires further research. Equally important is considering a broader range of educational roles for mental health consumers.

BackgroundThe ramifications of mental ill health are enduring and potentially disabling. This research study focuses on using art to explore children’s understanding and awareness of mental health issues.AimsTo explore the medium of ‘drawing’ as a method of communication by young people for expressing feelings and thoughts about what keeps their minds strong and what makes them happy as children.MethodArts-based research was used as a primary mode of inquiry to collect data and conduct analysis.SampleA total of 16 schools participated, with 10 from the primary school sector (children aged 5–11 years) and six from the post-primary sector (11 + to 18 years). A total of 358 posters were submitted.FindingsEmergent themes suggested the existence of the awareness of stigma, which accompanied mental health issues and social isolation. In addition, perceptions of what makes children happy were also apparent, for example, family and friends. Similarities existed in the relationship between genders of a similar age group, and some differentiations presented between primary and post-primary educational sectors.ImplicationsArts-based research offers children an opportunity to recognise and express their feelings. Early identification of a child’s mental health problems may enable mental health nurses to engage in early intervention strategies to promote positive health functioning.

Mental health problems among youth in the juvenile justice system are of particular concern given their high prevalence rate. The current study applies attribution theory and focal concerns to examine how mental health problems influence the judicial decision to commit youth to confinement. Furthermore, the study examines whether the effect of mental health problems is conditioned by race and ethnicity, hypothesizing that minorities with mental health problems will be treated more severely than Whites with mental health problems. Using administrative court records from Maricopa County, AZ ( n = 5,501), findings reveal that mental health problems increased the likelihood of confinement, and this effect was moderated by race. Implications for theory and policy are discussed.

The purpose of this study is to explore and describe service users’ subjective experiences of mental health crisis. The main research question is: How do people with severe mental health problems experience and understand mental health crisis? Based on a hermeneutic-phenomenological methodology, in-depth interviews with seven participants have been carried out to encourage reflections on mental health crisis experiences. The findings reveal the crisis as being complex and multifaceted, which contains two dimensions in experiencing crisis—an existential dimension (personal) and a contextual (social) dimension. Three main themes identified through the analysis, “Feeling out of control,” “Emotional darkness,” and “Loneliness and seeking togetherness”. Mental health crisis is experienced as chaos, losing control, loss of energy, and feelings of hopelessness. During mental health crisis, one’s social life can be difficult and involve many paradoxes and daily challenges. However, the participants revea...

A need for research on young children’s mental health has been identified. Moreover, there is a need to enhance teachers’ skills regarding health promotion work in preschool. The aim of the study is to examine the impact of a specific course on mental health promotion among Swedish preschool teachers. Data were gathered through interviews and documentation. A qualitative content analysis was used. Three categories: ‘attention’, ‘belonging’ and ‘personal growth’ – and six subcategories emerged from the analysis. The latent content of these categories is described in the theme: ‘Increased awareness, in thoughts and actions, of promoting mental health may create a sense of trust at preschools’. The results show that a specific course to promote mental health enhanced the teachers’ awareness of mental health which improved their work with children. This contributed to the development of a sense of trust at preschools, which is important to children’s mental health.

Korean teachers were facing the crisis of mental health, as seen in indexes of low satisfaction for their job, high leave of absence due to mental disease and high rate of suicide. The purpose of this article was to discuss the implications for the increasing emphasis on mental health problems of Korean teacher including the diverse conditions and leave of absence due to mental disease. Literature review about researches and current policies were conducted to propose agenda for teachers’ mental health. Policies for teachers’ mental health should be established for their health, support teaching activities and furthermore protection of students’ education right.

After delimiting the concepts of moral and ethics the author makes a conceptual difference between psychiatry and mental health. He proposes that the former is a medical specialty while the latter is built in the health concept. Psychiatric problems correspond to mental disorders that affect individual persons while mental health problems, such as underdevelopment and poverty, generalized corruption and violence affect the whole society and interfere with human development and economic growth. To mix up both concepts as if they were synonymous, especially in third world countries, leads to scientific, economic and socio-political risks that attempt against their developments as nations.

This seemed like an opportune time to devote a special issue of the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research ( JSSWR) to the topic of the etiology and treatment of individuals with a severe mental illness. More than a decade ago, the report from the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health (2003) called for a transformation of the fragmented delivery system of mental health services to a coordinated delivery system with a recovery orientation. This policy represented a fundamental shift in thinking that was markedly different than prior reform efforts, which were basically “a new environmental approach to treatment and innovative type of facility or locus of care” (Morrissey & Goldman, 1984, p. 785). The public mental health policy moved away from focusing on changes in the setting in which care was delivered to modifying the public’s values, attitudes, and philosophy of the way we treat and think about people with severe mental illness (SMI; e.g., schizophrenia spectrum disorders, major depression and bipolar disorders), regardless of service location. The recovery movement is about seeing people who experience mental illness as whole persons with the capability of making their own decisions about their life and their care, endorsing their self-determination, seeing them as experts on what works for them, ensuring their full involvement in their treatment planning, and providing opportunities to ensure that those with SMI have equality of rights and responsibilities of any other citizen. These values and approaches are a break from the past when the medical model reigned supreme and mental health providers were the only experts who paternalistically knew what was in the best interest of those with SMI; consequently, it was the mental health care provider who made all decisions with limited, if any, input from the patient. The shift in thinking is about changing the way in which we practice mental health care, the way we view

Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 26 African American men with serious mental illness who were consumers of community mental health services and 26 members of their social support networks. All participants were asked what they believed had caused the consumers’ mental illness. Consumer participants most commonly identified chronic life stressors as a causal factor, while social supports most often identified intrinsic factors such as genetics or biology as causes of mental illness. Some support participants believed that unintentional drug use had precipitated the onset of mental illness or had no causal theories. The fact that some support participants could not identify a causal explanation may indicate failure on the part of mental health care systems to engage with consumers’ social support networks and provide education about mental illness and its causes. The implications of etiology beliefs on mental health service utilization are discussed.