A systematic review of Karen refugee health

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah J. Hoffman ◽  
Cheryl L. Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Forced Migration ◽  
The Body ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Karen Refugees ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive perspective of the documented physical and mental health issues Karen refugees from Burma face as a result of war and refugee trauma, and migration. The review will address the question: What is the impact of trauma and migration on the physical and mental health of Karen refugees? Design/methodology/approach – A total of 18 articles were systematically selected for inclusion in the final review. The focal content for included articles includes qualitative and quantitative research representative of the health and migration experiences of Karen refugees. Findings – The findings of this review demonstrate significance for health providers from a public health standpoint as programs and services are targeted to meet the specific health needs of the Karen community. It also highlights the contribution of the Karen forced migration experience to the complexity of individual and community health needs, particularly as a result of the protracted conflict. Originality/value – This critical appraisal of the body of literature describing the health experiences of Karen refugees from Burma, with a particular focus on outcomes relevant to resettlement, demonstrates value as programs are developed with an integrated refugee perspective.

scholarly journals ‘Bad for the Health of the Body, Worse for the Health of the Mind’: Female Responses to Imprisonment in England, 1853–1869

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Bennett
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Prison System ◽  
The Body ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Gender Beliefs ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Female Responses ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Upon committal to one of the newly established female convict prisons in the mid-nineteenth century, women entered a system intended to regulate them in body and in mind for the ends of reform. This article interrogates how women’s health needs were identified and contested by the prison officials and doctors tasked with their custody and care. It highlights the importance of broader temporal gender beliefs in dictating their treatment in this carceral space and explores how the women themselves exercised agency over the terms of their imprisonment. In addition, it reveals the previously underexplored transference of women between the institutions that made up the female convict estate that was prompted by concerns about the impact of a rigorous prison system on their physical and mental health.

Is co-production working well in recovery colleges? Emergent themes from a systematic narrative review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Louise Bester ◽  
Anne McGlade ◽  
Eithne Darragh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Social Care ◽  
The Body ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practitioner Attitudes ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Impact

Purpose “Co-production” is a process in health and social care wherein service users and practitioners work in partnership. Recovery colleges (RCs) are educational establishments offering mental health education; a cornerstone feature is that courses are designed and delivered in parity by both mental health practitioners and “peers” – people with lived experience of mental illness. This paper aims to consider, through the identification of key themes, whether co-production within RCs is operating successfully. Design/methodology/approach The paper is a systematic review of qualitative literature. Relevant concept groups were systematically searched using three bibliographic databases: Medline, Social Care Online and Scopus. Articles were quality appraised and then synthesised through inductive thematic analysis and emergent trends identified. Findings Synthesis identified three key themes relating to the impact of co-production in RCs: practitioner attitudes, power dynamics between practitioners and service users, and RCs’ relationships with their host organisations. As a result of RC engagement, traditional practitioner/patient hierarchies were found to be eroding. Practitioners felt they were more person-centred. RCs can model good co-productive practices to their host organisations. The review concluded, with some caveats, that RC co-production was of high fidelity. Originality/value RC research is growing, but the body of evidence remains relatively small. Most of what exists examine the impact of RCs on individuals’ overall recovery and mental health; there is a limited empirical investigation into whether their flagship feature of parity between peers and practitioners is genuine.

scholarly journals Pet Ownership and Quality of Life: A Systematic Review of the Literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 332
Author(s):  
Kristel J. Scoresby ◽  
Elizabeth B. Strand ◽  
Zenithson Ng ◽  
Kathleen C. Brown ◽  
Charles Robert Stilz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
The Body ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal ◽  
The Impact

Pet ownership is the most common form of human–animal interaction, and anecdotally, pet ownership can lead to improved physical and mental health for owners. However, scant research is available validating these claims. This study aimed to review the recent peer reviewed literature to better describe the body of knowledge surrounding the relationship between pet ownership and mental health. A literature search was conducted in May 2020 using two databases to identify articles that met inclusion/exclusion criteria. After title review, abstract review, and then full article review, 54 articles were included in the final analysis. Of the 54 studies, 18 were conducted in the general population, 15 were conducted in an older adult population, eight were conducted in children and adolescents, nine focused on people with chronic disease, and four examined a specific unique population. Forty-one of the studies were cross-sectional, 11 were prospective longitudinal cohorts, and two were other study designs. For each of the articles, the impact of pet ownership on the mental health of owners was divided into four categories: positive impact (n = 17), mixed impact (n = 19), no impact (n = 13), and negative impact (n = 5). Among the reviewed articles, there was much variation in population studied and study design, and these differences make direct comparison challenging. However, when focusing on the impact of pet ownership on mental health, the results were variable and not wholly supportive of the benefit of pets on mental health. Future research should use more consistent methods across broader populations and the development of a pet-ownership survey module for use in broad, population surveys would afford a better description of the true relationship of pet ownership and mental health.

scholarly journals Diversity and health strategies for newly resettled refugees

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-252
Author(s):  
Linda Vikdahl ◽  
Göran Ståhle ◽  
David Gunnarsson ◽  
Fredrik Saboonchi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Different Levels

Purpose In general, newly resettled refugees have poorer physical and mental health than native-born Swedes. This indicates that the society must make special efforts to enable refugees to attain health that is on a par with the rest of the population. The challenges rest primarily with employees in the public sector. But what resources do professionals need to meet the refugees’ health needs? This paper is about the need to develop strategies for professionals working with diversity and health, with a focus on the establishment of newly resettled refugees in Sweden. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to identify the needs and obstacles in working with diversity and health for the newly resettled. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on focus group interviews with 40 professionals working in three large municipalities and one County Administrative Board, all of whom work with challenges related to migration and health on a daily basis. Findings The needs expressed by the interviewees are primarily about developing and improving communications. Three important areas of communication were expressed: how information can be transferred from sender to receiver, institutionalization and interactions at different levels. Originality/value This paper identifies important needs and obstacles when working with diversity and health in Sweden, with a focus on the establishment of newly resettled refugees. It is an important contribution because refugees in general have poorer physical and mental health than native-born Swedes and strategies to improve their health, therefore, need to be further developed.

Perceptions of mental illness in the Somali community in Minnesota

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebekah Pratt ◽  
Ayan Fadumo ◽  
Mikow Hang ◽  
Sirad Osman ◽  
Nancy Raymond
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
Religious Leaders ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Community Assets ◽  
Somali Immigrants ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – Somali immigrants are a strong, vibrant community in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. However, the legacy of resettlement and the challenges of adjustment can lead to complex physical and mental health challenges. The Somali community is considered to be underserved, particularly with regard to mental health, but the health system must understand the perception of mental health in the Somali community in order to address current disparities. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This qualitative research drew on the Social Ecological Model (SEM) and was conducted with the goal of learning more about how mental illness is perceived in the Somali community living in Minnesota. Four focus groups were held, with a total of 35 participants, 19 female and 16 male. Findings – Several main themes emerged from the data. The community’s foundations of the perceptions of mental health inform and shape their perspective on mental illness, including the way mental illness is defined. Historical experiences, the impact of trauma, strong religious beliefs, and stigma toward mental illness influenced both the perceived causes of mental illness and views on seeking treatment. Originality/value – This research suggests there is value in drawing on the SEM to as the perception of mental illness is both layered, and shaped by the Somali community’s historical and social context. Forming community partnerships that address concerns about mental illness are essential next steps toward improving mental health in the Somali community. These partnerships should build on existing community assets, particularly religious leaders.

How Dynamics of Urbanization Affect Physical and Mental Health in Urban China

2014 ◽  
Vol 220 ◽  
pp. 988-1011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Chen ◽  
Shuo Chen ◽  
Pierre F. Landry ◽  
Deborah S. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Absolute Level ◽  
Individual Outcomes ◽  
And Migration ◽  
The Impact

AbstractUsing a 2011 national survey of urban residents, irrespective of their official hukou status, and the 2000–2009 night-time light data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS), this paper goes beyond the simple dichotomy of migrant versus non-migrant or rural versus urban hukou to disentangle the processes of urbanization and migration and their complex associations with health, and assesses the impact of various levels and speed of urbanization on the physical and mental health of current residents in a city or town. By disaggregating urbanization into three discrete dimensions at sub-provincial levels, we find that while a higher absolute level of urbanization at the county level negatively impacted self-reported physical health, faster and accelerating urbanization had a positive impact which could be attributed to the demand-pull effect underlying the healthy migrant phenomenon. By contrast, all three dimensions of urbanization were associated with greater depressive distress and thus had an adverse effect on residents' mental health. Beyond demonstrating how variation in the process and location of urbanization affects individual health, we also illustrate more broadly the value of modelling locational parameters in analyses of individual outcomes based on national samples.

The men’s wellbeing project: promoting the well-being and mental health of men

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-189
Author(s):  
Gabriel Abotsie ◽  
Roger Kingerlee ◽  
Andrew Fisk ◽  
Sam Watts ◽  
Rachel Cooke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Events ◽  
Mental Health Support ◽  
Health Support

Purpose Comparatively, men have poorer physical and mental health outcomes than women, with a significantly higher suicide rate. Contributory factors are thought to be social and biological, leading to reduced access to health-care services. The study aims to develop and implement community-based support to increase awareness of and access to men’s mental health support networks and groups. Design/methodology/approach The project involved three key work-packages discussed in this paper: raising awareness of men’s mental health needs in health care, educational and community settings; collaboration between National Health Services (NHS) and non-NHS health-care support organisations to build multi-sector partnership working; and developing a supported sports-based community intervention aimed at men living with mental health conditions. The acceptability and feasibility of these work-packages were pragmatically evaluated through mixed-methods surveys and qualitative content analysis. Findings Overall, both community events and sports groups successfully engaged men living with mental health problems. Organisations interested in men’s mental health are continuing to engage in a partnership initiative. Community events were well-attended and received positive feedback, particularly regarding the educative and real-life experiences approach promoted in the events. The sports intervention is feasible and well-accepted by participants, who described feeling supported with their physical and mental health needs, with increased mental well-being reported. Research limitations/implications The main limitations of this project are that the authors only evaluated a football group rather than all work areas. The project collected outcomes relating to participants’ demographics and qualitative reflections of participating in the football group along with a retrospective survey of perceived benefits, but the project did not undertake a pre- and post-comparison of well-being outcomes owing to low completion of these measures. Future work could focus on collecting more pre- and post-measures related to well-being, recovery and inclusion and compare these with men not involved in the football groups or public events. Practical implications This paper discusses the development and feasibility of setting up community-based men’s mental health support networks, involving public events, partnership working and targeted-sports interventions. All initiatives were well-received and successfully attended by men living with mental health conditions. Evaluation of the programme revealed the value placed on education about mental health and the role that community sports interventions may play in men’s mental health care. Social implications This project has demonstrated three different ways of supporting men’s mental health needs in the community. Community public events were held to raise awareness of men’s mental health needs and issues were well-attended and highlighted the need for health promotion and education in this area across all the communities. The men’s football group demonstrated the feasibility of moving mental health support out into a non-clinical and more community arena in a way that men engaged effectively. Finally, the creation of MensNet has bought together disparate multi-sector organisations successfully to lead public health mechanisms to support men’s mental health needs. Originality/value This paper describes a new multi-disciplined approach to supporting health-seeking challenges among men, in particular, how partnership working across NHS and non-NHS sectors can successfully support an identified public health need pragmatically using existing services and organisations.

Improving clinical practice through simulation training on intellectual disabilities: a longitudinal study

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 137-148
Author(s):  
Hannah Iannelli ◽  
Camilla Tooley ◽  
Grégoire Billon ◽  
Sean Cross ◽  
James Pathan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Simulation Training ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
High Fidelity ◽  
High Fidelity Simulation ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Individuals health with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience comorbid physical and mental health needs and have poorer outcomes resulting in early mortality. Currently, many training provisions based on ID exist; however, limited research supports their effectiveness. High-fidelity simulation is an innovative training mechanism with promising preliminary results. This study aims to evaluate the longitudinal impact of simulation training on clinical practice in ID. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method approach was used in this study. A one-day simulation course using actors who had ID was delivered to 39 health-care professionals from across London hospitals. Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted 12–18 months post training. Findings High-fidelity simulation training is an effective training modality, which has a sustainable impact on participants, their clinical practice and patients. Core features of the training including debriefing, the use and type of actors, scenario design and the facilitators are crucial learning mechanisms which impacts learning outcomes and changes to behaviour in clinical practice and settings. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to longitudinally evaluate high-fidelity simulation training designed to improve the physical and mental health needs of those with ID. The research begins to bridge an important gap in the current literature, with a need for more research.

Online CBT training for mental health providers in primary care

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 228-237
Author(s):  
Kristen Sorocco ◽  
Joseph Mignogna ◽  
Michael R. Kauth ◽  
Natalie Hundt ◽  
Melinda A. Stanley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Online Training ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Mental Health Providers ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of study was to assess the impact of an online training program for a brief cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that integrated physical health management designed for use by mental health providers in the primary care setting. Design/methodology/approach In total, 19 providers from two Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical centers completed online training as part of a larger trial. Statistical analyses compared provider self-reported CBT knowledge and abilities at pretraining, posttraining, and long-term follow-up. Additionally, data were collected on providers’ experiences of the training. Findings Providers’ baseline to post-training scores improved on general CBT knowledge and ability, as well as across 11 CBT principles and techniques. Post-training scores were maintained over time. Research limitations/implications A small sample size, sole focus on VHA data, and reliance on self-report measures are limitations of the study. Practical implications Qualitative data suggested training was feasible, acceptable, and potentially scalable; however, a one-size-fits-all approach may not be ideal. Originality/value Online training has potential for providing wider access to providers with limited access to traditional face-to-face training.

scholarly journals The impact of employment on perceived recovery from opiate dependence

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 206-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Lowe ◽  
Shabana Akhtar ◽  
Oliver Emmerson ◽  
Thomas Parkman ◽  
Edward Day
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Dependence ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Opiate Dependence ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Recovery Capital ◽  
Drug Problems ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Less than 15 per cent of people starting opiate substitution treatment (OST) in England are employed, but few gain employment during treatment. Increasingly punitive approaches have been tried to encourage individuals with substance dependence into employment in the hope of facilitating recovery. It is not clear which factors are associated with the successful maintenance of employment whilst receiving OST, and whether this group can be said to be “in recovery”. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study of the OST population in one English region was conducted between January and April 2017. Measures of physical health, employment patterns, drug use, mental health, recovery capital, and dependence severity were administered to 55 employed and 55 unemployed clients. Findings Those in employment had higher levels of “recovery capital”, better physical and mental health, fewer drug problems, and less severe dependence, despite reporting heroin use at a similar level. Three variables were significantly associated with employment: longest period of employment (OR=1.01, p=0.003); number of chronic medical conditions (OR=0.44, p=0.011); and number of days of psychological problems in the last month (OR=0.95, p=0.031). Practical implications These results suggest that abstinence may not be required in order to maintain stable employment when OST is in place. Different treatment strategies are required for clients receiving OST already in employment compared with those who are unemployed. Originality/value This is the first UK study to the author’s knowledge to focus on people receiving OST who are also in employment.

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