IPS in Supported Housing: Fidelity and Employment Outcomes Over a 4 Year Period

Purpose – Co-production in the context of mental health research has become something of a buzzword to indicate a project where mental health service users and academics are in a research partnership. The notion of partnership where one party has the weight of academic tradition on its side is a contestable one, so in this paper the authors “write to understand” (Richardson and St Pierre, 2005) as the purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences of working in a co-produced research project that investigated supported housing services for people with serious mental health problems. Design/methodology/approach – The authors set out to trouble the notion of co-produced research though a painfully honest account of the project, while at the same time recognising it as an idea whose time has come and suggesting a framework to support its implementation. Findings – Co-production is a useful, albeit challenging, approach to research. Originality/value – This paper is particularly relevant to researchers who are endeavouring to produce work that challenges the status quo through giving voice to people who are frequently silenced by the research process.

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Masculinity and Mental Health Treatment Initiation for Former Political Prisoners in Yangon, Myanmar – A Qualitative Investigation

10.21203/rs.3.rs-18159/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Paul Lakin ◽

Kyaw Soe Win ◽

Htin Aung ◽

Khin Nyein Chan Soe ◽

Bo Kyi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Low Income ◽

Mental Health Treatment ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Political Prisoners ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Community Leader ◽

Treatment Seeking ◽

Health Treatment ◽

Self Reliance

Abstract Background Men living in low- and middle-income countries are unlikely to seek mental health care, where poor healthcare infrastructure, differences in illness conceptualization, and stigma can impact treatment seeking. Vulnerable groups, such as former political prisoners, are more likely than others to experience potentially traumatic events that may lead to negative mental health outcomes. To improve the likelihood of successful engagement of vulnerable men in psychotherapy, it is necessary to identify factors that influence treatment adherence, and to better understand men’s attitudes surrounding decisions to seek and initiate care. The purpose of this investigation was to explore themes of masculinity, treatment seeking, and differences between male former political prisoners who accepted and declined therapy in an urban low-income context. Methods We conducted a qualitative, interview-based investigation with 30 former political prisoners in Yangon, Myanmar who were eligible to receive mental health counseling provided by the non-governmental organization (NGO), Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Men were initially screened using a composite questionnaire with items related to depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptom severity. After screening, if potential clients were identified as having probable mental health problems, they were asked if they would like to participate in a multi-session cognitive behavioral therapy program. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with 15 participants who accepted and 15 participants who declined therapy. Interviews were transcribed and translated by local partners and thematically coded by the authors. We used thematic analysis to identify and explore differences in treatment-seeking attitudes between men who accepted and men who declined the intervention.Results Men described that being a community leader, self-reliance, morality, and honesty were defining characteristics of masculinity. A focus on self-correction often led to declining psychotherapy. A general lack of familiarity with psychological therapy and how it differed from locally available treatments (e.g. astrologists) was connected to stigma regarding mental health treatment.Conclusions Masculinity was described in similar terms by both groups of participants. The interpretation of masculine qualities within the context of help-seeking (e.g. self-reliance as refusing help from others versus listening to others and applying that guidance) was a driving factor behind men’s decision to enter psychotherapy.

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Human-Animal Relationships in Supported Housing: Animal Atmospheres for Mental Health Recovery

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.712133 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Jan Georg Friesinger ◽

Bente Birkeland ◽

Anne Brita Thorød

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Well Being ◽

Supported Housing ◽

Mental Health Recovery ◽

Theory Approach ◽

Equal Rights ◽

Housing Services ◽

Human Animal ◽

The Right

Being in a relationship with an animal can promote the well-being of people. For many individuals, this usually takes place at home. This study reports about homes for people with mental health problems (with or without co-occurring substance use), who live in supported housing operated by public landlords, entailing tenancies that are usually stricter regarding their pet policies than ordinary homes. We thus addressed the following research questions through ethnographic fieldwork at seven distinct places: which types of human–animal relationships occur in supported housing, and how do they affect the tenants? We analyzed the collected data informed by the Grounded Theory approach and found three types of human–animal relationships within supported housing affecting the tenants differently, namely, “no animals,” “visiting animals,” and “shared/sole ownership of animals.” Animals in the buildings can stage atmospheres that promote solidarity and connectedness among people. In contrast, situations in which animals are forbidden can create emotional tensions between tenants and staff or landlords. When discussing fostering animal atmospheres and limits to keeping pets, we concluded that animals can contribute to the mental health recovery of tenants by creating acknowledgment and rootedness. Therefore, public housing services need to guarantee equal rights to the tenants as they do with every citizen, including the right to keep a pet.

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The Community Order and the Mental Health Treatment Requirement

International Journal of Mental Health and Capacity Law ◽

10.19164/ijmhcl.v1i17.268 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 1 (17) ◽

pp. 53

Author(s):

Linda Seymour ◽

Max Rutherford ◽

Husnara Khanom ◽

Chiara Samele

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Services ◽

Mental Health Treatment ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Health Treatment ◽

England And Wales ◽

Sharp Focus ◽

Community Contexts

<p align="LEFT">Just a few months into 2008, a convergence of unfortunate circumstances has brought the plight of offenders with mental health problems into sharp focus. Figures released by the Ministry of Justice showed there were 92 apparently self-inflicted deaths among prisoners in England and Wales in 2007, compared with 67 in 2006. This 37% increase in suicides in prison has been associated with the overcrowding that has continued inexorably.</p><p align="LEFT">This article discusses the application of mental health services to offenders in the prison and the community contexts.</p>

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Masculinity and Mental Health Treatment Initiation for Former Political Prisoners in Yangon, Myanmar – A Qualitative Investigation

10.21203/rs.3.rs-18159/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Paul Lakin ◽

Kyaw Soe Win ◽

Htin Aung ◽

Khin Nyein Chan Soe ◽

Bo Kyi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Low Income ◽

Mental Health Treatment ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Political Prisoners ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Community Leader ◽

Treatment Seeking ◽

Health Treatment ◽

Self Reliance

Abstract Background Men living in low- and middle-income countries are unlikely to seek mental health care, where poor healthcare infrastructure, differences in illness conceptualization, and stigma can impact treatment seeking. Vulnerable groups, such as former political prisoners, are more likely than others to experience potentially traumatic events that may lead to negative mental health outcomes. To improve the likelihood of successful engagement of vulnerable men in psychotherapy, it is necessary to identify factors that influence treatment adherence, and to better understand men’s attitudes surrounding decisions to seek and initiate care. The purpose of this investigation was to explore themes of masculinity, treatment seeking, and differences between male former political prisoners who accepted and declined therapy in an urban low-income context. Methods We conducted a qualitative, interview-based investigation with 30 former political prisoners in Yangon, Myanmar who were eligible to receive mental health counseling provided by the non-governmental organization (NGO), Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Men were initially screened using a composite questionnaire with items related to depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptom severity. After screening, if potential clients were identified as having probable mental health problems, they were asked if they would like to participate in a multi-session cognitive behavioral therapy program. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with 15 participants who accepted and 15 participants who declined therapy. Interviews were transcribed and translated by local partners and thematically coded by the authors. We used thematic analysis to identify and explore differences in treatment-seeking attitudes between men who accepted and men who declined the intervention.Results Men described that being a community leader, self-reliance, morality, and honesty were defining characteristics of masculinity. A focus on self-correction often led to declining psychotherapy. A general lack of familiarity with psychological therapy and how it differed from locally available treatments (e.g. astrologists) was connected to stigma regarding mental health treatment.Conclusions Masculinity was described in similar terms by both groups of participants. The interpretation of masculine qualities within the context of help-seeking (e.g. self-reliance as refusing help from others versus listening to others and applying that guidance) was a driving factor behind men’s decision to enter psychotherapy.

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