Mental Illness and Child Abuse
The physical abuse of children was 'rediscovered' by physicians over fifty years ago. Since then, some observers have expressed concern at the continuing 'medicalisation' of what they consider to be essentially a social problem (Parton, 1985). A widely-held view emerged from the ensuing debate that child physical abuse and neglect occurred through an interaction between parents, children and their social environment. The model described parents with emotional conflicts, caring for vulnerable children, while living in circumstances of social stress (Schmitt and Krugman, 2005). In the context of this model, parents who maltreated their children were not generally considered to be suffering from a psychiatric disorder.
However, recent research into child abuse and neglect has not fully supported this assumption. In particular, reviews of child deaths have shown significant associations with parental mental health problems. Research in this area has been hampered by problems of definition. The notion…...
mlaWorks Cited
Agathonos-Georgopoulou, H. And Browne, K.D. (1997) The prediction of child maltreatment in Greek families. Child Abuse and Neglect, 21, 721-735.
Button, J.H. And Reivich, R.S. (2010) Obsessions of infanticide: a review of 42 cases. Archives of General Psychiatry, 27, 235-240.
Cleaver, H., Unell, I. And Aldgate, J. (1999) Children's Needs-Parenting Capacity: The Impact of Parental Mental Illness, Problem Alcohol and Drug Use, and Domestic Violence on Children's Development. London: The Stationery Office.
Falkov, A. And Davies, N. (1997) Solutions on the ground: a family mental health service? In: Report of the 12th Annual Michael Sieff Foundation Conference 'Keeping Children in Mind: Balancing Children's Needs with Parents' Mental Health'. Michael Sieff Foundation.
When one throws the element of ethnicity into the mix, the process of diagnosis becomes even more difficult. Let us take, for instance the effect of religion on the diagnosis of a mental illness.
In some religions it is considered to be "normal" to experience visions, see ghosts, and talk to the dead. However, from a strict clinical standpoint, these things do not exist and therefore indicate a break from reality. There have certainly been people diagnosed with a serious mental illness for "hallucinating." However, it is much more difficult to determine when to label such a happening a "hallucination" or a "vision." For the person being diagnosed, the experience does not change. However, the label that is applied to the experience can mean the difference between the accepted norm and mental illness (Griffiths et al., 2006, 2).
There are differences in reactions to clinicians that are culturally based as well.…...
mlaReferences
Bentall, R. 2004, Madness explained: Psychosis and human nature. Penguin, London, 95-96.
Boyce, P, 2006. Restoring wisdom to the practice of psychiatry. Australasian Psychiatry. 14(1), 3-7.
Clark, L. 2007. "http: Assessment and Diagnosis of Personality Disorder: Perennial Issues and an Emerging Reconceptualization Annual Review of Psychology 58, 227-257
Elder, R., Evans, K. & Nizette, D. 2005, Psychiatric and mental health nursing. Mosby, Marrickville, 51-63.
Edwards challenges the extreme on the other end as well, i.e. that total wellness sis the only possible state of being labeled healthy. The scholar sites the World Health Organization's definition of wellness as complete mental and physical wellness as far too broad and encompassing and illegitimates the reality of human existence. (16. Edwards, CC2010, pp. 0090) Edwards ultimately argues that the challenges faced by both those who believe that the "optimum" health of an individual is the only alternative associated with curative behaviors is fundamentally to charged as it means that an individual is not acceptable to society until he or she is completely well. The answer then according to Edwards is to set a more realistic goal of reaching rational autonomy, i.e. The most basic ability of an individual to function in society. (17. Edwards, CC2010, pp. 0091-0092)
Though Edwards makes strong points regarding the extremes of mental…...
Mental Illness
The foremost question relating to mental illness concerns about its very existence - whether mental illness actually exists or not? According to Thomas Szasz, mental illness is a mere myth (Szasz, 1960) and does not exist, as illness can be defined only in terms of physical pathology and most mental disorders have no such demonstrable pathology. In a similar viewpoint, it was argued that biology was not relevant to the disorders of mind and behavior and such disorders could be fully understood from a sociological point-of-view. (Laing, 1960) Another theory is that some forms of mental disorders are the result of social incompetence and can be cured by social skills training. (Tower, Bryant and Argyle, 1978)
However, the medical profession holds the opposite view and is satisfied that mental illness does exist and is usually divided into two major groups - the psychoses and the neuroses. (oth and Kroll, 1986)…...
mlaReferences
Eysenck, H.J. (1960) 'Classification and the problems of diagnosis: Handbook of Abnormal Psychology', First Edition, Pitman: London
Hollingshead, A.B., and Redlich, F.C., (1958) 'Social Class and Mental Illness', Wiley: New York, Laing, R.D. (1960) 'The divided self', Tavistock, London
Macionis, J (2001) 'Society, the Basics', Prentice Hall Publishing Inc., NJ
Roth, M., and Kroll, J., (1986) 'The Reality of Mental Illness', Cambridge University Press
Null Hypothesis 2: The mentally ill are not particularly at risk of substance abuse or criminal activity.
4) Independent and Dependent Variables
Independent variables that might influence the study focused on the mentally ill include other influencing factors such as support from family, friends, age, and the use of psychotropic drugs.
Independent variables that can influence the study includes attitudes and stigmatization by professionals at institutions that house mentally ill inmates. This can be influenced by individuals' knowledge of the mentally ill, such as having family members or friends with related conditions.
5) Operational Definitions:
Support from family and friends is taken to mean monitoring medication and liaising with mental health professionals.
In terms of age, it is commonly experienced that mentally ill patients tend to become more responsible with age in terms of understanding the nature of their condition and taking responsibility for medication and regular clinic visits.
Psychotropic drugs are commonly prescribed to patients suffering…...
mlaReferences During Prime-Time Television. International Communication Association. Retrieved from AllAcademic.com: http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p113127_index.html
However many people displaying psychiatric symptoms were over represented in jail and there is no tangible evidence to prove that it is their mental illness that got them to jail.
Indeed unless it can be shown that factors unique to serious mental illness are specifically associated with behavior leading to arrest and incarceration, the criminalization hypothesis ought to be reconsidered. It should put into consideration more powerful risk factors for crime inherent in social settings. Though jails and prisons continue to be seen as psychiatric warehouses, this may not indicate mental health care crisis but rather much of a public policy crisis in accordance with Junginger et.al (2006).
Melissa Schaefer Marabito (2007) has it that since the 1970s a large number of people have entered the criminal justice system of which can only be attributed to criminalization hypothesis. She goes on to critic the criminalization hypothesis saying that it oversimplifies the…...
mlaReferences
Dr. Junginger and colleagues (2006). Effects of Serious Mental Illness and Substance Abuse on Criminal Offenses. June 2006 Vol. 57 No. 6
Melissa Schaefer Morabit (2007). Criminalization Hypothesis: An Historical Policy Analysis.
Retrieved August 20, 2011 from http://apha.confex.com/apha/135am/techprogram/paper_163813.htm
mental health field and the economy. The writer presents a hypothesis that the economic downturn can and does contribute to increased mental health issues.
National economies fluctuate constantly. Sometimes the slump is short lived and other times the downturn lasts for years. The mental health of those who live in an area that is suffering from an economic downturn can fluctuate as well. Those who are caught in the throes of the downturn experience life chances that might include less disposable income, fewer job opportunities and fewer health benefits. All of these things and the other factors that an economic downturn brings to ones life can create an atmosphere that is conducive to mental illness being triggered.
Before one can determine that a downturn in local, regional or national economies can cause an increase in mental illness one must first have an understanding about what mental illness is. Mental illnesses include…...
mlaFreire P; Ramos MB (1970). trans. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York, NY: Seabury;.
BOB EDWARDS (2001). Profile: Effect of the economic downturn on people on welfare., Morning Edition.
Suvendrini Kakuchi (1998). DEVELOPMENT-ASIA: DOWNTURN DRAINING HEALTH BUDGETS., Inter-Press Service English News Wire.
Social-Environmental Context of Violent Behavior in Persons
Treated for Severe Mental Illness
Concept Introduction
Society as a whole understands that two major demographic predictors of violent behavior are being male and being young. Two major clinical predictors of violent behavior are a past experiential history of violence (e.g., in the home, the community, personal delivery or receipt of violent acts or behaviors) and substance abuse (i.e., alcohol and/or drugs). ecently, it has been established that a third factor may well partner with these clinical predictors to violent behavior - being 'severely' mentally ill and refusing or refraining from taking disease management medications.
Premise
Severely mentally ill people who take their disease management medications are not more dangerous than the general population. The MacArthur Foundation Study on violence and mental illness found that psychiatric patients without substance abuse influences were no more likely to demonstrate violent behavior than any other individual in the same environment.
Premise…...
mlaReferences
Swanson J, Holzer C, Ganju V, Jono R. Violence and psychiatric disorder in the community: evidence from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area surveys. Hosp Community Psychiatry. 1990;41:761-770.
Link B, Stueve A. Psychotic symptoms and the violent/illegal behavior of mental patients compared to community controls. In: Monahan J, Steadman H, eds. Violence and Mental Disorder: Developments in Risk Assessment. Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press; 1994:137-159.
Steadman HJ, Mulvey EP, Monahan J, et al. Violence by people discharged from acute psychiatric inpatient facilities and others in the same neighborhoods. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1998;55:393-401.
Swanson J. Mental disorder, substance abuse, and community violence: an epidemiological approach. In: Monahan J, Steadman H, eds. Violence and Mental Disorder: Developments in Risk Assessment. Chicago, Ill: University of Chicago Press; 1994:101-136.
African American Youth with Mental IllnessPart 1: BackgroundObservationThe African American Youth experience unique structural and contextual hurdles as they transition from childhood into early adulthood. While their experiences vary, similar cultural phenomena are prevalent and make this population more prone to mental health challenges than white peers. According to Snowden (2020), one in every five African American youth (9 million) has a severe mental illness, and less than half of them receive treatment for the preexisting condition. Further, any psychiatric care attention to the untreated population is administered in emergency centers instead of specialized facilities in mental healthcare compared to peers from other races. Notably, emergency room physicians are only equipped to handle such cases when there is an emergency and are only a short-term solution to deescalate the mental health crisis. However, the access to mental healthcare in communities where mental health challenges are prevalent is limited or looked…...
mlaReferences
Boyd, D., Jones, K., Quinn, C., Gale, A., Williams, E., & Lateef, H. (2022). The Mental Health of Black Youth Affected by Community Violence: Family and School Context as Pathways to Resilience. Children, 9(2), 259. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9020259
Kalisz-Hulbert, R. (2020-21, July 29). The Conversation. African American teens face mental health crises but are less likely than whites to get treatment: https://theconversation.com/amp/african-american-teens-face-mental-health-crisis-but-are-less-likely-than-whites-to-get-treatment-140697
Lindsey, M., Joe, S., & Nebbitt, V. (2010). Family Matters: The Role of Mental Health Stigma and Social Support on Depressive Symptoms and Subsequent Help-Seeking Among African American Boys. Journal Of Black Psychology, 36(4), 458-482. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095798409355796
Health and Well-Being of a Chosen Group:
Diagnosed mental disorders
Barriers
Barriers to assistance for diagnosed mental disorders exist on the individual, community, and social level. On an individual level, people are often reluctant to admit to themselves that they are mentally ill, or a refusal to recognize that they are ill is actually part of the pathology of their illness. On a social level, discomfort in dealing with people who are mentally ill, a lack of financial resources for treatment (particularly for the poor but even for members of the middle class that lack enough insurance for extensive mental health coverage) can also create barriers to care. A lack of financial resources in general can prevent a full, expansive treatment option being offered combining necessary psychopharmacology and therapy even for patients who are able to afford some types of care.
egulatory, legal, ethical, and accreditation requirements/issues
On a personal level, many mental illnesses…...
mlaReferences
Clay, R. (2011). Advocating for psychotherapy. APA. 42 (8): 48. Retrieved from:
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/09/psychotherapy.aspx
McLaughlin, C. (2004). Delays in treatment for mental disorders and health insurance coverage.
Health Services Res 39 (2): 221-224. Retrieved from:
ANCOVA and MANOVA
ANCOVA or MANOVA
A multivariate analysis of variance (MONOVA) is a statistical procedure for comparing a the population means of several groups and when two or more dependent variables exist ("StatSoft," 2011). One of the strengths of a MONOVA is that individual p-values are produced for each dependent variable. This enables a comparison of the levels of significance of the variables, and can show interactions among the dependent variables ("StatSoft," 2011). It is also possible to determine if changes to the independent variables will create significant effects on the dependent variables ("StatSoft," 2011).
If we consider the question about the influence of course delivery methods on the academic performance of students enrolled in statistics classes, we may find a MONOVA approach to be of assistance in our analysis. ecall that the three course delivery methods are: online, face-to-face, and hybrid. The course delivery methods are the independent variable and the…...
mlaReferences
Carey, G. (1998). Multivariate analysis of variance (MONAVA): I. Theory. Retreived from http://ibgwww.colorado.edu/~carey/p7291dir/handouts/manova1.pdf
Pieterse, A.L., Carter, R.T., Evans, S.A., & Walter, R.A. (2010). An exploratory examination of the associations among racial and ethnic discrimination, racial climate, and trauma-related symptoms in a college student population. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 57 (3), 255-263. doi: 10.1037/a0020040.
Trochim, W.M.K. (2006). Analysis of Covariance. In Research methods knowledge base (2nd ed.). Retrieved from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/statcov.php
When Madness Comes Home: ReviewIntroduction from a Psychiatric PerspectiveThe main point of Secundas (1997) book When Madness Comes Home is that mental illness is not an isolated experience. It affects everyonethe patient, the patients family, and society, too. Secunda shows why it is important to understand this. She also offers a focused exploration of what it is like to live with someone who has a mental illness. The exploration yields helpful insights for those practicing psychiatry professionally as well as for family members of those who are mentally ill.Part One: Breaking Points: Hostages of Mental IllnessIn the first section, Secunda (1997) looks at the initial shockwaves that mental illness sends through a family. Whether it is a parent, sibling, or partner, the onset or revelation of mental illness is likened to a lightning strike that is sudden and devastating.The strength of this section lies in its detailed examination of the…...
mlaReferences
Secunda, V. (1997). When Madness Comes Home: Help and Hope for Families of the Mentally
Ill. Hyperion.
Differences between The Mental Illnesses
The challenge of near-similar presentation of symptoms between schizophrenia, dissociative identity, and bipolar disorder has led to many cases of misdiagnosis. This warrants the need to differentiate the three illnesses as a way of limiting the recurrence of misdiagnosis challenge. Bipolar disorder is a common mental infirmity characterized by alternating mood depressions and mania for several months or even weeks. Maniacs exhibit high levels of energy and hyperactivity associated with restlessness (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Such individuals have an irrational belief of accomplishing huge workloads in a short time. Moreover, the commit themselves to different projects although none can be accomplished. Those around the patients will notice that they are always on the move and have many things to say. Lastly, they do not sleep much because of the depressive and manic mood that leaves them feeling sad.
Contrastingly, schizophrenia is a mental illness where individuals hallucinate…...
mlaReferences
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.Corbiere, M., Samson, E., Villotti, P., & Pelletier, J. F. (2012). Strategies to fight stigma toward people with mental disorders: perspectives from different stakeholders. The Scientific World Journal, 2012. From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3475300/
Mental Illness
In recent years, mental illnesses have been the focus of considerable attention from medical professionals. These are conditions that can cause disruptions in individual's moods, feelings, thinking, daily functioning, and the ability to relate with other people and things. Mental illness is a condition of the brain which results in different symptoms, as well as affecting the day-to-day life of that person and the people around him or her in different ways. The mental illnesses include borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress, obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety to name a few. More than sixty million people in America, i.e. one out of four adults, are going through mental illnesses in a given year. One out of seventeen people experiences disorders such as bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia while one out of ten million children are going through emotional disorders and mental illnesses. Every person who is…...
mlaBibliography
Miles, J., Espiritu, R., Horen, N., Sebian, J., & Waetzig, E. (2007). A public health approach to children's mental health. Georgetown: Center for Child and Human Development.
(n.d.). Models of Human Service Delivery.
NAMI. (2013). Mental Illness: What you need to know. Virginia: National Alliance on Mental Illness.
NIMH. (n.d.). NIMH Plan of Research. Retrieved from www.nimh.nih.org: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/strategic-planning-reports/introduction.shtml
Mental illness appears in various forms. It is characterized by some serious disruptions in someone's thoughts or even demonstrated in their actions. The person presenting these symptoms is often unable to deal with the day-to-day activities and patterns of a normal life. Mental illness can take over 200 forms each having an effect on the patient's disposition, character, traits, and even the way they interact with others. Some of the common forms of mental illness are 'schizophrenia', 'depression,' 'bipolar disorders' and 'dementia'. Taylor and Brown (1988) state that mental illness can be presented in a psychological, emotional way and even in physical symptoms. A person under severe stress due to dealing with an incident or series of stressors' build-up over time is prone to mental illness. A person may also present symptoms of mental illness through a biochemical imbalance, a negative reaction to his environment, and the pressures accrued thereby,…...
mlaReferences
Bartlett, A., & McGauley, G. (2010). Forensic mental health: Concepts, systems, and practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Clinic, M. (2015, October 13). Mental illness. Retrieved December 7, 2015, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/basics/definition/CON-20033813
Corrigan, P. W., Morris, S., Larson, J., Rafacz, J., Wassel, A., Michaels, P., ... Rusch, N. (2010). SELF-STIGMA AND COMING OUT ABOUT ONE'S MENTAL ILLNESS. Journal of Community Psychology, 38(3), 259-275. http://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.20363
Dowrick. C., Dunn. G., Ayuso-Mateos.J et al. (2000). Problem-solving treatment and group psycho-education for depression: multicenter randomized controlled trial. British Medical Journal, 321, 1450-4
It is difficult to address the issue of lack of mental health funding for first responders without first acknowledging the general lack of appropriate thoughts about mental health. While physical illness is treated as a legitimate illness and self-care to help avoid that illness is supported, mental illness is oftentimes still treated like a character defect. People who seek assistance for mental health not only have to face a lack of funding, but often have to worry about whether the stigma that attaches to seeking such help will work against them in their future professional lives. For....
While psychology refers to the study of the mind, clinical psychology specifically refers to that branch of the discipline that focuses on using psychology to create positive change, whether in individual lives or in the community as a whole. There is a wide variety of topics you could approach in your thesis, depending on what topic interests you the most.
Topic Ideas
Teen suicide is a one of the biggest health threats to teens. This may be due to many factors, such as the fact that teenage brains are not fully developed, hormone changes from puberty, teen vulnerability to child abuse or dating violence, or the fact that many mental illnesses begin to emerge in the teenage or young adult years. Reducing the suicide rate among teens is a consistent public health goal, though there is no guaranteed intervention that will always lead to success. With social media usage among teens changing the way that teens socialize, there is little....
Psychotherapy, sometimes referred to as talk therapy, describes a wide variety of counseling methods that center on a person seeking resolution by discussing their problems with some type of mental health professional. It is an interesting type of mental health intervention because it is helpful to a wide range of people and is used by people with and without mental disorders. This differentiates it from some types of mental health interventions, which are specifically targeted to those experiencing a mental illness.
One of the main benefits of psychotherapy is that it helps people....
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