Category: Mental health

There is no doubt that poor mental health takes an immense toll on the lives of affected individuals. Many conditions are barely manageable if not to say debilitating, which prevents mental health patients from taking care of themselves and living their lives to the fullest. What is often left out from the discussion on mental health is how it manifests itself on a larger scale. This paper discusses the impact of mental health on society in terms of education, workforce, and safety.

Mental illnesses have a profound economic impact on society. Suffering from a mental health condition often means reduced productivity and resourcefulness in individuals. It is not to say that mental health patients lack the skills or expertise to fulfill the assigned tasks. However, they struggle to find the energy and motivation to do so. Recent studies have shown that depression reduces activity in the frontal lobe – the part of the human brain that is responsible for higher-order mental faculties such as long-term planning and decision-making. It is readily imaginable how a depressed employee could fall short in these important aspects and underperform. Apart from that, mentally ill employees not only underperform, they may also be endangering the lives of other people. To put things into perspective, a WHO-led study evaluates the losses that the global economy experiences due to depression and anxiety disorders at US$1 trillion.

An individual’s mental health affects his or her educational outcomes. Firstly, the same factors that prevent people from performing well at work – limited decision-making and the inability to plan long-term stifle academic performance. On top of that, it has been found that two other components that often accompany mental illness – anhedonia and social dysfunction’ is the most influential component – play a significant role in shaping educational outcomes. Not being able to take pleasure in learning and function in society often lead to drop-outs.

Lastly, there is a link between psychiatric disorders and criminality and violent behavior, though its nature is still debated. Admittedly, that is not to say that all people with mental conditions are dangerous – that would be a harmful generalization. However, the inability to receive timely and adequate treatment, experiencing illusions and hallucinations as well as suffering from paranoia are all risk factors for delinquent behaviors. Mentally ill individuals are arrested and sent to prisons at a disproportionate rate, primarily because the justice system has not yet figured out the best way to handle them. Conversely, this category of people is also at risk of falling victim to violent crimes. To recapitulate, unmanaged public mental health concerns reduce safety, be the problems caused by mentally ill individuals or not.

Indeed, it is not only the individuals but also society on the whole that suffers from the adverse consequences of deteriorating mental health. Poor mental health is linked to underwhelming work performance, as affected individuals are not able to be as efficient at work as they could be if they were not suffering from their conditions. Academic performance also suffers, mainly from anhedonia and social dysfunction, while the high dropout rate means fewer qualified cadres in the workforce. Mental disorders translate into not tremendous economic losses worldwide. Lastly, unmanaged mental health issues may lead to crime outbreaks as some people can no longer control themselves or put themselves in risky situations.

Introduction

Religious people are less susceptible to depression because spirituality gives them a sense of purpose, community and teaches them to have an attitude of acceptance. These qualities are quite useful in mental health. The association between religiosity and mental health will be analyzed through empirical evidence on the two, causes of depression and how these causes can be affected by religious practices.

Sense of loss, helplessness, isolation, grief as causes of depression and how religion can neutralize these factors through comfort, facilitation of acceptance and creation of new identities

Depression is a complex mental health issue which can be caused by so many factors. Nonetheless, these factors can be classified into these major categories: genetic, environmental, psychological and physical factors. Environmental and psychological factors are the most relevant category in this discussion and they include economic, family or social challenges.

Some people may have undergone family abuse or abuse from close people either in the past or in the present. These can leave scars that make individuals susceptible to depression. The major role of religion in such a case is to provide coping mechanisms for victims of abuse.

Alternatively, depression may be caused by family conflicts. Disputes may arise between siblings or parents and their children and this may put people at a risk of being depressed. Such persons may feel lost or isolated or may lose their sense of belonging and religion can address these emotional challenges. Other people have difficulty dealing with major loss or the death of a loved.

Grief has been shown to be a major cause of depression among patients. Religion can facilitate acceptance of such sad events as they take place and thus minimize the possibility of getting depressed. Occurrence of major events in one’s life is also closely related to death as another major cause of depression.

Some people may get divorced, move to a new city, retire or lose their job and these changes can trigger depressive tendencies. Usually such people may feel unwanted and unloved. They start to question the reason for their existence. As such, religion can offer a platform for neutralizing those negative thoughts and thus prevent depression. It can enhance their sense of meaning and life purpose.

Sometimes physical factors can lead to instances of depression and these may include serious illness. When individuals have been diagnosed with chronic illnesses, most of them tend to develop depression.

In fact, substantial research has illustrated that patients with cancer, Parkinson’s disease, Stroke and many others are likely to be depressed. This does not imply that depression is a normal reaction to those diagnoses but it may occur at any one time to the concerned patient. Religion can provide a sense of comfort to such patients who may feel like they have lost it all.

How religion helps to define life purpose and provides a sense of meaning among people who are susceptible to depression

Many religious people affirm that their lives have a sense of purpose and meaning. This can prove to be a useful trait in handling depression because it gives people a sense of understanding even when illness, death or other major events have occurred. Depression often sets in when these individuals start questioning why they are alive in the first place.

Religion offers that sense of comfort in times of crises because it has already dealt with those underlying questions that can lead to depression. Koenig et al (44) summarized one hundred reports on religion and life satisfaction and found that an overwhelming percentage of the analyses i.e. 80% of them found that life satisfaction increased with an increase in religiosity.

Okulicz-Kozaryn (3) found that this ability to create purpose in life is what led to happiness and happiness eventually led to greater life satisfaction. Although the study did not focus on depression, it is very useful in the study because it explains the importance of religion in dealing with underlying causes of depression and countering them.

Many individuals tend to take on their day to day challenges without really thinking about the meaning of their life. They go to school, get jobs or start businesses, raise families and interact with others without really questioning the purpose of their lives in relation to these events. However, when a drastic event occurs, such people will then begin to think of their purpose but will often lack answers on it.

Religion teaches that human beings are not simply products of chance because if this were the case then there would be no meaning to life (Hatcher & Douglas, 49). Man is a conscious being so he has that inherent need to understand why he is on this earth.

Many religions teach that man was created in order know his higher power. In other words, even if many negative things take place in one’s life, one’s life still remains valuable because it can still be used to get to know God or a higher power. Religions teach people to believe that they are spiritual beings and that they continue to exist even after death occurs.

Therefore, even chronically ill patients can have a sense of hope because they know that they will continue to exist even at the end of life. Furthermore, when a person has a sense of purpose as postulated by that person’s religious beliefs then it is likely that the person will be detached from material or worldly things.

Such an individual will not be as affected as a non religious person when they lose their job or when they retire because they know that there is a greater spiritual quest that they are engaging in. Most religious people think of life’s happenings as transient since the ultimate goal is to grow and develop in God or the higher power. This sense of detachment is crucial to dealing with instances of abuse or any other troubling occurrence.

Thoughts of that abusive situation may not keep lingering in the mind of the victim because he or she will think of it as a small fraction of the larger picture. That person will be detached from the incident and is likely to fare better than the non religious person. This would make him or her less susceptible to depression.

When a person has a deep sense of place and they are well connected with their ultimate purpose then they will often be at peace with themselves. Circumstances around that individual will not dictate one’s reaction because that person looks within in order to find answers.

In the end, it is likely that such a person will be immensely comfortable in his own skin. Environmental causes of depression that may challenge one’s sense of place can have a marginal effect on the individual because that person’s focus is on something else other than the physical.

Isolation, loneliness and detachment as causes of depression and how religion neutralizes them through social support and renewed identity

Clark and Lelkes (1) carried out a research to find the relationship between religious interactions and life satisfaction. Here, they found that the religious tend to be more satisfied with their lives. They controlled for education, marital status, age and country and still found that religious devotees tended to be more satisfied with their lives than those who were not.

But what was most insightful about this research was that is illustrated how social support affected life satisfaction. The authors found that Roman Catholics tended to report greater life satisfaction in regions where more Roman Catholics were present. Protestants also reported greater life satisfaction in areas where there were more Protestants.

This implies that there are positive spillover effects from associations with members of the same faith. These associations were found to come from social support institutions set up by the prevalent religions. People tended to have greater spillover when they attended these churches and events.

Even their degree of happiness tended to increase. When individuals are more satisfied with their lives then chances of falling prey to depression are much less there than in those groups that are unsatisfied with their lives. Clark and Lelkes (7) found that positive spillovers of life satisfaction occurred when religious groups of the same kind existed.

This implies that social support and social satisfaction are critical in determining how satisfied one is with one’s life. Religion offers that crucial life support and thus causes significant changes in people’s attitude or perception of their lives. Depression can therefore be alleviated or prevented because religious association is an anecdote towards one of the most pressing problems in cases of depression; isolation.

Religion has often been considered as a powerful source of community even as external factors try to pull people apart. When individuals get together, they often create positive energy that reinforces their shared identity with one another.

Usually, these people may come together in order to perform a ritual and once they leave those gatherings, the sense of motivation that they derive from it often trickles into their own lives. Since these people feel connected to one another, then that shared feeling causes most of them to act in accordance with that identity. Indeed, religion provides that platform for explaining one’s interrelation with the world and everything else within it.

Furthermore, it confirms to people that they are part of a larger community that values them Okulicz-Kozaryn (3). As stated earlier, many people tend to be susceptible to depression because a certain life event may have caused them to be isolated or lonely. For example, when a person looses a spouse through death or divorce, that person’s identity is likely to be distorted.

Depression can arise among the widowed because more often than not the living spouse identified herself with her role as a wife and that may no longer be plausible. Such a person may feel lonely and unwanted and these are feelings that are synonymous to depression. Consequently, religion would give this widow a renewed sense of identity.

She will feel that her life is still significant because she belongs to her church, mosque or any other religious structure. This would neutralize those negative sentiments and thus cause her to be mentally sound.

Similarly, a person who has moved from their country of birth to a different part of the world may feel detached from his or her new community. Religion provides such people with a renewed sense of identity in an otherwise strange and unwelcoming environment.

Religion facilitates acceptance of life events

When people want to develop spiritually, the first thing they usually do is to become aware of the teachings which they are ascribing to. In order for religious teachings to get into people’s consciousness, it must be accepted. Acceptance refers to the process of being open about something without either negating it to agreeing to it.

Although the attitude of acceptance is mostly applied to religious teachings, it often overflows into other parts of life. The attitude of acceptance is crucial in life because it allows people to just let life’s experiences flow. Acceptance allows people to take others as they are rather than judge or condemn them. Essentially, this allows them to interact with others lovingly.

When looking at causes of depression, it was found that most people tend to succumb to depression after the death of a loved one has occurred or when facing a sad event in life like retirement or job loss.

These issues create a lot of negative thoughts and when those thoughts become overwhelming then someone can easily become depressed. The attitude of acceptance as taught through religion can come in handy because it causes individuals to accept life as it is.

Religious people are better at accepting life events because they understand certain fundamental laws. First, they know that all human beings have choices and can decide to either take one path or the other. In Christianity, people are often expected to make conscious choices on salvation, forgiveness, humility and many other facets.

Religious people therefore understand that choices are imperative in their lives and most will shun having a complaining attitude. Most religions also teach adherents to think of problems as blessings since these are regarded as tests of one’s spiritual journey. Possessing such knowledge does help most people to accept challenges with grace.

They are under the belief that human beings are transient so all of its circumstances will be regarded as a form of teaching for them. The attitude of acceptance therefore teaches people to look at life’s problems as a lesson in wisdom.

This kind of perception allows most religious people not to focus on past events because they emphasize mostly on the future. In religion, the will of the divine being is more important than that of men such that people do not try to look for answers through their own comprehension but through the lens of their divine being.

Many religious groups tend to teach followers about being appreciative of the little things in life. They teach people to dwell on what they have rather than what they do not have or wish to acquire. In troubling circumstances, it is absolutely essential for people to detach themselves from their prevailing situations in order to prevent over analysis of their respective challenges.

Religiousness therefore inculcates a spirit of gratitude which in turn causes greater levels of life acceptance among followers Clark and Lelkes (5). When situations that could lead to depression show up, religion causes affected persons to accept those scenarios by dwelling on the positive things in their lives.

Evidence

The subject of religion and mental health has been studied by several researchers who have found positive relations between religiosity and mental health stability. One such case was research carried out by Sbarra and Law (820). This research directly focused on the subject matter under analysis which was depressed mood. They wanted to find the relationship between church attendance and depressed mood.

The dual dwelt on older members of the population with a mean age of 75.6 and a population of 791 participants. They used frequency of church attendance as a measure of the level of religiosity. They also used the CES-D scale as a measure of depressive symptoms. From the analysis, people who went to church had lower instances of depression.

Those who did not go to church at all appeared to have an even lower level of depression but it was soon confirmed that this same group were more susceptible to depressed mood than those who did go to church. The explanation given by Law and Sbarra (813) concerning these observations was that church attendance gives people a sense of purpose, meaning in their life and also gives them shared activities.

This study confirms earlier assertions made in the paper that religion enhances social support, meaning and purpose. It also illustrates that spirituality can be used tactfully by psychologists in order to prevent occurrence of depression in susceptible populations such as the elderly and the chronically ill.

Koenig (51) found that patients dealing with medical illness tended to rely on religion to cope with the challenges of medical illness. As stated earlier, chronically ill patients are highly susceptible to depression. It would therefore be crucial to find out what scholars say about this particular group’s depression susceptible with regard to religiosity.

The researchers in this particular report sought to find out the opinions of the mentally sick by asking them what coping mechanisms they utilized. Other individuals had different reports but majority of the patients asserted that they depended upon their religious practices and beliefs.

They claimed that it gave them a sense of comfort and therefore heightened their ability to cope with pain and other challenges associated with long term illness. It gave them a sense of optimism and this can be deduced to be inversely related to depression amongst them.

Koenig (737) did a comprehensive analysis of studies that have been conducted amongst physically ill patients concerning their susceptibility to depression and their level of depression. He summarized findings carried out in San Diego, and University of Alabama. It was illustrated that patients tended to focus on prayer prior to surgery and others relied on prayer as one of the conventional forms of adaptation.

In other words, chronically ill patients tended to adapt to their illness in a much better way because of religious practices. Essentially, this implies that their susceptibility to depression was minimized owing to these coping mechanisms. These findings sustain earlier assertions that religion provides groups in risk populations with a sense of support.

Koenig (738) explains that the concerned groups were able to deal with psychological symptoms such as loss of interest. Chronic illness often presents patients with a set of physical and psychological challenges. They might lose weight, concentration and energy and there is very little that religion can do about these physical factors. However, religion affects the psychological factors that make chronically ill patients vulnerable to depression.

In this scenario, physically ill patients tend to lose interest in life and religion addresses that through increased meaning. It causes people to feel isolated and withdrawn from their environment. Religion facilitates social interactions and thus minimizes the depressive mood.

Some may feel a sense of hopelessness because they appear to have lost that sense of control over their illnesses. In such situations, it becomes imperative for these groups to find a sense of hope and religion provides them with that (Koenig, 739)

Conclusion

Religion prevents depression; this has been confirmed through empirical research which has shown that patients tend to cope with illnesses through religious practices and that people are likely to be more satisfied with their lives when religious. When measured for depression, it was found that this category was less prone to depression.

Spirituality also leads to lower prevalence of depression because it Neutralizes factors that tend to cause depression. It offers individuals a sense of belonging such that they can get rid of feelings of hopelessness which can cause depression. Religion also gives people a sense of purpose in their life and thus acts as a coping mechanism for life’s events.

Additionally, religion also creates an attitude of acceptance such that individuals can counter the negative thoughts associated with distressing life events. Together, these factors minimize susceptibility to depression even among groups that would be at the greatest risk.

Essentially, actual religious faiths have little to do with this positive outcome; it is association with others and access to a social network that creates this positive relationship between religion and mental health.

Works Cited

Clark, Andrew. & Lelkes, Orsolya. Let us pray: religious interactions in life satisfaction. Paris School of Mimeo, 2009(2009-01): 1-15

Hatcher, William & Douglas, Martin. The Bahai faith? The emerging global religion. San Francisco: Harper and row, 1985

Koenig, Harold. Spirituality and depression: a look at the evidence. Southern Medical journal, 100.7(2007): 737-739

Koenig, Harold., McCullough, M. & Larson, D. Handbook of religion and health. Oxford: OUP, 2001

Law, Rita & Sbarra, David. The effects of church attendance and marital status on the longitudinal trajectories of depressed mood among older adults. Aging and Health Journal, 21.6(2009): 803-823

Okulicz-Kozaryn, Adam. Religiosity and life satisfaction: a multilevel investigation across nations. Harvard: HUP, 2009

Mental health is one of the key aspects of an effective community as well as society. Mental health in the community is the pattern of mental health care in a particular community (Lundy & Janes, 2009). It has been a long practice to isolate mentally ill people. In many countries or even US area, such patients are being isolated and treated improperly. However, now the vast majority of such patients are being treated within their habitual environment as it is believed that natural settings favorably affect clients’ healing.

It is necessary to note that mental health nursing came into existence only in the 19th century when activists started drawing public’s attention to the inhumane attitude towards mentally ill people (Lundy & Janes, 2009). Those patients were often dehumanized in the asylums for mentally ill people. The 19th century was the time when activists started creating hospitals where mentally ill people were treated humanely.

The beginning of the twentieth century was favorable for the development of mental health centers as this was the time of special research into psychiatry. In the second part of the twentieth century, there was another wave of attention to mentally ill people’s treatment. This was also the time when people started thinking about the environment favorable for such patients’ healing.

Notably, each community contributes to the development of proper practices to treat mentally ill people. At the same time, each community has specific epidemiological mental health factors. For instance, one of such factors in my community is a significant rate of accident.

There is a busy road in the district and many people have accidents. Therefore, there is a significant rate of posttraumatic stress disorders. Wittchen et al. (2009) claim that this is quite a common mental disorder which should be treated. Otherwise, it can transform into much more severe disorders.

Therefore, it is clear that the local community mental health centers should be equipped with the necessary tools to help people cope with their health problems. Apart from this, it is important to make people aware of the importance to address the center after the accident. People often fail to notice when the problem has started. This leads to more issues related to mental health. Thus, people should have some information about certain symptoms and the necessity to get professional care.

It is possible to state that nursing has become one of the central elements of mental healthcare. Admittedly, a number of conceptual frameworks have been developed to help nurses work out new strategies and practices (Lundy & Janes, 2009). One of such conceptual frameworks is interpersonal theory. The major focus is made on the relationship between the client and the nurse.

This is an effective approach; especially in the long run as the relationship developed helps address health issues. The approach is also effective for community health nursing as the client benefits from the natural settings and support from the nurse. Another effective framework is the theory of adaptation. The theory is based on the concept that people tend to adapt to different settings.

Thus, nurses develop specific plans to stimulate clients to adapt to the changing circumstances. Finally, the theory of human becoming is also regarded as one of the most effective frameworks nowadays. This conceptual framework focuses on client’s experiences rather than his/her health problems. The nurse guides the client and helps him/her adjust to the environment. This framework is applicable in the contemporary community mental health nursing practice.

Reference List

Lundy, K.S, & Janes, S. (2009). Community health nursing: Caring for the public’s health. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Wittchen, H.U., Gloster, A., Beesdo, K., Schönfeld, S., & Perkonigg, A. (2009). Posttraumatic stress disorder: Diagnostic and epidemiological perspective. CNS Spectrums, 14(1), 5-12.

Introduction

The United States healthcare secretary in the fiscal 1992 stated that workforce expressive and material welfare are elementary issues. In fact, specific apprehensions have been articulated concerning the mounting levels of both psychosomatic and physical fatigue and signs amongst healthcare employees.

In the United Kingdom for example, employees working in the paramedic departments displayed high degrees of untimely retirement based on the physical and poor cerebral conditions or ill health compared to people working in other healthcare units.

However, the feasible correlations amid workers health statuses and the demands at work are inadequately assessed amongst the suffering groups. Scholars in paramedic research studies mentioned the prospective injurious effects that paramedic undergo when the crucial healthcare events occurred, yet hardly any investigations are conducted (Alexander & Klein, 2001).

Most study literature show that crucial events appear to be menacing to trounce and engulf the normal endurance techniques used by paramedics.

The crisis management employees are normally said to possess resilient traits even though they are susceptible to the unremitting and harsh post-traumatic psychopathological effects accruing after the occurrences of key tragedies. The researchers in this particular study objectively intend to fill the literature gap available in the past studies relating to the paramedics areas of operations.

What the researchers are studying

In this research study, the researchers investigated the correlations amid occupational factors and psychological health amongst the United Kingdom paramedics or ambulance employees.

In fact, the researchers intended to categorize the psychopathology incidence amongst the paramedics, as well as the correlations amid the exposure to the crucial events and personalities. This implies that, in their study the researchers intended to answer the following research questions:

• Does ambulance paramedics’ toughness provide safety to the ensuing ordinary exposures to the incidental consequences?
• What kind of correlation exists amid the emotional, psychological wellbeing and the habitual contacts entailing various crucial events occurring in the course of offering the Scottish paramedic services?

The method used by the researchers to conduct the study

To participate in the study, the researchers invited one-hundred and sixty ambulance employees who perform the emergency and accident responsibilities together with those offering paramedic services to the Scotland local residents. However, the study samples hardly incorporated personnel who transported long-suffering and those charged with administrative duties (Alexander & Klein, 2001).

Prior to conducting the study, the researchers visited fourteen paramedic or ambulance posts. During such visits, the researchers issued study notices to the research respondents showing what is required. However, there were ethical considerations observed by the researcher as subsequently discussed.

First, permission, and support from the business union officers were sought to increase the study response rates. Secondly, the respondents were notified about the free will to participate in the research; the study significance to each paramedic staff; the ability to withdraw from the participation, and confidentiality of the given information (Alexander & Klein, 2001).

The researchers designed and tested a psychopathology questionnaire that comprised of 28 study items. The instrument was perceived to be viable for the identification and testing of minor psychiatric community disorders. The five and above scores were utilized in the study to classify cases having maximum specifity and sensitivity.

The event scale impacts were drawn in the determination of the disturbing events as well as the post-traumatic avoidance behavioral symptoms that were self reported in particular events. The classification of the total scores for the subjects was founded on the suggested scales. That is, high had 20+, medium ranged from nine to 19, and low was from 0-8 (Alexander & Klein, 2001).

The researchers used the Maslach burnout inventory model to assess the paramedics’ occasional burnouts. The model measured the work linked cumulative pressure effects founded on personal accomplishments, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization. Conversely, the three hardiness traits namely challenge, control, and commitment were measured using the forty-five itemed Hardiness Scale version (Alexander & Klein, 2001).

The work approval subscale indicating the management of pressure was used to show the satisfaction level of paramedic staffs with the inner crisis works and accident features. Nevertheless, the subscale for organizational satisfaction was equally utilized to offer the paramedics satisfaction levels with the external organization features.

The copying techniques used by the paramedics in cases of the upsetting events were documented using the checklist for copying techniques. The research file had 8-subjects with responses such as very unsupportive, unsupportive, not sure, supportive, or very supportive (Alexander & Klein, 2001).

The study subjects emerged in a distinct in print leaflet distributed to the one-hundred and sixty study participants via the ambulance services mail scheme. The finished questionnaires were taken back to the researchers via the provided embossed envelopes bearing the researchers postal addresses.

For the statistical research data analysis, the researchers used the Statistical Windows Software Package used by the Social Scientists (SPSS) where they entered and analyzed the study data. In case discrepancies emerged in heterogeneous parameters and distorted information spread, the investigators employed none geometric exploration techniques.

The results discovered

From the one-hundred and sixty paramedics, the response rate was 69.0%, implying that only one-hundred and ten respondents completed and returned the study questionnaire. There were 95 men and 15 women representing seventy ambulance technicians and forty paramedics.

The participants who reported upsetting incidents in the past six months were 82.0%. However, there was hardly any major variation in the demographic outline between paramedics reporting disturbed events and those who did not experience upsetting events (Alexander & Klein, 2001).

There was a correlation amid burnout and psychopathology among study participants. The results indicated a positive correlation (r=0.25) amid the quantity of crucial events observed in the past six months and emotional exhaustion.

The paramedic familiarity periods appear depressingly correlated to individual success. The unconstructive correlation (R= -0.29) revealed that the advanced achievements were majorly correlated to the shorter service periods (Alexander & Klein, 2001).

The research outcomes showed that post-traumatic symptoms were eminent amongst the study respondents. The ninety participants in this particular study reporting the unsettling experiences indicated stumpy post-distressing events.
Utmost thirty-one participants asserted being distraught by the upsetting events for some days; five stated more days, sixteen felt distraught for only some weeks, while two asserted situations of being troubled often.

Despite the fact that the mainly reported events are homicide and personal inflicted injuries, the generally nerve-racking occasions included the therapeutic tragedies and highway motor carnages. In fact, 69.0% of the entire respondents indicated that there was no space and free periods for them to pull through psychologically amid such crucial occurrences (Alexander & Klein, 2001).

From the research study, copying with and exposure to crucial incidents was another aspect observed by the researchers. From 89 respondents, 49.0% indicated that as the number of exposures to serious incidents increased, the copying chances also increased.

However, 38.0% claimed that the copying capacities are hardly influenced by the recurrent exposures while 2.0% had the feeling that copying with situations was dismal (Alexander & Klein, 2001).

The study results indicated that most respondents faced numerous risk factors leading to the emotional and psychiatric problems. For instance, the paramedics claimed that some crucial incidents could cause further psycho-noxious problems compared to others.

Hence, habitual exposures of paramedic staffs to such situations could possibly compromise the employees’ psychosomatic welfare. Paramedics experiencing upsetting episodes suffered high depersonalization resulting mainly from the upsetting incidents such as therapeutic crisis and motor accidents (Alexander & Klein, 2001).

The paramedics become even more perturbed when the victims are children, when the paramedic knows the injured party, where the paramedic received no assistance, or when the injuries endured materialized to be crucial.

On the other hand, the study results indicate that the effect and the incidents nature have direct correlation to the time available for the paramedics to recuperate prior to attending to any other crucial healthcare incident. Many research respondents, more than half noted that there was hardly enough recovery time amid the events.

These increase the paramedics’ intellect-burden part, which appears to be very detrimental to the sickbay attendants’ psychological well-being. Most of the emotional effects are cumulative and take some time to fade away.

Thus, it is imperative that colleagues should offer expressive supports to the paramedics for them to overcome the psychosomatic stigma. Adequate working out, groundwork and endurance tactics should be offered to the paramedic to overcome the emotional difficulties (Alexander & Klein, 2001).

Conclusion

The results show increased levels of occupation approval. In fact, the provision of healthcare services by the paramedics seems satisfying to each worker. Nevertheless, the systems of operations and the inner job features should be supported.

The level of occupational approval hardly justifies complains raised concerning the ambulance or paramedics welfare characterized by post-traumatic symptoms, burnouts, and psychopathology.

Conversely, the paramedics’ experiences do not play significant roles in helping the employees manage the subsequent critical incidents. However, experience helps the paramedics to be somehow reluctant compared to the inexperienced staffs suffering from emotional difficulties.

References

Alexander, D. & Klein, S. (2001). Ambulance personnel and critical incidents: Impact of accident and emergency work on mental health and emotional well-being. British Journal of Psychiatry, 178(2), 76-81.

Mental health refers to the ability of the brain to perform cognitive activities and to forge and maintain relationships with other members of the society. Mental health gives a sense of self worth. It is a basic requirement for one to make informed choices and live a fulfilling life.

Mental illnesses on the other hand are the conditions that inhibit the normal functions of the brain; such conditions include depression, anxiety disorder, and Bipolar disorder.In America, the situation of mental illness is so evident across the country; but of major concern are the rural areas. These areas experience higher rates of depression and other mental disorder as compared to their counterparts in the urban areas.

The main activity of the rural America is farming and crisis that emerges from the cyclical farming and natural disasters as well as being isolated from the rest of society tends to worsen the stress levels. The high numbers can be attributed to lack of facilities and or inaccessibility to those few facilities (Gamm & Hutchison 2003, p.209).

It has been documented that less than a third of the homeless Americanpopulation suffers from severe mental illness. These individuals are the most vulnerable to drug abuse, sexual violation and other forms of exploitation and stigmatization. Many psychiatric institutions in the United States were closed over four decadesago; citing concerns form the human rights.

Since then the government has the left this care to the private sector facilities which tend to be hostile to the common American in terms of medical costs. Promises have been made to start cost effective outpatient clinics but up now, the facilities still remain a dream to many. This situation can not wholly be blamed on the government, but also on society that has neglected its own people.

The lack of facilities should not be an excuse for neglecting the needs of the sick homeless; these days technology has advanced and medicines have developed that can be administered to these patients in their homes. Families should consider this method in order to reduce the disgrace of their own people in public (Kessler 2005, p.617).

There are plans to improve the mental health situation, it is therefore important that the Center for Rural Affairs identifies mental health as a priority and set up medical facilities to help the people in need. To be cost effective, the experts should focus on preventive medicine and care. People should also be educated on ways of taking care of themselves; they should avoid activitiesthat would cause injuries to the head, as many mental problems come about as a result of brain trauma. Medical care should be made affordable to all Americans.

The government should also borrow a leaf from Medicaid, which is a private health insurance but still works to meet the medical requirements of the rural folk. Some people avoid seeking medical care because they fear that their privacy and medical information may be exposed to other people. Therefore confidentiality policies should be tightened to allow more people to visit the hospitals (Probst 2005).

America is a role model society to other counties; the rising number of homeless people on the streets is a disgrace. The American society should do right by their less fortunate members in the society.

References

Gamm L. D.& Hutchison L. L. Rural health priorities in America –Where you stand depends upon where you sit. Journal of Rural Health. 2003 19(3): 209 – 213.

Kessler R. C. Prevalence, severity and co-morbidity of twelve-month DSM-IV disorders in the national co-morbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005 June; 62(6): 617-27

Probst J. C. (2005). Depression in the Rural Populations: Prevalence, effects on life quality and treatment-seeking behaviour. Office of Rural Health policy, US Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD.

Introduction

The paper offers a brief overview of some of the elements that are considered important to the pre-mental health counseling assessment to a young child aged ten years whose parents have divorced. The field that the paper presents has a paucity of empirical data, though, the paper is neither to be used as a standardization statement nor the best guideline. The paper’s goal is to analyze the necessary content of this psychological test, its role and the qualification of the client who undergoes the therapy.

The Objectives of the Assessment Therapy

The counselor who assesses the client for perception of Relationship Test has to ascertain the closeness of the child with either of the parents. The positive and the negative effects of this relationship are then analyzed and recorded (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). A prediction cannot be given before any kind of analysis is done on the parent whom the child feels so much emotionally attracted to. The analysis also helps to understand the parent whose image is negatively placed in the memory of the child.

Assessment Content

The Perception of Relationships Test has been formulated to assist the parties who would like to be relevant in their child custody’s decision making (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Generally, there are seven duties involved in the test oriented towards establishing the closeness of the child in question to the parents. The strengths and weaknesses derived from such a relationship are also established and recorded (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).

In particular to the custody issue, the Test helps the decision makers to assign the child to the rightful custodian. The parent with whom the child shows minimal interaction is given the opportunity to interrelate with the child so as to establish a customary relationship.

Psychological Testing

Clinical assessment cannot give an objective overview of a mental problem without testing the psychological part of it (Neukrug, 2012). There are a number of instruments used in the assessment of the Perception of Relationship Test clients. In selecting the better instruments, various factors must be considered. The rationale behind the inclusion of a psychological assessment to the clinical assessment is to ensure that the test data provides the accurate impression and challenges any distorted form of opinion that might have been formed by the clinical assessment. The choice of the psychological test to be applied is determined by referral question, the training skills of the psychologist, the rate, at which the psychologist interprets the test, and the familiarity with the skills behind the test skills (Neukrug, 2012).

Test Selection Criteria

During the process of choosing which instrument is to be applied to the psychological test, the following procedures must be ensured:

1. Whether the measure is appropriate for the candidate;
2. The instrument applied should be psychometrically sound in measure. The reliability of the scores to be realized is very important. The instruments that produce the correlation figures of 70 are usually considered adequate as the ones with 80 and above considered much better. The validity of the test should also be confirmed. This means that the correlations that exist between the given criterion measure and the test score should be of the higher values so as to reach the statistical importance;
3. The instrument to be chosen should have reliable group of indicators or scales that can asses the response of the client;
4. Are relevant issues addressed by the test and does the test address the relevant aspects;
5. The last issue is the practicality of the test to be considered.

Test Options

The first psychological test instrument to be applied should be the Relationship Structures (ECR-RS) kind of Questionnaire. This kind of instrument helps assess the attachment patterns in various relationships that are very close (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). In the parental domain of the assessment, the reliability was about 80% for the child-mother relationship and 40 % for the child-father relationship. This meant that the child needed to be with the father for some time to allow further bonding.

The second instrument to be applied is the attachment therapy that is also called as the holding therapy (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). The therapy involves various kinds of therapeutically designed processes that are not validated though aimed at restraining the child. Such a refrain is said to help the child be relieved from his or her mental instability. The therapy majorly places its attention at the child’s past life and experience and not at the current state of affairs. The assessment helps the client to find a meaning in his or her present situations of life.

The third instrument to be applied will be the Beery-Buktechnica Developmental Test‘s Visual Motor Integration that usually uses the drawing aspect with a pen and paper (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). The test through screen needs the counselor’s assessment of the child’s rationality overviewed. The test aims at identifying the children who highly need special concern when they are undergoing a crisis.

Reference List

American Psychiatric Association, (2000). Diagnosis and statistical Manual of mental orders IV-TR.

Neukrug, E., (2012). The world of the counselor (4th ed.). Belmont: Brooks/Cole.

Stigmatization towards individuals with mental health disorder results in different kinds of exclusion and discrimination in the social spheres or the place of work. The following are some ways of eliminating such stigma.

Seeking Treatment

Though people with mental health disorder could be hesitant to disclose their requirement for treatment, they should not allow the fear of being stigmatized bar them from getting assistance (Kendra, Mohr, & Pollard, 2014).

Treatment offers relief through recognizing what is wrong, in addition to decreasing symptoms that impede one’s tasks and private life.

Enhancing Self-esteem

Stigma does not come from other people only. Individuals with mental health disorder could wrongly believe that their condition is an indication of personal flaw or feel worthless.

Getting psychological counseling and education regarding the disorder and connecting with others having similar conditions could assist in facilitating self-worth and overcoming negative self-judgment.

Not Isolating Oneself

Rather than sequestrating oneself, people with mental health disorders ought to reach out to individuals they could trust for support, compassionateness, and understanding as a means of overcoming stigma and other challenges (Kendra et al., 2014).

Public Health Endeavors Focusing On Dementia Care

The World Health Organization (WHO) is particularly calling on the international public health community to put efforts that focus on dementia care both internationally and nationally.

National governments, public health personnel, and other stakeholders have developed different strategies aimed at enhancing early diagnosis and care, increasing public understanding while lessening stigma, and facilitating the quality of life for individuals suffering from dementia, in addition to their carers.

Public health efforts differ considerably nation-to-nation since they shape the framework to satisfy their unique needs (DiLuca & Olesen, 2014).

However, the dissimilar public health efforts align across governmental organizations, delineate treatment and care suggestions, and offer a means of reporting on advancement and hindrances.

Public Health Initiatives Focusing On Neuromuscular Disorders

In the enhancement of the care for neuromuscular disorders, WHO instigates different initiatives that engage governments, public health professionals, and other stakeholders (DiLuca & Olesen, 2014).

For instance, WHO has initiated public health initiatives internationally, which encompass the Global Initiative on Neurology and Public Health, to enhance professional and public responsiveness of the incidence, asperity, costs associated with neurological disorders, and highlight the necessity to offer neurological care at every stage of public health.

Risk Factors

Suicidal risk factors in mental health disorders differ by gender, age, or ethnicity and normally happen in combinations. One of such risk factors is engaging in alcohol and drug use. The influence of drugs coupled with the impact of mental health disorder result in suicidal thoughts (Ai, Pappas, & Simonsen, 2015).

Secondly, lack of mental health care could result in unfavorable and traumatic experiences, which would result in suicide. Thirdly, social isolation could make the person feel distressed and worthless thus strengthening suicidal thoughts.

Protective Factors

The protective factors that reduce the risk of suicide in people having mental health disorder vary and encompass a person’s attitude and behavioral attributes, in additional to environmental and cultural aspects. The first protective factor is successful mental health care.

Effective care addresses the psychological and physical problems, in addition to drug use problems thus eliminating suicidal thoughts. The second factor is strong connections with family and societal support. This makes the individual feel valued, which could enhance his/her self-esteem.

The third factor involves cultural and spiritual convictions, which discourage suicide through emphasizing the value of life and the verdict of God only regarding taking of a person’s life (Ai et al., 2015).

References

Ai, A. L., Pappas, C., & Simonsen, E. (2015). Risk and protective factors for three major mental health problems among Latino American men nationwide. American journal of men’s health, 9(1), 64-75.

DiLuca, M., & Olesen, J. (2014). The cost of brain diseases: A burden or a challenge? Neuron, 82(6), 1205-1208.

Kendra, M. S., Mohr, J. J., & Pollard, J. W. (2014). The stigma of having psychological problems: Relations with engagement, working alliance, and depression in psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, 51(4), 563-573.

Abstract

The paper below presents a critique of the article “Explaining Mental Health Inequalities in Northern Sweden: A Decomposition Analysis” by Per E. Gustafsson, Nada Amroussia, and Paola A. Mosquera. Readers can study it as a powerful guideline for examining the relationship between income disparity and mental illnesses. The article critique goes further to explain how and why inequality is one of the leading determinants of such people’s social, political, health, and economic outcomes.

The major weakness of the selected article is that it fails to present proposals for guiding future scholars to examine the nature and effects of mental health inequalities. Several proposals and recommendations are also offered to guide future scholars in order to reduce the current levels of healthcare disparities. The paper concludes by encouraging communities and governments to implement evidence-based policies to minimize inequalities in mental health.

Introduction

Sociologists agree that the current level of income disparity in different regions is a major social dilemma that should be addressed using powerful theories and models. This is true because any form of inequality dictates the lives and experiences of many people. The existence of inequalities in a population is a challenge that continues to attract the attention of scholars, sociologists, and economic experts. The outcomes of inequality in societies range from poor mental health outcomes to poverty. The selected article for this discussion focuses on poor health outcomes in persons with mental illnesses. The thesis for the paper is that economic inequality in this specific population should be addressed because it is capable of influencing societies’ behaviors and norms, goals, and mental health outcomes.

Critique

Article Summary

The selected article begins by explaining why the level of economic inequality in different regions has increased significantly within the past few decades. This problem is identified as a social ill that affects the lives of many people in different parts of the world (Amroussia, Gustafsson, & Mosquera, 2017). Whenever there is disparity, numerous challenges tend to emerge, including increased cases of mental illnesses and slowed economic development and growth.

Focusing on the case of Northern Sweden, the authors assert that existing income inequalities tend to affect members of the highlighted population negatively. Patients suffering from mental illnesses will find it hard to achieve their objectives and expectations. The disparities associated with this population are catalyzed by numerous factors, including employment status, cash margin, and income (Amroussia et al., 2017). These problems affect individuals with mental illnesses in Northern Sweden.

Using evidence-based arguments from different publications, the authors argue that economic disparity affects citizens in both the developed and developing countries. Consequently, citizens find it hard to acquire adequate resources to support their goals in life. These challenges explain why such countries tend to record reduced economic growth rates. The affected individuals usually record negative health outcomes (Amroussia et al., 2017).

The article also offers a detailed relationship between social inequality and mental healthcare. This means that every initiative, policy, or agenda aimed at promoting the welfare of different citizens should focus on the two. With this understanding, the authors propose the use of evidence-based and mutually exclusive policies to address income inequality since it influences the prevalence of mental illnesses (Amroussia et al., 2017).

The authors propose powerful initiatives such as the provision of higher wages, proper systems to support people’s health needs, and implementation of superior social programs (Amroussia et al., 2017). They also believe that governments should address the leading causes of economic inequalities in order to address the predicaments many mental health patients encounter.

Article Critique

The outstanding message obtained from the above article is that inequality has become a common problem that continues to affect many people in different parts of the world. The authors refute the idea that disparity is an issue that should not be studied carefully (Amroussia et al., 2017). He goes further to support this proposition using numerous ideas and arguments. For instance, the article analyzes the nature of economic disparities and their connection with mental health outcomes (Amroussia et al., 2017). This approach makes it possible for the reader to study inequality as a real issue that all global stakeholders should take seriously.

The article begins by indicating mental health disparity as a field or area that has not received adequate attention in the recent past. Members of the targeted population are usually unable to function optimally socially (Bapuji, 2015). This means that individuals who lack adequate resources tend to be economically disadvantaged. The use of income disparity in the article, therefore, makes it easier for the authors to examine various attributes associated with the social problem. This approach explains why the article is relevant, informative, and worth reading.

From a social perspective, the authors indicate that economic disparity can influence variables that are of intrinsic value or not. For example, sociologists can use the concept of inequality to study these attributes: prestige, availability of health services, or mental wellbeing (Amroussia et al., 2017). Such disparities are also associated with different aspects, including race, personal characteristics, gender, age, and religion. The authors use this assertion to explain why scholars and analysts should not ignore the significance of inequality in the targeted population.

The article goes further to examine the origin and true nature of social disparity in Sweden and other developed countries. According to Amroussia et al. (2017), the less affluent in the society tend to earn little income. This challenge makes it impossible for them to receive high-quality medical services. Consequently, those who have mental illnesses will lack adequate information and resources to address their problems. This background information is relevant because it makes it possible for thinkers and researchers to develop evidence-based ideas and strategies to deal with it.

The reader observes that the article gives a detailed analysis of the unique effects of economic inequality on social welfare. The first one is that any form of disparity will influence economic performance and health. The article also challenges scholars who believe that initiatives implemented to minimize inequality tend to affect healthcare objectives negatively (Amroussia et al., 2017). Another unique issue discussed in this article is the relationship between economic inequality and general medical outcomes.

The scholars offer numerous insights and ideas to explain why it is impossible for researchers to analyze the leading causal factors of health disparities in different countries (Amroussia et al., 2017). However, the reader learns that the existence of inequality can result in poor living conditions and mental illnesses. The authors go further to encourage future researchers to focus on this area in order to present meaningful insights and ideas that can inform superior policies.

The study reveals that income inequalities will tend to influence numerous aspects of the targeted population. Although past studies have managed to examine the manner in which income dictates people’s health outcomes, the authors offer evidence-based insights that can guide policymakers and leaders to meet the needs of the affected citizens (Amroussia et al., 2017). This is true because individuals who are facing diverse economic challenges will record increased prevalence for certain mental health parameters, including depression, trauma, and anxiety (Amroussia et al., 2017). Since such patients are not economically empowered, it becomes hard for them to get quality medical services and resources.

The authors consider other possible factors that play important roles in explaining the potential causes of mental health disparities. For instance, gender and racial inequalities can be observed whenever focusing on the problems different citizens face. This means that many women and minority groups will record increases cases of mental conditions or diseases (Amroussia et al., 2017). Similarly, the authors have presented a detailed discussion to describe the existing relationship between gender and reduced income. Such issues have also been considered to describe the nature of mental health outcomes in Sweden.

The authors go further to support the use of evidence-based initiatives to deal with the presented predicaments. Leaders should, therefore, focus on the best strategies to support welfare programs and ensure that all people receive competitive wages. Efficient programs are needed to support citizens’ medical demands and promote the implementation of sustainable policies (Manduca, 2017). Governments should promote superior laws that treat all citizens equally.

Issues to do with economic empowerment, taxation, and poverty reduction should be informed by the unique needs of the targeted citizens (Amroussia et al., 2017). The outstanding message from the article is that reduced levels of economic inequality will minimize the major problems many people with mental diseases encounter and eventually make it possible for them to achieve their potential.

Personal Evaluation and Recommendations

With the above discussions and analyses, the reader realizes that economic inequality remains a major difficulty affecting every individual with a mental condition. Unfortunately, most of the policies and initiatives implemented to deal with disparities have failed to deliver positive results (Amroussia et al., 2017). Reduced wages is also presented as a major problem that scholars should not examine in isolation.

The studied article is, therefore, meaningful and worth reading since it describes a major social predicament affecting the selected population for this discussion. The reader realizes that economic inequality is a major issue that catalyzes a wide range of problems in every society. The authors have managed to relate it with mental health and how scholars should pursue the two in an attempt to promote equality. The presented examples and evidences from competent scholars make the article relevant. Such examples can guide researchers to examine the nature of economic inequality and address it using evidence-based policies.

Governments, communities, and regions can embrace the ideas described in this article to solve their common problems (Amroussia et al., 2017). If every community is to reduce its level of economic disparity, there is a need to embrace the suggestions presented in the above article (Manduca, 2017). The only weakness is that the article fails to offer adequate insights and ideas that can empower future researchers whenever focusing on this predicament.

Several recommendations can empower future readers, communities, and researchers to understand the nature of economic disparity and present evidence-based strategies to deal with it. Such approaches can reduce the current level of mental health disparity in different parts of the world and transform the patients’ lives. The first one is that new discussions should focus on case studies in order to identify the most appropriate policies for delivering positive results (Amroussia et al., 2017).

Secondly, scholars can combine all forms of inequalities in order to understand them much better. The recorded observations can guide policymakers to propose better ideas to minimize most of the economic disparities their people face. Basically, the article reveals that professionals and decision-makers in the medical sector should be keen to present appropriate measures that can address the root causes of mental health inequalities. Such an initiative can improve the experiences and outcomes of many individuals suffering from various psychological conditions in different parts of the world.

Conclusion

The above critique has revealed that inequality is a dilemma that researchers should study carefully ad critically. The authors of the article have encouraged community members to embrace superior strategies and initiatives in order to reduce inequalities in mental health. Such approaches can empower and make it possible for the described population to address the major challenges it faces and promote sustainable programs to meet its needs.

This is the case since economic inequality can catalyze numerous challenges, including failed personal achievements and poor mental health outcomes. In conclusion, the authors support the use of evidence-based policies to tackle the problem of economic inequality since it influences the rate of mental disparities in the affected population.

References

Amroussia, N., Gustafsson, P. E., & Mosquera, P. A. (2017). Explaining mental health inequalities in Northern Sweden: A decomposition analysis. Global Health Action, 10(1), 1305814. Web.

Bapuji, H. (2015). Individuals, interaction and institutions: How economic inequality affects organizations. Human Relations, 68(7), 1059-1083. Web.

Manduca, R. (2017). Income inequality and the persistence of racial economic disparities. Sociological Science, 5, 182-205. Web.

Characteristics of an Effective Counselor

Effective counseling calls for one to have a number of characteristics that are founded on one’s personality. Patience and calmness are some of the desirable characteristics for one to be a good counselor.

More often than not, counselors deal with people who are mentally and emotionally distressed. Patience, therefore, puts the counselors in the best position to tolerate all kinds of behaviors that may be portrayed by the clients.

Without patience, it is difficult to put up with the behaviors and propel the clients towards the stages of recovery. Moreover, patience enables the counselor to establish and sustain relationships with clients successfully.

It may take too long for some clients to establish trust in the counselors. It implies that the counselors must always be ready to bear with such clients to be able to help them to achieve the goals and objectives of counseling (Palmo, Weikel & Borsos, 2006).

I have a lot of empathy towards others, besides being a good listener. During training, I have to pay a lot of attention to instructions on the subject of empathy because it is one of the most misused personal characteristics in intense counseling situations.

Empathy is used within certain limits in counseling to maintain objectivity. It is important for me to understand the limits within which I am required to show empathy towards the clients.

I have to know how I can avoid the tendencies of being too empathetic because this might result in personalization and transference of emotions and feelings in counseling sessions.

This can create difficulties in attaining the goals of counseling. Therefore, gaining skills on how to control empathy in counseling is critical in helping me deal with emotional situations in counseling (Greason, & Cashwell, 2009).

Comprehending my defense mechanisms

Repression is one of the main ego defense mechanisms that are often used unconsciously. It is critical for the counselor to detect the tendencies of repression among clients during counseling sessions.

The counselor has to think about the underlying issues in the cases that are presented by the clients when the client seems to be defensive. It calls for careful listening to be able to identify errors in the client’s statements and any other signal that the client may portray consciously or unconsciously.

The best way to deal with repression is to dig into the past experiences. It is important to listen to critical symbols to avoid misinterpretation (Sharf, 2012).

Regression is another defense mechanism that is common in counseling. It entails acting in a silly or childish way when a person goes through trauma.

Such characters can easily escalate some forms of weird behaviour. Sharf (2012) observes that there are two main ways of dealing with people who portray regression.

First of all, the counsellor can adopt the nurturing role by taking the position of authority over the client. The principle of authority should be used relatively, failure to which the client might develop opposition. The other way of dealing with regression is identifying with the behaviour.

Identifying with the behavior encourages trust and eases the ability to read the mind of the client and make the right diagnosis.

Rationalization is also widely used in counseling. More often than not, people tend to offer explanations that back their actions or observations. This defense mechanism is vital in persuading clients as a counselor.

There is a need for the counselor to be logical and provide explanations and arguments that are convincing. Convincing arguments are important in persuading the clients to change their positions.

It is important to focus on the substance in the arguments presented by the clients to counter the arguments convincingly (Sharf, 2012).

Current Fears, Worries, Concerns about being a Counselor

One of my greatest fears in the counseling career is failing to meet the expectations of the clients and failure to properly diagnose clients’ problems and lead them into recovery. Failing to diagnose a client properly has a lot of implications.

One of the implications is that the mental health problem of the client can escalate, leading to personal harm or developing into complex mental health conditions. There is a need for proper use of questioning and engaging the client in decision making to ensure that a proper diagnosis is made.

Mental counseling is a career that entails dealing directly with people’s mental problems in a bid to help stabilize their feelings and emotions.

Therefore, one of my greatest fears in this career is that there are high chances of being preoccupied with other people’s problems to an extent that these problems may end up affecting my mental health.

The more a counselor engages with clients, the more the counselor is likely to have a collection of different emotional accounts in his head.

In case some of the experiences of the clients link directly to the personal experiences of the counselor, then the counselor is bound to be taken over by emotions even though he might not show physically.

As a counselor, I will need to be focused on solving the mental problems affecting the clients by way of empathizing with the clients and avoiding personalizing their problems.

For cases that relate to my personal experience and emotions, I can choose to refer such cases to my colleagues instead of dealing handling them. I will also embrace post counseling debriefing as a way of dealing with the emotions and thoughts that may arise from handling clients.

Areas of growth as a mental health counsellor

I will have to correct a number of things for me to fully conduct my duties as a mental counselor. First of all is the issue of experience. Experience is one of the desirable tools in counseling.

It becomes easy to draw conclusions on the current cases and make rational and informed diagnoses from past cases handled by the counselor.

Therefore, I will seek for internships in busy counseling environments like hospitals, clinics, and exercise counseling at the community level to gather experience in the field.

The other ways of gaining experience are searching and reading through critical cases in counselling and focusing on the complex parts of the cases and how diagnoses were developed. Moreover, I will engage counselors who have been in the field for a long time.

The other critical thing in preparing to become a counselor is putting oneself in the right mental position to conduct counseling. I will search through my life and determine the most emotional situations that I have undergone.

Such situations and experiences, if not addressed, live in the mind and can be major impediments to conducting counseling sessions in an objective and calm way.

The situations are also likely to recur in the cases that I will be dealing with as a counselor, thereby resulting in personalization of client’s problems through the arousal of my emotions.

If possible, I will seek for counseling to help clear up the experiences that might cause repression on my side as a counselor.

This way, I will easily detach myself from the problems that are exhibited by my clients in counselling. This will help me maintain objectivity in counseling (Greason & Cashwell, 2009).

References

Greason, P. B., & Cashwell, C. S. (2009). Mindfulness and counseling self-efficacy: the mediating role of attention and empathy. Counselor Education and Supervision, 49(1), 2-19. DOI: 10.1002/j.1556-6978.2009.tb00083.x

Palmo, A. J., Weikel, W. J., & Borsos, D. P. (2006). Foundations of mental health counseling. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.

Sharf, R. S. (2012). Theories of psychotherapy and counseling: Concepts and cases. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Introduction

Many refugees flee their home countries due to insecurity, hunger and political persecution. Refugees experience traumatic episodes in their lives, which affect their mental health negatively.

They seek asylum in countries, which have favorable security and economic conditions, for them and their families. Refugees seek asylum in foreign countries to enable them rebuild their lives afresh (Jupp, 2003, p.159).

However, some refugees are affected mentally by the harrowing incidents they experience in their home countries before being resettled in new countries. This paper will show how poor mental health issues affect refugees before and after getting asylum.

Conditions Before Flight

Refugees go through various tragic events in their home countries, which affect their mental health. Papadopoulos (2001) reveals that the pre-flight period is characterized by anticipation and anxiety (p. 408). This is the period when signs of political violence begin manifesting in societies they live.

During this period, refugees are anxious about what is going to happen and how they will cope with the conflict. They are unable to carry out any meaningful economic activity because of rampant insecurity and political instability.

They witness tensions building up between rival groups, which makes them live in a state of fear and uncertainty.

They live their lives on the edge because they are unsure of what is going to happen to them and their families. This makes them more desperate and willing to compromise their values and dignity to survive.

As tensions in their home countries escalate, violence becomes widespread and many people are exposed to murder, sexual assault and general insecurity. These events affect refugees’ mental health severely. They are left at the mercy of well wishers who help them satisfy their basic needs.

War and other calamities cause separation of children with their parents, which makes such children vulnerable (Fazel & Stein, 2002, p. 368). These conflicts are a danger to the well being of children, as they get exposed to extreme incidents of violence and suffering.

This impacts negatively on their psychological growth. Children who get separated from their families are deprived of the care they need to grow positively.

These children have to fend for themselves at a very early age, which denies them an opportunity to go to school. In extreme cases, boys are used as soldiers while girls become sex slaves.

Aftermath of Traumatic Episodes

The large scale displacement of people by war and other civilian conflicts depresses many refugees. They are evicted from their homes unwillingly, which makes them get traumatized. They seek refuge in camps which do not have conducive conditions for human settlement.

They are forced to live in abject conditions characterized by overcrowding, poor hygiene, insufficient shelter and inadequate food supplies (Singh, 2005, p. 290). This makes it difficult for refugees to engage in beneficial activities, that can help them sustain themselves and their families.

All these factors exert a lot of pressure on refugees, which affects them psychologically. Procter (2005) reveals that refugees witness a lot of traumatic incidents, which affect the way they relate with other people (p. 198).

This makes some of them to lose trust in people and other social systems around them because of the suffering they have gone through.

Mental health problems in refugee populations make it hard for them to settle in countries they have migrated to. Some refugees may become timid and unfriendly to locals living in areas they have been resettled.

The severe psychological trauma they are exposed to makes it difficult for them to cope with social and cultural changes in areas they emigrate to. Refugees also face other forms of difficulties such as unemployment, inadequate housing, cultural differences and xenophobic prejudices.

These factors make them resent their new homes because they feel that locals in these societies are not willing to accommodate them. Silove (2002) states that some refugees start recollecting past traumatic events, which impact negatively on their progress ( p. 291).

Some refugees have difficulties in dealing with emotional grief due to the deaths of their close family members and friends. They do not get enough opportunities to deal with their tragic past.

Resettlement Challenges

Refugees who have been resettled in new countries have difficulties in accepting their new status in life. Some have to deal with the loss of their socio-economic status after being resettled, which makes them get depressed.

Many refugees lose a lot of property in their home countries due to destruction and looting. Other refugees use a lot of resources to escape suffering and deprivation in their home countries (Davidson, Murray & Schweitzer, 2008, p. 165).

This makes them lack money to sustain themselves in their new countries. They feel that they have nothing to live for and this makes it difficult for them to move on from past tragic episodes. They are not psychologically prepared to accept new realities they are facing after their resettlement.

Therefore, the difficulties they face in adapting to new changes affect them psychologically. Refugees need to be taken through effective counselling programs to help them deal with past traumatic experiences.

Refugees need to be helped to cope with cultural changes they encounter after moving to new countries. This will make them better prepared to accept incidents, which have happened to them in the past, to enable them move on with their lives.

Host countries need to encourage refugees to rebuild their lives by offering them employment and educational opportunities. Refugees need to be encouraged to advance their education to enable them acquire vital skills to help them build successful careers.

Refugees need to be welcomed by locals in societies they have settled to make them feel safe (Neumann, 2004, p. 89). This will make them deal with tragic episodes they have faced in the past easily.

They need to be encouraged to unite with host communities to make it easy for them to fit in. This will help them learn new ideals which are important for their psychological and emotional growth.

In conclusion. refugees need to develop associations, which cater for their welfare. These associations will help new refugees to settle easily in new areas they emigrate to.

Refugees who have mental and psychological problems can be offered urgent medical help to enable them cope with their problems effectively.

They need to create more time for other social activities to help them adapt to the new social environment.

They need to be assisted to reunite with their families, to help them deal with the trauma of loss and separation more effectively. This will encourage them to embrace new changes positively for their own benefit.

References

Davidson, G. R., Murray, K. E., & Schweitzer, R. (2008). Review of refugee mental health and wellbeing : Australian perspectives. Australian Psychologist, 43 (3), 160-174.

Fazel, M. & Stein A. (2002). The mental health of refugee children. Archives of Diseases in Childhood, 87, 366-370.

Jupp, J. (2003). Refugees and asylum seekers as victims: The Australian case. International Review of Victimology, 10 (2), 157-175.

Neumann, K. (2004). Refuge Australia: Australia’s humanitarian record. Sydney, NSW: University of New South Wales.

Papadopoulos, R. K. (2001). Refugee families: issues of systemic supervision. Journal of Family Therapy, 23, 405-422.

Procter, N. G. (2005). Emergency mental health nursing for self-harming refugees and asylum seekers. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 14 (3), 196-201.

Silove, D. (2002). The asylum debacle in Australia: A challenge for psychiatry. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry,36 (3), 290-296.

Singh, R. (2005). Therapeutic skills for working with refugee families: An introductory course at the institute of family therapy. Journal of Family Therapy, 27, 289-292.