In their article “The Evidence of Effective Interventions for Mental Health Promotion,” Clemens Hosman and Eva Jane-Llopis state that to prove the effectiveness of the programs contributing to mental health, it is necessary to refer to the evidence of the program’s effects received with the help of quasi-experimental studies. The authors focus on the intervention programs which have the most obvious positive effect on people’s mental health. These interventions can be divided into macro interventions and meso and micro-interventions.
The programs focused on improving nutrition belong to macro interventions, and they are effective when being combined with counseling services. The programs developed to improve housing work to overcome poverty and create appropriate conditions for living. The interventions to improve education work to increase the population literacy and education level to reduce the stress of being cheated, to overcome the gender gap, and to develop cognitive and emotional competencies. I can state that these programs can contribute to people’s mental health because they are oriented to satisfying the persons’ basic needs to provide them with the opportunities to overcome everyday stress.
According to Hosman and Jane-Llopis, to reduce economic insecurity, the poverty-alleviation programs are used to support the low-income population. Intervention to strengthen community networks are used to develop the persons’ vision of social responsibility and to overcome social violence. I am sure that the focus on the people’s interactions within the community is the first step to predicting the problems with mental health. The interventions used to reduce the misuse of addictive substances are based on the banning policies, laws to change the legal drinking age, and policies to predict the use of substances during pregnancy. In my opinion, the success of these interventions can contribute to people’s mental health more obviously because substance abuse often leads to mental health problems.
Hosman and Jane-Llopis’s meso and micro-interventions are more diverse, and they are focused on supporting children, adults, and elderly persons. Interventions for children include the support during the early stages of life in the form of home visiting to develop the parents’ competencies; parenting interventions to develop the positive relations between parents and children; and preschool education interventions to develop the children’s emotional and cognitive skills. I should state that these interventions are effective because children need a healthy start in their life to develop their mental health in the future. Parents should know the ways of promoting the children’s mental health to avoid any disorders.
Much attention is paid to the programs associated with school settings to help children adapt to the new settings and build strong relations with peers. The school ecology programs work to change the whole school environment in relation to the positive pattern, and targeted programs work to cope with concrete problems such as anxiety disorders. In this case, the targeted programs are very effective to overcome the results of the social pressure, ineffective parenting, and other problems.
Definite programs are proposed for adults to help them cope with the unemployment situation and stress at the workplace in order to become an active member of society and avoid depressions. I am sure that adults need support while coping with the challenging situations of losing the job or while surviving in dangerous working environments. That is why these programs should be promoted in society. Furthermore, a range of programs is proposed for elderly persons, and these interventions include the focus on physical activity and exercises, befriending, and providing hearing aids. The elderly persons are the vulnerable social category, and to reduce their depressions, stresses, and physical sufferings, effective intervention programs should be developed.
Thus, I am inclined to agree with Hosman and Jane-Llopis’s discussion of the intervention programs as effective to improve people’s mental health.
The military has always been forced to respond to the mental healthcare needs of combat veterans because of the role that they play. In this case, it is in both scenarios, that is, during and after deployment. During deployment, crisis intervention strategies or skills are supposed to be used because this is a critical stage where their actions might lead to problems. During deployment, combat veterans are in service and this means that any mental health disorder should be effectively attended to. This is based on the problems or crises that might emanate as a result of their actions while in deployment (Richard, 2005, p. 35). On the other hand, their mental health after deployment is also supposed to be taken care of. This is mostly done through effective assessment strategies and treatment modalities that will take care of their mental healthcare needs.
Discussion
As far as crisis intervention strategies during deployment are concerned, combat veterans are given mental healthcare in the war zone. This is the first intervention strategy because they have to assess their situation and contain the patient in the war zone so that he/she might not cause any problem. The deployment of family members to the war zone to be with the combat veterans has always been used to support them as they are being treated. This is very important because it enables them to reconnect with their loved ones. In this case, there are occasions where they might reach crisis stages that require immediate intervention (Jones, 2001, p. 12). It should be known that coping skills training has been used to stabilize the situation as time goes by. As a matter of fact, skills training is effective as far as recovering during deployment is concerned. There is a training strategy that is used by the military on combat veterans’ so that they can adapt to deployment.
After deployment, their mental healthcare needs have been sustained through preventive programs. In this case, there are a lot of mitigation strategies where personnel is called in to respond to those veterans who are in crisis. This means that there is a deployment cycle that is used by the military as an assessment strategy for veterans who are returning from deployment. Psychological debriefing has occasionally been used by the military as a preventive measure (Richard, 2005, p. 24). In most cases, this is employed to avert any further crisis. As far as treatment modalities are concerned, there is a lot of mental health personnel who have been trained to ensure that they offer good prescription and treatment. This means that combat veterans have to be followed in their homes to assess their health as time goes by so that they can recover well. Individual programming has also been used as a treatment modality for combat veterans after deployment for long-term sustainability.
Conclusion
A foreshortened sense of the future has emerged as a barrier that might prevent veterans from seeking treatment. This is because veterans have a low expectation of life after returning from combat as far as their mental health problem is concerned. It should be known that this is a barrier because they are affected by trauma-related experiences during and after deployment. Trauma-related experiences keep coming back no matter how much the veterans might try to forget them (Jones, 2001, p. 19). This has proved to be a big barrier especially for veterans who experience severe and chronic combat-related problems. Posttraumatic stress should be effectively taken care of to ensure that combat veterans’ mental healthcare needs are on the right track.
Reference list
Jones, M. (2001). Unification of the Military Health System: A Half-Century Unresolved Debate. US: Army War College.
Richard, A. (2005). Military Medical Care Services: Questions and Answers. US: Congressional Research Service.
Mental health can be defined as the emotional and spiritual resilience, which enables enjoyment of life and the ability to survive pain, disappointment and sadness. Also, it could be defined as a positive sense of wellbeing and an underlying belief in an individual’s dignity and worth (Cherry, 2014; Mash & Wolfe, 2013). Mental health is determined by the interplay of various factors at the intrapersonal, interpersonal and the environmental levels. Thus, the measures taken to promote mental health are largely influenced by the type of a mental case. These measures are broadly divided into protective measures and risk factors. The protective measures include an understanding of the gender, social-economic factors, cultural practices, working place and how these experiences predispose people to higher risks of mental health (Mash & Wolfe, 2013).
Healthy social support and strong social network and social inclusion are said to be key to mental health since they create higher levels of trust and thereby minimizing cases of psychological distress. Risk factors, on the other hand, are the levels of psychological distress faced by the target population. These levels are categorized either as primary level interventions. If there are risks of a universal nature that can be addressed through sampling of the most predisposed persons, then selective interventions are applied to assist those at a higher risk of a given type of mental ill health. Some of these factors are community violence and disasters, divorce/family break-up, chronic poverty, homelessness, and parental inadequacies. (Mash & Wolfe, 2013)
The protective triad refers to a number of health promoting events, which involve the strengths of the child, the family, school environment and the community, which not only boosts the child’s self-esteem, but also provides him or her with the ability to avoid risky situations and the ability to recover from misfortunes (Mash & Wolfe, 2013).
References
Cherry, K. (2014). What Is Abnormal Psychology? Web.
Majau, U. (2014). Perspectives to sex discrimination: male and female chauvinism. Web.
Mash, E. J., & Wolfe, D. A. (2013). Abnormal child psychology, (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
This paper provides an annotated bibliography of four articles that discuss various issues relating to mental health care. Specifically, they discuss various aspects of parity laws as they relate to the provision of mental healthcare. The annotated bibliography gives a brief summary of each article. Besides, it offers a reflection and an evaluation of how the articles address the issue.
McConnell, J. K. (2013). The Effect of Parity on Expenditures for Individuals with Severe Mental Illness. Health Services Research, 48(5), 1634-1652.
In this article, McConnell seeks to determine whether parity laws influence the expenditure of people who have severe mental illnesses. He notes the current trends where there has been an increase in the formulation of parity laws, especially through the enactment of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), which became effective in 2010 (McConnell, 2013). The article takes a comprehensive approach by analyzing the rationale behind parity laws and further by questioning their effectiveness in helping victims of mental illnesses (McConnell, 2013). It acknowledges parity laws that were enacted in Oregon in 2007 as a case study to determine the effects of such laws. He compares the expenditures of individuals who are exempted and/or covered by the laws.
McConnell’s study offers important insights into an area that scholars have overlooked or under-researched concerning the effects of parity laws on the expenditure of people who have severe mental illnesses. His focus on SMI is indeed insightful and a break from other researchers who have not specifically targeted this group in society. The study uses difference-in-differences and difference-in-difference-in-differences analyses as its research designs. These methodologies are very relevant, especially in comparing and estimating spending changes. Hence, they form a significant part of determining the results of the study. The study is a revelation to the understanding of the effect of parity laws on expenditure among people with SMIs.
The information and results of the study are very relevant. The findings have opened the path towards more research on this field. The study can be used as a benchmark for the legislation of future parity laws. Besides, it offers a stepping-stone towards more research by people who are interested in advancing knowledge in this field.
Ostrow, L., & Manderscheid, R. (2009). Medicare Mental Health Parity: A High Potential Change that is Long Overdue. Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 37(3), 285-290.
The focus of this article by Ostrow and Manderscheid is on the various policy changes that have occurred with reference to mental health parity. Ostrow and Manderscheid claim that these changes are a move in the right direction and that they will influence equity by promoting adequate care to Medicare-covered people who have various mental health needs (Ostrow & Manderscheid, 2009). The paper begins by giving essential statistics relating to mental health in the US. It goes on to discuss how the welfare of this group was covered in the previous policies. It is evident that the group was initially disadvantaged. However, under the new policies, it will experience a major reprieve, and hence the reasons why Ostrow and Manderscheid believe that the new policies address the group better.
By using the available data, Ostrow and Manderscheid can convince the state why they believe that the new policies will encourage health parity. The paper analyses both sides of the issue. First, it discusses the effects of the new policies on Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA). On the other side, it presents their possible implications for behavioral health. The paper offers a sincere opinion. All points of consideration are laid bare for any concerned parties to see and decide for themselves.
The revelations of the paper are very significant. They can be used as a reference point to encourage more policies towards parity, especially for people who have serious mental illnesses. By identifying the effects of the policies, the study can be used to guide legislators in terms of coming up with approaches of addressing some of the raised issues.
Smaldone, A., & Cullen-Drill, M. (2010). Mental Health Parity Legislation: Understanding the Pros and Cons. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, 48(9), 26-34.
Smaldone and Cullen-Drill (2010) seek to determine the positive and negative impacts of the recently enacted mental health parity legislation. They recognize the timeliness of this legislation as people with mental health illnesses have been disadvantaged by the previous legislation (Smaldone & Cullen-Drill, 2010). The paper discusses two legislations, namely Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (Smaldone & Cullen-Drill, 2010). The areas of consideration for each policy are on their implications for healthcare access, quality, cost, and the role of nurses in advocating mental health parity. It offers important insights into the impact of the policies. The study offers a strong conclusion in support of such legislation to enhance healthcare access for the target population.
The paper is very relevant to the field of study on mental health parity since it addresses the pros and cons of each policy individually rather than collectively. In addition, it offers important findings that can be used to fine-tune each policy to offer the best results to all stakeholders in this healthcare issue. The article provides a good approach to this topic that continues to receive increased interest from researchers and legislators.
The findings of the paper offer a good starting point for examining what these rulings mean in terms of their benefits and possible drawbacks to the target group. The results can be used in future rulings or in the process of improving the existing policies to maximize the benefits that they are intended to offer to the target populations. Further, it offers a good reference point for future researchers who would like to go deeper into understanding the pros and cons of the legislation.
Trivedi, N., Swaminathan, S., & Vincent, M. (2008). Insurance Parity and the Use of Outpatient Mental Health Care Following a Psychiatric Hospitalization. Journal of American Medical Association, 300(24), 2879-2885.
This study determines the relationship between insurance parity and the use of outpatient mental health services among people who have had a psychiatric hospitalization (Trivedi, Swaminathan, & Vincent, 2008). To determine this relationship, the study follows patients who are covered and who are not covered by insurance parity programs. The study presents the patients’ rate of use of subsequent mental healthcare services. The findings indicate that indeed people who are covered by insurance parity programs have a higher rate of use of these services, as opposed to those who are not covered. Trivedi et al. (2008) assert that the disparity narrows down to cost since individuals who are not insured have to spend more to access primary mental healthcare services. This situation acts as a hindrance to them. Consequently, Trivedi et al. (2008) accurately support the push towards insurance parity for people who have mental health care needs.
In using primary data and the existing data from various medical facilities, the study sets itself to determine the relationship between the variables. The study offers important information on how insurance parity can effectively lead to an increased use of mental healthcare services by those who have been hospitalized for psychiatric conditions. It introduces knowledge to a field that has obviously been ignored for years as evidenced by the many people who still need insurance parity to receive the much-needed mental healthcare services.
Concisely, the findings of the paper are a revelation for more efforts to be put towards increasing insurance parity for people who are under mental healthcare. Despite their disparaging conditions, these people have been sidelined by the healthcare system. The findings are highly applicable for people who seek to extent knowledge in this area. Besides, they guide decision-making towards the betterment of the welfare of people who have mental illnesses in the society.
Reference List
McConnell, K. (2013). The Effect of Parity on Expenditures for Individuals with Severe Mental Illness. Health Services Research, 48(5), 1634-1652.
Ostrow, L., & Manderscheid, R. (2009). Medicare Mental Health Parity: A High Potential Change that is Long Overdue. Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 37(3), 285-290.
Smaldone, A., & Cullen-Drill, M. (2010). Mental Health Parity Legislation: Understanding the Pros and Cons. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, 48(9), 26-34.
Trivedi, N., Swaminathan, S., & Vincent, M. (2008). Insurance Parity and the Use of Outpatient Mental Health Care Following a Psychiatric Hospitalization. Journal of American Medical Association, 300(24), 2879-2885.
In a school setting, being an analyst may be challenging due to difficulties associated with ethical issues. In particular, the American Psychological Association (APA) identifies several general principles and ten sections to describe possible cases and the ways to successfully resolve them (American Psychological Association, 2010). The code of conduct proposed by APA may affect the introduction of behavior modification principles by engaging both counselors and students in the process of behavior analysis and the subsequent positive change.
As stated by Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) (n.d.), the applied behavior analysis approach considers the very essence of human actions, focusing on the role of circumstances and their impact on personality. At the same time, Cloninger (2013) argues that personality and behavior are closely intertwined with each other and they may significantly impact one another. In the context of a school, the mentioned approach is useful to understand students’ behaviors and adjust them, if required.
The identification and treatment of mental health issues in schools may benefit from the applied behavior analysis. According to Harvey, Luiselli, and Wong (2009), the given approach presents the opportunity of creating a professional team of psychologists, psychiatrists, and other related experts to assist children with mental disorders, focusing on their cultural peculiarities. The application of the specified approach seems to benefit them in learning, communication, and relationship building (Harvey et al., 2009).
It is essential to emphasize that behavior shapes personality as one of the key elements unique to every child. Since education plays a critical role in personality establishment, behaviors associated with learning cannot be overestimated (Cloninger, 2013). Social differences, beliefs, and cultures compose an integral part of personality shaping, and their presence is inextricably linked with learning.
The given School Psychologist–Based Personality and Behavior Assessment Scenario is a valuable and relevant tool to evaluate behavior changes in students, especially when they show declining academic performance or problems with discipline. As stated by Kosher, Jiang, Ben-Arieh, and Huebner (2014), school psychologists need to be aware of available assessment options and able to interpret their results. The mentioned scenario provides the possibility of evaluating various fields related to behavior. For example, symptomatic behavior or interpersonal relations may be assessed to provide the ground for further treatment considerations (Kirwan, 2014). The mental status examination also contributes to the overall effectiveness of this instrument.
Reliability of the given assessment tool may be regarded as high as it integrates several dimensions of personality evaluation. As for validity of the instrument, it is also high as other students may also be assessed with it. Even though the results of this scenario cannot be generalized to a wider context, they are essential to understand the working mechanism of the evaluation tool (Stinnett, Bui, & Capaccioli, 2013). The cultural considerations are presented in the background information that is important to have a full picture and decide on the required behavioral adjustments. The mentioned elements of the scenario are relevant to the school setting as they reveal the most representative personality features and outline assessment credibility.
Among the ethical issues that may arise, one may enumerate age or gender discrimination, ethnic diversity unawareness, or discipline problems. In order to create a more complete evaluation instrument, it is possible to implement endorsement considerations, geographical location, and students’ personal qualification (Splett, Fowler, Weist, McDaniel, & Dvorsky, 2013). The latter seems to be especially important as along with standardized assessments, students need to be evaluated with the considerations of their unique behavioral patterns. The use of personality measures is relevant and contributory to the work of school psychologists and better student performance.
Cloninger, S. (2013). Theories of personality: Understanding persons. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Harvey, M. T., Luiselli, J. K., & Wong, S. E. (2009). Application of applied behavior analysis to mental health issues. Psychological Services, 6(3), 212-222. Web.
Kosher, H., Jiang, X., Ben-Arieh, A., & Huebner, E. S. (2014). Advances in children’s rights and children’s well-being measurement: Implications for school psychologists. School Psychology Quarterly, 29(1), 7-20. Web.
Splett, J. W., Fowler, J., Weist, M. D., McDaniel, H., & Dvorsky, M. (2013). The critical role of school psychology in the school mental health movement. Psychology in the Schools, 50(3), 245-258. Web.
Stinnett, T. A., Bui, L., & Capaccioli, K. (2013). Undergraduate student preferences for graduate training in psychology: Implications for school psychology. Psychology in the Schools, 50(5), 520-530. Web.
All prisoners are under threat of mistreatment and infringement of their rights to a certain extent. The restrictions of people in prisons often lead to abuse of power of those taking care of them or fellow prisoners. Besides, even in the absence of an abuse of power, the prisons have harmful physical conditions that could negatively affect the mental health of all prisoners. Many jails are overcrowded, have poor physical requirements, and the prisoners suffer violence at the hands of prisoners without enough healthcare resources to help them. The negative effect of these factors is more pronounced in the case of prisoners with disabilities. People with disabilities are vulnerable to abuse from fellow prisoners and prison staff due to discriminatory attitudes (Chaplin et al., 2017). The humiliation they suffer and physical abuse is a cause of distress that negatively impacts their mental health. Due to the discriminatory attitude in prisons, disable prisoners are isolated with no one to share their challenges with. There is a need to enforce the rights of disabled people in prisons by understanding the causes of mental health issues and developing the necessary support systems.
Effects of Prisons on the Mental Health of People with Disabilities
The number of disabled people in the USA has been increasing over time. Mental disorders among prisoners in higher for the disabled. Various factors affect the mental health of prisoners. There is the widespread belief that prisoners are dangerous people who can harm society causes a negative perception. Consequently, people treat them as criminals, which is likely to reinforce their criminal behavior (Schlanger, 2017). The intolerance to unwanted behavior by society reduces the effectiveness of prisons as rehabilitative centers. Prisoners have limited access to health care services, and hence there are no preventive measures for curing mental disorders. The prevailing conditions in the prisons create a sense of desperation that prisoners find difficult to cope with. The prison’s conditions facilitate torture and violation of human rights, worsening the situation of isolation. The consequence is that prisoners are likely to develop severe mental health disorders.
Another factor causing mental health in prions is that disabled people are often exposed to discrimination and stigma. Though social discrimination applies to all prisoners, disabled people are most affected since they are discriminated against by fellow prisoners. Prison staff doesn’t try to protect disabled people from the attacks by fellow prisoners. Often, because of their disability, they cannot express their issues to authorities, and no one in the prisons is willing to listen to them. Marginalization causes mental disorders through solitude and isolation of the disabled within the prison systems (Hellenbach, Karatzias, & Brown, 2017). Depression is likely to develop into severe mental illness over time due to a lack of attention by the prison authorities. Also, there are insufficient health care resources to address the mental health disorders that may arise in prisons. The segregated manner of the disabled in prisons implies that they cannot get the scarce treatment services.
Causes of Mental Disorders for Disabled People in Prisons
In the USA, disabled people are overrepresented in prisons compared to the general population. The people in prisons are more likely to be disabled than in disability incidence in the population. Disabled prisoners include those already with existing cognitive disabilities such as dementia and other intellectual disorders that limit their learning ability. The mass incarceration of the disabled causes mental disabilities because it is cruel, unethical, and unjust. Disabled people understand this fact, and hence they feel desperate that a society that is supposed to protect them isolates them. Disabled people already face barriers to succeed in life. Such people have limited access to employment opportunities and stable housing (Gottfried & Christopher, 2017). It is unfair to add to these challenges a criminal record that further limits their chances of economic independence. For the disabled, prisons represent the place for maximum distress that takes away all their rights. The financial insecurities mean that the disabled are more likely to get involved in illegal activities that can lead to their imprisonment.
Another cause for mental disorders for disabled prisoners is the disproportionate exposure to violence. Disabled people are more likely to suffer violence in the prison system than their fellow mates. For instance, the disabled are more likely to be victims of police violence. The data on police violence is often limited, but the media often reports high profile cases of disabled people who die due to violence within the justice systems. Disabilities are likely to cause misunderstandings between the disabled and their fellow mates, which results in violence (Haesen, 2019). Putting the disabled in conditions with high threats of violence causes fear and withdrawal. They also lack the rights to privacy within the justice system causes mental distress among the disabled.
Prisons cause mental disorders among the disabled by depriving them of the essential medical care and support systems for their conditions. The federal disability rights allow the disabled access to crucial care programs. The disabled often lack specialized care within prisons that exacerbates the physical needs. In many cases, the disabled are confined alone allegedly for their protection because the prisons don’t have specialized accommodations for them. Solitary confinement has severe psychological effects on disabled prisoners. The long-term impact of solitary confinement is mental distress associated with severe disorders and suicide (Valizadeh et al., 2017). Policies should focus on making the justice system favorable for the disabled and eliminate all forms of violence that cause fear and distress.
Difference between Prisoners with Disability Mental Health and those without
A comparison of the incidence of mental disorders among prisoners is essential for investigating how prisoners disproportionately affect the mental health of prisoners. Various research studies have highlighted that the disabled suffer mental illnesses more than the general population. The same scenario is replicated in prisons where the disabled are more likely to suffer mental disorders than the other prison mates. The research sought to understand the composition of mental health disorders for detained people in African countries. The study found that the disabled had a 67 percent prevalence rate for mental disorders than 31 percent in the other inmates (Di Lorito, Vollm, & Dening, 2018). The disabled were more than 38% prone to abuse substances, 33% likely to develop a psychotic disorder, and 22% likely to have mood disorders (Di Lorito, Vollm, & Dening, 2018). Another research combined studies on disability and conviction rates established that in 36% of the studies, the convicts had not committed the crime they had been imprisoned for (Barry et al., 2020). Another study sought to establish the likeliness of the disabled in prisons to access essential health care services. The study found that other inmates were 13% more likely to access necessary medical attention than the disabled (Forrester, Simpson & Shaw, 2018). The research confirms the theoretical presumptions discussed. The disabled suffer more prejudice within the prisons and end up with higher rates of mental disorders.
Legal Rights of People with Disability to Mental Health
The USA government and the UN convention give the disabled access to fundamental rights within the prison system. One, prisoners have a right to equal access to services, benefits, and programs that those without disabilities enjoy. This implies that when they cannot enjoy a program due to their disability, the prison system should facilitate to have them enjoy similar services (Forrester, Simpson & Shaw, 2018). It also means that the prison system should identify and remove barriers to the utilization of essential services. However, there is an exception to this right when the disabled prisoner poses a security threat to the others. However, prison staffs often use this as an excuse to exploit and mistreat disabled prisoners.
Secondly, the justice system must provide an efficient communication method, including sign language, audio documents, braille documents, and videophones. The prison must organize for means of communicating with the prisoners and amongst the prisoners. Without effective communication, disabled prisoners are disadvantaged within the justice system. Also, prison systems are expected to make changes that allow equal access to all prison services. Despite the legal provisions, some prisoners have more than one disability, making it hard for prisons to comply with the legal requirements (Barry et al., 2020). For example, prisoners with hearing disabilities need a sign language interpreter for medical appointments. When an interpreter is not available, disabled people cannot communicate effectively, which is a disadvantage. Access to fundamental rights also involves the provision of mobility for the disabilities. This should avoid cases of confining them in medical units.
How Prison System can be used to Improve Mental Health
Prisons can improve the mental health of the disabled through the adoption of favorable correctional policies. The people living in solitary confinement often experience depression, difficulties in concentration, anger, and irritability. The prisons should develop human conditions that entail less solitary confinement and a focus on mental health. The use of dark cells without conduct to the outside world should be substituted with educational classes focusing on the mental health of the disabled. Prisons should be designed to allow prisoners freedom of movement and rehabilitation programs. Prisons should also find root causes of violent behavior without punishing the prisoner. A positive prison culture depends on the coexistence between prison staff and the prisoners.
Prisons should address the issue of overcrowding. Overcrowding is often a cause for distress within the prison systems and facilitates violent behavior. Violent behavior is also caused by pain within the prison system due to the lack of connection to the support systems of the community. Also, hospitals should invest in monitoring the prisoners’ mental health, especially the disabled. This includes identifying the characteristics of common mental disorders and the affected people. Prisons should also utilize resources in preventive measures to avoid violence on their premises. The government should enforce adherence to all the laws guiding the care of the disabled (Baloch & Jennings, 2019). It is essential to educate disabled prisoners on their rights to sue in case of infringement by the prison authorities. The prison staff should also be educated to change their perceptions regarding disabled people and prisoners in general. Governments should commit more resources to improve the general conditions of prison settings.
Consistent with studies for the relevance of physical activities including yoga, there has been considerable attention to this therapeutic intervention among students challenged by mental problems. Regular activities or exercises are advocated by many due to perceived long-term value on health. Incorporating modest exercises in life generally have great potential to impact mental wellness. In various studies, results confirm that the advantages of exercise affect moods, behavioral and mental disorders significantly (Frank et al., 2017). The research in the article by Frank et al. (2017) was conducted to determine how a school-based yoga program impacted students’ mental wellness and performance. The central aim of the research was to find the effectiveness of the therapeutic intervention. In this process, the knowledge gap on the usefulness of exercises in improving behavioral problems at the school level. The paper’s aim is to provide a commentary on the research.
Study Method and Findings
The study employed a randomized controlled trial (RCT) as an intervention to determine how a yoga-based school approach on emotions and mental wellness program called Transformative life skill (TLS) was impactful. In the exercise, about 159 participants were recruited to an intervention comparison conditions. Participants comprised sixth and ninth-grade students in diverse middle schools in a high-poverty region within the urban center of California. In this community, there is a racial composition of African American, white, Asian, Latino, and mixed background. Other factors that were used as treatment comparison included gender, social status, such as living in single-parents, two-parents, and relatives’ homes.
The results showed that participants in the wellness program (TLS) revealed a significant decline in detentions or unexcused absence and advances in school engagement. Moreover, positive changes in primary engagement were identified in stress coping approaches. Students’ emotional control, positive thoughts, and cognitive restructuring on stress were observed. The results were consistent with the study hypothesis on meaningful changes in school engagement. However, observed effects of the intervention program varied in size on outcomes such as medium to large. Suggestively, the TLS may have strong potential when adopted as a universal strategy to promote positive school behavior and commitment (Frank et al., 2017). The acceptability rating of the program also pointed that student participants vowed the intervention positively and are feasible to use in middle or high school-aged adolescents.
Commentary on the Significance of Results
The central focus of the research was to validate the effectiveness of a yoga-based program. In regard to this focus, therapists and mental health service providers have trained on the Yoga technique of mental calmness for many years, which turned to benefit most clients (Xu et al., 2021). Various assessments and research on the implementations of the yoga approach on social-emotional wellness indicate findings such as stress reduction, behavioral support, and attention (Feuerborn & Gueldner, 2019). Classroom teachers inform that implementing yoga creates a sense of community; the approach brings students together and encourages interconnectedness (Fakhary Nejad et al., 2019). Ideally, it is through that process that individuals feel positive about themselves, and social interactions that lead to positive behavioral regulation are enhanced. As such, these results imply the need for increased school-based yoga interventions in modern society. Studies suggested that yoga intervention approaches have numerous positive effects on students’ performance, behavior, and psychological health.
The study shows a significant strength in how school-based yoga can help youth to manage emotions and behaviors. By training learners on how to pay attention to the relationship between the mind and body, a school-based yoga program does positively notice the impacts of stress on health. According to Tecuta et al. (2020), students can recognize that they tend to gravitate towards unhealthy practices such as eating when they are in a low mood. The awareness brought forth by the intervention from the research leads to behavior changes. For example, students can choose to do a breath-taking exercise for few minutes to relax and option for healthy habits. Thus, the study of yoga primarily supports these ideas and reinforces approaches in the abnormal psychology field.
Moreover, another positive intervention identified in the study improved self-regulation. Self-regulation refers to people’s ability to manage stress, behaviors, and emotions at its broad level. Both psychological and neuroscientific studies assert that yoga and other physical interventions such as meditation help young people manage stress and mood (Tecuta et al., 2020). Through the school-based yoga approach, the central tenet is that there is the calmness of flight response and induces a relaxation response. With that, children with social-behavioral problems would become less reactive when confronted by challenging situations. Instead of lashing out in anger while interacting with others in the playground, young people would learn to take a deep breath and walk away. Furthermore, this research shows that there is a cultivation of physical fitness. Yoga is mindfulness in motion that makes the body aware of the present (Fakhary Nejad et al., 2019). Given that a large population of adolescents in school is considerably overweight, school-based intervention such as therapy informs by Frank et al. (2017) promotes the development of physical fitness.
Findings in the research on the effectiveness of the school-based yoga program have significant implications of informing the best intervention towards social behaviors in students. According to Frank et al. l. (2017), the TLS program showed a reduction in negative behaviors such as absenteeism and suspension rate due to misconduct. The most immediate effect of the intervention is student engagement, which could inform why the suspension rate was observed to be low. The prolonged exposure to therapy impacted change in behaviors positively.
A notable finding from the research show positive impacts of the yoga program (TLS) on students’ stress coping techniques. According to Frank et al. (2017), TLS significantly improved youth’s emotion regulation abilities and positive thinking. Essentially, emotional regulation is an area of interest for many theorists and researchers, focusing on adolescent studies in the past years. Normally, emotional regulation skills are believed to be influenced by a wide range of body systems, including physical, behavioral, cognitive, and social aspects. The study by Frank et al. (2017) confirms the relevance of the physical system in this aspect. In the past, emotion dysregulation has led to various adverse outcomes related to self-injury, depression, eating disorders, drug or alcohol abuse in adolescents.
On the contrary, the study in the article advances the field of abnormal psychology that focuses on mental health problems to provide insights into emotional dysregulation management. According to emotion-based theories such as physiological and cognitive models, the emotional problem is a leading factor of mental disorders such as depression. The cognitive issue is prevalent to people who are unable to manage their emotional experience effectively. As a solution to the problem that plagues specialists in the abnormal psychology field, yoga is a popular and comparatively inexpensive approach that most schools can integrate. Relying on this technique in the curriculum to address students’ self-regulatory skills needs is effective, as shown by the study. Significant results are noted in relation to impulse control, anger management, and reduction in negative feelings.
Unlike other interventions adopted in schools, such as physical exercise (PE) control, yoga-based intervention is more advanced as it focuses on the connection between the body and mind. The learning standards for physical education have focused on knowledge building and skills while maintaining fitness by participating in common games such as football or baseball. New studies reveal that the correlation between body awareness and emotion regulation is imperative, and this is achieved with a simple practice such as yoga, emphasizing engagement. Moreover, adolescents contend with a wide range of physical and physiological changes while developing a sense of self and identities with their bodies (Kobylińska et al., 2018). Thus, the school-based yoga program (TLS) proves relevant to help build an understanding of body and mind function in young people.
In summary, this paper has provided a commentary on the study about the effectiveness of school-based yoga programs to intervene in young people’s mental health. Based on studies, behavioral issues such as violence, antisocial problems, use of drugs or alcohol are common among adolescents in their development stage. Such factors can be a significant barrier to education achievements due to perceived disengagement in school. Traditional approaches applied in abnormal psychology have long emphasized interventions, including counseling and other engagement approaches such as PE. However, the study presented in the main article suggests an advanced intervention that helps with awareness of body and mind.
Frank, J. L., Kohler, K., Peal, A., & Bose, B. (2017). Effectiveness of a school-based yoga program on adolescent mental health and school performance: Findings from a randomized controlled trial. Mindfulness, 8(3), 544-553. Web.
Tecuta, L., Fava, G. A., & Tomba, E. (2020). An innovative approach for the assessment of mood disturbances in patients with eating disorders. CNS spectrums, 25(1), 71-78. Web.
Xu, W., Kumar, I. R., & Srinivasan, T. M. (2021). Evaluation of impact of ethics of yoga in the psychological health of college students: A randomized control trial. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 14(12), 999-1005. Web.
There is a great number of different problems which people face in their life. High tempo and constant stress can result in serious issues that can make the life of a person unbearable. With this in mind, there is no use denying the fact that these problems should be discovered, and a person should be helped to get rid of them. However, sometimes it is very difficult to determine what exactly disturbs a person and how he/she can be helped. That is why the practice of screening exists.
The main purpose of this practice is to determine whether a person needs assessment or not. Being similar, screening and assessment, though, have some obvious differences. Screening is the basic procedure that helps a specialist to determine main problems and questions which should be considered. In other words, it prepares a person and a professional for the following procedure of assessment, which, in its turn, is aimed at gathering some certain information about a person in order to create a unique plan of treatment (Kaplan & Saccuzzo, 2012).
Screening involves asking questions carefully designed to determine whether a more thorough evaluation for a particular problem or disorder is warranted (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2009). Moreover, it does not demand a great level of proficiency, and that is why it is not so complicated. However, it still can be taken as one of the most important and efficient instruments which a counselor has as the work with a patient usually starts with this very practice. In order to determine which procedures can be applied to a patient, a counselor should necessarily master the practice of screening.
The legal and ethical parameters related to administering and interpreting assessment tools
However, a counselor should be very careful while trying to determine the main reasons for some problems of a patient. First of all, he/she should take into account some peculiarities of the character of a person, his/her views, and beliefs. Moreover, the purpose and behavior of the processes of screening and assessment should be explained. A person should understand that it is done in order to help him/her, and that is why his/her answers should be absolutely frank. Moreover, in some cultures, private questions can be taken as inappropriate, especially if a patient and a counselor are of the opposite sex. “Screening and assessment must be approached with a perspective that affirms cultural relevance and strengths” (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2009, p. 58).
That is why it is recommended for a counselor to use methods, questions, and practices that have already been tested and which are known to be appropriate for people with different peculiarities of culture. Additionally, in some cases, a person can be poor at English, and this fact can destroy understanding between a patient and a counselor. With this in mind, it is better when screening and assessment are conducted in the native language of a patient. Besides, a counselor should also mind that all information gained with the help of these procedures cannot be used by him/her for some personal purposes.
Moreover, he/ she is not able to share it as it is illegal. There are certain laws that regulate the activity of counselors and provide severe punishments for different violations. With this in mind, it should be said that a good counselor should take into account the cultural peculiarities of a patient and mind the possibility of punishment in case of different violations.
The sanctions and educational requirements for a professional to administer and interpret assessments as governed by the North Carolina state as well as the guidelines of the American Counseling Association (ACA)
There is no use denying the fact that information obtained by counselors in the process of screening and assessment is very private and can damage a person seriously. That is why there is a special code that regulates the functioning of the whole system. ACA Code of Ethics is the set of main rules and recommendations which are necessary for all specialists who work in this field. First of all, this Code states that everything should be done for the benefit of people who are served by counselors. Moreover, informed consent must be obtained. Additionally, this Code provides description and punishments which could be applied in case of violations.
A counselor can be punished for disclosure of research information (American Counseling Association, n.d.). Usually, a specialist does not have the right to disclose research information as it can lead to the identification of a person and his/her dissatisfaction with the whole process. The Code also suggests a description of the main demands of a counselor and his/her level of knowledge. It is obvious that a good counselor should have good knowledge of all standards which are peculiar for this sphere and, moreover, his/her personal competence should be obvious.
There is a special practice of monitoring the efficiency of counselors, which helps to evaluate the level of knowledge and understand whether a counselor is good as a specialist or not. Additionally, the Code outlines the necessity of the constant self-development of counselors as new approaches appear regularly. Having analyzed the main points of the ACA Code of Ethics, it is possible to state the fact that there is a great number of different demands to a counselor as his/her work is very important and needs a high level of knowledge.
References
American Counseling Association (n.d.). Code of ethics. Web.
Human mentality is a subtle and complex phenomenon, and mental health depends on the multiple social and cultural factors as well as the personal and physical ones. The gender differences are great in the present-day societies of the distinct cultures. Social perceptions of gender influence the individuals’ behavior to a great extent, and since women face many more challenges and discrimination in the modern world, they are comparatively more prone to mental health disorders emergence. The physiological issues in combination with the social constraints negatively influence the female mentality. It proves that the gender distinctions play a significant role in the mental disorder experiences making it clear that it is required to take into consideration the gender differences at both social and physical levels for the appropriate treatment elaboration.
Female Mental Health in Social, Cultural, and Economic Conditions
For a long time, the western psychiatry regarded the morbid mental states as culturally neutral and approached them without considering the ethnicity of the patient. However, recent research demonstrates that “there are profound cultural variations in the diagnosis and manifestation of mental illness” (Burr & Chapman, 1998, p. 431). The distinctions in the mental disorders in the various societies have a connection with the cultural differences, the social environment, the material and financial conditions, and inequality.
The women’s roles differ in dependence on the cultural traditions and customs. In the west, women are now freer in her actions and behaviors since the social prejudices and constraints started to lose their grip in the social worldview. However, in the countries where the social transformations happen slower, and society is grounded in the traditional heritage, women face greater inequality when attempting to apply for a job and achieve the financial independence.
The cultural determination of the individual self-perception, the behavioral norms and deviations and its influence on the social interrelations should be regarded in the mental morbidity diagnostic processes. “The diagnostic terms such as depression should not be regarded as the universal concepts but are associated with cultures that ‘psychologize’ experience in line with a particular world view” (Burr & Chapman, 1998, p. 434). The psychological distress a woman experience in the different cultural communities thus is influenced by the cultural circumstances and the personal self-image inspired by those circumstances.
The biological males’ and females’ differences were proved by many researchers. It is considered that women “are more affected by strong feelings” and are “more vulnerable to emotional problems” (Hirshbein, 2010, p. 158). These characteristics became stereotypes and, during the time, they proved to be insufficient evidence for the various mental disorders emergence among women. The cultural, social, and political implications influence the female mental health much more than the biological factors.
For a very long time, “normative male and female behaviors were strictly defined and appeared to be based in nature” (Hirshbein, 2010, p. 161). The woman’s social role is interrelated with the childbirth ability that is still regarded as the primal female social function in many cultures. The attempts to resist the social preconceptions put a lot of pressure on women, especially in the developing and collectivist countries, where a woman is expected to be involved in taking care of others rather than herself.
Woman’s Social Role and its Impact on the Mental Distress Development
The postpartum or postnatal depression is the exclusively female mental disorder that has both physical and socio-cultural backgrounds. Some psychiatrist consider that childbirth and parenthood as “normal stresses that might produce symptoms of mental illness in some women,” but many researchers also claim that the postnatal depression can be caused by the conflicts between the female biological function and its perception by the society and the woman’s pursuit of professional career and financial independence.
During childbirth, a woman undergoes tremendous mental and physical changes. The high level of stress puts the mental state at risk. When a woman can’t efficiently cope with the changes, she experiences the state that is called postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is characterized by melancholy, feeling of guilt, anxiety, social self-isolation, sleeping and eating disorders, high level of self-distrust regarding the ability to take care of a newly born child. Postpartum depression regularly “begins within four weeks of childbirth and may continue for several months or even a year” (Ahmad et al., 2015, p. 766).
One of the causes of the distress in the postnatal period is the hormonal imbalance. However, the depressive state is more likely can be triggered by the various circumstances of personal or social character. “Stressful life events such as abuse, poverty, poor relationships, death of a loved one or looking after a dependent family member can trigger depression” (Ahmad et al., 2015, p. 766). The emotional and physical stress related to the taking care of the baby’s wellness and health also provokes tenseness and contributes to depression development.
It is observed that postnatal depression is most frequently happen among the undergraduate adolescents who belong to lower social class families and is avoided “in better literate and socioeconomic statuses” (Ahmad et al., 2015, p. 765). These findings prove the influence of the social conditions on women’s mental health. First of all, it is the women’s roles and social identities that emphasize their “subordinate status” in “the contexts of work, family, and community” and, therefore, create social inequality and discrimination (Carmen, Russo, & Miller, 1984, p. 17). Thus, the social structure that supports the race and gender inequality in the rewards distribution and work opportunities availability creates potential threats for the female psychological well-being.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that depression is currently the fourth most common disorder for women, but by 2020 it is expected to be second only to heart disease” (Lazear, Pires, Isaacs, Chaulk, & Huang, 2008, p. 127). In every part of the world, the depressed mental states are associated with poverty and uneven distribution of wealth and resources. However, this issue is more prominent in the culturally diverse societies with repeated cases of discrimination on racial and gender basis. In the USA, “for low-income women and women of color, prevalence rates for maternal depression are twice as high as those for white women” (Lazear et al., 2008, p. 127).
It is reported that depression is often caused by the suspense of the negative outcomes and consequences both for a woman and her children. However, the social challenges oppress women not only during the postnatal period but throughout their lives. Under the great pressure of difficulties in employment, irregular payments, and constant worries about the family members women find themselves in the depressive states that have multiple negative effects on the health, social performance, and achievements.
The Issues of Self-Image in Relations to Socially-determined Standards
Along with the normative male and female behavior, society dictates the norms of appearances. Society has created the “culturally-determined standards of appearance” that influence the social acceptance and the way a person perceives himself or herself (Izydorczyk, 2011, p. 21). In western culture, the dictated standards of slim or skinny shape and attractiveness put a significant pressure on the mental sustainability of those who for some reasons cannot suit them.
The individual perception of own body and its attractiveness is deeply interrelated with the self-esteem. Women, especially in their adolescence, tend to over-evaluate the significance of the social standards regarding appearance making them an absolute value. The obsession with the norms of appearance creates anxiety, depression, and a variety of eating disorders that disturb the social interrelations and performance.
Women are prone to eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa much more than men. The main reason provoking the eating disorders among women is the social anxiety that “is defined as a fear of being negatively evaluated by others in social situations” (Obeid, Buchholz, Boerner, Henderson, & Norris, 2013, p. 141). The cases of social anxiety are common across the female adolescence and are often grounded in the inability to fit in the social standards of appearance and beauty. The young women are highly dependent on the appreciation of their peers and friends, and the dependency provokes fear of failure that makes a person anxious and pushes her towards the eating disorder emergence.
The connection between eating disorders and low self-esteem is observed by many researchers. A personal self-evaluation includes many aspects and depends on the social, scholastic, interpersonal achievements. The appearance standards affect the self-perception greatly. The physical shape and weight esteem is regarded as of greatest significance in relation to eating disorders. It is reported that the low sense of self-worth and the high level of social anxiety make the treatment of the eating disorders difficult. It is suggested to implement programs that are aimed at the increase of the sense of self-value instead of dealing with the eating disorder directly (Obeid et al., 2013, p. 151).
The mental distress that young women experience in adolescence becomes a huge problem. The teenagers’ mindset is extremely vulnerable and can be easily oppressed by circumstances of a different kind. The social conventions, prejudices, and expectations put a lot of pressure on the psychological state. The socially influenced disorders and anxieties interfere with the individual’s behavior and negatively affect the transition of the teenager into adulthood. Although primarily the eating disorders are considered to be the issue of adolescence, the more mature women experience mental disorders that push them to severe eating restrictions as well. The relations of the eating disorders with the social anxiety prove that mental health is deeply interrelated with the social and cultural conditions.
Conclusion
The distinctive features of the female mental disorders depend on the differences in the physical conditions as well as the cultural and socioeconomic ones. The socially-determined conception of the woman’s role and the high demands from the family and community members put a lot of pressure on the women’s psychological sustainability. The higher rates of women’s depression, social anxiety, and eating disorders are explained by the greater challenges women face in the present-day society. The findings of the current research prove that mental issues among the female population cannot be understood merely from the biological perspective but require the consideration of the social factors in the illness diagnosis. The deeper understanding of the social and cultural influences on the female psyche will make the diagnosis adequate and will support the provision of a more efficient treatment.
References
Ahmad, M., Butt, M., Umar, B., Arshad, H., Iftikhar, N., & Maqsood, U. (2015). Prevalence of postpartum depression in an urban setting. Biomedical Research, 26(4), 765-770.
Burr, J., & Chapman, T. (1998). Some reflections on social and cultural considerations in mental health nursing. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 5, 431-437.
Carmen, E., Russo, N., & Miller, J. (1984). Inequality and women’s mental health: An overview. In P. P. Rieker & E. Carmen (Eds.), The gender gap in psychotherapy: Social realities and psychological processes (pp. 17-39). New York, NY: Springer.
Hirshbein, L. (2010). Sex and gender in psychiatry: A view from history. Journal of Medical Humanities, 31, 155-170. Web.
Izydorczyk, B. (2011). A psychological diagnosis of the structure of body self in a group of selected young Polish females without eating or other mental disorders. Archives of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 2, 21-30.
Lazear, K., Pires, S., Isaacs, M., Chaulk, P., & Huang, L. (2008). Depression among low-income women of color: Qualitative findings from cross-cultural focus groups. Journal of Immigrant Minority Health, 10, 127-133. Web.
Obeid, N., Buchholz, A., Boerner, K., Henderson, K., & Norris, M. (2013). Self-esteem and social anxiety in an adolescent female eating disorder population: Age and diagnostic effects. Eating Disorders, 21, 140-153. Web.
This paper casts a critical eye over promoting the importance of early recognition and treatment, recognizing the early warning signs of mental health problems. And psychotherapy encourages accomplishment and suitable recommendations to a mental health specialist. Psychotherapy is an interpersonal, relational intervention used by trained psychiatric therapists to help clients in tribulations of living. Mainly, it includes increasing a particular sense of well-being and decreasing personal awkward experiences.
Psychotherapists utilize a huge range of techniques depending upon dialogue, experiential relationship construction, communication, and behaviour change and that are designed to advance the mental health of an individual or patient, or to improve group associations such as in a family. What is even more important than the economic sprain that hopelessness causes is the cost of human suffering that hopelessness causes. The subconscious mind is viewed like an eternal tape, implanted within the complex synapses and cells of the brain. Essentially, you only become what your subconscious mind thinks. Then, our thoughts and beliefs make us into our temperament and give us our physiological makeup.
While contributing within workings of this Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy, individuals, or patients will gain the advantage of gaining unlimited health benefits. This is because psychotherapists will introduce them to mystic powers while demonstrating hypnotic trances in combination with the many inductions described within the examples, illustrations and techniques. In rebuffing to succumb to seditious habits, such as smoking, drug addiction, alcoholism, overeating, and the like, you place the patients’ futures on a direct path, healthy and dynamic, toward achieving their ultimate goals.
The concept of “psychodynamics” was proposed by German physiologist Ernst Wilhelm von Brücke and physicist Hermann von Helmholtz. They supposed that all living organisms are energy-systems also administrated by this belief. Brücke set forth the radical view that the living organism is a dynamic system to which the laws of physics and chemistry apply. This was the most basic point for Freud’s dynamic psychology of the mind and its relation to the unconscious.
Freud has been leading in two related but distinct ways. He concurrently gave a theory of how the human mind is organized and operates internally, and how human nature both conditions and results from this exacting hypothetical understanding. This led him to favour certain clinical ideas for challenging to help cure psychopathology.
The unconscious mind is an important tool in our lives. When we used to its full capacity, it can support us in achieving our wildest goals. What may be less known is that the unconscious mind has been utilized in healing processes from physical and emotional issues for many years. However, there has been little written for the educational market about how to concretely and unconsciously change behaviours, especially in a user-friendly approach. For embarking on such a voyage of recovery, healing or improvement, it is necessary to give the differences between the conscious and unconscious minds.
The conscious mind
The conscious mind implies to your immediate awareness at any point in the day. If you stop right now and listen to the sounds outside, you may ‘tune’ into some sounds on which conscious mind was insensible a moment before. The sounds were still present, but you were not consciously attempting them. Your conscious mind tends to do what you want it to do; however, it is primarily directed by your unconscious mind. You can say unconscious mind is like the pilot of an aircraft and the conscious mind like the crew. The crew takes orders, but only the pilot flies the aircraft. This is true of our conscious and unconscious mind.
The unconscious mind
Research suggest that in every second, over two million pieces of information flood our awareness, but our conscious brain can only pay attention to seven chunks (give or take two chunks). Though, the unconscious pays attention to everything. The sounds you were unaware to before be still there and they were actually still being practiced and stored by your unconscious mind. Your conscious mind only pays attention when you ask it to, or someone else does.
Probably an individual may not recognize someone is depressed. There are sufferers who may correlate depression with not being able to leave their home and make it in to work. Unfortunately this propaganda is due to a lack of understanding the symbols and symptoms of depression. Very often people who are depressed can get their children off to school, put in a full day at the office and keep up manifestations.
Often these persons suffer in silence and sometimes think “Oh, I’m just a touch blue” “Everybody feels like this to some degree” or the ever “If I were depressed I wouldn’t be able to do all that I do”. Depression can sometimes show up in the classroom, perhaps the instructor is more short-tempered than usual with students, which can leave one feeling in the wrong. Depression can attend a boardroom meeting, maybe your management was dull and your colleagues noticed. You might find yourself physically present but closing less and less deals each week.
Providing education and information about mental health problems can be priceless, both for the individuals and for their support network. For the individuals it can help them gain some imminent into their complexities, increase their understanding of why they behave in a certain way and why particular treatments are specified. This may help ease the compliance with treatment. Education also helps to disperse myths and obsolete beliefs that may be held in the individuals. The education can wrap a huge range of topics but it is important to tailor it to individuals and their particular conditions. Topics can include: psychiatric muddles, definite symptoms, the rationale of use of different therapies, medication profiles and side effects and governing of changes in symptoms.
Some Strategies for Dealing with Occupational Stress
Use Cognitive Therapy Techniques- what is your habitual thought in a situation? Then ask, is your habitual thought reality based, or is it just your own negative thoughts embryonic?
Ask Yourself “Am I an A or B Type Personality?” – Type A’s sometimes have thoroughness, Type B’s can put off. Point out your type and attempt to adjust those human defects.
Preserve limitations – in your workplace, everyone doesn’t need to know about your anxieties. You’ll feel more professional if you act as a worker, not a sufferer or patient.
Sleep On Things – If you don’t feel you are not ready to discuss the issue, so don’t. And remember every issue does not have to be discussed.
Personalities – If you work with the general public, recognize that interfacing with a mass of personalities: kind versus nasty is similarity for the course.
Go To Work – make out that keeping busy at work is a marvellous mental health remedy. During those tough days it might be better to go to work than staying home.
Alterations – In a new job atmosphere, or position, the adjustment phase can be up to one year. You won’t know the entire job.
You must Love Your Job – Love what you do. If you don’t then you may have chosen the wrong setting, career etc.
Psychotherapy as a Treatment
Psychotherapy includes a variety of beneficial ideas including psychodynamic psychotherapy and counselling. Counselling finds to help people understand and work out their problems. They are often seen as therapists who listen, encourage and offer support. Counsellors can also teach the person to differentiate between behaviours that are socially inappropriate and those that are suitable. Psychodynamic psychotherapy is valid to people whose problems twig from emotional conflicts. The main theory is that enduring problems can arise if the person has attempted to flee from these conflicts by repressing the memory into their unconscious mind.
Through therapy, the person is encouraged to reveal these memories and to learn to pact with them in the relationship with the therapist. People with LD are highly likely to have practiced emotional strain, yet for many decades the familiar view was that their partial developmental level disallowed the use of psychotherapy. But now there is awareness that some of the more able individuals with LD can benefit from psychodynamic psychotherapy, provided the language and content is properly adapted.
Psychotherapists provide a range of techniques to influence or persuade the individual to adapt or change in the direction the individual has chosen. These can be based on their options, pragmatic relationship construction, dialogue, communication, and embracing of behaviour change policies. Each is designed to recover the mental health of a patient, or to improve group relationships. Most forms of psychotherapy use only spoken conversation. Although, some use various other forms of communication such as the artwork, written word, story, drama, or remedial touch. Because perceptive subjects are mostly discussed during psychotherapy, therapists are expected, and usually legally bound, to respect.
Medical and humanistic models
We can also make a distinction between those psychotherapies that refer a medical model and those that refer a humanistic model. The client, in the medical model, is seen as unwell and the therapists refer their ability to help the client back to health. An example of a medically-exclusive model is the wide use of the DSM-IV, the analytic and statistical manual of mental disorders in the United States.
In the humanistic model, the therapist assists learning the patient’s own natural process draws them to a fuller understanding of themselves. Gestalt therapy is an example of such modal.
Some Psychotherapists differentiate between more uncovering and more supportive psychotherapy. Uncovering psychotherapy underlines facilitating the client’s insight into their problems. Example of an uncovering psychotherapy is classical psychoanalysis. Supportive psychotherapy by disparity stresses strengthening the client’s defences and often providing encouragement. Depending on the client’s behaviour, a more supportive or more uncovering approach may be optimal. But most psychotherapists use a combination of uncovering and supportive approaches.
References
Edward J Longo, “Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy”. Web.
Lana E. Bailey, “Depression: $44 Billion Dollars a Year and Counting”. Web.
Dr Steve Moss, “Psychiatric disorders in people with learning disability”. Web.
Nicole Stanton, “Guide To Mental Health Care In Maryland”. Web.
Peta Stapleton,” The Unconscious versus Conscious Mind”. Web.