Showing papers on "Mental health published in 1976"

Effects of control and predictability on the physical and psychological well-being of the institutionalized aged.

Abstract: It was hypothesized that some of the characteristics frequently observed among the aged--such as feelings of depression and helphlessness, as well as accelerated physical decline--are at least in part attributable to loss of control. A field experiment in which institutionalized aged were randomly assigned to one of four conditions was carried out to assess the effects of increased control and predictability upon the physical and psychological well-being of the aged. Individuals in three of the four conditions were visited by college undergraduates under varying contingencies, while persons in the fourth condition were not visited and served as a baseline comparison group. Subjects in the control condition could determine both the frequency and duration of visits they recieved. A second group of subjects (predict) was informed when they would be visited and how long the visitor would stay, but had no control over these details. A third group (random) was visited on a random schedule. It was found that predictable and controllable positive events have a powerful positive impact upon the well-being of the institutionalized aged.

Teacher Anxiety: A Review with Recommendations

Abstract: Many educators would agree that teacher "personality" and "mental health" as they are reflected in classroom behavior are important. Some might even consider these characteristics more important than a teacher's knowledge of the subject matter and methods of teaching. Ineffective teaching is often attributed to personality defects, such as insufficient warmth, zeal, sensitivity, or perhaps excessive authoritarianism and rigidity (Smith, 1968). Flanders and Simon (1969), in reviewing the literature on teacher effectiveness, concluded that research is vitally needed on the causal relationships between particular teacher behaviors and their specific effects on student performance. Although something is known about these relationships (e.g., Dunkin & Biddle, 1974; Rosenshine, 1971), research has failed to provide unambiguous data for a variety of reasons. These include the

The sociology of mental health and illness

Abstract: DESCRIPTION How do we understand mental health problems in their social context? A former BMA Medical Book of the Year award winner, this book provides a sociological analysis of major areas of mental health and illness. The book considers contemporary and historical aspects of sociology, social psychiatry, policy and therapeutic law to help students develop an in-depth and critical approach to this complex subject. New developments for the fifth edition include:

Differences in the provision of mental health services by race.

Abstract: A study of a newly mandated crisis clinic still shows the signs of a different quality of service offered to Third World clients. Black men in the present study had difficulty in obtaining the most needed and most preferred services. Reasons for the disparity in services appear to be institutional.

Family coping with the mentally ill: an unanticipated problem of deinstitutionalization.

Abstract: The author studied 125 families to determine the effect of the current movement toward returning mental patients to their homes. From interviews with and attitudinal tests of those families, he reports that they will generally care for the former patient in their home, often with little shame or embarrassment, and usually without rehospitalizing him. But the former patient's presence, especially when severe psychotic symptoms persist, often puts heavy emotional and social strains on the families. He warns that although families accept the physical presence of the patients, the accompanying social rejection could have serious consequences for the community mental health movement.

Child Custody Contests in Historical Perspective

Abstract: The author reviews the historical background of interparental child custody disputes. The father’s superior right to custody in the nineteenth century continued the English common law tradition, but in the twentieth century the mother’s claim became superior to the father’s, reflecting women’s generally increasing rights and the assumption that women are better suited to caring for children. Partly as a result of recent cultural changes leading to a beginning equalization of parental rights and partly because of greater concern for children, courts are starting to focus more on children’s emotional needs. It is likely that courts will increasingly call on psychiatrists and other mental health professionals for help in making their decisions. CONCERN FOR CHILDREN involved in interparental custody contests has recently been increasing. Efforts to change court practices to conform to the needs of children and to improve both the quantity and the quality of psychiatric consultation reflect this new interest. Knowledge of the historical background of child custody contests affords some perspective on the current trends for change. This paper will touch briefly on practices in the older Western world and will treat in detail developments in the United States up to the present time.

Sex-role stereotyping

Abstract: 390 Throughout recorded history two perperson judged, and furthermore, that sistent themes regarding human perthese differences in clinical judgments sonality have emerged: (1) the male would parallel stereotypic sex-role dif is the prototype for humanity, the feferences. ... j.ji ■ that behaviors and characteristics male being understood in relation to . . , , „ , , , ° . , judged healthy for an adult, sex un him; and (2) males represent the cogspedfled> which are presumed to re nitive world, which is positively valued flect an ideal standard of health, will in this culture, and females represent resemble behaviors judged healthy for the affective domain, which has less men, but differ from behaviors judged positive value overall. Out of these healthy for women.5 two themes have emerged the current concern about the existence and possiThe study found no S1gmficant differ ble detrimental effects of sex-role ence in the views of male and female stereotyping, which is abundantly clinicians; both subscribed to a double present in both general news media standard of mental health" This atti" and professional literature.! As detude results in a kind of "Catch-22" fined by Kagan, sex-role stereotyping double bind for womenAs Brover refers to the holding of "publicly man et al' noted 'n a 'ater stu they are necessarily deficient with What happens when they accept, even general standards for implicitly, the sex-role stereotypes prevalent in the society? Are they helpWith the view that sex-role stereo ing to perpetuate the existence of these typing by mental health professionals prevalent beliefs and thereby potenhas critical ramifications, the authors tially reinforcing social and intraundertook the study of potential pro psychic conflict in their clients? Are fessionals in the field of mental health they inadvertently encouraging rnu—students in the social work curricu tually exclusive goals: mental health as lum at the University of Minnesota, defined by prevailing sex-stereotypes One objective was to determine versus self-actualization, sex unspeciwhether the study could justify possi fied? Are they supporting a phenomble curriculum revisions in the school, enon that seriously inhibits the selfIn designing the present research, the actualization of both men and women authors hypothesized that both under by confining both sexes to precongraduate and graduate students of so ceived roles, preventing them from cial work at the university would sub exploring a wide range of behaviors, scribe to a double standard of mental and prohibiting self-definition? health for men and women as did the Broverman et al. conducted a landmental health professionals in the 1970 mark study in the late 1960s that adBroverman study.7 As noted above, dressed the possible effects of sex-role behaviors and characteristics judged stereotyping by mental health profeshealthy for an adult, sex unspecified sionals.4 They surveyed seventy-nine —which are presumed to reflect an actively functioning, clinically trained ideal standard of mental health—were psychologists, psychiatrists, and social expected to resemble behaviors judged workers and found conclusive evidence healthy for men and differ from those there was a double standard for mental judged healthy for women, health that discriminated against It was further hypothesized that, women. Their research confirmed the contrary to the findings of the Brover following hypotheses: man team, male and female stu dents would differ in their concept ■ that clinical judgments about the mental health for a woman. The characteristics of healthy individuals authors expected that the impact of would differ as a function of sex of the feminist movement would have

TM: Some Preliminary Findings.

Abstract: JOHN GOWAN has had a long career as a researcher and author. He was president of The Association for the Gifted and of The National Association for Gifted Children. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Asssociation, and he was outstanding professor nominee (1973) at his home university, California State University, Northndge, where he is professor of educational psychology. He has published numerous articles and books on education and psychology. His reformulation of the Enkson affective stages and the Piaget cognitive stages into

Sex, Marital Status, and Mental Health: A Reappraisal

Abstract: Previous research (cf. Gove) has suggested that the higher rates of mental illness among females may be due to the greater stress associated with the marital role for women in our society. Using data (N = 3674) gathered as part of a major epidemiologic study in the southeastern United States, the authors examine the relationships between Health Opinion Survey scores (a widely used psychiatric assessment instrument), marital status, marital history, length of marital status, and several sociodemographic variables. As anticipated, higher scores for females across race and in most marital statuses were found. But when data were analyzed via multiple regression which controlled for sociodemographic and marital status factors, it was found that low socioeconomic status (SES) was the strongest predictor of high scores. Being female was also significant. The only significant marital status variable in the equation was being separated. Persons who had been married more than once also had significantly elevated scores. Marital status, length of present status, and history of previous marital statuses were not powerful predictors of mental health problems: most of the explained variance was subsumed by sociodemographic variables. The authors conclude that the disproportionately high rates of mental illness among females cannot be accounted for by marital status and its incumbent stresses and suggest that other explanations need to be explored. The relationship between sex roles, marital status, and mental illness has received recently an increasing amount of attention in the social science and psychiatric literature (Brodsky: Clancy and Gove; Cooperstock; Gittleman-Klein and Klein: Gove; Gove and Tudor; Overall; Pokorny and Overall; Redick; Rosen et al.)1 Findings from these and other studies indicate that females in our society have higher rates of mental illness than males and/or that they more often seek treatment for problems related to psychiatric distress. The reasons for these differential rates have not been definitively established although a number of hypotheses have been offered. For example, Phillips and Segal have argued that the higher rates for females are due to methodological factors associated with response biases, e. g., naysaying and social desirability, a position refuted by Clancy and Gove. Gurin et al. have suggested the higher rates for females result from their finding marriage less satisfying than males. Others have contended that role strain, particularly as engendered by the changing status of females in industrial societies, produces ambiguous *This research was made possible by MH Grant No. 24740-01.

Predictors of the duration of therapy for clients in the community mental health system.

Abstract: Single and multiple correlates for premature termination and duration of treatment were examined for 13,450 clients seem in 17 community mental health facilities. Predictor variables included seven demographic characteristics of clients and five characteristics of service (type of personnel seeing clients, assignment to inor outpatient programs, diagnosis rendered, assignment to therapy or diagnostic services, and assignment to individual therapy or other services). Results indicated that clients who are members of ethnic groups, who have low educational backgrounds, who are seen by paraprofessional staff, and who are assigned for diagnostic services quickly terminate at community mental health facilities.

Stability of mental health attitudes: a semantic differential study.

Abstract: Research reviews conclude that popular mental health attitnldes are changing, generally "yfor the better." InI this "longitudinal" study, two comparable sets oqfcollege students responded in 1962 (n =215) and in 1971 (n =319) to a semantic differential of eight concepts and tvwelve scales. (Contrary to expectations, attitudes were remarkablv similarfor the two samples: correlations ofconcept means ranged from .95 to .99, and scale means were almost identical in rank order. NATnnally's finding in the 1 950's were generally substantiated, wvith the addition that "Ex-Mental Patient" was perceived as high/ly similar to "Average Man," suggesting that stigma mnav nmot be permanent. The general public and college students appear closely to co-vary imm attitudes, with (liferences of intensity rather than direction or dimension; bath categories am)e interpreted as participammts in a penrasive stable system of' cultural beliefs about p.svchological disorder.

Psychiatric priorities in developing countries.

Abstract: Many psychiatrists assert that an expansion of mental health services in the developing countries is overdue. This will only take place if: (i) the tasks of mental health care are undertaken by a wide range of non-specialist health workers, including those responsible for primary health care; and (ii) services are directed initially at a very limited range of priority conditions. The method of priority selection is discussed, and the process required for translation of priority decisions into health action is exemplified by two illustrations.

Community psychology and the schools: A behaviorally oriented multilevel preventive approach

Abstract: Originally published in 1976, this volume begins with a theoretical overview of the major trends in the community psychology movement at the time, as well as a perspective on how the field was developing. The emphasis is on the utility of combining a preventative community-centered orientation with an applied behavioral-analytic focus. The authors take general theoretical notions and demonstrate how they can be turned to concrete methods of dealing with specific practical problems that occur in implementing a ‘real-life’ program of community oriented intervention. The authors present an innovative model for developing a low cost and effective delivery system for mental health services in public schools. They describe the actual development and implementation of such a system in the school, and also include a comprehensive evaluative scheme for determining the efficacy of this type of endeavor. The actual behavior change strategies that are employed can be used effectively by teaching personnel or psychologists on either a large or small scale. A final unique feature of the volume is the inclusion of a program that will assist teachers and mental health professionals in helping elementary school students learn social problem-solving skills.

Life crisis as a precursor to child abuse

Abstract: A number of theories have been proposed on the causation of child abuse, and many of these theories assign some role to stress. Stress is variously conceptualized as a continuous state resulting from poverty, poor housing, and the like, or as an immediate crisis such as an argument or the breakdown of an appliance. An alternate perspective on stress identifies it with life change events which require readjustment in the lifestyle of a person. When an excessive number or magnitude of such life change events occur, the person affected may be said to be in a state of life crisis. Such states of life crisis have been found to be associated with the onset of physical illness and with the occurrence of accidents and injuries. In this study, a questionnaire was administered to 35 abusing parents and 35 matched controls who had experienced problems with their children but had not been abusive. The two groups were compared for their life change scores on the Social Readjustment Rating Scale for the year before their abuse or problems began with their children. The mean score of the nonabusers was 124, which does not indicate a life crisis. For the abusers, the mean score was 234, which indicates a moderate life crisis. These means are significantly different at the .001 level by the t test. The role of symbiosis, an emotiontional attachment in which a person seeks to be taken care of by another person, was also explored. It is argued that abusive parents are competing with each other and with their children for the role of being cared for. This kind of behavior seems to make the person particularly vulnerable to life changes, which in turn produce stress. Support for this view was found in the responses to the questionnaire. Prevention strategies aimed at reducing change and stress might include better provision of crisis-intervention services, measures aimed at reducing unemployment or lack of opportunity, effective health maintenance services, and greater provision of counseling and mental health services. Use of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale in a preventive program of early intervention is also possible. Language: en

Training in community living: a follow-up look at a Gold-Award program.

Abstract: Editor's note: Frequently we have wondered what happens to innovative treatment programs for mental patients. Do they continue to grow and flourish, or eventually fade from the scene? To shed some light on that question, H & CP plans to publish occasional follow-up reports on the Training in Community Living program at Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison, Wisconsin, a 1974 winner of an achievement award from the Hospital & Community Psychiatry Service. In this article two of the program's developers briefly describe the results of one year of research on the effectiveness of their community treatment model.

Conners Teacher Questionnaire--norms and validity.

Abstract: A random sample of Auckland elementary school children (N=418) were rated by their teachers on Conners Teacher Questionnaire, one of the measures recommended by the National Institute of Mental Health for use in drug studies with children. Norms were found to be comparable with a New York sample on two of the four factors but children from a Midwestern university town differed substantially from the New Zealand and New York groups so that further standardisation work is necessary. A replica of Conners factor structure was also attempted and the results compared additionally with a similar U.S. study. It was concluded that despite some definite differences, the original factor structure appeared sufficiently stable across studies not to change the present scoring system except to add the Sociability Factor. The tendencies for boys to be rated higher on acting out type behaviors and girls on neurotic symptoms is consistent with clinical experience and previous studies.

Medical dominance. Psychoactive drugs and mental health policy.

Abstract: ment policies and practices which overemphasize chemotherapy and underemphasize sociopsychological treatment. Some of the scientific evidence relevant to these policies and practices is reviewed. The article ends with suggestions for alternative policies and for research projects which could provide support for legislative change. Chemotherapy is the treatment of mental disorder that prevails in the United States today. Particularly for the more

Integrating mental health services into primary medical care.

Abstract: Primary care clinicians occupy a strategic position in relation to the emotional problems of their patients. Integrating mental health and primary medical services promotes available, coordinated, accessible, and less stigmatizing treatment by recognizing an indivisibility of the total person in ill

Community mental health centers and the decreasing use of state mental hospitals.

Abstract: To test the success of the Community Mental Health Centers Program goal of reducing state hospital utilization, changes in state mental hospital resident and admission rates were calculated, using 16 states, for counties wholly within or outside of catchment areas served by operating, federally funded community mental health centers. There was no consistent relationship between the opening of centers and changes in state hospital resident rates. However, counties with centers tended to decrease more (or increase less) in state hospital admission rates than areas without centers.

The role of folk healers in community mental health services.

Abstract: This paper deals with the relationship between sociocultural factors and psychopathology in Hispanic groups in a disadvantaged urban area. The data were drawn from a 6-year collaborative undertaking between the Lincoln Community Mental Health Center and two local spiritualistic centers in the Southeast Bronx, New York. Comparisons are offered between classical mental health personnel and indigenous folk healers with emphasis on terminology, means of communication, and diagnosis techniques, as well as the utilization of social behavior and moral values. Relevant inferences are drawn regarding the broader relationship between religion and psychiatry. The importance of understanding of utilization of local folk resources in the planning and implementation of mental health services in urban ghettos is documented.

The use 0f two-way TV in bringing mental health services to the inner city.

Abstract: The authors describe a cable TV link between a medical school and a child health station in East Harlem. Nurse associates and community health workers trained through television conferences with a child psychiatrist have the primary responsibility for patient care at the clinic. Patients and their mothers are evaluated by the child psychiatrist in TV consultations at which nurse associates, health workers, medical students, and child psychiatric fellows are present. Patients and mothers respond positively to the system, and a high percentage of the psychiatrist's treatment recommendations are accepted. The authors suggest that such TV links can increase mental health services to underserved inner-city children.