Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The 2002 Bali Bomb: Models Of Sustainable Philanthropy, Lauren Livingston

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Within the first few weeks in Bedulu, I read an ISP written in 1990 concerning mental health facilities in Bali. It was by far one of the most engaging and provocative ISPs I was introduced to; however, giving today’s security precautions and my lack of background in psychology, I easily dismissed it as a possible project. Yet, as ISP time lurched closer, I still had not found an idea that equally excited me. I talked with Bu Ari, and she encouraged me to talk to Ibu Luh Ketut Suryani, the leading psychologist in Indonesia and founder of the Suryani Institute …

Living With Autism In Vietnam, Libie Motchan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper examines the many implications of living with Autism in Vietnam on both affected children and their families. The lack of information, statistics and awareness of autism in Vietnam is reflected in the limited treatment resources available. This study calls attention upon what problems parents are most affected by what they feel needs to change. It also looks at the current sentiment and understanding of autism and its perceived causes. The results of this paper come from background research, observation at clinics and special education facilities, interviews with professionals in the fields of psychology and education, interviews with parents …

Treating The Spirit: An Ethnographic Portrait Of Senegalese Animist Mental Health Practices And Practitioners In Dakar And The Surrounding Area, Caitlin Mckinley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Animist beliefs and practices are deeply ingrained in Senegalese society, even in the metropolitan area of Dakar and have prevailed in Senegal despite the many influences of Islam and colonization. Animist mental health practices are especially interesting because of the influx of Western mental health practices in the wake of modernization. Merging traditional and Western mental health practices challenges the completely different worldviews from which each school of thought stems. For those seeking treatment, this duality makes it tricky to receive the help that they need. The purpose of this study is to explore animist Senegalese mental health treatments, traditional …

Art As A Cure: Analyzing Healthcare Treatment For The Mentally Ill Through The Lens Of Art Therapy Programs In Dakar, Senegal, Sofia Porter-Castro

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mental illness is a malady that affects roughly 2.3 million people in Senegal ("Statistics by Country” 2012), but the wide and sometimes opposing range of healing practices suggests that the attitudes surrounding mental illness are still largely contested. This is especially true in Senegal’s capital, where advances in medicine in big city hospitals are growing while ties to traditional beliefs and practices remain strong. Alternative therapies, such as art therapy, provide an opportunity for practitioners to explore different techniques for treating the mentally ill while still integrating elements of the local culture. It is precisely this integration that this paper …

Storytelling And Healing: The Influence Of Narrative On Identity Construction Among Hiv Positive Individuals In Kisumu, Kenya, Kimberly Leon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The principle objective of this Independent Study Project is to investigate the influence of storytelling as a counseling method on conceptions of HIV among HIV positive individuals in the city of Kisumu. Interviews with counselors, community health workers, and HIV support group members were used to determine the role of storytelling in the counseling process. Stories and life experiences were gathered and analyzed in order to extract themes and draw a relationship between the act of storytelling and a person’s perception of their HIV status. Data was collected at various support groups in the Kisumu area and through the help …

The Perceptions, Problems, And Possibilities Of Cameroonians With Mental Disabilities: A Case Study Of Le Centre National De Réhabilitation Des Personnes Handicapées De Yaoundé, Lauren Miller

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For my study, I focused on the state of persons with mental disabilities in Yaoundé, Cameroon, a discriminated and marginalized population. I completed an internship at Le Centre National de Réhabilitation des Personnes Handicapées in the special education school as a case study. There, through participant observation, simple observation and interviews as well as outside research, I gathered information regarding my research questions and hypothesis:

1. Who is responsible for the majority of persons with mental disabilities?
2. What are the affects of perceptions of persons with mental disabilities?
3. What are some possibilities for a better life and through what means?

Hypothesis: …

Inferno In The Land Of Snows: A Holistic Investigation Of Tibetan Self-Immolation Through A Tibetan Perspective, Eric Regalbuto

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

According to the ICT (International Campaign for Tibet) at least 90 Tibetan monks, nuns, and non-monastic Tibetans have committed self immolation since 2009, 73 (81%) of which have been proclaimed as deceased due to inflictions experienced as a result of the demonstrations; this only exists as the current statistic at the time the proceeding investigation was conducted. Though this number may initially seem somewhat small, it in fact shows a significant build-on to this trend over recent years. To many this practice comes across as quite striking, if not completely incomprehensible; to most the first method of protesting religious oppression …

Connecting Cultures: Msmcbj’S Alternative Methods To Mental Health Therapy Within The Aldeia Indigenous Reserve And The Bom Jardim Favela, Emily Rasowsky

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For my Independent Research Project I observed how community integration and connecting individuals back to the indigenous cultural idea of community work together to improve upon the mental health of individuals in the Favela of Bom Jardim, Fortaleza and the Pitaguary Indigenous Reserve or Aldeia. I examined how the Movimento de Saude Mental Comunitara do Bom Jardim (MSMCBJ) organization provides individuals within Bom Jardim a space to build a supportive community, based in indigenous ideals, while simultaneously providing professional and social opportunities for the Pitaguary tribe to create a sense of cultural valorization and how both of these aspects lead …

Conflict Situation For Health Care Workers: A Case Study Of The Occupational Challenges In Kasangati Health Centre Iv And Their Implications For Patient Care., Shannon Mcdowell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Many factors influence a country’s ability to provide quality health services for its people. Particularly, quality health care hinges upon the availability of properly trained and equipped health care workers (HCWs) to deliver effective care. Resource-strained countries committed to the Millennium Development Goals are confronting the reality that shortages and uneven distribution of HCWs threaten their capacities to encourage and establish healthy communities. A scarcity in HCWs is one challenge of public health initiatives and places stress on existing HCWs. Other challenges faced by HCWs severely affect performance, motivation, and overall care-giving ability.

This study aims to examine the particular …

“The Invisible Disability:” Perceptions And Potential Of Children With Autism In Kisumu, Kenya, Talia Cohen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Awareness and prevalence of autism around the world is on the rise; however, much remains unknown about this developmental disability. This study is a survey of perceptions of individuals with autism in Kisumu and the services available to facilitate their development. Two areas of interest arose during this study. First, many children do not receive intervention services until a very late age, seriously hindering the success of the intervention. Many special schools do not accept children until they are well into vital stages of development, and the Educational Assessment and Resource Center (EARC) lacks the personal and funding to provide …