Other Mental and Social Health Commons^™

Rewriting Kendra’S Law: A More Ethical Approach To Mental Health Treatment, James Diven

Pace Law Review

Michelle Go was pushed in front of a subway car by a man suffering from schizophrenia that had fallen through the cracks of New York’s mental health care system. Michelle’s death was imminent because the severely ill man had every right to be on the streets under present law. This note will discuss the problems with New York’s mental hygiene laws that prevent courts from mandating treatment even when treatment is in the state’s best interest.

Michelle’s death is not unique. Historically, New York has struggled to enact effective legislation governing the treatment of mentally ill individuals. As a result, …

Insights From Nursing Students About Factors Affecting And Strategies Supporting Their Mental Health, Saima Hirani, Ambreen Tharani, Zohra Jetha, Shehla Khan

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Nursing students experience high stress and mental health issues. It is essential to pay adequate attention to students’ mental health so they are trained to deliver quality patient care in complex settings. In order to provide a healthy environment to student nurses, it is essential that nursing students’ voices are heard. This study aims to explore nursing students’ perceptions about factors that influence their mental health and understand strategies that support mental health during nursing education.

Methods: The study used an exploratory descriptive qualitative design to achieve the objective. Purposive sampling was used to recruit nursing students from a …

Parent And Child Anxiety Evaluated During An Early Period Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Study, Karla M. Abela, Darlene Acorda, Stanley Cron, Geri Lobiondo-Wood

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: The objective of this study was to explore parent and child anxiety during the pandemic. Unlike previous pandemics, measures implemented to prevent the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been much more limiting.

Methods: An explanatory convergent mixed-methods design was used to describe anxiety of children 9–17 years of age and their parents during August–October 2020. Adult and child versions of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to examine levels as measured on STAI’s state-anxiety subscale. Web-based interviews with a subset of patients were conducted qualitatively to analyze anxiety-related themes.

Results: A total of 188 parents …

The Chernobyl Nuclear Meltdown And Health Complications Among The Citizens Of Pripyat, Elizabeth A. Tarter

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

On April 25, 1986, reactor number 4 in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant near the city Pripyat went into a catastrophic meltdown. In the aftermath of the atomic disaster, the Soviet government misrepresented the severity of the danger to those who lived in the immediate area near the plant. This paper uses medical studies and firsthand accounts to argue that the meltdown at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the delay of government involvement resulted in lifelong negative impacts on the lives and health of Pripyat citizens and neighboring towns.

Pilot Mental Health Offender Program Improves Participant Outcomes And Lowers Costs In A Large Urban County, Colleen Bell, Mohsin Raza, David Kilcrease, Barbara L. Gracious

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Introduction

Mass incarceration, particularly of the mentally ill, continues to pervade our criminal justice system. Jails in many areas have become the largest mental health facilities, especially in large urban communities, despite increasing societal recognition that those with mental illness are not best served behind bars. Misdemeanors are an often-overlooked contributor to mass incarceration, and may be preventable for those with chronic severe mental illness.

Methods

This Northeast Florida pilot program, the Mental Health Offenders Program (MHOP), is based on the successful Miami Eleventh Circuit Court Criminal Mental Health Project. MHOP provided pretrial release from custody, through diversion with a …

Association Between Diagnosed Anxiety And Depression And Exposure To Life Stressors During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Emily Hallgren Phd, Don E. Willis Phd, Brett Rowland Ma, James P. Selig Phd, Pearl A. Mcelfish Phd

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Research suggests that mental health disorders heighten the risk of exposure to life stressors. Drawing on a sample of 754 adults from a survey distributed at six primary care clinics, we examine whether adults who reported ever being diagnosed with depression or anxiety were more likely to experience an employment disruption, a housing disruption, and/or report more COVID-19-related stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals who reported ever being diagnosed with depression reported a greater burden (B=.75) of COVID-19-related stressors. Those who reported ever being diagnosed with anxiety had higher odds of experiencing an employment disruption (OR=1.90) and a housing disruption …

Immigration, Politics, And Mental Health: An Undergraduate Independent Study, Abigail O. Akande, Erinn K. Rajapaksa

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

The implications of a polarizing political climate on the plight of immigrants with disabilities in the United States are physiological and emotional. Rehabilitation and human services professionals are inclined to recognize the intersection of the process of immigration with related legislation and the presence of disability. Undergraduate students of relevant disciplines can benefit from the focused investigation that an independent study can provide – particularly because legislative directives evolve so rapidly, are directly associated with service provision and the availability of resources, and draw upon training and continuing education expectations from a variety of practitioner ethical codes.

Ecospirituality In Forensic Mental Health: A Preliminary Outcome Study, Clark Patrick Heard, Jared Scott, Stephen Yeo

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: In this study, the personal experience of spirituality in nature (the concept of ecospirituality) was supported by occupational therapy and spiritual care staff enabling a community-based group for persons affiliated with a forensic mental health system in Ontario, Canada. Spirituality is a key, though debated, tenet in occupational therapy practice. At the same time, immersive participation in nature has been linked to positive health outcomes.

Methods: A qualitative method consistent with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employed. Data was collected via the completion of semi-structured interviews (n = 9). Collected data was transcribed verbatim and then coded for …