20 Jan Caring for Patients with Mental Illness

Discussion: Caring for Patients with Mental Illness response to 2 colleagues

 

Deinstitutionalization, a multi-stage process, resulted from a shift in policy. Deinstitutionalization allowed individuals with chronic, severe mental illness to move out of state mental hospitals into community-based settings. Between 1955 and 1980, the resident population of state hospitals dropped from 559,000 to 154,000 in the United States (Koyanagi, 2007). By 1990, state hospitals began closing completely throughout the United States.

Although deinstitutionalization sought to improve care for those with mental illness, progress has been slow. Moving patients out of state institutions has placed greater burdens on family members and increased the demand for funding and resources to care for those with mental illness. A shift toward community-based care has increased the role of social workers in community mental health.

To prepare for this Discussion:

Consider trends in mental health issues and mental health care. Review this week’s resources and focus on the debate about the deinstitutionalization policy in mental health care.

By Day 5

Respond to at least two different colleagues’( see below) postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Expand on your colleague’s posting by explaining additional challenges caregivers might face when caring for individuals with mental illness.

• Offer a different intervention that might also address caregivers’ challenges.

• Explain how the local resources your colleague described are similar to or different from the resources in your local area.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the resources and the current literature using appropriate APA format and style.

 

 

Be sure to support your responses with specific references to the resources and the current literature using appropriate APA format and style.. If you are using additional articles, be sure to provide full APA-formatted citations for your references both within the text and on the referencing section. PLEASE ALWAYS INCLUDE THE REQIRED TEXTBOOK as part of the references and if possible some of the REQUIRED READING if applicable. Please always start by referring to THE TEXTBOOK, below

 

 

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

Hospital Social Work 2006

Author: Beder, Joan

ISBN-13: 978-0-415-95067-1

ISBN-10: 0-415-95067-8

Edition/Copyright: 2006

Publisher: Routledge N. Y.

 

REQUIRED

Handbook of Health Social Work 3RD 19

Author: Gehlert, Sarah

ISBN-13: 978-1-119-42072-9

ISBN-10: 1-119-42072-5

Edition/Copyright: 3RD 19

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

REQUIRED

Social Work in Health Settings: Practice in Context 4TH 16

Author: McCoyd, Judith L.M.

ISBN-13: 978-1-138-92436-9

ISBN-10: 1-138-92436-9

Edition/Copyright: 4TH 16

Publisher: Routledge N. Y.

 

 

 

 

 

Required Readings

 

 

Learning Resources

 

Messinger, S. D. (2011). Cooperation and contention in psychiatric work. Transcultural Psychiatry, 48, 284–298.

 

 

Lanier, P., Bollinger, S., & Krueger, R. F. (2013). Advances in the conceptualization of personality disorders: Issues affecting social work practice and research. Clinical Social Work Journal, 41(2), 155–162.

 

 

OBrien-Suric, N. (2013). Social workers and their integral role in interdisciplinary team care. Retrieved from http://www.jhartfound.org/blog/social-workers-and-their-integral-role-in-interdisciplinary-team-care/#sthash.zelqOTeO.dpuf

 

 

Hudson, C.G. (2016). A model of deinstitutionalization of psychiatric care across 161 nations: 2001-2014. International Journal of Mental Health, 45(2), 135-153.

 

 

Tischler, S., Webster, M., Wittmann, D., & Wade, K. (2017). Developing and sustaining a practice-based research infrastructure in a hospital social work department: Why is it important? Social Work in Health Care, 56(1), 1-12.

 

 

National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2019). NAMI Programs. Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/NAMI-Programs

Note: This website can be used to find local resources and programs for individuals with mental illness and their families. NAMI volunteers often provide these programs as part of inpatient psychiatric treatment or after-care support.

 

Ponte, K. (2019, March 11). That time in the psych ward [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/March-2019/That-Time-in-the-Psych-Ward

 

Optional Resources

 

Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). The history of psychiatry social work. Retrieved from http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/psychiatry/expert_team/social_work/dept_history.html

 

Widiger, T. A. (2013). Changes in the conceptualization of personality disorder: The DSM-5 debacle. Clinical Social Work Journal, 41(2), 163–167.

 

 

Shalonda Graham

RE: Discussion – Week 6

COLLAPSE

Post a brief explanation of how the deinstitutionalization policy has affected inpatient psychiatric care.

According to Hudson (2016), deinstitutionalization has been ongoing since the 1950s and is a trend that has been molded by diverse sociocultural conditions and competing ideologies. Deinstitutionalization is a term used to describe various phenomena from the depopulation of public psychiatric hospitals changes to include development of community mental health services (Hudson, 2016). Deinstitutionalization involved moving patients who were deemed severely ill mentally out of a large institution while shutting down a portion or all of the institution. Once beds were closed, those later becoming mentally ill were unable to be admitted into the institution due to no bed availability. “Thus, deinstitutionalization has helped create the mental illness crisis by discharging people from public psychiatric hospitals without ensuring that they received the medication and rehabilitation services necessary for them to live successfully in the community” (Frontline, 2005, para 8).

Then, explain how the policy affects the roles of psychiatric social workers in providing care for patients with mental illness.

I feel that it would make providing care for patients with mental illness a little more difficult. Difficult because as previously stated, deinstitutionalization results in the patients being discharged from the institution without being provided the necessary resources to ensure that they are able to successfully live within their own communities. Their own self-determination could result in a terror-filled existence plagued by both real and imaginary enemies (Frontline, 2005).

Considering the policy, explain the challenges and issues caregivers face when caring for individuals with mental illness.

Caregivers face many challenges when caring for individuals with mental illness. These challenges include psychological, physical, social, and economic. Caregiver face emotional distress, some have a lack of social support, financial burdens, disturbance in their everyday lives, and also a lack of education on how to care for individuals with mental illness. Professional assistance, social and financial support by the government, and increasing caregivers’ information and education are important in addressing these challenges (Shamsaei et al, 2015).

Identify three resources (provide name and web address) available in your local area (county or state) to support patients with mental illness and caregivers.

1. SC Hopes https://scdmh.net/15847-2/

2. National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI)- South Carolina https://namisc.org

3. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs https://www.mirecc.va.gov/coaching/

Explain whether these resources are adequate to meet the needs of mental illness patients and caregivers. Justify your answers.

SC Hopes has a mission to support the recovery of people with mental illnesses. It is an anonymous support line to connect those experiencing overwhelming factors such as stress, anxiety, coping, addiction, depression, etc with experienced mental health professionals. I believe that SC Hopes would be adequate because it is available 24/7 to address the needs of the patient or caregiver and they are also able to remain anonymous.

NAMI-South Carolina meets the needs of mental illness patients and caregivers because it provides free mental health support, online support groups, resources, nationally recognized educational classes and advocacy programs.

U.S. Deparment of Veteran Affairs would be adequate for veterans as they provide resources for housing, crisis hotline, resources for psychological health & PTSD, caregiver support and also guidance on coaching to care (encouraging the patint to reach out for help).

References

Frontline. (2005). Deinstitutionalization: A Psychiatric “Titanic”. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/asylums/special/excerpt.html

Hudson, C.G. (2016). A model of deinstitutionalization of psychiatric care across 161 nations: 2001-2014. International Journal of Mental Health, 45 (2), 135-153.

Shamsaei, F., Cheraghi, F., & Esmaeilli, R. (2015). The Family Challenge of Caring for the Chronically Mentally Ill: A Phenomenological Study. Iranian journal of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, 9(3), e1898. https://doi.org/10.17795/ijpbs-1898

 

 

 

2 days ago

Tomycina Frazier

RE: Discussion – Week 6

COLLAPSE

Effects of Deinstitutionalization:

Although this may be an option for some, in other cases this is not an option for many people and families in the US. The deinstitutionalization of psychiatric care has taken place primarily in the mental health systems of developed, usually westernized nations, ones that have experienced a preceding period involving the building of psychiatric hospitals; for instance, in the United States, a dramatic expansion in inpatient psychiatric beds took place between 1840 and 1955, from 1 per 100,000 population to 338.9 per 100,000 (Hudson, 2016). Many people with mental health concerns are initialized due to their family not being able to care for them, their condition being too severe to be there, or they are simply may be afraid of them. It affects them because it is easier for them to be discharged out however they may not be guaranteed to receive their needed medication and services for them to be successful in the community.

Policy affects roles of psychiatric social workers:

Social workers are essential in the care of mental health patients. They bridge the gap for them and ensure that they have what they need when they need services. The policy would still allow them to be there for the patient and ensure they have what they need prior to discharge. A follow-up would be needed to ensure they are taking their medication and adjusting well at home. Social workers—whether in the community, hospital or other institutional settings—coordinate with caregivers and community resources to broaden the circle of team care which ultimately provides a more comprehensive and continuous care plan (Obrien-Suric, 2013).

Challenges for caregivers:

Caregivers face many challenges when caring for someone with mental illness. Some people with mental illness need around-the-clock care and some families may not be able to offer this. They may need to work to provide for the family and not be able to be there 24/7. They may experience a lack of social support, their own personal life may be affected, and they may feel emotional stressed and drained.

Resources in my area:

NAMI Alabama- https://www.nami.org/Home

Mental Health America- https://mha-montgomery.org/

Alabama Behavioral Health Associates- alabamabehavioralhealth.com

These resources are adequate to meet the needs of patients and caregivers. They offer counseling, resources to both the patient and caregiver. They also offer support groups and crisis intervention. There are online discussion groups that they can partake in as well. The amount of support that is out there is great, many people don’t know that this type of support exists and this is the reason that many caregivers become burned out and stressed.

Hudson, C.G. (2016). A model of deinstitutionalization of psychiatric care across 161 nations: 2001-2014. International Journal of Mental Health, 45(2), 135-153.

 

OBrien-Suric, N. (2013). Social workers and their integral role in interdisciplinary team care. Retrieved from http://www.jhartfound.org/blog/social-workers-and-their-integral-role-in-interdisciplinary-team-care/#sthash.zelqOTeO.dpuf