Community-Based Mental Health Care: Stigma and Coping Strategies Among Professionals and Family Caregivers in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Bonsu, Akosua Serwaah; Yendork, Joana Salifu

doi:10.1080/01612840.2018.1564158

Cited by 17 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…God as the source of grace, help, and abundance and suggested He worked as a mediator in the midst of a challenging work environment. The current study disagrees with Bonsu Salifu Yendork [24],…”

Section: Religion As Coping Cpnscontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…They had that positive inner drive known as self-motivation. The current study finding is also congruent with Bonsu and Salifu Yendork [24], where professionals (including CPNs) reported only being intrinsically motivated, considering the current state of mental health system in Ghana.…”

Section: Self-motivation By Cpnssupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Not wearing a uniform was a way of protecting the clients so that people would not say that there is a mental patient in a particular house for which CPNs are following up on him/her. A recent study in Ghana reported that clients and professionals were stigmatised because of the uniforms the professionals wore [24]. Not wearing a uniform in this study was a way of assuaging any bad feelings of the relatives who might misconstrue the nurses' intentions for visiting them.…”

Section: Reducing Stigma By Community Psychiatry Nursesmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…Some of the CPNs mentioned that they wore mufti (casual wear) to visit clients as a disguise or a cover of their profession. Most CPNs mentioned that their reason for wearing mufti was due to the negative thoughts about mental illnesses in most Ghanaian settings and the stigmatisation of the mental health person and family caregivers [24]. Not wearing a uniform was a way of protecting the clients so that people would not say that there is a mental patient in a particular house for which CPNs are following up on him/her.…”

Section: Reducing Stigma By Community Psychiatry Nursesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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“We try our best to offer them the little that we can” Coping Strategies of Ghanaian Community Psychiatric Nurses: A Qualitative Study

Opare

Aniteye

Afaya

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Introduction Addressing strategies of coping among community psychiatric nurses (CPNs) could help increase an individual’s ability to cope effectively and as a result, reduce experienced levels of stress. It is known that the level of work stress experienced by CPNs is remarkably high, because psychiatric nurses face more intense relationships with their patients, trying to prevent self-harm, and most at times face challenging situations with aggressive patient behaviors in the working environment. Therefore, the study aimed to explore the coping strategies employed by CPNs during healthcare delivery in the community. Methods An exploratory qualitative study design using an interpretative approach was employed. A total of 13 CPNs were purposively sampled, and data gathered through individual interviews using an interview guide. The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically, describing some of the coping strategies employed by CPNs in Ghana. Results Participants’ ages ranged from 26-60years. They comprised 3 males and 10 females. An inductive thematic analysis identified the following major coping strategies of community psychiatric nurses; self-disguise (wearing of mufti), reliance on religious faith, self-motivation and reduction in the number of home visits. Conclusion Coping strategies among community psychiatric nurses are essential for both individuals and organisations. Thus, community psychiatric nurses must acquire personal-mastery coping strategies such as the reduction in the number of home visits, self-disguise (wearing mufti) the use of faith to motivate themselves in the face the challenging working environment. The coping strategies adopted by community psychiatric nurses was not to only help them deliver care, but also as a way of protecting the clients so that people would not tag them as ‘mental patients’

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Section: Religion As Coping Cpnscontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Self-motivation By Cpnssupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Reducing Stigma By Community Psychiatry Nursesmentioning

confidence: 66%

Section: Reducing Stigma By Community Psychiatry Nursesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

“We try our best to offer them the little that we can” Coping Strategies of Ghanaian Community Psychiatric Nurses: A Qualitative Study

Opare

Aniteye

Afaya

et al. 2020

Preprint

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show abstract

“…Religiosity/spirituality is also a way to effectively cope with job strain and burnout at workplace (Alharbi and Alshehry 2019;Bonsu and Yendork 2019;Chirico 2017;Torabi Chafjiri et al 2017), as well as an effective tool to deal with stress among retired populations (Lowis et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental Health among Italian Nichiren Buddhists: Insights from a Cross-Sectional Exploratory Study

2019

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Religiosity/spirituality is generally considered as a powerful tool for adjusting and coping with stressors, attributing purposes and meanings (either existential/philosophical, cognitive, or behavioral ones) to daily situations and contexts. While studies generally investigate these effects in Judaism and Christianity believers, there is a dearth of data concerning oriental religions. We sampled from Italian Nichiren Buddhists, the most widespread branch of Buddhism in Italy (n = 391). Participants were Buddhists on average since 5 years and self-defined moderate practitioners. Adaptive strategies exhibited higher scores than maladaptive ones. Specifically, the adaptive strategy of active coping positively correlated with self-evaluated degree of being a practicing Buddhist, as well as positive reframing and religion, while maladaptive strategies such as use of substances, venting and behavioral disengagement correlated negatively. Only the subscale of religion correlated significantly and positively with the time from which the participant had become Buddhist, while the use of emotional support correlated negatively. Most participants had a predominantly internal locus of control. External locus of control negatively correlated with time the participant became Buddhist and the self-reported degree of being a practicing Buddhist, whereas internal locus positively correlated only with the latter variable. Furthermore, Buddhist participants exhibited a low psychopathological profile when compared with the normative scores.

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The ambiguities of social inclusion in mental health: learning from lived experience of serious mental illness in Ghana and the occupied Palestinian territory

Read,

Kienzler,

Mitwalli

et al. 2023

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol

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Purpose Social inclusion of people living with serious mental illness is widely promoted. However, only limited consideration has been given to the meanings of social inclusion within different settings and the ways in which it is envisioned, negotiated, and practised. In this paper, we explore meanings and practises of social inclusion from the perspectives of people living with serious mental illness and their families in Ghana and Palestine and how this is shaped by differing political and socio-cultural contexts. Methods This paper draws on comparative ethnographic research including participant observation and interviews with people living with mental illness and family members in Ghana and the occupied Palestinian territory. Data were triangulated and analysed using thematic analysis. Results Participants described experiences of social inclusion and participation within communities, home and family life, friendships and social life, and work and livelihoods. This revealed how such experiences were variously shaped by differing political contexts and socio-cultural norms and expectations within the two settings. These in turn intersected with aspects such as gender roles, age, and socio-economic status. Aspirations for inclusion included greater awareness and understanding within society, accompanied by opportunities and support for meaningful inclusion at the political as well as community level. Conclusion Findings point to the value of a contextual understanding of social inclusion, taking account of the impact of the wider socio-cultural, political, and economic environment. They also point to the need for an intersectoral approach, beyond communities and mental health services, to provide meaningful opportunities and support for social inclusion.

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Community-Based Mental Health Care: Stigma and Coping Strategies Among Professionals and Family Caregivers in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Cited by 17 publications

References 38 publications

“We try our best to offer them the little that we can” Coping Strategies of Ghanaian Community Psychiatric Nurses: A Qualitative Study

“We try our best to offer them the little that we can” Coping Strategies of Ghanaian Community Psychiatric Nurses: A Qualitative Study

Mental Health among Italian Nichiren Buddhists: Insights from a Cross-Sectional Exploratory Study

The ambiguities of social inclusion in mental health: learning from lived experience of serious mental illness in Ghana and the occupied Palestinian territory

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