abstract / Psychiatry / Master / Master of Philosophy

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The ubiquity of mental illness and its exponential growth in the US has made it the primary “medical disability” of our time. This pervasiveness and the destructive force behind it to destroy human spirit demands an urgent attention not only from medical community, and social policy makers, but also from the church. In the history of Christian communities, mental illness has tended to be viewed as some form of malignant manifestation that stands against the will and rule of God. It has thus tended to evoke a response from within the church. Today, for the most part, that response has been delegated to the medical profession and the state. The issue of mental illness has invited many debates in the current philosophical and scientific realms. In this thesis I will present a historical analysis which outlines something of the roots of how we have come to frame mental illness in contemporary America. The twentieth century saw an astronomical rise in the popularity of the biological sciences as explanatory frameworks for everything related to human beings. Psychiatry has attempted to develop a scientific context to capitalize on that success and create a framework for how we view and name those experiences that make up the criteria “mental illness.” We will evaluate those attempts and seek to explore the challenges of modern psychiatry in normalizing human behavior based on scientific theories. The intention of this study is to determine whether the church could or should intervene in such encounters, and if so, what such an intervention might look like. Mental anguish can cripple individuals in variety of ways. Among all manifestations of distress, anxiety, fear, and mental confusion, nothing can be more destructive than what psychiatry has called “schizophrenia.” This has been the most elusive, cruel, and puzzling “mental disorder” of all times, leading to prolonged disability and inten Mental anguish can cripple individuals in variety of ways. Among all manifestations of distress, anxiety, fear, and mental confusion, nothing can be more destructive than what psychiatry has called “schizophrenia.” This has been the most elusive, cruel, and puzzling “mental disorder” of all times, leading to prolonged disability and intense personal suffering. Furthermore, it attacks the core of a person’s consciousness, sense of identity, humanity and ability to relate to others and to God. This thesis proposes a biblically based Christian framework for interpreting the phenomenon of “schizophrenia” through a theological reflection on the experience quite apart from what psychiatry may or may not have to say. It will be argued that not only is “schizophrenia” not pathological, but rather it touches on the most fundamental fragilities of the human soul—hence, it is a very critical pastoral issue. We will argue that madness ought to be recognized as a phenomenon, both theological and teleological, with a deep prophetic voice, exposing our state of sinfulness, calling the church into repentance. Given that, we will explore how the church ought to encounter it effectively and faithfully.

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The purpose of this exploratory study was to develop, test, and apply a questionnaire which would be used to determine the possibility of PMS in women being admitted to psychiatric facilities. Although a review of the literature supported the assumption that PMS symptoms and symptoms of psychiatric illness share overlapping features, the evaluation process currently implemented in psychiatric facilities does not allow for the possibility of a diagnosis of PMS. The questionnaire, created to detect PMS symptom changes in intensity and timing, was administered to women newly admitted to psychiatric facilities. Thirty-two percent of the group demonstrated the possibility of having PMS. The results of this study would suggest that women of child-bearing potential, admitted to a psychiatric facility, might be evaluated for the possibility of PMS.

Objectives. To design a group-based, psychoeducational and behavioural modification course to help individuals with mood and anxiety disorders who are directly affected by mental health stigma. Second, to gather feedback on the course content and design using focus groups, then to finalize the course sessions. Methods. Course development occurred in two phases. Phase I included content that was based on published research, including readings of personal experiences, and informal conversations with mental health service providers and mental health service consumers. In Phase II, three focus groups were conducted to gather feedback. Focus Group 1 included ten mental health service providers, Focus Group 2 included twelve mental health service consumers, and Focus Group 3 included three experts in the field of mental health stigma. Results. All three groups had a positive reaction to the draft course and many suggestions were offered based upon focus group members’ personal experiences dealing with mental health stigma. All suggestions were taken into consideration and many were applied to refine the course content. Conclusion. The revised anti-stigma course content is based on a compilation of research and suggestions taken from a wide variety of sources. This should ensure a comprehensive, feasible, and effective course. Development of this course is the first step towards a larger project aimed at reducing stigma directly experienced by those affected by mood and anxiety disorders in an effort to better their lives and encourage both resiliency and recovery. / Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-24 21:04:08.965

The prevalence of smoking among individuals living with mental illness is high. The purpose of this study was to describe the knowledge, confidence, attitudes, training, nursing practice, perceived overall ability, interest and demographics of psychiatric/mental health nurses regarding tobacco use among psychiatric inpatients. A non-experimental descriptive correlational cross-sectional design was used. Sixty surveys were returned with an overall response rate of 39%. A minority of nurses were knowledgeable about the “5As” of smoking cessation, (Ask about smoking, Advise to quit, Assess readiness to quit, Assist with quitting, Arrange follow-up), a well known intervention framework. Most psychiatric/mental health nurses were confident about assisting patients with tobacco use and attitudes toward intervention were more positive than reported in the literature. However, actual tobacco-related nursing practice was sub-optimal. Minimal tobacco-related training during entry level into nursing practice may be one reason for this situation. Nurses require systemic support to enhance tobacco-related nursing practice.

This study is a measure the effectiveness of the “Buffet Busters” teaching resource in improving children’s knowledge about foodborne illness and the basic epidemiological principles when used within the provincial and territorial science units focused on the human body. The student sample consisted of 78 children in Grade 5 and the study was implemented in both French and English. Student knowledge was measured both pre and post implementation by questionnaire. Teacher interviews were also used to collect information regarding the value of the “Buffet Busters” resource in their classrooms. The study was able to conclude that children’s knowledge of foodborne illness improved in many topic areas. Improved knowledge was most significant in the understanding of general sources of agents which cause foodborne illness, and food related sources where these agents can be found. Entrance knowledge of personal hygiene and food preparation as a means to prevent foodborne illness was well established. The difficulty of the resource was examined and it was found to be suitable for its intended use in Grade 5 classrooms with minimal modifications. It is suggested that since “Buffet Busters” is an approved resource for Grade 5 science it should be more widely used to support curricular outcomes.

Up where the dog barks (creation). Sitting around the table of a secret municipal council, a mayor and his aldermen, outraged by the village idiot's stupidity, are planning his death. On a beautiful spring's morning, they kidnap him and throw him in a isolated well, whose opening they carefully seal afterwards. Three days later, however, screams are heard from the bottom of the idiot's pit. Contaminated within their own cadastre by the innocent's cries, the villagers, one after another, will have to tell their story: their rural madness, hidden within their common unawareness. Then, without knowing it, it is with the dispossessed's eloquence that they will be caught inside short narratives with no beginning or end---many frames in movement---that will constitute a sole account since all determined by the same disturbing rumour. / The rhetoric of the idiot (criticism). In the shadow of the madman, literary character extremely fascinating lately, the idiot silently cradles himself. Many times portrayed in the works of various authors, its problem seems to differ from the "illuminated"'s. Often aphasic or having a poor vocabulary, the idiot is, in most cases, only described. However, some authors have been able to give him a voice, usually in a strongly poetic prose. Among these writers, William Faulkner ( The Sound and the Fury), Anne Hebert (Les fous de Bassan) and Suzanne Jacob (Laura Laur) distinguish themselves by letting the characters such as the idiot or the simple minded assume control, to a certain extent, of the narration in their fiction. Indeed, it will be the tools of the new rhetoric (rhetoric reconciled of the figures and the argumentation) as apprehended by Michel Meyer in his several works that will be used for the analysis of the three narrations. It will then be possible to investigate the necessary assimilation of the sense and the argumentation within what could be called a project common to the three authors.