In British Columbia, individuals with a mental disorder can be hospitalised against their will under the Mental Health Act (1999), when a physician determines that "protection of the person or others" is an issue. Involuntary psychiatric hospitalisation involves a major infringement of an individual's civil liberty. When patients or their representatives disagree with the treatment teams about their involuntary hospitalisation, they can apply for an appeal hearing named the review panel under the Mental Health Act (1999). From a theoretical perspective, the traditional medical model and the social constructionist model, which offer different views concerning individuals with mental illness who are hospitalised against their will, are presented. This theoretical contrast underscores a major dilemma faced by mental health professionals in fostering client self-determination, while they are providing services on the principle of beneficent protection. An empowerment model of social work practice is then described to illustrate how services can be provided to help mental patients regain a sense of control over their lives. Concerns about the current legislation regarding involuntary hospitalisation are also discussed. To supplement the limited number of studies currently available on review panels, a quantitative descriptive study was conducted at Riverview Hospital, the only tertiary psychiatric hospital in British Columbia, surveying the experiences of 39 social workers and physicians with review panels. A questionnaire consisting of 22 Likerttype items was used. Four categories were identified: (a) patient-related issues, (b) effects of review panels on treatment teams, (c) role conflicts, and (d) operational issues. Despite the apparent lack of formal training, social workers and physicians generally reported having adequate knowledge of review panels. Social workers and physicians who were involved more frequently with review panels appeared to have more positive attitudes towards them. Their training pertaining to the Mental Health Act was also significantly related to their attitudes. Neither patients nor their families reportedly had adequate knowledge of the review panel process. Although some positive effects of review panels were acknowledged, staff generally had mixed attitudes about review panels. Guided by an empowerment model, these findings have important implications for social work practice. These include the need for further professional training, improved communication between health professionals and legal advocates, education for patients and families, and the support of patients' collective action, so that review panels can be a more empowering experience for mental patients.

Thesis (Dr. P.H.)--University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-10, Section: B, page: 6595. Adviser: Arch I. Carson. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Teachers College, Columbia University, 1996. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: Susan W. Salmond. Dissertation Committee: Marvin Sontag. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-87).

M.A. (Social Work) / South Africa is a society undergoing major and rapid social change. An understanding of psychiatric services in the psychiatric hospital should also be identified within this context. The needs of the mentally ill and other interested parties will determine the extent of the services that need to be rendered. The social worker as part of the interdisciplinary team in the hospital, must have a clear perception of her professional role in order to render a relevant service. Social work must become more responsive to the consumers' needs and allow itself to be shaped by the context in which it is practised. In this study the role of the social worker in Weskoppies Hospital was identified by means of a descriptive research design with qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. The qualitative research was done by means of in depth interviews and focus groups with interested parties. The quantitative research was done by means of questionnaires completed by patients of the hospital. A model for the role description of the social worker was derived from a literature study; the view of Lister, as described by the authors Hepworth & Larsen; the view of other authors and the results of the qualitative and quantitative research. The results of the research confirmed a need for social work services in Weskoppies Hospital. The greatest need expressed, was a need for help with material problems, followed by a need for help to be linked with other resources. Although community involvement was emphasised, there still was a need for individual counseling and support. Other important roles were also identified. The model serves as an integrated description of the role of the social worker in the hospital. From the results of the research it was thus possible to convey a clear picture of the role of the social worker in Weskoppies Hospital. Hopefully this will enable the social workers in the hospital to render a better and more understanding service to the patients, hospital and community.

In British Columbia, individuals with a mental disorder can be hospitalised against their will under the Mental Health Act (1999), when a physician determines that "protection of the person or others" is an issue. Involuntary psychiatric hospitalisation involves a major infringement of an individual's civil liberty. When patients or their representatives disagree with the treatment teams about their involuntary hospitalisation, they can apply for an appeal hearing named the review panel under the Mental Health Act (1999). From a theoretical perspective, the traditional medical model and the social constructionist model, which offer different views concerning individuals with mental illness who are hospitalised against their will, are presented. This theoretical contrast underscores a major dilemma faced by mental health professionals in fostering client self-determination, while they are providing services on the principle of beneficent protection. An empowerment model of social work practice is then described to illustrate how services can be provided to help mental patients regain a sense of control over their lives. Concerns about the current legislation regarding involuntary hospitalisation are also discussed. To supplement the limited number of studies currently available on review panels, a quantitative descriptive study was conducted at Riverview Hospital, the only tertiary psychiatric hospital in British Columbia, surveying the experiences of 39 social workers and physicians with review panels. A questionnaire consisting of 22 Likerttype items was used. Four categories were identified: (a) patient-related issues, (b) effects of review panels on treatment teams, (c) role conflicts, and (d) operational issues. Despite the apparent lack of formal training, social workers and physicians generally reported having adequate knowledge of review panels. Social workers and physicians who were involved more frequently with review panels appeared to have more positive attitudes towards them. Their training pertaining to the Mental Health Act was also significantly related to their attitudes. Neither patients nor their families reportedly had adequate knowledge of the review panel process. Although some positive effects of review panels were acknowledged, staff generally had mixed attitudes about review panels. Guided by an empowerment model, these findings have important implications for social work practice. These include the need for further professional training, improved communication between health professionals and legal advocates, education for patients and families, and the support of patients' collective action, so that review panels can be a more empowering experience for mental patients. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

No description available.

This is an ethnographic study of discourses and experiences concerning sexual exchanges among kin “who are too closely related to marry each other” (OED), or what in lay language is called “incest”. I investigate the ways in which a certain kind of incest, that between older men and younger women, primarily from different generations, is experienced by women of predominantly rural origin, who have been hospitalized in the major public psychiatric hospital in Bolivia, in Sucre. In this sense, this research is as much a study of incest as it is of psychiatric institutionalization. These experiences will be considered in the context of a wider field of ethnic, class and gender discourses that are produced by medical staff, community organizations, as well as national judicial institutions. The category of 'incest' is problematized in terms of how kinship is constructed, not only as a series of dynamic discourses (as practices whose effect is the production of events) but also as mobile experiences, however socially regulated. With this in mind, I present an account of Andean concepts and treatment of incest, as well as of legal and medical categories. Specifically, I focus on the play between discourses in the context of the psychiatric hospital, the judicial court and the communities of selected inmates. I show how the inmates' experiences of intergenerational incest and sexual violence in general are related to the dominant ethnic, class and gender narratives produced by medical staff, community organizations, and judicial institutions.

Thesis (MPhil (Sociology and Social Anthropology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa has transformed its mental health service provision from in-hospital care to community-based rehabilitation. Although the idea is sound, the process places the caregiving families under an immense pressure. The aim of this study was to explore the impact that the de-institutionalisation process has had on the families as they care for their child with intellectual disability. The study was conducted by means of qualitative, unstructured interviews with families that have had a child de-institutionalised from Alexandra Hospital in the Western Cape. All of the patients were diagnosed with a dual diagnosis of intellectual disability and mental illness. Even though the patients were in group-homes or attended a day care centre, final responsibility for the patients lay with the parents. Three main themes emerged from the interviews that describe the impact of deinstitutionalisation, viz. the characteristics of the family member with intellectual disability (aggressive, abusive and self-destructive behaviour of the patient), the effect that these characteristics had on the family (marital stress and health risks to the care giver), and community and resource factors. The study placed the family central to its environment and discussed the impact deinstitutionalisation had on its environment as a whole. It was concluded that the burden that de-institutionalisation places on the families far exceeded their ability to cope with these circumstances. This status quo could be improved if adequate resources and skills are given to families prior to de-institutional / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In Suid-Afrika is geestesgesondheidsorg van hospitaliserende na gemeenskapsgebaseerde rehabilitasie, omskep. Terwyl hierdie stap wel as lewensvatbaar mag voorkom, plaas die proses ‘n hewige las op die sorggewende gesin. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die omvang van die impak hiervan op ‘n gesin met ’n lid met intellektuele gestremdheid en psiegiatriese siekte, te bepaal – nadat so ‘n pasient uit die inrigting ontslaan is. Die ondersoek is uitgevoer by wyse van kwalitatiewe, ongestruktureerde onderhoude met gesinne wie se lede met die diagnose uitgeplaas is deur die Alexandra Hospitaal in die Wes-Kaap. Elkeen van die pasïente is gediagnoseer met ernstige intellektuele gestremdheid, asook bykomende gedragsafwykings. Ten spyte van die feit dat die betrokke pasïente deur groepshuise of dagsorg eenhede versorg word, bly hulle hul ouers se verantwoordelikheid. Drie temas het ontstaan wat die impak van ontslag uit die inrigting omskryf, te wete die karaktertrekke van die gestremde gesinslid (aggressie, misbruikende en vernielsugtige gedrag van die pasïent), die effek van hierdie karaktertrekke op die gesin (stres op die huwelik en potensiële gesondheidsrisiko wat dit vir die versorger inhou), en die gemeenskap en ondersteunende faktore. Tydens die ondersoek is die gesin sentraal geplaas ten opsigte van die omgewing. Die impak van ontslag van die gediagnoseerde pasïent uit die inrigting op die omgewing as geheel, word bespreek. Daar is tot die slotsom gekom dat die vermoë van die gesin wat die las moet dra as gevolg van die ontslag, ver oorspan word. Hierdie toedrag van sake sou egter verlig kon word indien toereikende hulpbronne en vaardighede aan sulke gesinne beskikbaar gestel word alvorens so ‘n pasïent ontslaan is.