Mental Health and Work: Impact, Issues and Good Practices

[From Introduction] There is growing evidence of the global impact of mental illness. Mental health problems are among the most important contributors to the burden of disease and disability worldwide. Five of the 10 leading causes of disability worldwide are mental health problems. They are as relevant in low-income countries as they are in rich ones, cutting across age, gender and social strata. Furthermore, all predictions indicate that the future will see a dramatic increase in mental health problems

Mental Health in the Workplace: Situation Analyses, United States

Mental illness constitutes one of the world\u27s most critical and social health problems. It affects more human lives and wastes more human resources than any other disabling condition. The ILO’s activities promote the inclusion of persons with physical, psychiatric and intellectual disabilities into mainstream training and employment structures. The ILO’s primary goals regarding disability are to prepare and empower people with disabilities to pursue their employment goals and facilitate access to work and job opportunities in open labour markets, while sensitising policy makers, trade unions and employers to these issues. The ILO\u27s mandate on disability issues is specified in the ILO Convention 159 (1983) on vocational rehabilitation and employment. No. 159 defines a disabled person as an individual whose prospects of securing, retaining, and advancing in suitable employment are substantially reduced as a result of a duly recognised physical or mental impairment. The Convention established the principle of equal treatment and employment for workers with disabilities

A life without stigma

Stigma stops people asking for help and getting the treatment and support they need. It makes it more difficult to find somewhere decent to live, a job, a mortgage, or insurance. It can make it more difficult to get help to look after children, make friends, feel good about yourself, or even to feel that life is worth living. Stigma is a major barrier to recovery. If people with mental illness are to be included as equal members of our society, then stigma and its associated discrimination must be eliminated.This report examines the impact stigma has on the lives of people affected by mental illness, including an overview of associated issues from the growing body of research in this area. It describes some of the major stigma-reduction initiatives carried out in Australia and overseas, looks at the evidence base to identify what works, and makes recommendations for future action in Australia to create a life without stigma

Segregated prisoners: nature imagery project in prisons as a program option

Master's Project (M.A.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2018Solitary confinement can be summarized as the state of being alone in a prison cell for 22 to 24 hours a day with minimal human interaction, little to no natural light, property restrictions, visitation constraints, and the inability to participate in group activities and communal meals. Solitary confinement can go by many names; it can be referred to as lockdown, Security or Special Housing Units (SHU), Special Management Units (SMU), administrative segregation, disciplinary or punitive segregation, restrictive housing, or "the hole". Solitary confinement is utilized for many purposes, primarily for the health and safety of themselves and others. It was first intended as a means of rehabilitation. However, instead, it has contributed to negative psychological and physiological effects on prisoners. There is argument for and against the use of solitary confinement and reformation efforts are being made to reduce solitary confinement. In an attempt to provide programming to segregated prisoners and reduce the amount of time that prisoners are in their cells, various correctional institutions have implemented nature imagery programs to reduce violent behavior and physiological states. Nature Imagery in Prisons Project (NIPP) was the first program of its kind and has laid the groundwork for other correctional institutions to follow. Programs such as this are designed for segregated prisoners and are used as a means of rehabilitation for these individuals as they prepare for their return to the community or to general prison population

Mental Health in the Workplace: Situation Analyses, Germany

[From Introduction] The ILO’s primary goals regarding disability are to prepare and empower people with disabilities to pursue their employment goals and facilitate access to work and job opportunities in open labour markets, while sensitising policy makers, trade unions and employers to these issues. The ILO’s mandate on disability issues is specified in the ILO Convention 159 (1983) on vocational rehabilitation and employment. No. 159 defines a disabled person as an individual whose prospects of securing, retaining, and advancing in suitable employment are substantially reduced as a result of a duly recognised physical or mental impairment. The Convention established the principle of equal treatment and employment for workers with disabilities

Mental Health Attitudes and Stigma among Medical Students: An Evaluation of the Student Mental Health Initiative

There is a plethora of literature on the formation and prevalence on mental health stigma; however, literature on anti-stigma programs is scarce. The current mixed method study evaluated an anti-stigma program for medical students that contained a peer testimony component. A total of 25 participants were included in the quantitative component of the study. Data were collected over 3 consecutive years. All participants attended the Student Mental Health Initiative (SMHI) and completed a pre- and post-survey examining stigmatizing beliefs and negative attitudes toward mental illness. The qualitative portion of the study was a focus group with two participants who examined the strengths and weaknesses of the event. Results indicated there was a significant difference in negative attitudes across mental illnesses. Results approached significance for attitude change. These results are likely due to low sample size, which lacked statistical power. Limitations and future directions are discussed

Mental illness : negative perceptions of university students

This study has sought to document the negative perceptions of mental illness in a sample of university students across four faculties at the University of Cape Town