Coping with Violence in Mental Health Care Settings:Patient and Staff Member Perspectives on De-escalation Practices

AbstractThis multiple case study explored de-escalation processes in threatening and violent situations based on patients and staff members perspectives. Our post hoc analysis indicated that de-escalation included responsive interactions influenced by the perspectives of both patients and staff members. We assembled their perspectives in a mental model consisting of three interdependent stages: (1) memories and hope, (2) safety and creativity and (3) reflective moments. The data indicated that both patients and staff strived for peaceful solutions and that a dynamic and sociological understanding of de-escalation can foster shared problem solving in violent and threatening situations

Relatives' experiences of providing care for individuals with suicidal behaviour conceptualized as a moral career: A meta-ethnographic study

Abstract Background An increasing number of qualitative research articles have reported on relatives' experiences of providing care for individuals displaying suicidal behaviour. To contribute more fully to theory and practice, these reported experiences must be synthesized. Objectives To identify original qualitative studies of relatives' experiences of providing care for individuals with non-fatal suicidal behaviour and to systematically review and synthesize this research using a meta-ethnographic approach. Design Systematic review and meta-ethnography. Data sources Literature searches were undertaken in six bibliographic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Scopus) and limited to peer-reviewed original studies. Eligible studies reported relatives' experiences of providing care for individuals with suicidal behaviour, published in English or a Scandinavian language. Review methods One reviewer screened the titles, abstracts and full texts and then collaborated with another reviewer on excluding ineligible studies. A two-step strategy was used while reviewing publications: 1) appraising study quality, and 2) classifying study findings according to degree of data interpretation. This strategy was used for each study by two independent reviewers who subsequently reached a shared decision on inclusion. Noblit and Hare's methodology for translation and synthesis was followed in developing a novel theoretical interpretation of relatives' experiences. The concept of moral career was adopted in producing this synthesis. Results Of 7,334 publications screened, 12 studies were eligible for inclusion. The synthesis conveyed relatives' moral career as comprising four stages, each depicting relatives' different perspectives on life and felt identities. First, relatives negotiated conventional ideas about normalcy and positioned themselves as living abnormal family lives in the stage from normal to abnormal. The first career movement could be mediated by social interactions with professionals in the stage feeling helpful or feeling unhelpful. For some relatives, this negotiated perspective of abnormality got stuck in an impasse. They did not interact with their surroundings in ways that would enable them to renegotiate these fixed views, and this stage was named stuck in abnormality. For other relatives, career movement took place as relatives re-positioned themselves as negotiating an alternative perspective of normalcy in the stage from abnormal to normal. Conclusions Interactions with other people facing similar difficulties enabled relatives to shift perspectives and alleviated experiences of distress.This work was supported by Novo Nordisk Fonden [NNF18OC0052008] and Trygfonden [120198]

Social Processes of Young Adults’ Recovery and Identity Formation during Life-Disruptive Mental Distress—A Meta-Ethnography

Young people’s mental health recovery is well-explored in empirical research, yet there is a lack of meta-studies synthesizing the characteristics of young people’s recovery. This meta-ethnography explores young adults’ recovery during life-disruptive experiences of early psychosisor schizophrenia. Based on a systematic literature review search, 11 empirical qualitative studies were included for synthesis. Inspired by young people’s prominent experience of social isolationin the included studies, we applied an interpretive lens of belonging deriving from the sociology of youth. The synthesis presents five themes: (1) expectations of progression in youth in contrast with stagnation during psychosis, (2) feeling isolated, lost and left behind, (3) young adults’ recovery involves belonging with other young people, (4) forming identity positions of growth and disabilityduring psychosis, and the summarizing line of argument, (5) navigating relational complexities in the process of recovery. While suffering from social isolation, young people’s recovery is conceived as getting on with life, like any other young person involving connecting and synchronizing life rhythms with their age peers. Socializing primarily with caring adults entails being stuck in the position of a child, while connecting with young people enables the identity positions of young people. This synthesis can inspire support for young people’s recovery through social inclusion in youth environment

Factors and Processes Facilitating Recovery from Coercion in Mental Health Services—A Meta-Ethnography

Background: Being subjected to or witnessing coercive measures in mental health services can have a negative impact on service users, carers and professionals, as they most often are experienced as dehumanising and traumatic. Coercion should be avoided, but when it does happen, it is important to understand how the experience can be processed so that its consequences are managed. Method: A systematic review and meta-ethnography was used to synthesise findings from qualitative studies that examined service users', staff's and relatives' experiences of recovery from being exposed to coercive measures in mental health care settings. We identified, extracted and synthesised, across 23 studies, the processes and factors that were interpreted as significant to process the experience. Results: Recovery from coercion is dependent on a complex set of conditions that support a sense of dignity and respect, a feeling of safety and empowerment. Being in a facilitating environment, receiving appropriate information and having consistent reciprocal communication with staff are the means through which these conditions can be achieved. People employ strategies to achieve recovery, both during and after coercion, to minimise its impact and process the experience. Conclusions: The findings point to the importance of mental health care settings offering recovery-oriented environments and mental health professionals employing recovery-oriented practices, that would empower service users to develop strategies for managing their mental distress as well as their experiences in mental health care in a way that minimises traumatisation and fosters recovery

International variations in mental-health law regulating involuntary commitment of psychiatric patients as measured by the Mental Health Legislation Attitudes Scale

Previous research illustrated that the laws regulating involuntary placement and treatment of people with mental-health problems are diverse across countries. International studies comparing satisfaction levels between countries are rare. We compared the opinions of professionals and family members about the operation of the national mental-health law regulating forcibly admission and treatment of psychiatric patients in 11 countries: Ireland, Iceland, England and Wales, Romania, Slovenia, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Norway and India. An online survey design was adopted using a Mental Health Legislation Attitudes Scale (MHLAS). This brief nine-item questionnaire was distributed via email to psychiatrists, general practitioners, acute and community mental-health nurses, tribunal members, police officers and family members in each collaborating country. The levels of agreement/disagreement were measured on a Likert scale. Data were analysed both per question and with regard to a total MHLAS ‘approval’ score computed as a sum of the nine questions. We found that respondents in England and Wales and Denmark expressed the highest approval for their national legislation (76% and 74%, respectively), with those in India and Ireland expressing the lowest approval (65% and 64%, respectively). Almost all countries had a more positive attitude in comparison to Ireland on the admission criteria for involuntary placement and the way people are transferred to psychiatric hospitals. There are significant variations across Europe and beyond in terms of approval for how the national mental-health law framework operates in each country

A Call for Transformation: Moving Away from Coercive Measures in Mental Health Care

Coercion is common practice in mental health care [...