Stigmatizing Beliefs About Mental Illness and Psychiatric Rehabilitation Values
PLEASE FOLLOW THE LECTURE SLIDES AND TEXTBOOK WHEN PREPARING THE ANSWER.
Question 1
a) Briefly describe the stigmatizing beliefs about mental illness. Appraise how stigma affects the person with mental illness. Provide at least TWO (2) specific examples to support your answer
(14 marks)
b) Identify and briefly describe THREE (3) specific strategies for reducing stigma associated with severe mental illness.
(6 marks)
Question 2
Muthu is a 30-year-old man who has had schizophrenia for five years now. His illness had been diagnosed, and he started treatment some years after the onset. Muthu was in and out of hospitals for five years when he started undergoing treatment. During that time, he was not in touch with his friends or ex-colleagues. After five years, he found that his classmates, friends and ex-colleagues had settled in their careers, were doing well and some had even gotten married and have their own families.
His family wanted him to stay occupied, and they suggested that he takes up a manual job. His family is concerned he might relapse again due to job related stress so they thought a simple job with less stress would be helpful for him to handle. But this suggestion disheartens him; he feels confused and lost.
He was assessed well enough (by his mental health professions) to remember and use his skills and capabilities.
a) Apply SIX (6) psychiatric rehabilitation values IN LECTURE ONE to Muthu’s situation and elaborate how psychiatric rehabilitation would benefit him.
(24 marks)
b) Muthu's family members are deciding between two mental health settings for Muthu. One uses a traditional medical approach and the other uses psychiatric rehabilitative approach. When the family learnt that you, their neighbour, are a student at ABC University, taking the ‘Introduction to Psychiatric Rehabilitation’ module they approach you for help. You may help them to share what you know by comparing psychiatric rehabilitation with traditional medical model approach.
(21 marks)
Question 3
Describe the evidence-based practice principles of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT). Choose ONE (1) local psychiatric rehabilitation service/programme, and appraise this service/programme based on the ACT principles
(35 marks)
Singapore Social Work: Psychiatric Rehab
Name
Institution
Course Code and Title
Instructor
Date
Singapore Social Work: Psychiatric Rehab
Q1a. Stigmatizing Beliefs and Effects on Mental Illness
The stigmatizing beliefs about mental illness are the misunderstandings that people develop toward mental illness patients. A major stigmatizing belief is that every mental illness patient has psychosis. For instance, when society meets with a depressed person, a stigmatizing belief that they have psychosis is evident, and they tend to avoid the person with depression (Barrett et al., 2013). More so, inaccurate stereotypes are a stigmatizing belief that worsens society's approach to handling mental illness. For instance, a mental illness patient is viewed to be violent, which makes people avoid the patient. Stigma affects the person with mental illness by creating a lonely environment, which worsens the mental illness. For instance, once a depressed person is viewed to be violent and people avoid them, they develop anger, which may lead to further physical harm. Therefore, stigma among mental illness patients is a dangerous concept.
Q1b. Strategies to Reduce Stigma Associated with Mental Illness
Sharing research findings on mental illness, investing in compassion towards mental illness patients and engaging people who cope with mental illness are effective strategies to reduce stigma associated with mental illness. Sharing of research findings helps in doing away with misconceptions and misunderstandings about mental illness, thus embracing positive responses to mental illness patients (Barrett et al., 2013). Investing in compassion is an effective strategy that helps in developing a close care provision aspect for mental illness patients. Engaging people who cope with mental illness helps in initiating active debates on mental illness, thus developing an effective basis for ensuring quality care to mental illness patients. Ensuring that effective measures are put in place to promote affirming attitude and behavior is a strategy that will