Stigma, Discrimination, Resilience, and Support in Members of a Mental Health Consumer Peer Support Organization

Research on Late-Life Depression and Dementia Care: Across Disciplines, Across Settings

:It is generally agreed that organizational learning involves the processes of developing and exchanging organizational members’ underlying opinions, assumptions, and interpretations of the environment. This exploratory research applies innovative information technology (IT) to support and facilitate organizational learning. The organizational learning process is defined, and inhibitors to the process are identified and translated into system requirements for the design and development of the Organizational Learning Support System (OLSS) toolkit. The OLSS toolkit uses a knowledge-based system to elicit initial interpretations of the environment from organizational members and automatically detects where organizational members’ interpretations conflict and where they are in consensus. It uses a heuristic approach to order the presentation of the conflicts to the organizational members. A validation in the form of a pilot study is included.

Suicide is a devastating public health problem, and research indicates that people with prior attempts are at the greatest risk of completing suicide, followed by persons with depression and other major mental and substance use conditions. Because there has been little direct input from individuals with serious mental illness and a history of suicidal behavior concerning suicide prevention efforts, this study examined how this population copes with suicidal thoughts. Participants in 14 regional consumer-run Hope Dialogues in New York State (N=198) wrote up to five strategies they use to deal with suicidal thoughts. Strategies were classified according to grounded theory. First responses included spirituality, talking to someone, positive thinking, using the mental health system, considering consequences of suicide to family and friends, using peer supports, and doing something pleasurable. Although a majority reported that more formal therapeutic supports were available, only 12% indicated that they considered the mental health system a frontline strategy. Instead, respondents more frequently relied on family, friends, peers, and faith as sources of hope and support. Consumers' reliance on formal therapeutic supports and support from peers and family suggests that education and support for dealing with individuals in despair and crisis should be targeted to the social networks of this high-risk population. The disparity between availability of formal mental health services and reliance on them when consumers are suicidal suggests that suicide prevention efforts should evaluate whether they are effectively engaging high-risk populations as they struggle to cope with despair.

Transformation of the California Mental Health System: Stakeholder-Driven Planning as a Transformational Activity

This study describes strategies developed by California counties to transform their mental health systems under the 2004 Mental Health Services Act (MHSA). This voter initiative places a 1% tax on annual incomes over $1 million; tax monies are earmarked to transform county-operated mental health services into systems that are oriented more toward recovery. MHSA implementation itself can be considered "transformational" by balancing greater standardization of mental health service delivery in the state with a locally driven planning process. A qualitative content analysis of the three-year plans submitted by 12 counties to receive funds under MHSA was conducted to identify common themes, as well as innovative approaches. These 12 (out of 58) counties were chosen to represent both small and large counties, as well as geographic diversity, and they represent 62.3% of the state population. This analysis showed that the state guidelines and local planning process generated consistency across counties in establishing full-service partnerships with a "whatever it takes" approach to providing goal-directed services and supports to consumers and their families. There was, however, little convergence around the specific strategies to achieve this vision, reflecting both the local planning process and a relative lack of clear policy and guidance on evidence-based practices. There are many obstacles to the successful implementation of these ambitious plans. However, the state-guided, but stakeholder-driven, transformation in California appears to generate innovative approaches to recovery-oriented services, involve consumers and family members in service planning and delivery, and build community partnerships that create new opportunities for consumers to meet their recovery goals.

Does social capital enhance health and well-being? Evidence from rural China

Psychiatric Advance Directives (PADs) can protect the autonomy of those living with severe mental illness (SMI) and improve their treatment outcomes. However, their uptake is low for several documented reasons. Attempts to increase patient uptake of PADs can circumvent risks of undue provider influence in the facilitation process and promote optimal mental health outcomes with a peer-support model, thereby protecting patient autonomy in accordance with the principle of beneficence. Moreover, policymakers and mental health organizations should devote sufficient resources toward establishing peer-support specialist networks to mitigate the inequities those with SMI face. Capability theory can guide state leaders and directors in justifying the distribution of scarce resources to achieve these outcomes.

This article uses ethnographic methods to explore how peer support and community involvement influence the mental health and well‐being of transgender (or, trans) people in the southeastern United States. The study builds on existing research that suggests that trans community involvement and peer support among trans people enhance mental health experiences and moderate the effects of stigma and discrimination on health outcomes. Through qualitative analysis of 158 hours of participant observation and 33 in‐depth interviews with members of a trans community organization in the U.S. Southeast, this paper identifies three key processes through which peer support and community involvement enhance the mental health and well‐being of trans people: (1) the normalization of trans identities and experiences; (2) the creation of a social support network; and (3) the empowerment of trans people.

Even if peer support is commonly defined as horizontal in contrast to the more hierarchical relationship between client and professional, peer support is not free from power dynamics. This article considers feminist organizing in the context of peer support for people with experiences of criminalization and substance abuse and addresses questions of (un)equal peer support, sexual victimization, (re)integration, and organizational change in the #MeToo era. Drawing on qualitative interviews with support organization representatives and discussion material from a study circle and a men’s group, this article analyses one organization’s framing of, and responses to, allegations of sexual victimization of female members, and their ongoing work toward increased equality. The study shows that a number of measures have been taken in the organization in order to give voice to women whose lives are affected by crime, imprisonment, violence, and drug abuse. Interview participants put strong emphasis on the need to counteract what is described as a “macho culture” embedded in the peer support organization (PESO), which is seen as repeating structures of masculinity and power from the previous criminal lifestyle as well as reproducing specific gendered vulnerabilities. The organization’s patriarchal structure is understood as connected to a culture of silence that has allowed for sexism and marginalization of female members to continue. The women’s lived experiences of trauma within peer support practices and their struggles to redefine the foundations of their organization emphasizes the lived gendered emotionality of peer support, and uncovers how power structures can be challenged by putting the gendered lived experiences of women with a history of criminalization and substance abuse in the center of ex-offender peer support.

Survey nonresponse can pose a major threat to the generalizability of organizational survey findings. This paper examines whether organizational members' evaluations of their organizational experiences affect survey response to organizationally sponsored surveys. In particular, we hypothesized that perceived organizational support, social exchange, procedural justice and an individual's inclination to feel exploited in social relationships predicted organizational members' compliance with organizations' requests for survey completion. A longitudinal field experiment conducted in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research at a large university (sample: n = 622 university students) supported the hypotheses. Organizational members who consciously decided to not participate in organizational surveys perceived their organization as less procedurally just and less supportive. They also reported negative perceptions of their social exchange relationship with their organization, and were more inclined to feel exploited in relationships. Hence, an exchange‐oriented theoretical framework grounded in organizational citizenship behavior theory seems appropriate for the study of survey nonresponse. Implications for survey practice include that survey‐based findings are unlikely to generalize to specific groups of nonrespondents, and that techniques commonly used to increase response rates may not be effective in reaching these groups of nonrespondents. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Underemployment on the Organization Fit(person-organization fit and Person-Job Fit) of Casino Employees focused on the moderating effect of Perceived Organizational Support. The data collected from a survey of 294 Casino Employees working on was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, multiple regression analysis and mediation regression analysis. And, through the study result, the necessity of the underemployment in the organizational aspect is presented with theoretical and practical implications. The study result shows that, first, for Hypothesis 1-1, the underemployment positive influences the person-organization fit. Second, Hypothesis 1-2, it was found that underemployment had significant negative(-) influence on person-Job Fit. Third, for Hypothesis 2-1, moderating effect of perceived organizational support is not significant in the relationship underemployment and person-organization fit. The results also show that the support of organization is not able to control the underemployment. Lastly, Hypothesis 2-2, moderating effect of perceived organizational is not significant in the relationship underemployment and person-job fit. The results also show that the support of organization is not able to control the underemployment. Therefore, measures to minimize the underemployment among members of organization should be considered and, in the future, related studies should be performed as well.

LinkAGES Colorado uses a capacity-building approach to expand intergenerational programs across organizations. This study evaluated LinkAGES’ impact on the spread and sustainability of intergenerational programs and change in connectedness between generations over time. Over 5 years, organizations shared programming details and supported evaluations through surveys, focus groups, and in-depth interviews for program participants and organizational members. A subset of program participants (n = 233) completed pre- and post-program ratings on social connection, engagement, and perceived impact. We tested change over time while controlling for participant age group, program host setting, and program modality. Programs significantly improved participant engagement and perceived impact. Older adults and in-person participants reported the most positive change in engagement. While results demonstrate the breadth of impact of the capacity building approach to implement intergenerational programs, organizational members also shared lessons learned on how to improve support for diverse organizations’ adoption of intergenerational programs, particularly given the need to demonstrate value to youth-serving organizations and to sustain funding.

Could practitioners and members (consumers) of mental health or other organizations interact socially by regularly going out for drinks or dinner together, for example? The American Psychological Association explicitly states for example, "your psychologist shouldn't also be your friend." However such social interactions have occurred for decades in certain clubhouse-modeled community mental healthcare, and maybe research and a more balanced perspective is warranted. We interviewed six clubhouse staff that interact socially with members and held three focus groups with 20 members. In relation to what we call a social interaction policy, we herein highlight: (a) four policy dimensions (e.g. activity types; relationship closeness); (b) a spectrum of policy challenges (e.g., dealing with romantic overture; feelings of exclusion or hurt and effects on mental health; symptom flare-up while out socializing; financial constraints of members such as dinner costs on limited incomes); and (c) a wide variety of policy benefits such as: (a) learning opportunities for members who can process with staff the ups and downs of social relationships; (b) social skill and network development; (c) enhanced assessment across different times/settings; (d) addressing stigma among staff who must grapple with internal resistance to spend free time with members; (e) enrichment of staff social life; (f) reducing internalized stigma among members when staff value them more holistically; and (g) empowerment of members when staff freely (and optionally) offer a valuable resource (spare time). We offer suggestions for certain types of agencies that may wish to implement social interaction policies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

In this article, we conceptualized a new organizational variable, Communicatively Restricted Organizational Stress (CROS). CROS is a perceived inability to communicate about a particular stressor and functions to exacerbate negative outcomes related to the appraisal of that stressor. To aid in our conceptualization, we reviewed extant literature on organizational stress and social support. We also collected open-ended data from a national sample of 354 workers. The responses to these questions lead us to specific themes about the nature and function of CROS. Finally, we propose a conceptual conditional process model with two primary propositions: (a) An organizational member who reports high levels of CROS will experience negative outcomes, regardless of reported level of social support and (b) an organizational member who reports high levels of CROS will experience negative outcomes, regardless of the severity of the stressor.

Why are some transformational change attempts implemented while others are rejected? This study suggests that patterns of underlying multiple rationalities commitments help to explain. Data from four periods of configuration and 11 transformational change attempts spanning a 40‐year organizational history are analysed using a multiple rationalities framework. The findings suggest that transformational change attempts are ubiquitous, that transformational changes are more likely to be implemented if supported primarily by value‐based rationality, and that organizational members' support for an incumbent configuration increases over time. The conclusion calls for a reconceptualization of configuration, and the inclusion of rejected change attempts in future studies of change and stability.