Background on Justin

When he was growing, Justin had a vision that one day he would look for a job and be able to support his family the best way he could. In high school, Justin did not do very well as he describes himself as “not clever.” As a result, other students laughed at him and bullied him from his race. When he was 15 years old, he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This made him feel disappointed in himself and pitied himself for he thought that this had shuttered his dream of helping his diabetic parents. In his eleventh year of schooling, his father was hospitalized, and this forced him to drop out of school. This made him go looking for casual jobs, which he has been doing since then.  

A couple of years later, his uncle died. He was a very close friend to him, a mentor, a role model and like a father to him. Therefore, losing him had a significant impact on Justin’s life.  After his uncle’s burial ceremony Justin goes to his house and continuously grief for the loss. He stays in his room mostly, refrain from social contributions and participation. He also stops quit the transportation job that he had recently acquired. He develops a feeling of anger, despair, hopelessness, worthlessness and this result in clinical depression. Besides, Justin loses appetite and this result in a massive loss of weight within a short period. He later develops a suicidal thought as he feels that his family would be better off without him.

After his mental health assessment in the local Health Centre, Justin is referred to the City General Hospital for further treatment. He, therefore, leaves his family and the community and goes to the city. This makes him feel as if he was a disappointment to his relatives and the community as he was supposed to be there for them and supports them – especially his parents due to their diabetic conditions.

Unlike Justin’s culture, my community has a cultural belief that associate mental illness with evil spirits. They believe that any person who is mentally ill could either be possessed by an evil spirit or has abused drugs such as bung. A traditional healer is therefore called upon such an occurrence to determine if the cause of the illness. If it’s found that possession causes the disease by an evil spirit then, the person is excommunicated and sent to unique traditional healers for specialized treatments. If the cause is found to be the misuse of drugs, the person is sent to a rehabilitation Centre for the appropriate procedures. In both cases, these people are said to be violent and capable of causing harm to the community members.

Depression and Its Development in Justin

Negative attitude and stigmatization of people with mental disorders are prevalent among people, in any community. That is, whenever one comes across mentally hill people, he/she tends to look down onto them. This person may act whirred doe to the perception that he/she has towards mental illness. Take my case for example. Where I come from, the community associate mental disorders with evil spirits and drugs. Therefore, anyone growing up in such setup may tend to despise people who are mentally ill.

 Having grown up in a community where they believe that mental illness is either caused by the evil spirits or the abuse of substances such as drugs and that people with mental disorders are often violent and very dangerous, I would find it very difficult to communicate with Justin. Even if I found myself in a situation where the professionalism suggests that I must talk with him during the assessment, I would still do it, but be taking caution. This, therefore, could give me a tough time in establishing good rapport or a good therapeutic relationship with the patient. This could consequently make Justin to be either less cooperative or not cooperate at all. This would lead to ineffectiveness in the therapy process.      

In enhancing recovery in the condition of Justin, development, and maintenance of good relations and partnership with his family (Twizeyemariya, Guy, Furber, & Segal, 2017). To achieve this, a couple of things should be done. Among these things is, the fact that his family should help him to get back to his usual commitment to cultural activities, responsibilities and to pass on the law. Justin’s immediate and extended relatives should ensure to contribute to making resolutions regarding his long-term therapeutic plan. Justin suffers from T2DM and also has recently suffered mental illness and require a well-established treatment plan, for his quick recovery (Wall-Wieler, Roos, Bolton, Brownell, Nickel, & Chateau, 2018).

Besides, Justin’s family should support him in the case at any point he likes to get the services of a traditional healer.  In reaching the most appropriate people in the community to give him the help he requires, his family should play a crucial role. His family should also help him in getting a good and well-paying job. Finally, in ensuring a quick recovery of Justin, his family should gradually reduce his medication once his mental health returns normal (Nugent, Jopling, Degenhardt, & Eslami, 2016).

Cultural Beliefs and Stigmatization of Mental Illness

Justin goes his home to the town in search of proper medication for his mental health conditions. This he does after he was recommended to do so by Dr. Tony Whitehouse, at the AMHS. In the City general hospital, during his assessment, Justin is asked if he would like to receive the treatment from a traditional healer, but he declines (Boka, Joober, & Kirmayer, 2015).

In supporting his answer, Justin says that he has done bad things that are against his cultural beliefs and as a result, he feels ashamed of himself. For this matter, he feels he cannot face his cultural heal. It is therefore right to say that some of the things Justin has done – including seeking medical attention from another source rather than from his traditional healer, are considered cultural implications. Accepting to have therapeutic sessions which involve assessment by female nurses is among social and cultural impacts (Boksa, Joober, & Kirmayer, 2015).

After he has been hospitalized, Justin’s cultural beliefs must be put into consideration before any step is taken towards treating him. In ensuring this, the medic in charge has a role to play in learning some of the critical things that are relevant in treating Aboriginal patients. This is readily achievable through interacting with Justin and learning from him, of his expectations and his cultural beliefs regarding treatment procedures. Also, the nurses in charge should allow Justin to participate in planning and deciding his treatment procedures and therapeutic sessions (Boksa, Joober, & Kirmayer, 2015).

From the Indigenous Risk Impact Screen, Justin is found not in the category of people who are at risk of drugs or alcohol abuse. However, the significance of the risk of mental illness or somewhat psychological disorder forms an area of interest. As he is further assessed in AMHS and later in the City general hospital, Justin expresses a feeling of sadness in the mornings, he also reveals the sense of desperation as he believes that he must suffer diabetes in future, according to his beliefs. He also admits that at times, he has thought of committing suicide though he says he lacks the courage to do so. As a result, the doctors find it necessary to keep him in regular checks (Bell, Bayliss, Glauert, Harrison, & Ohan, 2018.).

In ensuring that they observe Justin’s cultural ways and maintain their focus on his recovery, the professionals in this context have employed some many communication skills. Among these communication skills is the first listening habits: – this is manifested in the way these professionals take notes of everything that Justin says for future reference. Another strategy employed in this context is the respect: – whenever Justin is not in the mood to converse, the professional leave him for a while and then come back to continue with the session when he is ready to talk. Friendliness is also manifested as a communication skill in this context. This is evident when Justin says that the nurses in the City general hospital are so kind to him and treats him nicely. Finally, empathy is expressed as a communication skill in this context. This is manifested in the way these professionals try to understand the feeling of Justin, and as a result, they tend to show the necessary care for him (Bell, Bayliss, Glauert, Harrison, & Ohan, 2018).

Challenges in Communicating with Justin

After being hospitalized for three months, Justin’s condition has significantly improved. The suicidal thought seems to have faded away, and he has agreed he was unwell. However, he is sure that his family and community shall help him in retaining his health in the future. He claims to have missed his relatives and his friends back at home. As a result, he says that he would go to his home after he is discharged from the hospital. He also has a plan to get back his past job as he tries to look for a more reliable position in the future. To meet all the desires, Justin needs to ensure to attend all his outpatients’ appointments with all the professional recommended for him. He should also allow the family members to help where possible and whenever necessary (O’donnell, Maclean, Sims, Morgan, Leonard, & Stanley, 2015).

From the story of Justin, I have learned that various communities have different perception towards multiple things in life. One’s culture may affect the mental well-being; thus, I should treat each person –regardless of their psychological state, with the respect and care they deserve. This case has also help me realize the importance of seeking proper medication irrespective of socio-cultural constraints and beliefs.

References

Bell, M.F., Bayliss, D.M., Glauert, R., Harrison, A. and Ohan, J.L., 2018. Children of parents who have been hospitalized with psychiatric disorders are at risk of poor school readiness. Epidemiology and mental sciences, 55(7) pp.1-13.

Boka, P., Joober, R. and Kirmayer, L.J., 2015. Mental wellness in Canada’s Aboriginal communities: striving toward reconciliation. Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience: JPN, 40(6), p.363.

Charoensook, J., Hoang, J.L., Lee, R.J., Elliott, A. and Chang, M., 2016. 3.37 asian-american child and adolescent utilizers of county mental health services . Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 55(10), p.S154.

Hong, P.S., Leventhal, B.L., Sullivan, A.A., Kim, B., and Kim, Y.S., 2016. 3.38 autism and mental illness in a korean-american evangelical community: a mixed methods approach . Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 55(10), p.S154.

Nugent, S.M., Jopling, E.N., Degenhardt, A. and Eslami, A., 2016. 3.39 fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in aboriginal youth: a descriptive study of presentations to child and adolescent psychiatry emergency . Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 55(10), p.S154.

O’Donnell, M., Maclean, M.J., Sims, S., Morgan, V.A., Leonard, H. and Stanley, F.J., 2015. Maternal mental health and risk of child protection involvement: psychological health diagnoses associated with increased risk. J Epidemiol Community Health, 69(12), pp.1175-1183.

Parker, R. and Milroy, H., 2014. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health: an overview. Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice. 2nd ed. Canberra: Department of The Prime Minister and Cabinet, 22(5), pp.25-38.

Parker, R. and Milroy, H., 2014. Mental illness in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Working Together, 66(3), pp.65.

Roos, L.E., Distasio, J., Bolton, S.L., Katz, L.Y., Afifi, T.O., Isaak, C., Goering, P., Bruce, L. and Sareen, J., 2014. A history in-care predicts unique characteristics in a homeless population with mental illness. Child abuse & neglect, 38(10), pp.1618-1627.

Torrey, E.F., Jaffe, D.J., Director, M.I.P.O., Geller, J.L. and Lamb, R., 2015. Fraud, Waste, and Excess Profits: The Fate of Money Intended to Treat People with Serious Mental Illness. Mental Illness Policy Org. 47(6), pp.47-58.

Twizeyemariya, A., Guy, S., Furber, G. and Segal, L., 2017. Risks for mental illness in Indigenous Australian children: a descriptive study demonstrating high levels of vulnerability. The Milbank Quarterly, 95(2), pp.319-357.

Wall-Wieler, E., Roos, L.L., Bolton, J., Brownell, M., Nickel, N. and Chateau, D., 2018. Maternal Mental Health after Custody Loss and Death of a Child: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using Linkable Administrative Data. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 63(5), pp.322-328.

Background on Justin

When he was growing, Justin had a vision that one day he would look for a job and be able to support his family the best way he could. In high school, Justin did not do very well as he describes himself as “not clever.” As a result, other students laughed at him and bullied him from his race. When he was 15 years old, he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This made him feel disappointed in himself and pitied himself for he thought that this had shuttered his dream of helping his diabetic parents. In his eleventh year of schooling, his father was hospitalized, and this forced him to drop out of school. This made him go looking for casual jobs, which he has been doing since then.  

A couple of years later, his uncle died. He was a very close friend to him, a mentor, a role model and like a father to him. Therefore, losing him had a significant impact on Justin’s life.  After his uncle’s burial ceremony Justin goes to his house and continuously grief for the loss. He stays in his room mostly, refrain from social contributions and participation. He also stops quit the transportation job that he had recently acquired. He develops a feeling of anger, despair, hopelessness, worthlessness and this result in clinical depression. Besides, Justin loses appetite and this result in a massive loss of weight within a short period. He later develops a suicidal thought as he feels that his family would be better off without him.

After his mental health assessment in the local Health Centre, Justin is referred to the City General Hospital for further treatment. He, therefore, leaves his family and the community and goes to the city. This makes him feel as if he was a disappointment to his relatives and the community as he was supposed to be there for them and supports them – especially his parents due to their diabetic conditions.

Unlike Justin’s culture, my community has a cultural belief that associate mental illness with evil spirits. They believe that any person who is mentally ill could either be possessed by an evil spirit or has abused drugs such as bung. A traditional healer is therefore called upon such an occurrence to determine if the cause of the illness. If it’s found that possession causes the disease by an evil spirit then, the person is excommunicated and sent to unique traditional healers for specialized treatments. If the cause is found to be the misuse of drugs, the person is sent to a rehabilitation Centre for the appropriate procedures. In both cases, these people are said to be violent and capable of causing harm to the community members.

Depression and Its Development in Justin

Negative attitude and stigmatization of people with mental disorders are prevalent among people, in any community. That is, whenever one comes across mentally hill people, he/she tends to look down onto them. This person may act whirred doe to the perception that he/she has towards mental illness. Take my case for example. Where I come from, the community associate mental disorders with evil spirits and drugs. Therefore, anyone growing up in such setup may tend to despise people who are mentally ill.

 Having grown up in a community where they believe that mental illness is either caused by the evil spirits or the abuse of substances such as drugs and that people with mental disorders are often violent and very dangerous, I would find it very difficult to communicate with Justin. Even if I found myself in a situation where the professionalism suggests that I must talk with him during the assessment, I would still do it, but be taking caution. This, therefore, could give me a tough time in establishing good rapport or a good therapeutic relationship with the patient. This could consequently make Justin to be either less cooperative or not cooperate at all. This would lead to ineffectiveness in the therapy process.      

In enhancing recovery in the condition of Justin, development, and maintenance of good relations and partnership with his family (Twizeyemariya, Guy, Furber, & Segal, 2017). To achieve this, a couple of things should be done. Among these things is, the fact that his family should help him to get back to his usual commitment to cultural activities, responsibilities and to pass on the law. Justin’s immediate and extended relatives should ensure to contribute to making resolutions regarding his long-term therapeutic plan. Justin suffers from T2DM and also has recently suffered mental illness and require a well-established treatment plan, for his quick recovery (Wall-Wieler, Roos, Bolton, Brownell, Nickel, & Chateau, 2018).

Besides, Justin’s family should support him in the case at any point he likes to get the services of a traditional healer.  In reaching the most appropriate people in the community to give him the help he requires, his family should play a crucial role. His family should also help him in getting a good and well-paying job. Finally, in ensuring a quick recovery of Justin, his family should gradually reduce his medication once his mental health returns normal (Nugent, Jopling, Degenhardt, & Eslami, 2016).

Cultural Beliefs and Stigmatization of Mental Illness

Justin goes his home to the town in search of proper medication for his mental health conditions. This he does after he was recommended to do so by Dr. Tony Whitehouse, at the AMHS. In the City general hospital, during his assessment, Justin is asked if he would like to receive the treatment from a traditional healer, but he declines (Boka, Joober, & Kirmayer, 2015).

In supporting his answer, Justin says that he has done bad things that are against his cultural beliefs and as a result, he feels ashamed of himself. For this matter, he feels he cannot face his cultural heal. It is therefore right to say that some of the things Justin has done – including seeking medical attention from another source rather than from his traditional healer, are considered cultural implications. Accepting to have therapeutic sessions which involve assessment by female nurses is among social and cultural impacts (Boksa, Joober, & Kirmayer, 2015).

After he has been hospitalized, Justin’s cultural beliefs must be put into consideration before any step is taken towards treating him. In ensuring this, the medic in charge has a role to play in learning some of the critical things that are relevant in treating Aboriginal patients. This is readily achievable through interacting with Justin and learning from him, of his expectations and his cultural beliefs regarding treatment procedures. Also, the nurses in charge should allow Justin to participate in planning and deciding his treatment procedures and therapeutic sessions (Boksa, Joober, & Kirmayer, 2015).

From the Indigenous Risk Impact Screen, Justin is found not in the category of people who are at risk of drugs or alcohol abuse. However, the significance of the risk of mental illness or somewhat psychological disorder forms an area of interest. As he is further assessed in AMHS and later in the City general hospital, Justin expresses a feeling of sadness in the mornings, he also reveals the sense of desperation as he believes that he must suffer diabetes in future, according to his beliefs. He also admits that at times, he has thought of committing suicide though he says he lacks the courage to do so. As a result, the doctors find it necessary to keep him in regular checks (Bell, Bayliss, Glauert, Harrison, & Ohan, 2018.).

In ensuring that they observe Justin’s cultural ways and maintain their focus on his recovery, the professionals in this context have employed some many communication skills. Among these communication skills is the first listening habits: – this is manifested in the way these professionals take notes of everything that Justin says for future reference. Another strategy employed in this context is the respect: – whenever Justin is not in the mood to converse, the professional leave him for a while and then come back to continue with the session when he is ready to talk. Friendliness is also manifested as a communication skill in this context. This is evident when Justin says that the nurses in the City general hospital are so kind to him and treats him nicely. Finally, empathy is expressed as a communication skill in this context. This is manifested in the way these professionals try to understand the feeling of Justin, and as a result, they tend to show the necessary care for him (Bell, Bayliss, Glauert, Harrison, & Ohan, 2018).

Challenges in Communicating with Justin

After being hospitalized for three months, Justin’s condition has significantly improved. The suicidal thought seems to have faded away, and he has agreed he was unwell. However, he is sure that his family and community shall help him in retaining his health in the future. He claims to have missed his relatives and his friends back at home. As a result, he says that he would go to his home after he is discharged from the hospital. He also has a plan to get back his past job as he tries to look for a more reliable position in the future. To meet all the desires, Justin needs to ensure to attend all his outpatients’ appointments with all the professional recommended for him. He should also allow the family members to help where possible and whenever necessary (O’donnell, Maclean, Sims, Morgan, Leonard, & Stanley, 2015).

From the story of Justin, I have learned that various communities have different perception towards multiple things in life. One’s culture may affect the mental well-being; thus, I should treat each person –regardless of their psychological state, with the respect and care they deserve. This case has also help me realize the importance of seeking proper medication irrespective of socio-cultural constraints and beliefs.

References

Bell, M.F., Bayliss, D.M., Glauert, R., Harrison, A. and Ohan, J.L., 2018. Children of parents who have been hospitalized with psychiatric disorders are at risk of poor school readiness. Epidemiology and mental sciences, 55(7) pp.1-13.

Boka, P., Joober, R. and Kirmayer, L.J., 2015. Mental wellness in Canada’s Aboriginal communities: striving toward reconciliation. Journal of psychiatry & neuroscience: JPN, 40(6), p.363.

Charoensook, J., Hoang, J.L., Lee, R.J., Elliott, A. and Chang, M., 2016. 3.37 asian-american child and adolescent utilizers of county mental health services . Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 55(10), p.S154.

Hong, P.S., Leventhal, B.L., Sullivan, A.A., Kim, B., and Kim, Y.S., 2016. 3.38 autism and mental illness in a korean-american evangelical community: a mixed methods approach . Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 55(10), p.S154.

Nugent, S.M., Jopling, E.N., Degenhardt, A. and Eslami, A., 2016. 3.39 fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in aboriginal youth: a descriptive study of presentations to child and adolescent psychiatry emergency . Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 55(10), p.S154.

O’Donnell, M., Maclean, M.J., Sims, S., Morgan, V.A., Leonard, H. and Stanley, F.J., 2015. Maternal mental health and risk of child protection involvement: psychological health diagnoses associated with increased risk. J Epidemiol Community Health, 69(12), pp.1175-1183.

Parker, R. and Milroy, H., 2014. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health: an overview. Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice. 2nd ed. Canberra: Department of The Prime Minister and Cabinet, 22(5), pp.25-38.

Parker, R. and Milroy, H., 2014. Mental illness in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Working Together, 66(3), pp.65.

Roos, L.E., Distasio, J., Bolton, S.L., Katz, L.Y., Afifi, T.O., Isaak, C., Goering, P., Bruce, L. and Sareen, J., 2014. A history in-care predicts unique characteristics in a homeless population with mental illness. Child abuse & neglect, 38(10), pp.1618-1627.

Torrey, E.F., Jaffe, D.J., Director, M.I.P.O., Geller, J.L. and Lamb, R., 2015. Fraud, Waste, and Excess Profits: The Fate of Money Intended to Treat People with Serious Mental Illness. Mental Illness Policy Org. 47(6), pp.47-58.

Twizeyemariya, A., Guy, S., Furber, G. and Segal, L., 2017. Risks for mental illness in Indigenous Australian children: a descriptive study demonstrating high levels of vulnerability. The Milbank Quarterly, 95(2), pp.319-357.

Wall-Wieler, E., Roos, L.L., Bolton, J., Brownell, M., Nickel, N. and Chateau, D., 2018. Maternal Mental Health after Custody Loss and Death of a Child: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using Linkable Administrative Data. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 63(5), pp.322-328.