Early psychosis in Indonesia: reflections on illness and treatment

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of more than 22?years of research conducted in the central Javanese province of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, by teams of researchers associated with Gadjah Mada University and Harvard University, led by the authors of this essay. This work is placed in the context of the very limited literature on early psychosis and mental health services in Indonesia. It provides an overview of mental health services in Indonesia and of this team’s research trajectory, then addresses four key domains: the cultural phenomenology of early experiences of psychotic illness; patterns of onset, with a particular focus on extremely rapid onset psychoses; patterns of care-seeking for first episode illness; and mental health services and patterns of utilization. It then discusses the importance of rapid onset psychosis for research on early psychosis, and the question of whether collinearity of rapidity of onset and rapidity of care-seeking raises questions about the long-standing finding that a short duration of untreated psychosis leads to better outcomes. It concludes by discussing difficulties of prioritizing early intervention models in settings with very low mental health resources.     

The children’s optimism and humor training program in South Korea

The Optimism and Humor Training Program (OHTP) developed to increase optimism and adaptive use of humor for elementry students. Two sixth grade classrooms participated, and the program was implemented in one class (n?=?23) over 8 weeks. The effectiveness of the program was tested by Analysis of Covariance. The results indicate that children who participated in the OHTP showed an increase in optimism, use of adaptive humor, and more adaptability in school.     

Ubuntu: a Cultural Method of Mental Health Promotion

The context of this article is an indigenous knowledge system of health promotion. Visitors to South Africa have often remarked on a universal yet unique form of humanity they have experienced. Based on their shared experience as psychologists working together over many years in Zululand, the authors present a phenomenology of ubuntu as a deeply human, meaningful way of life and an original, cultural method of mental health promotion.     

以馆藏资源助力地域文化符号搭建文旅融合底蕴平台

地域文化符号是地方历史文化发展的载体,也是地域文明的象征。图书馆作为地域信息及文献资源的收藏地,在地域文化发展中起着至关重要的作用,在当前经济社会发展的背景下,也是文旅融合发展的重要组成部分。本文以图书馆助力地域文化符号搭建文旅融合底蕴平台为出发点,通过分析找准地域文化符号的意义和方法,探究图书馆在充分利用馆藏资源的基础上,找准文旅融合的契合点,厚积地域文化底蕴的方式和路径,通过进一步融合现代发展元素,打造文化旅游特色品牌项目,使文旅产业成为带动地域经济发展的"动力产业"。     

Clinical use of the Kessler psychological distress scales with culturally diverse groups

The Kessler 10 (K10) and embedded Kessler 6 (K6) was developed to screen for non‐specific psychological distress and serious mental illness in mental health surveys of English‐speaking populations, but has been adopted in Western and non‐Western countries as a screening and outcome measure in primary care and mental health settings. This review examines whether the original K6/K10's validity for culturally diverse populations was established, and whether the cultural equivalence, and sensitivity to change of translated or culturally adapted K6/K10s, has been demonstrated with culturally diverse client groups. Evidence for the original K6/K10's validity for culturally diverse populations is limited. Questions about the conceptual and linguistic equivalence of translated/adapted K6/K10s arise from reports of changes in item connotation and differential item functioning. Evidence for structural equivalence is inconsistent, as is support for criterion equivalence, with the majority of studies compromising on accuracy in case prediction. Research demonstrating sensitivity to change with culturally diverse groups is lacking. Inconsistent evidence for the K6/K10's cultural appropriateness in clinical settings, and a lack of clinical norms for either majority or culturally diverse groups, indicate the importance of further research into the psychological distress construct with culturally diverse clients, and the need for caution in interpreting K6/K10 scores. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Developing cultural competence through self-reflection in interprofessional education: Findings from an Australian university

Interprofessional education and cultural competence are both necessary for health professionals working in interprofessional teams serving diverse populations. Using a pre–post-survey case series design, this study evaluates a novel learning activity designed to encourage self-reflection and cultural competence in an Australian interprofessional education context. Undergraduate health professional students in a large subject viewed three 7–15 minute videos featuring interviews with persons of a minority cultural, linguistic, or sexual group who were living with a disability or managing a health condition. Immediately afterwards, students in interprofessional groups completed a structured activity designed to promote interprofessional and cultural reflection. A localised version of a validated scale measured cultural competence before and after the learning activity. Results suggest the value of video-based learning activities based on real-life examples for improving cultural competence. Despite initially rating themselves highly, 64% of students (n = 273) improved their overall cultural competence, though only by M = 0.13, SD = 0.08, of a 5-point rating-scale interval. A nuanced approach to interpreting results is warranted; even slight increases may indicate improved cultural competence. Suggestions for improving the effectiveness of video-based cultural competence learning activities, based on qualitative findings, are provided. Overall the findings attest to the merit of group discussion in cultural competence learning activities in interprofessional education settings. However, the inclusion of group discussions within such learning activities should hinge on group dynamics.