Farming and mental health problems and mental illness

BACKGROUND: Farmers experience one of the highest rates of suicide of any industry and there is growing evidence that those involved in farming are at higher risk of developing mental health problems. This article provides an overview of the literature examining mental health issues experienced by farming populations in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States and identifies areas for further research. METHOD: A literature review (Medline, Science Direct, Ingenta, Proquest and PsychINFO) was carried out using the words 'farmers', 'agriculture', 'depression', 'mental health', 'mental illness', 'stress', and 'suicide', as well as a review of relevant papers and publications known to the authors. (Papers not written in English and those published prior to 1985 were excluded.) RESULTS: Fifty-two papers were identified with the majority focusing on stress and coping styles in farmers (24). A number of studies also focused on neuropsychological functioning and agricultural chemical use (7), depression (7), suicide (9), general mental health (4) and injury and mental health (1). This body of research studied male farmers, female farmers, farm workers, farming families, and young people living on farms. Research to date indicates that farmers, farm workers and their respective families face an array of stressors related to the physical environment, structure of farming families and the economic difficulties and uncertainties associated with farming which may be detrimental to their mental health. CONCLUSION: Whilst suicide rates in some groups of farmers are higher than the general population, conclusive data do not exist to indicate whether farmers and farming families experience higher rates of mental health problems compared with the non-farming community. It is clear, however, that farming is associated with a unique set of characteristics that is potentially hazardous to mental health and requires further research.     

Community mental health centers and community mental health ideology

A study of the adherence of two community mental health center staffs to community mental health ideology, as measured by the Baker-Schulberg CMHI Scale, was conducted. The results for equivalent populations were the same as those of the only previously reported study, indicating the CMHI Scale is a reliable, useful research tool. Significant relationships were found between scores and a) professional affiliation, b) years of liberal arts education, and c) length of time working in a mental health center. Medical education would appear to have a different effect on adherence to the ideology of the community mental health movement than that of liberal arts education.     

State mental health directors' priorities for mental health care

The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors surveyed all state mental health directors, through a series of mail questionnaires, to determine their national priorities for mental health care in the 1980s. In a ranking of 62 issues, the directors considered the top two priorities to be providing services and support programs in the community for the chronically mentally ill. Other highly ranked priorities included developing community residential programs, assuring continuation and funding of programs in a period of financial retrenchment, and developing a continuum of services for children and adolescents. A cluster analysis showed that within the overall group four different patterns of priorities emerged: issues related to certification and accreditation, to expansion of community programs both with and without a decrease in institution-based care, and to financial accountability.     

林芝地区精神卫生工作者精神卫生知识知晓率及其对精神疾病的态度

目的了解西藏自治区林芝地区精神卫生工作者的精神卫生知识知晓率现状及其对精神疾病的态度,为提高后续有针对性的援藏工作提供参考。方法采用方便抽样方法抽取了林芝108名精神卫生工作人员,进行精神卫生知识问卷和精神疾病相关态度问卷调查。结果调查对象精神卫生知识总体知晓率为74.03%,年龄越大、有参加过精神/心理方面讲座的人员精神卫生知识问卷得分越高(β=0.261、0.220,P均0.05);精神疾病相关态度问卷总体得分为(45.11±5.21)分,其中有10个条目持正向态度的人员比例接近或高于50%。结论林芝地区精神卫生工作者对精神疾病的包容度较好,但精神卫生知识知晓率仍有待提高。     

Effects of visual arts instruction on the mental health of adults with mental retardation and mental illness

Single-subject multiple probe designs were employed in two studies with 5 young adults who had a dual diagnosis of mental retardation and mental illness. Our aim was to determine effects of instruction designed to teach visual arts activity skills and promote personal expressiveness on acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of these skills and behaviors associated with these persons' mental health. In Study 1, a 5-second constant time delay procedure was used to teach three chosen art activities. In Study 2, an instructional package was used to promote personally expressive behaviors. After learning the skills in Study 1, participants in Study 2 displayed improvement in occurrence of behaviors associated with mental illness and increases in personally expressive behaviors.     

Impact of mental illness in families of mental health professionals

Family burden and coping strategies were investigated in 84 experienced mental health professionals with family members suffering from chronic major mental illnesses. The sample was nationally recruited from ads in professional journals. Personal reactions of respondents involved cognitive and attitudinal changes in conceptions of psychotic disorders and guarded relations with colleagues with respect to self-disclosure and case involvement. Financial and emotional burdens were substantial, with ongoing stressful life events, aversive patient behaviors, and poor treatment histories. In rating family coping strategies, mental health professionals showed a high degree of concordance with nonprofessional family members in assigning priority to education on symptoms, medications, and patient management techniques. Involvement with self-help groups and physical separation from patients were rated higher than individual or family therapy as aids in coping for families of the mentally ill.     

Inherited mental disorders

A compilation of all mental disorders with known genetic etiology is presented. Of 139 disorders the gene location is known in 36. Eleven of the genes are located on the X chromosome and 24 on the autosomes. When a gene for a disorder is located, linkage analysis can be used for diagnosis. In the future the gene map will expand and more mental disorders be diagnosed with linkage analysis.     

Perinatal mental health

Pregnancy is the time during which physiological and psychological preparation for motherhood takes place. It has long been considered a blessed time, free of psychiatric disorders. However, there is now strong evidence that major depressive disorder may occur not only after birth but even during the prepartum. Most often, mental illness during this period is underestimated, not assessed, therefore not diagnosed, and consequently goes untreated. Reviewing the literature on the negative impact of both maternal and infant health in case of perinatal depression, we underline that recognizing and treating prenatal depression will lead to preventive and curative treatments for mothers, enhance infant health, and therefore positively influence mother-infant relationships.