Authors: Grenville Rose, Loren Brener, Courtney von Hippel, Bill von Hippel
Year: 2017
Event: 2017 TheMHS Conference
Subject: Workforce,Research & Evaluation Informing Practice,Reducing Stigma and Discrimination
Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers
Abstract: The stigma that surrounds mental health is a barrier to people accessing appropriate support and health care treatment. This is particularly the case when it is the health professionals themselves who hold stigmatising attitudes towards people with mental health issues. Studies examining mental health Community Managed Organisations (CMOs) are limited, and there is no research comparing the attitudes of Australian CMO workers to those of other health professionals. This study surveyed CMOs on the attitudes of mental health workers towards people with mental health issues. I will present data on the attitudes of 374 CMO mental health workers and 114 mental health nurses towards their jobs and the people they support. The research methods used replicate a prior study conducted in Australia which assessed the attitudes of the general public, GPs, Psychiatrists, and Psychologists. In addition to these attitude items, the current study included measures of job satisfaction, professional engagement and burnout. The data presented will describe the attitudes of CMO workers and compare these attitudes with the data from other Australian mental health professionals. The aim is to understand and decrease negative attitudes and increase job satisfaction amongst health workers working with people with mental health issues.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objective 1: How welcoming/stigmatising are the different health professions working in mental illness in Australia.
Learning Objective 2: How does this relate to job satisfaction and retention of workers in mental health CMOs?
References
Reavly, N. J., Mackinnon, A. J., Morgan, A. J., & Jorm, A. F. (2014). Stigmatising attitudes towards people with mental disorders: A comparison of Australian mental health professionals with the general community. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 48(5), 433-441.
Mental Health Council of Australia. (2011). Consumer and Carer Experience of Stigma from Mental Health and Other Health Professionals. Canberra, MHCA.
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