July 5 juillet 13:45 – 15:45
Room CPCL-101
Chair:
Katherine Lippel
, Université du Québec à Montréal
Workplace violence has become an increasing public health concern in recent years. It is presently unclear whether the rise in inappropriate and aggressive conduct in the workplace represents an actual increase in the incidence of the phenomenon, or greater awareness and reporting of the problem of aggression in the workplace. What is clear, however, is that mental health consultants have a unique and important role to play in workplace violence prevention and management.
Experts in the behavioural sciences can assist organizations in a number of ways. They can firstly identify, and to some extent quantify, the level of risk a prospective workplace violence perpetrator represents. Mental health experts familiar with the potential contribution of situational risk factors for violence may further play a role in identifying the systemic risk intrinsic to a particular work setting. In either case, defining the risk allows for meaningful recommendations to be made and interventions to be put in place that will not only ultimately reduce the risk, but may have the longer lasting effect of reducing the risk of a future outbreak of violence.
This talk will examine the numerous roles a mental health consultant can serve in assisting organizations in their efforts to both prevent and manage a violent incident in the workplace.
Employment plays a pivotal role in helping young people successfully negotiate the transition period between childhood and adulthood, as it is a key factor in healthy identity development (Erikson 1968). This adult identity is often linked with greater autonomy, self-expression, self-determination and self-sufficiency, which is generally associated with finding independent occupation outside the home (Gurney 1980, Donovan and Oddy 1982, Hannan et al 1997). Winefield (1997) suggests that high youth unemployment rates should be viewed as an area of major social concern for four reasons. Firstly, because unemployment among young people is much higher than in the adult population. Secondly, that psychosocial development can be severely affected by unemployment. Thirdly, that unemployment may lead to widespread social alienation and a subsequent rise in criminal and/or other anti-social activity, and lastly, that it could lead to a higher incidence of suicide within this group.
Social alienation has also been closely associated with
substance misuse, which itself is identified with initiation into criminal
activity (Tackling drugs to build a better Britain 2000). The problems of
unemployment are compounded for young people with a mental health and substance
misuse problem. As studies have shown substance dependence and mental illness
are the most notable barriers to gaining and maintaining employment (Social
Security Independence and Program Improvements Act 1994, Claussen 1999)
This study examined municipal workers in Rio de Janeiro who were temporarily unable to work due to violence in workplace, during the period between April 1999 and September 2000. Among 1531 reports by medical experts, we identified 45 cases of medical incapacity caused by violence against workers (2.9%). We examined not only sociodemographic features of the victims of violence, but also activity, localization of work, time that the violent event occured, and type of labour. Results: Teachers were found to be at highest risk, especially women between the ages of 40 and 50 years. The highest rates of violence were detected in places where poorer populations were identified. Depression and anxiety were the most frequent causes of incapacity. An increased number of violent episodes were reported in the last year. Conclusion: Posttraumatic reactions may occur in injured individuals, causing high costs, particulary in lost work days. The increase in workplace violence should be discussed by mental health professionals (forencic experts) to provide limits and determine possible interventions by experts. New researchis necessary to discuss the effects of compensation and litigation in posttraumatic reaction, as well as to prevent violence in workplace.
The
relationship of legal and systemic issues to the mental health of injured
workers has been discussed in a preliminary way through examination of variables
affecting the injured worker’s return to work. However, holistic approaches to
understanding the experiences of injured workers have not been documented. An
increasing number of workers reporting occupational injuries and health problems
with nonspecific diagnoses have met with challenges in the compensation, medical
and legal systems and, in turn, have experienced significant effects on their
mental health. Some research has shown that problems of legitimacy are a central
feature of workers’ experiences and may contribute to psychological distress
and chronic disability. Indeed, much of the literature regards people with such
non-specific injuries as chronic pain and soft tissue injuries as powerless and
passive in their relationships with the compensation system, the employer and
the medical legal system. This paper presents the process and findings of a
participatory research project designed to enhance the capacity of injured
workers to collectively identify, understand, analyze and address their
experienced concerns. The project brings to light the current crisis in the
relationship between “the system” and injured workers, and proposes
directions for social change. It presents results of a mixed method (qualitative
and quantitative) approach to investigating the needs and experiences of injured
workers. Findings in the area of mental health and psychosocial outcomes will be
highlighted. The paper will also describe the process of participatory research
as an alternative, non-dominant method of creating knowledge, as well as its
impact on engagement in critical reflection to bring about effective social
analysis and action.
This paper will present a screening tool to be used by multidisciplinary professionals that has been developed and tested to systematically screen high-risk family caregivers. The project was funded by the Health Transition Fund of Canada and administered by CLSC René-Cassin in Montreal in collaboration with three universities in Montreal, Quebec and Nova Scotia.
The Caregiver Risk Screen was developed to establish a more comprehensive method of determining the level at which a caregiver’s physical and/or mental well-being is at risk and whether the care being provided is adequate. A level of risk is determined to establish the urgency of intervention and potential outcomes which may result from delayed intervention could be abuse or neglect of the care receiver, family breakdown or a change in the situation.
The screening tool was constructed following an intensive review of validated screening measures, a survey of home care agencies to identify non-validated tools and focus groups with caregivers and professionals.
The tool was administered by telephone by intake workers from home care agencies to family caregivers. The study, based on a sample of English and French caregivers, presents results of the validation of the screening tool for internal and external consistency using Alpha Chronbach measures. The choice of instrument to validate the tool is the eleven item instrument used by Rankin, Hunt, Keefover and Franzon (1994) Caregiver Burden Screen. Results conclude that the Caregiver Risk Screen is a valid instrument which can predict caregivers at risk on a broader level than other instruments which usually are very long or measure only one or two specific dimensions of risk, such as depression.
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