3.2 Health and the middle class In contrast, a study which focused on white, middle-class men and women between the ages of 35 and 55 (Saltonstall, 1993) found that respondents' views of health were closely connected to wellbeing, and this condition of being was related to ‘capacity, performance and function’ (p. 8). Saltonstall reports that the respondents, both male and female, catalogued what he called a ‘health inventory’ which included things they felt they had and things they thought they were expected to do t
3.1 Health and low income Health is a very personal matter, but people's health is very much situated in their life experiences and so their perceptions of health are likely to reflect their social situation. Bostock (1998), a health researcher, interviewed mothers who were managing on low incomes to find out about their perceptions of their health. She was struck by the difference between her respondents' self-assessed health status compared to that found by the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) which relat
References Activity 2 In the extract you have read in Activity 1, Leverett identifies a set of shared values developed as part of the ‘Hear by Right’ standa 1.4 A community resource centre in action It is clear that the well-being of communities and the well-being of the individuals within them are intrinsically linked. The Orchard Centre is a community resource centre for people with mental health problems in Bonnyrigg in Midlothian, Scotland. 1.3.1 Alcoholic liver disease Rachael's story illustrates the start of damage to the liver (Vignette 1). Rachael drank heavily throughout her time as a manager in a travel company. For many years she was able to cope with the heavy demands of her job with 7.5.1 The statement of expectations A social work degree places an increased emphasis on service users' perspectives. This was first outlined in the White Paper Modernising Social Services (DoH, 1998) that introduced legislation to set up the new qualification along with the regulatory and registration mechanisms discussed above within the devolved nations of the UK. This emphasis on the perspectives of service users is illustrated through the results of extensive consultation exercises carried out with them, their carer 5.7 References for Extract 4 Barn, R. (1999) Working with Black Children and Adolescents in Need, London, BAAF. Butler-Sloss, E. (1988) Report of the Inquiry into Child Abuse in Cleveland, London, HMSO. Department of Health (2000) Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families, London, Department of Health. Gardner, R. (2003) Supporting Families: Child Protection in the Community, Chichester, John Wiley. James, A. and Prout, A. (1997) Constructin 4.1 Introduction: the social context of social work Extract 1 discussed the four components of good practice: Knowledge, Skills, Values and Process. From Extract 2 you will now have an understanding of ‘individual people’ in soci 3.8 Psychosocial theories of identity This section does not discuss theories of identity in detail. It is important to note, however, that the theory associated with Erik Erikson, a German psychoanalyst who worked in the USA from the 1930s, has been very influential in social work and continues to be so. Erikson (1950) proposed eight stages of life, from infancy to old age, and each stage had its own particular task in the development of an individual's identity. Erikson's theory is one of several and should not be regarded 3.6 Self identity Thinking about your own life story and those of other people can lead you to the realisation that we are not just interested in people's experiences, but in what it is those experiences mean to them and how they affect their lives. After all, some events will seem more important than others; we all highlight some experiences as more significant than others. In this way, we build up a picture of ourselves that we can call our identity. But what do we mean by identity? A useful de Learning outcomes By the end of this unit you should be able to: begin to identify exercise prescriptions aimed at increasing aerobic fitness. Introduction Some elite athletes in the United Kingdom are provided with financial support to allow them to train and prepare for competition. Where does the money come from to finance this? This unit will examine this question by looking at the funding of elite sport in the UK. This unit is an adapted extract from the Open University course Introduction to sport, fitness and management (E112) 3.5 Benzodiazepine tranquillisers, Prozac and the SSRIs One of the most significant ranges of drugs ever produced is the benzodiazepine tranquillisers (usually classed as ‘minor tranquillisers’ or ‘hypnotics’), often prescribed as a remedy for ‘minor’ disorders such as depression, sleeplessness and anxiety. In effect, they extended the range of conditions that could be treated by medication. The best-known example is probably Valium. 3.3 Mental health as business: the profit motive There is little question that the use of drugs to treat mental distress has become the dominant strategy. The historian Edward Shorter puts it graphically: If there is one central intellectual reality at the end of the twentieth century, it is that the biological approach to psychiatry – treating mental illness as a genetically influenced disorder of brain chemistry – has been a smashing success. (Shorter 3.2 Mental health as business: introducing the debate Is mental health a business? There are a number of signs that it could be, and Activity 8 presents a discussion between two people with strong views on mental health services and how they should be delivered. Dr Harvey Gordon is a forensic psychiatrist who has been a long-term consultant at Broadmoor High Security Hospital, and also a consultant at the Maudesley Hospital in London. Jim Read has worked for many years in organisations and networks of mental health service users/survivors as a c 3.14 Key ethical issues for CAM practitioners: negotiation of contracts with users To benefit users, the user and the practitioner must work towards common goals that have been explicitly discussed. It is especially important for the user to understand the limits of what the therapy can deliver and not be under any delusions about the likely extent of recovery. What should CAM practitioners tell users about the therapy and about themselves? Practitioners cannot assume that users know what their therapy entails. A useful starting point might be to give users an introduction 3.6 Ethical practice and accountability: the role and function of professional bodies The UK's medical profession is regulated by the General Medical Council (GMC). One of the main ways in which the GMC, and other regulatory bodies, influences its members is through its code of ethics. This sets out broad principles, rather than detailed guidance, for how practitioners should behave in specific circumstances. This is necessary because a practitioner retains individual accountability and ultimate responsibility for decisions taken during professional practice. Not all br 3.4.4 Law imposes more stringent requirements than ethics All health care practitioners, including those in CAM, must work within the laws of the country where they practise. Although the law does not always reflect what is considered ethical – indeed, ethical duties may be thought of as higher than legal duties – in most jurisdictions it ensures that practitioners are subject, at the very least, to minimal requirements vis-à -vis respect for users' dignity, user information, confidentiality, and maintaining professional boundaries. Howeve 3.4.2 CAM practitioners are more ethical than conventional doctors Proponents of CAM argue that because it is safer and has fewer side effects than conventional medicine, CAM practitioners must be inherently more ethical than doctors. This is a false argument in several respects. While CAM is generally very safe compared with some powerful conventional remedies (a point acknowledged in para. 4.21 of the House of Lords Report, 2000), all therapies can cause harm in unskilled hands. Some side effects of CAM are potentially serious, particularly if there is a c
Shared values for children’s participation
Vignette 1 Rachael's health problems as the result of her drinking
