STR - Support Time Recovery - Activity 2.2 - Different perspectives
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STR / Support Time Recovery Training course
VRQ Level 2 Certificate in Mental Health
Answer to Question 1
Most mental health doctors are men and women may find it harder to talk to them.
Being with men may intimidate some women if they are vulnerable people.
Women are more likely to be picked on by the other service users and staff.
Answer to Question 2
People seem to expect to be stronger mentally and so they may find it harder to cry in front of other service users, due to being scared that the men would put them down and the women would think they were weak.
A man could be in need of a hug of support, but if he tried to get one it could be taken the wrong way.
Some men may find it harder to ask for help.
Answer to Question 3
In most areas black people are still a minority, so they may be discriminated against.
They may be from a different culture where getting help for mental health problems or even just admitting to those problems may be difficult.
Answer to Question 4
The health system is designed mostly for the highest common denominator, which is in most areas heterosexual white people.
The above fact could cause resentment from anybody that is not white and straight.
Some places are so worried about discriminating against people who are black, gay, disabled etc. that they actually make sure those people are put first, which discriminates against white people.
Answer to Question 5
Being heterosexual is once again considered "normal" which can create the same problems I have covered in being white.
Answer to Question 6
Some gay men face a lot of discrimination from heterosexual service users and staff.
It can be harder in a same of places to get same sex partners into meetings with doctor's etc. than heterosexual partners.
Other men may be worried about a gay man making a pass at them and so not want them in the group activities etc. If a man flirts with a woman or vice versa then people are normally ok about it, but if a gay man flirts with a straight man they can get a bad reaction. The problem is that are gay men that look straight and straight men that look gay, so its hard for a gay (or straight) person to know the sexuality of people sometimes. I am a happily married (to a woman) man, but I have been chatted up by men quite a few times and I have always been flattered, some people do not react the same way.
Answer to Question 7
Most of what I have said about gay men is also true for lesbians.
Answer to Question 8
Some doctors are dreadful at planning ahead for disabled service users, one CPN I used to see always made my appointments to see him in an upstairs room and every time I used to get there and have to argue it. When I did there was luckily always a downstairs room available, but why could he not have had the brains to make the appointment for that room in the first place. I was (and still am) long term disabled and can only get round using crutches and sometimes a wheelchair, so its not as if he did not know!
New buildings must comply with the regulations in the Disability Discrimination Act, but a lot of older buildings are still not up to standard.
Answer to Question 9
If their only form of communication was British Sign Language then they would need somebody with them to interpret whenever they met with a doctor, made an appointment, tried to get help from most services.
The need for an interpreter also causes extra problems for the patient, as it means they have to have an extra person in the meetings etc. translating things that could be very personal and upsetting, this could also upset the translator.
Next: STR Activity 2.3 - Identifying needs and planning
Previous: STR Activity 2.1 - Describe a Service-User's experiences
Please note: The contents of the Level 2 Certificate in Mental Health Students workbook are copyrighted, so I have not included any of the questions, purely my answers which are only copyrighted to me! If you have access to the workbook it will make a lot more sense to you. Please do NOT copy my answers and use them as your own, I have just put them here to give you ideas for any parts you may be stuck on.
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