Counseling Women with Anxiety and Depression - Research Paper Example

Women Counseling Introduction There has been a growing interest in attention to women mental health. Women form the largest percentage of frequent health users, and are likely to present with mental health issues. Mental health issues notably include anxiety and depression (Breslau et al., 2005). For a long time, women have perceived mental health services as concerned with the treatment of mental health illness, as opposed to promoting and protecting their mental health (Mellor-Clarke, 2004). There is a general need for women to access counseling services in locations that are not medically oriented, rather in appropriate physical environment. It is imperative for such counseling to be proactive, so as to attract women clients in whom mental health issues have not developed in serious problems. These services will help the women to develop their assertiveness and their coping ability. As this demand for women counseling has gradually increased, there has been a subsequent increase in the number of various counseling perspectives (Abraham, 2007). These perspectives range from traditional methods of cognitive, behavior and psychotherapies, to the less practiced art and psychodrama therapies (Abraham, 2007). It is imperative to note that not all approaches have been accepted within the professional domain, and there are increased attempts to regulate the usage of these approaches. Women mental health difficulties Gender disparities in mental health problem prevalence have for long been recognized. Anxiety disorders are the commonest mental health problem in women. The number of people that develop anxiety disorders is far much greater in women than in men. Anxiety refers to the overriding and unpleasant mental tension, whereas anxiety disorders refer to specific illnesses such as panic disorders, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in addition to post-traumatic stress disorder (Stapleton, Taylor & Asmundson, 2007). Depression commonly occurs concurrently with anxiety. Anxiety symptoms usually precede depressive symptoms, and usually culminate in a major depressive disorder when not tackled in the right manner. Depression is a major health problem that commonly afflicts women. The WHO projects that by the year 2020, depression will be the second most common cause of disability and death globally (Mellor-Clarke, 2004). The disparity between women and men in terms of depression begin from an early age and persist through lifetime. Attention to women health is hindered by two major limitations. To begin with, there is a tendency to focus on women reproductive health services. Further, there is a tendency to focus on health services within a biomedical model that excludes other alternative models of health care for women. Consequently, there is a widespread concern that health services are not responding in an appropriate mode to the women’s mental health (Mellor-Clarke, 2004). In addition, there lacks organized mental health services that are in a position to accord women with support to cope in times of crises which occur in their lives, and which are a threat to their mental health. As noted above, there is an inadequacy of proactive mental health services. Counseling, therapy types and developments Counseling therapies are more short-term than other therapies. Counseling therapies are ideal for identifiable problems and for looking at focused patterns of behavior. Analytic therapies involve their women in helping them to enter their unconscious world and to look into problems that pertain to relation with the family and childhood experiences. In this modality of therapy, client’s emotional difficulties that are persistent from childhood can be resolved, in addition to resolving the present emotions and behaviors. Behavioral therapies are based on a premise that clients’ problems are based on maladaptive behavior. Cognitive therapies are based on a premise that clients’ difficulties are due to maladaptive thought process. A combination of behavioral and cognitive therapy is effective in the management of anxiety disorders such as PTSD, sexual issues and depression (Stapleton, Taylor & Asmundson, 2007). Telephone counseling and help lines have been on the increase throughout the last decade (Bartlam & McLeod, 2005). There is a growing emphasis on reduction of the cost of health care, which has seen the proliferation of telephone delivered interventions. Telecommunications industry has opened up the help-line world. The phone allows access to a wider section of women, who would not otherwise have access to counseling services. Such call services have also decreased the number of unnecessary clinic visits. Many hospitals, psychological associations and community agencies offer phone-crisis intervention. An example includes suicide call lines (Bartlam & McLeod, 2005). Peer counseling programmes have also been put in place for women. These are built on naturalistic peer support and they seek to equalize access opportunities while deepening and widening their impact. It usually applies to women suffering from the same mental problem. There is a great deal of literature that supports and demonstrates the benefit of peer counseling in women group such as breast-feeding mothers (Mclnnes et al., 2000). Brief therapy has also been explored as an option in the counseling of women. There are extensive waiting lists for subsidized or free counseling services of voluntary organizations. Therefore, brief therapeutic interventions have been explored so as to overcome the waiting list problem in addition to funding issues. Enduring and meaningful change can occur within the premise of brief interventions. Mutual or self-help groups have also formed part of the mental health field for many years. These groups have traditionally accorded women with valuable support when recovering from mental illness, drug addiction and alcoholism, in addition to coping with the effects of disability and illness. The importance of self-help groups for the development of women’s ability to cope has been emphasized by many women (Abrahams, 2007). Despite the potential imperativeness, such groups have not been promoted as an integral part of health care services to any significant extent. Self-help groups are also considered invaluable in assisting women with chronic or severe illnesses, including breast cancer. Self-help group members hold more positive attitudes as regards to the group than those form the medical perspective. Statutory provision of counseling Departments of health and children have overall responsibility for developing health policy and planning services that facilitate counseling (Humphreys & Thiara, 2003). Health boards and statutory bodies are the main health care providers in regional levels, although departments of community, social and family affairs provide funding for marriage in addition to child counseling services. Further, the voluntary sector plays an instrumental role in according mental health care and personal social services. Voluntary agencies may range from national organizations and major hospitals to small community-based groups that have been set-up in response to the local needs of women. Further, specialist agencies have also been established to provide particular mental health services to women (Abrahams, 2007). A majority of the health boards are in the process of expanding services rendered to women such as addiction counseling specifically designated for women. The health department has also established National counseling services, which are community-based services for women and men that suffered abuse during childhood. These comprise confidential and national services that are located in the health board of each area. All the health boards have opted for a community-based model when it comes to the provision of mental health for women who have undergone domestic violence. Within each of the health boards, there has been the establishment of advisory committees pertaining to women health. These are provided with funding from the health department. The depth and quality of such plans is varied in respect to their implementation strategy and the recommendations that they make. Most of the health boards have indicated that they seek to take a holistic approach to the mental health of women. However, there is a tendency to focus on reproductive health as opposed to mental health service provision (Abrahams, 2007). Recommendations and Conclusion Women should be afforded with information and help-seeking advice. There should be the availing of advice on how to locate or choose a counselor. This information needs to become more widely available so as to ensure it reaches specific targeted groups such as women experiencing domestic violence, depression, anxiety, widowhood and crisis pregnancy. The most apt method for disseminating this information needs to be put into consideration. Some of these methods include the setting-up of websites and through the use of social media, in addition to traditional methods such as posters and leaflets (Bartlam & McLeod, 2005). Mental health promotion initiatives must address the stigma that surrounds service access. It is appropriate to address such issues in conjunction with women groups. It is also imperative to regulate professional activity in the field of counseling provision. Voluntary and statutory agencies should be responsible in ensuring that counseling staff are qualified for the services that they render. In addition, there should be the availing of in-service training, accreditation and supervision. Training programmes for counseling must be flexible and ensure that there is quality of access (Mellor-Clarke, 2004). With regards to mental health service provision and access, the principle of equality should be the basis for service development. The appropriate use of self-help groups should also be encouraged to all women. The provision of counseling within the primary care service setting should be encouraged and development further. Enough attention must be paid to the location and venues that women counseling services are provided. Attention must be paid to the physical resources of the venues such as confidential waiting rooms, sound-proofing, secure filing and physically accessible to all (Mellor-Clarke, 2004). In the implementation of the above recommendations, it is essential for collaboration with leadership. Models of best practices should also be adopted. Therefore, the implementation process must entail collaboration with specific group of clients. Curative and preventative approaches should be matched. Action taken in the provision of women mental health must be combined with prevention strategies. The expected outcome is that women mental health issues can be addressed fully, and that these services are accessible to all women. A mentally healthy woman, means a mentally health nation. Reference List Abrahams, H. (2007). Supporting women after domestic violence. London: Jessica Kingsley Publications. Bartlam, B. & McLeod, J. (2005). Infertility counselling: the ISSUE experience of setting up a telephone counselling service. Patient Education and Counselling, 41 (3), 313-321. Breslau, N., Schultz, L. & Peterson, E. (2005). Sex differences in depression: a role for preexisting anxiety. Psychiatry Research, 58, 1-12. Goldberg, J. M. & White, C. (2004). Expanding our understanding of gendered violence: Violence against trans people and loved ones. Aware: The Newsletter of the BC Institute Against Family Violence, 11, 21-25. Humphreys, C. & Thiara, R. (2003). 'Mental health and domestic violence: ‘i call it symptoms of abuse'' British Journal of Social Work 33, 2, pp 209−226. McInnes, R.J., Love, J.G. & Stone, D.H. (2000). Evaluation of a community-based intervention to increase breastfeeding prevalence. Journal of Public Health Medicine 22(2), 138-145. Mellor-Clarke, J. (2004). Developing practice and evidence for counselling in primary care: the agenda. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 28 (2), 253-266. Stapleton, J. Taylor, S. & Asmundson, G. (2007). 'Efficacy of Various Treatments for PTSD in Battered Women: Case Studies'. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly 21, 91−102. Read More