Rob Whitley is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry (McGill University) and a researcher at the Douglas Research Centre. He is also a Fonds de recherche du Québec-Santé Distinguished Research Scholar, and an Honorary Principal Fellow at the University of Melbourne.
There is little research on how to effectively implement the illness management and recovery prog... more There is little research on how to effectively implement the illness management and recovery program for people with severe mental illness in community mental health settings. This study aimed to examine which factors promote or hinder successful implementation of illness management and recovery in these settings. Twelve community mental health centers implemented illness management and recovery over a two-year period. They were supported in this endeavor by an implementation resource kit and regular meetings with a consultant trainer. Implementation efforts at each center were monitored by a supervised researcher (an implementation monitor) over the two years. This researcher conducted qualitative interviews with key informants every six months and conducted more frequent observations of routine activity in order to discern the implementation progress. These qualitative data were gathered into a database that was examined by the authors to discern key cross-site barriers to and facilitators of the implementation of illness management and recovery. Through content analysis of the qualitative data, four broad cross-site themes emerged that appear to meaningfully determine success or failure of implementation. These were leadership, organizational culture, training, and staff and supervision. These overlapping themes worked synergistically to effect implementation. Implementation of illness management and recovery in community mental health settings is facilitated through strong leadership, an organizational culture that embraces innovation, effective training, and committed staff. Where these factors are lacking, strategies may need to be developed to effectively implement and sustain illness management and recovery.
There is little research on how to effectively implement the illness management and recovery prog... more There is little research on how to effectively implement the illness management and recovery program for people with severe mental illness in community mental health settings. This study aimed to examine which factors promote or hinder successful implementation of illness management and recovery in these settings. Twelve community mental health centers implemented illness management and recovery over a two-year period. They were supported in this endeavor by an implementation resource kit and regular meetings with a consultant trainer. Implementation efforts at each center were monitored by a supervised researcher (an implementation monitor) over the two years. This researcher conducted qualitative interviews with key informants every six months and conducted more frequent observations of routine activity in order to discern the implementation progress. These qualitative data were gathered into a database that was examined by the authors to discern key cross-site barriers to and facilitators of the implementation of illness management and recovery. Through content analysis of the qualitative data, four broad cross-site themes emerged that appear to meaningfully determine success or failure of implementation. These were leadership, organizational culture, training, and staff and supervision. These overlapping themes worked synergistically to effect implementation. Implementation of illness management and recovery in community mental health settings is facilitated through strong leadership, an organizational culture that embraces innovation, effective training, and committed staff. Where these factors are lacking, strategies may need to be developed to effectively implement and sustain illness management and recovery.
The International journal of social psychiatry, 2016
For the past 3 decades, mental health practitioners have increasingly adopted aspects and tools o... more For the past 3 decades, mental health practitioners have increasingly adopted aspects and tools of strength-based approaches. Providing strength-based intervention and amplifying strengths relies heavily on effective interpersonal processes. This article is a critical review of research regarding the use of strength-based approaches in mental health service settings. The aim is to discuss strength-based interventions within broader research on recovery, focussing on effectiveness and advances in practice where applicable. A systematic search for peer-reviewed intervention studies published between 2001 and December 2014 yielded 55 articles of potential relevance to the review. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. The Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies was used to appraise the quality of the studies. Our review found emerging evidence that the utilisation of a strength-based approach improves outcomes including hospitalisation rate...
Little research has been conducted on media representations of psychiatric de-institutionalizatio... more Little research has been conducted on media representations of psychiatric de-institutionalization in low-income countries. We set out to examine whether the Jamaican media takes a positive or negative orientation to psychiatric de-institutionalization, and which arguments and rhetorical devices are employed to support the media's position. This was done by the collection, review, and analysis of all stories related to psychiatric de-institutionalization published over a 26-month period from 2003 to 2005 by Jamaica's principal broadsheet newspaper. All of the stories were positive in orientation. Articles alluded to the therapeutic and economic benefits of de-institutionalization. To allay public fears, articles gave prominence to the views of senior psychiatric experts, quoted supporting statistics and international trends, and translated relevant research findings into lay language. Our results are contrary to most studies in high-income countries indicating negative media...
Little research has been conducted on media representations of psychiatric de-institutionalizatio... more Little research has been conducted on media representations of psychiatric de-institutionalization in low-income countries. We set out to examine whether the Jamaican media takes a positive or negative orientation to psychiatric de-institutionalization, and which arguments and rhetorical devices are employed to support the media's position. This was done by the collection, review, and analysis of all stories related to psychiatric de-institutionalization published over a 26-month period from 2003 to 2005 by Jamaica's principal broadsheet newspaper. All of the stories were positive in orientation. Articles alluded to the therapeutic and economic benefits of de-institutionalization. To allay public fears, articles gave prominence to the views of senior psychiatric experts, quoted supporting statistics and international trends, and translated relevant research findings into lay language. Our results are contrary to most studies in high-income countries indicating negative media...
To describe the psychosocial supports that infertile couples desire to help cope with infertility... more To describe the psychosocial supports that infertile couples desire to help cope with infertility-related distress, which psychosocial services they sought, and the benefits and drawbacks of these services. Qualitative interview study with 32 heterosexual infertile couples seeking infertility treatment. Maximum variation sampling was used; data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Most couples desired psychosocial support, but only half of the sample sought support. Some couples met with psychologists for help with relationship conflict and coping strategies. Participants suggested peer mentoring to fulfill needs for coping, shared experience, and guidance through the treatment process. Couples also desired written information about practical and emotional aspects of treatment. Negative attitudes toward psychological counseling and a lack of information about support services prevented some couples from seeking support. Infertile couples expressed numerous needs for psychosocial supports, but often felt that supports were not available. A variety of services should be offered in order to fulfill patients' varied needs. Awareness of the reasons why patients desire psychosocial services will help clinicians to refer patients to currently available psychosocial supports, and will aid in the development of appropriate supports, including couples counseling, peer mentoring, and written information in lay language.
This is a preprint of the manuscript published by the journal, Digital Journalism, at: http://dx.... more This is a preprint of the manuscript published by the journal, Digital Journalism, at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2016.1224671
The published version corrects citations and contains some other changes.
This mixed-method study assessed the relationship between the content in news articles about mental health and illness and the reading and sharing of this content by the news audience. It used web analytics from three major Canadian news sites. Regression analysis indicated a tendency for social media users to share news about mental health and illness that was neutral in tone and that contained recovery and intervention as themes. Stories on mental health that had themes of violence and criminality, however, did not increase the article's readership or online sharing. This research is considered in the context of the sociological process of making news, network gatekeeping and uses and gratifications theory.
Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic led to concerns about increases in suicidal behaviour. Research ind... more Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic led to concerns about increases in suicidal behaviour. Research indicates that certain types of media coverage of suicide may help reduce suicidality (the Papageno effect), while other types may increase suicidality (the Werther effect). This study aimed to examine the tone and content of Canadian news articles about suicide during the first year of the pandemic. Methods Articles about suicide from Canadian news sources were collected and coded for adherence to responsible reporting of suicide guidelines. Articles which directly discussed suicidal behaviour in the COVID-19 context were identified and compared to other suicide articles in the same period. Lastly, a thematic analysis was conducted on the sub-sample of articles discussing suicide in the COVID-19 context. Results The subset of articles about suicide in the COVID-19 context (n = 103) contained significantly more putatively helpful content compared to non-COVID-19 articles (n = 457), such as including help information (56.3% Vs 23.6%), quoting an expert (68.0% Vs 16.8%) and educating about suicide (73.8% Vs 24.9%). This lower adherence among non-COVID-19 articles is concerning as they comprised over 80% of the sample. On the plus side, fewer than 10% of all articles provided monocausal, glamourized or sensational accounts of suicide. Qualitative analysis revealed the following three themes: (i) describing the epidemiology of suicidal behaviour; (ii) discussing self and communal care; and (iii) bringing attention to gaps in mental health care. Conclusion Media articles about suicide during the first year of the pandemic showed partial adherence to responsible reporting of suicide guidelines, with room for improvement.
This report reviews the evidence base regarding collaborative approaches to community wellness me... more This report reviews the evidence base regarding collaborative approaches to community wellness mental health promotion, and service provision for people with mental health and substance use problems. This includes aspects of training, service organization, and evaluation.
Objective: Studies suggest that non-European immigrants to Canada tend to under use mental health... more Objective: Studies suggest that non-European immigrants to Canada tend to under use mental health services, compared with Canadian-born people. Social, cultural, religious, linguistic, geographic, and economic variables may contribute to this underuse. This paper explores the reasons for underuse of conventional mental health services in a community sample of immigrants with identified emotional and somatic symptoms. Method: Fifteen West Indian
There is little research on how to effectively implement the illness management and recovery prog... more There is little research on how to effectively implement the illness management and recovery program for people with severe mental illness in community mental health settings. This study aimed to examine which factors promote or hinder successful implementation of illness management and recovery in these settings. Twelve community mental health centers implemented illness management and recovery over a two-year period. They were supported in this endeavor by an implementation resource kit and regular meetings with a consultant trainer. Implementation efforts at each center were monitored by a supervised researcher (an implementation monitor) over the two years. This researcher conducted qualitative interviews with key informants every six months and conducted more frequent observations of routine activity in order to discern the implementation progress. These qualitative data were gathered into a database that was examined by the authors to discern key cross-site barriers to and facilitators of the implementation of illness management and recovery. Through content analysis of the qualitative data, four broad cross-site themes emerged that appear to meaningfully determine success or failure of implementation. These were leadership, organizational culture, training, and staff and supervision. These overlapping themes worked synergistically to effect implementation. Implementation of illness management and recovery in community mental health settings is facilitated through strong leadership, an organizational culture that embraces innovation, effective training, and committed staff. Where these factors are lacking, strategies may need to be developed to effectively implement and sustain illness management and recovery.
There is little research on how to effectively implement the illness management and recovery prog... more There is little research on how to effectively implement the illness management and recovery program for people with severe mental illness in community mental health settings. This study aimed to examine which factors promote or hinder successful implementation of illness management and recovery in these settings. Twelve community mental health centers implemented illness management and recovery over a two-year period. They were supported in this endeavor by an implementation resource kit and regular meetings with a consultant trainer. Implementation efforts at each center were monitored by a supervised researcher (an implementation monitor) over the two years. This researcher conducted qualitative interviews with key informants every six months and conducted more frequent observations of routine activity in order to discern the implementation progress. These qualitative data were gathered into a database that was examined by the authors to discern key cross-site barriers to and facilitators of the implementation of illness management and recovery. Through content analysis of the qualitative data, four broad cross-site themes emerged that appear to meaningfully determine success or failure of implementation. These were leadership, organizational culture, training, and staff and supervision. These overlapping themes worked synergistically to effect implementation. Implementation of illness management and recovery in community mental health settings is facilitated through strong leadership, an organizational culture that embraces innovation, effective training, and committed staff. Where these factors are lacking, strategies may need to be developed to effectively implement and sustain illness management and recovery.
The International journal of social psychiatry, 2016
For the past 3 decades, mental health practitioners have increasingly adopted aspects and tools o... more For the past 3 decades, mental health practitioners have increasingly adopted aspects and tools of strength-based approaches. Providing strength-based intervention and amplifying strengths relies heavily on effective interpersonal processes. This article is a critical review of research regarding the use of strength-based approaches in mental health service settings. The aim is to discuss strength-based interventions within broader research on recovery, focussing on effectiveness and advances in practice where applicable. A systematic search for peer-reviewed intervention studies published between 2001 and December 2014 yielded 55 articles of potential relevance to the review. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. The Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies was used to appraise the quality of the studies. Our review found emerging evidence that the utilisation of a strength-based approach improves outcomes including hospitalisation rate...
Little research has been conducted on media representations of psychiatric de-institutionalizatio... more Little research has been conducted on media representations of psychiatric de-institutionalization in low-income countries. We set out to examine whether the Jamaican media takes a positive or negative orientation to psychiatric de-institutionalization, and which arguments and rhetorical devices are employed to support the media's position. This was done by the collection, review, and analysis of all stories related to psychiatric de-institutionalization published over a 26-month period from 2003 to 2005 by Jamaica's principal broadsheet newspaper. All of the stories were positive in orientation. Articles alluded to the therapeutic and economic benefits of de-institutionalization. To allay public fears, articles gave prominence to the views of senior psychiatric experts, quoted supporting statistics and international trends, and translated relevant research findings into lay language. Our results are contrary to most studies in high-income countries indicating negative media...
Little research has been conducted on media representations of psychiatric de-institutionalizatio... more Little research has been conducted on media representations of psychiatric de-institutionalization in low-income countries. We set out to examine whether the Jamaican media takes a positive or negative orientation to psychiatric de-institutionalization, and which arguments and rhetorical devices are employed to support the media's position. This was done by the collection, review, and analysis of all stories related to psychiatric de-institutionalization published over a 26-month period from 2003 to 2005 by Jamaica's principal broadsheet newspaper. All of the stories were positive in orientation. Articles alluded to the therapeutic and economic benefits of de-institutionalization. To allay public fears, articles gave prominence to the views of senior psychiatric experts, quoted supporting statistics and international trends, and translated relevant research findings into lay language. Our results are contrary to most studies in high-income countries indicating negative media...
To describe the psychosocial supports that infertile couples desire to help cope with infertility... more To describe the psychosocial supports that infertile couples desire to help cope with infertility-related distress, which psychosocial services they sought, and the benefits and drawbacks of these services. Qualitative interview study with 32 heterosexual infertile couples seeking infertility treatment. Maximum variation sampling was used; data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Most couples desired psychosocial support, but only half of the sample sought support. Some couples met with psychologists for help with relationship conflict and coping strategies. Participants suggested peer mentoring to fulfill needs for coping, shared experience, and guidance through the treatment process. Couples also desired written information about practical and emotional aspects of treatment. Negative attitudes toward psychological counseling and a lack of information about support services prevented some couples from seeking support. Infertile couples expressed numerous needs for psychosocial supports, but often felt that supports were not available. A variety of services should be offered in order to fulfill patients' varied needs. Awareness of the reasons why patients desire psychosocial services will help clinicians to refer patients to currently available psychosocial supports, and will aid in the development of appropriate supports, including couples counseling, peer mentoring, and written information in lay language.
This is a preprint of the manuscript published by the journal, Digital Journalism, at: http://dx.... more This is a preprint of the manuscript published by the journal, Digital Journalism, at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2016.1224671
The published version corrects citations and contains some other changes.
This mixed-method study assessed the relationship between the content in news articles about mental health and illness and the reading and sharing of this content by the news audience. It used web analytics from three major Canadian news sites. Regression analysis indicated a tendency for social media users to share news about mental health and illness that was neutral in tone and that contained recovery and intervention as themes. Stories on mental health that had themes of violence and criminality, however, did not increase the article's readership or online sharing. This research is considered in the context of the sociological process of making news, network gatekeeping and uses and gratifications theory.
Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic led to concerns about increases in suicidal behaviour. Research ind... more Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic led to concerns about increases in suicidal behaviour. Research indicates that certain types of media coverage of suicide may help reduce suicidality (the Papageno effect), while other types may increase suicidality (the Werther effect). This study aimed to examine the tone and content of Canadian news articles about suicide during the first year of the pandemic. Methods Articles about suicide from Canadian news sources were collected and coded for adherence to responsible reporting of suicide guidelines. Articles which directly discussed suicidal behaviour in the COVID-19 context were identified and compared to other suicide articles in the same period. Lastly, a thematic analysis was conducted on the sub-sample of articles discussing suicide in the COVID-19 context. Results The subset of articles about suicide in the COVID-19 context (n = 103) contained significantly more putatively helpful content compared to non-COVID-19 articles (n = 457), such as including help information (56.3% Vs 23.6%), quoting an expert (68.0% Vs 16.8%) and educating about suicide (73.8% Vs 24.9%). This lower adherence among non-COVID-19 articles is concerning as they comprised over 80% of the sample. On the plus side, fewer than 10% of all articles provided monocausal, glamourized or sensational accounts of suicide. Qualitative analysis revealed the following three themes: (i) describing the epidemiology of suicidal behaviour; (ii) discussing self and communal care; and (iii) bringing attention to gaps in mental health care. Conclusion Media articles about suicide during the first year of the pandemic showed partial adherence to responsible reporting of suicide guidelines, with room for improvement.
This report reviews the evidence base regarding collaborative approaches to community wellness me... more This report reviews the evidence base regarding collaborative approaches to community wellness mental health promotion, and service provision for people with mental health and substance use problems. This includes aspects of training, service organization, and evaluation.
Objective: Studies suggest that non-European immigrants to Canada tend to under use mental health... more Objective: Studies suggest that non-European immigrants to Canada tend to under use mental health services, compared with Canadian-born people. Social, cultural, religious, linguistic, geographic, and economic variables may contribute to this underuse. This paper explores the reasons for underuse of conventional mental health services in a community sample of immigrants with identified emotional and somatic symptoms. Method: Fifteen West Indian
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Papers by Rob Whitley
The published version corrects citations and contains some other changes.
This mixed-method study assessed the relationship between the content in news articles about mental health and illness and the reading and sharing of this content by the news audience. It used web analytics from three major Canadian news sites. Regression analysis indicated a tendency for social media users to share news about mental health and illness that was neutral in tone and that contained recovery and intervention as themes. Stories on mental health that had themes of violence and criminality, however, did not increase the article's readership or online sharing. This research is considered in the context of the sociological process of making news, network gatekeeping and uses and gratifications theory.
The published version corrects citations and contains some other changes.
This mixed-method study assessed the relationship between the content in news articles about mental health and illness and the reading and sharing of this content by the news audience. It used web analytics from three major Canadian news sites. Regression analysis indicated a tendency for social media users to share news about mental health and illness that was neutral in tone and that contained recovery and intervention as themes. Stories on mental health that had themes of violence and criminality, however, did not increase the article's readership or online sharing. This research is considered in the context of the sociological process of making news, network gatekeeping and uses and gratifications theory.