BScN, Fourth-year nursing honor student; Research Assistant, University of Alberta
Poster Title: The Perspectives of Mental Health Professionals on Palliative Care
Poster Description: In Canada, one in five people experience a mental illness in their life, despite age, education, and culture. Chronic and persistent mental illnesses (CPMI) cause substantial functional impairment and impede daily activities. This can expose people to barriers such as stigmatization and prevent a person from accessing health services, including palliative care. Stigma can lead to diagnostic overshadowing where the misattribution of symptoms can lead to inadequate care, misdiagnoses, and result in the progression of undiagnosed comorbidities. There is limited collaboration between mental health care, palliative care, and the lived experiences of people with a CPMI. To improve, it is necessary to understand the perspectives of mental health care professionals on caring for people with a CPMI and an advanced illness. This study adds to existing knowledge on this important topic.
Learning Objectives:
- To understand the perspectives and experiences of mental health care professionals.
- To highlight the experiences patients have in mental health care that show inequities.
- To generate discussion on possible solutions for the inequities patients face when trying to receive palliative care.
Biography: Hello, my name is Lydia Mutoni, and I, along with Ramya Sridhar were the research assistants to this research study under Dr. Tanya Park. This research has allowed me to learn more about how intertwined mental health is in everyone’s daily life, and I look forward to integrating what I’ve researched into future practice. Our research took place between my third and fourth year of my Bachelor of Science in honours nursing program at the University of Alberta, which I have graduated from this year.