Eleni Hatzidimitriadou

Cultural health capital and professional experiences of overseas doctors and nurses in the UK

Drawing on autobiographical narratives of a small sample of overseas doctors and nurses working in the UK, this study analysed emerging subjective theories of their professional experiences and explored how these are related to the theoretical framework of cultural health capital, an expert theory on a form of cultural capital which is leveraged in healthcare contexts and may result in more optimal healthcare relationships. The findings of our analysis demonstrate that there is a wealth of expertise and experience among overseas healthcare professionals, and that it is underutilised because of structural and institutional barriers. Healthcare professionals with temporary migration status faced longer delays in their career progression than those with EU citizenship or work permits. Irrespective of migration status, career aspirations were thwarted by external circumstances with negative consequences for individuals’ well-being, with doctors being affected more severely than nurses. Structural and institutional barriers that have an impact on professionals’ ability to progress into the UK healthcare system are discussed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the potential of cultural health capital as a framework for capturing and explaining the career trajectories experienced by overseas healthcare professionals.

'No one knows like we do' - the narratives of mental health service users trained as researchers

In 2008, Mind in Bexley received a research development grant from the Big Lottery Fund and a training grant from Bexley Care Trust to empower service users to participate and contribute to a pilot research project. The project aims were to work with, develop, train and support service users as researchers, in order to record the narratives of service users who have common experiences of mental health distress and treatment. The research development project set up an advisory group, created and developed a partnership with the University of Kent and provided workshops and training sessions to explore some of the principles of research and ethics. In addition, the group undertook a preliminary literature review, developed and refined a research questionnaire and piloted interviews with six service users. Many issues were raised and lessons learned during the planning and conduct of the project. This paper discusses the process and reflects on aspects of the projects design and delivery. In addition, this paper highlights some of the difficulties in undertaking service user research and suggests recommendations as to how to overcome some of these complex issues.

Community Activism and Empowerment of Turkish‐Speaking Migrant Women in London

Post‐migration hardship often affects the integration processes of migrants from non‐English speaking countries and in particular of migrant women who often come as ‘dependents’ of male migrants. Institutional, social and cultural barriers make integration for migrant women slow and difficult to achieve. Involvement in community self‐help and mutual aid is an important strategy for disadvantaged groups in overcoming hardship and building social networks and capital. Community organisations are a bridge for migrants to access welfare rights and benefits, and to communicate with host local communities. This paper discusses the findings of a small‐scale study on the community activism of Turkish‐speaking women in London. Focus group meetings were conducted with self‐help/mutual aid groups run by Turkish‐speaking migrant women, using a typology of group political ideology and focus of change. Analysis showed that group participation was an empowering experience and a crucial strategy for integration in the host society. Depending on the type of the group, women acknowledged personal or social benefits from group participation. Implications for promoting service user empowerment and involvement of migrant communities through mutual aid activities are considered.

Social support and the intimate partner violence victimization among adults from six European countries

BACKGROUND Social support may buffer the negative effects of violence on physical and mental health. Family medicine providers play an essential role in identifying the available social support and intervening in intimate partner violence (IPV). OBJECTIVE This study aimed at assessing the association between social support and the IPV victimization among adults from six European countries. METHODS This is a cross-sectional multi-centre study that included individuals from Athens (Greece), Budapest (Hungary), London (UK), Östersund (Sweden), Porto (Portugal) and Stuttgart (Germany). Data collection was carried out between September 2010 and May 2011. The sample consisted of 3496 adults aged 18-64 years randomly selected from the general population in each city. The revised Conflict Tactics Scales was used to assess IPV victimization. Social support was assessed with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. RESULTS Participants reporting physical assault victimization experienced lower social support (mean ± SD) than their counterparts, 66.1 ± 13.96 versus 71.7 ± 12.90, P < 0.001, for women; and 67.1 ± 13.69 versus 69.5 ± 13.52, P = 0.002 for men. Similar results were found regarding sexual coercion victimization, 69.1 ± 14.03 versus 71.3 ± 12.97, P = 0.005 for women and 68.0 ± 13.29 versus 69.3 ± 13.62, P = 0.021 for men. This study revealed lower levels of social support among participants reporting lifetime and past year victimization, independent of demographic, social and health-related factors. CONCLUSION Results showed a statistically significant association between low social support and IPV victimization. Although the specific mechanisms linking social support with experiences of violence need further investigation, it seems that both informal and formal networks may be associated with lower levels of abusive situations.