Rural and Remote Primary Health Care Research Fellow

Karola Mostafanejad
Master Student 
School of Nursing and Midwifery
Curtin University of Technology
Geraldton

October 2003 to Feb 2004

Title

Young adults’ perception of living with a mental illness in rural Western Australia: a grounded theory approach

Project description

Mental illness is an increasingly common occurrence in society It is time to reduce the severe impact of living with a mental illness on the affected person, their family and the community. This study explored young adults’ experience of living with a mental illness using the grounded theory method.

These young adults’ most important concern was being isolated and not just the fact that they had a mental illness. They tried to overcome this isolation by wanting to be normal and lead a normal life. The findings revealed what the general population, families, health professionals, the health care system and support groups could do to reduce this isolation. These findings highlight the importance of listening to and understanding the concerns of people with a mental illness so that their life can be improved.

Since completing her fellowship, Karola has been awarded her masters, presented her work at conferences and has written a paper on the study that will be published in International Journal of Mental Health Nursing.