Introduction
In the novel "Losing Eddie" by Deborah Joy Corey, Mama suffers great anxiety and depression after the loss of her son. As a result, Mama is sent to a mental institution and receives a treatment called Electroshock Therapy. In order to better understand what Mama and the family are going through after Eddie's death, we will spend the class doing a bit of research. As you know, the doctors at the mental institution also gave Mama medication. Through this webquest you will investigate the types of programs, services, and treatments that Mama may have received and you will also investigate what is available to those suffering from mental health issues today.
Process
Picture it... Halifax, 2015. Congratulations! You have just been hired as a Community Mental Health Nurse through the Centre of Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH). They have hired you to provide presentations to university and high school classes creating awareness and promoting programing, services, and treatments offered to people suffering from mental health issues. You learn that your first stop will be an ENG 10 class at HERH. The teacher has informed you that her class has been reading the novel "Losing Eddie", a text that you are familiar with - what a coincidence! You realize that through this particular text, students are learning about older programs and methods for treating mental health disorders, and that they may have embraced the negative stigma that surrounds particular treatments such as Electroshock therapy, or Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as it is known today. You decide to do some research into how much programs, services and treatments for people suffering from mental health issues has changed from then until now. And so your journey - and this webquest - begins.
Answer the following questions in complete sentences using information collected from the websites provided:
1) What is Electroshock treatment and when was it first used? Who discovered it?
http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n04/historia/shock_i.htm (Look at information under the heading "Electroconvulsive Shock Therapy")
2) What was it used for?
http://www.psych.med.umich.edu/ect/history.asp
3) Discuss the procedure. What were the major side effects?
http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/electroconvulsive-therapy/basics/definition/prc-
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1525957-overview (History)
4) What are a few of the major mental health disorders that are identified today? What do you think Mama suffered from specifically?
http://teenmentalhealth.org/learn/
5) What are a few resources (programs, services, treatments) offered today?
http://healthymindscanada.ca/anti-stigma-campaign/ (Look at Resources and Education)
http://www.cdha.nshealth.ca/mental-health-and-addictions-program
http://novascotia.ca/dhw/mental-health/
6) Watch the youtube video on Electroconvulsive Shock Therapy and how the procedure is used/performed today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T0mwzXHgvI
Answer the following questions based on what you have seen:
A) What are patients usually suffering from who receive ECT? Would Mama receive this treatment if she suffered from the same mental health issues today?
B) What is the procedure for ECT? How does this differ from what Mama would have experienced (ex. Are the patients awake? etc). Think of the clip from "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest".
C) How do people feel after their treatment?
D) What difference does it make to those who receive it? Are there other treatments to go along with it?
E) What are some negative/common side effects?
F) When is it recommended?
7) Now that you have looked at how programs, services, and treatments have changed over the last 40 years, has your thoughts surrounding the negative stigmas of mental health (particularly ECT) changed at all? Do you think this type of therapy should still be performed? Explain.
Evaluation
This webquest will be graded as follows:
Each question is marked out of 5pts, with question 6 being marked out of 10 pts.
6 questions X 5 pts = 30pts
1 question X 10 pts = 10pts
Total = 40 pts
Full points will be awarded for COMPLETE sentences and correct/appropriate answers.
SCOs - 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 7.2, 7.7
Conclusion
You now have the information you need to create your presentation for those lovely ENG 10 students at HERH. Now go earn your money and have fun!!!
Credits
Jennifer Mason, RN, BScN, MA, CPMHN(C)
Community Mental Health Nurse, Seniors Mental Health
Registered Nurse, Electroconvulsive Therapy Department
Mount Hope Building, Nova Scotia Hospital