Ten adult Kuwaitis (5 men and 5 women) participated in in-depth semistructured interviews regarding their perceptions of mental health care in Kuwait. The interviews were analyzed using grounded theory and the emergent theory identified stigma as being the overarching theme, supported by cultural factors, Islamic beliefs, and therapist characteristics. More specifically, participants described a relationship between the stigma of mental health care and prominent Kuwaiti cultural factors such as familialism, gossip, and the importance of reputation. Participants also discussed how Islam informs their perceptions of mental health care and ideal therapist characteristics that would possibly help reduce stigma. Implications for mental health care in Kuwait in light of the World Health Organization's Mental Health Action Plan (WHO, 2013) and directions for future research are also discussed.

This study qualitatively explores the barriers that transgender individuals experience within healthcare settings in rural Ontario. It includes an analysis of how transgender individuals overcome these barriers, as well as the methods by which healthcare interactions can be strengthened to increase their experiences of personal agency. Twelve transgender individuals and three healthcare professionals in rural Ontario participated in open-ended, semistructured interviews, which were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis and critical discourse analysis. Together these analyses yielded insights on themes pertaining to the breaching of human rights in healthcare interactions; rural challenges experienced by transgender patients in Ontario; the effects of non-reciprocal relationships on trans-patients' experiences of personal agency, autonomy, and mental health; and factors contributing to their overall resiliency and empowerment. Potential transgender healthcare models and directions for future research are also discussed. Abstract egalitarianism and men as victims: strategic choice of frames by men's rights organisations

Objective: Reactions to trauma can be broad and multifaceted. Most research indicates that life threatening adversity and violent oppression result in long-lasting trauma (an effects-based perspective). However, some research indicates that the most common reaction among individuals who endure such experiences is to resist them and show resilience to trauma (a response-based perspective). This qualitative study explores how Kuwaiti survivors continue to make sense of their experiences in responding to (i.e., coping with, resisting, and enduring) the 1990 Iraq Invasion and subsequent 7-month occupation. Method: In-depth, open-ended and semistructured interviews were conducted with five Kuwaiti men and women who remained in Kuwait during this time. The interviews were analyzed using Thematic Discourse Analysis. Results: There were six core themes of living under Iraqi occupation in Kuwait: the invasion, fraught with shock, chaos, and uncertainty; a sense of unity, which included increased gender equity; army presence, which summarizes participants’ interactions with the Iraqi soldiers; resistance to oppression, which was described as either active or passive; increased patriotism; and liberation, where participants discussed the aftermath of the occupation and what Kuwait lost. Conclusion: Rather than viewing survivor populations as passive subjects, vulnerable to a myriad of mental health issues, embracing the collective capacity of a group to withstand and resist oppression and violence can help protect the individual from potential long-lasting trauma after a national crisis.

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