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Understanding our bodies, understanding ourselves: the menstrual cycle, mental health and women with learning disabilities
- Authors:
- DITCHFIELD Hedy, BURNS Jan
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 9(4), October 2004, pp.24-32.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Reviews the evidence for vulnerability in women with learning disabilities to a range of physical and mental health problems, with special emphasis on menstruation. Describes a qualitative research project on the experience of learning-disabled women in relation to menstruation, concluding by emphasising the need for services to communicate information on this subject in more sensitive and appropriate ways.
Mental health needs of women with learning disabilities: services can be organised to meet the challenge
- Author:
- KOHEN Dora
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 9(4), October 2004, pp.12-19.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Women with learning disabilities have many social, personal and psychological problems stemming from neglect, as well as being doubly disadvantaged by gender and learning disability. Most such psychosocial problems are not addressed as they arise, leading to psychiatric diagnosis and medicalisation of non-medical issues. It is important to recognise parenting in women with learning disabilities, as well as concerns such as sexual and emotional abuse and violence, and address them by appropriate agencies. Research suggests trained mental health staff with good understanding of gender as well as of disabilities would be able to address needs before they turn into crises. International and national surveys give good understanding of where needs lie and how services could be structured most effectively. Recognition of problems, a robust gender-sensitive approach and management skills at community level seem most important in dealing with women with learning disabilities. Most need local, generic, gender-sensitive non-stigmatising services. Only a very small minority of women with behavioural problems will need the highly specialised psychiatric learning disabilities team.
Mental health needs of women with learning disabilities: services can be organised to meet the challenge
- Author:
- O'HARA Jean
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 9(4), October 2004, pp.20-23.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The Department of Health recognises there are differences in the family and social context of women's and men's lives with consequences for how mental ill-health presents and is treated. Discusses what it means to be a woman with learning disabilities and mental health needs. asking if she will be able to access services sensitive to her situation, life experiences, aspirations and uniqueness as a woman and if systems in place to plan, deliver and monitor services take account of her and her individual needs.
Care staff awareness training on mental health needs of adults with learning disabilities: results from a Greek sample
- Authors:
- TSIANTIS J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Learning Disabilities, 8(3), September 2004, pp.221-235.
- Publisher:
- Sage
The mental health needs of adults with learning disabilities have not been adequately addressed in many European countries. Although carers can play a significant role in identification and referral, they usually lack the expertise necessary to identify signs of mental disorders. This study evaluated a care staff training programme aiming at improving awareness on issues of dual diagnosis in a group of 36 care staff from residential and community centres in Greece. Training was based on the British Mental Health in Learning Disabilities Training Pack and the PAS–ADD Checklist. The overwhelming majority of staff were very satisfied with training. Staff from institutional work settings, with no previous training on dual diagnosis and with a lower level of education, benefited to a significant degree. Changes occurred mostly in their knowledge and attitudes rather than practice. Supervised practical training is vital to transfer, strengthen and maintain positive changes at work.
Service provision for young people with intellectual disabilities and additional mental health needs: service-providers’ perspectives
- Authors:
- SCIOR Katrina, GRIERSON Kate
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 17(3), September 2004, pp.173-179.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Very little is known about young people with intellectual disabilities who experience additional mental health problems. The perspective of service providers has been highlighted as one unresearched area. Semi-structured interviews were completed with senior service providers. Aims: (1) to explore experiences of working with young people with intellectual disabilities and additional mental health problems and their families; (2) to examine views on services’ ability to meet the needs of this group. Service providers identified a gulf between current policy and the reality for this group, not least in terms of all agencies working in partnership. All agencies described instances when young people in this group fall through gaps between services. Interviewees identified a range of factors that promote good outcomes. The results suggest that the focus of current policies to promote joint working needs to be broadened beyond health and social services to ensure much improved links with education providers and the voluntary sector if the needs of this group are to be met.
The age of the inquiry: learning and blaming in health and social care
- Authors:
- STANLEY Nicky, MANTHORPE Jill
- Publisher:
- Routledge
- Publication year:
- 2004
- Pagination:
- 294p.,bibliogs.
- Place of publication:
- London
The plethora of inquiry reports published in the fields of health and welfare in the 1990s covered the full range of user groups, individuals and institutions. What similarities or differences were there between these inquiries? How effective were they in bringing about change? Whose interest did they best serve? These are some of the questions the book explores in detail, bringing together distinguished contributors with personal experience of chairing or providing evidence to inquiries to consider: the participant's view of inquiries; the purpose of inquiries; the impact of inquiries on health and social policy;· inquiries into: child abuse and death; homicides by mental health service users; the abuse of adults with learning disabilities; and the abuse of older people.
‘Diagnostic Overshadowing’ amongst clinicians working with people with intellectual disabilities in the UK
- Authors:
- MASON Jonathan, SCIOR Katrina
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 17(1), June 2004, pp.85-90.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Mental health problems are known to be hard to recognize in people with intellectual disabilities. One factor that may contribute to this is the diagnostic overshadowing bias, which describes the tendency of the clinicians to overlook symptoms of mental health problems in this client group and attribute them to being part of ‘having an intellectual disability’. Although a small amount of research has investigated this in the USA, very little has taken place in the UK. Two clinical vignettes were produced. Both described identical clinical problems, except that one vignette described a man with an IQ of 58 and impaired social functioning (i.e. an intellectual disability) and one a man with an IQ of 108 and normal social functioning (i.e. non-intellectually impaired). Psychiatrists (n = 274) and clinical psychologists (n = 412) throughout UK were randomly assigned to either the low IQ or normal IQ condition, and sent a corresponding clinical vignette. One hundred and thirty-three psychologists and 90 psychiatrists responded. Diagnostic overshadowing did appear to be present. Clinicians were more likely to recognize a range of symptoms in those with IQs in the normal range than those with intellectual disabilities. Furthermore, psychiatrists appeared more likely to make this error under some circumstances than clinical psychologists. Diagnostic overshadowing may contribute to the difficulties that mental health professionals commonly experience in identifying mental health problems in people with intellectual disabilities. However, the methodology commonly used in this type of research has a number of weaknesses, and would benefit from an alternative approach.
Respecting diversity: a report from the Mental Welfare Commission's race and culture themed visit programme 2003/04
- Author:
- MENTAL WELFARE COMMISSION FOR SCOTLAND
- Publisher:
- Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland
- Publication year:
- 2004
- Pagination:
- 12p.
- Place of publication:
- Edinburgh
This report comes out of a programme by the Mental Health Commission for Scotland which aimed to find better ways of communicating with service users from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities and to develop awareness of BME issues. During 2003-04 the Commission visited 5 national and 15 local organisations across Scotland with a specific focus on BME issues. This document is based on issues emerging from these visits. The aim of the report is to contribute to awareness and debate of issues affecting BME service users, leading to more culturally appropriate services for individuals. A number of key areas for service development are identified within the report, including: the need for more pro-active mainstreaming of services for BME people with mental disorder; improved access to interpreting services for patients; and more appropriate care settings, especially in relation to single sex accommodation. The report provides examples of good practice, and recommendations for actions for the Commission itself and for the range of providers, inspectorates and other agencies involved in ensuring the quality of mental health and learning disability services.
Poverty and children with intellectual disabilities in the world's richer countries
- Author:
- EMERSON Eric
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 29(4), December 2004, pp.319-338.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The experience of poverty has a pervasive impact on the health (including mental health) of children and their parent(s), on family functioning and on the life course of children. The aim of this paper is to consider the relevance of poverty to our understanding of the health (and mental health) of children with intellectual disabilities in the world's richer countries. It is suggested that poverty is of considerable relevance to this area as: (1) young people with intellectual disabilities are at greater risk than their non-disabled peers of experiencing poverty; (2) the experience of poverty is likely to be associated with poor parental health and well-being and consequently poorer parenting practices; and (3) the experience of poverty is likely to be associated with poor child health and well-being. Implications for future research, policy and practice are discussed.
The mental health of young people looked after by local authorities in Wales: the report of a survey in 2002/2003 by the Office for National Statistics on behalf of the Welsh Assemby Government
- Authors:
- MELTZER Howard, et al
- Publisher:
- Office for National Statistics,|Stationery Office
- Publication year:
- 2004
- Pagination:
- 164p.
- Place of publication:
- London
This report presents the findings of a survey of the mental health of young people, aged 5-17, looked after by local authorities in Wales. The first part of the report focuses on the prevalence rates of mental disorders among young people looked after by local authorities. The second part shows a range of information including their background, personal and familial characteristics, physical health, use of services and social functioning.