Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Clustering of suicides among people with mental illness
- Authors:
- McKENZIE Nigel, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 187(5), November 2005, pp.476-480.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Most previous investigations of imitative suicide have reported suicide clustering in the general population, either temporal clustering following media reporting of suicide or case studies of geographically localised clusters. The aim was to determine whether space – time and space–time–method clustering occur in a national case register of those who had recent contact with mental health services and had died by suicide and to estimate the suicide imitation rate in this population. Knox tests were used for space–time and space–time–method clustering. Model simulations were used to estimate effect size. Highly significant space–time and space–time–method clustering was found in a sample of 2741 people who died bysuicide over 4 yearswho hadhadrecent contact with one of 105 mental health trusts. Model simulations with an imitation rate of 10.1% (CI 4–17) reproduced the observed space–time–method clustering. This study provides indirect evidence that imitative suicide occurs among people with mental illnesses and may account for about 10% of suicides by current and recent patients.
Geographical variation in rates of common mental disorders in Britain: prospective cohort study
- Authors:
- WEICH Scott, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 187(1), July 2005, pp.29-34.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
There is little geographical variation in the prevalence of the common mental disorders. However, there is little longitudinal research. The aim was to estimate variance in rates of common mental disorders at individual, household and electoral ward levels prospectively. A 12-month cohort study of 7659 adults aged 16-74 years in 4338 private households, in 626 electoral wards. Data were collected as part of the British Household Panel Survey. Common mental disorders were assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Ward-level socio-economic deprivation was measured using the Carstairs index. Less than 1% of total variance, in onset and maintenance of common mental disorders and change in GHQ score between waves, occurred at ward level. However, 12% of variance, which is a statistically significant difference, was found at household level (a much smaller geographical unit) and this difference remained after further analyses. Ward level socio-economic deprivation does not influence the onset and maintenance of common mental disorders in Britain but local factors at the household level do. Reasons for this remain unclear.
Clinical and organizational correlates of medication for youths in U.S. mental health services
- Authors:
- WARNER Lynn A., POTTICK Kathleen J., BILDER Scott M.
- Journal article citation:
- Social Service Review, 79(3), June 2005, pp.454-481.
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
Organizational characteristics and payment sources are known to affect clinical decision making, but their influence in psychotropic medication practice is rarely studied. With data from nationally representative specialty mental health clinics, this article analyzes client and organizational predictors of psychotropic medication prescription to youths in outpatient programs. Findings suggest that factors beyond clinical profile predict medication receipt. These factors include payment source and program ownership (i.e., public, nonprofit, for-profit). One implication of the results is that equally ill youths are treated differently depending on the organizational context. The implementation of best prescribing practices requires simultaneous attention to the incentives that promote equitable delivery of mental health services.
Clinical, socio-demographic, neurophysiological and neuropsychiatric evaluation of children with volatile substance addiction
- Authors:
- UZUN N., KENDIRLI Y.
- Journal article citation:
- Child: Care, Health and Development, 31(4), July 2005, pp.425-432.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Abuse of organic volatile substances in children has become a social health problem that is increasing in the recent years. Among these substances, toluene is highly preferred by abusers because of its euphoric effect, cheapness and easy availability. There is no published research on the clinical and neurophysiological evaluation of children with short-term volatile substance addiction. In this study, socio-demographic characteristics were questioned in 12 children with a mean age of 15 years and a duration of toluene abuse for a mean of 2.3 years, and the clinical characteristics of central and peripheral nervous system damage caused by volatile substances, particularly by toluene were analysed, and probable neurological disorders were investigated by means of neurophysiological and neuropsychological tests. All tests were compared with a control group. Fifty-eight percent of the children included in the study had pathological findings in the neurological examination. There was pyramidal involvement in 25% and peripheral nerve involvement in 33.3% of the cases. Evaluation of the cognitive functions revealed 33.3% pathology in the 'Short Test of Mental Status' which assesses functions of orientation, attention, learning, arithmetic calculation, abstraction, information, construction and recall. Sensorial polyneuropathy was found in 33.3% of the cases in nerve conduction studies. Somatosensory-evoked potentials revealed pathology in 16.7% of the cases and brainstem-evoked potentials in 50% of the cases. No pathology was observed in electroencephalography and visual-evoked potentials. In this study, neurophysiological and neuropsychiatric tests revealed that toluene causes slow progressive, clinical and subclinical central and peripheral nerve damage. In Turkey, because of cheapness, easy availability and legal use of volatile substances, the clinical extent of systemic and neurological toxicity of volatile substance abuse is increasing. Abuse of volatile substances, a currently increasing social issue, may create important physical problems which can be permanent.
Mental health inequalities in Wales, UK: multi-level investigation of the effect of area deprivation
- Authors:
- SKAPINAKIS Petros, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 186(5), May 2005, pp.417-422.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Geographical variation in the prevalence of common mental disorders has not been explained adequately. The aim was to investigate whether regional mental health differences in Wales would persist after having taken into account the characteristics of individuals and regional social deprivation. Data from the 1998 Welsh Health Survey were used. Common mental disorders were assessed with the mental health index included in the Short-Form 36 health survey (SF–36).The data were analysed using a multi-level linear regression model. Of the total variance in the mental health index, 1.47% occurred at regional level (95% CI 0.56–2.38). Adjustment for individual characteristics did not explain the between-region variation. A higher area deprivation score was associated with a higher score on the mental health index. Mental health differences in Wales are partly explained by the level of regional social deprivation.
Help-seeking behaviour in men and women with common mental health problems: cross-sectional study
- Authors:
- OLIVER Maria, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 186(4), April 2005, pp.297-301.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This article investigates patterns of lay and professional help-seeking in men and women aged16–64 years in relation to severity of symptoms and socio-demographic variables. Postal questionnaire survey, including the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ–12), sent to a stratified random sample (n=15 222) of the population of Somerset. The response rate was 76%. Only 28% of people with extremely high GHQ–12 scores (8) had sought help from their general practitioner but most (78%) had sought some form of help. Males, young people and people living in affluent areas were the least likely to seek help. Health promotion interventions to encourage appropriate help-seeking behaviour in young people, particularly in men, may lead to improvements in the mental health of this group of the population.
Pathways to care and ethnicity.1: sample characteristics and compulsory admission Report from the ÆSOP study
- Authors:
- MORGAN C., et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 186(4), April 2005, pp.281-289.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Many studies have found high levels of compulsory admission to psychiatric hospital in the UK among African–Caribbean and Black African patients with a psychotic illness. The aim was to establish whether African–Caribbean and Black African ethnicity is associated with compulsory admission in an epidemiological sample of patients with a first episode of psychosis drawn from two UK. All patients with a firstepisode of psychosis who made contact with psychiatric services over a 2-year period and were living in defined areas were included in the (ÆSOP) study. For this analysis we included all White British, other White, African–Caribbean and Black African patients from the ÆSOP sampling frame. Clinical, socio-demographic and pathways to care data were collected frompatients, relatives and case notes. African–Caribbean patients were significantly more likely to be compulsorily admitted than White British patients, as were Black African patients. African–Caribbean men were the most likely to be compulsorily admitted. These findings suggest that factors are operating at or prior to first presentation to increase the risk of compulsory admission among African–Caribbean and Black African patients.
The Cambridge handbook of age and ageing
- Editors:
- JOHNSON Malcolm L., (ed.)
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 744p.
- Place of publication:
- Cambridge
This is a guide to the current body of knowledge, theory, policy and practice relevant to age researchers and gerontologists around the world. It contains almost 80 original chapters, commissioned and written by the world's leading gerontologists from 16 countries and 5 continents. The broad focus of the book is on the behavioural and social sciences but it also includes important contributions from the biological and medical sciences. It provides comprehensive, accessible and authoritative accounts of all the key topics in the field ranging from theories of ageing, to demography, physical aspects of ageing, mental processes and ageing, nursing and health care for older people, the social context of ageing, cross cultural perspectives, relationships, quality of life, gender, and financial and policy provision.