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An isle full of noises: enhancing mental health through the music workshop project
- Author:
- GILLAM Tony
- Journal article citation:
- Groupwork, 13(2), 2003, pp.45-64.
- Publisher:
- Whiting and Birch
Reports on an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Music Workshop Project which was formed in 1995. The Project enables people with a range of mental health problems to express themselves through music. As well as being therapeutic it aims to encourage people to develop interpersonal skills through improvisational group work. The evaluation attempted to elicit the views of service users and local mental health staff using a questionnaire.
Caring attitudes
- Author:
- ARKSEY Hilary
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 13.3.03, 2003, p.40.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
Looks at the findings from a review of mental health carer support and the effectiveness of the services on offer. The review was carried out by the Social Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of York.
Beck never lived in Birmingham: why cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) may be a less useful treatment for psychological distress than is often supposed
- Authors:
- MOLONEY Paul, KELLY Paul
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Critical Psychology Counselling and Psychotherapy, 3(4), Winter 2003, pp.214-228.
Begins with a brief discussion of the scope and nature of cognitive behaviour therapy as practiced within the National Health Service, and then critically examines the approach from three perspectives. Looks at psychological research that may case doubt on the approach, presents a critique of the therapy outcome research literature that bears upon the effectiveness of CBT, finally looks at epidemiological evidence which suggests that most of the distress witnessed by psychological therapists arises from pervasive social inequalities.
Perinatal mental health: a guide to the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
- Authors:
- COX John, HOLDEN Jeni
- Publisher:
- Gaskell
- Publication year:
- 2003
- Pagination:
- 125p.,tables.
- Place of publication:
- London
The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale has been developed to assist primary care health professionals to detect mothers suffering from postnatal depression; a distressing disorder more prolonged than the "blues" (which occur in the first week after delivery) but less severe than puerperal psychosis. Previous studies have shown that postnatal depression affects at least 10% of women and that many depressed mothers remain untreated. These mothers may cope with their baby and with household tasks, but their enjoyment of life is seriously affected and it is possible that there are long-term effects on the family. The EPDS was developed at health centers in Livingston and Edinburgh. It consists of ten short statements. The mother underlines which of the four possible responses is closest to how she has been feeling during the past week. Most mothers complete the scale without difficulty in less than 5 minutes. The validation study showed that mothers who scored above threshold 92.3% were likely to be suffering from a depressive illness of varying severity. Nevertheless the EPDS score should not override clinical judgment. A careful clinical assessment should be carried out to confirm the diagnosis. The scale indicates how the mother has felt during the previous week and in doubtful cases it may be usefully repeated after 2 weeks. The scale will not detect mothers with anxiety neuroses, phobias or personality disorder.
Diagnostic instruments for dementia in older people with intellectual disability in clinical practice
- Authors:
- STRYDOM A., HASSIOTIS A.
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 7(6), November 2003, pp.431-437.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
There is a need for simple and reliable screening instruments for dementia in the intellectual disability (ID) population that can also be used to follow their progress, particularly if they are being treated with anti-dementia drugs. Commonly used tests for the general population such as the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) are not appropriate for many people with ID. This paper is a literature review of alternative instruments that have been used in research or recommended by experts since 1991 and have the potential to be used as screening instruments. Two types of tests have been identified: those administered to informants, and those that rely on direct assessment of the individual. The most promising informant rated screening tool in most adults with ID including Down syndrome (DS) diagnosis is the Dementia Questionnaire for Persons with Mental Retardation (DMR). However, sensitivity in single assessments is variable and cut-off scores need further optimisation. In those with DS, the Dementia Scale for Down Syndrome (DSDS) has good specificity but mediocre sensitivity. The Test for Severe Impairment and Severe Impairment Battery are two direct assessment tools that show promise as screening instruments, but need further evaluation.
Leading lights to guide us
- Authors:
- LOVETT Carole, GREEN Jim
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Today, October 2003, pp.26-29.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
- Place of publication:
- Hove
The Guiding Lights project, part of the Mental Health Foundation's Strategies for Living programme, aims to research what constitutes good practice in projects, organisations and services that aim to be user-centred in their approach. Reports on the findings from two initial seminar events held by the project. Also outlines one of the outcomes of the seminars, a user centred evaluation tool (UCET) to help organisations or groups reflect on how user centred their project is. The tool is available to download from their website at http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/guiding-lights/.
Using a model to guide data gathering, interpretation, and communication in capital mitigation evaluations
- Authors:
- MARCZYK Geoffrey, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice, 3(3), 2003, pp.89-103.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia
The use of a model can have a direct impact on several areas of forensic mental health assessment, and is important in gathering and interpreting data, reasoning about the results and conclusions, and communicating the results of such an assessment. The following report and accompanying discussion illustrates the application of a forensic model in the context of a defense-initiated capital mitigation evaluation under Pennsylvania State law. The first step in employing a model was to identify the relevant legal standard, which required the forensic clinician to assess character traits, contextual circumstances, extreme mental or emotional disturbance, and mental and cognitive deficits that might have had a direct impact on the defendant's ability to conduct or conform his conduct to the requirements of the law at the time of the alleged offense. In the second part of the model, these clinical characteristics were related to the tasks and functional abilities that are part of the relevant legal question. Finally, using the third step of the model, the forensic clinician assesses the strength of the causal connection between the existence of mental and cognitive deficits and the functional abilities related to the relevant legal question. In addition to improving the overall quality and accuracy of the evaluation, the use of this type of model is consistent with the guidelines and substantive criteria for capital mitigation articulated by the United States Supreme Court. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street Binghamton, NY 13904-1580)
Developing sensitivity to distortion: utility of psychological tests in differentiating malingering and psychopathology in criminal defendants
- Author:
- HEINZE Michaela C.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology (The), 14(1), April 2003, pp.151-177.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
In a retrospective study, the accuracy of various psychological tests in distinguishing between those who were diagnosed as malingerers and those who were diagnosed as mentally ill was examined. Speci cally, information about the utility of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2), Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS), M Test, the Atypical Presentation Scale (AP) and the Rey 15-Item Memory Test (RMT) was examined in 66 men who had been hospitalized as incompetent to stand trial. Overall, results support the use of psychological testing in the detection of malingering of psychotic symptoms. Practical guidance on how to utilize psychological tests within the overall evaluation is provided.
A lost opportunity
- Authors:
- GOSTIN Lawrence, McHALE Jean
- Journal article citation:
- Openmind, 123, September 2003, pp.18-19.
- Publisher:
- MIND
Presents a critical evaluation of the governments draft mental health bill.
Development of a model for clinical assessment of religious coping: initial validation of the Process Evaluation Model
- Authors:
- BUTTER Eric M., PARGAMENT Kenneth L.
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Religion and Culture, 6(2), July 2003, pp.175-194.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The relationship of religion to mental health has been widely researched in recent years, and has pointed to both positive and negative implications of religious coping. Traditionally, those interested in evaluating coping have looked at the efficacy of a particular coping activity. However, coping theory suggests that no one coping strategy is always effective or ineffective. Instead the efficacy of the coping process depends more on the flow, or process, of coping versus simply the outcomes of coping. This study proposes the Process Evaluation Model of religious coping, which defines well being as the degree to which the elements of the coping process are well integrated. Mental health practitioners and clergy (n¼166) completed a survey instrument developed for this study consisting of six vignettes. Each story reflected different degrees of integration in an individual coping with a personal crisis. Using a mixed design, we found support for the Process Evaluation Model. All participants were able to identify well integrated versus poorly integrated religious coping processes. Clinicians and clergy did not differ in their evaluation despite the historical rift between mental health and religion. Implications for clinical assessment and intervention are discussed as well as future directions for research using the Process Evaluation Model.