Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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A crisis intervention team program: four-year outcomes
- Author:
- TYUSE Sabrina W.
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Mental Health, 10(6), 2012, pp.464-477.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Surveys of people incarcerated in US jails and prisons in 1997 estimated that 16% of jail and state prison inmates and 7% of federal inmates had a mental illness. A recent initiative to decrease the number of incarcerated persons with mental illness has been the development of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) programmes to train law enforcement officers to serve as first or second responders to individuals experiencing a psychiatric crisis. CIT programmes are designed to enable law enforcement officers to recognise and understand a mental health crisis, to communicate effectively with a person in crisis, and to acquire the necessary skills to de-escalate the crisis. This article presents outcomes of the first 4 years of a CIT programme in St. Louis, Missouri. The study utilised all CIT reports completed by CIT law enforcement officers from July 2005 to June 2009 that involved a person experiencing or having a history of severe mental illness or involved a suicide threat or suicide attempt. This resulted in a sample size of 5,623 CIT calls over the course of the study. The findings of this evaluation suggest that the CIT programme is effective in diverting individuals in crisis to treatment. CIT officers are significantly more likely to take individuals in mental health crisis to a hospital emergency department for a psychiatric evaluation. This is particularly true for CIT calls involving individuals making a suicide threat or a suicide attempt.
Aiming for 'zero suicides': an evaluation of a whole system approach to suicide prevention in the East of England
- Author:
- MOULIN Lawrence
- Publisher:
- Centre for Mental Health
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 27
- Place of publication:
- London
This report considers the development of the ‘Zero Suicide’ Programme and highlights of the work undertaken and describes some of the underlying evidence and the learning from the work carried out. The programme aims to prevent suicides by creating a more open environment for people to talk about suicidal thoughts and enabling others to help them. It particularly aims to reach people who have not been reached through previous initiatives and to address gaps in existing provision. The report highlights a range of suicide prevention activities carried out in local communities. They included: training key public service staff such as GPs, police officers, teachers and housing officers; training others who may encounter someone at risk of taking their own life, such as pub landlords, coroners, private security staff, faith groups and gym workers; creating ‘community champions’ to put local people in control of activities; putting in place practical suicide prevention measures in ‘hot spots’ such as bridges and railways; working with local newspapers, radio and social media to raise awareness in the wider community; supporting safety planning for people at risk of suicide, involving families and carers throughout the process; and linking with local crisis services to ensure people get speedy access to evidence-based treatments. (Edited publisher abstract)
Family-based crisis intervention with suicidal adolescents in the emergency room: a pilot study
- Authors:
- WHARFF Elizabeth A., GINNIS Katherine M., ROSS Abigail M.
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work: A journal of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 57(2), April 2012, pp.133-143.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Suicidality in adolescents is the most significant factor in the majority of paediatric emergency room (ER) visits for behaviour health concerns. Current standard practice for psychiatric patients in the ER is evaluation and disposition, with little or no treatment provided. This article describes the results of a pilot study of a family-based crisis intervention (FBCI) for suicidal adolescents and their families in a large, urban paediatric ER. FBCI is designed to sufficiently stabilise patients within a single ER visit so that they can return home safely with their families. A sample of 67 suicidal adolescents and their families who presented at the ER from January 2001-June 2002 participated in the study. Demographic and clinical characteristics and disposition outcomes from the sample were compared with those obtained retrospectively from a matched comparison group. The findings showed that patients in the FBCI group were significantly less likely to be hospitalised than were those in the comparison group (36% versus 55%). Only 2 of the patients in the FBCI cohort were hospitalised immediately after receiving the intervention during their ER visit. The article concludes that FBCI with suicidal adolescents and their families during a single ER visit is feasible and safely limits the need for inpatient psychiatric hospitalisation.
Reach, awareness and uptake of media guidelines for reporting suicide and mental illness: an Australian perspective
- Authors:
- SKEHAN Jaelea, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 8(4), November 2006, pp.29-35.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
There is increasing interest in media portrayal of suicide and mental illness and the impact that reporting may have on community understanding, attitudes and behaviour. In Australia, the Mindframe Media and Mental Health Project has implemented a national dissemination strategy that supports media professionals in their understanding and use of the guidelines. The strategy used face-to-face briefings, further resource development, promotional activities and work with peak bodies to implement changes in codes of practice. This article examines the effectiveness of an active dissemination strategy, highlighting both quantitative and qualitative evaluation data that indicates substantial reach, awareness of, support for and uptake of these resources by media professionals in Australia.
Psychosocial treatment of youth suicide: a systematic review of the research
- Author:
- MacGOWAN Mark J.
- Journal article citation:
- Research on Social Work Practice, 14(3), May 2004, pp.147-162.
- Publisher:
- Sage
This article systematically reviews evidence for treatment of adolescent suicidality. In all, 10 empirical studies intended to reduce suicidal behaviors (e.g., suicide attempts) or suicidal ideation were reviewed. Each study's intervention was described and evaluated using two sets of independent criteria to assess the degree to which it was successful in reducing suicidality and the level of its empirical support (well established or probably efficacious). Most of the interventions were successful in reducing suicidality. However, no treatment met the criteria of well established and only two were probably efficacious. Most studies had important methodological limitations. Features of the promising interventions were summarized and methodological limitations highlighted. The number of interventions has increased in the past 10 years, but the research evidence remains weak. Recommendations are offered to strengthen the research, and the role of social workers in using these findings and advancing the research is discussed.
Family rigidity, adolescent problem-solving deficits, and suicidal ideation: a mediational model
- Authors:
- CARRIS Melissa J., SHEEBER Lisa, HOWE Steven
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Adolescence, 21(4), August 1998, pp.459-472.
- Publisher:
- Academic Press
Family rigidity and adolescent problem-solving deficits have each been linked to adolescent suicidal behaviours. Evaluates the hypothesis that family rigidity has primarily an indirect effect on adolescent suicidal ideation through its effect on adolescent problem-solving deficits. The findings confirms that family rigidity has an indirect effect on adolescent suicidal ideation through its effect on adolescent problem-solving deficits. Directions for treatment efforts are discussed.
Community mental health provider responses to a competency-based training in suicide risk assessment and prevention
- Authors:
- LA GUARDIA Amanda C., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Community Mental Health Journal, 55(2), 2019, pp.257-266.
- Publisher:
- Springer
The present study evaluates of a competency-based suicide prevention training. A sample of community mental healthcare providers took part in a suicide risk assessment and prevention training, completing pre-post measures of knowledge, competency/skill and attitudes, as well as baseline interprofessional education (IPE) socialization. Training yielded moderate-to-large improvements in suicide-related knowledge, perceived risk assessment/prevention skills, attitudes toward helping patients, and professional capacity to work with suicidal patients. Small pre-post differences were observed recognizing the need for additional training. IPE socialization moderated impacts on professional capacity. This study offers support for the promising impacts of competency-based and IPE-specific training. (Edited publisher abstract)
Training youth services staff to identify, assess, and intervene when working with youth at high risk for suicide
- Authors:
- OSTEEN Philip J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 86, 2018, pp.308-315.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Youth in the child welfare system are often at increased risk for suicide due to the numerous physical and psychological challenges they face. This study was a longitudinal assessment of the impact of suicide intervention training on staff's abilities to identify, assess, and intervene when working with these youth in a child welfare setting. Participants received an adapted version of the “Youth and Depression” suicide intervention curriculum (Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 2010) designed to improve participants' attitudes toward suicide intervention, knowledge about suicide intervention, self-efficacy for engaging in intervention behaviours, and increased use of assessment and intervention behaviours over time. ANOVA tests yielded large effect sizes for increasing knowledge and self-efficacy. There were no statistical changes in attitudes and reluctance, but these were very positive even before training. Results for changes in the use of assessment and intervention skills were more modest but demonstrated some improvements from pre-training to post-training. Further refinement of the curriculum may yield larger and consistent improvements in intervention behaviours. (Edited publisher abstract)
Enhanced case management versus substance abuse treatment alone among substance abusers with depression
- Authors:
- STRILEY Catherine W., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work Research, 37(1), 2013, pp.19-25.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of enhanced case management for substance abusers with comorbid major depression, which was an integrated approach to care. One hundred and 20 participants admitted to drug treatment who also met Computerized Diagnostic Interview Schedule criteria for major depression at baseline were randomized to enhanced case management (ECM) (n = 64) or treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 56). Both groups were followed up at six and 12 months. Participants' current clinical status across a broad range of domains in the past 90 days was assessed using the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs and included their Depressive Symptom Scale, Homicidal–Suicidal Thought Index, and Mental Health Treatment Index scores. The findings did not reveal any statistically significant effects of ECM on outcome measures. However, in view of the high rates of adverse treatment outcomes among comorbid groups, including suicide, the finding of a clinically significant reduction in homicidal and suicidal thoughts warrants further research; the comprehensive approach to treatment tested may be especially helpful to depressed substance abusers with such ideations. (Publisher abstract)
Suicide in schizophrenia: a review of the literature
- Author:
- REID Steven
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health, 7(4), August 1998, pp.345-353.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
This article reviews research from the 1960s to the present pertaining to suicide in people suffering with schizophrenia. An attempt has been made to examine suggested risk factors and generate recommendations for management, with particular attention to recent Department of Health guidelines regarding the care of the severely mentally ill. The literature was reviewed using Medline and PsychInfo, supplemented with a manual literature search. Highlights the limitations of studies found and areas where more research is required.