Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Self reported cannabis use as a risk factor for schizophrenia in Swedish conscripts of 1969: historical cohort study
- Authors:
- ZAMMIT Stanley, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Medical Journal, 23.11.02, 2002, pp.1199-1201.
- Publisher:
- British Medical Association
An association between use of cannabis in adolescence and subsequent risk of schizophrenia was previously reported in a follow up of Swedish conscripts. Arguments were raised that this association may be due to use of drugs other than cannabis and that personality traits may have confounded results. Cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, consistent with a causal relation. This association is not explained by use of other psychoactive drugs or personality traits relating to social integration.
A systematic examination of the nature and content of vignettes in schizophrenia research
- Authors:
- ALDERSEY Heather Michelle, HUYNH Doan Chinh, WHITLEY Rob
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health, 25(3), 2016, pp.189-196.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
Background: Vignettes are often used in psychiatric research, yet there are few systematic studies on their content, creation, and use. Aims: This article describes a study of: (a) how researchers create vignettes in research on schizophrenia and (b) how these vignettes portray individuals with schizophrenia. Method: The authors conducted a systematic search of the PubMed database for articles between 2008 and 2012 that used vignettes to measure attitudes about schizophrenia. They analysed the identified vignettes using a tool developed in reference to DSM criteria. Results: Within the vignettes, 98% of individuals portrayed demonstrated delusions, 91% demonstrated hallucinations and 29% demonstrated disorganised speech. The majority of vignettes portrayed individuals under 25 years and when both genders were not depicted, researchers chose to depict men much more frequently than women (41% vs. 8%). A majority of articles did not use original vignettes (55%), and many of the articles (53%) contained vignettes created by one team of researchers. Most vignettes did not include positive language or recovery-oriented information. Conclusions: This study highlights a need for critical thought on vignette development and utilisation, especially as psychiatry is now moving towards a recovery-based understanding of mental illness. (Edited publisher abstract)
A comparison of special hospital patients and other admissions to a regional low security unit
- Authors:
- SMITH Helen, WHITE Tom, MacCALL Callum
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology (The), 15(4), December 2004, pp.660-668.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This study aimed to assess if there were any identifiable characteristics that could predict a length of inpatient stay of greater than 2 years. This was in respect to patients admitted to the low security Tayside Regional Forensic service, over the course of 10 years, from high security and other sources. A comparison of risk characteristics was also conducted between the two groups. The authors conducted a retrospective cohort study. The control group were formed from the next consecutive admissions to the unit following an admission from a high secure setting. A full case note review and HCR-20's were carried out on all subjects. Regression analysis was utilized to distinguish if a single factor was significant in predicting a length of inpatient stay of more than 2 years. Patients transferred from special hospitals were more likely to have a diagnosis of Schizophrenia, have more serious index offence and more previous convictions. Patients from the high security group had a higher mean HCR-20 score and a significantly earlier age of onset of illness. The authors were unable to identify a single factor that would predict a length of inpatient stay of more than 2 years. They did identify that patients discharged from high security settings may require a longer inpatient stay and outpatient contact than patients admitted from other sources. The authors hope to add to the discussion concerning the requirement for long term low and medium secure care.
Modelling late-life depression
- Authors:
- PARKER Gordon, SNOWDON John, PARKER Kay
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 18(12), December 2003, pp.1102-1109.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This article seeks to find support for a three-class depression sub-typing model (and identify differentiating constituent clinical features) in a sample of elderly depressed patients. Depression is currently modelled dimensionally, with little concession to descriptive psychopathology and distinction of meaningful clinical depressive sub-types. The authors proposed a three-class hierarchical specificity model for sub-typing the depressive disorders (comprising psychotic, melancholic and non-melancholic depression), with specificity referring to two clinical features (psychotic symptoms and psychomotor disturbance or PMD) separating the first two classes from a residual non-melancholic class. Subjects were aged 65 years or more, non-demented and being treated for depression. Extensive clinical assessment was undertaken, while several standardised measures were administered. Bottom up analyses were data driven, while top down analyses respected DSM-III-R decision rules. Dimensional and categorical multivariate analyses sought to identify features differentiating psychotic depression (PD), melancholic depression (MEL) and a residual non-melancholic (NON-MEL) class. Of the 123 referred patients (having a mean age of 75.6 years), 46 had DSM-defined PD, 46 had MEL and 31 were assigned as NON-MEL. Mean total CORE scores (measuring PMD) more clearly distinguished the groups than scores on two depression severity measures. Psychotic depression was best distinguished from melancholic depression by psychotic features, as well as more severe PMD and anhedonia. Melancholic depression was best distinguished from non-melancholic depression by PMD, terminal insomnia and pathological guilt. The specificity of PMD to the definition of the psychotic and melancholic depression was confirmed in our elderly depressed sample. Clinical features identified as distinguishing psychotic, melancholic and non-melancholic depression were broadly consistent with findings from our previous studies involving younger subjects and with our three-class hierarchical model.
Mental health and absence from work: new evidence from the UK Quarterly Labour Force Survey
- Authors:
- ALMOND Stephen, HEALY Andrew
- Journal article citation:
- Work Employment and Society, 17(4), December 2003, pp.731-742.
- Publisher:
- Sage
In this article the authors seek to estimate empirically the contribution of longstanding mental health problems to the incidence of sickness absence during a typical working week in the United Kingdom work-force. Adult mental health problems cover a wide range of conditions that vary both in terms of their characteristic symptoms and the degree of disability imposed. A recently conducted psychiatric morbidity survey (ONS, 2000) estimated that around one in six adults living in private households in Britain currently suffer from a clinically recognizable neurotic disorder (including anxiety-related disorders and depression). Around one in every 100 adults are estimated to suffer from schizophrenia, an illness that, while less common, can be both severely and chronically disabling for those affected.
Long-term outcome of late-onset schizophrenia: 5-year follow-up study
- Authors:
- BRODATY Henry, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 18(9), September 2003, pp.213-219.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
There is controversy about whether late-onset schizophrenia is a precursor of cognitive decline. The purpose of this research was examine the long-term outcome of a group of patients with late-onset schizophrenia. Patients with onset of DSM–III–R schizophrenia at age 50 years or over, but without dementia, and a healthy control group were assessed at baseline (n=27 andn=34, respectively), after 1 year and after 5 years (n=19 and n=24, respectively) on measures of psychopathology, cognition and general functioning, and compared on rates of decline and incidence of dementia. Nine patients with late-onset schizophrenia and none of the control group were found to have dementia (5 Alzheimer type, 1 vascular, 3 dementia of unknown type) at 5-year follow-up. There appeared to be a subgroup of late-onset schizophrenia patients without signs of dementia at baseline or at 1 year follow-up who subsequently declined. Late-onset schizophrenia may be a prodrome of Alzheimer-type dementia. More longitudinal studies are required to determine its nosological status.
'People don't understand': an investigation of stigma in schizophrenia using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA)
- Authors:
- KNIGHT Matthew T. D., WYKES Til, HAYWARD Peter
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health, 12(3), June 2003, pp.209-222.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
Recent investigations provide evidence of stigma against people with a diagnosis of mental illness. The purpose of this study was to provide an account of the life experiences of persons with schizophrenia. Focusing on the individuals' personal reports of events and situations, the issues of stigmatisation and discrimination were explored. Six participants were interviewed using a semi-structured schedule focusing on the areas of personal history, understanding of schizophrenia, social and medical contextualisation, and reflection on impact. The research was conducted using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Super-ordinate themes of judgement, comparison, and personal understanding of the (mental health) issue emerged. Stigma was evident both as public-stigma and as self-stigma. The ramifications of stigma and discrimination are enduring and potentially disabling. IPA is a constructive tool in exploring these issues.
Developmental precursors of child- and adolescent-onset schizophrenia and affective psychoses: diagnostic specificity and continuity with symptom dimensions
- Author:
- HOLLIS Chris
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 182(1), January 2003, pp.37-44.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
An increased rate of premorbid impairment has been reported in both child- and adolescent-onset schizophrenic and affective psychoses. This article examines the evidence for a specific association between premorbid impairment and child- and adolescent-onset schizophrenia, and whether specific continuities exist between premorbid impairments and psychotic symptom dimensions. Retrospective case note study of 110 first-episode child- and adolescent-onset psychoses (age 10-17 years). DSM-III-R diagnoses derived from the OPCRIT algorithm showed 61 with schizophrenia (mean age 14.1 years) and 49 with other non-schizophrenic psychoses (mean age 14.7 years). Premorbid social impairment was more common in early-onset schizophrenia than in other early-onset psychoses (OR 1.9, P=0.03). Overall, impaired premorbid development, enuresis and incontinence during psychosis were specifically associated with the negative psychotic symptom dimension. Premorbid social impairments are more marked in child-and adolescent-onset schizophrenia than in other psychoses. There appears to be developmental continuity from premorbid impairment to negative symptoms.
Religious experience, religious orientation and schizotypy
- Authors:
- MALTBY John, DAY Liza
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Religion and Culture, 5(2), July 2002, pp.163-174.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The present article examines the relationship between religious orientation and schizotypy, with the prediction that intrinsic religiosity would be negatively associated with schizotypy, and religious experience and extrinsic religiosity would be positively associated with schizotypy. A total of 308 UK adults (132 men; 176 women) completed measures of religious experience, intrinsic orientation towards religion, extrinsic orientation towards religion, schizotypal personality traits and borderline personality. Though the present findings also suggest that the significant relationships between religiosity and schizotypy traits are fragmented, particularly by sex, the findings are consistent with theory that an intrinsic orientation towards religion is associated with lower levels of schizotypy, and religious experience and an extrinsic orientation towards religion is associated with higher levels of schizotypy.
Phenomenological and participatory research on schizophrenia: recovering the person in theory and practice
- Authors:
- DAVIDSON Larry, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Social Issues, 53(4), Winter 1998, pp.767-784.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This article describes the application of phenomenological and participatory research methods in understanding the problem of recurrent inpatient admissions for individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness. Describes the use of phenomenological and participatory research methods to involve recidivist patients themselves in exploring the reasons for this failure and to suggest alternative approaches. The authors suggest that such participatory methods provide an antidote to the passive and helpless role of mental patient often encouraged by conventional modes of clinical practice and research, allowing for a recovery of an active role for the person with the disorder both in the theory and practice of clinical psychology.