Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Do helplines help?: summary report
- Author:
- RETHINK
- Publisher:
- Rethink
- Publication year:
- 2003
- Pagination:
- 15p.
- Place of publication:
- Kingston upon Thames
The report Do Helplines Help? summarises research carried out among people using two of our large 24 hours, seven days a week helpline services, statutory agencies and commissioners. The research showed that these services offer invaluable support, reduce anxiety and help callers feel more in control and less isolated. The research was funded by the National Institute for Mental Health in England.
The role of theory in the assessment of sex offenders
- Author:
- QUACKENBUSH Ray E.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 12(3/4), 2003, pp.77-101.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
No generally accepted theory of sex offender behaviour exists at this point. As clinical experience and research findings interact within an evolving theoretical framework, the picture of what is important, as well as what is possible to know about a sex offender, is rapidly changing. It is vital that mental health professionals, the legal system, social service agencies, and other consumers and providers of sex offender assessments be aware of both what is possible to learn about an offender as well as the limitations on that knowledge and its application. Prominent theories that influence the assessment of offenders in North America and Europe are presented and examined. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580)
Sexual deviancy: diagnostic and neurobiological considerations
- Authors:
- SALEH Fabian M., BERLIN Fred S.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 12(3/4), 2003, pp.53-75.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Individuals who engage in sexual offenses may be afflicted with a paraphilic disorder or sexual deviation syndrome. Paraphilias are psychiatric disorders characterized by deviant and culturally non-sanctioned sexual fantasies, thoughts, and/or behaviours. A proportion of these individuals may also suffer from symptoms of mental illness that can go unrecognized. Although the etiology and pathophysiology of paraphilic disorders continue to be under investigation, data from empirical, biomedical, and psychopharmacological studies suggest abnormalities at a biological level. This article will discuss and review clinical and neurobiological characteristics of the paraphilias. To this end, the authors begin with a general exploration and overview of basic principles that are germane to the subject matter and conclude with an examination of the most recent relevant research findings. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580)
Obtaining informed consent when a profession labels itself as providing treatment for mental illness
- Author:
- LITTRELL Jill
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Mental Health, 1(4), 2003, pp.107-122.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This American article examines when informed consent laws mandating explanation of the risks and benefits for proposed treatments (some talk intervention) and alternative to the proposed treatments (e.g., medications) apply to the social work profession. The reasons why an explanation of alternative treatments, including explaining medications, might be part of securing informed consent are proffered . Following this, consideration of how the task of explaining alternatives might be addressed is examined. The particular example of antidepressant medications provides a context for considering how to discuss medications as a treatment alternative. The kind of information a social worker might be obligated to possess and then impart to the client in fulfilling the task of obtaining informed consent is considered.
Treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder: deciding what method for whom
- Authors:
- ABRAMOWITZ Jonathan S., SCHWARTZ Stefanie A.
- Journal article citation:
- Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 3(2), Summer 2003, pp.261-273.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
The aim of the present paper was to address variables that should be considered in deciding the optimal treatment modality for individual patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We begin by briefly discussing strengths and limitations of the various empirically supported treatments for this disorder. Next we discuss general factors, such as demographics and familial support, that may contribute to the treatment decision-making process. Following this, we describe factors related to the presentation of OCD (e.g., insight, comorbidity) that may impact such decisions. It is important to rely on both empirical findings and informed clinical judgment when deciding which treatment(s) to recommend for patients. For this reason, familiarity with the research literature as a backdrop to thoroughly assessing the relevant variables is imperative for clinicians working with OCD patients.
Simple coping strategies for people who hear voices
- Author:
- PLACE Charlie
- Journal article citation:
- Nursing Times, 25.11.03, 2003, pp.38-40.
- Publisher:
- Nursing Times
High levels of stress are common among people who hear voices, but few receive help to cope with the problem. Many mental health nurses are not aware that there are simple coping strategies that could be used. Highlights a number of simple coping strategies which represent an example of providing person-centred care, which is at the centre of good mental health nursing.
Considerations on fantasy use by child molesters and exhibitionists
- Authors:
- DANDESCU Andrei, WOLFE Roger
- Journal article citation:
- Sexual Abuse a Journal of Research and Treatment, 15(4), October 2003, pp.297-305.
- Publisher:
- Sage
In many sex offender treatment programmes, the examination and replacement of deviant fantasy use with appropriate fantasy use is a well-established practice. This practice is based on the assumption that sexual offenders use deviant masturbatory fantasies prior and after committing sexual offenses, but the data available to support this assumption is fairly limited. This study attempted to test the validity of this assumption by finding out whether a majority of exhibitionistic offenders and child molesters used deviant masturbatory fantasies prior and/or after their first offense. Data analysis from 57 child molesters and 25 exhibitionistic offenders indicate that a majority of these offenders used masturbatory deviant fantasies before and after their first offenses, but they tended to use significantly more deviant fantasies after they engage in their first actual offense. Content of deviant fantasies was examined in relation to victim specificity. There were no significant differences between the number of deviant fantasies reported about a specific victim versus the number of fantasies reported about a nonspecific victim. The authors found a significant positive correlation between the number of deviant fantasies reported and the number of months spent in treatment by child molesters, but not by exhibitionistic offenders. Some tentative explanations for these findings are offered, but further elucidation is necessary.
The subjective experience of youth psychotropic treatment
- Author:
- FLOERSCH Jerry
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Mental Health, 1(4), 2003, pp.51-69.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Examines child and adolescent psychopharmacological research and argues that social work practice and research must examine the complex relationships, social and psychological, in youth pharmacologic treatment. Regarding identity formation, this article explores the developmental consequences when youth adopt an illness narrative to make sense of everyday medication treatment. A conceptual framework for mapping the socio-cultural context of youth medication management is outlined. In the conclusion, youth psychotropic treatment is connected to a perplexing 'interpretive gap,' which highlights the subjective quality of medication treatment. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
The psychology of the psychopharmacology triangle: the client, the clinicians and the medication
- Author:
- BRADLEY Sarah
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Mental Health, 1(4), 2003, pp.29-50.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The psychopharmacological triangle generated by recent changes in mental health practices in the USA requires social workers to deepen their understanding of the psychological meanings of such treatment. Many clients receive concurrent psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological interventions from different providers, creating a triangular treatment relationship. To facilitate a successful outcome, social workers need to understand how meaning, transference and countertransference are stimulated by this arrangement. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Characteristics of male batters in treatment: an example of a localized program evaluation concerning attrition
- Authors:
- McCLOSKEY Kathy A., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Aggression Maltreatment and Trauma, 8(4), 2003, pp.67-95.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This article presents information on the characteristics of a clinical population of male perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV) court-ordered for batterers' treatment, and how these characteristics co-varied with treatment attrition. The average demographic profile of male batterers in a midwestern treatment program that met present-day treatment guidelines was similar to that found in other studies. In addition, relationship length and status, alcohol/drug use, self-reports of past treatment and mental health issues, and self-report of witnessing or experiencing violence within the home during childhood was also similar. Batterers' self-reports of their own violent behavior were found to vary by data collection technique, with face-to-face interviews eliciting greater admission of violent behavior than paper-and-pencil questionnaires. However, the only predictors of successful treatment outcome were living arrangement at the time of treatment and racial category. Implications of these findings are discussed, and “local effects” programme evaluation approaches are suggested. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580)