Search results for ‘Subject term:"severe mental health problems"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 10 of 68
Community treatment orders – principles and attitudes: Commentary on... Community treatment orders: current practice and a framework to aid clinicians
- Author:
- SHARMA Vimal Kumar
- Journal article citation:
- Psychiatrist (The), 37(2), 2013, pp.58-59.
- Publisher:
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
The community treatment order (CTO) was implemented in 2008 as part of the 2007 amendments to the Mental Health Act 1983. Initially, health professionals and patient groups were sceptical about the successful implementation of CTOs. However, as more than the expected number of patients has been subjected to CTOs in the past 3 years in England and Wales, the professionals’ views are shifting in favour of CTOs. More needs to be done to improve the approach and attitude of care providers so that CTOs are used in the most appropriate and effective way for the patients. (Publisher abstract)
Specialisation and marginalisation: how the assertive community treatment debate affects individuals with complex mental health needs
- Authors:
- ROSEN Alan, KILLASPY Helen, HARVEY Carol
- Journal article citation:
- Psychiatrist (The), 37(11), 2013, pp.345-348.
- Publisher:
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
The growth of specialism in a field can be considered a healthy response to emerging evidence, technology and skills, yet it risks creating unhelpful barriers to collaborative working and fragmented patient pathways. Mental health services in England have experienced this tension in recent years through the national implementation of local specialist community teams that aim to reduce the need for in-patient admission through a focus on crisis resolution, early intervention and assertive community treatment (ACT). In response to the results of studies assessing its effectiveness, there has been disinvestment in ACT. This risks marginalising people with severe and complex mental health problems by depriving them and their families of the intensive support they need for successful community living, as well as discouraging researchers from undertaking further high-quality studies that can inform the intelligent evolution of the ACT model within different contexts.This editorial uses the example of assertive community treatment (originally developed in the USA) to explore the challenges of importing models of specialist care into different socioeconomic contexts and health systems at the international level. (Edited publisher abstract)
Considering a personal budget
- Authors:
- MCPIN FOUNDATION, RETHINK MENTAL ILLNESS
- Publisher:
- Rethink Mental Illness
- Publication year:
- 2013
- Pagination:
- 6
- Place of publication:
- London
This is one of six guide for mental health professionals who support someone with a severe mental illness who has, or is thinking about applying for, a Personal Budget. It is drawn from the real experiences of people with a severe mental illness, their family members and mental health practitioners. The guide covers: who would benefit from a personal budget, the risks, what makes a successful application, managing expectations and addressing concerns. (Original abstract)
Reaching goals and moving on
- Authors:
- MCPIN FOUNDATION, RETHINK MENTAL ILLNESS
- Publisher:
- Rethink Mental Illness
- Publication year:
- 2013
- Pagination:
- 5
- Place of publication:
- London
This is one of six guide for mental health professionals who support someone with a severe mental illness who has, or is thinking about applying for, a Personal Budget. It is drawn from research on the real experiences of people with a severe mental illness, their family members and mental health practitioners. This guide looks at dealing with reaching the end of a personal budget. It covers: common concerns of mental health professionals about personal budgets coming to an end, planning ahead to help people deal with the end of their personal budget, and what mental health workers can do to help previous holders of personal budgets cope with the change. (Original abstract)
Family social networks and recovery from severe mental illness of clubhouse members
- Authors:
- BIEGEL David E., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Family Social Work, 16(4), 2013, pp.274-296.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This study examined the contribution of family social network variables to recovery among Clubhouse members. A random sample of 118 members from one Clubhouse was recruited for this cross-sectional study. Among all respondents, greater overall family support and better relationship quality with the most supportive network member were correlated with greater levels of recovery. Clubhouse members perceived higher quantity and quality of support and more criticalness from their most supportive network members, principally family members, compared to the rest of their family members. Longitudinal studies are needed to further investigate the relationship between family support and recovery. (Publisher abstract)
Family members' of persons living with a serious mental illness: experiences and efforts to cope with stigma
- Authors:
- KARNIELI-MILLER Orit, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health, 22(3), 2013, pp.254-262.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
Studies have indicated that family members of persons with mental illness often experience stigma in relation to their relatives' illness. This study uses a qualitative immersion/crystallization analysis of focus group data to examine family members' experiences and efforts to cope with mental illness stigma. Family members reported experiencing rejection, blame and avoidance by others, engendering hurt, disappointment and shame. They employed flexible coping strategies depending on their personal resources, motivation and their relatives' willingness to disclose. Findings suggest that families learn from their own experience the “art of selective disclosure”: what, when, how much and who to share information with. Coping strategies are developed based on the situation and family members' needs and personal resources which differ between families and over time. (Edited publisher abstract)
The voice-hearer
- Author:
- WOODS Angela
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Mental Health, 22(3), 2013, pp.263-270.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- London
For 25 years, the international Hearing Voices Movement and the UK Hearing Voices Network have campaigned to improve the lives of people who hear voices. In doing so, they have introduced a new term into the mental health lexicon: “the voice-hearer.” This article offers a description of the figure of “the voice-hearer” by analysing a selection of texts (life narratives, research papers, videos and blogs), the majority produced by people active in the Hearing Voices or consumer/survivor/ex-patient movements, from an interdisciplinary medical humanities perspective. “The voice-hearer” (i) asserts voice-hearing as a meaningful experience, (ii) challenges psychiatric authority and (iii) builds identity through sharing life narrative. While technically accurate, the definition of “the voice-hearer” as simply “a person who has experienced voice-hearing or auditory verbal hallucinations” fails to acknowledge that this is a complex, politically resonant and value-laden identity. The figure of “the voice-hearer” comes into being through a specific set of narrative practices as an “expert by experience” who challenges the authority and diagnostic categories of mainstream psychiatry, especially the category of “schizophrenia". (Edited publisher abstract)
Service quality and clinical outcomes: an example from mental health rehabilitation services in England
- Authors:
- KILLASPY Helen, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Psychiatry, 202(1), 2013, pp.28-34.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
This study investigates the relationship between quality of mental health rehabilitation services in England, local deprivation, service user characteristics and clinical outcomes. Standardised tools were used to assess the quality of mental health rehabilitation units and service users’ autonomy, quality of life, experiences of care and ratings of the therapeutic milieu. Multiple level modelling investigated relationships between service quality, service user characteristics and outcomes. A total of 52/60 (87%) National Health Service trusts participated, comprising 133 units and 739 service users. All aspects of service quality were positively associated with service users’ autonomy, experiences of care and therapeutic milieu, but there was no association with quality of life. Quality of care is linked to better clinical outcomes in people with complex and longer-term mental health problems. Thus, investing in quality is likely to show real clinical gains. (Edited publisher abstract)
Community treatment orders: current practice and a framework to aid clinicians
- Authors:
- LEPPING Peter, MALIK Masood
- Journal article citation:
- Psychiatrist (The), 37(2), 2013, pp.54-57.
- Publisher:
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
Using data from a North Wales audit this article looks at how community treatment orders (CTOs) are currently being used. Findings from an audit of a total of 50 CTOs found the reasons for use of CTOs extended beyond that of medication adherence to risk management. The combined recall and voluntary admission rate was 40%, which raises questions about the effectiveness of CTOs. It suggests the use of a SMART framework, using a simple set of goals (Specific; Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time framed), to potentially improve their effectiveness. The article calls for more research to examine whether CTOs are able to achieve their intended aims. (Edited publisher abstract)
Involuntary out-patient commitment: 2-year follow-up
- Author:
- CASTELLS-AULET Laura
- Journal article citation:
- Psychiatrist (The), 37(2), 2013, pp.60-64.
- Publisher:
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
Involuntary out-patient commitment or is a legal intervention designed to benefit persons with serious mental illness who need ongoing psychiatric care and support to prevent relapse but have difficulty following through with community-based treatment. In the UK it is known as a community treatment order. This retrospective-observational study of 91 patients under involuntary out-patient commitment (OPC) evaluated the impact of (OPC) in patients with severe mental disorder who use hospital services in an area of Spain. The psychiatric diagnosis, sociodemographic variables, who requested the court order and for what motive were studied. The study also looked at the use of the available health services (emergency room visits, admissions, average length of hospital stay) for the period beginning 2 years before and ending 2 years after the initiation of the OPC. The number of emergency room visits, admissions and the length of hospitalisation diminished in the 2 years following the initiation of the OPC. In terms of diagnosis, the OPC has the most impact on individuals with schizophrenia and delusional disorder. (Edited publisher abstract)