Assisted dying - the debate: Videtur ... sed contra [Articles]
Should the law be changed to allow health professionals to assist mentally competent, terminally ill people to end their own lives? In this article Philip Graham (P.G.) puts the arguments in favour of such a change in the law and Julian Hughes (J.H.) opposes these arguments. J.H. then sets out why he believes such a law should not be passed and P.G., in turn, sets out counterarguments. Before concluding comments, both P.G. and J.H. independently make brief closing statements supporting their own positions. (Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment)
Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment - July 1, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Graham, P., Hughes, J. C. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Hangover Square by Patrick Hamilton [Mindreading]
Patrick Hamilton’s (1904–1962) books are filled with gin and jealousy and depict obsessive desire in oppressive circumstances. His early financial success funded his heavy drinking, but also allowed him to write some of the best fiction of the 20th century. Following a depressive illness towards the end of his short life he never wrote again, leaving his final series of novels unfinished, the villain forever escaping justice. Hangover Square, set on the eve of the Second World War, tells the tense story of a man whose ambivalence for the woman he is pursuing (who has no interest in him) is manifested in two psy...
Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment - July 1, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Russ, T. C. Tags: Mindreading Source Type: research
Beyond year zero: getting the best out of revalidation [Articles]
This article describes what it aims to achieve. The General Medical Council’s Good Medical Practice is used as a framework on which to build to provide evidence of competencies. Practical aspects of appraisal and revalidation are discussed, with suggestions of how to get the most out of the process both for patients and doctors. (Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment)
Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment - July 1, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tacchi, M. J. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Are specialist psychiatric services losing the PbR race?: COMMENTARY ON... CLUSTERING IN MENTAL HEALTH PAYMENT BY RESULTS [Commentary]
Payment by results (PbR) is a payment platform for healthcare services. Introduced to acute physical healthcare services in England in 2003–2004, the system has continued to expand and is currently being implemented in acute mental health services. Owing to the variations and complexities of the patients who access specialist psychiatric services, existing clusters do not always accurately capture their needs. The development of PbR tools specific to psychiatric subspecialties is ongoing, but might not be available in the short term. The funding of acute mental health services through PbR might have funding implicati...
Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment - July 1, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Radhakrishnan, V. Tags: Commentary Source Type: research
Clustering in mental health payment by results: a critical summary for the clinician [Articles]
Mental health payment by results (PbR) is a disruptive new prospective payment system intended to replace National Health Service block contracts in England and provide a mechanism for opening up the mental health economy. Patients are allocated to one of 21 treatment clusters, each with a different price or tariff. Clinicians perform cluster allocation using the Mental Health Clustering Tool. The clustering process makes demands on clinicians’ time even with support from information systems. Clustering is novel and it is unclear how it will work in practice. The process is likely to be susceptible to gaming. (Source...
Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment - July 1, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Yeomans, D. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Cognitive behavioural therapy (brief versus standard duration) for schizophrenia [Cochrane Corner]
(Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment)
Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment - July 1, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Naeem, F., Farooq, S., Kingdon, D. Tags: Cochrane Corner Source Type: research
New from CPD Online [CPD Online]
(Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment)
Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment - July 1, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Tags: CPD Online Source Type: research
The therapeutic power of volunteering [Articles]
There is growing evidence from smaller evaluative studies in the USA and anecdotal papers in the UK that supported volunteering can help recovery and can be a pathway into paid work for people with serious and fluctuating mental health conditions. It allows the person to take risks and test out a working environment. This opportunity can integrate their experience of mental illness into a valued identity and provides opportunities to engage with a world of work. We recommend that mental health professionals consider ways of providing volunteering opportunities as part of a recovery-oriented service within their organisatio...
Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment - May 1, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Fegan, C., Cook, S. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
'What harbour shelters peace?' On the opera Peter Grimes, exclusion and stigma [Mindreading]
Benjamin Britten’s opera Peter Grimes premiered in 1945 and has since enjoyed lasting popular and critical acclaim. Its central character is a fisherman driven to suicide by circumstances beyond his control. It has a wide political and social resonance and is a testament to the damaging psychological effects of exclusion and stigma. (Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment)
Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment - May 1, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Conlan, L. Tags: Mindreading Source Type: research
Paraphilias and paraphilic disorders: diagnosis, assessment and management [Articles]
We outline the difficulties in classifying paraphilias as mental disorder and summarise the changes to this diagnostic category in DSM-5. We review the research on the epidemiology and aetiology of paraphilias, and provide guidance on assessment and referral options for general psychiatrists when they encounter patients who may meet diagnostic criteria for a paraphilic disorder. Empirical evidence for effective treatments for paraphilias is limited, and specific treatment services are scarce, particularly for individuals presenting with legal paraphilias or those who are committing paraphilic sexual offences but who have n...
Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment - May 1, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Yakeley, J., Wood, H. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Pharmacological treatment of bipolar depression [Articles]
Bipolar depression remains a major challenge for psychiatric therapeutics. It is associated with disability and excess mortality, and accounts for three-quarters of the time spent in morbid states by treated patients with bipolar disorder. Major limitations of research on the treatment of depression in bipolar disorder include a paucity of short-term and lack of long-term trials, probably reflecting concern about inducing mania. In addition, polytherapy with multiple drugs appears to be widespread, but it is virtually untested for efficacy and safety. Here, we summarise the evidence concerning efficacy of treatment of bipo...
Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment - May 1, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Vazquez, G. H., Tondo, L., Undurraga, J., Zaratiegui, R., Selle, V., Baldessarini, R. J. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Interventions for challenging behaviour in intellectual disability [Articles]
This article discusses the aetiology of challenging behaviour (including the complex relationship with mental illness), diagnostic problems, the current evidence base in relation to psychosocial and pharmacological treatments, and service delivery. (Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment)
Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment - May 1, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Ali, A., Blickwedel, J., Hassiotis, A. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Making decisions in the management of perinatal depression and anxiety [Articles]
The care of women with anxiety and depressive disorders in the perinatal period is complex. The literature in this field is vast and may be difficult for busy clinicians to keep abreast of. The first part of this article provides an overview of the potential risks and benefits of treatment options, including no treatment, at various stages in the perinatal period. The second part explores the frameworks which may assist clinicians in decision-making with their pregnant patients, including risk–benefit analysis, ethical considerations, evaluating capacity, and mental health legislation. The common pitfalls and limitat...
Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment - May 1, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Wand, A. P. F. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
METIS: a Swedish programme to boost recruitment in psychiatry [Reflection]
This article outlines current specialist training in Sweden and describes how the 40-hour METIS programme fits within it. (Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment)
Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment - May 1, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Kyaga, S. Tags: Reflection Source Type: research
Getting the measure of outcomes in clinical practice [Articles]
It has been argued that the routine use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) should be encouraged in order to improve the quality of services and even to determine payment. Clinician-rated outcome measures (CROMs), patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) and process measures also should be considered in evaluating healthcare quality. We discuss difficulties that the routine use of outcome measures might pose for psychiatric services. When outcome and experience measures are used to evaluate services they are difficult to interpret because of differences in case mix and regression to the mean. We conclude that ...
Source: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment - May 1, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Lewis, G., Killaspy, H. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
