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Health Treatment (health + treatment)
Kinds of Health Treatment Selected AbstractsStigma and Self-Concept Among Adolescents Receiving Mental Health TreatmentAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 2 2009Tally Moses PhD Although studies indicate that adolescents diagnosed with mental disorders are stigmatized by the American public, we know very little about the extent to which stigma is experienced by these youth and its effects on their well-being. This cross-sectional study utilizes interviews with 60 adolescents treated in a wraparound program to examine: (a) the extent to which adolescents diagnosed and treated for psychiatric disorders experience mental illness stigma and cope by using secrecy, (b) the extent to which stigmatization is associated with self-concept (self-esteem, mastery, future outlook) and morale (depression), and (c) which clinical and demographic characteristics are associated with perceived stigma. A secondary purpose was to explore the usefulness with adolescents of stigma measures created and adapted primarily from Link's adult stigma scales (Link et al., 1991, 1997). The results support both optimistic and pessimistic interpretations regarding stigma and its effects on adolescents diagnosed and treated for mental disorders. The scales developed for this study demonstrate good internal consistency and construct validity and show promise as tools for further research on stigma as experienced by youth. [source] Impact of assertive community treatment and client characteristics on criminal justice outcomes in dual disorder homeless individualsCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 4 2005Dr Robert J. Calsyn PhD Background People with severe mental illness and substance use disorders (dual disorder) often have considerable contact with the criminal justice system. Aims To test the effects of client characteristics on six criminal justice outcomes among homeless (at intake) people with mental illness and substance misuse disorders. Methods The sample was of participants in a randomized controlled trial comparing standard treatment, assertive community treatment (ACT) and integrated treatment (IT). Data were analysed using hierarchical logistic regression. Results Half the sample was arrested and a quarter incarcerated during the two-year follow-up period. The regression models explained between 22% and 35% of the variance of the following criminal justice measures: (1) major offences, (2) minor offences, (3) substance-use-related offences, (4) incarcerations, (5) arrests, and (6) summons. Prior criminal behaviour was the strongest predictor of all of the dependent variables; in general, demographic and diagnostic variables were not. Similarly, neither the type nor the amount of mental health treatment received predicted subsequent criminal behaviour. Conclusion Elsewhere the authors have shown that ACT and IT had advantages for health and stability of accommodation but these analyses suggest that more specialized interventions are needed to reduce criminal behaviour in dual disorder individuals. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Motives for substance use among young people seeking mental health treatmentEARLY INTERVENTION IN PSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2008Leanne Hides Abstract Aims: To explore substance use motives among young people seeking mental health treatment. Methods: Participants consisted of 103 young people seeking mental health treatment, who had used drugs or alcohol in the past year. The young people completed a 42-item substance use motives measure based on the Drinking Motives Measure for their most frequently used substance in the past year. Results: Exploratory factor analysis of the substance use motives scale indicated the young people reported using substances for positive and negative drug effects, to socialize with their peers, and to cope with a negative affect. They did not report using substances for enhancement or conformity motives. Coping motives predicted the presence of a current substance use disorder. Conclusions: The findings support the need for integrated treatment approaches within mental health settings, particularly targeted at young people with co-occurring mental health and substance use problems. [source] Factor structure of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia among Japanese poststroke patientsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 8 2002Andrea S. Schreiner Abstract Background The present study reports on the first translation and use of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) (Alexopoulos, Abrams, Young, & Shamoian, 1988) among poststroke patients (n,=,101) in Japan. Objectives The study had three main purposes: 1. To examine the factor structure of the CSDD among Japanese poststroke patients; 2. To compare this with the factor structure identified for Anglo-American Alzheimer's (AD) patients; and 3. To examine the prevalence and covariates of depressive symptoms among the Japanese stroke survivors. Methods Poststroke patients and their caregivers (n,=,202), at a random sample of neurological hospitals in western Japan, were interviewed using the study instruments. Data was also collected from patient charts. All subjects at each site who met the study criteria participated in the study. Results The four-factor solution for poststroke subjects was analogous to that found among AD patients with 2 main exceptions. In contrast to AD patients: 1. Physical complaints were unrelated to depressed mood in stroke patients; and 2. Agitation and psychosis loaded with depressed mood in stroke patients rather than as a separate unique factor as in AD patients. However, in the exploratory 5-factor model, agitation and suicidal ideation comprised a unique factor. Using standard cutoff scores for the CSDD, 58.2% of poststroke patients had scores suggesting possible depression. CSDD scores were not related to functional ability, or stroke characteristics such as aphasia or right or left-sided paralysis. However, scores were significantly higher among subjects,2 years poststroke. Feelings of irritability, anxiety, sadness, and sleep problems were most prevalent. Discussion Despite the prevalence of depressive symptoms, none of the subjects were currently receiving any mental health treatment. Findings suggest that symptoms differ by poststroke duration, which may necessitate different treatment approaches. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Self-reported use of mental health services versus administrative records: care to recall?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 3 2004Anne E. Rhodes Abstract Estimates of the level of unmet need for mental health treatment often rely on self-reported use of mental health services. However, depressed persons may over-report their use in relation to administrative records if they are highly distressed. This study seeks to replicate and explicate the finding that persons at a high level of distress report more mental health service use than recorded in their healthcare records. The study sample, N=36,892, 12 years and older, was drawn from the 1996/97 Ontario portion of the Canadian National Population Health Survey. Respondents were individually linked to their administrative mental healthcare records 12 months backward in time. Of these, 96.5% agreed to the link and 23,063 (62.5%) were linked. Almost two-thirds of those who were depressed in the past year were currently at a high level of distress. Differential reporting of use for highly distressed persons in excess of 100% remained in the use of different types of physician providers after adjustments for other potential determinants of use. Telescoping was also not an explanation. The patterns of differential reporting between groups expected to diverge and converge in their recall ability were consistent with a recall bias. As this study was not able to rule out a recall bias, it further accentuates concerns about the impact of bias in the measurement of mental health-service use and inferences made concerning the determinants of use. Copyright © 2004 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Determinants of outcome in the pathways through care for children hearing voicesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WELFARE, Issue 3 2004Sandra Escher Auditory hallucination, or hearing voices, is generally associated with psychopathology. In psychiatry it is inter-preted as a symptom of an illness, with no connection to the individual's life history. Voice hallucinations in childhood occur in a variety of contexts and have variable long-term outcomes. Little is known about the course of the experience. In this study, 80 children and youngsters hearing voices were interviewed on four occasions over a period of three years about the content of the voices and their overall experience of voices, focusing on the determinants for a promising outcome in the pathways through care. The results indicate that the need for care in the context of the experience of voices is associated not only with high levels of problem behaviour and associated negative symptoms of psychosis, but also, independently, with an appraisal of the voices in terms of anxiety, depression, dissociation and frequency of occurrence. In 60 per cent of the participants the voices disappeared during the three-year research period. The relationship between the disappearance of voices and the course of mental health treatment is, however, ambiguous. [source] Treatment of Trauma- and Abuse-Related Dissociative Symptom Disorders in Children and AdolescentsJOURNAL OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIC NURSING, Issue 1 2009Scott Weber EdD TOPIC:,Dissociation is believed to be one of the most common underlying psychological processes among children and adolescents receiving mental health treatment, but most of the dissemination of information about dissociation has occurred among psychiatrists and psychologists. PURPOSE:,Modes of treatment for dissociation as it affects children and adolescents are described. SOURCES USED:,Current research and practice scholarly articles on treatment of children and adolescents for dissociation and dissociative symptom disorders were accessed and critically reviewed. CONCLUSIONS:,Prognosis in children and adolescents can vary widely among patients and between the specific types of dissociation disorder; however, expert clinicians and researchers agree that early, intense treatment offers the greatest possibility of full recovery. [source] Stress and well-being in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attack: The continuing effects of a communitywide disasterJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Richard E. Adams In this study, we examine the relationship between exposure to the World Trade Center disaster (WTCD) and the well-being of adults living in New York City (NYC) at the time of the attacks by using a stress process model. One year after the attacks, we conducted a telephone survey of a cross-sectional random sample of city residents with an oversample of residents who had received mental health treatment since the attacks (N = 2,368). The survey gathered information about respondents' demographic characteristics, exposure to the WTCD, other stressful events, and social psychological resources. The dependent variable (health status) was measured by using the Short Form-12 (SF-12) mental health and physical health scales. Overall, the greater the exposure to the events surrounding the WTCD, the poorer the person's psychological well-being, even after controlling for demographic characteristics, other stressors, and social psychological resources. Exposure was only weakly related to physical well-being, once other factors were taken into account. The findings clearly show that individuals who experienced greater exposure to the WTCD have more psychological problems than those who had less exposure 1 year after the attacks. Exposure did not seem to have such severe consequences for physical well-being. Thus, our study supports the continuation of mental health services to survivors of a community disaster well beyond the first year post disaster. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 33: 175,190, 2005. [source] Cultural and practical barriers to seeking mental health treatment for Chinese AmericansJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2004Winnie W. KungArticle first published online: 11 DEC 200 Based on a sample of 1747 from the Chinese American Psychiatric Epidemiological Study, this report examined perceived barriers to mental health treatment. Two factors emerged, namely practical barriers, which included cost of treatment, time, knowledge of access, and language, and cultural barriers consisting of credibility of treatment, recognition of need, and fear of loss of face. Average ratings of all practical barrier items were higher than cultural barrier items, demonstrating the importance of pragmatic considerations for this population. In a novel attempt, this study examined the empirical link between these perceived barriers and actual mental health service use. The practical barrier factor showed significance in predicting service use for both the whole sample and a subsample of individuals with at least one lifetime mental disorder. Cultural barriers, however, did not attain significance. Practice and research implications of the findings are discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 32: 27,43, 2004. [source] Sexual assault history, PTSD, and mental health service seeking in a national sample of womenJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2002Sarah E. Ullman This study examined correlates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mental health service seeking for women sexually assaulted in childhood and/or adulthood (N = 619) identified from the National Comorbidity Survey (1990,1992). Factors related to correlates of PTSD and mental health service seeking varied according to sexual assault history. Ethnic minority women with less formal education, more traumatic and stressful life events, and longer duration of sexual abuse had greater odds of PTSD within certain sexual assault history subgroups. Mental health service seeking was predicted by demographics (e.g., more education, Caucasian race), as well as other psychosocial factors (e.g., life events, social support), and medical insurance status, especially for adult sexual assault victims. Implications for mental health treatment and intervention are drawn for women with different sexual assault histories. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Risk factors for psychopathology in children with intellectual disability: a prospective longitudinal population-based studyJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 4 2006J. L. Wallander Abstract Background This study examined risk factors for the development of psychopathology in children with intellectual disability (ID) in the developmental, biological, family and social-ecological domains. Methods A population sample of 968 children, aged 6,18, enrolled in special schools in the Netherlands for educable and trainable ID were assessed at Time 1. A random 58% were re-contacted about 1 year later, resulting in a sample of 474 at Time 2. Results Psychopathology was highly consistent over 1 year. Risk factors jointly accounted for significant, but small, portions of the variance in development of psychopathology. Child physical symptoms, family dysfunction and previous parental mental health treatment reported at Time 1 were uniquely associated with new psychopathology at Time 2. Conclusions Prevention and early intervention research to find ways to reduce the incidence of psychopathology, possibly targeting family functioning, appear important. [source] Barriers to Treatment of Hepatitis C in HIV/HCV-Coinfected Adults with Alcohol ProblemsALCOHOLISM, Issue 9 2006David Nunes Background: Alcohol use and human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection are both associated with accelerated progression of hepatitis C virus (HCV) disease and reduced response rates to interferon therapy. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of barriers to interferon treatment in a population of HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with current or past alcohol problems and the extent to which they received treatment to address the barriers. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive analysis of baseline data from a prospective study assessing the impact of HCV and alcohol use on HIV disease progression. Using consensus guidelines, subjects were categorized as having absolute, relative, or no contraindications to interferon therapy for HCV. Absolute contraindications to treatment included heavy alcohol use, decompensated liver disease, CD4 cell count <100 cells/,L, recent needle sharing, and suicidal ideation. Relative contraindications included moderate alcohol use, recent injection drug use, depressive symptoms, and CD4 cell count from 100 to 199 cells/,L. Results: Of 401 HIV-infected subjects, 200 were HCV RNA-positive. Fifty-three percent had an absolute contraindication to interferon therapy, 35% a relative but no absolute contraindication, and only 12% had no contraindication. Of those with an absolute contraindication, 61% reported heavy drinking and the majority (88%) had multiple contraindications. These contraindications were present despite the fact that over 50% were in receipt of substance abuse and mental health treatment. Conclusions: Continued alcohol and drug use as well as depressive symptoms are the major barriers to interferon therapy in HCV/HIV-coinfected subjects and these barriers persist despite high treatment rates for these problems. Therefore, more intensive treatments of alcohol, drug, and mental health issues are needed to improve HCV treatment eligibility in HCV/HIV-coinfected persons. [source] Use of mental health treatment among veterans filing claims for posttraumatic stress disorderJOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 1 2007Nina A. Sayer This study examines predictors of current mental health service use in a sample of 154 veterans filing claims for Veterans Affairs (VA) disability benefits based on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Our conceptual framework was the behavioral model that classifies predictors of service utilization into predisposing (background), enabling (e.g., insurance) and need (e.g., symptoms) factors. Slightly more than half of the PTSD claimants were receiving mental health treatment at the time of claim initiation. Mean symptom levels were clinically significant in both users and nonusers of mental health treatment. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, mental health treatment use was associated with younger age, marriage, and dependence on public insurance. Implications for future research are discussed. [source] The role of loss of meaning in the pursuit of treatment for posttraumatic stress disorderJOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 2 2005Alan Fontana Clinical observation and theory suggest that people who have difficulty coping with their exposure to traumatic events often experience a loss of meaning to their lives. This article examines the contribution of loss of meaning to seeking help from clergy and/or mental health providers. Results support the hypotheses that veterans who have suffered a greater loss of meaning are more likely to seek help from clergy and from VA mental health professionals. We suggest that veterans who seek help from clergy are particularly desirous of achieving a restoration of meaning that is specific to their loss, and that this quest sustains a continued pursuit of mental health treatment, especially among those who seek help from the VA. [source] Emotional adjustment in survivors of sexual assault living with HIV-AIDSJOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 4 2002Seth C. Kalichman Abstract This study examined history of sexual assault in 357 men and women living with HIV-AIDS. Participants completed measures of demographic characteristics, sexual assault history emotional distress and psychiatric symptoms, substance use, and sexual behaviors. Results showed that 68% of women and 35% of men living with HIV-AIDS reported a history of sexual assault since age 15. History of sexual assault was related to history of substance use and mental health treatment. Sexual assault survivors reported greater anxiety, depression, and symptoms of borderline personality and were significantly more likely to report recent unprotected intercourse than persons who had not been sexually assaulted. Results suggest tailoring secondary prevention interventions to meet the needs of HIV-positive survivors of sexual assault. [source] Testing an empirically derived mental health training model featuring small groups, distributed practice and patient discussionMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 2 2009Rachael C Murrihy Objectives, Internationally, family doctors seeking to enhance their skills in evidence-based mental health treatment are attending brief training workshops, despite clear evidence in the literature that short-term, massed formats are not likely to improve skills in this complex area. Reviews of the educational literature suggest that an optimal model of training would incorporate distributed practice techniques; repeated practice over a lengthy time period, small-group interactive learning, mentoring relationships, skills-based training and an ongoing discussion of actual patients. This study investigates the potential role of group-based training incorporating multiple aspects of good pedagogy for training doctors in basic competencies in brief cognitive behaviour therapy (BCBT). Methods, Six groups of family doctors (n = 32) completed eight 2-hour sessions of BCBT group training over a 6-month period. A baseline control design was utilised with pre- and post-training measures of doctors' BCBT skills, knowledge and engagement in BCBT treatment. Results, Family doctors' knowledge, skills in and actual use of BCBT with patients improved significantly over the course of training compared with the control period. Conclusions, This research demonstrates preliminary support for the efficacy of an empirically derived group training model for family doctors. Brief CBT group-based training could prove to be an effective and viable model for future doctor training. [source] Latest news and product developmentsPRESCRIBER, Issue 3 2008Article first published online: 26 FEB 200 Higher risk of CV events in aspirin resistance More than one in four patients may have aspirin resistance, a new metaanalysis shows, and they face a four-to sixfold increased risk of a major cardiovascular event or death compared with aspirin-sensitive patients taking low-dose aspirin (BMJ online: 17 Jan 2008; doi:10. 1136/bmj.39430.529549.BE). The analysis included 20 studies involving a total of 2930 patients with cardiovascular disease. Of these, 28 per cent were defined as having aspirin resistance (according to the various definitions in each study). Compared with aspirin-sensitive patients, the odds ratio of any cardiovascular event or acute coronary syndrome was about 4 and the odds ratio of death was 6. Aspirin-resistant patients did not benefit from other antiplatelet treatment. ADOPT: rosiglitazone fracture risk in women A new analysis of the ADOPT trial (N Engl J Med 2006;355: 2427-43) has found that the risk of fractures during treatment with rosiglitazone (Avandia) is approximately twice as high as with metformin or glibenclamide, but mainly in women (Diabetes Care online: 25 Jan 2008; doi: 10.2337/dc07-2270). The study found a significant difference in risk between the drugs only for women, with a cumulative incidence of 15.1 per cent with rosiglitazone, 7.3 per cent with metformin and 7.7 per cent with glibenclamide after five years. No risk factors were identified although the incidence of fractures was higher among postmenopausal than premenopausal women. New from NICE Infliximab for the treatment of adults with psoriasis. Technology Appraisal Guidance No. 134, Jan 2008 Infliximab (Remicade), a monoclonal antibody against TNF-alpha, should be an option for treating very severe plaque psoriasis in adults, NICE recommends. Using its fast-track single technology appraisal procedure, NICE concluded that infliximab should be considered when standard therapies,methotrexate or ciclosporin (Neoral), or PUVA , have failed or are unsuitable. The criteria for disease severity are defined by the Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) score (,20) and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score (>18). Treatment response is also defined by these measures and infliximab should be continued for longer than 10 weeks only when predefined thresholds are met. Infliximab costs an average of £11 750 annually. In 2006, NICE recommended etanercept (Enbrel) and efalizumab (Raptiva) for patients with severe psoriasis (PASI ,10 and DLQI >10). Commons committee wants tougher targets Most GPs get full QOF points for medicines management even though there is inexplicably large variation in good prescribing practice between PCTs, the Public Accounts Select Committee points out in its latest report, Prescribing Costs in Primary Care. The Committee wants to see tougher QOF targets among several initiatives to reduce prescribing costs. Although most publicity centred on its endorsement of the National Audit Office claim that GPs could save £200 million by prescribing lower-cost drugs, the report contains some more far-reaching proposals. GPs should prescribe generic alternatives within a therapeutic category, so when a brand is not available generically, eg Lipitor, a different drug that is, eg simvastatin, should be used when clinically appropriate. Further, this form of substitution should be rewarded via QOF targets. There should be greater uniformity in the appearance, labelling and packaging of generic and branded equivalents. The Department of Health should consider raising awareness of the value of medicines by printing the cost on packaging, and to reduce the £100 million wasted annually in dumped medicines, it should investigate which drugs aren't used and why patients won't take them. Strategic health authorities should work with the National Prescribing Centre to develop more prescribing indicators with which to measure PCT performance and support PCTs to promulgate best practice. They should also collaborate on promoting joint primary-secondary care formularies and increase the consistency of prescribing, not only between hospital specialists and GPs but also between PCTs. To monitor the influence of the pharmaceutical industry, PCTs should keep a record of gifts and hospitality and publish a register. Questions to ask about mental health treatment The Department of Health has published a booklet designed to raise awareness of medicines management issues affecting people using mental health services and their carers, and professionals in the health and social services. Although one aim of Medicines Management: Everybody's Business is to empower people with mental health problems to ask about their medication, its formal style is better suited to staff who need to improve their person-centred approach to care. It covers what information people should expect and what questions to ask when drug treatment is being considered, what to expect at review and issues to consider when contemplating stopping treatment. Copies can be downloaded at www.dh.gov.uk. Consider statins for all patients with diabetes Treatment with a statin should be considered for all patients with diabetes unless their risk is low, say the authors of a new study (Lancet 2008;371:117-25). Their meta-analysis of 14 randomised trials involving 18 686 people with diabetes and an average follow-up of 4.3 years found that statins reduced vascular events and vascular mortality as much as in nondiabetic populations. The overall benefit was 42 fewer major events per 1000 people treated for five years. This was independent of a history of vascular disease or other baseline characteristics. No evidence for OTC cough medicines There is no evidence that over-the-counter cough medicines for adults and children are effective in relieving acute cough, a new Cochrane review has concluded (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 1). The review of 17 randomised trials involving 2876 adults and eight involving 616 children reported conflicting findings of uncertain clinical relevance. The trials were heterogeneous and of low quality. Copyright © 2008 Wiley Interface Ltd [source] Cultural Influences on Help-Seeking Attitudes in Asian American StudentsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 1 2009Julia Y. Ting MS There is considerable evidence indicating that Asian American college students have less favorable attitudes toward and are less likely to use mental health services than other ethnic groups in the United States. Because a person's attitudes are often strongly associated with their voluntary behaviors, understanding what influences help-seeking attitudes may help shed light on why Asian American college students refrain from seeking mental health treatment. Andersen's Sociobehavioral Model is commonly used as a guide to understand help-seeking in the mainstream population. A modified version of this model that includes culture-related variables (i.e., level of acculturation and stigma tolerance) was used to guide this study. Results indicated that stigma tolerance predicted help-seeking attitudes above and beyond traditional variables associated with help-seeking. These findings suggest that reducing societal stigma and increasing individual tolerance to stigma should be a focus for prevention and intervention programs on college campuses. [source] Behavior Problems in New York City's Children After the September 11, 2001, Terrorist AttacksAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 2 2005Jennifer Stuber PhD Children's behavior was assessed with 3 cross-sectional random-digit-dial telephone surveys conducted 11 months before, 4 months after, and 6 months after September 11, 2001. Parents reported fewer behavior problems in children 4 months after the attacks compared with the pre-September 11 baseline. However, 6 months after the attacks, parents' reporting of behavior problems was comparable to pre-September 11 levels. In the 1st few months after a disaster, the identification of children who need mental health treatment may be complicated by a dampened behavioral response or by a decreased sensitivity of parental assessment to behavioral problems. [source] Body Handlers After Terrorism in Oklahoma City: Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress and Other SymptomsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 4 2002Phebe Tucker MD Posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms were assessed in 51 body handlers after Oklahoma City's 1995 terrorist bombing. Although many handlers were inexperienced and knew someone killed, symptoms were low postdisaster and decreased significantly after 1 year. Higher symptomatology and seeking mental health treatment correlated with increases in alcohol use and new physical problems but not with demographics, exposure, or experience. Four respondents with the highest posttraumatic stress symptoms at both time points reported high physical and alcohol use problems and mental health treatment use, suggesting that these should be carefully assessed in body handlers postdisaster. Coping techniques are described, as well as possible reasons for unexpected resilience in the majority. [source] State-Funded Abortions Versus Deliveries: A Comparison of Outpatient Mental Health Claims Over 4 YearsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 1 2002Priscilla K. Coleman PhD In this record-based study, rates of 1st-time outpatient mental health treatment for 4 years following an abortion or a birth among women receiving medical assistance through the state of California were compared. After controlling for preexisting psychological difficulties, age, months of eligibility, and the number of pregnancies, the rate of care was 17% higher for the abortion group (n = 14,297) in comparison with the birth group (n = 40,122). Within 90 days after the pregnancy, the abortion group had 63% more claims than the birth group, with the percentages equaling 42%, 30%, and 16% for 180 days, 1 year, and 2 years, respectively. Additional comparisons between the abortion and birth groups were conducted on the basis of claims for specific types of disorders and age. [source] Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs: Future Directions for Screening and Intervention in the Emergency DepartmentACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 11 2009Rebecca M. Cunningham MD Abstract This article is a product of a breakout session on injury prevention from the 2009 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference on "Public Health in the ED: Screening, Surveillance, and Intervention." The emergency department (ED) is an important entry portal into the medical care system. Given the epidemiology of substance use among ED patients, the delivery of effective brief interventions (BIs) for alcohol, drug, and tobacco use in the ED has the potential to have a large public health impact. To date, the results of randomized controlled trials of interventional studies in the ED setting for substance use have been mixed in regard to alcohol and understudied in the area of tobacco and other drugs. As a result, there are more questions remaining than answered. The work group developed the following research recommendations that are essential for the field of screening and BI for alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in the ED. 1) Screening,develop and validate brief and practical screening instruments for ED patients and determine the optimal method for the administration of screening instruments. 2) Key components and delivery methods for intervention,conduct research on the effectiveness of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in the ED on outcomes (e.g., consumption, associated risk behaviors, and medical psychosocial consequences) including minimum dose needed, key components, optimal delivery method, interventions focused on multiple risk behaviors and tailored based on assessment, and strategies for addressing polysubstance use. 3) Effectiveness among patient subgroups,conduct research to determine which patients are most likely to benefit from a BI for substance use, including research on moderators and mediators of intervention effectiveness, and examine special populations using culturally and developmentally appropriate interventions. 4) Referral strategies,a) promote prospective effectiveness trials to test best strategies to facilitate referrals and access from the ED to preventive services, community resources, and substance abuse and mental health treatment; b) examine impact of available community services; c) examine the role of stigma of referral and follow-up; and d) examine alternatives to specialized treatment referral. 5) Translation,conduct translational and cost-effectiveness research of proven efficacious interventions, with attention to fidelity, to move ED SBIRT from research to practice. [source] Telepsychiatry with rural American Indians: issues in civil commitmentsBEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 3 2008Jay H. Shore M.D., M.P.H. The use of live interactive videoconferencing to provide psychiatric care, telepsychiatry, has particular relevance for improving mental health treatment to rural American Indian reservations. There is little literature on civil commitments in telepsychiatry and none specifically addressing this topic among American Indians. This article reviews telepsychiatry in the mental health care of American Indians, civil commitments and telepsychiatry in general, and the current state of civil commitments in American Indian communities. We conclude by considering commitment through telepsychiatry in rural reservations and offering guidelines to assist practitioners in navigating this challenging landscape. Civil commitments of American Indian patients residing in rural reservations can be successfully accomplished through videoconferencing by thoughtful and informed clinicians. However, much more work is needed in this area, including research into the cultural attitudes and perspectives towards commitments and further inquiry regarding potential legal precedents, as well as case reports and examples of this work. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Evaluation of a mental health treatment court with assertive community treatment,BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 4 2003Merith Cosden Ph.D. Without active engagement, many adults with serious mental illnesses remain untreated in the community and commit criminal offenses, resulting in their placement in the jails rather than mental health facilities. A mental health treatment court (MHTC) with an assertive community treatment (ACT) model of case management was developed through the cooperative efforts of the criminal justice and mental health systems. Participants were 235 adults with a serious mental illness who were booked into the county jail, and who volunteered for the study. An experimental design was used, with participants randomly assigned to MHTC or treatment as usual (TAU), consisting of adversarial criminal processing and less intensive mental health treatment. Results were reported for 6 and 12 month follow-up periods. Clients in both conditions improved in life satisfaction, distress, and independent living, while participants in the MHTC also showed reductions in substance abuse and new criminal activity. Outcomes are interpreted within the context of changes brought about in the community subsequent to implementation of the MHTC. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Perspectives on probation and mandated mental health treatment in specialized and traditional probation departments,BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 4 2003Jennifer L. Skeem Ph.D. Despite the prevalence of mentally ill probationers, and probation officers' (POs') central role in their supervision, this is the first reported study to investigate how POs implement mandates to participate in psychiatric treatment. Five focus groups were conducted in major cities with 32 POs and 20 probationers representing a mix of traditional and "specialty" probation agencies. Three key findings resulted. First, there were considerable differences between POs in specialty and traditional agencies in the nature, range, and timing of strategies applied to monitor and enforce treatment compliance. Second, the quality of PO,probationer relationships colored POs' use of these strategies and was perceived as central to probationer outcomes. Relationships characterized by a respectful, personal, approach were perceived as more effective in achieving desired outcomes than those that were more authoritarian. Third, specialty agencies strongly emphasized offender rehabilitation whereas traditional agencies focused more exclusively on community safety. These agencies differed in how well probationers with mental illness "fit" their standard operating procedure. Implications for future research and directions for probation practice are discussed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Does fear of coercion keep people away from mental health treatment?BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 4 2003Evidence from a survey of persons with schizophrenia, mental health professionals Mental health consumer advocates have long argued that involuntary treatment frightens persons with mental disorder and thus deters them from voluntarily seeking help. We surveyed 85 mental health professionals and 104 individuals with schizophrenia spectrum conditions to assess their experience with and perceptions of involuntary treatment and other treatment mandates. Of the clinicians, 78% reported that overall they thought legal pressures made their patients with schizophrenia more likely to stay in treatment. Regarding involuntary outpatient commitment, 81% of clinicians disagreed with the premise that mandated community treatment deters persons with schizophrenia from seeking voluntary treatment in the future. Of the consumer sample, 63% reported a lifetime history of involuntary hospitalization, while 36% reported fear of coerced treatment as a barrier to seeking help for a mental health problem,termed here "mandated treatment-related barriers to care." In bivariate analyses, reluctance to seek outpatient treatment associated with fear of coerced treatment (mandated treatment-related barriers to care) was significantly more likely in subjects with a lifetime history of involuntary hospitalization, criminal court mandates to seek treatment, and representative payeeship. However, experience with involuntary outpatient commitment was not associated with barriers to seeking treatment. Recent reminders or warnings about potential consequences of treatment nonadherence, recent hospitalization, and high levels of perceived coercion generally were also associated with mandated treatment-related barriers to care. In multivariable analyses, only involuntary hospitalization and recent warnings about treatment nonadherence were found to be significantly associated with these barriers. These results suggest that mandated treatment may serve as a barrier to treatment, but that ongoing informal pressures to adhere to treatment may also be important barriers to treatment. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Tracking Inner City Substance Users from the Emergency Department: How Many Contacts Does It Take?ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 2 2008Rebecca Cunningham MD Abstract Background:, Longitudinal studies of substance users report difficulty in locating and completing 12-month interviews, which may compromise study validity. Objectives:, This study examined rates and predictors of contact difficulty and in-person follow-up completion among patients presenting with cocaine-related chest pain to an inner-city emergency department (ED). The authors hypothesize that less staff effort in contacting patients and lower follow-up rates would bias subsequent substance use analysis by missing those with heavier substance misuse. Methods:, A total of 219 patients aged 19 to 60 years (65% males; 78% African American) with cocaine-related chest pain were interviewed in the ED and then in person at 3, 6, and 12 months. Demographics, substance use measures, and amount/type of research staff contacts (telephone, letters, home visits, and locating patient during return ED visits) were recorded. Poisson and negative binomial regression analyses were conducted to predict quantity of patient contacts for the 12-month follow-up. Results:, Interview completion rates at 3, 6, and 12 months were 78, 82, and 80%, respectively. Average contact attempts to obtain each interview were 10 at 3 months (range 3,44), 8 at 6 months (1,31), and 8 at 12 months (1,49); 13% of patients required a home visit to complete the 12-month interview. Participants requiring more contact attempts by staff were younger and reported more frequent binge drinking at baseline (p < 0.05), but were less likely to meet criteria for substance abuse or dependence (p < 0.5), or to report prior mental health treatment (p < 0.05). Comparisons of parallel regressions predicting contact difficulty based on the entire sample, the low-effort group, and the difficult-to-reach group showed variation in findings. Conclusions:, This study demonstrates that substantial staff effort is required to achieve adequate retention over 12 months of patients with substance misuse. Without these extensive efforts at follow-up, longitudinal analyses may be biased. [source] A Reason for Optimism in Rural Mental Health Care: Emerging Solutions and Models of Service DeliveryCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY: SCIENCE AND PRACTICE, Issue 3 2007Myra Elder Psychology Service This invited commentary responds to Jameson and Blank's literature review (2007) and utilizes different source materials, such as personal communications among clinicians and policymakers, Internet-based information, and direct professional experience. An update is provided regarding new graduate programs training clinicians for rural service. In addition, perceived barriers to treatment are challenged, because they are drawn from research results that could be interpreted in different ways, given the cultural heritage of southern and central Appalachian people. Lastly, the efforts of the Veterans Affairs Health Care System to reach rural citizens for mental health treatment are summarized. Some of these federal processes could be replicated at the state level, if sociopolitical and economic factors were more directly addressed. The commentary concludes, from the perspective of a professional providing clinical services in a rural setting, that a more optimistic outlook on the state of rural mental health care may be warranted. [source] Self-reported and clinically determined oral health status predictors for quality of life in dentate older migrant adultsCOMMUNITY DENTISTRY AND ORAL EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 1 2008R. Mariño Abstract,,, Objective:, This paper reports the impact of oral health on the quality of life (QOL) of Southern European, dentate older adults, living independently in Melbourne, Australia. Participants were recruited through ethnic social clubs and interviewed about oral health, general health, socio-demographics, and QOL using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 12 (SF-12). The SF-12's physical and mental health component summary scores (PCS and MCS, respectively) were computed. The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) assessed the specific impact of oral health on QOL. Participants were also given a clinical oral examination. Results:, A total of 603 eligible older adults volunteered; 308 were from Greek background and 295 were from Italian background. Mean age was 67.7 years (SD 6.2), with 63.7% being female. The PCS score had a mean value of 45.8 (SD 11.8), and MCS had a mean of 47.8 (SD 5.7). PCS was associated with, periodontal status, chronic health condition, self-perceived oral health needs, self-assessed oral health status, oral health impact score and the interaction between gender and level of education [F(11 552) = 10.57; P < 0.0001]. These independent variables accounted for 16% of the variance in PCS. The multivariate model predicting MCS had only one significant variable (self-reported gingival bleeding), explaining 1.5% of the variance. The OHIP-14 ranged from 0 to 48 with a mean score of 5.6 (SD 9.3). The model predicting OHIP-14 contained four significant variables: perceived oral health treatment needs, number of missing natural teeth, reports of having to sip liquid to help swallow food, and gender [F(4576) = 33.39; P < 0.0001], and explained 18% of the variance. The results demonstrated a negative association between oral health indicators and both the oral health-related QOL and the physical component of the SF-12. Conclusion:, The present findings support a growing recognition of the importance of oral health as a mediator of QOL. However, the self-selected sample and modest predictive power of the multivariate models suggest that further research is needed to expand this explanatory model. [source] Issues with recruitment to randomised controlled trials in the drug and alcohol field: a literature review and Australian case studyDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 2 2008CLARE L. THOMSON Abstract Issues. The randomised control trial (RCT) is a widely used tool for measuring the effectiveness of health treatments and services. However, subject recruitment is an ongoing challenge for those conducting RCTs and may have a serious impact on the success of the study and the reliability of the outcomes. Approach. In this review we present an examination of the problems and strategies associated with recruitment to RCTs, with particular reference to studies conducted in the drug and alcohol field. A case study of recruitment to an RCT for the treatment of alcohol dependence is presented, supplemented by PubMed, Current Contents and Medline searches to identify relevant publications. Key Findings. The literature suggests that the most common barriers to patient participation involve fears of assignment to placebo treatment, insufficient compensation and poor attendance at initial appointments. Moreover, subject referrals from staff may be a greater problem than reluctance of patients. Referrals are inhibited by complicated entry criteria, time constraints due to busy work schedules or a limited research culture. Implications. Subject recruitment may be promoted by financial reimbursement, close partnerships between research and referral staff; increasing the treatment group ratio in multi-drug trials to minimise randomisation to placebo; addressing negative staff attitudes; and simplifying the referral process. Conclusion. The need for multi-centre sites in Australian drug and alcohol treatment studies is highlighted. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||