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Mental Health Research (mental + health_research)
Selected AbstractsOutcome measures used in forensic mental health research: a structured reviewCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 1 2009Jemma C. Chambers Background,The evidence base for forensic mental health (FMH) services has been developing since the late 1990s. Are outcome measures sound enough for the evaluation tasks? Aims,To identify, from published literature, outcome measures used in FMH research and, where feasible, assess their quality. Method,A structured review was undertaken of trials and intervention studies published between 1990 and 2006. Details of outcome variables and measures were abstracted. Evidence regarding most frequently occurring outcome measures was assessed. Results,Four hundred and fifty different instruments were used to assess outcomes, incorporating 1038 distinct variables. Very little evidence could be found to support the measurement properties of commonly used instruments. Conclusions and implications for practice,There is little consistency in the use of outcome measure in FMH research. Effort is required to reach consensus on validated outcome measures in this field in order to better inform practice. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Reducing the length of mental health instruments through structurally incomplete designsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 3 2007Niels Smits Abstract This paper presents structurally incomplete designs as an approach to reduce the length of mental health tests. In structurally incomplete test designs, respondents only fill out a subset of the total item set. The scores on the unadministered items are estimated using methods for missing data. As an illustration, structurally incomplete test designs recording, respectively, two thirds, one half, one third and one quarter of the complete item set were applied to item scores on the Centre of Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale of the respondents in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA). The resulting unobserved item scores were estimated with the missing data method Data Augmentation. The complete and reconstructed data yielded very similar total scores and depression classifications. In contrast, the diagnostic accuracy of the incomplete designs decreased as the designs had more unobserved item scores. The discussion addresses the strengths and limitations of the application of incomplete designs in mental health research. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Considering context, place and culture: the National Latino and Asian American StudyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 4 2004Margarita Alegria Abstract This paper provides a rationale for, and overview of, procedures used to develop the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS). The NLAAS is nationally representative community household survey that estimates the prevalence of mental disorders and rates of mental health service utilization by Latinos and Asian Americans in the US. The central aims of the NLAAS are to: 1) describe the lifetime and 12-month prevalence of psychiatric disorders and the rates of mental health services use for Latino and Asian American populations using nationwide representative samples of Latinos and Asian Americans, 2) assess the associations among social position, environmental context, and psychosocial factors with the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and utilization rates of mental health services, and 3) compare the lifetime and 12-month prevalence of psychiatric disorders, and utilization of mental health services of Latinos and Asian Americans with national representative samples of non-Latino whites (from the National Comorbidity Study-Replication) (NCS-R) and African Americans (from the National Survey of American Life) (NSAL). This paper presents new concepts and methods utilized in the development of the NLAAS to capture and investigate ethnic, cultural and environmental considerations that are often ignored in mental health research. Copyright © 2004 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Exploring sexual and relationship possibilities for people with psychosis , a review of the literatureJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 6 2003E. MCCANN msc rmn dippsi (thorn) cert ed This review examines the literature on sex and relationship issues in the context of serious and persistent mental health problems. It identifies gaps in the research and highlights key issues needing further investigation. The available published documents have been identified, which contain information, ideas, data and evidence on the topic. A critical analysis of the subject, through the examination of the various documents, is provided. The main themes that emerged included HIV/AIDS, medication and sexual dysfunction, sexuality needs, intimate relationships, family planning, policies and sex education. Several subthemes are discussed and include needs assessment, stigma and loneliness. The key findings highlight the lack of systematic studies in the UK, especially regarding the subjective views of patients in determining need and the subsequent development of appropriate plans of care. The author argues that future mental health research needs to go beyond investigating perceived ,risky' behaviours and should include potential therapeutic responses in all areas of sexuality. Further recommendations are made in terms of nurse education particularly the inclusion of psychosexual aspects in future pre- and postregistration curricula. This paper may be of interest to service users, mental health practitioners working alongside people with serious and persistent mental health problems as well as educators, researchers and policy makers. [source] DSM-III and the revolution in the classification of mental illnessJOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, Issue 3 2005Rick Mayes A revolution occurred within the psychiatric profession in the early 1980s that rapidly transformed the theory and practice of mental health in the United States. In a very short period of time, mental illnesses were transformed from broad, etiologically defined entities that were continuous with normality to symptom-based, categorical diseases. The third edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) was responsible for this change. The paradigm shift in mental health diagnosis in the DSM-III was neither a product of growing scientific knowledge nor of increasing medicalization. Instead, its symptom-based diagnoses reflect a growing standardization of psychiatric diagnoses. This standardization was the product of many factors, including: (1) professional politics within the mental health community, (2) increased government involvement in mental health research and policymaking, (3) mounting pressure on psychiatrists from health insurers to demonstrate the effectiveness of their practices, and (4) the necessity of pharmaceutical companies to market their products to treat specific diseases. This article endeavors to explain the origins of DSM-III, the political struggles that generated it, and its long-term consequences for clinical diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders in the United States. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Noninferiority and equivalence designs: Issues and implications for mental health researchJOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 5 2008Carolyn J. Greene The terms noninferiority and equivalence are often used interchangeably to refer to trials in which the primary objective is to show that a novel intervention is as effective as the standard intervention. The use of these designs is becoming increasingly relevant to mental health research. Despite the fundamental importance of these designs, they are often poorly understood, improperly applied, and subsequently misinterpreted. In this article, the authors explain noninferiority and equivalence designs and key methodological and statistical considerations. Decision points in using these designs are discussed, such as choice of control condition, determination of the noninferiority margin, and calculation of sample size and power. With increasing utilization of these designs, it is critical that researchers understand the methodological issues, advantages, disadvantages, and related challenges. [source] Integrating Decision Making and Mental Health Interventions Research: Research DirectionsCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY: SCIENCE AND PRACTICE, Issue 1 2006Celia E. Wills The importance of incorporating patient and provider decision-making processes is in the forefront of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) agenda for improving mental health interventions and services. Key concepts in patient decision making are highlighted within a simplified model of patient decision making that links patient-level/"micro" variables to services-level/"macro" variables via the decision-making process that is a target for interventions. The prospective agenda for incorporating decision-making concepts in mental health research includes (a) improved measures for characterizing decision-making processes that are matched to study populations, complexity, and types of decision making; (b) testing decision aids in effectiveness research for diverse populations and clinical settings; and (c) improving the understanding and incorporation of preference concepts in enhanced intervention designs. [source] Increasing the Relevance of Evidence-Based Treatment Review to Practitioners and ConsumersCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY: SCIENCE AND PRACTICE, Issue 2 2002Kristin M. Hawley Numerous obstacles complicate efforts to identify evidence-based treatments and disseminate them to practicing clinicians, and thus to their clients. The multi-disciplinary, statewide effort by Bruce Chorpita and the Hawaii Task Force addresses a number of these obstacles very thoughtfully, taking significant steps toward bridging mental health research and practice. We highlight lessons derived from their work that can be applied by other groups engaged in evidence review and we note methodological challenges that continue to require close attention by all of us engaged in evidence review and treatment classification. [source] | |||||||||||||