Addressing sexuality and intimate relations in community mental health services for people with serious mental illness: A qualitative study of mental health practitioners’ experiences.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Berger-Merom ◽  
Yaara Zisman-Ilani ◽  
Nev Jones ◽  
David Roe
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Serious Mental Illness ◽  
Community Mental Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Practitioners ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Intimate Relations

The future of specialist community teams in the care of those with severe mental illness

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Tyrer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Severe Mental Illness ◽  
Community Mental Health Services ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Crisis Resolution ◽  
Crisis Resolution Teams

SummaryAims – Specialist interventions in community psychiatry for severe mental illness are expanding and their place needs to be re-examined. Methods – Recent literature is reviewed to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of specialist teams. Results – Good community mental health services reduce drop out from care, prevent suicide and unnatural deaths, and reduce admission to hospital. Most of these features have been also demonstrated by assertive community outreach and crisis resolution teams when good community services are not available. In well established community services assertive community teams do not reduce admission but both practitioners and patients prefer this service to other approaches and it leads to better engagement. Crisis resolution teams appear to be more successful than assertive community teams in preventing admission to hospital, although head- to-head comparisons have not yet been made. All specialist teams have the potential of fragmenting services and thereby reducing continuity of care. Conclusions – The assets of improved engagement and greater satisfaction with assertive, crisis resolution and home treatment teams are clear from recent evidence, but to improve integration of services they are probably best incorporated into community mental health services rather than standing alone.Declaration of Interest: The author has been the sole consultant in two assertive outreach teams since 1994 and might there- fore be expected to be in favour of this genre of service. He has received grants for evaluation of different services models from the Department of Health (UK) and the Medical Research Council (UK).

scholarly journals Outcomes of a tobacco treatment programme for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness attending a community mental health team

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joy E. Masuhara ◽  
Tom Heah ◽  
Chizimuzo T.C. Okoli
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Community Mental Health Services ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Persistent Mental Illness ◽  
Tobacco Treatment

Introduction: Individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses have a greater prevalence of smoking than the general population and are disproportionately affected by tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. Evidence-based tobacco treatment can aid such populations in their efforts at smoking cessation. Few studies have examined the effectiveness of tobacco treatment programmes within Mental Health and Addictions Services in Canada.Aims: This study examines outcomes from an evidence-based tobacco treatment programme provided within community mental health services in Vancouver, Canada.Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of 134 participants (from June 2010 to February 2012). Information on demographics, tobacco use and cessation history, substance use history, psychiatric disorder diagnosis, expired carbon monoxide level, and duration of treatment in the programme were obtained. Programme completion and smoking cessation/reduction were examined.Results: Sixty-seven per cent completed the programme. Of those who completed, 26.7% were abstinent at the end-of-treatment and 50% (of those not achieving abstinence) reduced their consumption to at least 50% of their baseline cigarette consumption. Predictors of smoking cessation included having a social support for smoking cessation and lower nicotine dependence at baseline.Conclusions: Evidence-based tobacco treatment within community mental health services is well received by individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. Such treatment can aid in their efforts towards smoking cessation. Future studies may need to assess factors that can enhance the integration of tobacco treatment within mental health services while providing tailored treatment that addresses the unique needs of smokers who have severe and persistent mental illness.

The role of community mental health services in supporting oral health outcomes among consumers

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 216
Author(s):  
Rebecca Meldrum ◽  
Hillary Ho ◽  
Julie Satur
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Community Mental Health Services ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Oral Diseases

People with a lived experience of mental illness are at a higher risk for developing oral diseases and having poorer oral health than the broader population. This paper explores the role of Australian community mental health services in supporting the prevention and management of poor oral health among people living with mental illness. Through focus groups and semi-structured interviews, participants identified the value of receiving oral health support within a community mental health setting, in particular the delivery of basic education, preventive strategies, assistance with making or attending appointments and obtaining priority access to oral health services. Engagement with Community Health Services and referrals generated through the priority access system were identified as key enablers to addressing oral health issues. This study provides new insight into the importance of undertaking an integrated approach to reducing the oral health disparities experienced by those living with mental illness.

Personal reactions to sexual assault disclosures made by female clients diagnosed with serious mental illness

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 248-256
Author(s):  
Charlotte Strauss Swanson ◽  
Tracy Schroepfer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Serious Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Practitioners ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Female Clients

Purpose Mental health practitioners working with female clients diagnosed with a serious mental illness (SMI) often face client disclosures of sexual assault. Research has shown that practitioners’ responses can be complicated by the diagnosis and lack of professional training; however, less is known about the role their personal factors may play. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to further understanding of practitioners’ personal reactions and investigate how these reactions affect their professional response. Design/methodology/approach Nine mental health practitioners participated in face-to-face interviews, in which they were asked to describe their personal reactions when faced with a disclosure and to discuss how these reactions influence client assessment, treatment and referral. Findings The study results show that lacking training, practitioners expressed feelings of uncertainty, fear and worry about how best to respond without causing further harm. Findings serve to inform future training to support practitioners and, as a result, improve care and treatment for this population. Originality/value This study is unique because it explores the personal reactions mental health practitioners’ experience when responding to disclosures of sexual assault among women diagnosed with an SMI and how these reactions may impact their professional response.

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