scholarly journals Critical psychiatry: a brief overview

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh Middleton ◽  
Joanna Moncrieff
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
List Type ◽  
Psychiatric Medication ◽  
Health Practice ◽  
Everyday Clinical Practice ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Constructive Criticism ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Psychotherapeutic Outcomes

SUMMARYCritical psychiatry has often been confused with what is widely known as ‘anti-psychiatry’. In this article the distinction is clarified and the particular contribution critical psychiatry makes is outlined. That contribution is constructive criticism: of the relationship between medicine and mental health practice, of the way drug and psychotherapeutic treatments for mental health difficulties might be better understood. These have implications for everyday clinical practice and there is much to be gained by openly embracing the controversies critical psychiatry highlights.LEARNING OBJECTIVES•Understand the origins of critical psychiatry and recognise some of the difficulties that arise from identifying psychiatry with medicine•Appreciate the differences between disease-centred and drug-centred approaches to prescribing psychiatric medication•Become aware of implications that arise from psychotherapeutic outcomes researchDECLARATION OF INTERESTSH. M. and J. M. are co-chairs of the UK Critical Psychiatry Network.

scholarly journals Investigating a Relationship between Perceived Stress, Religious Coping, and Religiosity in Migrant Muslim Women

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nana-fatima Taini Ozeto ◽  
Thérèse Allan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Religious Coping ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Muslim Women ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Migrant Populations ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
And Migration ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship

Previous research has identified the heightened amount of perceived stress experienced by migrants in the West. Muslim women specifically may be at a greater exposure to perceived stress, easily being identified as different from others due to the observance of the hijab (Ahmed, 1992). However, Muslims in the UK generally have one of the lowest rates of accessing mental health services (Joint Commissioning Panel for Mental Health, 2014). Current research shows the positive role religion plays in managing perceived stress and the potential development of mental health difficulties. Few studies have been conducted on migrant populations and even fewer with female Muslim migrants. The current study aimed to investigate religiosity, as a mediator of the relationship between religious coping and perceived stress in migrant Muslim women. It also aimed to investigate the relationship between perceived stress and migration. The results found religiosity to mediate the relationship between religious coping and perceived stress, that is, individuals with higher religiosity used religious coping and had lower perceived stress. However, there was no significant relationship between experiences of migration and perceived stress. These findings provide possible directions for mental health practitioners when working with clients from such backgrounds.

Issues in Implementing Family Work in Services

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
G. Fadden
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
List Type ◽  
Family Work ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
The Family ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Uk

Family work for psychosis has a strong evidence base demonstrating that a marked reduction in relapse rates can be achieved when information and support is offered to the family, and when relatives are helped to develop effective strategies to deal with the challenging situations they face. In some countries such as the UK, the strength of the evidence base has resulted in the development of guidelines and policies stipulating that families should receive appropriate interventions. In other countries, where such policies do not exist, whether or not families receive support tends to depend on the interests of individual clinicians.Those attempting to implement family work in routine mental health services can encounter various obstacles. Some staff do not posses the skills to deliver family work. Some services, particularly in adult mental health, concentrate on the individual with the mental health difficulties and are not aware of the importance of the person's social network in their recovery. Some managers do not prioritise family work or facilitate their staff in having the time needed for training or for implementing this type of intervention.This paper will outline effective strategies for ensuring that evidence-based family interventions are available to the families of those with psychosis and other serious mental health difficulties. These will include strategies to address the following:•Organisational issues;•Training of staff;•Supervision;•Role of management;•Involving family members to advocate for change;•Changing service structures to ensure the delivery of family work.

Aging and Health: A New Relationship

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
User Group ◽  
Neurological Problem ◽  
Aging And Health ◽  
User Groups ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Active Citizen

Old age is not of itself a pure neurological ‘problem’, pathology or statement of need. ‘Older people’ or an ‘aging population’ are not a homogeneous group and categorisation as a distinct service user group is, arguably, contentious. Furthermore, since the advent of personalisation in the UK for, conceptualizing support by user groups is considered by many as obsolete. People do not receive health services by virtue of being ‘older’. Rather they are in need of a service - for example, because of ill health, physical impairment, mental health difficulties, addiction or offending. This article will enable us to consider the implications of the re-figuring of the relationship between the state, older people and health professions and social work. This constructs an ambiguous place for older people: they feature either as a resource - captured in the idea of the ‘active citizen’, as affluent consumers, volunteers or providers of childcare- or as a problem in the context of poverty, vulnerability and risk.

scholarly journals Experiences of how services supporting women with perinatal mental health difficulties work with their families: a qualitative study in England

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e030208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Billie Lever Taylor ◽  
Jo Billings ◽  
Nicola Morant ◽  
Debra Bick ◽  
Sonia Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Family Involvement ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Perinatal Mental Health ◽  
Health Access ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Mental Health Access

ObjectivesPartners and wider family members play a vital role in relation to women’s perinatal mental health. Clinical guidelines in the UK and internationally recommend that services supporting women with perinatal mental health difficulties involve and support their families too. However, little is known about family members’ needs and experiences, or whether they feel included by mental health services. This study set out to explore this.MethodsThis research formed part of a wider study exploring experiences of perinatal mental health care in England. The broader study included semi-structured interviews with 52 women across England who received treatment for a perinatal mental health difficulty, and 32 family members identified by the women as offering them some support. Data from these 84 interviews relating to how services work with partners and families were extracted and analysed thematically.ResultsAnalysis identified three overarching themes: (1) the centrality of women’s families to their perinatal mental health/access to support, (2) experiences of partners and families being excluded by services and (3) ambivalence among women and their families about increasing family involvement/support. We found that partners and families appear to have an important influence on women’s perinatal mental health, access to care and interactions with services, but that services tend to focus on individual women (and babies) with little regard for their wider family context. The complexity of involving and supporting partners and families, coupled with anxiety about this among women and their families, reinforces the tendency to marginalise them.ConclusionInvolving women’s families and providing the support they need is challenging, but important. Experiences of women and their families of services treating perinatal mental health difficulties suggests greater focus is needed on overcoming barriers to family inclusion and on challenging underlying gender roles and expectations, rather than allowing these to shape and guide practice.

scholarly journals The Consequences of Apostasy: How Changing Core Social and Personal Religious Beliefs Affect Sense of Self, Mental Health, and Identity.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leyla Bolton ◽  
Association of Black Humanists ◽  
Andres Fonseca ◽  
Derek Tracy ◽  
Joseph M Barnby
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Belief Change ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Dynamic Interaction ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Identity Crises ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship

Though previous research has highlighted the significant and typically positive ‘religion-health’ relationships, little attention has been paid to the psychological and social factors involved in, and resulting from absconding from religion, known as apostasy. This is despite popular culture referencing apostasy as a lonely and distressing experience. Our study qualitatively investigated the experiences and perceptions of those undergoing religious belief change and whether this made participants more vulnerable to poorer mental health. Using grounded theory and semi-structured interviews, we explored these experiences in 13 members of the UK-based Association of Black Humanists, including how they arrived at their belief change and how they felt that this may have impacted their social relationships. Thematic analysis determined a dynamic interaction between perceived predisposing factors, triggers and maintenance. Furthermore, the data suggest the relationship between apostasy and one’s sense of self and mental health to be influenced by identity crises and moderated by protective factors, such as social support. Findings are discussed against previous research and recommendations are made for future investigation.

scholarly journals The mental health of military veterans in the UK

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 88-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Howard Burdett ◽  
Neil Greenberg ◽  
Nicola T. Fear ◽  
Norman Jones
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Mental Health Difficulties ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Not At Risk

Risk factors for poor mental health among UK veterans include demonstrating symptoms while in service, being unmarried, holding lower rank, experiencing childhood adversity and having a combat role; however, deploy ment to a combat zone does not appear to be associated with mental health outcomes. While presentation of late-onset, post-service difficulties may explain some of the difference between veterans and those in service, delayed-onset post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appears to be partly explained by prior subthreshold PTSD, as well as other mental health difficulties. In the longer term, veterans do not appear to suffer worse mental health than equivalent civilians. This overall lack of difference, despite increased mental health difficulties in those who have recently left, suggests that veterans are not at risk of worse mental health and/or that poor mental health is a cause, rather than a consequence, of leaving service.

scholarly journals Big data: what it can and cannot achieve

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 237-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Schofield ◽  
Jayati Das-Munshi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
List Type ◽  
Traditional Research ◽  
Research Designs ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Study Designs

SUMMARYThis article looks at the use of large datasets of health records, typically linked with other data sources, in mental health research. The most comprehensive examples of this kind of ‘big data’ are typically found in Scandinavian countries, although there are also many useful sources in the UK. There are a number of promising methodological innovations from studies using big data in UK mental health research, including: hybrid study designs, data linkage and enhanced study recruitment. It is, however, important to be aware of the limitations of research using big data, particularly the various pitfalls in analysis. We therefore caution against abandoning traditional research designs, and argue that other data sources are equally valuable and, ideally, research should incorporate data from a range of sources.LEARNING OBJECTIVES•Be aware of major big data resources relevant to mental health research•Be aware of key advantages and innovative study designs using these data sources•Understand the inherent limitations to studies reliant on big data aloneDECLARATION OF INTERESTNone.

scholarly journals Visual Impairment and Risk of Dementia: the UK Biobank Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuoting Zhu ◽  
Danli Shi ◽  
Huan Liao ◽  
Jason Ha ◽  
Xianwen Shang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Acuity ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Hospital Inpatient ◽  
List Type ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Clear Trend ◽  
Incident Dementia ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONThe association between visual impairment (VI) and the risk of dementia has been poorly understood. We sought to investigate the VI-dementia relationship in the UK Biobank Study.METHODSA total of 117,187 volunteers (aged 40-69 years) deemed free of dementia at baseline were included. Habitual distance visual acuity worse than 0.3 logMAR units in the better-seeing eye was used to define VI. The incident dementia was based on electronically linked hospital inpatient and death records.RESULTSDuring a median follow up of 5.96 years, the presence of VI was significantly associated with incident dementia (HR=1.78, 95% CI: 1.18-2.68, P=0.006). There was a clear trend between the severity of VI and the risk of dementia (P for trend=0.002).DISCUSSIONVisually impaired individuals were more likely to develop incident dementia, with a progressively greater risk among those with worse visual acuity. Our findings highlight the value of regular vision screening and elimination of VI.HIGHLIGHTSThe association between VI and dementia has been poorly understood;VI is associated with incident dementia in non-demented adults;There is a clear trend between the severity of VI and the risk of dementia;VI may be a marker of increased dementia risk.RESEARCH IN CONTEXTSYSTEMATIC REVIEWWe searched and reviewed the literature using traditional sources (e.g., PubMed and GoogleScholar). While the association between VI and cognitive function/decline are increasingly studies, investigation of the association between VI and the risk of dementia has been largely overlooked.INTERPRETATIONWe found that visually impaired individuals were more likely to develop incident dementia, with a progressively greater risk among those with worse visual acuity. Our findings imply that VI may be an important marker of dementia.FUTURE DIRECTIONSThese findings call for more studies to investigate (a) the role of visual acuity changes on the risk of dementia; (b) the relationship between other components of visual function and incident dementia; (c) the relationship between eye diseases and incident dementia; and (d) the potential benefits of vision rehabilitation on dementia prevention.

scholarly journals Exploring the mental health impact on private flat owners in residential buildings with external combustible cladding

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S268-S269
Author(s):  
William Martin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Free Text ◽  
List Type ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Human Right ◽  
The Uk

AimsTo explore the mental health of private flat owners in residential buildings with external combustible cladding, which require remediation following the 2017 Grenfell tower fire.The speed at which the fire at Grenfell spread, killing 72 people, is largely attributed to external combustible cladding. It is increasingly suspected that there are ongoing profound effects on the mental health of people living in flats with external combustible cladding like Grenfell both in the UK and abroad. The issue has left flat owners facing severe financial hardship, the threat of bankruptcy and concerns about safety in their own homes.MethodAn exploratory ‘Google Forms’ online mental health survey comprising multiple choice and free text questions over 47 sections was distributed to flat owners in affected buildings. The survey remained open for 6 weeks to allow response. 550 individual responses were studied.Result550 individuals completed the survey, from 143 buildings across 45 UK councils.As a direct result of external combustible cladding: 89.5% said their mental health had deteriorated,22.5% reported having suicidal feelings or a desire to self-harm,71.1% reported having difficulty sleeping,93.8% said they were suffering from worry and anxiety,59.6% used coping strategies to deal with their situation,35.1% said that existing physical and mental health conditions had been exacerbated,84.1% said they cannot move on with their lives and57.9% of people had concerns about seeking help or treatment for mental/physical health problems caused by their situation during the pandemic.In addition, free text responses reflected feelings of anxiety and low mood attributed to the constant fear of fire, and an inability to plan families and future homes. One person said, “I have been left utterly broken by this. My mental and physical health has worsened, I have severe anxiety, depression and PTSD. I struggle each day to keep myself alive.”ConclusionSafe housing is a basic human right. The results show the current situation is having a detrimental impact on flat owners’ mental health and makes a strong case for the provision of specific services offering support - particularly given it is 3.5 years since Grenfell and a viable solution for all is yet to be found.

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