Physical Illness in Chronic Psychiatric Patients from a Community Psychiatric Unit Revisited

1992 ◽  
Vol 161 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Honig ◽  
P. Pop ◽  
E. De Kemp ◽  
H. Philipsen ◽  
M. A. J. Romme

A group of 156 psychiatric patients from an urban community psychiatric unit for chronic psychiatric patients was routinely medically screened and reported on. Re-evaluation of the medical diseases found in those patients was carried out three years later. Those who were still being treated – 73 patients (47%) – were interviewed, as were their psychiatrist and, where necessary, their general practitioner (GP). The implementation of medical recommendations given following the physical screening by the specialist in internal medicine was also assessed. Re-evaluation of the diagnoses confirmed that 36% of this population had one or more physical diseases, rather than the 53% found earlier. The results show that the majority of physical complaints and diseases as well as functional illnesses were as persistent as the psychiatric diagnoses in this patient group. The patients' GP seems to be the person best suited as the primary physician responsible for the patient's physical health.

1989 ◽  
Vol 155 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Honig ◽  
P. Pop ◽  
E. S. Tan ◽  
H. Philipsen ◽  
M. A. J. Romme

The prevalence and significance of physical diseases, and health-care-seeking behaviour, were examined in a sample of 218 chronic psychiatric patients from an urban community psychiatric unit. Only 14% declined medical screening. Of the respondents, 53% had one or more probable or certain physical diseases warranting further medical attention. The majority of the diseases found were minor and typical of primary care problems. A severe (i.e. life-threatening) disease was present in 7% of respondents. Of the patients, 87% visited their GP at least once a year. The implications are that frequent consultation with primary care specialists and health-care-seeking behaviour should be noted, and included in any evaluation of the medical needs of chronic patients in community psychiatric care.


1988 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 483-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Femi Oyebode ◽  
Elaine Gadd ◽  
David Berry ◽  
Mary Lynes ◽  
Patricia Lashley

There has been a dramatic increase in the numbers of community psychiatic nurses (CPNs) in the last decade; in the period 1980–1985 the number grew from 1667 to 2758, an overall increase of 65%. Traditionally, CPNs were based within psychiatric institutions. However, in the period 1980–1985 there was growth from 8% to 16.2% in the population of CPNs based in health care centres or General Practitioner (GP) surgeries. Some of the functions of CPNs is also changing, developing away from involvement with chronic psychiatric patients towards patients with minor disorders. CPNs have also argued that work in the community and in GP surgeries is synonymous with primary prevention.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S553-S553 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Arts ◽  
P. Michielsen ◽  
S. Petrykiv ◽  
L. de Jonge

IntroductionJohann Gottlieb Burckhardt-Heussler was a Swiss psychiatrist, who pioneered controversial psychosurgical procedures. Burckhardt-Heussler extirpated various brain regions from six chronic psychiatric patients under his care. By removing cortical tissue he aimed to relieve the patients of symptoms, including agitation, rather than effect a cure.ObjectivesTo present the scientific papers of Johann Gottlieb Burckhardt-Heussler on psychosurgery.AimsTo review available literature and to show evidence that Burckhardt-Heussler made a significant contribution to the development of psychosurgery.MethodsA biography and private papers are presented and discussed, followed by a literature review.ResultsThe theoretical basis of Burckhardt-Heussler's psychosurgical procedure was influenced by the zeitgeist and based on his belief that psychiatric illnesses were the result of specific brain lesions. His findings were ignored by scientists to make them disappear into the mists of time, while the details of his experiments became murky. Decades later, it was the American neurologist Walter Freeman II, performing prefrontal lobotomies since 1936, who found it inconceivable that the medical community had forgotten Burckhardt-Heussler and who conceded that he was familiar with, and probably even influenced by, Burckhardt's work.ConclusionIt is partly thanks to Burckhardt-Heussler's pioneering work that modern psychosurgery has gradually evolved from irreversible ablation to reversible stimulation techniques, including deep brain stimulation.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


1968 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Herjanic ◽  
A. Stewart ◽  
R. C. Hales

Three hundred and thirty-eight chronic psychiatric patients were followed up for two years after their discharge. Information was available on all but four patients. During the twenty-four month follow-up period, 11% had died and 25% required readmission. The source of support and living arrangements for the whole group were discussed, and the opinions about the outcome by the informant, psychiatrist, and social worker, were compared, The opinions correlated remarkably well. Characteristics of community care deemed important by the investigators were discussed briefly.


1988 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 840-842
Author(s):  
Richard C. Evenson ◽  
Dong W. Cho

Scores on eight scales of the Missouri Inpatient Behavior Scale changed significantly during the last 6 mo. prior to discharge of chronic public psychiatric patients. Improvement in chronic patients appears to occur primarily in day-to-day competence, communication, and affect.


1988 ◽  
Vol 152 (6) ◽  
pp. 783-792 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Wooff ◽  
D. P. Goldberg ◽  
T. Fryers

The context and content of work undertaken with individual clients by community psychiatric nurses (CPNs) and mental health social workers (MHSWs) in Salford were found to be significantly different. Although there were some areas of overlap, the ways in which the two professions worked were quite distinct. MHSWs discussed a wide range of topics and were as concerned with clients' interactions with family and community networks as they were with symptoms. Their interviews with schizophrenic clients followed a similar pattern to those with other groups, and they worked closely with psychiatrists and other mental health staff. CPNs, on the other hand, focused mainly on psychiatric symptoms, treatment arrangements, and medications, and spent significantly less time with individual psychotic clients than they did with patients suffering from neuroses. They were as likely to be in contact with general practitioners as they were with psychiatrists, and had fewer contacts with other mental health staff than the MHSWs. There was evidence that the long-term care of chronic psychiatric patients living outside hospital required more co-ordinated long-term multidisciplinary input.


1992 ◽  
Vol 160 (5) ◽  
pp. 674-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim T. Mueser ◽  
Alan S. Bellack ◽  
Julie H. Wade ◽  
Steven L. Sayers ◽  
Carole K. Rosenthal

Both psychiatric patients and their relatives benefit from learning about mental illness and how to cope with it, but the specific interests of these consumers remain unclear. To determine specific educational needs and to compare the needs of different consumers, a questionnaire survey was conducted with a sample of patients with schizophrenia and affective disorder and their relatives. Both patients and relatives reported strong interest in learning more about psychiatric illness and strategies for coping with common problems, but patients with schizophrenia were less interested than patients with affective disorder and both sets of relatives. Discriminant analyses revealed that needs differed as a function of patient diagnosis, patient/relative status, and relatives' membership of a self-help and advocacy organisation. Consumers of mental health services are capable of specifying their own educational needs, and educational programmes should be tailored to meet these.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 245-247
Author(s):  
Mohema Duarte de Oliveira ◽  
Mariana Ferreira de Sá ◽  
Maria Luciene Rocha

Objetivos: avaliar o impacto da sobrecarga familiar nos cuidados ao paciente psiquiátrico crônico. Metodologia: pesquisa bibliográfica por meio de referências publicadas em documentos, livros, revistas, artigos científicos, internet, ou seja, aborda tudo o que foi publicado sobre o tema proposto. Resultados: a convivência com a pessoa acometida por uma doença mental é desgastante para o familiar e, muitas vezes, há dificuldade de compreensão dos sintomas apresentados pelo doente. Conclusão: há a necessidade de desenvolver programas de informação, orientação e apoio aos familiares dos pacientes psiquiátricos.Descritores: Sobrecarga, Familiares Cuidadores, Pacientes Psiquiátricos.Perception of the familiar overload in the cares to the chronic psychiatric patientAims: to assess the impact of family burden in caring for chronic psychiatric patients. Methodology: literature search by means of references in published papers, books, magazines, papers, and internet, that is, it approaches all publishings on the theme. Results: living with the person affected by mental illness is stressful for the family and sometimes there is difficulty in understanding the symptoms presented by the patient. Conclusion: there is a need to develop information, guidance and support to families of psychiatric patients.Descriptors: Overload, Family Caregivers, Psychiatric Patients.La percepción de la carga familiar en el cuidado de pacientes psiquiátricos crónicosObjectivos: Evaluar el impacto de la carga familiar en el cuidado de pacientes psiquiátricos crónicos. Metodología: la literatura a través de referencias de artículos publicados, libros, revistas, periódicos, internet, o las direcciones de lo que se ha publicado sobre el tema. Resultados: la convivencia con la persona afectada por una enfermedad mental es muy estresante para la familia y con frecuencia hay dificultad en la comprensión de los síntomas que presenta el paciente. Conclusión: Hay una necesidad de desarrollar programas de información, orientación y apoyo a las familias de los pacientes psiquiátricos.Descriptores: Sobrecarga, Los Cuidadores Familiares, Los Pacientes Psiquiátricos.


Author(s):  
Paulo Roberto Oliveira Henrique Santana ◽  
Cibele Isaac Saad Rodrigues

Abstract: Introduction: Mental disorders are accountable for the segregation of patients in many diverse cultures and historical moments worldwide. The evolution of neuroscience, technologies and advances in the psychosocial sphere have not been enough to change this paradigm. Many people still fear having social relations with someone with a psychiatric disorder, despite scientific progress and efforts to reduce prejudice in recent decades. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the training in mental health during the undergraduate course offered to residents in Internal Medicine and analyze the feelings, perceptions, and stigmas of these physicians regarding the care offered to patients with mental disorders. Method: This study has a qualitative, quantitative approach and descriptive, cross-sectional design. Thirty-two residents in Internal Medicine participated and, for comparison, the questionnaires were also answered by 8 residents in Psychiatry. Two instruments were applied: one for the characterization of the participants’ sociodemographic profile and the attribution questionnaire (AQ-26B). Qualitative data were obtained through a focus group with 14 residents and the content analysis was used for categorization. The most frequent categories were illustrated with Pareto charts. Results: The results demonstrated that residents in internal medicine showed higher indexes of stigma regarding aspects such as fear and intolerance. It was also possible to infer gaps related to training in mental health, low perception of care responsibility, in addition to the difficulty in legitimizing complaints and showing negative feelings. Conclusion: One can conclude the need for educational interventions that promote the decrease of the stigma and the search for training regarding comprehensive and empathic care for patients with mental disorders.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document