scholarly journals Letters from the Clinic. Letter Writing in Clinical Practice for Mental Health Professionals By Derek Steinberg. London & Philadelphia: Routledge. 2000. 130 pp. £15.99 pb. ISBN: 0-415-20504-2

2001 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 280-ibc
Author(s):  
Raj Persaud

Ethical issues inherent in psychiatric research and clinical practice are invariably complex and multifaceted. Well-reasoned ethical decision-making is essential to deal effectively with patients and enhance their care. Drawing on the positive reception of Psychiatric Ethics since its first publication in 1981, this highly anticipated fifth edition offers psychiatrists and other mental health professionals a coherent guide to dealing with the diverse ethical issues that challenge them. This edition has been substantially updated to reflect the many changes that have occurred in the field during the past decade. Its 25 chapters are grouped in three sections, as follows: 1) clinical practice in child and adolescent psychiatry, consultation-liaison psychiatry, psychogeriatrics, community psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry; 2) relevant basic sciences such as neuroethics and genetics; and 3) philosophical and social contexts including the history of ethics in psychiatry and the nature of professionalism. Principal aspects of clinical practice in general, such as confidentiality, boundary violations, and involuntary treatment, are covered comprehensively, as is a new chapter on diagnosis. Given the contributors’ expertise in their respective fields, Psychiatric Ethics will undoubtedly continue to serve as a significant resource for all mental health professionals, whatever the role they play in psychiatry. It will also benefit students of moral philosophy in their professional pursuits.


Author(s):  
S. Nassir Ghaemi

This chapter examines the basic pharmacology of psychotropic drugs. Besides knowing what drugs do to certain chemicals or proteins in the brain, it is important to know where drugs affect those chemicals or proteins. There is some basic knowledge about neuroanatomy that is relevant to the clinical practice of psychopharmacology. It is accepted that neurobiology is an important factor in the etiology and pathophysiology of major psychiatric conditions—like schizophrenia and manic-depressive disease, as well as in other psychiatric clinical pictures. The general summary usually provided is that neurobiology represents a diathesis to psychiatric conditions, which is supplemented by environmental stress to produce observed clinical pictures. This mixture of genetics and environment is oversimplified in the minds of most mental health professionals. In fact, the mix depends on the illness. The biochemical neuroanatomy of the monoamines, glutamate, and GABA in the brain are discussed. Pharmacokinetic aspects of psychopharmacology are reviewed, including hepatic metabolism, drug half-lives, dosing, and tolerance and sensitization.


1998 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 542-545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phil Thomas

Recent changes in the law and mental health policy have forced psychiatrists and other mental health professionals to review the traditional cloak of secrecy that surrounds record keeping and letter writing. This paper establishes what proportion of patients attending a psychiatric out-patient clinic are interested in receiving letters from their psychiatrist. Those who are interested tend to be better educated, whereas those who are not interested are much more likely to have an ICD–10 diagnosis of schizophrenia. Overall, there appear to be high levels of satisfaction with the nature of the letters received. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the difficulty of engaging people with the most severe and enduring forms of mental health problems as active participants in the process of care.


2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Epstein ◽  
Amanda Bequette

Smart phone usage has greatly increased in recent years. Not only has the computing power of these mobile devices dramatically improved but so has the variety of functions they can accomplish—an amazing array of tasks that once would have been considered remarkable. Historically, mental health professionals have been quick to embrace smart phone technology and there are now literally hundreds of applications for practitioners and clients alike. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using smart phone technology in clinical practice and considers the implications for the future of clinical practice.


Author(s):  
A. Steven Frankel

Disruptions in clinical practice that are not adequately planned for can have a significant negative impact on clients, family members, and colleagues. This chapter addresses the problem of unanticipated disruptions in clinical practice due to death, disability, and illness. Challenges associated with each of these situations are illustrated. Proactive and thoughtful ways of preparing for them are presented. Topics include the professional will (with descriptions of needed elements), approaches involving groups of cooperative colleagues, and a “quasi-insurance model” that was developed because many mental health professionals have not embraced the first two approaches. Recommendations for addressing these situations with our clients’ best interests in mind are presented.


2009 ◽  
Vol 195 (S52) ◽  
pp. s51-s56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Gray ◽  
Rosalyn Spilling ◽  
David Burgess ◽  
Tim Newey

BackgroundA patient-centred approach to care, focusing on recovery, demands a reconsideration of how choices are made about treatment, how this affects medication adherence, and the role of long-acting antipsychotics (LAIs) in this process.AimsTo explore the role of the mental health professional (particularly nurses) in helping patients manage their medication, with a specific focus of the use and administration of LAIs.MethodA pragmatic review of the literature.ResultsPatients (by experience) and mental health professionals (by training and clinical practice) are experts in the care and treatment of psychosis. When patients and clinicians make a joint decision both are more likely to adhere to the treatment plan. In this paper we consider good practice in the administration of LAIs that focuses on where and when they should be given and administration techniques. Skills for talking with patients about their medication that include exchanging information, monitoring the effects of medication and making advance choices about treatment in the event of a crisis are also discussed.ConclusionsMental health professionals require a range of competences to help patients manage their medication effectively.


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