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1 – 10 of 366Andrew Forrester, Chiara Samele, Karen Slade, Tom Craig and Lucia Valmaggia
The purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence of suicide ideation amongst a group of people who had been arrested and taken into police custody, and were then referred to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence of suicide ideation amongst a group of people who had been arrested and taken into police custody, and were then referred to a mental health service operating in the police stations.
Design/methodology/approach
A referred sample of 888 cases were collected over an 18-month period during 2012/2013. Clinical assessments were conducted using a template in which background information was collected (including information about their previous clinical history, substance misuse, alleged offence, any pre-identified diagnoses, and the response of the service) as part of the standard operating procedure of the service. Data were analysed using a statistical software package.
Findings
In total, 16.2 per cent (n=144) reported suicide ideation, with women being more likely to report than men. In total, 82.6 per cent of the suicide ideation sample reported a history of self-harm or a suicide attempt. Suicide ideation was also associated with certain diagnostic categories (depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and personality disorder), a history of contact with mental health services, and recent (within 24 hours) consumption of alcohol or drugs.
Originality/value
This evaluation adds to the limited literature in this area by describing a large sample from a real clinical service. It provides information that can assist with future service designs and it offers support for calls for a standardised health screening process, better safety arrangements for those who have recently used alcohol or drugs (within 24 hours) and integrated service delivery across healthcare domains (i.e. physical healthcare, substance use, and mental health).
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Rebecca Chester, Eddie Chaplin, Elias Tsakanikos, Jane McCarthy, Nick Bouras and Tom Craig
This study aimed to examine for differences on how symptoms relating to depression and anxiety were reported by males and females with intellectual disability as part of the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to examine for differences on how symptoms relating to depression and anxiety were reported by males and females with intellectual disability as part of the development of the Self‐Assessment Intervention Package (SAINT), a guided self‐help tool.
Design/methodology/approach
Three self‐report questionnaires were administered (The Glasgow Depression Scale – Learning Disabilities (GDS‐LD)), Glasgow Anxiety Scale – Intellectual Disabilities (GAS‐ID) and Self‐Assessment Intervention Package (SAINT) to a group of people with mild intellectual disabilities (n=36), to allow comparison of symptom reporting between genders, in particular examining the SAINT across the two groups.
Findings
Statistically significant differences in self‐reported symptoms as assessed with SAINT were found between males and females. The symptoms where related mainly to mood and self‐esteem. Overall, endorsement of self‐reported depressive symptoms was between 2.7‐3.2 times higher in female than male patients.
Originality/value
There was evidence to suggest differences in self‐report and symptom profiles of depression and anxiety of males and females with mild intellectual disabilities with females reporting higher in terms of symptoms using the SAINT. The SAINT is a valid tool for screening and self‐reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression in people with intellectual disabilities.
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Colin Hemmings, Shaymaa Obousy and Tom Craig
The use of accessible, portable, mental health crisis information in people with intellectual disabilities has not been previously reported. The purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
The use of accessible, portable, mental health crisis information in people with intellectual disabilities has not been previously reported. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether crisis information could be modified to be made accessible and meaningful for people with intellectual disabilities.
Design/methodology/approach
Personalized information to help in a mental health crisis was recorded on folded A4 sized sheets that could be carried in a conveniently sized wallet.
Findings
Three quarters of the participants carried their crisis information wallets on a daily basis for six months before evaluation. They and their carers expressed positive feedback about them carrying the crisis information. No one carrying the information actually experienced a mental health crisis in the six months follow up period so their usefulness in such crises could not be evaluated. However, they were unexpectedly used in other non‐mental health settings and reported to have been helpful.
Originality/value
The sample size in this was small but the findings suggested that the carrying of crisis information might be a helpful measure for some people with intellectual disabilities. A further, larger scale trial is warranted.
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Eddie Chaplin, Tom Craig and Nick Bouras
In spite of the greater prevalence of mental ill‐health in people with intellectual disabilities, there has been little work specifically aimed at how this group recognise threats…
Abstract
Purpose
In spite of the greater prevalence of mental ill‐health in people with intellectual disabilities, there has been little work specifically aimed at how this group recognise threats to their mental health and the strategies used to minimise them. This study aims to look at the first stage of development of a guided self‐help (GSH) pack called the Self Assessment and INTervention pack (SAINT).
Design/methodology/approach
Delphi methods and focus groups were employed to gather opinions from two expert groups: professionals or clinical experts (ranged N=15‐33); and service users (n=9), to inform the contents of the SAINT. The Delphi was conducted by e‐mail. Results from each round were shared between the two groups to develop a consensus.
Findings
Retention rates for clinical experts were 45.45 per cent, during the Delphi and 100 per cent for the service user experts in the focus groups. Both groups were able to reach a consensus of the items that would make up the SAINT. Delphi methods combined with focus groups were able generate the contents of the SAINT and demonstrated versatility in this dual approach by being able to gain a consensus from both groups.
Research limitations/implications
There is no consensus as to how many people are ideal for a Delphi. Although the final number in round 3 was low, it can be argued that those remaining had most interest in the subject.
Practical implications
The aim is to produce and pilot the SAINT, a GSH package for people with intellectual disabilities, following reliability and validity testing.
Social implications
Currently GSH is widely used for mild depression in Primary Care and other disorders such as mild anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and other related conditions. However, there are no specific GSH packages for people with intellectual disabilities. Currently the GSH tools that are available are not designed for people with cognitive impairments and do not reflect the lifestyles of many people with intellectual disabilities.
Originality/value
This paper should be of value to anyone with an interest in supporting people with intellectual disabilities to recognise and manage specific symptoms or feelings that threaten the person's mental well being.
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Dolly Sen, Sarah Morgan and Jerome Carson
The development of the recovery approach must mean a fundamental change in how mental health services see service users, for as the Social Perspectives Network paper rhetorically…
Abstract
The development of the recovery approach must mean a fundamental change in how mental health services see service users, for as the Social Perspectives Network paper rhetorically asks, ‘Whose Recovery is it?’, it is, of course, the service users' (Social Perspectives Network, 2007). The recent influential Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health report, suggests that professionals need to move from a position of ‘being on top, to being on tap’ (Shepherd et al, 2008). Service users need to take a more central role in the whole recovery debate. One of the ways that this aim can be realised is by looking at ‘recovery heroes’. These are individuals whose journey of recovery can inspire both other service users and professionals alike.
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Over the past 20 years there has been a recurrent problem of a purple‐bluish stain appearing on the laminate materials of finished printed circuit boards between the gold‐plated…
Abstract
Over the past 20 years there has been a recurrent problem of a purple‐bluish stain appearing on the laminate materials of finished printed circuit boards between the gold‐plated fingers. The origin of this staining has been traced back to the PWB fabrication plant and it is generally accepted to be related to either the gold plating bath and/or the solder stripper chemistry. In this paper the authors report their investigation of this phenomenon and show that, far from being a benign, cosmetic defect, this purple stain poses a potentially serious metallic contamination to the laminate surface of the PWB. The purple colour arises from generation of a colloidal gold chromophore known as the ‘Purple of Cassius,’ which has been known since ancient times and has been in commercial use in the glass and ceramics industry for at least 300 years.
Asmita Karmakar, Manisha Bhattacharya, Jayeeta Adhya, Susmita Chatterjee and Atanu Kumar Dogra
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are heterogeneous disorders, and heterogeneity lies both at genetic and phenotypic levels. To better understand the etiology and pathway that may…
Abstract
Purpose
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are heterogeneous disorders, and heterogeneity lies both at genetic and phenotypic levels. To better understand the etiology and pathway that may contribute to autism symptomatology, it is important to study milder expressions of autism characteristics – autistic traits or milder expressions of autism phenotype, especially in intergenerational context. This study aims to see the trend of association, if any, between child autism symptom and mothers’ autism phenotype as well as mothers’ theory of mind and to see if mothers’ theory of mind was associated with their own autistic traits.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 96 mothers of children with varying symptom severity of autism (mild, moderate and severe) using Autism Spectrum Quotient and faux pas recognition test. Analysis of variance, trend analysis and t-test were done.
Findings
Results showed a linear trend of relationship between mothers’ autism phenotype and child symptom severity. However, the groups did not have significant differences in theory of mind. Only a few components of theory of mind were found to be associated with autistic traits. These findings question the prevailing idea that theory of mind can be a reliable endophenotype of autism.
Research limitations/implications
There has been a lack of research assessing the possible link between parents’ autism phenotype and symptom severity of ASD children. This study is a preliminary step towards that direction. This study indicates a probability of shared genetic liability between mothers and offspring, which would have important consequences for understanding the mechanisms that lead to autism.
Practical implications
This study offers implications for treatment planning of those with clinical ASD. An awareness of parental factors is critical for any holistic intervention plan when a family seeks treatment for their child. This study suggests that while individualising interventions, clinicians may consider possible presence of high levels of autistic traits and related cognitive features present in the probands’ parents.
Originality/value
There has been lack of research assessing the possible link between parents’ autism phenotype and symptom severity of ASD children. This study, even though preliminary, is a step towards that direction. This study suggests that autism traits might be influenced by common genetic variation and indicates a probability of shared genetic liability between mothers and offspring, which would have important consequences for understanding the mechanisms that lead to autism.
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The management of children′s literature is a search for value andsuitability. Effective policies in library and educational work arebased firmly on knowledge of materials, and on…
Abstract
The management of children′s literature is a search for value and suitability. Effective policies in library and educational work are based firmly on knowledge of materials, and on the bibliographical and critical frame within which the materials appear and might best be selected. Boundaries, like those between quality and popular books, and between children′s and adult materials, present important challenges for selection, and implicit in this process are professional acumen and judgement. Yet also there are attitudes and systems of values, which can powerfully influence selection on grounds of morality and good taste. To guard against undue subjectivity, the knowledge frame should acknowledge the relevance of social and experiential context for all reading materials, how readers think as well as how they read, and what explicit and implicit agendas the authors have. The good professional takes all these factors on board.
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