Anna Lloyd, Joseph Lloyd Davies, Rebecca Semmens-Wheeler, Ali Isa Alfaraj, Domingo Gonzalez Naranjo and Kieran Breen
This study aims to explore the ethical challenges of managing the weight of psychiatric patients in the least restrictive manner in secure mental health settings and whether these…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the ethical challenges of managing the weight of psychiatric patients in the least restrictive manner in secure mental health settings and whether these could be considered as a source of moral distress for health practitioners, which may be linked to staff burnout and ultimately lead to suboptimal patient care.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative semi-structured interview study design was used to explore the understanding, views and experiences of six staff members working on two medium-secure wards in a UK mental health hospital using an opportunity sampling technique and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.
Findings
Analysis of semi-structured interviews revealed a multitude of moral events that evoked feelings of frustration, powerlessness and anxiety related to the management of obesity in the least restrictive way, which is indicative of moral distress.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the small sample size and the qualitative nature of the research, the findings of this study are of explorative in nature. Further quantitative research would be required to establish a causative link between the ethical challenges associated with obesity management and staff’s moral distress.
Practical implications
Addressing the health-care professionals’ knowledge deficit on how to achieve the right balance in their duty of care through inclusion of bioethics into professional discussions and training could improve staff’s well-being and the organisation’s ethical climate.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first qualitative work exploring the role of least restrictive practice in the challenges associated with health promotion within secure psychiatric settings, and the effect these challenges have on mental health staff.
Details
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David Hearne, Rebecca Semmens-Wheeler and Kimberley M. Hill
One of the most heated discussions regarding Brexit is over the nature of any future trade deal the UK is going to sign with the EU. There have been endless discussions since the…
Abstract
One of the most heated discussions regarding Brexit is over the nature of any future trade deal the UK is going to sign with the EU. There have been endless discussions since the referendum result about this crucial aspect question and nothing has been so far agreed. Some analysts, however, have already pointed to a series of issues that anything different from the status quo could cause. The case analysed in the following pages serves as a cautionary tale, and there is an important reason for that. It is a good illustration of the issues that can emerge when countries are members of some forms of regional associations but not of others and whose consequences can produce spill-overs from pure trade matters to more serious security concerns.
It is not very often that something as common as the import and export of agricultural products – especially non-exotic fruits and vegetables – becomes the object of such a dispute across multiple states. This is what happened in the now infamous case of Chinese garlic exports, which have seen several instances of smuggling, conviction, and fraud all over Europe in the last 20 years. Most incidents have taken place in Northern Europe, particularly Sweden, Norway, the UK and Ireland. There’s a reason for that, which will be explained below.