scholarly journals Why Do Approved Mental Health Professionals Think Detentions under the Mental Health Act Are Rising and What Do They Think Should Be Done about It?

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 616-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Bonnet ◽  
Nicola Moran
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Risk ◽  
Social Risk Factors ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The number of people detained under the 1983 Mental Health Act has risen significantly in recent years and has recently been the subject of an independent review. Most existing research into the rise in detentions has tended to prioritise the perspectives of psychiatrists and failed to consider the views of Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs), usually social workers, who ultimately determine whether detention is appropriate. This mixed-methods study focused on AMHPs’ views on the reasons behind the rise in detentions and potential solutions. It included a national online survey of AMHPs (n = 160) and semi-structured interviews with six AMHPs within a Community Mental Health Team in England. AMHPs reported that demand for mental health services vastly exceeded supply and, due to inadequate resources, more people were being detained in hospital. AMHPs argued that greater investment in preventative mental health services and ‘low intensity’ support would help to mitigate the impact of social risk factors on mental health; and greater investment in crisis services, including non-medical alternatives to hospital, was required. Such investment at either end of the spectrum was expected to be more effective than changes to the law and lead to better outcomes for mental health service users.

The “constant tug-of-war” in mental health care in Greece

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 121-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niki Kyriakidou ◽  
Sofia Triliva
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Therapeutic Services ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on how mental health professionals involved in the therapeutic treatment of children in public mental health facilities in Greece experience and talk about the impact of the socioeconomic crises on the psychotherapeutic process. Design/methodology/approach In all, 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted and phenomenologically informed thematic analysis was used in analysing the data. Findings The results coalesced into two all-encompassing thematic structures articulating the following: first, the socioeconomic crises have permeated society and therapeutic praxis like a torrential and chronic rain storm. This has resulted in a deluge in demand for therapeutic services within the public mental health sector; second, mental health professionals describe their positioning and work as “a constant tug-of-war” where they are inundated and often overwhelmed with work, find themselves identifying with service users and taking on several roles simultaneously, and being challenged to find solutions often in dire and complex situations. They describe how creativity and flexibility are in demand in their day-to-day interactions and if they are to intervene in place of a health and welfare system that is faltering. Doing therapeutic work under such circumstances appears to be both emotionally onerous and stimulating with regard to conceptualising new ways of intervening in such complex psychosocial situations. Research limitations/implications The study is limited in that only mental health professionals presented their experiences and service users were not included. The findings do highlight how severe austerity policies impact mental health services and peoples’ lives. Practical implications The study has implications for policy regarding the provision and organisation of mental health services in contexts where crises and economic turmoil prevail. Social implications The results associate severe austerity with major changes in family and community life. Originality/value The paper provides insights and implications on how mental health services are impacted by socioeconomic conditions.

The transition between mental health services in Scotland

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliette van der Kamp
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Organisational Development ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Experience Difficulty

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the barriers and facilitators to an effective transition from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS). It also presents a new entry into considering how the transition can be improved. Design/methodology/approach Insights into the transition from CAMHS to AMHS were gathered through eight semi-structured interviews with mental health professionals. Two methods of data analysis were employed to explore the emerging themes in the data and the observed deficit approach to organisational development. Findings The findings identified a vast volume of barriers in comparison to facilitators to the transition. Adolescents who transition from CAMHS to AMHS initially experience difficulty adapting to the differences in the services due to the short duration of the transition period. However, despite the established barriers to the transition, adolescents tend to adapt to the differences between the services. Findings also showed a negative framing towards the transition amongst the mental health professionals which resembles a deficit approach to organisational development. Originality/value This paper explores mental health professionals’ perspectives regarding the transition in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The transition is increasingly recognised as an area in health care that requires improvement. This research provides a new way to consider the transition by exploring the perceived deficit approach to organisational development in the services.

Collaborating with Legal Professionals

2017 ◽  
pp. 384-394
Author(s):  
Eric G. Mart
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Legal System ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Legal Professionals

This chapter provides information designed to assist mental health professionals in effectively marketing their services to courts, attorneys, and the legal system in general. Suggestions are offered to help mental health professionals decide whether they will be comfortable working in an adversarial environment. Methods for developing the skillsets necessary for performing forensic consultations in a competent, ethical manner are provided. Information regarding how to effectively market mental health services to legal professionals are reviewed. Various areas of subspecialty practice are described.

scholarly journals Innovations in mental health promotion: Youth Net/Réseau Ado

1997 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 398-399
Author(s):  
Ian G Manion ◽  
Simon Davidson ◽  
Christina Norris ◽  
Sarah Brandon
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Health Promotion ◽  
Health Promotion Program ◽  
Mental Health And Illness ◽  
Health And Illness

Abstract Today's youth are at a disturbingly high risk for mental health and illness problems and are largely dissatisfied with the existing mental health services. Youth Net/Réseau Ado (YN/RA), supported by input from mental health professionals, is a bilingual mental health promotion program that seeks out the opinions and attitudes of youth regarding mental health and illness issues, while connecting them with appropriate resources and mental health services. This paper describes the Youth Net/Réseau Ado program and provides some guidelines for the identification of mental health and illness problems, including indicators of the risk of suicide.

scholarly journals Activity in a district psychotherapy service

1994 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 544-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Tillett
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Royal College ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Local Mental Health ◽  
South West ◽  
Major Teaching

The Royal College of Psychiatrists (1991) has recommended that all local mental health services should include specialist psychotherapy departments. At present these are uncommon outside major teaching centres, although a considerable amount of simple psychotherapy is provided on an ad hoc basis by mental health professionals of various disciplines. This paper describes the structure, functioning and costs of a specialist department in a non-teaching district in the south west of England.

The Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP): Workshop Evaluation

2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 450-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Doughty ◽  
Samson Tse ◽  
Natasha Duncan ◽  
Leo McIntyre
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Mental Health Recovery ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Attitudes And Knowledge ◽  
Workshop Evaluation

Objective: This study evaluated the delivery of a series of workshops on mental health recovery. The aims were to determine if the workshops changed participants’ attitudes and knowledge about recovery, if there were any differences in views between consumers and health professionals of mental health services, and how the delivery and content of the program could be improved. Methods: A total of 187 consumers and health professionals from mental health services attended a workshop based on the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP). Questionnaires were administered before and after the workshop. Results: There was a significant change in total attitudes and knowledge about recovery (p<0.001) in the expected direction, with no differences between consumers and health professionals. The majority of participants found the workshop useful, and the majority of comments were positive. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary support for the use of WRAP to change consumers’ and mental health professionals’ knowledge and attitudes about recovery.

scholarly journals Interorganisational Collaboration in a Norwegian Prison—Challenges and Opportunities Arising from Interagency Meetings

2021 ◽  
pp. 31-57
Author(s):  
Päivikki Lahtinen ◽  
Anu Kajamaa ◽  
Laura Seppänen ◽  
Berit Johnsen ◽  
Sarah Hean ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Interprofessional Collaboration ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Working Together ◽  
Provision Of Care

AbstractIn prison, the provision of care and the surveillance of inmates takes place in multiple locations with several often contradictory demands. Inmates may experience a fragmentation of services because of the separate silos in which criminal justice service and mental health professionals work and the distinct ways of working that develop within these. A greater alignment between services is required. This chapter focuses on interagency meetings in a Norwegian prison. These are groups that aim to develop an holistic perspective of the inmate’s situation and problems, and are seen as an innovative way to overcome the contradiction between ‘treatment’ and ‘punishment’ prison paradigms applied by the different professionals working together in the prison and mental health services. We analysed how the professionals interact at interagency meetings, and how they align their tasks, goals, roles and expertise to support the inmate’s imprisonment and rehabilitation. Our analysis illustrates the multiple ways in which this collective activity is conceptualised by the participants and then provides a model of interorganisational dynamics through which these collaborations may be fostered. By so doing, we have made suggestions about how to enhance interprofessional collaboration between prison and mental health services. The chapter also contributes to research on challenges and opportunities for collaboration in complex organisational settings.

"Are We There Yet?" - Consumer Participation in Mental Health Services

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme Browne ◽  
Mary Courtney
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Service Delivery ◽  
Consumer Participation ◽  
Mental Health Service Delivery ◽  
Community Attitudes

Public policy in Australia recommends that the relationship between consumers and mental health professionals should be one of equals and that consumers be encouraged to have input into service delivery at every level. This approach requires a significant change in attitude for mental health professionals and within services. Although consumer input into mental health service delivery has improved, there is still a long way to go. Unfortunately, consumers consider many of the efforts by mental health services to be tokenistic. This paper considers some of the issues regarding consumer participation, including the changing community attitudes towards people with a mental illness, the concept of recovery, challenges for health professionals and the impediments to consumer participation.

National standards: improving patient rights and safety of health services

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 194-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa O’Farrell ◽  
Michael Byrne ◽  
Linda Moore
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Patient Rights ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regulatory Standards ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – Regulation is increasingly being used in healthcare to influence the behaviour of healthcare organisations. Since 2006, a key change in Ireland has been the introduction of national regulatory standards in mental health services under new legislation. Little empirical evidence, however, exists on the effects of regulation. The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceived impact of standards at patient level as well as on professional and organisational practice in services. Design/methodology/approach – An anonymous online survey methodology using a self-devised questionnaire instrument was employed. A national cohort of service managers and multi-disciplinary mental health professionals were asked their views on the introduction of standards. Findings – A total of 185 individuals responded to the survey, yielding a response rate of 38 per cent. Substantial improvements were reported to have taken place across services with the most notable changes being improved safeguarding of patients’ rights and increased safety of care. Additionally, major changes were reported in professional working with new topics being discussed at management meetings and new functions being incorporated into certain professionals’ roles. Practical implications – Standards can change behaviour at several levels across healthcare organisations, although professional groups differ in their views on the degree of this impact. Originality value – To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first evaluation of the impact of national regulatory standards in healthcare in Ireland. This study lends support to the use of standards to enhance patient rights and the safety of services. The results provide useful direction for policy makers, regulators, and service providers.

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