Psychopharmacology and Social Work Skills

In difficult conditions of the external military aggression and aggravated internal political and social problems in Ukraine, the level of mental health disorders is growing, thus encouraging social change. Purpose. The study aims to identify possibilities and ways of bringing in social work in solving the problem of mental health care in Ukraine. Design/Methodology Approach. Theoretical research methods were used to find out opinions of experts, including persons with mental illness, on the challenges and needs of the mentally disabled in Ukraine. Qualitative content analysis of the narrative interviews with clients of the social organization and expert interviews was done to identify opportunities for involving social workers by the example of Lviv. Results. The study reveals the retrospective and explores the current state of addressing the problem of mental health care in Ukraine. It offers the problem solution based on attracting social work. Limitations and strengths of the study. The difficult times Ukraine is going through complicate the introduction of innovations in the social sphere, health care and education. This, however, stimulates change to improve its citizens’ well-being and health. Practical/Social Value. The initiative to train social workers for professional activity in mental health care supports the population health improvement. Originality/Conclusions. The findings show the need for the social work input in mental health care in Ukraine. The social work education is addressing the need, also involving a community health clinic

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Self-injurious behaviour in forensic mental health care: a study into the prevalence and characteristics of incidents of self-injury

Journal of Forensic Practice ◽

10.1108/jfp-12-2020-0053 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Vivienne de Vogel ◽

Nienke Verstegen

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Psychiatric Patients ◽

Forensic Mental Health ◽

Content Type ◽

Self Injury ◽

Forensic Psychiatric ◽

The Impact

Purpose Incidents of self-injury by forensic psychiatric patients often have a deleterious impact on all those involved. Moreover, self-injurious behaviour is an important predictor for violence towards others during treatment. The aim of this study is to analyse methods and severity of incidents of self-injury of patients admitted to forensic psychiatry, as well as the diagnoses of self-injuring patients. Design/methodology/approach All incidents of self-injury during treatment in a forensic psychiatric centre recorded between 2008 and 2019 were analysed and the severity was coded with the modified observed aggression scale+ (MOAS+). Findings In this period, 299 incidents of self-injury were recorded, displayed by 106 patients. Most of these incidents (87.6%) were classified as non-suicidal. Methods most often used were skin cutting with glass, broken plates, a razor or knife and swallowing dangerous objects or liquids. Ten patients died by suicide, almost all by suffocation with a rope or belt. The majority of the incidents was coded as severe or extreme with the MOAS+. Female patients were overrepresented and they caused on average three times more incidents than male patients. Practical implications More attention is warranted for self-injurious behaviour during forensic treatment considering the distressing consequences for both patients themselves, supervisors and witnesses. Adequate screening for risk of self-injurious behaviour could help to prevent this behaviour. Further research is needed in different forensic settings into predictors of self-injurious behaviour, more specifically, if there are distinct predictors for aggression to others versus to the self. Originality/value Incidents of self-injury occur with some regularity in forensic mental health care and are usually classified as severe. The impact of suicide (attempts) and incidents of self-injurious behaviour on all those involved can be enormous. More research is needed into the impact on all those involved, motivations, precipitants and functions of self-injurious behaviour and effective treatment of it.

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The role of social workers in mental health care: A study of primary care centers in Mexico

Qualitative Social Work ◽

10.1177/1473325018791689 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 (6) ◽

pp. 1017-1033

Author(s):

Nayelhi I Saavedra ◽

Shoshana Berenzon ◽

Jorge Galván

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Primary Care ◽

Health Care ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Social Workers

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Admission experiences of psychiatric patients in tertiary care: An implication toward Mental Health Care Bill, 2013

Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice ◽

10.4103/0976-3147.193527 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 08 (01) ◽

pp. 089-095 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Vijayalakshmi Poreddi ◽

Rajalakshmi Ramu ◽

Sugavana Selvi ◽

Sailaxmi Gandhi ◽

Lalitha Krishnasamy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Psychiatric Hospital ◽

Psychotic Disorders ◽

Psychiatric Patients ◽

Care Center ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Perceived Coercion ◽

Negative Pressures

ABSTRACT Background: Coercion is not uncommon phenomenon among mental health service users during their admission into psychiatric hospital. Research on perceived coercion of psychiatric patients is limited from India. Aim: To investigate perceived coercion of psychiatric patients during admission into a tertiary care psychiatric hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive survey carried out among randomly selected psychiatric patients (n = 205) at a tertiary care center. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaire. Results: Our findings revealed that participants experienced low levels of coercion during their admission process. However, a majority of the participants were threatened with commitment (71.7%) as well as they were sad (67.8%), unpleased (69.7%), confused (73.2%), and frightened (71.2%) with regard to hospitalization into a psychiatric hospital. In addition, the participants expressed higher levels of negative pressures (mean ± standard deviation, 3.76 ± 2.12). Participants those were admitted involuntarily (P > 0.001), diagnosed to be having psychotic disorders (P > 0.003), and unmarried (P > 0.04) perceived higher levels of coercion. Conclusion: The present study showed that more formal coercion was experienced by the patients those got admitted involuntarily. On the contrary, participants with voluntary admission encountered informal coercion (negative pressures). There is an urgent need to modify the Mental Health Care (MHC) Bill so that treatment of persons with mental illness is facilitated. Family member plays an important role in providing MHC; hence, they need to be empowered.

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Needs for care in psychiatric patients: a systematic review. I. General concepts and assessment measures. Needs for services

Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale ◽

10.1017/s1121189x00007879 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 190-213 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Antonio Lasalvia ◽

Benedetta Stefani ◽

Mirella Ruggeri

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

General Population ◽

Health Services ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Psychiatric Patients ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Needs For Care ◽

Number Of Patients

SummaryObjective – In Italy, mental health care is in phase of reorganisation. In this frame the measurement of users' needs may be a useftil tool in planning individualised mental health service interventions and in their evaluation. Aims of the present study are (I) to highlight the basic concepts of 'needs for care' and give a brief description of the main needs assessment tools specifically developed for psychiatric patients; (II) to review studies assessing needs for mental health services in the general population; (III) to discuss the role played by the assessment of needs in planning mental health care. Methods – Studies published in the international literature from January 1980 to June 1999 were reviewed. The studies were located through a computerised search of the databases MEDLINE and PsycLit; in addition, the reference lists of the studies located through the computerised search and the content of main international psychiatric journals were manually scanned in order to avoid possible omissions. Studies assessing needs for services and studies assessing needs on individual level were separately reviewed. Both groups of studies, in turn, were divided in studies assessing needs for mental health care in the general population and in psychiatric patients. Results – Although most studies on needs for services used indirect methodologies and employed quite heterogeneous experimental design, they provide at large overlapping results. In the general population, about 60%- 70% of patients with anxiety, depression and other neurotic disorders and 30%-40% of psychotic patients do not receive any specialist mental health care, suggesting that the majority of subjects suffering from a psychiatric disorder do not receive the mental health care they need. Conclusions – Unmet needs for services show a higher frequency in patients with neurotic and depressive disorders, indicating a shortage in services delivery that should be taken into account both by psychiatrists and mental health planners. Moreover, the finding that a large number of patients suffering from psychotic disorders do not receive any kind of mental health care is of particular relevance for planning mental health services, since these subjects are usually the most problematic and difficult to treat.

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