scholarly journals Mental health of children with learning disabilities†

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pru Allington-Smith

Children and adolescents with learning disabilities have high rates of mental health problems and behavioural difficulties. Comorbid disorders such as epilepsy, autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are common. Despite this, many areas in the UK are failing to provide a psychiatric service for these young people and their families. The children suffer as a result and may have to move away from home unnecessarily, at enormous emotional and financial cost. Each area should have a specialised multidisciplinary health team working closely with colleagues from education and social services to assist these complex children and give them the best chance to fulfil their potential.

Author(s):  
Hema Sekhar Reddy Rajula ◽  
Mirko Manchia ◽  
Kratika Agarwal ◽  
Wonuola A. Akingbuwa ◽  
Andrea G. Allegrini ◽  
...  

AbstractThe Roadmap for Mental Health and Wellbeing Research in Europe (ROAMER) identified child and adolescent mental illness as a priority area for research. CAPICE (Childhood and Adolescence Psychopathology: unravelling the complex etiology by a large Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Europe) is a European Union (EU) funded training network aimed at investigating the causes of individual differences in common childhood and adolescent psychopathology, especially depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. CAPICE brings together eight birth and childhood cohorts as well as other cohorts from the EArly Genetics and Life course Epidemiology (EAGLE) consortium, including twin cohorts, with unique longitudinal data on environmental exposures and mental health problems, and genetic data on participants. Here we describe the objectives, summarize the methodological approaches and initial results, and present the dissemination strategy of the CAPICE network. Besides identifying genetic and epigenetic variants associated with these phenotypes, analyses have been performed to shed light on the role of genetic factors and the interplay with the environment in influencing the persistence of symptoms across the lifespan. Data harmonization and building an advanced data catalogue are also part of the work plan. Findings will be disseminated to non-academic parties, in close collaboration with the Global Alliance of Mental Illness Advocacy Networks-Europe (GAMIAN-Europe).


2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoff Dickens ◽  
Judy Weleminsky ◽  
Yetunde Onifade ◽  
Philip Sugarman

Aims and methodMental Health Recovery Star is a multifaceted 10-item outcomes measure and key-working tool that has been widely adopted by service providers in the UK. We aimed to explore its factorial validity, internal consistency and responsiveness. Recovery Star readings were conducted twice with 203 working-age adults with moderate to severe mental health problems attending a range of mental health services, and a third time with 113 of these individuals.ResultsMental Health Recovery Star had high internal consistency and appeared to measure an underlying recovery-oriented construct. Results supported a valid two-factor structure which explained 48% of variance in Recovery Star ratings data. Two Recovery Star items (‘relationships’ and ‘addictive behaviour’) did not load onto either factor. There was good statistically significant item responsiveness, and no obvious item redundancy. Data for a small number of variables were not normally distributed and the implications of this are discussed.Clinical implicationsRecovery Star has been received enthusiastically by both mental health service providers and service users. This study provides further evidence for its adoption in recovery-focused mental health services and indicates that items relating to addictive behaviour, responsibilities and work could be further developed in future.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Marshall ◽  
Kate Lanyi ◽  
Rhiannon Green ◽  
Georgie Wilkins ◽  
Fiona Pearson ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND There is increasing need to explore the value of soft-intelligence, leveraged using the latest artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) techniques, as a source of analysed evidence to support public health research activity and decision-making. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to further explore the value of soft-intelligence analysed using AI through a case study, which examined a large collection of UK tweets relating to mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS A search strategy comprising a list of terms related to mental health, COVID-19, and lockdown restrictions was developed to prospectively collate relevant tweets via Twitter’s advanced search application programming interface over a 24-week period. We deployed a specialist NLP platform to explore tweet frequency and sentiment across the UK and identify key topics of discussion. A series of keyword filters were used to clean the initial data retrieved and also set up to track specific mental health problems. Qualitative document analysis was carried out to further explore and expand upon the results generated by the NLP platform. All collated tweets were anonymised RESULTS We identified and analysed 286,902 tweets posted from UK user accounts from 23 July 2020 to 6 January 2021. The average sentiment score was 50%, suggesting overall neutral sentiment across all tweets over the study period. Major fluctuations in volume and sentiment appeared to coincide with key changes to any local and/or national social-distancing measures. Tweets around mental health were polarising, discussed with both positive and negative sentiment. Key topics of consistent discussion over the study period included the impact of the pandemic on people’s mental health (both positively and negatively), fear and anxiety over lockdowns, and anger and mistrust toward the government. CONCLUSIONS Through the primary use of an AI-based NLP platform, we were able to rapidly mine and analyse emerging health-related insights from UK tweets into how the pandemic may be impacting people’s mental health and well-being. This type of real-time analysed evidence could act as a useful intelligence source that agencies, local leaders, and health care decision makers can potentially draw from, particularly during a health crisis.


Author(s):  
Megan Garside ◽  
Barry Wright ◽  
Roshanak Nekooi ◽  
Victoria Allgar

Research reports high levels of mental health problems faced by young people in the UK. Schools provide a range of mental health support services, although these are often not robustly evaluated. This paper aims to explore the mental health provision of secondary schools across two large regions in the North of England and provide comparisons to the mental health questionnaire scores of their pupils. Results are part of a wider study providing an overview of the mental health of secondary school pupils. Measures include the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, distributed to year 8, 9, and 11 pupils attending secondary schools and a bespoke mental health service provision questionnaire for school staff at the same schools. A total of 6328 pupil questionnaires and 36 staff questionnaires were returned from 21 schools. Results showed a non-significant correlation between provision and young people’s mental health scores and highlight a range of factors to take into consideration. There is a need to improve the evaluation and recording of school-based mental health provision. Mental health difficulties in young people are prevalent in schools. Future research is needed to elucidate which types of services are most helpful in preventing, supporting, and signposting those with mental health problems.


BJPsych Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Price ◽  
Astrid Janssens ◽  
Tamsin Newlove-Delgado ◽  
Helen Eke ◽  
Moli Paul ◽  
...  

Background UK clinical guidelines recommend treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults by suitably qualified clinical teams. However, young people with ADHD attempting the transition from children's to adults’ services experience considerable difficulties in accessing care. Aims To map the mental health services in the UK for adults who have ADHD and compare the reports of key stakeholders (people with ADHD and their carers, health workers, service commissioners). Method A survey about the existence and extent of service provision for adults with ADHD was distributed online and via national organisations (e.g. Royal College of Psychiatrists, the ADHD Foundation). Freedom of information requests were sent to commissioners. Descriptive analysis was used to compare reports from the different stakeholders. Results A total of 294 unique services were identified by 2686 respondents. Of these, 44 (15%) were dedicated adult ADHD services and 99 (34%) were generic adult mental health services. Only 12 dedicated services (27%) provided the full range of treatments recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Only half of the dedicated services (55%) and a minority of other services (7%) were reported by all stakeholder groups (P < 0.001, Fisher's exact test). Conclusions There is geographical variation in the provision of NHS services for adults with ADHD across the UK, as well as limited availability of treatments in the available services. Differences between stakeholder reports raise questions about equitable access. With increasing numbers of young people with ADHD graduating from children's services, developing evidence-based accessible models of care for adults with ADHD remains an urgent policy and commissioning priority.


Author(s):  
Carmen Touza Garma ◽  
Carmen Prado Nóvoa

Abstract.RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ELDER ABUSE BY GENDER OF THE VICTIMSElder abuse is an increasingly recognized social problem because it is a violation of Human Rights and because of its serious consequences for the wellbeing and quality of life of older people. In addition, the prevalence of the problem could increase due to the aging population. Within this context, women appear in some studies as more frequent victims of abuse than men, although there are few studies that analyze why the risk of suffering domestic abuse may be higher in women than in men. The objective of this research was to assess whether there are different risk factors depending on the gender of the victims. The study involved 46 professional of social services teams who analyzed the situation of 202 elderly people (134 women and 68 men) through an assessment protocol that collected information on major risk factors for domestic abuse raised in the investigations. The results showed that although both genders shared a large number of risk factors, some turned out to be only significant for women: three factors related to the care-receiver (lack of income, problems of mental health and signs of cognitive decline) and four factors related to the caregiver (problems of mental health, problems with alcohol or other drugs, having experienced abuse at other times in his or her life and being financially dependent). These results could indicate some factors that increase the vulnerability of women and have important implications for the prevention and detection of risk situations of abuse.Key words: elder abuse, risk factors, human sex differences, gender.Resumen.Los malos tratos a la personas mayores son un problema social cada vez más reconocido porque suponen una violación de los Derechos Humanos y porque pueden producir graves consecuencias en su bienestar y calidad de vida. Además, la prevalencia del problema podría aumentar debido al envejecimiento de la población. Dentro de este contexto, la mujeres aparecen en algunos estudios como víctimas más frecuentes de los malos tratos que los varones, aunque son escasos los estudios que analicen por qué el riesgo de sufrir malos tratos domésticos puede ser mayor en las mujeres que en los hombres. El objetivo de esta investigación fue valorar si existen distintos factores de riesgo en función del género de las víctimas. En el estudio participaron 46 profesionales de equipos de servicios sociales que analizaron la situación de 202 personas mayores (134 mujeres y 68 hombres) a través de un protocolo de valoración que recogía información sobre los principales factores de riesgo de los malos tratos domésticos planteados en las investigaciones. Los resultados encontrados mostraron que aunque ambos géneros compartían un elevado número de factores de riesgo, algunos resultaron ser únicamente significativos para las mujeres: tres factores relacionados con la persona mayor (la falta de ingresos económicos, los  problemas de salud mental y la presencia de signos de deterioro cognitivo) y cuatro factores relacionados con el cuidador (los problemas de salud mental, los problemas con el alcohol u otras drogas, haber sufrido malos tratos y ser económicamente dependiente). Estos resultados podrían indicar algunos factores que aumentarían la vulnerabilidad de las mujeres y tienen importantes implicaciones para la prevención y detección de situaciones de riesgo de malos tratos.Palabras clave: malos tratos a las personas mayores, factores de riesgo, diferencias de género.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (21) ◽  
pp. 316-329
Author(s):  
Ruzita Azmi ◽  
Siti Nur Samawati Ahmad ◽  
Bidayatul Akmal Mustafa Kamil

Surveys showed that workers in Malaysia are at high risk of health problems including mental health problems that stemmed from the rising stress level at work. Despite having employees’ safety, health, and welfare being codified, depression will be a major mental health illness among Malaysian by 2020. The Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA 1994) that caters to legislative framework in terms of securing safety, health, and welfare among Malaysian workforces has no provisions to provide a supportive environment for mental health wellbeing at the workplace as well as support for employees with a mental health problem. Furthermore, OSHA 1994 is self-regulated, causing fewer employers to develop OSH codes of practice and guidelines. This is among the weaknesses of OSHA 1994. This paper aims to examine the existing law and policy in Malaysia on mental health at the workplace. It also aims to compare the policy and legal framework in developed commonwealth countries such as the UK. This paper applies qualitative and comparative methods, consisting of a doctrinal legal research approach to understand the principles of law and policies dealing with mental health. A comparative method is employed in order to compare the policies and legal frameworks of mental health wellbeing in developed countries such as the UK. The comparative approach involves an examination of the similarities and dissimilarities between situations within the same legal system. The paper concludes that in order to support mental health and wellbeing at the workplace, a comprehensive legal framework and effective policy are needed especially for Malaysia. Compared with the UK, Malaysia is still lagged behind and has so much to learn from UK’s experiences to tackle issues on mental health.


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