There is now a good body of literature concerned with the quality of life of people with learning disabilities and a number of practical approaches available to consider its measurement (for example personal outcome measures and the Quality Network) The research has identified five domains of quality of life: material well-being, development and activity, physical [read the full story…]
Evidence-based drug policy is a phrase you don’t read that often. Many searches for this phrase return articles that explore why we don’t have evidence-based policies for illicit drugs and why the evidence base is weak in this area. A group of international researchers and policy makers (including two UK-based professionals) are trying to buck [read the full story…]
Our colleagues at the Mental Elf found this small randomised controlled trial looking at the use of memantine for people with Down syndrome and dementia. The trial is being reported in the Lancet. People with Down’s syndrome are more likely to develop dementia than others and one in three will have the illness as early [read the full story…]
The need for appropriately supported accommodation for people with learning disabilities continues to rise as people naturally move from family homes to their own. Controlling costs of support has always been a major concern for the paying authorities, but this is particularly true in the current climate of financial constraint. They key challenge is how [read the full story…]
Behavioural management is an essential approach for the dental treatment of the anxious child. It is sometimes necessary to supplement this with sedation. The main aim of this study was to compare the effect of three doses of oral midazolam (0.5, 0.75, and 1 mg ⁄ kg) on the sedative state and cooperative behaviour of [read the full story…]
Pulpectomy is, indicated for primary teeth with irreversibly inflamed or necrotic radicular pulps because of caries or trauma. The main aim of this trial was to evaluate the outcome of pulpectomy with smear layer removal versus no smear layer removal. Patients were randomised to receive pulpectomy under rubber dam with either smear layer removal (G1) [read the full story…]
For all the focus on joint working across the NHS and social care in recent years progress has been patchy. The Audit Commission has identified that PCTs could improve outcomes and achieve £132 million in efficiency savings per year. This readable briefing for health and social care commissioners focuses on services for older people with [read the full story…]
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a condition that is usually associated with obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviour. It’s one of the most common mental health problems in young people, with an estimated 5% of children and teenagers suffering from the chronic condition. Studies have shown that SSRI antidepressants and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are both [read the full story…]
Whilst there has been an increasing interest in developing measures of quality of life for people with learning disabilities, there has been little research looking specifically at the experiences of women with learning disabilities aged 40 years or older. This study set out to look at this specific group and to do this, worked with [read the full story…]
Mental health commissioners will be interested in this new report from the Alzheimer’s Society and MHP Health Mandate, that was published just before Christmas. It follows on from the publication of the Department of Health’s Dementia Commissioning Pack back in July 2011. The report looks at the current policy landscape and how it relates to [read the full story…]
