The early 1990s saw the publication of the original Mansell report into services for people with challenging behaviour. This report highlighted the issue of the use of out of area placements to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities and suggested that the continued reliance on such placements would stunt the growth of local [read the full story…]
Despite what you read in the tabloid press, the vast majority of people with mental health problems are not violent. However, when violence does occur in hospitals, it’s important that healthcare professionals know how to manage the situation. This new systematic review has been conducted by a team of Italian researchers who searched a range [read the full story…]
The researchers in this study set out to investigate the rates and types of co-morbid disorders in a group of 84 young people (mean age 19.5 years) with autism. They assessed mental disorder with a semi-structured comprehensive clinical interview with the participants and with caregivers and also used quantitative questionnaires. The diagnoses were made according [read the full story…]
It’s a sad fact of life that as people get older they sometimes find themselves living a lonely lifestyle; cut off from stimulating social networks and all of the activities and benefits that friendships entail. Social exclusion and a lack of frequent interaction may predict impaired cognition in the older members of the population. Researchers [read the full story…]
Challenging behaviour in people with learning disabilities can be highly disruptive for the person and those who provide them with support. This review set out to evaluate the evidence base for massage therapy, used with people with challenging behaviours to induce relaxation. The review aimed to identify whether massage therapy was effective in reducing the [read the full story…]
New figures from the NHS Information Centre show that the number of people held in detention under the Mental Health Act at 31st March 2011 increased by 5%, from 19,947 in 2009/10 to 20,938 in 2010/11. This is despite the number of formal admissions for treatment and new Community Treatment Orders having fallen since the [read the full story…]
The organisation of mental health services for people with learning disabilities, particularly issues relating to inpatient care remains an important area for research. This review of the literature set out to identify recent findings. The review found that people with learning disabilities appeared to be admitted with more severe problems and also received more interventions [read the full story…]
This critical summary of a systematic review published in 2010 was prepared under the auspices of the American Dental Association Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry. The original review authors were looking at the relationship between oral health-related quality of life (OHQOL) and temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). The critical summary noted that the review question could have been [read the full story…]
Depression commonly occurs during pregnancy and it’s often a challenging condition to treat as the health of the mother has to be balanced with the potential risks that can be caused to the foetus by antidepressant drugs. Pilot trials have previously shown that light therapy may be a safe and effective treatment in this population, [read the full story…]
There is a growing literature on the interaction of issues that impact on outcomes for people with learning disabilities who live in supported housing or other residential services. Issues relating to the organisation of supports can play a key role in influencing outcomes. This review of the literature set out to look at these issues [read the full story…]
