Communication is a fundamental human right, at the heart of how we interact with our environment, express choices and build relationships. People with learning disabilities often have difficulties with verbal communication and this study set out to look at the extent to which children with learning disabilities depended on manual signs during the process of [read the full story…]
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has launched a new online resource offering information and guidance about returning to work after a period of mental ill-health. The Work and Mental Health website is divided into four main parts, and is aimed at workers, carers, employers and clinicians. Each section signposts relevant information and provides useful links [read the full story…]
This small randomised controlled trial conducted in Pittsburgh set out to compare community-provided trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy (TF-CBT) with usual community treatment for children with intimate partner violence (IPV)-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The trial randomised 124 children (7-14 year olds) to receive 8 sessions of TF-CBT or usual care (child-centered therapy). A number of [read the full story…]
The Department of Health has commissioned Skills for Care and Skills for Health to produce new guidance for health and social care professionals who work with people who have dementia. The publication provides guidance for leaders and managers, commissioners and training and education leads to develop a workforce that can create dementia friendly settings. It [read the full story…]
The British Society of Gastroenterology and the Royal Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have published a quality and productivity (QIPP) case study, which looks at how to reduce alcohol related hospital admissions and improve the quality of care. Very few hospitals have dedicated alcohol services, and a 2009 survey showed that only 42% of acute [read the full story…]
Policy-makers, commissioners and healthcare providers will be interested in this new rapid review that compiles evidence about the effects of supporting self-management on people’s quality of life, clinical outcomes and health service use. Reviewers searched more than 10 bibliographic databases for research evidence published up until September 2010. More than 100,000 reports were scanned and the [read the full story…]
Training for staff supporting people whose behaviour is challenging is a crucial part of appropriate and consistent supports. This study set out to provide a pilot evaluation of development workshops with direct care staff supporting people described as having significant psychosocial difficulties. The staff teams attended a series of workshops which were designed to use [read the full story…]
A randomised controlled trial published in the Archives of General Psychiatry has found that problem-solving therapy is a useful treatment alternative for elderly people with depression and executive dysfunction who do not respond well to conventional drug treatments. The trial randomised 221 patients to either problem-solving therapy (PST) or supportive therapy (ST) and followed them [read the full story…]
Bob Alexander (Director of NHS Finance) and Bruce Calderwood (Director of Mental Health Policy) have written to all mental health service leads with an update on Payment by Results for mental health services for working age and older people. The letter confirms that: The Department of Health (DH) are now in the ‘implementation phase’ of mental [read the full story…]
A recent randomised controlled trial from Melbourne Australia has highlighted the effectiveness of a prevention and early intervention parenting programme, which aims to “improve emotion socialization practices in parents of preschool children”. Tuning in to Kids is a 6-session group parenting program that helps children learn to understand and regulate their emotions. It teaches parents: [read the full story…]
