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Tuesday, 13 October 2009 |
- London, Oct 9 (ANI): Sending cards and gifts to friends and family suffering with mental health problems may aid their recovery, say experts.
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According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, cards and gifts were a simple way to support people with mental illness.
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The experts came to the conclusion after a poll of 131 mental health patients was carried out, reports The BBC.
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The study showed over half did not receive any gifts or cards when they were ill. This compared to just a third who did not get presents the last time they were physically ill.
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More than eight out of 10 of the people surveyed said receiving a 'get well soon' card would help their recovery.
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The college is launching two of its own gift cards with the greeting: "Thinking of you at this time. Hope things improve soon."
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Dr Peter Byrne, chair of the college's education committee, said: "I have worked in general and psychiatric hospitals for over 20 years, and there is no greater demonstration of the hidden prejudice against people with mental illness than the bedside lockers.
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"In psychiatric units, there is barely a card or any other reminder that the outside world cares.
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"People often don't know what to do or say when a friend or relative is ill with a mental health problem - so they end up doing nothing." (ANI)
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Tuesday, 13 October 2009 |
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Washington, Oct 7 (ANI): A new study has revealed that cognitive behavioural therapy or talk therapy can significantly help patients overcome bulimia and binge eating problems.
People with bulimia experience cycles of disordered eating behavior in which they overeat and then purge, often by self-induced vomiting or taking laxatives.
Binge eating disorder includes bouts of overeating, but without purging, and researchers have linked it to obesity.
"Cognitive behavioral therapy is really the treatment of choice," said lead author Dr Phillipa Hay, is foundation chair of mental health at the University of West Sydney in Australia.
"It has far and away the best evidence. It hadn't really been so definitively found in previous reviews," Hay added.
The review included 48 studies with 3,054 participants and strengthened earlier findings in favour of cognitive behavioral therapy.
It found that 37 percent of people completely stopped binge eating when given CBT focused on binging - while 3 percent of those assigned to a waiting list control group quit.
Cognitive behavioral treatment of bulimia or binge eating disorder typically involves 15 to 20 outpatient sessions with a therapist over a five-month period. CBT works by helping patients change the way they think about their behavior.
"CBT rests on the premise that unhealthy thoughts lie at both the roots of bulimia nervosa and in the maintenance of unhealthy eating behaviours," said Dr Cynthia Bulik, is director of the University of North Carolina Eating Disorders Program at Chapel Hill.
"The goals of CBT are first to have the patient become his or her own detective and - via self-monitoring - start to understand their patterns of binge eating and purging and recognize and anticipate the cues (triggers) for their unhealthy behaviours," Bulik added. (ANI)
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Tuesday, 13 October 2009 |
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Organized phone-based psychotherapy for depression found cost-effective
Washington, Oct 6 (ANI): An organised phone-based cognitive behavioural psychotherapy soon after starting on antidepressant medication can help treat depression easily, the effects of which is believed to persist for at least two years after first session, say researchers.
Organized phone therapy for depression has also been found cost-effective with only modest rises.
"The most important reason to treat depression is to reduce suffering and improve daily functioning," said Group Health psychiatrist Gregory E. Simon, MD, MPH, also a senior investigator at Group Health Research Institute (formerly called Group Health Centre for Health Studies).
"But our findings suggest that insurers or health care systems aiming to improve depression treatment in primary care should consider incorporating structured psychotherapy," Gregory added.
The study showed that over two years, phone psychotherapy plus care management led to a gain of 46 depression-free days, with only a 397 dollars increase in outpatient health care costs.
The physicians encouraged the patients to identify and counter their negative thoughts (cognitive behavioural therapy), pursue activities they had enjoyed in the past (behavioural activation), and develop a plan to care for themselves. (ANI)
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Friday, 09 October 2009 |
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U.S. PSYCHIATRIC REHABILITATION ASSOCIATION STANDARDIZES PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHIATRIC REHABILITATION
Linthicum, MD – October 9, 2009 – In honor of Mental Illness Awareness Week (October 4-10), the Board of Directors of the United States Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (USPRA) approved and adopted the following revised core principles and values of psychiatric rehabilitation:
- Strengths-based: Psychiatric rehabilitation practices build on the strengths and capabilities of individuals.
- Person-centered: Psychiatric rehabilitation practices are person-centered; they are designed to address the unique needs of individuals, consistent with their values, hopes and aspirations.
- Empowerment: Psychiatric rehabilitation practices promote self-determination and empowerment. All individuals have the right to make their own decisions, including decisions about the types of services and supports they receive.
- Shared-Decision Making: Psychiatric rehabilitation practitioners engage in the processes of informed and shared decision-making and facilitate partnerships with other persons identified by the individual receiving services.
- Evidence-based: Psychiatric rehabilitation services emphasize evidence-based, promising, and emerging best practices that produce outcomes congruent with personal recovery. Programs include structured program evaluation and quality improvement mechanisms that actively involve persons receiving services.
- Quality of Life: Psychiatric rehabilitation practices strive to help individuals improve the quality of all aspects of their lives; including social, occupational, educational, residential, intellectual, spiritual and financial.
- Community Integration: Psychiatric rehabilitation practices support full integration of people in recovery into their communities where they can exercise their rights of citizenship, as well as to accept the responsibilities and explore the opportunities that come with being a member of a community and a larger society.
- Culturally relevant: Psychiatric rehabilitation practitioners recognize that culture is central to recovery, and strive to ensure that all services are culturally relevant to individuals receiving services.
- Personal Support Networks: Psychiatric rehabilitation practices facilitate the development of personal support networks by utilizing natural supports within communities, peer support initiatives, and self- and mutual-help groups.
- Health & Wellness: Psychiatric rehabilitation practices promote health and wellness, encouraging individuals to develop and use individualized wellness plans.
- Accessible & Coordinated: Psychiatric rehabilitation services must be readily accessible to all individuals whenever they need them. These services also should be well coordinated and integrated with other psychiatric, medical, and holistic treatments and practices.
- Hope & Respect: Psychiatric rehabilitation practitioners convey hope and respect, and believe that all individuals have the capacity for learning and growth.
“Our long standing principles, while always a driving force in the implementation of psychiatric rehabilitation services, had become dated over the years and needed revision to reflect current practices,” explained Marcie Granahan, USPRA CEO. “It was time that we re-define the principles and values for use among practitioners, funding sources and recipients of services.” In September 2008, a task force was established to survey and solicit feedback from the membership and industry stakeholders in the revision of psychiatric rehabilitation principles and values. USPRA’s Core Principles and Values of Psychiatric Rehabilitation align very closely with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Ten Fundamental Components of Recovery, and reflect the vision of numerous experts in the field. A public hearing was held at USPRA’s Annual Conference in Norfolk, Virginia, this June. The final version of the definition was approved and adopted by the USPRA Board of Directors on September 14, 2009. “We believe that all psychiatric rehabilitation service providers should be guided by USPRA’s Core Principles, Code of Ethics, Multicultural Principles and Language Guidelines. In addition, all people receiving services should request that all services they receive reflect USPRA’s Core Principles and Values, Multicultural Principles, the definition of psychiatric rehabilitation and Language Guidelines,” said Granahan. “Psychiatric rehabilitation promotes recovery, full community integration and improved quality of life. Everyone involved in the mental health field—whether they be a practitioner, a person receiving services, or governmental funding entity—should embrace the principles of psychiatric rehabilitation to ensure recovery is realized for everyone.”
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Application (DOC)
Application (PDF)
