In our study published in BJPsych International, we explored the prevalence and predictors of occupational burnout among first-year medical residents in Oman, with a particular focus on the role of trait emotional intelligence.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global health and mental health issue. When children are involved, their own mental health and safety may be at risk. Even very young children under the age of 5 may show signs of developmental regression in environments where IPV is present. Children’s Services in the UK, much like Child Protective Services (CPS) in the United States, have reported increases in IPV among the families they support, often resulting in children being placed in out-of-home care. Without treatment that addresses the entire family, resolving safety concerns and supporting healing for both adults and children may not occur.
This article was our attempt to ease an uneasy feeling that seems to stalk psychiatrists. It is the feeling of not being entirely sure where we stand legally. Or, perhaps better put, a feeling that there must bea clear legal answer, but it is just a little beyond us or out of sight. What are we missing here?
I’ve heard many psychiatrists giving evidence. And, maybe hundreds of experts in multiple cases over a 45 year career as barrister and judge. Some experts are routine – the treating doctor in a road accident claim – while others are indispensable – the psychiatrist testifying that the murder accused did not know the nature and quality of their action.
Deaths from physical illnesses account for most of the scandalous toll of premature deaths in people with severe mental disorders that include psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder or severe depression. But it is not clear whether they die too soon because physical illnesses are more common in this group, or whether those illnesses are more likely to be fatal when they develop them.
There has been a rightful focus on equity in healthcare systems, and drives to co-produce services in a culturally informed manner with those who use them. In my experience, this has not been equal in approach, and a group, or groups of people, who remain particularly excluded are Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller (GRT) communities.
My journey into EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) therapy was sparked by a poignant experience during my core psychiatry training in Ireland. A colleague, calling from England, shared a compelling case with me one evening. A patient on his ward faced the daunting task of testifying in court against her assailant. Gripped by fear, she was hesitant until her Consultant Psychiatrist suggested EMDR therapy and conducted it with her. The patient not only mustered the courage to attend court but also secured a conviction, marking a profound turning point in her recovery and resilience.
Dementia remains the number one modern day public health challenge and it is becoming clear that therapies targeting neurodegeneration pathology once people already have significant symptoms is unlikely to allow us to address it comprehensively. Digital technologies may offer a solution by allowing identification of and intervention in personal risk factors for dementia in later life. In our recent paper in the BJPsych we demonstrate the high usability and reliability of an app designed to address this challenge.
It is widely known that autistic children are frequently anxious. However, while a number of interventions exist in high-income countries, they remain scarce in South Asia. The inspiration for this work began at an international meeting of the North East England South Asia Mental Health Alliance (NEESAMA.org) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2019. During the meeting participants identified an unmet need for an intervention to support autistic children experiencing anxiety in South Asia.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists’ values and behaviours, Courage, Innovation, Respect, Collaboration, Learning and Excellence combine into the CIRCLE acronym. In the list under Excellence, a link takes you to core values for psychiatrists. One of those is humility.
Have you ever wondered what underlies psychiatric illness? Why can two people experiencing similar life events react so differently, with one navigating through relatively unscathed and the other developing a psychiatric disorder?
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the youngest population of any region in the world with 70% under the age of 30 years. This youthful demographic profile can be both a blessing and a challenge. While the youth have the potential to drive economic development, meeting their educational, social, and health needs can over-stretch already limited human and material resources.
Electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation is not classically the psychiatrists’ natural habitat; yet, psychiatrists are required to obtain and interpret ECGs in certain clinical scenarios.
In recent years our team has been focusing on the relationship between adolescent brain development, cognition, and mental disorders.
War doesn't merely result in physical devastation. The mental and emotional aftermath, particularly from modern warfare that targets civilians, is profound. Civilians suffer alongside combatants, facing deaths, injuries, chronic disability, multiple displacements with uprooting of whole communities, loss of homes, destruction of essential services, infrastructure and environment. These traumatic experiences lead to a wide range of mental health issues, from depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance abuse to family and collective trauma impeding personal and community recovery.
One of the few welcome developments associated with COVID-19 was a renewed interest in the mental health of healthcare workers.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for September is ‘Pharmacological management of psychopathology in people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder' and the blog is written by author Professor Shoumitro Deb and the article is published in BJPsych Advances.
We are honoured that our paper “Longitudinal trajectories in negative symptoms and changes in brain cortical thickness: 10-year follow-up” has been chosen as RCPsych Article of the Month. During recent years, our team has been part of the “Programa de Atención a Fases Iniciales de Psicosis (PAFIP)”. PAFIP is a three-year early intervention initiative designed for individuals who have experienced their first episode of psychosis (FEP). Those who willingly joined this program received comprehensive care from a team of professionals, including psychiatric nursing, psychology, psychiatry, and social work. A decade after the onset of psychotic disorders, the PAFIP team reconnected with the participants for a follow-up evaluation.
The opioid crisis is a complex and multifaceted problem that affects millions of people around the world. It is not only a medical issue, but also a social, economic, cultural, and educational one. As psychiatry trainees from different parts of the globe, we wanted to share our perspectives on the opioid crisis and how to improve our practice and education in this field.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for June is ‘Breaking out of the citadel: social theory and psychiatry' and the blog is written by authors Rob Poole and Catherine A. Robinson and the article is published in BJPsych Bulletin.
From my Māori world view, wairua or spirituality is our essence. Everything else flows out from there. If we don’t get spiritual wellbeing right, other approaches will have only limited benefit. It seems to me that psychiatry offers treatments that are focused on the brain, addressing physical and psychological wellbeing. I notice that western talking therapies often don’t address spiritual values that are of critical importance to Māori and other Indigenous peoples.
This research with a vulnerable clinical population, who are experiencing significant distress, gives us an important insight into whether music therapy may be helpful for patients and staff on NHS inpatient psychiatric dementia wards by reducing distress and improving wellbeing.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for February is ‘Delivering mental healthcare to patients with a depressive disorder alongside a life-limiting illness’ and the blog is written by author, Daniel Hughes and the article is published in BJPsych Bulletin.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for January is ‘Ethnic inequalities in involuntary admission under the Mental Health Act: an exploration of mediation effects of clinical care prior to the first admission’ and the blog is written by authors Daniela Fonseca Freitas, Susan Walker, Patrick Nyikavaranda, Johnny Downs, Rashmi Patel, Mizanur Khondoker, Kamaldeep Bhui and Richard D. Hayes. The article is published in The British Journal of Psychiatry.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for December is ‘Mental health of indigenous people: is Bangladesh paying enough attention?’ and the blog is written by author Md. Omar Faruk and published in BJPsych International.
We know that the prevalence rates of physical and mental disorders are higher in people with intellectual disabilities than in the general population. ADHD is one of those neurodevelopmental disorders where clinicians appear reluctant to make the diagnosis in people with ID. Of course, diagnosing ADHD-ID can be difficult for many reasons such as other diagnoses overshadowing the core signs of ADHD. Despite clearly observing and documenting symptoms of ADHD (without calling it ADHD), we are slow to consider the diagnosis. We always wonder why health professionals are very reluctant to consider the diagnosis of ADHD in people with ID that has led us to write the article.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for October is ‘Emotional abuse and neglect in a clinical setting: challenges for mental health professionals‘ and the blog is written by author Dr Simon Wilkinson published in BJPsych Bulletin.…
Psychiatrists use Compulsory Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) to enforce treatment in the community even when active symptoms of severe mental illness may not be present. A key goal of CTO use is to prevent psychiatric admissions.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for August is ‘Antidepressant prescribing for adult people with an intellectual disability living in England’ and the blog is written by authors Dr David Branford & Professor Rohit Shankar MBE published in The British Journal of Psychiatry.…
The RCPsych Article of the Month for July is ‘Neurology in the psychiatric patient: how to think about differentials in altered mental status and diagnoses not to miss’ and the blog is written by authors Dr Jonathan McLaughlin and Dr Tim Young published in BJPsych Advances.…
The RCPsych Article of the Month for June is ‘Friston’s free energy principle: new life for psychoanalysis?’ and the blog is written by author Jeremy Holmes published in BJPsych Bulletin.…
The RCPsych Article of the Month for May is ‘Undergraduate psychiatric education: current situation and way forward’ and the blog is written by author Gaia Sampogna published in BJPsych International.
Our 5-year-old-daughter has been evaluated by multiple clinical psychologists for autism spectrum disorder with all of them saying she doesn't meet the criteria for ASD, even though we strongly believe that she has the disorder’, a case and a conundrum I first heard from a mother in 2011 and from countless other parents since then.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for March is ‘People’s experiences of distress and psychosocial care following a terrorist attack: interviews with survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017‘ and the blog is written by author John Stancombe published by BJPsych Open.…
This article arose out of mounting frustration at the modern mental health system. It is a distillation of many conversations, rants, angry emails and personal ruminations. It is a psychiatrist’s scream into the abyss. However, from the abyss, many screamed back. The reaction to this article since its publication online has been surprising and heartening. A number of clinicians and patients have emailed from all over the UK (and beyond) to express their agreement and relief at a psychiatrist having ‘said it’. Patients have spoken of how much the article reflects their own experience. iBut this raises a further troubling question: if the content resonates with so many, why are services still getting it wrong? What will it take to bring about genuine culture change? One thing is clear: this requires group action and not lone voices.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for December is ‘Stressors and Mental health in Bangladesh: Current situation and Future hopes‘ and the blog is written by author Dr Uriel Halbreich published in BJPsych International.…
Socratic questioning is a core communication skill in the process and delivery of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). The mastery of this clinical skill requires enduring training, practice and supervision, which are intrinsically linked to therapists’ competence development and personal growth. Surprisingly, there are few practical and theoretical resources to assist clinicians’ and psychotherapy trainees’ learning, and little research has been conducted on the process and mechanisms of change underlying the use of Socratic questioning in CBT.
One thing is certain. Life will never be the same again after this devastating pandemic caused by Covid19. But in this new norm, not all is bad. Certainly, clinical psychiatry and the interaction of psychiatrists with patients and with colleagues has become significantly better despite the challenges of digital exclusion and digital poverty. For once there is real choice, for patients as well as for psychiatrists. A parallel pandemic of digital psychiatry has imploded across the globe, and so virtual consultations have become a reality
The RCPsych Article of the Month for September is ‘Let us do better: learning lessons for recovery of healthcare professionals during and after COVID-19‘ and the blog is written by author Esther Murray and Professor Richard Williams published in BJPsych Open.…
The RCPsych Article of the Month for August is ‘The need for biodiversity champions in psychiatry: the entwined crises of climate change and ecological collapse‘ and the blog is written by author Dr Jacob Krzanowski published in BJPsych Bulletin Scientists have shown that through the cumulative effects of habitat loss, climate change, and pollution, life on Earth is crossing into the sixth mass extinction event.…
Coaching, and mentoring, is part of this endeavour and sport has had a strong influence on the development of coaching and mentoring approaches in training organisations and in the workplace.
Fortunately, we have moved on from a time when individuals with intellectual disability may have been considered incapable of experiencing mental health problems. However, in the context of current talk about mental health crises, the mental health of children and young people with intellectual disability is perhaps the biggest crisis of them all. Children with intellectual disability face a quadruple inequality in relation to their mental health.
Hikikomori is a Japanese term that refers to extreme social isolation. First introduced to the medical community by psychiatrist Tamaki Saito in a bestselling book in 1998, the condition has since seen much interest. In Japan, prevalence studies estimating it to occur in 1.2% of 20-49yr olds seemed to confirm anecdotal concerns from many parents worried about whether their children might suffer from the condition and attracted government attention.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for April is ‘Systematic evaluation of the QualityRights programme in public mental health facilities in Gujarat, India’ and the blog is written by Authors Soumitra Pathare, Jasmine Kalha.…
The RCPsych Article of the Month for February is ‘Ethno-cultural disparities in mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study on the impact of exposure to the virus and COVID-19-related discrimination and stigma on mental health across ethno-cultural groups in Quebec (Canada)’ Diana Miconi, Zhi Yin Li, Rochelle L.…
The RCPsych Article of the Month for February is: ‘Mad agency’, reflections on Goya’s ‘The Madhouse’ by Jennifer Radden published in BJPsych Bulletin.…
The RCPsych Article of the Month for January is from The British Journal of Psychiatry (BJPsych) and is entitled ‘Antipsychotic and antidepressant prescribing for 704 297 children and young people with and without intellectual disabilities: record linkage study’ by Angela Henderson, Deborah Kinnear, Michael Fleming et al.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for October is from BJPsych Bulletin and is entitled ‘Placing poverty-inequality at the centre of psychiatry’ by Peter Byrne and Adrian James
The RCPsych Article of the Month for September is from BJPsych Open and is entitled ‘A psychiatrist's perspective from a COVID-19 epicentre: a personal account’ Isabella Pacchiarotti, Gerard Anmella, Giovanna Fico, Norma Verdolini and Eduard Vieta
The RCPsych Article of the Month for August is from The British Journal of Psychiatry (BJPsych) and is entitled ‘Cardiac structure and function in schizophrenia: cardiac magnetic resonance imaging study’ by Emanuele F. Osimo, Stefan P. Brugger, Antonio de Marvao et al.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for July is from BJPsych Advances and is entitled ‘Fluctuating capacity: the concept of micro- and macro-decisions’ by Martin Curtice.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for June is from BJPsych Bulletin and is entitled ‘The Parliamentary Scholar Scheme: a way to engage doctors in healthcare policy and politics’ by Jen Perry, Paul Lomax, Fiona Taylor, Susan Howson and Kathleen McCurdy.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for May is from BJPsych International and is entitled ‘Mental Health in Malawi’ by Philippa Lilford.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for March is from BJPsych Open and is entitled ‘Social gradients in the receipt of medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and young people in Sheffield’ by Samuel Nunn.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for February is from BJPsych Bulletin and is entitled ‘Addressing shame: what role does shame play in the formation of a modern medical professional identity?’ by Sandy Miles.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for January is from The British Journal of Psychiatry (BJPsych) and is entitled ‘Clinical effectiveness of the START (STrAtegies for RelaTives) psychological intervention for family carers and the effects on the cost of care for people with dementia: 6-year follow-up of a randomised controlled trial’
The RCPsych Article of the Month for December is from BJPsych International and is entitled ‘Headaches in Moria: a reflection on mental healthcare in the refugee camp population of Lesbos' by Tom Nutting.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for November is from BJPsych Advances and is entitled ‘Functional cognitive disorders: identification and management’ by Norman Poole, Sarah R. Cope, Cate Bailey and Jeremy D. Isaacs.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for October is from BJPsych Bulletin and is entitled ‘Personal resilience in psychiatrists: systematic review’ by Ranjita Howard, Catherine Kirkley and Nicola Baylis.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for September is from BJPsych Open and is entitled the 'Emerald Series'.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for July is from BJPsych Advances and is entitled ‘Collaborative diagnosis between clinician and patient: why to do it and what to consider’ by Authors Corinna Hackmann, Jon Wilson, Amorette Perkins Hannah Zeilig.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for June is from BJPsych Bulletin and is entitled ‘Do patients get better? A review of outcomes from a crisis house and home treatment team partnership’ by Authors Mohsin Faysal Butt, David Walls, Rahul Bhattacharya.
RCPsych Article of the Month for April is from The British Journal of Psychiatry (BJPsych) and is entitled ‘Involving patients with dementia in decisions to initiate treatment: effect on patient acceptance, satisfaction and medication prescription’ by Authors Jemima Dooley, Nick Bass, Gill Livingston and Rose McCabe.
The RCPsych Article of the Month for March is from BJPsych Open and is entitled ‘Discrediting experiences: outcomes of eligibility assessments for claimants with psychiatric compared with non-psychiatric conditions transferring to personal independence payments in England'
This is the first post in our new series: “Conversations with Authors.” For our inaugural post, we asked Dr. Vesla Weaver to meet (virtually) with Dr.…
The March article of Muses – the arts blog from BJPsych International is the first blog of the series. The blog is written by Dr Dami Ajayi, Specialty Doctor, Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and Trainee/Blog Editor, BJPsych International.…
Plenty has been written about the dog. Slobbery, goofy, embarrassingly friendly, with… well, everyone. Dogs are prominently featured in historic accounts and paintings, loaded down with ingratiating platitudes like “man’s best friend”.…
The English language contains a wealth of insults and terms of abuse. Personal insults attack the core and immutable aspects of a person, such as their race, ethnicity, appearance, age, or a disability.…
More and more research is finding inflammation as a potential contributing factor towards to the development of various mental illnesses. A systematic review was conducted to determine the association between parasitic infection and mental illnesses in various African populations. Two parasite groups were evaluated; helminths and protozoans, and four mental illness classifications; depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, schizotypal disorders and unspecified mental illnesses.
Some disability-related names have dropped out of usage, because they are now considered to be offensive due to their origins. Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21) is one example.…
I remember when Volume 1, Issue 1 of Advances in Archaeological Practice (AAP) was published in 2013. I was a graduate student at the time, undertaking dissertation research on the processes of inclusion and exclusion in the archaeological data collection process.…
It is an article of faith among ordinary Filipinos that American troops will die with Filipino troops defending Philippine claims to the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea (SCS).…
More and more research is finding inflammation as a potential contributing factor towards to the development of various mental illnesses. A systematic review was conducted to determine the association between parasitic infection and mental illnesses in various African populations. Two parasite groups were evaluated; helminths and protozoans, and four mental illness classifications; depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, schizotypal disorders and unspecified mental illnesses.
The March article of Muses – the arts blog from BJPsych International is the first blog of the series. The blog is written by Dr Dami Ajayi, Specialty Doctor, Barnet Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and Trainee/Blog Editor, BJPsych International.…
The opportunity to showcase some of the exciting archaeological research currently underway on medieval Ethiopia in a journal as widely read as Antiquity is important.
Q&A with Editor-in-Chief of the Precision Medicine Journal, Dame Anna Dominiczak, for International day of Women and Girls in Science
This is the first post in our new series: “Conversations with Authors.” For our inaugural post, we asked Dr. Vesla Weaver to meet (virtually) with Dr.…
At the end of the Greek Bronze Age, between c.1400-1200 BCE, the Mycenaean palaces of Crete and mainland Greece used small clay tablets to keep their accounting documents.
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