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Showing results for tags 'Mental health'.
Found 1,165 results
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Content Article
NHS Employers: Emotional wellbeing toolkit resources
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Staff safety
NHS Employers provide an emotional wellbeing toolkit to help you track your emotional wellbeing and support others. If you're a manager, a team leader or looking for yourself, there are resources here for you. -
News Article
‘Unprecedented’ plan to prevent suicides during covid-19 crisis
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
An “unprecedented” national suicide prevention plan has been launched by a government advisory group amid concerns suicides could increase during the covid-19 pandemic, HSJ can reveal. The government’s national suicide prevention advisory group has developed the plan to address risks covid-19 could present to vulnerable people. Chair of the group and the national adviser to the government on suicide prevention, Louis Appleby, told HSJ the plan was centred on getting far quicker access to data on suicides and self-harm episodes, which is the strongest indicator of suicide risk. He said: “We are in unprecedented times, we haven’t got a lot of evidence on what happens to suicides rates during pandemics, so we’re having to infer from what we know generally to see where the risk might lie. “This is a serious attempt, in some senses an unprecedented attempt to prevent a [physical health] crisis turning into a mental health crisis." Read full story Source: HSJ, 17 April 2020 -
Content ArticleRadio 4's Women's Hour programme discusses coronavirus and the impact the current pandemic is having on access to cervical screening services. Later in the programme, the discussion turns to the topic of dealing with addiction during the lockdown. Cervical screening (listen from the start of the recording) Speakers, Kate Sanger, Head of Public Affairs at Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, and consultant gynaecologist Dr Christine Ekechi stress that patients should not hesitate to contact their GP if they have any concerns or symptoms. Symptoms might include: abnormal bleeding, bleeding after sex, bleeding after the menopause, bleeding in between periods, unexplained pelvic pain and in some cases increased vaginal discharge. Addiction (21:45) According to the charity Action on Addiction, one in three people are addicted to something. How difficult can it be to remain sober or clean in lockdown, and what support can you still access? Speakers include Holly Sexton, Substance Misuse Practitioner at We Are With You, and Caroline Turriff, a freelance journalist who is 15 years in recovery. They discuss whether opiate painkillers and methadone being more easily available through pharmacies creates safety issues. Caroline argues that it will reduce the risk of people obtaining opiates online or heroin via street dealers which she says could enable them to obtain life-threatening amounts.
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News Article
World will face a mental health crisis after coronavirus pandemic, experts warn
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The world is likely to face a global crisis in poor mental health after the coronavirus pandemic has passed, experts have warned. Two dozen mental health scientists including neuroscientists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and public health experts have warned of the long-term impact of the virus on people’s mental health and demanded governments prioritise research to come up with evidence-based treatments. They also called for real-time monitoring of mental health in the UK and across the world in order to gauge the severity of the expected increase in poor mental wellbeing. Their warning, in the journal Lancet Psychiatry, comes as a new Ipsos Mori survey carried out at the end of March revealed people’s mental health was already being affected by the UK lockdown and self-isolation policy. Read full story Source: The Independent, 16 April 2020 -
Content Article
RCPSYCH: COVID-19 Support for patients and carers
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Guidance
Many people will be experiencing anxiety about their health and safety during this time. This page provides information about COVID-19 and how to manage your mental health during the pandemic. Guidance includes advice on accessing treatment and medication. -
Content ArticleIn this anonymous blog, published by the Guardian, the author describes their experience of working in an inpatient psychaitry unit during the current cornovirus outbreak. They raise concerns over the impossibility of physical distancing, lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), patients not being allowed to go out and a rise in violence and anxiety.
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Content ArticleDrawing on research, best practice guidelines and expert clinical opinions, the COVID Trauma Response Working Group has created rapid guidance for planners putting in place psychological support for staff in the early stages of dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak. The King's Fund has developed this graphic as a quick reference version of the detailed guidance available on the traumagroup.org website.
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Community PostI hallucinate + hear voices but I am not ill + do not take psychiatric drugs .... For me , mental illness is a lie which causes untold damage ... I have been gathering information around Mental Health hospital admissions / Haven / Maytree model / Homelessness ... I have also gathered information around seclusion , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), restraint and serious incidents ... The data speaks for itself Each admission, restraint, each seclusion, each serious incident is a human rights abuse. We just need to listen? Alexis Quinn? Act wisely? We are not using public money – our money well (each admission costs at least £18K) We need to learn from Italy, Finland, Manchester and others. Work together? How will we put the change we need into action? not just strategy papers ? We need the other part of this “picture” the data from the Haven and community. In summary my aims are ... All Mental Health Hospitals should be closed as per Italy; the Haven/ respite/ Home Group model should be adopted. The Mental Health Act should be abolished, one of the few areas of law where you can be locked away for something you may do, by people who have a vested interest in locking you away. (James Davies work CRACKED why psychiatry is does more harm than good is relevant here?). People should be supported to come off psychiatric drugs if this is their wish. Move from a Medical model of distress to a social / Human Rights model of distress. Ladder of Citizen control.pdf
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News Article
Mental health hotline for NHS staff
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The NHS is launching a hotline to support and advise healthcare staff during the coronavirus pandemic. Volunteers from charities including Hospice UK, the Samaritans and Shout, will listen to concerns and offer psychological support. The phone line will be open between 07:00 and 23:00 every day, while the text service will be available around the clock. The phone number is 0300 131 7000 or staff can text FRONTLINE to 85258. It comes as staff face increasing pressure to care for rising numbers of patients who are seriously ill with the virus. Read full story Source: BBC News, 8 April 2020 -
News ArticleDoctors and nurses will need treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder after working in harrowing conditions on wards during the coronavirus crisis, health leaders warn. The strain on their mental and physical health is already unprecedented and the virus has not yet reached its expected peak, they say. NHS staffing is at levels that were previously unthinkable as workers – forced to spend hours in hot conditions while wearing full protective gear – try to keep up with demand amid a lack of equipment. It comes as the head of intensive care at London’s Royal Free Hospital described in a memo how most units had already shifted from the usual one nurse to one patient ratio to one to six and were running out of key machines and equipment. Dr Alison Pittard, dean of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, told The Independent: “I am really concerned about the toll this is taking and will continue to take on staff." “We are used to dealing with emergencies, but we have never been exposed to this sort of demand. We know staff are already struggling physically and mentally and that this will only continue." Read full story Source: The Independent, 6 April 2020
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News Article
Increasing physical health check coverage for those with serious mental illness
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
City and Hackney Clinical Commissioning Group might have the fifth highest prevalence of serious mental illness in England, but last year it achieved the highest physical health check coverage in the country. This was down to a collaborative approach by the CCG, local trust, GPs, heath informatics, a voluntary sector exercise and diet specialist organisation, and service users themselves. This alliance model for primary care SMI physical health was named mental health innovation of the year at the HSJ awards. Find out more Source: HSJ, 20 March 2020 -
Content ArticleThe mortality rates for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are double those of the general population and researchers believe unmet mental health needs may be a factor. The researchers’ results were derived from an Australian-first University of New South Wales (UNSW) study, which analysed linked data sets on death rates, risk factors and cause of death for 36,000 people on the autism spectrum. While cancer and circulatory diseases are the leading cause of deaths in the general population, injury and poisoning – including accidents, suicide and deaths related to self-harm – were the most common causes for people with ASD. GP and autism advocate Dr James Best told newsGP he was not surprised by the results, but that they did confirm people with ASD have a different set of health risk factors.
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Content ArticlePatient safety is the number one priority in health care as safety is considered at every level of a healthcare organisation (e.g., building, equipment, communication, processes for medications, treatments, and surgical procedures). Addressing the welfare of patients can be challenging, yet for some of the most vulnerable patients (e.g., special needs, disabilities and mental and social health issues), even the most routine nursing requests can put them at a safety risk. Simulations provide an opportunity for nursing students and professional nurses with realistic experiences caring for individuals with unique needs, especially when safety is a major concern.
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Content ArticleThe charity, British Association for Immediate Care (BASICS), has launched a wobble line. Free to access for pre-hospital care workers.
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News Article
UK poll finds young people's mental health hit by coronavirus
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
More than 80% of young people with a history of mental ill health have found their conditions have worsened since the coronavirus crisis began in the UK, a survey has found. In a study by the mental health charity YoungMinds, 2,111 people aged under 25, who had a history of mental health needs, were asked how the pandemic had affected them. Of the 83% who said the pandemic had made their mental health worse, 32% said it had made it “much worse” and 51% said it had made it “a bit worse”. Among the respondents who were accessing mental health support leading up to the crisis – including from the NHS, school and university counsellors, charities, helplines and private providers – 74% said they were still receiving support and 26% said they were unable to access support. Emma Thomas, the chief executive of YoungMinds, said the pandemic was a “human tragedy that will continue to alter the lives of everyone in our society. The results of this survey show just how big an impact this has had, and will continue to have, on the mental health of young people.” Read full story Source: Guardian, 31 March 2020 -
News Article
Mental issues sparked by pandemic could be 'silent killer': Red Cross
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The Red Cross called Friday for increased psychological support to health workers and others fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, warning of rising suicides as a result of pressure and isolation. Countries around the world have taken dramatic measures to try to halt the spread of the virus, which first emerged in China late last year, with more than three billion people now living under lockdown. The demand for psycho-social support has "increased significantly" since the start of the crisis, said Jagan Chapagain, the Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). In an interview with AFP, he said he understood that providing mental health support "may not be very high on the agenda as we are trying to contain the virus," but stressed that the issue is important and "impacts millions and millions of people." "I think that could be the big silent killer if sufficient attention is not paid to psychosocial needs and mental health needs," he said. Read full story Source: Agence France-Presse, 28 March 2020 -
Content ArticleThe findings of this study suggest that, among Chinese healthcare workers exposed to COVID-19, women, nurses, those in Wuhan, and front-line health care workers have a high risk of developing unfavourable mental health outcomes and may need psychological support or interventions.
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Content ArticleIn her blog, Carolyn looks at the emotional impact the current coronavirus pandemic is having and why we need empathy for each other. Whether we are nurses, doctors, managers, receptionists, patients, we have the power to make someone else’s day a little worse, or a little better. Let's look after one another.
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Content Article
How are you feeling today NHS? toolkit (14 January 2019)
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Staff safety
It’s easier to recognise someone’s physical wellbeing than their emotional wellbeing. We also find it much easier to engage in conversations about physical health, but often find talking about emotional wellbeing to be more of a challenge. The implications of decreased emotional wellbeing are detrimental as it can contribute to mental health and stress concerns, it is important to ensure good staff wellbeing by encouraging conversation in the workplace. -
Community PostDo you usually access services, receive treatment or take medication for mental health difficulties? How is this being impacted by the coronavirus outbreak? We’re asking for patients, carers, family members and friends to share their stories, highlight weaknesses or safety issues that need to be addressed and share solutions that are working. We will be identifying themes and reporting to healthcare leaders with your insights. We want to help close the gaps that might emerge as everyone focuses on the pandemic. Please share your stories in the comments below. You’ll need to sign up (for free) to join the conversation. Register here - it's quick and easy.
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Content ArticleIn this paper published in JAMA Network Open, Lai et al., looked at what factors are associated with mental health outcomes among healthcare workers in China who are treating patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In this cross-sectional study of 1257 healthcare workers in 34 hospitals equipped with fever clinics or wards for patients with COVID-19 in multiple regions of China, a considerable proportion of them reported experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia and distress. These findings suggest that, among Chinese healthcare workers exposed to COVID-19, women, nurses, those in Wuhan, and front-line health care workers have a high risk of developing unfavourable mental health outcomes and may need psychological support or interventions.
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Content Article
Blog series: A Day with Dave
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Mental health
A blog series from David A Mundy on mental health topics. -
News Article
We face a pandemic of mental health
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Currently we have a frightening, deadly viral pandemic, but there will another plague, one we are not hearing nearly enough about from our leaders, which will arrive in a wave just behind it, reports Paul Daley in the Guardian. There will be a pandemic of severe depression and anxiety that will sweep over the world as the unemployment rate pushes into previously unseen digits, families who’d prefer to be socially distant are thrust together and young people are denied the certainty and structure of school. We will need to support – medically, financially, emotionally and psychiatrically – those who are going to do it hardest. Psychiatric support services will need to be dramatically bolstered to fight this mental health pandemic Read full story Source: The Guardian, 24 March 2020 -
News Article
Mental health charity slams Government's ‘irresponsible’ coronavirus bill
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
A mental health charity has branded as “irresponsible” the Government’s coronavirus bill which would grant single doctors the power to detain the mentally ill. The Government wants to relax legal safeguards in the Mental Health Act in order to free up medical staff to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. If passed, the bill would reduce the number of doctors needed to approve detaining individuals from the current minimum of two, to just one. In addition, it would temporarily allow time limits in the Mental Health Act to be extended or removed altogether. This would mean patients currently detained in mental health facilities could be released into the community early, or be detained for longer. Akiko Hart, Chief of National Survivor User Network (NSUN), a UK mental health charity, said: “Whilst we understand that these are unprecedented times, any legislative change must be proportionate and thought through, and should protect all of us. Minimising some of the safeguards in the Mental Health Act and extending its powers, is a step in the wrong direction.” Read full story Source: The London Economic, 19 March 2020 -
Content ArticlePatients in inpatient mental health settings face similar risks (e.g., medication errors) to those in other areas of healthcare. In addition, some unsafe behaviours associated with serious mental health problems (e.g., self-harm), and the measures taken to address these (e.g., restraint), may result in further risks to patient safety. The objective of this review from Thibaut et al., published in BMJ Open, was to identify and synthesise the literature on patient safety within inpatient mental health settings using robust systematic methodology. The authors found that patient safety in inpatient mental health settings is under-researched in comparison to other non-mental health inpatient settings. Findings demonstrate that inpatient mental health settings pose unique challenges for patient safety, which require investment in research, policy development, and translation into clinical practice.
