IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE最新文献

Background: Autistic people have high levels of mental ill-health and an increased risk of suicide across the lifespan. Yet autistic people report difficulties communicating with healthcare professionals and accessing a range of healthcare services. At the same time, mental healthcare workers in other countries are reporting links between confidence when working with autistic patients and the degree of autism knowledge and training they can access.

Methods: We sought to examine what factors helped or hindered Irish mental healthcare colleagues when working with autistic healthcare service users. An online survey using quantitative and qualitative metrics was circulated among psychiatrists who are members of the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland, both in training and at consultant level, from April 2021 to April 2022.

Results: Knowledge of autism was high among psychiatrists (n = 140), but self-efficacy scores were variable, particularly in relation to care pathways. Self-efficacy was better among psychiatrists with caseloads of children and youth or individuals with co-occurring intellectual disabilities. Three key qualitative themes emerged relating to capacity and training of mental health professionals, ways to improve mental health services provision for autistic individuals and also the critical need for co-creation and neurodiversity affirmative care.

Conclusions: The study highlighted critical systemic and professional challenges in providing mental health care to autistic people in Ireland. We provide recommendations for reducing these challenges and for enabling the development of inclusive, evidenced-based care to autistic individuals.

Objectives: Advance Choice Documents (ACDs) have been recommended for inclusion in new mental health legislation for England and Wales based on evidence they reduce compulsory psychiatric admission, with particular benefit for Black people. As Black people disproportionately experience compulsory psychiatric admission in the UK, our aim was to explore potential barriers and enablers to effective ACD implementation for Black people with previous experience of compulsory admission.

Methods: Six stakeholder workshops and one consensus workshop were held with: Black service users who had previously been involuntarily admitted, carers/supporters of Black service users, and mental health staff. Thematic analysis was conducted on workshop transcripts.

Results: Participants were service users (n = 13), carers/supporters (n = 7), service users and carers/supporters (n = 3), and staff (n = 18). Thematic analysis identified themes of 'training', 'completion', 'access', and 'use' concerning ACD implementation. Stakeholders highlighted the importance of understanding the racialised experience of Black service users for effective ACD implementation. Strong communication between and amongst stakeholders and helpful systems for access were also emphasised. Stakeholders also recommended joint training and independent facilitation of ACDs to address Black service user-staff power imbalances.

Conclusions: Known enablers and barriers to ACD implementation are important when considering ACDs for Black people, as is explicitly engaging with their experiences holistically, including racialised historical and individual experiences that underline some treatment preferences. Independent facilitation and shifts in service user-staff power dynamics present as key to realising the potential of ACDs to empower Black service users in relation to their care, and in turn to potentially reduce coercive care.

Objectives: Schizophrenia is a chronic condition that requires long-term management. Quality of life is an important outcome measure for individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia; it can be tracked over time allowing evaluation of whether interventions lead to sustainable improvements. Nutrition and dietary interventions are an underutilized treatment for tackling the metabolic consequences of mental illness, which is now recognized as having increased importance in the management of schizophrenia. This study examines the impact of nutrition and dietary interventions on quality of life outcomes for those with schizophrenia.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted, assessing the impact of nutritional interventions on quality of life outcomes in individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Results: A total of 982 articles were screened, of which nine articles met the inclusion criteria. Quality of life measures varied across studies, which made comparison across studies challenging. Previous studies had relatively small sample sizes and did not have long follow-up durations. Some of the studies found that dietary interventions such as counselling, weight management programs, food diaries and nutritional education improved quality of life, whereas others did not detect any effect.

Conclusions: The review provides preliminary evidence that nutrition and dietary interventions may benefit quality of life among individuals with schizophrenia. There were however substantial limitations in studies highlighting the need for further research. The paper also highlights the need to standardize assessment tools for future quality-of-life research.

Objectives: Compassion is the emotion that motivates people to relieve the physical, emotional, or mental pains of others. Engaging in compassionate behaviour has been found to enhance psychological wellness and resilience. However, constant displays of compassionate behaviour can lead to burnout particularly for healthcare workers who inherently practise compassion day to day. This burnout can be relieved by Compassion focused meditation. The aim of this review is to identify neuroplastic changes in the brain associated with meditation, with a focus on compassion and compassion related meditation.

Methods: Based on PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a scoping review of studies which described neuroplastic effects of meditation, focusing on compassion-based training. Studies were excluded if they (i) included multiple meditation practices or (ii) included participant populations with psychiatric/neuropsychiatric history (except anxiety or depression) or (iii) included exclusively ageing populations.

Results: The results of the reviewed studies showed various neurological changes in regions of the brain as a result of compassion based training. These regions include amygdala, the anterior insula, medial prefrontal cortex, medial orbitofrontal cortex and structures within the dopamine system.

Conclusion: This review highlights that compassion-based training could lead to neuroplastic changes which interconnect to enhance overall well-being, resilience and compassionate care among health-care professionals. However, further work is required to establish conclusive evidence of its sustained benefit and cost-effectiveness, as well as its utility in a healthcare setting.

Objectives: To examine if the current taught undergraduate psychiatry syllabus at an Irish University relates to what doctors in psychiatry consider to be clinically relevant and important.

Methods: Doctors of different clinical grades were invited to rate their views on 216 items on a 10-point Likert scale ranging from '0 = not relevant' to '10 = very relevant'. Participants were invited to comment on topics that should be excluded or included in a new syllabus. Thematic analysis was conducted on this free-text to identify particular themes.

Results: The doctors surveyed rated that knowledge of diagnostic criteria was important for medical students. This knowledge attained high scores across all disorders with particularly high scores for a number of disorders including major depressive disorder (mean = 9.64 (SD = 0.86)), schizophrenia (mean = 9.55 (SD = 0.95)) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); mean = 9.26 (SD = 1.40)). Lower scores were noted for less frequently utilised management strategies (transcranial magnetic stimulation (mean = 4.97 (SD = 2.60)), an awareness of the difference in criteria for use disorder and dependence from psychoactive substances (mean = 5.56 (SD = 2.26)), and some theories pertaining to psychotherapy (i.e. Freud's drive theory (mean = 4.59 (SD = 2.42)).

Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of an undergraduate programme that is broad based, practical and relevant to student's future medical practice. An emphasis on diagnosis and management of major psychiatry disorders, and knowledge of the interface between mental health services, other medical specialities and support services was also deemed important.

Objectives: To explore current and potential upcoming legal provisions concerning advance healthcare directives in psychiatry in Ireland, with particular focus on clinical challenges and ethical issues (e.g., self-harm, suicide).

Methods: Review and analysis of selected relevant sections of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2022, Mental Health Act 2001, Mental Health Bill 2024, and Criminal Law (Suicide) Act 1993, and relevant publications from Ireland's Medical Council and Decision Support Service.

Results: The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 outlined new procedures for advance healthcare directives. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2022 specified that advance healthcare directives relating to mental health are binding for involuntary patients unless involuntary status is based on Section 3(1)(a) of the Mental Health Act 2001 (i.e., the 'risk' criteria). The Mental Health Bill 2024 proposes making advance healthcare directives binding for all involuntary patients. In relation to suicide and self-harm, the Criminal Law (Suicide) Act 1993 states that 'a person who aids, abets, counsels or procures the suicide of another, or an attempt by another to commit suicide, shall be guilty of an offence', and the Decision Support Service advises that healthcare professionals are exempted from criminal liability if complying with a valid and applicable advance healthcare directive that refuses life-sustaining treatment, even where the directive-maker has attempted suicide.

Conclusions: Considerable public and professional education are needed if advance healthcare directives are to be widely used. The ethical dimensions of certain advance directives require additional thought and, ideally, professional ethical guidance.

Objectives: To examine the clinical and demographic profile of inpatient psychosis admissions in Ireland.

Methods: Anonymised data was extracted from the Health Research Board (HRB) National Psychiatric Inpatient Reporting System (NPIRS) from 2013-2022. The NPIRS database is maintained by the HRB and records all admissions to inpatient units and hospitals on the register of approved centres under the Mental Health Act 2001. Data was reviewed and analysed using SPSS V26.

Results: There were 43,963 psychosis admissions over the 10-year period corresponding to 26% of all psychiatric admissions. Males accounted for 58% of psychosis admissions. The median age at first admission was 36 years of age for males and 42 years of age for females. Median length of stay in days was longer for psychosis admissions (median = 20 days IQR = 8-43) than for other mental health disorders (median = 13 days IQR = 4.0-33).

Conclusions: Understanding the clinical and demographic profile of psychosis related inpatient psychiatric admissions in Ireland provides insights that can inform effective service planning and care delivery. The findings of this study have particular relevance for the implementation and evolution of the Health Service Executive Early Intervention in Psychosis Clinical Programme.

Objectives: To examine the criteria utilised for detaining individuals under the Irish Mental Health Act 2001 (MHA 2001) and their association with clinical features.

Methods: Demographic and clinical data of 505 involuntary admissions under the MHA 2001 between 2013 and 2023 were attained. Data included criteria utilised for detention and renewal, sociodemographic and clinical features associated with these criteria, and the use of coercive practices, such as seclusion and restraint.

Results: The majority of patients who were involuntarily admitted (61.4%), or had their admission order affirmed by tribunal (78.2%), were not judged to pose an immediate risk to themselves or others. Patients admitted under the "impaired judgement criterion" were less likely to be secluded (χ² = 15.8, p < 0.001) or restrained (χ² = 11.6, p < 0.01). Patients admitted under the "risk criterion" were younger (KW = 12.7, p = 0.02), and less likely to have a psychotic disorder (χ² = 5.9, p = <0.001) or have a previous involuntary admission (χ² = 7.7, p = 0.02). Patients who were subject to coercive care were younger (U = 12739, p < 0.001), more likely to be male (χ² = 4.6, p = 0.03), and have prolonged involuntary admissions (U = 18412, p = 0.02).

Conclusions: Currently, the majority of the involuntary care provided for patients under the MHA 2001 is not related to the risk criterion of causing immediate and serious harm to themselves or others, but rather to the criterion of impaired judgement. Patients admitted under the risk criterion are more often subjected to restrictive practices, but are less likely to suffer from psychosis, than those receiving involuntary care due to their impaired judgement.

This paper explores the intersection of physical health and recovery-oriented approaches in psychosis, offering a unique perspective through autoethnography. By combining personal experience with a broader analysis of existing mental health frameworks, the paper highlights the often overlooked importance of physical health in the recovery process for individuals with psychosis. The autoethnographic narrative reveals the complex challenges posed by antipsychotic medications, including weight gain and metabolic complications, and their impact on overall well-being. It emphasizes the dual stigma of mental health challenges and weight gain, highlighting the need for a more integrated, holistic approach to mental health care. Recommendations include enhanced education for healthcare providers, personalized care plans, and a multidisciplinary approach aimed at bridging the gap between physical and mental health in psychosis recovery.