{"title":"\"Don't Look Up\": Eco-anxiety presenting in a Community Mental Health Service.","authors":"D Mulligan, A K O'Callaghan, A Guerandel","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2023.20","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ipm.2023.20","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This case report discusses a 25-year-old male who was referred to community mental health services from primary care with symptoms of anxiety and depression related to climate change, which the referring clinician believed were of delusional intensity. This case report gives the history of his interaction with the service. A literature review is performed noting the dearth of case reports in this area and a subsequent discussion charts the emerging literature on mental health issues related to climate change. Finally the paper makes some broad recommendations for mental health practitioners on how to approach these issues.</p>","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"144-147"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9952370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Opinions of key stakeholders regarding the inpatient Individual Care Plan.","authors":"A Nikkhah, B Hallahan, C McDonald","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2021.29","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ipm.2021.29","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>In Ireland, regularly reviewed Individual Care Plans (ICPs) for inpatients at all acute psychiatric inpatient units are a requirement of the Mental Health Act . In this study, we comprehensively evaluated and compared opinions of key stakeholders in relation to the ICP as a care delivery tool.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We employed a descriptive survey design. Questionnaires were distributed to 123 stakeholders (patients and mental health professionals (MHPs)) to evaluate and compare opinions regarding the impact of the ICP in relation to healthcare delivery and health outcomes, and regarding the structure and frequency of use of the ICP.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Ninety-eight stakeholders (80%) completed study questionnaires. Stakeholders (patients (58%) and MHPs (85%)) reported that the ICP assisted in healthcare delivery. However, different attitudes between groups were noted in relation to whether the ICP contributed towards healthcare outcomes, with 64% of patients, but only 41% of MHPs reporting that the ICP positively contributed to mental healthcare outcomes. Some free-text comments described patient dissatisfaction with the role of the ICP for healthcare delivery, and MHP dissatisfaction that the ICP was time-consuming and did not significantly enhance standard patient care.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Whilst the implementation of the ICP is generally viewed positively by both patients and MHPs, considerable dissatisfaction by MHPs was also noted with certain aspects of how the ICP was delivered in practice. Practical adjustments to the implementation of ICP in order to build more positive stakeholder experiences appear warranted and worthy of further research.</p>","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"11-22"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38963893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evolution and psychiatry: the formation of a special interest group.","authors":"Gurjot Brar, Henry O'Connell","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2023.30","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ipm.2023.30","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This editorial outlines the formation of a new special interest group (SIG) in evolution and psychiatry. The formative beginnings of the evolutionary psychiatry field and founding of the group in Ireland are presented, identifying central figures of the field and their contributions. Furthermore, key milestones and accomplishments are discussed with current and future directions. Additionally, foundational texts and seminal papers are included to guide the reader in their journey to discover more about evolution and psychiatry. We hope this will be of relevance to those interested in how SIGs form and also to clinicians with an interest in evolutionary psychiatry.</p>","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"1-3"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10042917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lauren Alexander, Eimear Counihan, Deirdre McNally, Leonard Douglas
{"title":"Feeling stuck: exploring experiences of junior doctors.","authors":"Lauren Alexander, Eimear Counihan, Deirdre McNally, Leonard Douglas","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2020.126","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ipm.2020.126","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Staff working in mental health services provide care for individuals with a variety of difficulties, which can pose treatment challenges. Perceived lack of progress in patients can engender uncomfortable feelings within the clinician, such as frustration, 'heartsink' and 'feeling stuck'. The aim of this study was to explore the phenomenon of 'feeling stuck' amongst NCHDs in psychiatry.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 30 participants were recruited from three psychiatric hospitals to complete a 15-item questionnaire. The survey was designed to pursue a thematic analysis. Participants were asked to complete the survey anonymously, either online or paper version. The analysis was carried out by two researchers using open coding, with themes finalised through collective discourse.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Three themes were elicited from the data. The central theme - 'causes of feeling stuck' - consisted of three subthemes (patient, doctor and system factors). Participants were adept at describing patient and system factors, but reflected on doctor factors, such as countertransference, less often and in less detail. Other themes, explored in less detail by respondents, were 'the experience of feeling stuck' and 'responses to feeling stuck', with participants tending to seek solutions to, rather than an understanding of, these feelings.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Trainee psychiatrists can clearly identify the situations where they are 'stuck' with clinical interactions. In spite of clinical supervision and reflective practice groups, they desire further training in managing these scenarios. NCHDs would benefit from further training, using these 'stuck' interactions as material, to further develop their understanding of the underlying factors in both themselves and their patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"4-10"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25512961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S Fayyaz, N Nkire, B Nwosu, N Amjad, A Kinsella, M Gill, C McDonough, V Russell, J L Waddington
{"title":"Carepath for overcoming psychosis early (COPE): first 5 years of clinical operation and prospective research in the Cavan-Monaghan early intervention service.","authors":"S Fayyaz, N Nkire, B Nwosu, N Amjad, A Kinsella, M Gill, C McDonough, V Russell, J L Waddington","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2021.54","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ipm.2021.54","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>As Ireland confronts the many challenges of broadening the introduction of early intervention services (EIS) for first episode psychosis (FEP) as national policy, this article describes Carepath for Overcoming Psychosis Early (COPE), the EIS of Cavan-Monaghan Mental Health Service, and presents prospective research findings during its first 5 years of operation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>COPE was launched as a rural EIS with an embedded research protocol in early 2012, following an education programme for general practitioners (GPs). Here, operational activities are documented and research findings presented through to late 2016.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During this period, 115 instances of FEP were incepted into COPE, 70.4% via their GP and 29.6% via the Emergency Department. The annual rate of inception was 24.8/100,000 of population aged > 15 years and was 2.1-fold more common among men than women. Mean duration of untreated psychosis was 5.7 months and median time from first psychotic presentation to initiation of antipsychotic treatment was zero days. Assessments of psychopathology, neuropsychology, neurology, premorbid functioning, quality of life, insight, and functionality compared across 10 DSM-IV psychotic diagnoses made at six months following presentation indicated minimal differences between them, other than more prominent negative symptoms in schizophrenia and more prominent mania in bipolar disorder.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>COPE illustrates the actuality of introducing and the challenges of operating a rural EIS for FEP. Prospective follow-up studies of the 5-year COPE cohort should inform on the effectiveness of this EIS model in relation to long-term outcome in psychotic illness across what appear to be arbitrary diagnostic boundaries at FEP.</p>","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"23-36"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39279233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An exploration of family dynamics in adults who self-harm.","authors":"Ruth Buckmaster, Muireann McNulty, Suzanne Guerin","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2021.59","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ipm.2021.59","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The aim of the present study was to explore how adults who self-harm experience family relationships.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A phenomenological design was employed to examine the dynamic relationship between self-harm and family systems. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six female adults who attend a community mental health service and engage in self-harm. Transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Four superordinate themes emerged from the data and two subordinate themes emerged within each superordinate theme: family interactive patterns (subordinate themes: enmeshed patterns and culture of 'getting on with it'), searching for meaning (subordinate themes: expressing emotional turmoil and engrained worthlessness), relating to others (subordinate themes: guilt and feeling misunderstood) and journey towards life without self-harm (subordinate themes: acceptance and family support).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Findings emphasise the role of family systems in understanding self-harm in adults. The study highlights the need for family-based interventions for family members who support adults that self-harm.</p>","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"37-45"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39504729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Open Dialogue: a rights-based approach to treatment in mental health care.","authors":"Emer Rutledge","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2021.69","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ipm.2021.69","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"150-151"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39710713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Involuntary status and mental capacity for treatment decisions under Sections 4, 3, and 57 of Ireland's Mental Health Act, 2001: analysis and recommendations for reform.","authors":"Katherine Reidy, Brendan D Kelly","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2020.136","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ipm.2020.136","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although significant progress has been made in Irish mental health law in recent decades, the Mental Health Act, 2001 still falls short of properly protecting human rights. A consideration of human rights developments, both domestically and internationally, highlights the urgent need for reform. In this paper we consider Sections 4 ('Best interests'), 3 ('Mental disorder') and 57 ('Treatment not requiring consent') of the 2001 Act and related recommendations in the 2015 Report of the Expert Group on the Review of the Mental Health Act, 2001, and suggest specific areas for reform. Just as medicine evolves over time, so too does our understanding of human rights and law. While embracing a human rights-based approach to the extent suggested here might be seen as aspirational, it is important to balance achievable goals with higher ideals if progress is to be made and rights are to be respected.</p>","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"119-124"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25499490","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The use of psychedelics in psychiatric treatment - evolutionary perspectives.","authors":"Gurjot Brar, Henry O'Connell","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2023.10","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ipm.2023.10","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"148-149"},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10716830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Systematic review of effectiveness and satisfaction evaluation in child and adolescent mental health services in Ireland.","authors":"D Leahy, F McNicholas","doi":"10.1017/ipm.2021.9","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ipm.2021.9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Increasing numbers of youth experience mental illness, and also require and benefit from specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). Worldwide, such services are underfunded and under-resourced, and services in Ireland are no different. It is vital that existing services are regularly reviewed for both efficacy and acceptability. Our objective was to review published studies evaluating service user satisfaction with CAMHS in Ireland and CAMHS therapeutic efficacy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>MEDLINE, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases were systematically searched. Studies were included if they reported on service user satisfaction or an evaluation of CAMHS in Ireland.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From an initial 125 articles identified, 15 studies meet the inclusion criteria: four reporting on overall CAMHS satisfaction, three on satisfaction where a specific diagnosis was present, while eight evaluated various interventions offered. Whilst most service users perceived services to be satisfactory, important issues relating to accessibility were present. Evidence of efficacy was present for a small number of interventions, but studies were limited by methodological issues.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>There is a dearth of studies evaluating CAMHS in Ireland. The extant literature suggests a positive experience once accessed, but long waiting times and poor collaboration are seen to limit services users' experience. More robust methodologically sound studies are urgently required. Given the expected increased demand linked to the current COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the resultant compromised financial position, it is essential that scant resources are appropriately directed.</p>","PeriodicalId":46220,"journal":{"name":"IRISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE","volume":" ","pages":"107-118"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"25522341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}