{"title":"Psychiatric evidence in UK immigration and asylum cases","authors":"Nuwan Galappathie","doi":"10.1192/bja.2024.33","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1192/bja.2024.33","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 This article critically reviews the case law, guidance and standards related to the provision of expert psychiatric evidence in immigration and asylum cases in the UK. It discusses the potentially complex and medico-legally challenging process of psychiatric evaluation of asylum seekers, and the implications of the presence of psychiatric disorders for issues such as the individual's ability to give oral evidence in court, immigration detention, fitness to fly, removal, deportation, ability to reintegrate into the destination country and appeal rights. To give context to the discussion, it outlines the asylum process in the UK from claiming asylum, initial screening and the ‘substantive interview’ to, if a claim is rejected, appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), detention and the removal process.","PeriodicalId":9336,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141923128","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":"Cognitive testing and the hazards of cut-offs","authors":"Hugh Series, Alistair Burns","doi":"10.1192/bja.2024.10","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1192/bja.2024.10","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The article reviews some basic statistical concepts used in medicine, including the mean, standard deviation, sensitivity and specificity. Using this background the authors describe how these can be applied to cognitive tests, taking the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as an example. Two different approaches to using the MoCA in diagnosing dementia are considered: one using a fixed cut-off score, the other taking account of normative data about the effects of age and educational level on MoCA scores. It is recommended that clinicians assessing cognitive function should not rely on a fixed cut-off score, but where possible compare the patient's result with those of people of comparable age and educational background, although normative data of this kind are not always available.","PeriodicalId":9336,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141802222","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 role of neurocognitive testing in the assessment of fitness to stand trial","authors":"Alistair Burns, Hugh Series","doi":"10.1192/bja.2024.17","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1192/bja.2024.17","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 This article reviews some of the various shorter cognitive tests that are available. They vary in complexity, time taken to administer them and what specific neurocognitive domains they assess. They range from screening tests such as the Mini-Cog to more detailed measures such as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment or the Mini-Mental State Examination. The Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination is more comprehensive and covers attention, memory, verbal fluency, language and visuo-spatial function. The article suggests areas of cognition that may be related to the six competencies assessed in the determination of fitness to plead and to stand trial.","PeriodicalId":9336,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141801733","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 history of the Grange Annual Conference","authors":"Keith Rix","doi":"10.1192/bja.2024.22","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1192/bja.2024.22","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The history of the Grange Annual Conference is traced to its roots in the work of Sir William Norwood East, the Royal Medico-Psychological Association and Waddiloves Hospital in Bradford, UK.","PeriodicalId":9336,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141805978","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":"CR193: a framework of knowledge and support for expert witnesses","authors":"Duncan Harding","doi":"10.1192/bja.2024.28","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1192/bja.2024.28","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The Royal College of Psychiatrists’ report CR193 details the responsibilities of psychiatrists who provide expert evidence to courts and tribunals. This brief commentary describes the rewards and challenges of expert witness work, the author's role as the College's Lead for Expert Witnesses, and importance of CR193 for expert psychiatric witnesses.","PeriodicalId":9336,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141704233","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 evolution and future of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy","authors":"Paul W. Miller","doi":"10.1192/bja.2024.25","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1192/bja.2024.25","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR), a therapy initially developed by Dr Francine Shapiro for treating post-traumatic stress disorder, has broadened its scope to include other forms of stress and trauma, even showing promise for physical health conditions. This commentary on a series of three articles on EMDR in this journal outlines the therapy's underlying theoretical model, adaptive information processing (AIP), which involves trauma-focused case conceptualisation. It also introduces the work of the EMDR Council of Scholars, which identified three categories of treatment: EMDR psychotherapy, EMDR treatment protocols and EMDR-derived techniques. Finally, it considers EMDR training and credentialing and the aim of current leaders in the EMDR community to solidify EMDR's standing as a scientifically validated, front-line trauma therapy, while honouring Shapiro's legacy of striving to end the cycle of violence, especially in low- and middle-income countries.","PeriodicalId":9336,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141267519","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":"John Perceval's account of his psychosis, 1830–1832","authors":"F. Oyebode","doi":"10.1192/bja.2024.19","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1192/bja.2024.19","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 John Thomas Perceval (1803–1876) was confined first to Dr Fox's private madhouse (asylum) in 1830 and transferred to Mr Newington's madhouse at Ticehurst, Sussex, in 1832 until his release in 1834. His account of his incarceration and treatment was published in two versions, the first in 1838 and the second in 1840. In this article I describe Perceval's psychosis, his treatment and management at Dr Fox's madhouse and his reforming and advocating contributions to psychiatry in the period following his release.","PeriodicalId":9336,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140966923","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":"Expert evidence: dangers and the enhancement of reasoning","authors":"Peter Charleton, Ivan Rakhmanin","doi":"10.1192/bja.2024.18","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1192/bja.2024.18","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 This article considers the role of experts and their interaction with the legal system to better understand the benefits and potential dangers of expert evidence to fact-finders in trials. Medical experts are indispensable to the administration of justice as litigation ranges beyond what judges or juries comfortably deal with as facts of everyday life. This would render courts, absent expert evidence, vastly under-equipped in making decisions of fact. However, the dangers of surrendering authority to experts or of misunderstanding their role must be considered to ensure that expert evidence is used to benefit the administration of justice.","PeriodicalId":9336,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140974445","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":"Are psychosocial interventions effective in reducing antipsychotic use for dementia in care home residents? Current evidence and future perspectives","authors":"Jiaying Chen","doi":"10.1192/bja.2024.12","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1192/bja.2024.12","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Antipsychotics are commonly prescribed to manage the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) despite their modest efficacy and significant adverse effects. Psychosocial interventions are recommended as the first-line approach in treating BPSD before considering pharmacological options. A Cochrane Review by Lühnen et al (2023) evaluated the effects of psychosocial interventions on reducing antipsychotic prescription in care homes, and found that no generalisable recommendations can be made based on the currently available evidence. This commentary attempts to critically appraise and add context to the review.","PeriodicalId":9336,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140976287","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}
Julia Lühnen, Tanja Richter, Stella Calo, Gabriele Meyer, Sascha Köpke, R. Möhler
{"title":"Psychosocial interventions for reducing antipsychotic medication in care home residents: a Cochrane Review","authors":"Julia Lühnen, Tanja Richter, Stella Calo, Gabriele Meyer, Sascha Köpke, R. Möhler","doi":"10.1192/bja.2024.13","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1192/bja.2024.13","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9336,"journal":{"name":"BJPsych Advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140972396","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}