This study makes a definitive survey of the social services made available to mental patients at the Crease Clinic of Psychological Medicine during the year of 1953. The purpose of the survey was to describe as clearly as possible the actual social services provided by social caseworkers to patients undergoing short-term treatment at a mental hospital. In order to analyze the nature of typical social casework help, it was necessary to define the specific components making up services to the mentally ill and their families. Since there is apparently no available standard, a special classification of services was devised for the present study. This was achieved by visualizing the social needs of the patient and his family as he moves through his period of hospitalization, from admission to discharge. A questionnaire listing these services was prepared, and was answered by the patients’ social workers. The patients studied were by people selected by a routine sampling procedure. An examination of the casework help to the patients revealed that 25 out of 64, and 29 of their families, received help through face-to-face interviews with the social worker. All the patients were helped through diagnostic planning at ward rounds, and 44 were further assisted through a therapeutic use of social resources by the social worker. The specific services to the patients and the specific services to the relatives were shown to be similar in frequency. In both instances most of the services were aimed at helping people with their discomforts in social relationships. In conclusion, the study points out some of the problems in the screening of patients for social casework help, including the difficulty of giving effective service with insufficient staff. Also emphasized is the necessity for social agencies to facilitate research through standardization of recording, because of the need for further development in quantitative and analytical evaluation of services which are not clearly understood by the general public, and even by some professional people. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

Background: Suicidal thoughts affect 12% of Canadian adolescents. Previous research has linked many factors to suicidality but has not considered how these factors may act together or their effect on non-mental health outcomes. Methods: I used the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth to construct predictive models for suicidal thinking. Recursive partitioning models were constructed and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for suicidal thoughts and secondary outcomes was calculated. I tested the models in the Avon Longitudinal Survey of Parents and Children. Results: Predictive model sensitivity was 24.2%, specificity was 89.8%, PPV was 24.7%, and NPV was 89.5% and had similar accuracy in the second dataset. The models were better at predicting other adverse outcomes compared to suicidal ideas. Conclusion: Exposure to multiple risk factors is predictive of several poor outcomes in adolescence including suicidal thoughts.

In 1960, the Home for the Aged, an institution of the Province of British Columbia, underwent an official name change to Valleyview Hospital. The change in name indicated a change in the philosophy toward the treatment of the aged mentally ill person. This change can be equated with new knowledge about the physical, psychological and social aspects of aging. Formerly the program and the goal were related to custodial care; now, the program and the goal are related to treatment which will result in the aged mentally ill patient returning to a living arrangement in the community that is most appropriate to his needs. This study, cites the problems of aged people in this province, with particular reference to problems of mental illness. The process of admission to hospital, treatment programs and discharge procedures, particularly as they relate to the work of the Social Service Department, are described. Against this background of procedures, the particular criteria for discharge and rehabilitation planning, as related to the hospital and to the resources available in the community are examined. Particular patient groups are noted in relationship to the particular resource required to receive them back into community. The study reveals that, although, using hospital criteria for discharge, a large number of patients could be appropriately rehabilitated, but sufficient community resources, including family care, boarding and nursing homes, are lacking for such patients. Furthermore, community attitudes towards the aged mentally ill person have not changed to meet the new philosophy about their treatment in Valleyview Hospital. Since correspondence revealed that Valleyview Hospital is unique amongst mental hospitals for the aged on this continent, the study was of necessity a pilot one, and is primarily descriptive. However, the questionnaire method was used to gather data about existing living accommodation available to discharged patients. Finally, the study offers some suggestions for improvement and expansion of community resources, and of legislation concerning them which, if carried out, would ensure, to a greater extent, that the philosophy of treatment and rehabilitation, rather than custodial care, could be translated into practice. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Moorhouse, Clayton Herbert Todd; Starak, Igor / Graduate

D.Cur. / This research aims to develop a model for debriefing for the advanced psychiatric nurse practitioner to enable her to support the nurse involved in the termination of pregnancy. This research also aims to generate guidelines for the operationalising of the developed model. The model developed is envisaged to enhance the development of the nurse involved in the termination of pregnancy into a reflexive and mentally healthy person. The transition for a minority government and "Apartheid" regime in South Africa to a democratically elected government in 1994 required the revision of health practices. The World Health Organisation adheres to a strong ethical frame of reference, which includes respect for individuals' choices regarding their personal health. To promote and enhance the health and quality of life for women in South Africa, the Bill on the Freedom of Choice to Terminate a Pregnancy (Bill no. 92 of 1996) was promulgated. The nurse involved in the termination of pregnancy, experiences inner powerlessness and tiredness because of internal conflict and loss of internal control. These feelings are centred around the inability to convince women, who decide to terminate a pregnancy, not to continue with the procedure. She is continually confronted with feelings of sadness and anger. She does not allow herself to give vent to these feelings, nor does she share them with other people. The nurse involved in the termination of pregnancy continuously contests her own religious beliefs, which thus result in feelings of guilt. She copes with these feelings by using ineffective psychological defence mechanisms, such as rationalisation with regard to the involvement with the termination of pregnancy, distancing herself from the situation by facilitating inadequate interpersonal skills, and the repression of her feelings concerning the termination of pregnancy.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Theses (MSc. (Biochemistry)) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / Lithium is an FDA-approved psychiatric drug that has been used for more than half a century as a preferred, gold standard treatment for bipolar disorders (Cade, 1949; Freland and Beaulieu, 2012). Numerous studies reported that lithium can play a key role in regulation of inflammation and oxidative stress beyond bipolar disorders since it’s known to target GSK3-β and NF-κB key inflammation molecules (Yestevelasco et al., 2008; Zhang et al., 2008). The choice of this drug was derived from its easy accessibility, less cost, minor side effects and efficacy as opposed to other anti-depressant drugs used currently. This study is based on a body of experimental evidence that has outlined the link between uncontrolled inflammation and some chronic ailments. Thus, this study was aimed at investigating the molecular mode of action of lithium chloride on amelioration of oxidative stress and inflammation in activated Raw 264.7 since, preliminary results of this work suggested the anti-inflammatory properties of lithium. Lithium chloride (LiCl) is not cytotoxic to Raw 264.7 and NIH 3T3 cell lines up to 20 mM and no change in cell proliferation, viability, growth, and cell adhesion were observed as demonstrated using xCELLigence Real Time Cell Analyser (RTCA) and MTT assays. In addition, this drug was shown to be unable to induce programmed cell death in Raw 264.7 and NIH 3T3 cell after 10 mM LiCl treatment as demonstrated using Annexin-V/ PI apoptosis detection assay. Using the Griess and DAF2-DA assays pre-treatment with low doses of lithium (LiCl) was shown to reduce Nitric Oxide production in LPS-induced macrophages. A reduced internal H2DCF-DA fluorescence intensity is indicative of reduced ROS production, observed in lithium-treated Raw 264.7 macrophages stimulated with LPS, FMLP and PMA. Real Time PCR analysis revealed that lithium modulates expression of inflammation inhibitory genes such as IκB-α, TRAF3, Tollip and NF-κB1/p50. This inhibitors are known to play a vital role up stream (Tollip and TRAF3) and downstream (IκB-α and NF-κB1/p50) of NF-κB inflammation signalling pathway. Thus, these molecules are thought to be anti-inflammatory molecular targets of lithium. Moreover, immunocytochemistry suggest that lithium blocks nuclear translocation of NF-κB. This study associates lithium to reduced oxidative stress in LPS, FMLP and PMA-activated Raw 264.7 macrophages in a non-neuronal setting and further suggests lithium as a potential candidate for regulation of oxidative stress conditions beyond bipolar disorders.

Background: A large number of the Swedish population are today living with some kind of mental illness. With an understanding of patient's experiences of continuity, the nurses are able to meet each patient based on their desires. This contributes to an increased opportunity for the patient to achieve health. Aim: The aim of this study was to illuminate patients' experience of continuity of care in psychiatric care. Method: A literature-based study was conducted by analysis of qualitative articles. The articles were found through systematic searches in the databases Cinahl and PsycINFO. A total of eight articles were selected and analysed according to Friberg's five-step model. Results: The result was presented in three main themes which illuminated the patients' perspective. The first theme described the meaning of a care relationship to achieve continuity of care. In the second theme information was presented about how patient participation affects continuity. The third and last theme highlights the organizations effects on continuity. Conclusion: The conclusion is that an increased understanding of patient's own experiences of continuity is needed. It provides an opportunity for patients to achieve health and for health care professionals to meet the patient based on individual conditions in the care relationship. Maintaining continuity in psychiatric care has several positive aspects, both for the individual but also for the health care staff and organization, and should therefore be a priority. / I detta examensarbete var syftet att belysa patienters upplevelser av kontinuitet inom den psykiatriska vården. Psykisk ohälsa är vanligt och förekommer i samhället världen över. Hur patienten upplever den psykiatriska vården påverkas av olika faktorer. Det är av stor betydelse för sjuksköterskan att förstå och lära av dessa faktorer för att möta patienter i olika vårdsammanhang. Patienters upplevelser av kontinuitet var en av dessa faktorer som framkom i detta examensarbete. Efter sökning i två olika databaser kunde åtta kvalitativa vetenskapliga artiklar väljas ut till grund för examensarbetets resultat. Analysen av materialet utgick från Friberg (2017) femstegsmodell som beskrivs i metodavsnittet. Utifrån analysen kunde tre huvudteman och åtta underteman utformas. Det fanns omständigheter i vården som påverkade hälsan negativt. I detta examensarbete framkom det att bristande kontinuitet påverkade patientens utveckling av hälsa. Att upprätthålla kontinuitet visade sig istället leda till att patienten i högre utsträckning fick möjlighet att uppnå hälsa. Resultatet visade att upplevelsen av kontinuitet påverkades av olika faktorer. För att upprätthålla kontinuitet krävdes en fungerande vårdrelation mellan patient och vårdpersonal. Det var även av vikt för patienter att känna sig delaktiga i beslutsfattning. Det gav en motivation till fortsatt vård och behandling. Hur den psykiatriska vårdens organisation var uppbyggd påverkade också patienters upplevelse av kontinuitet. Genom att belysa patienters upplevelser av kontinuitet skapade författarna, i detta examensarbete, förutsättningar för att i framtiden kunna utforma en vård med patienten i fokus.