Welfare Reform on the Web (November 1999): Mental Health Services - UK

ATTACKS OBEY THE RULE OF LOGIC

C. Russell

Community Care, no. 1286, 1999, p. 12

Social workers subject to increasing levels of violence from people with mental health problems may be victims of clients' blind anger and frustration at deteriorating services.

BALANCING CARE AND CONTROL: RISK MANAGEMENT AND COMPULSORY COMMUNITY TREATMENT

S. Morgan and M. Hemming

Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Care, vol. 3, Sept. 1999, p. 19-21

Argues that introducing legislative powers to permit compulsory treatment in the community may easily backfire. Risk management, rather than compulsion, is a more fruitful approach on which to focus efforts to reduce the number of homicides committed by people with mental health problems.

DUAL QUALIFICATION EDUCATION AND TRAINING: THE LEARNING DISABILITY EXPERIENCE

J. Etchells et al

Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Care, vol. 2, 1999, p. 412-415

The launch of a new joint nursing/social work training programme for learning disabilities practitioners has thrown starkly into relief the barriers and boundaries that impede joint working. Articles describes the initial findings of a study of some of the first students to enrol on the course; their views about the differing roles, responsibilities, education and training of the two professions, and their perceptions of inter-professional attitudes among qualified staff in the field.

THE FORGOTTEN FOUR HUNDRED

T. Stainton

Community Living, vol. 13, July/August 1999, p. 10-11

A series of broken promises, apparently driven by cost cutting policies, means that some 400 people with learning disabilities are still languishing in large institutions in Wales instead of being resettled in the community. The number is slowly declining but this is due to mortality rather than resettlement rates.

IMPLEMENTING MENTAL HEALTH PROMOTION: A HEALTH EDUCATION AND PROMOTION PERSPECTIVE

G. Kok

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, vol. 1, July 1999, p. 4-10

Article presents some perspectives from health education and promotion that could be useful for metal health promotion. Describes in detail a recently published protocol for developing theory-based and evidence-based interventions, Intervention Mapping.

MANAGING DANGEROUS PEOPLE WITH SEVERE PERSONALITY DISORDER: PROPOSALS FOR POLICY DEVELOPMENT

Home Office and Department of Health

London: 1999

Puts forward two options for dealing with people with severe personality disorders, both involving compulsory detention. Under the first option existing mental health legislation would be strengthened and prison and health services improved to cater for people diagnosed with a severe personality disorder. Under the second option new legislation would be introduced allowing the indefinite detention of people with severe personality disorders based on the risk they posed and their therapeutic needs rather than whether they had been convicted of an offence.

(See also Daily Telegraph, July 20th 1999, p. 12; Guardian, July 20th 1999, p. 7; Times, July 20th 1999, p. 10)

MENTAL HEALTH TRUSTS 'RUN SCARED' FROM PCTs

L. Donnelly

Health Service Journal, vol. 109, Sept. 2nd 1999, p. 7

Experts accuse mental health trusts of 'running scared' from the advent of primary care trusts by building huge organisations through mergers. These large mental health trusts are in danger of becoming dinosaurs out of touch with the communities they serve.

PLAYING THE WAITING GAME: REHABILITATION AND THE NEW LONG-STAY PATIENT

K. Bones

Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Care, vol. 2, 1999, p. 416-419

Closure of long-stay psychiatric hospitals and dramatic cuts in beds have placed acute psychiatric units under severe pressure, and have produced a 'new long-stay' population of patients with severe mental health problems. These patients are generally characterised by repeated crisis hospital admissions, but others may be languishing on rehabilitation wards while attempts are made to arrange appropriate supported community accommodation.

PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE: PROTECTING THE FINANCIAL WELFARE OF PEOPLE WITH MENTAL INCAPACITY

Committee of Public Accounts

London: TSO, 1999 (House of Commons papers, session 1998-99; HC 278)

Expresses disappointment at the limited progress made since 1994 in the protection of patients financial welfare and expresses concern that performance has deteriorated markedly in some important respects.

SIZING UP THE ARGUMENT

L. Donnelly

Health Service Journal, vol. 109, Sept. 9th 1999, p. 10-11

Puts arguments for and against the creation of large specialist mental health services trusts serving populations of 1-2 million.

ZONING IN ON MENTAL HEALTH

P. Hogett et al

Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Care, vol. 2, 1999, p. 407-409

Argues the case for development of a strategy to link mental health services to mainstream urban regeneration and community development initiatives, with a view to promotion of mental well-being. Health Action Zones provide the perfect vehicle for such preventive community mental health initiatives.