mental health and mental health care
More than half a million people in Britain have autism, and the numbers of diagnosed cases is rising rapidly. Yet we know very little about this puzzling condition. In a month-long series of programmes and features, Radio 4 attempt to separate fact from theory, and to find out what is available to help autistic children and adults, and their families.
This review on indicated prevention adds to the current knowledge and understanding of risk factors in the development of later drug problems and dependence, focusing on the mental health and behavioural problems that develop during childhood. Indicated prevention is a relatively new branch of drug prevention and can be seen as the third part of the ‘prevention chain’, after universal and selective prevention.
This practical toolkit sets standards for mental health professionals working with young people placed on adult mental health wards. The criteria have been developed in conjunction with young service users, parents, commissioners and practitioners in both Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) and CAMHS, and complement the Adult Inpatient Mental Health Services (AIMS) standard.
This At a glance summary presents an overview of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005, which is important to health and social care practice. The MCA has been in force since 2007. The primary purpose of the MCA is to promote and safeguard decision-making within a legal framework.
This report begins by asking why there should be investment in promotion and prevention. It then summarises what is known and gives examples of study findings on wellbeing, early intervention,, depression, suicide and workplace health promotion. Ongoing and future evaluations are noted and the need for more European assessments emphasised.
This briefing presents the findings from a review of the impact of parental separation and divorce on children’s well-being and development. The review incorporated evidence concerning family breakdown and its consequences, and included research relating to both married and cohabiting parents. Findings are summarised in the areas of: family breakdown and its impact on children; contributory factors and optimising positive outcomes.
This evaluative research study was commissioned to explore the implementation of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 (MHCT Act). A team of independent researchers including 8 mental health service users undertook the study, which lasted 2 years from September 2006.
The importance of employment and its links with mental health are summarised and the European policy context described. The report then asks what the consequences of poor mental health for economic activity are, if a trend in productivity losses over time can be seen and what we know about employment rates for people with mental health problems. Barriers to employment, the economic case for helping such people remain in the workforce, assessing the cost effectiveness of interventions to this end, legislative and policy actions, and the way forward are discussed.
The National Offender Management Service is subject to the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. This thematic report draws together information from prisoner surveys and inspection reports between 2006 and 2008, together with responses from 82 prison disability liaison officers (DLOs), to examine how well prisons are currently able to discharge these duties. Areas covered include: environment and relationships; safety; health services; activities; and resettlement. The report makes a number of recommendations.
An introduction gives the history of how in most European countries for many decades large institutions dominated provision for people with severe and chronic disabilities, including those with mental health problems, and how this changed. Trends in the balance of care, changes in provision, and policies to develop community care and the allocation of resources are described, challenges listed and opportunities outlined, ending with a conclusion that research on progress in this area in Europe has been limited.

