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Objective: Historically, people living with mental illness have had limited chance to participate in mental health services other than as patients. This has led to serious negative consequences for their health and wellbeing. Recent public policy has aimed at redressing this situation. This paper sets out to investigate the 'state of play' regarding consumer participation in mental health services. Conclusions: Consumer participation is not a common topic in the recent literature, despite the significant public policy push to promote it. Although the vision of public policy is for consumers to be at the centre of decision making, the changes are understandably slow in coming. The implications for the practice of psychiatry, and therefore mental health services, of the demands for meaningful participation are profound. They challenge some of the social covenants under which mental health services have historically been delivered. Traditionally, people living with a mental illness have not had their rights respected. In recent times, the College has developed policies that aim to ensure that the rights of people living with a mental disorder are respected. These policies also acknowledge that effective health care requires collaboration with consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper outlines a rationale for expanding research and clinical innovations focused upon relapse prevention following a first episode of psychosis. Some general principles for further progress are extracted from an overview of the first-episode psychosis (FEP) relapse literature. A cognitive behaviour therapy intervention for relapse prevention for FEP, that has been developed at the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre, is described to illustrate these principles. Conclusions: Further progress is needed in refining interventions specific to the prevention of relapse following FEP. Future progress is dependent upon improved understanding of the interaction of biological, interpersonal and psychological processes underpinning relapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this present paper is to highlight some of the issues faced by therapists and sign language interpreters when working with deaf patients. Conclusions: Key issues include linguistic, interpreting and role challenges, and potential threats to the therapeutic alliance. Recommendations are made in relation to preparation strategies and training for sign language interpreters and therapists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Psychiatry is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Psychiatry is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: To clarify "continuity of care" (COC), a construct associated with the delivery of services for persons suffering from severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI), with attention to the service recipient's perception of COC. Method: The study involved a systematic appraisal of the literature on COC, supplemented by interviews with 36 SPMI patients and their families. Statements highlighting attributes of COC were extracted from both sources. Results: Comments by patients and families corresponded to descriptions of COC in the mental health literature. Attribute classifications by independent teams of judges showed good consistency. The following 4 attribute domains of the COC construct were identified: service delivery, accessibility, relationship base, and individualized care. Conclusions: Service recipients' perceptions of COC overlapped with representations of the construct in the mental health literature. The qualitative inquiry resulted in a draft, 47-item, self-report questionnaire for use in studies of interventions designed to facilitate COC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a case study of the Cuyahoga County Community Mental Health Research Institute (CCCMHRI), a public-academic partnership in the field of mental health services research. The institute has been engaged in an ongoing process of addressing barriers to the application of research findings in mental health practice and policy. The challenges that the CCCMHRI has faced over the course of its development are presented. The unique nature of its partnership and the opportunities that this relationship affords are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the development of a psychiatric service to the people of Saint Helena, a mid-Atlantic island community. The service addresses the needs of those with mental handicap and severe mental illness. The article examines the psychiatric problems in the community such as mental handicap and schizophrenia. It describes the solutions developed by a medical team without formal training in psychiatry.

We present a conceptual framework derived from organizational theory for understanding the evaluation of the effectiveness of mental health services. We postulate that organizations are deemed "successful" by their constituents when they conform to institutional demands and expectations that are both internally and externally generated. We empirically assess institutional conformity by examining evaluations of effectiveness by 269 mental health providers in 29 different mental health programs. Specialist programs responded to institutional demands by targeting services to those considered most in need: clients with severe mental illnesses. The formal structure and program philosophy of these programs clearly reflected this emphasis; consequently, levels of goal incongruence were low and evaluations of effectiveness were high. Generalist programs continued to provide care to diverse client groups, had more professionals, offered traditional services (such as psychotherapy), and exhibited higher levels of goal incongruence; these factors resulted in lower evaluations of effectiveness. This research is important because it demonstrates that organizational processes of institutional conformity (program objectives meet the demands of external constituents) and goal congruence (program objectives meet with expectations of internal constituents) are critical to positive evaluations of effectiveness. With the current institutional demand for effective, efficient services, it is critical that researchers have a conceptual framework for analyzing those factors which influence evaluations of effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we re-examine the issue of gender differences in the use of mental health services by asking (1) whether gender differences in use depend upon the specific services studied; and (2) whether statistical models which are aligned closely to help-seeking theory can explain such differences better than previously used approaches. Our analyses are drawn from two waves of data collected from a representative sample of 3,921 respondents of the Epidemiologic Catchment Area study at the Yale University site. Results indicate that although women are more likely than men to consult a physician in the general medical sector about mental health-related problems, there are no gender differences in use of the mental health specialty sector. The relationship between gender and use of the general medical sector for mental health problems also varies by psychiatric status and by attitudes toward mental health services. In the presence of a psychiatric disorder determined by the Diagnostic Interview Schedule, the likelihood of using services is highest for women with positive attitudes and for men with negative attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents several research on the role of classroom interactions and teachers influence in combating mental illness of children in the U.S. The report of the Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health contained recommendations in combating mental illness which include balanced portfolio of mental health services and research, suggestion for increasing government spending for all levels of mental health services, encourage towards health and helping professions. Ralph Rabinovitch, director of Hawthorne Center, indicated that schools must offer psychological guide through organize and challenging programs of academic studies and routines for emotionally handicapped children.