Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology
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Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol · Jan 2006
What does the WHOQOL-Bref measure? Measurement overlap between quality of life and depressive symptomatology in chronic somatoform pain disorder.
Quality of life has become an important outcome criterion for psychiatric interventions. Especially in chronic disorders with no complete recovery, the improvement of quality of life is an important treatment goal. Nevertheless, there are methodological problems in assessing quality of life. There is a possible measurement overlap between quality of life and psychopathology, especially depression, which may invalidate research results. This study addresses the quality of life of patients with chronic somatoform pain and its relation to depressive symptoms. ⋯ While the WHOQOL-Bref showed a poor quality of life of patients with chronic somatoform pain disorder in general and especially in the physical and in the psychological domains, the high correlation of physical and psychological quality of life scores with depressive symptomatology points to a measurement overlap. It is suggested that assessment of subjective quality of life should always be checked for the influence of depressive symptomatology on the quality of life score.
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Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol · Aug 2005
Comparative StudyChanging patterns of suicide in a poor, rural county over the 20th century: a comparison with national trends.
Rural suicide rates have been shown to be disproportionately high in several countries. This study compares suicide rates in Cornwall with the rest of England and Wales over a 90-year period (1911-2001). Age and sex standardised mortality ratios were calculated for suicide and undetermined death for Cornwall standardised to England and Wales. ⋯ We have shown that the suicide rate in a poor, rural area has increased disproportionately compared to England and Wales over the last 35 years. This change has occurred in both sexes. Prior to this period the suicide rate was lower or about the same as that in England and Wales.
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Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol · Jul 2005
Comparative StudyThe process of care in residential facilities--a national survey in Italy.
Although residential facilities (RFs) have largely replaced mental hospitals (MHs) in most developed countries for the long-term residential care of severely impaired patients, the process of care in RFs has not been well studied. The aim of this paper is to investigate the process of care in 265 RFs, representing 19.3% of all RFs in Italy, and to devise a classification of RFs based on process characteristics. ⋯ This study provides naturalistic evidence of the heterogeneity of the process of residential care on a large scale. Future efforts should focus on developing an empirical classification of RFs, as well as on national and international standards of care and staffing to address patients' needs.
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Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol · May 2005
Are self-referrers just the worried well?--A cross-sectional study of self-referrers to community psycho-educational Stress and Self-Confidence workshops.
Reluctance to seek formal help has been seen as a major problem in trying to reduce the prevalence of anxiety and depression. ⋯ Setting up a self-referral system can enable those with diagnosable psychiatric problems, who may otherwise be reluctant to seek help, to come forward. This may have significant public mental health implications.
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Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol · Mar 2005
Morale and job perception of community mental health professionals in Berlin and London.
Morale and job perception of staff in community mental health care may influence feasibility and quality of care, and some research has suggested particularly high burnout of staff in the community. The aims of this study were to: a) assess morale, i. e. team identity, job satisfaction and burnout, in psychiatrists, community psychiatric nurses and social workers in community mental health care in Berlin and London; b) compare findings between the groups and test whether personal characteristics, place of working and professional group predict morale; and c) explore what tasks, obstacles, skills, enjoyable and stressful aspects interviewees perceived as important in their jobs. ⋯ Burnout remains a problem for some, but not all, professional groups in community mental health care, and social workers in London appear to be a group with particularly low morale. Differences between professional groups depend on the location, and it remains unclear to what extent job-related and general factors impact on the morale of mental health professionals. Answers to open questions reveal general as well as specific aspects of the job perception of the professional groups, some of which may be relevant for service development, training and supervision. More conceptual and methodological work and more extensive studies are required to develop a better understanding of how community mental health professionals perceive their job and how morale may be improved.