Australasian psychiatry : bulletin of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
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Australas Psychiatry · Aug 2007
Trainee psychiatrists' views about their supervisors and supervision.
Supervision is fundamental to the trainee experience in psychiatry, but few researchers have considered this in a systematic way. In this paper, we explore trainees' perceptions of the supervisor-trainee relationship and the supervision process. This is the first of two papers, with the second focussing on supervisors' perceptions of supervision and trainees. ⋯ The results of this study would be useful in designing training programs for both experienced and novice supervisors. Future research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of such training programs, as currently very little investigation into postgraduate clinical supervision has been undertaken.
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Australas Psychiatry · Jun 2007
Case ReportsProlonged anticholinergic delirium following antihistamine overdose.
A case of anticholinergic delirium in a female adolescent is described, exploring the pharmacokinetic reasons for the prolonged time course and reviewing the management provided. ⋯ A 14 year old female hospitalised for depression ingested large quantities of promethazine and cyproheptadine. A severe anticholinergic delirium ensued which resolved after six days, much longer than the expected duration. The likely cause of the prolonged delirium was the interaction of promethazine and fluvoxamine through the inhibition of the CYP2D6 enzyme. The patient's young age, the severity of the poisoning and the use of drugs with anticholinergic properties to manage the delirium may also have contributed. The delirium may have been reversed had a cholinesterase inhibitor been provided soon after the overdose.
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Australas Psychiatry · Jun 2007
Stigma and quality of life as experienced by people with mental illness.
The aim of this study was to assess the extent to which people with mental illness in a New Zealand setting encounter stigma and discrimination and to examine their satisfaction with quality of life. ⋯ The experience of stigma and dissatisfaction with quality of life among people with mental illness is common. This has implications for clinical assessment and management.
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Australas Psychiatry · Apr 2007
Aboriginal child and adolescent mental health: a rural worker training model.
The Third National Mental Health Plan places a strong emphasis on the development of an Aboriginal mental health workforce. This paper documents the establishment, implementation and initial evaluation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child and Adolescent Mental Health Traineeship Program, a partnership initiative involving Hunter New England Area Health Service (HNEAHS), Hunter New England Aboriginal Mental Health (HNEAMH) and the Department of Psychological Medicine at the Children's Hospital at Westmead (CHW), with guidance and input from additional collaborators. ⋯ The program includes: (i) employment as a child and adolescent mental health worker and professional support and supervision through HNEAHS; (ii) a mentoring program provided through HNEAMH; (iii) formal academic studies in Aboriginal Mental Health; and (iv) a clinical education and supervision program conducted through the Department of Psychological Medicine, CHW. Initial feedback suggests that this is a promising program to train Aboriginal child and adolescent mental health workers. Further evaluation will provide information about its viability and effectiveness in providing an integrated, collaborative child and adolescent mental health service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families.
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This study was designed to survey a different model of working as a consultant in a child and adolescent mental health service to address the problem of a long waiting list. ⋯ The clinical implication is for consultants to consider using a consultation model in child and adolescent mental health services.