The International journal of social psychiatry
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Int J Soc Psychiatry · Sep 2007
Comparative StudyCivil conflict in Northern Ireland and the prevalence of psychiatric disturbance across the United Kingdom: a population study using the British household panel survey and the Northern Ireland household panel survey.
To date, no large-scale cross-comparative study of psychiatric morbidity in the United Kingdom has been carried out until recently when the Northern Ireland Household Panel Survey (NIHPS) included the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) in 2001. The GHQ-12 has been included in the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) since 1991 for England and since 1999 for both Scotland and Wales. The purpose of this article is to compare rates of psychiatric morbidity across the United Kingdom, given that one region in particular, Northern Ireland, has experienced political conflict and civil strife for more than 35 years. ⋯ Psychiatric morbidity rates for adults in Northern Ireland are comparable to other parts of the United Kingdom and we propose that individuals in Northern Ireland use a range of coping strategies to moderate the impact of the conflict in everyday life. These include habituation to the violence, denial and social cohesion, evidenced in the tightly knit Unionist and Nationalist communities. Particular concern was noted over GHQ-12 scores for Wales and while social and economic factors are acknowledged in our commentary, we conclude that further research appears to be crucial in understanding and preventing poorer rates of mental health in this region.
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Int J Soc Psychiatry · Jul 2007
Burnout and job satisfaction in New Zealand psychiatrists: a national study.
To estimate the prevalence of burnout and the level of job satisfaction among New Zealand psychiatrists, and to ascertain relationships between socio-demographic variables, job satisfaction and burnout in the target population. ⋯ This study has demonstrated a high prevalence of burnout and factors associated with it among New Zealand psychiatrists. Further research is needed to ascertain why job satisfaction remains high in the presence of burnout, and factors predisposing to, or protective of, burnout.
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Int J Soc Psychiatry · Jan 2007
The mental health expert patient: findings from a pilot study of a generic chronic condition self-management programme for people with mental illness.
Less than optimal outcomes and escalating costs for chronic conditions including mental illness have prompted calls for innovative approaches to chronic illness management. ⋯ Generic, structured assessment and care planning approaches, resulting in self-management education targeted to the individual, improved self-management and quality of life. Patients and service providers reported considerable gains despite the challenges associated with introducing a generic model within the mental health and general practice sector.
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Int J Soc Psychiatry · Mar 2006
Psychometric properties of a Persian-language version of the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire: ATQ-Persian.
To examine the psychometric properties of a Persian-language version of Hollon and Kendall's (1980) Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ-Persian)--a measure of negative automatic thoughts in depression. ⋯ These data support the reliability and validity of ATQ-Persian as a measure of negative automatic thoughts in depression.
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Farmers experience one of the highest rates of suicide of any industry and there is growing evidence that those involved in farming are at higher risk of developing mental health problems. This article provides an overview of the literature examining mental health issues experienced by farming populations in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States and identifies areas for further research. ⋯ Whilst suicide rates in some groups of farmers are higher than the general population, conclusive data do not exist to indicate whether farmers and farming families experience higher rates of mental health problems compared with the non-farming community. It is clear, however, that farming is associated with a unique set of characteristics that is potentially hazardous to mental health and requires further research.