The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry
-
Several recent studies have reported that serious violence towards self and others is more common in the first episode of psychosis than after treatment. ⋯ A large proportion of the survivors of suicide attempts by jumping were diagnosed with a psychotic illness, which confirms an association between psychosis and suicide by jumping. Some suicides might not have been linked to psychosis had the patient not survived the suicide attempt, suggesting that the contribution of schizophrenia to suicide mortality might have been underestimated in psychological autopsy studies. The finding that nearly half of the survivors diagnosed to have a psychotic illness had never received treatment with antipsychotic medication indicates a greatly increased risk of suicide by jumping in the first episode of psychosis when compared to the annual risk after treatment.
-
Mental illness can be both a cause of and a reaction to being homeless. When homelessness co-exists with mental illness, the provision of care for very vulnerable people is significantly complicated. Our initiative built on a model of assertive outreach and embedded mental health staff into the daily operations of Hanover Welfare Services and Sacred Heart Mission welfare services in inner Melbourne. The initiative's aim was to facilitate closer collaboration between mental health and welfare services and develop staff capacity to better identify and support people living homeless with a mental illness. ⋯ Embedding mental health staff into the daily operations of two welfare services in inner Melbourne improved inter-service collaboration and the identification and care for people living homeless with a mental illness.