The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry
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Aust N Z J Psychiatry · Aug 2007
Validity and reliability of the Behavioural Assessment Tool for Cognition and Higher Function (BATCH) in neuropsychiatric patients.
Patients with mental health disorders frequently have difficulties with their cognitive functioning. Assessment of cognition in this population can be complicated by psychiatric symptomatology, making standard written and verbal assessment methods difficult. In these situations, observations by nursing and allied staff of patients' routine activities provide an important source of information about cognitive ability. The Behavioural Assessment Tool for Cognition and Higher Function (BATCH) was developed to record observations of patients' daily functioning under subheadings that reflect cognitive domains. Its capacity to provide a measure of cognitive function through observational means was assessed in a neuropsychiatric unit. ⋯ BATCH scores correlated strongly with pencil-and-paper measures of cognitive function. BATCH provides clinicians with a means of assessing cognitive function through behavioural observation, thus enabling assessment of patients with behavioural disturbance or severe psychopathology. This tool has practical application for adult and aged clients across all observational mental health settings.
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Aust N Z J Psychiatry · Aug 2007
Culturally specific process measures to improve mental health clinical practice: indigenous focus.
In New Zealand and Australia, a renewed emphasis on equity and efficiency in the provision of mental health care has seen outcomes-focused, culturally appropriate clinical practice become essential within mental health services. Ascertaining the degree to which quality improvement and monitoring systems are enhancing professional practice and patient outcomes, however, is hindered by the difficulty of measuring the process of quality care delivery. ⋯ Using evidence from a bicultural mental health nursing study that developed and validated generic and Mâori-specific (indigenous) clinical indicators for mental health nursing standards of practice in New Zealand, it is argued that the process of care delivery is equally as important as outcome measures when ascertaining the effectiveness of nursing care. Second, this paper contends that accurate process measures must be culturally responsive to indigenous and other ethnic groups.
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Aust N Z J Psychiatry · Mar 2007
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyAtomoxetine versus methylphenidate in paediatric outpatients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a randomized, double-blind comparison trial.
To (i) test whether atomoxetine is non-inferior to methylphenidate in treating symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in paediatric patients; and (ii) determine the tolerability of the two drugs. ⋯ This study suggests that atomoxetine is non-inferior to methylphenidate in the improvement of ADHD symptoms in paediatric outpatients. Although both of the drugs were well tolerated, atomoxetine was associated with a higher incidence of TEAEs than methylphenidate.
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Aust N Z J Psychiatry · Mar 2007
Problem behaviours in early primary school children: Australian normative data using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.
This study provides normative and clinical levels of problem behaviours from a large community sample of Australian early primary school children. ⋯ Teachers are able to provide valuable predictive information on externalizing behaviours. Australian normative comparisons reveal minor variations in teacher interpretation of items. The present data is representative of the Australian community and should be used to assess behaviour difficulties in early primary school children. Future studies on older age children are required to understand the developmental progression of problem behaviours in the community.
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Aust N Z J Psychiatry · Feb 2007
Better outcomes in mental health care: impact of different models of psychological service provision on patient outcomes.
One hundred and eight Access to Allied Psychological Services projects have been funded under Australia's Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care programme since July 2001. All projects are run by Divisions of General Practice and enable general practitioners (GPs) to refer patients to allied health professionals for evidence-based care. They differ in the models they use to retain, locate and direct referrals to their allied health professionals. This paper examines the extent to which the projects are achieving positive patient outcomes, and explores the association between different models of service delivery and varying levels of patient outcomes. ⋯ Overwhelmingly, the Access to Allied Psychological Services projects are having a positive impact for patients in terms of their level of functioning, severity of symptoms and/or quality of life. Preliminary indications suggest that a service delivery model incorporating the use of a direct referral system may be associated with superior outcomes. The findings are discussed in the light of the imminent listing of psychologists' services on the Medicare Benefits Schedule.