Mental Health Services in NI VFM Review Regional Summary (PDF 1650 KB)

June 2000 - to review whether the strategy for mental health services is based on clearly defined needs

Craigavon & Banbridge Community HSS Trust - Primary Care Mental Health Services Triage Pilot Scheme (PDF 266 KB)

Craigavon & Banbridge Community HSS Trust's final report on Primary Care Mental Health Services Triage Pilot Scheme. Part of the Department's redesign of community nursing project.

Risk factors for positive tuberculin skin tests among migrant and resident children in Lausanne, Switzerland.

SETTING: Ambulatory paediatric clinic in Lausanne, Switzerland, a country with a significant proportion of tuberculosis (TB) among immigrants. AIM: To assess the factors associated with positive tuberculin skin tests (TST) among children examined during a health check-up or during TB contact tracing, notably the influence of BCG vaccination (Bacille Calmette Guérin) and history of TB contact. METHOD: A descriptive study of children who had a TST (2 Units RT23) between November 2002 and April 2004. Age, sex, history of TB contact, BCG vaccination status, country of origin and birth outside Switzerland were recorded. RESULTS: Of 234 children, 176 (75%) had a reaction equal to zero and 31 (13%) tested positive (>10 mm). In a linear regression model, the size of the TST varied significantly according to the history of TB contact, age, TB incidence in the country of origin and BCG vaccination status but not according to sex or birth in or outside Switzerland. In a logistic regression model including all the recorded variables, age (Odds Ratio = 1.21, 95% CI 1.08; 1.35), a history of TB contact (OR = 7.31, 95% CI 2.23; 24) and the incidence of TB in the country of origin (OR = 1.01, 95% CI 1.00; 1.02) were significantly associated with a positive TST but sex (OR = 1.18, 95% CI 0.50; 2.78) and BCG vaccination status (OR = 2.97, 95% CI 0.91; 9.72) were not associated. CONCLUSIONS: TB incidence in the country of origin, BCG vaccination and age influence the TSTreaction (size or proportion of TST > or = 10 mm). However the most obvious risk factor for a positive TST is a history of contact with TB.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in goats by the indirect haemagglutination, immunofluorescence and immunoenzymatic tests in the region of Uberlândia, Brazil

A comparative study of the indirect haemagglutination (IHA), immunofluorescence (IFAT) and immunoenzymatic (ELISA) tests was carried out to determine the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in goats. One hundred seventy-four serum samples were obtained from four goat herds from the region of Uberlândia, State of Minas Gerais. The distribution of the animals, according to their origin, was as follow: 71 from herd I; 39 from herd II; 37 from herd III; and 27 from herd IV. Serum samples were analyzed by IHA, IFAT and ELISA, considering the reactivity of the serum samples at dilution ≥ 1:64 as cut off titer for the three tests. A global seroprevalence of 18.4% was observed, with significantly higher positivity rate in the herd II (66.7%) and older animals (> 36 months). A high and significant positive correlation was found between the titers obtained by the IHA versus IFAT, IHA versus ELISA, and ELISA versus IFAT. Therefore, it can be concluded that the three analyzed tests have shown to be highly concordant and appropriate for epidemiological surveys of Toxoplasma infection in goats. Although the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in goats is relatively low in this region as compared to other regions of the country, adequate management might be useful and essential to control the infection in the goat herds.

Comparison between precipitin and ELISA tests in the bloodmeal detection of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) and Aedes fluviatilis (Lutz) mosquitoes experimentally fed on feline, canine and human hosts

The identification of arthropod bloodmeals is important in many epidemiological studies, as, the understanding of the life cycle of vectors and the patogens they transmit, as well as helping to define arthropods' control strategies. The precipitin test has been used for decades, but ELISA is slowly becoming more popular. To compare the two tests for sensitivity, specificity and accuracy to detect small insect bloodmeals, Aedes aegypti or Ae. fluviatilis mosquitoes were fed either on feline, canine or human hosts. Mosquitoes were frozen at 6, 12, 24, 48 or 72 h after feeding. Precipitin test showed better specificity and accuracy and ELISA test showed higher sensitivity. Better results with both tests were achieved when mosquitoes were frozen within 48 h from feeding.

Guidance on Drug and Substance Misuse in Mental Health Care Settings (PDF 954 KB)

Guidance on Drug and Substance Misuse in Mental Health Care Settings

Guidance on Discharge from Hospital and the Continuing Care in the Community of People with a Mental Disorder who could Represent a Risk of Serious Physical Harm to Themselves or Others (PDF 985 KB)

Guidance on Discharge from Hospital and the Continuing Care in the Community of People with a Mental Disorder who could Represent a Risk of Serious Physical Harm to Themselves or Others

Inspection of Social Work in Mental Health Services

Inspection of Social Work in Mental Health Services

Inspection of Social Work in Mental Health Services

Inspection of Social Work in Mental Health Services - Overview Report and Summary (June 2004)

Métodos automatizados de segmentación para cuantificar el grosor cortical en RM en pacientes con deterioro cognitivo y enfermedad de Parkinson

El objetivo del presente estudio es encontrar la relación que existe entre los síntomas de deterioro cognitivo y el grosor cortical cerebral en una muestra de 45 pacientes con Enfermedad de Parkinson diagnosticados y tratados en la consulta externa del Servicio de Neurología del Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau de Barcelona, quienes fueron sometidos a tests neuropsicológicos que evaluaban su función mental y motora y a quienes se les realizó un estudio de Resonancia Magnética 3 Tesla para evaluar, mediante técnicas de postprocesados, su grosor cortical. Los resultados demostraron una clara disminución del grosor cortical en determinadas áreas que se correlacionaban con las funciones cognitivas afectadas en estos pacientes.

Salut mental i execució penal

La recerca vol complimentar l’encàrrec de la Secretaria de Serveis Penitenciaris, Rehabilitació i Justícia juvenil, feta al Centre d’Estudis Jurídics i Formació Especialitzada respecte al coneixement de la problemàtica de les persones sotmeses a sancions penals que pateixen algun tipus de trastorn mental. L’interès de la recerca es centra en conèixer l’abast del fenomen de la salut mental en l’execució penal a nivell quantitatiu i conèixer més a fons les característiques i particularitats del col•lectiu afectat, per tal de poder millorar la seva atenció des dels serveis d’execució penal i la seva derivació un cop finalitzat el compliment de la pena o mesura. En la primera part de l’estudi s’aproxima al col•lectiu de persones afectades de trastorns mentals que es troben complint una pena de presó o una mesura de seguretat a Catalunya durant un període determinat de temps. Concretament la mostra la composen els interns penitenciaris de les presons ubicades a les comarques de Barcelona que durant l’any 2005 van passar com a mínim un dia per una unitat de psiquiatria dels centres penitenciaris: CP Homes Barcelona, CP Quatre Camins, CP Brians 1 i la Unitat Hospitalària Penal Penitenciària. També formen part de l’estudi les persones sotmeses a mesures de seguretat de les comarques de Barcelona que estaven d’alta durant l’any 2005. S’analitzen nombroses variables que descriuen aquest col•lectiu i la manera en que s’adapten al compliment de la pena. També es compara aquest grup de persones amb altres col•lectius de penats sense problemes mentals declarats. La segona part de l’estudi recull mitjançant la tècnica Delphi, l’opinió de professionals i experts vinculats al tema de la salut mental i l’execució de penes, a qui s’ha preguntat sobre diverses qüestions clau. Concretament se’ls ha preguntat pel diagnòstic de les persones penades amb trastorns mentals, el seu tractament, les propostes de derivació i les perspectives de futur en aquest tema. S’ha posat especial èmfasi en les previsions i estimacions que fan eles experts sobre les possibilitats futures de la sanitat penitenciària i les propostes de solució i millora dels principals problemes detectats per ells mateixos.

Salud mental y ejecución penal

La investigación recoge la situación de las personas que sufren algún tipo de trastorno mental y se encuentran cumpliendo una medida de ejecución penal, ya sea internamiento en prisión o bien una medida de seguridad. La muestra del estudio la componen las personas que en el año 2005 pasaron como mínimo un día por las unidades psiquiátricas de los centros penitenciarios, o que cumplieron alguna medida de seguridad (en el ámbito territorial de las comarcas de Barcelona). En la segunda parte del estudio, más de un centenar de profesionales y expertos opinan sobre las principales necesidades presentes y futuras de la intervención en salud mental en el mundo de la ejecución penal.

Promoting Mental Health (PDF 157 KB)

Strategy & Action Plan 2003 - 2008