Screening for serious mental illness in the general population with the K6 screening scale: results from the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) survey initiative

Data are reported on the background and performance of the K6 screening scale for serious mental illness (SMI) in the World Health Organization (WHO) World Mental Health (WMH) surveys. The K6 is a six-item scale developed to provide a brief valid screen for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition (DSM-IV) SMI based on the criteria in the US ADAMHA Reorganization Act. Although methodological studies have documented good K6 validity in a number of countries, optimal scoring rules have never been proposed. Such rules are presented here based on analysis of K6 data in nationally or regionally representative WMH surveys in 14 countries (combined N = 41,770 respondents). Twelve-month prevalence of DSM-IV SMI was assessed with the fully-structured WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Nested logistic regression analysis was used to generate estimates of the predicted probability of SMI for each respondent from K6 scores, taking into consideration the possibility of variable concordance as a function of respondent age, gender, education, and country. Concordance, assessed by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, was generally substantial (median 0.83; range 0.76-0.89; inter-quartile range 0.81-0.85). Based on this result, optimal scaling rules are presented for use by investigators working with the K6 scale in the countries studied. Copyright (c) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A comparison of the dental status and treatment needs of older adults with and without chronic mental illness in Sevilla, Spain

Objectives: To study the dental status and treatment needs of institutionalized older adults with chronic mental illness compared to a non-psychiatric control sample. Study Design: The sample size was 100, in which 50 were psychogeriatric patients (study group; SG) classified according to DSM-IV, with a mean age of 69.6 ± 6.7 years, and 50 non-psychiatric patients (control group; CG), with a mean age of 68.3 ± 6.9 years. Clinical oral health examinations were conducted and caries were recorded clinically using the Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth Index (DMFT). Results were analyzed statistically using the Student"s t-test or analysis of variance. Results: Caries prevalence was 58% and 62% in SG and CG, respectively. DMFT index was 28.3 ± 6.6 in SG and 21.4 ± 6.07 in CG (p < 0.01). Mean number of decayed teeth was higher in SG (3.1) compared to CG (1.8) (p=0.047). Mean number of missing teeth were 25.2 and 16.4 in SG and CG respectively (p<0.05). DMFT scores were higher in SG in all the age groups (p < 0.01). Mean number of teeth per person needing treatment was 3.4 in SG and 1.9 in CG (p= 0.037). The need for restorative dental care was significantly lower in the SG (0.8 teeth per person) than in the CG (1.7 teeth per person) (p = 0.043). Conclusions: Institutionalized psychiatric patients have significantly worse dental status and more dental treatment needs than non-psychiatric patients.

For the love of a barking lady: an exploration of mental illness in the light of Max Scheler's "Invisible person"

N/A

Mental illness in modern and contemporary theatre : An analysis of representations of mental illness in a selection of plays, accompanied by a new play about schizophrenia

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

The stigma of mental illness in Southern Ghana: attitudes of the urban population and patients' views

PURPOSE: Stigma is a frequent accompaniment of mental illness leading to a number of detrimental consequences. Most research into the stigma connected to mental illness was conducted in the developed world. So far, few data exist on countries in sub-Saharan Africa and no data have been published on population attitudes towards mental illness in Ghana. Even less is known about the stigma actually perceived by the mentally ill persons themselves. METHOD: A convenience sample of 403 participants (210 men, mean age 32.4 ± 12.3 years) from urban regions in Accra, Cape Coast and Pantang filled in the Community Attitudes towards the Mentally Ill (CAMI) questionnaire. In addition, 105 patients (75 men, mean age 35.9 ± 11.0 years) of Ghana's three psychiatric hospitals (Accra Psychiatry Hospital, Ankaful Hospital, Pantang Hospital) answered the Perceived Stigma and Discrimination Scale. RESULTS: High levels of stigma prevailed in the population as shown by high proportions of assent to items expressing authoritarian and socially restrictive views, coexisting with agreement with more benevolent attitudes. A higher level of education was associated with more positive attitudes on all subscales (Authoritarianism, Social Restrictiveness, Benevolence and Acceptance of Community Based Mental Health Services). The patients reported a high degree of experienced stigma with secrecy concerning the illness as a widespread coping strategy. Perceived stigma was not associated with sex or age. DISCUSSION: The extent of stigmatising attitudes within the urban population of Southern Ghana is in line with the scant research in other countries in sub-Saharan Africa and mirrored by the experienced stigma reported by the patients. These results have to be seen in the context of the extreme scarcity of resources within the Ghanaian psychiatric system. Anti-stigma efforts should include interventions for mentally ill persons themselves and not exclusively focus on public attitudes.

Use of Mental Health Services by Persons With A Mental Illness in Nursing Facilities: Initial Impacts of OBRA87.

To identify mental health service use patterns in nursing facilities subsequent to nursing home reforms in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987.

Mental Health and Mental Illness in Later Life: The Ecology of Theory and Practice

Theoretical and practical concerns shape our conceptualizations of mental health and mental illness later in life. Together, these concerns form an ecology of theory and practice, shaping our expectations of later life and our efforts with an din behalf of older adults. Introduces a series of article which highlights several aspects of mental health and mental illness in later life to provide an understanding of the challenges faced by the aged in maintaining mental health.

Trapped in the Bell Jar: Mental Illness in College Students

This is a magazine article that explores the rising problem of mental health in college students, focusing on Connecticut. It explores the experiences of three college students dealing with depression and bipolar disorder, a family who lost a child to suicide, and the measures taken by colleges in Connecticut to curb the problem.

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT STATUS OF MENTAL ILLNESS IN BENDEL STATE OF NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH POLICY AND EDUCATION

This descriptive study assesses the current status of mental illness in Bendel State of Nigeria to determine its implications for mental health policy and education. It is a study of the demographic characteristics of psychiatric patients in the only two modern western psychiatric facilities in Bendel State, the various treatment modalities utilized for mental illness, and the people's choice of therapeutic measures for mental illness in Bendel State.^ This study investigated ten aspects of mental illness in Bendel State (1) An increase of the prevalence of mental illness (psychiatric disorder) in Bendel State. (2) Unaided, unguided, and uncared for mentally ill people roaming about Bendel State. (3) Pluralistic Treatment Modalities for mentally ill patients in Bendel State. (4) Traditional Healers treating more mentally ill patients than the modern western psychiatric hospitals. (5) Inadequate modern western psychiatric facilities in Bendel State. (6) Controversy between Traditional Health and modern western trained doctors over the issue of possible cooperation between traditional and modern western medicine. (7) Evidence of mental illness in all ethnic groups in Bendel State. (8) More scientifically based and better organized modern western psychiatric hospitals than the traditional healing centers. (9) Traditional healers' level of approach with patients, and accessibility to patients' families compared with the modern western trained doctors. (10) An urgent need for an official action to institute a comprehensive mental health policy that will provide an optimum care for the mentally ill in Bendel State, and in Nigeria in general.^ Of the eight popular treatment modalities generally used in Bendel State for mental illness, 54% of the non-patient population sampled preferred the use of traditional healing, 26.5% preferred the use of modern western treatment, and 19.5% preferred religious healers.^ The investigator concluded at this time not to recommend the integration of Traditional Healing and modern western medicine in Nigeria. Rather, improvement of the existing modern western psychiatric facilities and a proposal to establish facilities to enable traditional healing and modern western medicine to exist side by side were highly recommended. ^

Understanding mental illness in Nigeria: Bringing culture and traditional medicine into mental health policy

One of the major challenges in treating mental illness in Nigeria is that the health care facilities and mental health care professionals are not enough in number or well equipped to handle the burden of mental illness. There are several barriers to treatment for individual Nigerians which include the following: such as the lack of understanding of the root causes of mental illness, lack of financial support to get mental treatment, lack of social support (family, friends, neighbors), the fear of stigmatization concerning being labeled as mentally ill or being in association with the mentally ill, and the consultation of traditional native healers who may be unknowingly prolonging illness, rather than addressing and treating them due to lack of formal education and standardization of their treatments. Another barrier is the non-health nature of the mental health services in Nigeria. Traditional healers are essentially the mental health system. The elderly, women, and children are the most vulnerable groups in times of strife and hardships. Their mental well-being must be taken into account as well as their special needs in times of personal or societal crisis. ^ Nigerian mental health policy is geared toward forming a mental health system, but in actuality only a mental illness care system is the observed result of the policy. The government of Nigeria has drafted a mental health policy, yet its actual implementation into the Nigerian health infrastructure and society waits to be materialized. The limited health legislation or policy implementations tend to favor those who have access to these urban areas and the facilities' health services. Nigerians living in rural areas are at a disadvantage; many of them may not even be aware of services available to help them understand and treat mental illness. Perhaps, government driven health interventions geared toward mental illness in rural areas would reach an underserved Nigerians and Africans in general. Issues with political instability and limited infrastructure often hinder crucial financial resources and legislation from reaching the people that are truly in need of governmental leadership in regards to mental health policy.^ Traditional healers are a severely untapped resource in the treatment of mental illness within the Nigerian population. They are abundant within Nigerian communities and are meeting a real need for the mentally ill. However, much can be done to remove the barriers that prevent the integration of traditional healers within the mental health system and improve the quality of care they administer within the population. Mental illness is almost exclusively coped with through traditional medicine practices. Mobilization and education from each strata of Nigerian society and government as well as input from the medical community can improve how traditional medicine is utilized as a treatment for clinical illness and help alleviate the heavy burden of mental illness in Nigeria. Currently, there is no existing policy making structure for a working mental health system in Nigeria, and traditional healers are not taken into account in any formulation of mental health policy. Advocacy for mental illness is severely inadequate due to fear of stigmatization, with no formally recognized national of regional mental health association.^

Mental illness in the family.

Reprinted from: Families today, a research sampler on families and children, v. 2.

Mental illness in nursing homes : agenda for research /

Mode of access: Internet.

Betty Friedan speaks at "Films and Women" meeting about violence against women in motion pictures

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.