Catatonia is a complex syndrome that affects how a person moves and behaves. It is as if the body and mind get stuck or frozen in unusual ways. People with catatonia might become very still, almost statue-like, or they might repeat the same movements over and over. Sometimes, they have trouble speaking or responding to others. Imagine a pause button being pressed on someone’s usual actions and reactions. They might resist being moved, hold strange postures for long periods, or ...
Functional assessments in psychiatry refer to a systematic evaluation of an individual’s cognitive, emotional, and behavioural abilities in the context of their daily living and social environment. The primary aim of such assessments is to understand how a person’s mental health condition affects their ability to perform everyday tasks, maintain relationships, and fulfil their roles in various settings such as home, work, and community. While the publisher and author(s) have used their best efforts in preparing information at this website, ...
The case of Daniel Harrison, who was convicted of manslaughter by diminished responsibility after killing his father, Dr Nicholas Kim Harrison, highlights significant failings in mental health care management. The Coroner gave a narrative verdict on 16/04/2024. The homicide had happened in March 2022. [References and sources at the end] Daniel Harrison, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, experienced a deterioration in his condition. He was lost follow-up care from Swansea Bay University Health Board in 2018 after he was removed from a ...
Insight and self-awareness are two essential concepts in the field of psychiatry that play important roles in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health conditions. While these concepts are related, they are distinct constructs that require careful consideration in psychiatric practice. Questions are often encountered about the nature of insight and its relationship to self-awareness. Some health workers use insight loosely and do not know exactly what they mean. Insight, self-awareness and capacity are often conflated. This article aims ...
In mental health care (in England & Wales), the legal concept of the ‘nearest relative‘ (NR) holds significant weight. This pivotal role, enshrined in the Mental Health Act 1983, serves as a vital safeguard for patients who find themselves navigating the complexities of mental health treatment. The term should not simply be equated with ‘next of kin’.The nearest relative is more than just a familial connection; they are designated advocates, an overseer, and, in many ways, a protector of the ...
The WHO’s ICD-11 “Clinical descriptions and diagnostic requirements for ICD-11 mental, behavioural and neurodevelopmental disorders“, the latest revision, building on ICD-10, has introduced rigorous requirements for personality disorder diagnosis. [This article is not designed for viewing on mobile devices. It is better to use a tablet, laptop or desktop screen for viewing.] The clinical aims of ICD-11 are conspicuously about improving diagnostic accuracy, enhancing clinical utility, facilitating research, and distinguishing from other mental disorders. Though not explicity stated in ICD-11 ...
Experience over the last 30-odd years has led to an evidence-based view that treatment plans are woefully deficient across health services. The evidence seen is that treatment plans tend to be list medications and dosages. By analogy, that’s similar to saying a journey plan is a drawing of some curvy lines on a map. For some people that may be fine if the journey is not too long or complicated. If it is a journey across three continents by three ...
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Complex PTSD or cPTSD) represents a profound and multifaceted condition categorised within the trauma and stressor-related disorders in the ICD-11. Emerging out of exposure to severe, repetitive, or prolonged traumatic events, such as long-term abuse, violence, or profound neglect, cPTSD encapsulates not only the core symptoms of PTSD, which include re-experiencing traumatic events, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, and hypervigilance, but also extends to deeper psychological disturbances. There is a good self-help guide at NHS Inform (Scotland). ...
Private or NHS therapy can be good or bad and everything in between. In May 2023, among many things I explored ‘What biological treatments are known to psychiatry?‘ I did not focus much of non-chemical therapies. I do so now. While the publisher and author(s) have used their best efforts in preparing information at this website, they make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, completeness or applicability of the contents of this presentation and specifically disclaim any ...
The Mental Health Act 1983 [hereafter MHA] provides many powers to detain patients for treatment in hospital. Many amendments were made in 2007. The legislation is complex – necessarily so – and aims to protect the welfare of patients who are detained and who are within its reach in the community. It is an intricate balance of the power and restraint by Parliament. The powers and restraint on use of power are delegated to organisations and to individuals with certain ...
