Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • Publication
    What do you think of us? Evaluating patient knowledge of and satisfaction with a psychiatric outpatient service.
    Aim: This study aimed to measure patient satisfaction with the care they were receiving; examine patients' knowledge of the psychiatric services in general; and identify variables associated with satisfaction. Methods: Patients attending the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital psychiatric outpatient clinics over a 13-week period, and the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital clozapine clinic over a 4-week period and were invited to complete the Barker Scale of Patients' Views Towards Care Received From Psychiatrists. Results: One-hundred and ninety-two patients were invited to participate and there was a response rate of 94%. Eighty-six percent of respondents were satisfied with their care; 92% stated psychiatrists were caring towards them; 85% that psychiatrists know what they are doing; 84% that their illness was explained by their psychiatrist; and 65% that psychiatric care is improving; but 65% stated that psychiatric services are still not good enough. Eighty-six percent were, or had been, in receipt of a psychological treatment. On multi-variable analysis, satisfaction was associated with the view that doctors explained treatment clearly, the view that doctors do not rely excessively on medication, and having been visited by a community mental health nurse. Conclusion: Patients attending psychiatry outpatient services reported a high degree of satisfaction with the treatment they were receiving, although there were discrepancies between satisfaction with their own specific service and with psychiatric services in general.
    Scopus© Citations 10  462
  • Publication
    National survey of psychiatrists' responses to implementation of the Mental Health Act 2001 in Ireland
    (Springer for the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, 2010-06) ; ;
    Background: Ireland’s Mental Health Act 2001 resulted in substantial changes to mental health services and the process of involuntary admission. Aims: To determine the views of Irish psychiatrists regarding the new legislation, 1 year after full implementation. Methods: We sent questionnaires to all 735 members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Ireland. Results: The response rate was 43.7%. As much as 84% of respondents reported satisfaction with training; 69.1% reported increased workloads; 26.8% reported decreased time with service-users; 40.7% reported changes in relationships with service-users (e.g. increased empathy, but more legalistic, conflicted relationships). Almost one in three (27.4%) stated that it was not feasible to implement the Mental Health Act. Negative comments highlighted the adversarial nature of mental health tribunals, effects on therapeutic relationships and issues related to children. Conclusions: The implementation of the Mental Health Act 2001 has resulted in increased workloads, more conflicted relationships with service-users and adversarial mental health tribunals.
    Scopus© Citations 24  708
  • Publication
    The Role of a Neuropsychiatry Clinic in a Tertiary Referral Teaching Hospital: A Two-Year Study
    Objectives: Mental disorder is common among individuals with neurological illness. We aimed to characterise the patient population referred for psychiatry assessment at a tertiary neurology service in terms of neurological and psychiatric diagnoses and interventions provided. Methods: We studied all individuals referred for psychiatry assessment at a tertiary neurology service over a 2-year period (n= 82). Results: The most common neurological diagnoses among those referred were epilepsy (16%), Parkinson’s disease (15%) and multiple sclerosis (8%). The most common reasons for psychiatric assessment were low mood or anxiety (48%) and medically unexplained symptoms or apparent functional or psychogenic disease (21%). The most common diagnoses among those with mental disorder were mood disorders (62%), and neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders, including dissociative (conversion) disorders (28%). Psychiatric diagnosis was not related to gender, neurological diagnosis or psychiatric history. Conclusion: Individuals with neurological illness demonstrate significant symptoms of a range of mental disorders. There is a need for further research into the characteristics and distribution of mental disorder in individuals with neurological illness, and for the enhancement of integrated psychiatric and neurological services to address the comorbidities demonstrated in this population.
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  • Publication
    Mental health professionals and information sharing: carer perspectives
    (Springer for Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, 2015) ; ; ;
    Background: The important role played by carers of those with mental health problems is frequently undervalued among healthcare professionals. Aims: To identify the difficulties encountered by carers in relation to obtaining information from mental health teams. Methods: Participants in the study included carers or family members of persons with mental illness who were affiliated with a support group in Ireland. Information was gathered using an 18-item self-report questionnaire. This is an amended version of the Carer Well-Being and Support Questionnaire for carers of people with a mental health problem or dementia. Results: One-hundred and fifty-nine carers complete the questionnaire. On average respondents stated that they have been in the role of a carer for someone with a mental health problem for 14.4 years, spending a median of 20-h caring each week. Despite most carers maintaining that they are generally satisfied with the support offered to them from medical and/or care staff, the majority (56.3 %) of respondents stated that they have specifically encountered difficulties accessing information from the treating mental health team. The main reasons given to them by the mental health team for withholding information include: lack of patient consent (46.2 %) and unavailability of a team member (46.2 %). From a carer perspective, respondents stated that the main reason they feel there is difficulty in accessing information is a lack of concern for their role as a carer in the patient's management (60.5 %). More than 75 % of all respondents are afraid of negative consequences for them or for the person in their care as a result of information being withheld by the treating team. Conclusions: Carer involvement is essential for the complete and effective management of individuals with mental illness. Confidentiality should not be used as a reason for completely excluding carers.
    Scopus© Citations 9  1106
  • Publication
    What do you think of us? Evaluating patient knowledge of and satisfaction with a psychiatric outpatient service
    (Springer for the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland, 2011-03) ; ; ;
    Aim: This study aimed to measure patient satisfaction with the care they were receiving; examine patients' knowledge of the psychiatric services in general; and identify variables associated with satisfaction. Methods: Patients attending the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital psychiatric outpatient clinics over a 13-week period, and the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital clozapine clinic over a 4-week period and were invited to complete the Barker Scale of Patients' Views Towards Care Received From Psychiatrists. Results: One-hundred and ninety-two patients were invited to participate and there was a response rate of 94%. Eighty-six percent of respondents were satisfied with their care; 92% stated psychiatrists were caring towards them; 85% that psychiatrists know what they are doing; 84% that their illness was explained by their psychiatrist; and 65% that psychiatric care is improving; but 65% stated that psychiatric services are still not good enough. Eighty-six percent were, or had been, in receipt of a psychological treatment. On multi-variable analysis, satisfaction was associated with the view that doctors explained treatment clearly, the view that doctors do not rely excessively on medication, and having been visited by a community mental health nurse. Conclusion: Patients attending psychiatry outpatient services reported a high degree of satisfaction with the treatment they were receiving, although there were discrepancies between satisfaction with their own specific service and with psychiatric services in general.
      316Scopus© Citations 10