OBJECTIVE The aim of this naturalistic longitudinal study was to examine the effectiveness of individual psychoanalytic psychotherapy in reducing symptoms and improving overall functioning for adolescents with severe mental illness beyond the changes observed with treatment as usual. Changes to family functioning were also examined. METHOD Participants at 12 month follow up were 55 of an init...

BACKGROUND There is some concern that patients with mental illness may be in receipt of inferior medical care, including prescribed medication for medical conditions. AIMS We aimed to quantify possible differences in the prescription of medication for medical conditions in those with v. without mental illness. METHOD Systematic review and random effects meta-analysis with a minimum of three...

Despite decades of research documenting family burden related to mental illness of a relative, little is known about families' responses over time. A grounded theory study was designed to describe families' responses to these severe mental illnesses. Twenty-nine participants representing 17 families were interviewed 3 times over 2 years. Interviews were analyzed using constant comparison. Livin...

The aim of this study is to systematically review the literature that explored the association between smoking and suicidal risk among those with serious mental illness and to estimate the risk of suicidal behaviors attributable to smoking among this patient group. Multiple databases (CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Informit Health Collection and the Cochrane Library databases) were searched from 1 J...

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the leading cause of mortality among adults with severe mental illness. Although gains in reducing mortality from IHD through screening, risk reduction, and early intervention have been realized for the general public, rates of recognition and treatment among individuals with mental illness continue to be poor. Obtaining blood samples from patients who have been ...

BACKGROUND Informal caregiving is an integral part of the care of people with severe mental illness, but the support needs of those providing such care are not often met. AIMS To determine whether interventions provided to people caring for those with severe mental illness improve the experience of caring and reduce caregiver burden. METHOD We conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses...

BACKGROUND People with severe mental illness have significantly poorer physical health compared to the general population; previous health screening studies conducted outside Asian countries have demonstrated the potential in addressing this issue. This case series aimed to explore the effects and utility of integrating an enhanced physical health screening programme for community dwelling pati...

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Sleep problems are commonly reported by persons with severe mental illness. Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSA) is commonly co-morbid with mental illness. Screening for OSA and its subsequent management may improve outcomes in this patient population. We screened for risk of OSA among in-patients with severe mental illness to determine its prevalence as well as its cor...

OBJECTIVES This multisite study aimed to answer the following research questions about women in urban and rural jails. First, what is the current and lifetime prevalence of serious mental illness (major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and psychotic spectrum disorders) of women in jail? Second, what level of impairment is associated with their serious mental illness? Third, what is the pr...

BACKGROUND Disparities among African Americans and Whites with severe mental illness have been identified in numerous studies. Yet it remains unknown if disparities are associated with race or other vulnerabilities common to this population. OBJECTIVES This study used the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations to examine mental health service utilization among 155 African Americans and W...