Understanding and responding to pain in people with learning disabilities

Headache

How do staff and family carers recognise when somebody they support is in pain and what emotional impact does this have on them?

Here, Nick Burton looks at a small scale qualitative study, which set out to explore this issue for some paid carers and family carers.

[read the full story...]

Is intensive interaction effective?

Good_idea

Intensive interaction is an accepted approach to working with people with learning disabilities and/or autism, but how much do we know about its effectiveness?

Here, Katherine Runswick Cole looks at a review of literature that addresses this question.

[read the full story...]

Improving shared decision making in mental health

shutterstock_151518215

Martin Webber critiques a US study capturing service user views on shared decision making in mental health care and discusses possible implications for social work.

[read the full story...]

Safe and social – helping learning disabled people improve skills and understanding

safe_shutterstock_193134428 (2)

Some people with learning disabilities may find it difficult to learn social rules and behaviours, which can impact on involvement and engagement in their commnunities.

In her debut blog, Mandy Johnson looks at a project in the Republic of Ireland which set out to help people consider the desirability of a range of social behaviours and the complexities of social context.

[read the full story...]

Guess who? Put a face to a name

Guess who book and face

Kirsten Lawson reviews a randomised controlled trial looking at the impact of providing clinician photos on inpatient’s recall of names and roles. Is this an effective way to improve communication between inpatients and their care team?

[read the full story...]

Build upon successful local collaborations for effective communication in community health services, says review

Group of people holding a circle with the word community on it

The aim of this literature review from the Policy Research Unit in Commissioning at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is to help decision-makers support acute care, by moving some services out of the hospital, and into the community.

[read the full story...]

Relationship training for children and family practitioners: does it work?

shutterstock_218033521

Martin Webber looks at a rare social work randomised controlled trial (RCT) on relationship training for practitioners working with children and families and finds that even findings from a study using ‘gold standard’ research methodology have to be carefully examined for reliability.

[read the full story...]

It’s not what you say: Examining the non-verbal behaviours of psychiatrists and patients

shutterstock_100106555

Chris Pell considers the findings of a recent observational study of non-verbal behaviour and communication in meetings of psychiatrists and patients with schizophrenia.

[read the full story...]

Cyberbullying and mental health in young people

shutterstock_202558144

Elly O’Brien summarises a recent US survey of adolescents, which investigates the relationship between cyberbullying, mental health and substance use problems, and the moderating role of family dinners.

[read the full story...]

Alternatives to medication for agitation in dementia

shutterstock_183376727

Andrés Fonseca summarises the findings of a recent systematic review of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of sensory, psychological and behavioural interventions for managing agitation in dementia.

[read the full story...]