Access to specialist palliative care services by people with severe and persistent mental illness: A retrospective cohort study

Compared to the general population, people with pre‐existing serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) have higher rates of physical illness and die at an earlier age, raising questions about their palliative and end‐of‐life care needs when they are diagnosed with an incurable physical illness. In the present study, we explored access to specialist palliative care services within one New Zealand health district. Routinely‐collected, de‐identified patient information on a cohort of people diagnosed with SPMI, and receiving specialist palliative care services from the Capital and Coast District Health Board (CCDHB), was compared to the general population from the same health district. People with SPMI are 3.5 times less likely to receive specialist palliative services compared to the general population from the Capital and Coast District Health Board. The proportion of people identifying as Māori is 1.2 times higher in the SPMI cohort than the general CCDHB population. The SPMI cohort experiences a higher level of deprivation compared to the general population in the CCDHB. The present study confirms that those diagnosed with an SPMI are less likely to use specialist palliative care services at the end of life. Research using a national dataset is needed to determine whether the study findings are applicable to the national population.     

心理干预对重性精神疾病患者肇事肇祸危险度的影响

目的：探讨心理干预对社区重性精神疾病患者肇事肇祸危险度的影响。方法对603例社区重性精神疾病患者进行肇事肇祸危险度评估,并在常规治疗的基础上于随访时进行社区心理干预,观察1a。干预后再次评定患者的肇事肇祸危险度,并与干预前进行对比分析。结果心理干预后入组患者的肇事肇祸等级构成有显著变化（P＜0．05）,其中精神分裂症患者和初中及以上文化程度患者的肇事肇祸危险等级显著降低（P＜0．01）,精神发育迟滞患者和小学及以下文化程度患者的肇事肇祸危险等级无明显变化（P＞0．05）。结论心理干预能显著降低社区重性精神疾病患者的肇事肇祸危险度,但对精神发育迟滞患者及文化程度低的患者效果不明显。     

A role for mental health nursing in the physical health care of consumers with severe mental illness

There is extensive international evidence that people with severe mental illness have a lower standard of physical health than the general population. This leads to higher morbidity and mortality rates. Many of the causes for this poor physical health are modifiable. Yet the physical needs of this consumer group are neglected by healthcare systems in Australia, and elsewhere. While medical specialists are clearly integral to remedying this, nurses are well placed to play a key role in focused prevention and early intervention in the physical well-being of consumers with mental health problems. This paper outlines the specifics on how mental health nurses can be sensitized, prepared and empowered to help turn this serious health issue around. In particular, mental health nurses could be trained in and then utilize a new physical health check and response system in the UK (called the Health Improvement Profile) if adapted for use within Australia. This profile will be briefly introduced, and then its value to improving health care discussed.     

Primary care options to prevent mental illness

The common mental disorders, mainly anxiety and depression, constitute a major public health problem, incurring considerable costs in terms of use of health services and time lost from work. Risk factors include low socioeconomic status, poverty and poor housing, as well as stressful life events and difficulties such as demanding child care, separation or divorce, bereavement, loss of employment and caring for a dependant relative. Population approaches are probably necessary to reduce significantly the burden of such mental health problems, but health care measures are far from negligible. Primary care professionals have regular opportunities to identify people at risk of mental health problems and refer them to welfare and social support services (primary prevention). A number of interventions among high-risk groups have been shown to be effective, including problem-solving training and cognitive-behavioural approaches. The most important tasks in primary care are to identify people with depression, alcohol and drug misuse and eating disorders as early as possible in the course of their illness and to institute effective treatment (secondary prevention). Primary care teams should also join in shared care arrangements for patients with chronic disabling mental illnesses, in order to prevent recurrences and relapses (tertiary prevention).     

Individual and family adaptation in Taiwanese families of individuals with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI)

The purpose of this study was to examine individual and family adaptation in Taiwanese families of persons with severe and persistent mental illness. Mediating effects of social support and meaning of family caregiving on the relationship between pile‐up of demands and family adaptation were also assessed. Data were collected from 84 families using mailed questionnaires and analyzed using principal component analysis and mixed linear modeling. Adaptation was associated with lower pile‐up of demands, greater social support, and more positive interpretation of family caregiving. Partially mediating effects of social support and meaning of family caregiving were supported. The results imply a need for developing culturally sensitive interventions to decrease family demands and amplify individual, family, and community strengths and resources. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 32:307–320, 2009     

Healthy babies for mothers with serious mental illness: A case management framework for mental health clinicians

Women with a serious mental illness (SMI), notably schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and personality disorders are considered high risk for adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, which in turn, are associated with poor neurodevelopment in the child. Failure to access antenatal care, poor adherence with folate supplementation, an unhealthy lifestyle, and inappropriate health decisions can contribute to poor outcomes. Many women with SMI continue contact with mental health services while pregnant. This primary prevention project aimed to develop a framework for community mental health clinicians to improve the reproductive health outcomes for women with SMI. The consultation process involved discussions with key stakeholders, an environmental scan to determine current service delivery issues, a literature review, and individual and group interviews with community mental health clinicians, consumers, general practitioners, and midwives. Three key elements underpin the framework: early detection and monitoring of pregnancy, providing reproductive choices, and implementing a ‘small known team approach’ in the management of the pregnant client. Specific modules within the framework focus upon establishing a professional support network, assessing the risk of pregnancy, the early detection of pregnancy, monitoring during pregnancy, preparing for birth, and planning for the postnatal period. Implementation of the framework has the potential to significantly improve obstetric and neonatal outcomes for this high‐risk group.     

Family history of mental illness and frequent mental distress in community clinic patients

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the importance of family history of mental illness as a risk factor for self-reported frequent mental distress among patients who use community-based clinics. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to a convenience sample in three community clinics serving largely low-income patients. Forms were completed by 793 clinic patients. Multiple logistic regression analysis was to control for the effects of demographic variables. RESULTSL: In this sample of primary care patients, 27.1% had frequent mental distress. Having a family history of mental illness or substance abuse was found to be associated with frequent mental distress in this population [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.24, P = 0.000]. Also associated with increased odds of frequent mental distress were avoiding medical care owing to cost (OR = 1.86, P = 0.003) and obesity (OR = 1.73, P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Having a family history of mental illness or substance abuse is independently associated with increased odds of frequent mental distress among primary care patients seen in community clinics. Three strategies are suggested for using this information to prevent frequent mental distress: health education via mass communication to the general population of primary care patients being followed in a clinic, health education to at-risk patients, and targeted screening of clinic patients who have the risk factor.     

Changes in medical and nursing care in cancer patients transferred from a palliative care team to a palliative care unit

The primary aim of this study was to explore the changes in medical/nursing care in patients who transferred from a palliative care team (PCT) to a palliative care unit (PCU) in the same hospital, and to explore the reasons why new or modified interventions were required. This was a retrospective study of 50 consecutive patients who were transferred from PCT to PCU in a 750-bed general hospital. A trained nurse performed a chart review and recorded the changes in 1) medical/nursing care, 2) help with decision-making within 48 hours after PCU admission, and 3) documentation of family and psycho-existential care. Group discussions among PCT and PCU staff members explored the potential reasons for the changes. Five patients were excluded due to admission periods of shorter than 48 hours. The number of new/modified medical and nursing care interventions after PCU admission averaged 1.9 ± 1.5 and 1.5 ± 1.3 per patient, respectively. The most common medical treatments were: reduction in hydration volume, dose titration of opioids, change in opioid administration device, opioid rotation, and addition of NSAIDs and steroids. The most common nursing interventions were: allowing patient to take a bath, changing mattress, use of massage, and discontinuation of bronchial suctioning. In addition, PCU staff newly coordinated opportunities to discuss preferred end-of-life care with primary caregivers in 38% of the cases, family members other than primary caregivers in 16%, and patients in 6.7%. The chart documentation of family care and psycho-existential care increased considerably after PCU admission. The chief reasons for these changes were: under-recognition of the problems and unavailability of treatments (pharmacological treatments), no intention to intervene and recommendations not followed by primary physicians (rehydration therapy), no intention to intervene (nursing care), and no intention to intervene and under-recognition of the problems (help with decision-making). These data demonstrate that many patients under PCT consultation receive new or modified interventions after PCU admission. Potentially useful strategies to strengthen the PCT interventions are: modification of intervention structure to minimize under-recognition of symptoms and decision making problems (e.g., use of standardized assessment tools, regular conferences), changes in the health care system to allow unlicensed drugs, clinical studies to clarify the benefits of artificial hydration therapy, and greater efforts to intervene in the areas of nursing care, help with decision making, family care, and psycho-existential care.     

Pediatric palliative care: a conceptual analysis for pediatric nursing practice

Although there have been significant advances in medical technology, thousands of children continue to die annually. Pediatric palliative care is a relatively new field and has not been well defined in the literature. Therefore, the purposes of this article were to provide a concept analysis of pediatric palliative care that presents pediatric nurses with fundamental information regarding this concept and to increase their ability to understand, identify, provide, and subsequently meet and enhance the needs of those children with a life-limiting illness and their families. With this enhanced understanding of pediatric palliative care, pediatric nurses will continue to improve and provide quality, safe nursing care for this vulnerable population of children with life-limiting illnesses.     

重性精神疾病患者非自愿治疗应急处置机制研究

“非自愿治疗”是精神卫生法实施中的关注焦点。精神障碍的特殊性使精神疾病患者在发病状态下精神能力受损,无法理智/合理地作出决策或控制自身行为,常需要予以人身自由限制,以及采用其他非自愿的医疗措施。针对河南省重性精神疾病管理治疗工作的社区精神卫生服务状况,建立重性精神疾病患者非自愿治疗的应急处置机制,为基层医疗卫生机构建立提前介入预防处置机制提供有益的策略依据。     

Interventions to reduce moral distress in clinicians working in intensive care: A systematic review

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to mitigate the harmful effects of moral distress experienced by nursing and medical clinicians working in the intensive care setting.DesignEligible studies were identified from searches of PubMed, EBSCO (Academic Search Complete, CINAHL and Medline) and Scopus. Included studies were published prior to 20 August 2020.ResultsTwelve studies were included in this review comprising three randomised controlled trials, seven quasi-randomised trials and two observational studies. Nine studies reported interventions targeting only nurses while three included both nurses and doctors. The types of interventions identified included: moral empowerment programs, end-of-life educational programs, reflective exercises through individual narrative writing or group reflective debriefing, multidisciplinary case debriefing meetings integrated into clinical practice and moral resiliency training. Due to the overall low methodological quality and high risk of bias, no single intervention may be considered efficacious in managing moral distress.ConclusionsThere is weak evidence that some currently available interventions reduce the moral distress experienced by intensive care health care providers. Larger randomised trials involving all intensive healthcare clinicians are required to evaluate multifaceted interventions.     

基于多学科协作的缓和医疗在心力衰竭患者中应用的Meta分析

目的:评价基于多学科协作的缓和医疗在心力衰竭患者中的应用效果。方法:计算机检索PubMed、Embase、CINAHL、The Cochrane Library、中国生物医学文献数据库、中国知网、万方数据库、维普等中英文数据库中有关心力衰竭患者实施缓和医疗的随机对照试验,检索时限为建库至2020年12月31日。由2名研...     

国内肿瘤患者安宁疗护研究现状的文献计量分析

目的了解国内肿瘤患者安宁疗护研究现状,探索近年来其发展趋势和研究关注点。方法收集中国期刊全文数据库(CNKI)及万方学术论文数据库,自建立数据库至2020年6月刊发有关肿瘤患者安宁疗护方面的文献,对获取文献,按照年限、发文期刊、地域分布、研究类型、研究切入点、评价指标、安宁疗护模式等进行计量学分析。结果纳入1347篇文献,分布于221种期刊,发文量前3位省份依次是江苏、四川和上海;文献研究类型以类实验性研究类为主;文章数基本呈上升趋势。研究热点集中在肿瘤患者临终关怀、姑息治疗、临终护理、生活质量等;涉及13种安宁疗护模式,涉及的照护模式具有多学科团队雏形;发文量排前10名期刊均未被纳入中国科技核心期刊;涉及的评价指标注重患者的生存质量与心理状况。结论国内肿瘤患者安宁疗护研究的文献发刊篇数越来越多;发文地域也越来越广;研究热点倾向临床研究、多学科团队式照护,但还存在核心期刊发文量少,研究深度、科学性及实操性有待提升,需要推进安宁医保政策在不同层级医院,社区一体化转诊,最后完善相关实际安宁培训课程、住院及管理模式,以达到安宁疗护持续、有质量、个性化的发展。     

End-of-life care for nursing home residents dying from cancer in Nova Scotia,Canada, 2000–2003

INTRODUCTION: With our population aging, an increasing proportion of cancer deaths will occur in nursing homes, yet little is known about their end-of-life care. This paper identifies associations between residing in a nursing home and end-of-life palliative cancer care, controlling for demographic factors. METHODS: For this population-based study, a data file was created by linking individual-level data from the Nova Scotia Cancer Centre Oncology Patient Information System, Vital Statistics, and the Halifax and Cape Breton Palliative Care Programs for all persons 65 years and over dying of cancer from 2000 to 2003. Multivariate logistic regression was used to compare nursing home residents to nonresidents. RESULTS: Among the 7,587 subjects, 1,008 (13.3%) were nursing home residents. Nursing home residents were more likely to be female [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-1.7], older (for > or = 90 vs 65-69 years OR 5.4, CI 4.1-7.0), rural (OR 1.5, CI 1.2-1.8), have only a death certificate cancer diagnosis (OR 4.2, CI 2.8-6.3), and die out of hospital (OR 8.5, CI 7.2-10.0). Nursing home residents were less likely to receive palliative radiation (OR 0.6, CI 0.4-0.7), medical oncology consultation (OR 0.2, CI 0.1-0.4), and palliative care program enrollment (Halifax OR 0.2, CI 0.2-0.3; Cape Breton OR 0.4, CI 0.3-0.7). CONCLUSION: Demographic characteristics and end-of-life services differ between those residing and those not residing in nursing homes. These inequalities may or may not reflect inequities in access to quality end-of-life care.