Free Nursing Dissertations - The Impact Of Frequent Relapses In Mental Illness On Mental Health Services.
The impact of frequent relapses in mental illness on mental health services.
Undergraduate Degree Level Dissertation
9,500 words
Methodology
The methodology of this review was to access on hard copy, from library and Internet sources peer reviewed journals. The hard copy was from the local University library and also from the post graduate centre of the local DGH.
Library records were searched under relevant headings using key words of readmission, psychiatric, nursing implication, NHS mental health resources and Government mental health policy. Sources were identified and resources mentioned in various articles were also traced and accessed. This review required the accessing of over eighty papers which were assessed and the most relevant ones were included in the review.
Literature review
The whole area of psychiatric admission to hospital is fraught with legal, ethical, social and practical implications and difficulties.(Sugarman J & Sulmasy 2001). In this literature review we shall present and critically comment on the current literature that will help to cast some light on these areas.
In any dealings in a clinical area of medicine, it is vital to have a strong evidence base in order to establish one’s own practice. (Sackett DL et al. 2000). It is for this reason that we shall be particularly selective in the range and quality of papers presented for review, so that they may help to form a rational base for the conclusion section that we finally present.
In this review we can usefully begin by considering the literature relating to the Government’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in the field of mental health. The concept of the KPI stems from the Government White Paper Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation (1999) which was presented to Parliament in a series of measures which included the National Service Frameworks of healthcare provision. (Donaldson L 2001)
In specific reference to our considerations here we can point to the fact that one of the indicators in the Government White Paper was to reduce the suicide rate by 20% by 2010. The relevance of this to our consideration is that there is a direct correlation between early discharge in patients with suicidal ideation and actual suicide attempts. (Craig TK et al.2004)
Some authors suggest that there is also an implied (although clearly not proven) association between an inability to admit patients with suicidal ideation and eventual suicide rates. (Bennewith O et al. 2004)
In addition to the requirement to reduce these levels, the Government requires NHS Trusts to publish KPIs in the areas of emergency readmission rates to hospital after psychiatric discharge, in patients over the age of 65 and also other factors such as figures on the occupancy levels in NHS wards.
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