What leadership qualities are required for Associate Psychological Practitioners in primary care networks?

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify leadership skills required for Associate Psychological Practitioners (APPs) working within primary care networks (PCNs).

Design/methodology/approach: An online questionnaire about current leadership opportunities and skill set was sent to APPs and leadership staff (clinical leads, PCN managers and clinical supervisors). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with APPs and leadership staff and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

"I know this is on my chest, let's act": a qualitative study exploring self-management of acute COPD exacerbations with a sputum colour chart to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use.

Half of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are caused by bacterial infection, but self-management plans (SMPs) generally advocate use of antibiotics and steroids for all events. We report findings from a qualitative study exploring the acceptability of a sputum colour chart and SMP to guide patient use of antibiotics and steroids (commonly termed a 'rescue pack'). Qualitative interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients from the Colour COPD trial - a randomised controlled trial of usual care (SMP alone) versus usual care plus sputum colour chart to manage AECOPD across England and sampled to promote maximum variation.

Outcomes for Patients Receiving Multi-Chamber Bags for the Delivery of Parenteral Nutrition: A Systematic Review.

Background: Parenteral nutrition (PN) is required by people with intestinal failure and can be delivered as multi-chambered bags (MCBs) or individually compounded (COM) bags. This systematic review aimed to examine the evidence base for clinical outcomes and/or quality of life (QoL) in adults receiving PN as MCBs compared to COMs in hospital and community settings.

Methods: A systematic database search was conducted between January 2015 and May 2024.

The Resilience Hub approach for addressing mental health of health and social care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods evaluation.

Background: Resilience Hubs provide mental health screening, facilitation of access and direct provision of psychosocial support for health and social care keyworkers in England affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Aim: To explore implementation of the Hubs, including characteristics of staff using the services, support accessed, costing data and a range of stakeholder perspectives on the barriers and enablers to Hub use and implementation of staff well-being support within the context of the pandemic.

Design: Mixed-methods evaluation.

Implementation of a digital health intervention for young people exposed to Technology Assisted Sexual Abuse.

Background: The internet has become a place of increased risk of abuse, including sexual abuse, for young people (YP). One potential risk factor to online abuse and exploitation is the ability to mentalise. We developed the i-Minds app, a mentalisation-based digital health intervention (DHI) for YP who have experienced technology assisted sexual abuse (TASA), which we tested in a clinical feasibility trial.

A service mapping exercise of four health and social care staff mental health and wellbeing services, Resilience Hubs, to describe health service provision and interventions.

Background: NHS England funded 40 Mental Health and Wellbeing Hubs to support health and social care staff affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to document variations in how national guidance was adapted to the local contexts of four Hubs in the North of England.

Methods: We used a modified version of Price's (2019) service mapping methodology.

Organellar genomic characterization of Anunuuluaehu liula representing a new genus and species of Phyllophoraceae (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) from the mesophotic zone of Hawai'i.

Over the last 2 decades, routine collections in the Hawaiian Archipelago have expanded to mesophotic reefs, leading to the discovery of a new red algal genus and species, here described as Anunuuluaehu liula gen. et sp. nov.

Getting the consistency right in thickened liquids using Viscgo Sticks: A validation study.

Background: Dysphagia is a condition whereby a person's ability to swallow, eat and drink is impacted. One strategy to manage dysphagia and aid safe swallowing is the modification of food and drink, including using thickening agents to thicken drinks. Drinks are thickened to levels appropriate to a person's swallowing abilities and the underutilised 'syringe flow test' is currently the recommended method for checking thickness levels.

Staff support for workplace trauma: a freedom of information act request survey for NHS trusts providing mental health care in England.

Introduction: Workplace trauma in mental health settings is defined as exposure to verbal and physical aggression, witnessing self-harm or hearing about patients' histories of abuse. Support for workplace trauma is important for staff well-being, staff retention and ultimately patient care. Assessing the extent and adequacy of staff support for workplace trauma in mental health settings is important in identifying areas of need and good practice.

Implementing psychological support for health and social care staff affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative exploration of staff well-being hubs ('Resilience Hubs') using normalisation process theory.

Objectives: Evaluate the implementation of Hubs providing access to psychological support for health and social care keyworkers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design: Qualitative interviews informed by normalisation process theory to understand how the Hub model became embedded into normal practice, and factors that disrupted normalisation of this approach.

Setting: Three Resilience Hubs in the North of England.

Did stopping ultrasound surveillance during COVID-19 result in an increase of the dialysis access thrombosis rate?

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in cessation and subsequent reduction of routine care including the outpatient ultrasound surveillance of AVF. This un-planned service disruption allowed evaluation of effectiveness of US surveillance in reducing AVF/AVG thrombosis.

Methods: This study was a secondary data analysis of monthly access patency for all in-centre patients receiving haemodialysis using an AVF or AVG over a 2-year period (April 2019-March 2021).

Exploring experiences of moral injury and distress among health care workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Objective: Health care workers have been exposed to a variety of practical and emotional challenges because of the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving them vulnerable to experiencing moral injury and distress. However, there is currently sparse research which directly explores such experiences. This study aimed to explore and characterise the experiences and impacts of moral injury and distress among health care workers during the pandemic.

Effect of Cancer Pain Guideline Implementation on Pain Outcomes Among Adult Outpatients With Cancer-Related Pain: A Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial.

Importance: An evidence-practice gap exists for cancer pain management, and cancer pain remains prevalent and disabling.

Objectives: To evaluate the capacity of 3 cancer pain guideline implementation strategies to improve pain-related outcomes for patients attending oncology and palliative care outpatient services.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A pragmatic, stepped wedge, cluster-randomized, nonblinded, clinical trial was conducted between 2014 and 2019.

Minimal use of ICD social determinant or phenomenological codes in mental health care records.

Background: We have previously argued that psychiatric diagnosis, by focusing on pathology, minimises the role of psychosocial factors. Despite suggestions that traditional diagnosis is the only way to access treatment services, we have recommended standardised use of existing codes for possible social determinants and precise description of psychological phenomena.

Aims: This study examines the current use of social determinant and phenomenological codes in mental health care records.

Frequency and impact of childhood sexual and physical abuse on people using IAPT services.

Objectives: This study explored the prevalence of childhood sexual/physical abuse (CSA/CPA) as identified by practitioners in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services and clarified differences in clients' characteristics with and without a history of CSA/CPA.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of a large dataset comprised of IAPT routine data and data from a local service evaluation reporting on clients' presenting problems.

Results: 14% of IAPT clients (n = 1,315) were identified with a record of CSA/CPA.

The psychosocial response to a terrorist attack at Manchester Arena, 2017: a process evaluation.

Background: A 2017 terrorist attack in Manchester, UK, affected large numbers of adults and young people. During the response phase (first seven weeks), a multi-sector collaborative co-ordinated a decentralised response. In the subsequent recovery phase they implemented a centralised assertive outreach programme, 'The Resilience Hub', to screen and refer those affected.

Psychological impact of spontaneous memorials: A narrative review.

Objective: The creation of spontaneous memorials has become an increasingly common response following a traumatic event, such as the Manchester Arena attack, the 2016 Paris attacks, and September 11, 2001, in New York. In many cases, spontaneous memorials are collected and archived. This article is the 1st to date to review the research literature on the potential psychological and therapeutic impact of such archives.

The use of diagnoses in mental health service eligibility and exclusion criteria.

Background: Diagnoses are controversial but ubiquitous in mental health; however, whether they are essential features of service entry has not been analysed.

Aim: To investigate the use of diagnosis in the service entry criteria of UK NHS adult mental health services.

Methods: Freedom of Information requests were made to 17 NHS adult mental health Trusts; responses were analysed thematically.

Psychological screening of adults and young people following the Manchester Arena incident.

Background: Terrorist attacks have increased globally since the late 1990s with clear evidence of psychological distress across both adults and children and young people (CYP). After the Manchester Arena terrorist attack, the Resilience Hub was established to identify people in need of psychological and psychosocial support.

Aims: To examine the severity of symptoms and impact of the programme.

Heterogeneity in psychiatric diagnostic classification.

The theory and practice of psychiatric diagnosis are central yet contentious. This paper examines the heterogeneous nature of categories within the DSM-5, how this heterogeneity is expressed across diagnostic criteria, and its consequences for clinicians, clients, and the diagnostic model. Selected chapters of the DSM-5 were thematically analysed: schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders; bipolar and related disorders; depressive disorders; anxiety disorders; and trauma- and stressor-related disorders.

Point and interval estimates of percentile ranks for scores on the Texas Functional Living Scale.

Point and interval estimates of percentile ranks are useful tools in assisting with the interpretation of neurocognitive test results. We provide percentile ranks for raw subscale scores on the Texas Functional Living Scale (TFLS; Cullum, Weiner, & Saine, 2009) using the TFLS standardization sample data (N = 800). Percentile ranks with interval estimates are also provided for the overall TFLS T score.

Histiocytic sarcoma of the brain.

Histiocytic sarcoma is a rare malignant neoplasm of the lympho-hematopoietic system that usually occurs in the skin, lymph nodes and intestinal tract. We present a 36-year-old woman with a rare histiocytic sarcoma with isolated central nervous system (CNS) involvement of multifocal circumscribed lesions. Biopsy of the brain lesions showed diffuse proliferation of pleomorphic histiocytes that were immunopositive for CD45, CD68 and CD163.