Understanding the mental health needs of Scotland's prison population: a health needs assessment.

Introduction: This study reports on an assessment of mental health needs among Scotland's prison population which aimed to describe the scale and nature of need as well as identify opportunities to improve upon the services available. The project was commissioned by the Scottish Government to ensure that future changes to the services available to support the mental health and wellbeing of people in prison would be evidence-based and person-centered.

Methods: A standardized approach to health needs assessments was employed.

Long-term outcomes of the recovery approach in a high-security mental health setting: a 20 year follow-up study.

Background: This study examined the outcomes of a descriptive, longitudinal cohort consisting of 241 patients initially examined in a population study at the high secure State Hospital for Scotland and Northern Ireland in 1992-93. A partial follow-up focusing on patients with schizophrenia was conducted in 2000-01, followed by a comprehensive 20 year follow-up that began in 2014.

Aims: To explore what happens to patients who required high secure care during a 20 year follow-up period.

A protocol in action: Recovery approach for patients within high secure care: A 20+ year follow-up.

Objectives: A person-centred approach to recovery is increasingly represented within mainstream mental health literature. Little examination of recovery among forensic mental health patients is evidenced. This study plans to address that insufficiency.

Follow-up study of people who misuse alcohol: reflections on methodology.

Background Considerable challenges exist for researchers attempting to monitor longitudinally the impact of any intervention on heavy drinkers, therefore they are often excluded from surveys. A particular challenge is the loss of validity through attrition. Aim To describe issues encountered when recruiting and re-contacting difficult to reach heavy drinkers participating in a longitudinal study; and propose strategies to inform the design of future studies to minimise the effects of confounding factors.

A teachable moment for the teachable moment? A prospective study to evaluate delivery of a workshop designed to increase knowledge and skills in relation to alcohol brief interventions (ABIs) amongst final year nursing and occupational therapy undergraduates.

The perceived value of Alcohol Brief Interventions as a tool to address alcohol misuse in Scotland has supported the establishment of a Health Improvement, Efficiency, Access and Treatment, HEAT: H4 Standard to deliver ABIs within certain health care settings. This requires that nursing, medical and allied health professionals are appropriately skilled to deliver these interventions. This study explores the knowledge and attitudes regarding alcohol misuse and related interventions among two cohorts of final year nursing and occupational therapy undergraduate students before, during and following participation in a workshop devoted to ABI delivery.

The enigma of 'harmful' alcohol consumption: evidence from a mixed methods study involving female drinkers in Scotland.

Background/aims: An appreciation of the drinking patterns of population subgroups may usefully inform tailored interventions. For this purpose, research has highlighted a need to better describe the drinking behaviour of UK women. This study aims to characterise the purchasing and consumption behaviour of female heavy, harmed, drinkers in contact with Scottish health services in two cities and to explore the factors that influence the link to harm.

White cider consumption and heavy drinkers: a low-cost option but an unknown price.

Aims: To compare characteristics of heavy drinkers who do, or do not, drink white cider during their typical drinking week and to contrast white cider drinkers' behaviour with a similar group recruited in comparable settings 4 years previously. To consider if excessive white cider consumption poses a specific health risk.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey of alcohol purchasing and consumption by heavy drinkers consuming white cider in Edinburgh and Glasgow during 2012; comparison of purchasing patterns within Edinburgh in 2008-2009 and 2012.