Effectiveness of psychological interventions for carers of patients with severe mental illness (SMI): a systematic review.

Objectives: Interventions for carers of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) are effective in improving patient outcomes. This review examined the effectiveness of psychological interventions or support designed to help carers of patients with SMI.

Design: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted.

Experiences, acceptability and feasibility of an isometric exercise intervention for stage 1 hypertension: embedded qualitative study in a randomised controlled feasibility trial.

Background: Healthy lifestyle changes for patients with stage 1 hypertension are recommended before antihypertensive medication. Exercise has antihypertensive benefits; however, low adoption and high attrition are common. Patients need easily adoptable, effective and manageable exercise interventions that can be sustained for life.

An examination of service user satisfaction in forensic mental health settings.

High levels of service user satisfaction are viewed as a reliable indicator of a service providing good care and treatment. There has been limited research looking into levels of satisfaction in forensic mental health settings with most work focused on staff satisfaction in these settings. This study examined service users' levels of satisfaction with a forensic mental health service in the United Kingdom.

What is day hospital treatment for anorexia nervosa really like? A reflexive thematic analysis of feedback from young people.

Background: A significant proportion of young people do not respond to the NICE recommended treatment for anorexia nervosa: Family Therapy. Whilst historically these young people would be admitted to inpatient services, which are associated with greater treatment cost, greater risk of relapse, and worse outcome, more recently evidence is building for the effectiveness of day programmes. One day programme that has been found to be effective is the Intensive Treatment Programme (ITP) of the Maudsley Centre for Child & Adolescent Eating Disorders in London, UK.

Delivering clinical studies of exercise in the COVID-19 pandemic: challenges and adaptations using a feasibility trial of isometric exercise to treat hypertension as an exemplar.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted on the delivery of clinical trials in the UK, posing complicated organisational challenges and requiring adaptations, especially to exercise intervention studies based in the community. We aim to identify the challenges of public involvement, recruitment, consent, follow-up, intervention and the healthcare professional delivery aspects of a feasibility study of exercise in hypertensive primary care patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. While these challenges elicited many reactive changes which were specific to, and only relevant in the context of 'lockdown' requirements, some of the protocol developments that came about during this unprecedented period have great potential to inform more permanent practices for carrying out this type of research.

Peer supported Open Dialogue in the National Health Service: implementing and evaluating a new approach to Mental Health Care.

Background: Open Dialogue is an internationally developing approach to mental health care based on collaboration between an individual and their family and social network. Our quest for better approaches to Mental Health Care with improved carer and service user experience led us to develop and test a model of Peer Supported Open Dialogue (POD). There is no research currently looking at the implementation and effectiveness of a standalone POD team in the NHS so we evaluate its implementation, clinical outcomes and value to service users and their families.

Feasibility study to assess the delivery of a novel isometric exercise intervention for people with stage 1 hypertension in the NHS: protocol for the IsoFIT-BP study including amendments to mitigate the risk of COVID-19.

Background: Hypertension  (HTN) affects approximately 25% of the UK population and is a leading cause of mortality. Associated annual health care costs run into billions. National treatment guidance includes initial lifestyle advice, followed by anti-hypertensive medication if blood pressure (BP) remains high.

Developing and evaluating mental health lived experience practitioner (LXP) roles in an NHS trust.

Background: The value of establishing roles for people with lived experience of mental distress within mental health services is increasingly being recognised. However, there is limited information to guide the introduction of these roles into mental health services.

Aims: This study details the development and evaluation of a new mental health peer worker role, the Lived Experience Practitioner (LXP), within an NHS Trust.

Comparing the social networks of service users with long term mental health needs living in community with those in a general adult in-patient unit.

Background: Relationships are vital to recovery however, there is uncertainty whether users have different types of social networks in different mental health settings and how these networks may impact on users' wellbeing.

Aims: To compare the social networks of people with long-term mental illness in the community with those of people in a general adult in-patient unit.

Method: A sample of general adult in-patients with enduring mental health problems, aged between 18 and 65, was compared with a similar sample attending a general adult psychiatric clinic.

Supporting prisoners with mental health needs in the transition to RESETtle in the community: the RESET study.

Background: Homelessness is linked to poor mental health and an increased likelihood of offending. People often lose accommodation when they enter prison and struggle to find accommodation upon release leading to an increased likelihood of relapse and reoffending. The RESET intervention was developed to support prisoners with mental health needs for 12 weeks after release to coordinate their transition into the community and obtaining secure housing.

Mental health and offending in older people: Future directions for research.

Background: The number of older people and their proportion of the prison population in high-income countries is increasing substantially. This pattern is mirrored by the age profile in forensic hospital services, and both trends seem counter to the age-crime curve concept. How do we understand this and what are the mental health needs of this growing group?

Aim: The aim of this review is to identify existing research robust enough to inform policy and practice in relation to mental health in older offenders and the knowledge gaps that should drive future research.

Growing older in secure mental health care: the user experience.

Background: The proportion of older adults using secure forensic psychiatric services is rising. Research is needed to examine the experience of older service users and evidence how adult services can adapt to meet their needs.

Aim: To explore user experiences of being an older adult in secure forensic services.

Psychological and psychosocial interventions offered to forensic mental health inpatients: a systematic review.

Objective: To examine the evidence for the use of psychological and psychosocial interventions offered to forensic mental health inpatients.

Design: CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect and Web of Science databases were searched for research published in English between 1 January 1990 and 31 May 2018.

Outcome Measures: Disturbance, mental well-being, quality of life, recovery, violence/risk, satisfaction, seclusion, symptoms, therapeutic relationship and ward environment.

A pilot cluster randomised trial to assess the effect of a structured communication approach on quality of life in secure mental health settings: The Comquol Study.

Background: There is a lack of research in forensic settings examining therapeutic relationships. A structured communication approach, placing patients' perspectives at the heart of discussions about their care, was used to improve patients' quality of life in secure settings. The objectives were to: • Establish the feasibility of the trial design • Determine the variability of the outcomes of interest • Estimate the costs of the intervention • If necessary, refine the intervention METHODS: A pilot cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted.

A retrospective observational study of the effectiveness of paliperidone palmitate on acute inpatient hospitalization rates.

This retrospective mirror-image observational study aimed to establish the effects of the long-acting antipsychotic injection paliperidone palmitate (PP) on acute inpatient hospitalization rates. We utilized routinely collected clinical data to compare the number and length of acute patient admissions 1 year before and 1 year after initiation of PP. A single cohort of 66 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and who had received monthly injections of PP for at least 1 year were included in the analysis.

Mental illness and parenthood: being a parent in secure psychiatric care.

Background: Research into parenting and mental illness seldom includes forensic mental health service users, despite its relevance to therapeutic, family work and risk management.

Aims: This study aimed to understand the experiences of parents and the variety of parenting roles maintained during admission to a secure forensic hospital.

Methods: Narrative interviews with 18 parents (eight mothers and 10 fathers) at an English medium security hospital were analysed thematically, using the framework approach.

A cross sectional survey examining the association between therapeutic relationships and service user satisfaction in forensic mental health settings.

Background: This small-scale study examines an often neglected patient group (service users in forensic mental health settings). The research investigates their therapeutic relationship with staff and which therapeutic relationship factors are associated with their level of satisfaction with services.

Methods: A cross sectional survey was undertaken in two medium secure units in the UK with seventy seven participants completing self-report measures examining service user satisfaction with services and their therapeutic relationship with staff.

Carers of forensic mental health in-patients: what factors influence their satisfaction with services?

Background: Families are the main caring resource for service users with severe mental health problems. There has been limited work examining the needs of carers of people using forensic mental health services.

Aims: This study aimed to gain an understanding of carers satisfaction with services in forensic mental health inpatient settings.

Study to assess the effect of a structured communication approach on quality of life in secure mental health settings (Comquol): study protocol for a pilot cluster randomized trial.

Background: Forensic mental health services have largely ignored examining patients' views on the nature of the services offered to them. A structured communication approach (DIALOG) has been developed with the aim of placing the patient's perspective on their care at the heart of the discussions between patients and clinicians. The effectiveness of the structured communication approach in community mental health services has been demonstrated, but no trial has taken place in a secure psychiatric setting.

Implementing video conferencing in mental health practice.

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the evidence base regarding the use of video conferencing (VC), implementation issues, policies, procedures, technical requirements and VC etiquette. The paper is based on a literature review of VC within the mental health sector and the authors' experience in implementing VC. Six themes emerged from the literature review: applications of VC, VC assessments, treatment, training and supervision, practitioner anxiety, and VC administrative processes.

Levels of service user satisfaction in secure settings--a survey of the association between perceived social climate, perceived therapeutic relationship and satisfaction with forensic services.

Background: The interests of users should lead service developments. However, it has been claimed that forensic mental health services have largely ignored examining users' views on the nature and quality of the service offered to them. Perceived social climate and perceived therapeutic relationship are viewed as important indicators of treatment outcome; however previous findings about how these variables may be associated with satisfaction with forensic services are equivocal.

A case study exploration of the value of acupuncture as an adjunct treatment for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia: results and future study design.

Objective: This study explored the effects of individualized acupuncture when used alongside routine care for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia in order to assess the possibility and nature of potential benefits for this patient group. This study used an exploratory case study approach that included both quantitative and qualitative research tools, in order to generate a hypothesis questioning the possible benefits of acupuncture and develop future study designs.

Methods: Eleven patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were given multiple validated quantitative and qualitative assessments before, during and after a 10-week acupuncture intervention.

Service-user involvement in forensic mental health care research: areas to consider when developing a collaborative study.

Background: Although service-users are increasingly involved in the conduct of research in mental health settings, involvement in forensic mental health settings is limited.

Aims:  This paper looks at the factors perceived by professionals and service-users as important for developing collaborative research in forensic mental health settings.

Method: Following a collaborative research project undertaken in three forensic mental health units, the researchers involved in the project (professionals and service-users) reviewed factors perceived as important for developing service-user research in secure settings.

The development of a tool to measure service user satisfaction with in-patient forensic services: The Forensic Satisfaction Scale.

Background: Service-user satisfaction helps determine the quality of services. No valid measure of service-user satisfaction in forensic mental health settings has been developed.

Aims: To develop and validate a scale designed to measure satisfaction with forensic mental health services.

Facile synthesis of the tridecameric Al13 nanocluster Al13(mu3-OH)6(mu2-OH)18(H2O)24(NO3)15.

Treatment of aluminum nitrate with an organic nitroso-containing compound yields the "flat", tridecameric nanocluster Al 13(mu 3-OH) 6(mu 2-OH) 18(H 2O) 24(NO 3) 15 ( Al 13 ) in good yield on a preparative scale under ambient conditions. Synthetic procedures yielding two different single-crystal forms of the Al 13 cation with two varying counterion compositions are described.