Interventions to encourage uptake of cancer screening for people with severe mental illness.

BACKGROUND: Adults with severe mental illness (i.e. schizophrenia or other related psychotic disorders and bipolar disorder) can be at greater risk of cancer than those without severe mental illness (SMI). Early detection of cancer through screening is effective in improving patient outcomes including death. However, people with SMI are less likely than others to take up available cancer screening. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness of interventions targeted at adults with SMI, or their carers or health professionals, and aimed at increasing the uptake of cancer screening tests for which the adults with SMI are eligible. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's Trials Register (October 25, 2012; December 19, 2014; April 07, 2015; July 04, 2016). SELECTION CRITERIA: All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions, targeted towards adults with SMI or their carers or health professionals, to encourage uptake of cancer screening tests for which the adults with SMI were eligible. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently screened titles and abstracts and assessed these against the inclusion criteria. MAIN RESULTS: We did not find any trials that met the inclusion criteria. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive search showed that currently there is no RCT evidence for any method of encouraging cancer screening uptake in people with SMI. No specific approach can therefore be recommended. High-quality, large-scale RCTs are needed urgently to help address the disparity between people with SMI and others in cancer screening uptake.

Demographic and referral patterns of people detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act (1983) in a south London Mental Health Trust from 2005 to 2008.

This study aimed to retrospectively examine demographic and referral data for all detainees under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act (1983) at a 'place of safety' in one London Mental Health Trust over a three-year period. Data were collected for 887 consecutive detentions and indicated a clear over-representation of black detainees compared with their representation in the local population. A high proportion of detentions (41.2%) did not result in hospital admission. Implications for practice and service user experience should be considered as long as Section 136 remains an entry point to mental health services for many black people. There are implications for interprofessional practice where Mental Health Trust resources are expended supporting Section 136 detentions in which no hospital treatment follows.

Developing the readiness to alter sun-protective behaviour questionnaire (RASP-B).

BACKGROUND: Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer of any country in the world, even though the risk of contracting the disease can be lowered considerably by engaging in appropriate sun-protective behaviours. We aimed to construct and validate a questionnaire to assess the readiness of a group of mostly young people to change their levels of sun-protective behaviour by assigning them to a stage of change based on the transtheoretical model of behaviour change. METHOD: A sample of 122 undergraduate students in Queensland, Australia completed the readiness to alter sun-protective behaviour questionnaire (the RASP-B, a 12-item questionnaire about their attitudes toward sun-protection), in addition to a short questionnaire about their current sun-protective behaviours. RESULTS: A principal component analysis revealed a clear three-factor structure corresponding to the precontemplation, contemplation, and action stages of the transtheoretical model. Participants in the action stage reported engaging in significantly higher levels of sun-protective behaviour than participants in the earlier precontemplation and contemplation stages. These behaviours included avoiding exposure to direct sunlight by wearing long-sleeved clothing and remaining in the shade or indoors. Participants in the different stages reported no significant differences in the reported frequency of sunscreen use, although respondents across all three stages reported using sunscreen infrequently. CONCLUSION: The RASP-B requires approximately 5 min to complete, can be self-administered and has satisfactory psychometric properties, and thus has utility in primary health care settings where time and client-practitioner contact are often limited.