The use of personal therapy by psychiatrists and psychiatry trainees: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: It is widely acknowledged that personal therapy positively contributes to the continued personal well-being and ongoing professional development of mental health professionals, including psychiatrists. As a result, most training bodies continue to recommend personal therapy to their trainees. Given its reported value and benefits, one might hypothesize that a high proportion of psychiatrists avail of personal therapy. This systematic review seeks to investigate whether this is the case. AIM: To identify and evaluate the findings derived from all available survey-based studies reporting quantitative data regarding psychiatrists' and psychiatry trainees' engagement in personal therapy. METHOD: A systematic search for survey-based studies about the use of personal therapy by psychiatric practitioners was conducted in four databases and platforms (PubMed, Scopus, Embase and EbscoHost) from inception to May 2022 following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were assessed for quality using the quality assessment checklist for survey studies in psychology (Q-SSP) and findings summarized using narrative synthesis. RESULTS: The proportion of trainees who engaged in personal therapy ranged from a low of 13.4% in a recent UK based study to a high of 65.3% among Israeli residents. The proportion of fully qualified psychiatrists who engaged in personal therapy varied from 32.1% in South Korea to 89% in New Zealand. CONCLUSION: This review represents the first known attempt to collect and synthesize data aimed at providing insights into the past and current trends in psychiatrists' use of personal therapy across different geographic regions and career stages.

A study of Irish secondary school student's views on mental health supports in school.

OBJECTIVES: An increasing number of young people are experiencing mental health difficulties and schools have been identified as environments that can support them. However, it is unclear how students feel about the current supports in school and whether they are used. The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of young people in Irish post-primary schools regarding mental health and well-being supports in schools. METHODS: An online survey was conducted with (n=109) young people to determine the perceptions of mental health and well-being supports in post-primary Irish schools. Using a convenience sampling method, an online survey was distributed via gatekeepers in local youth and sporting groups. Data collection was completed using the Barriers to Seeking Help-brief version (BASH-B) and additional tailored questions. RESULTS: Qualities like being 'trustworthy' and 'a good listener' were reported as key for adults to be considered a good support in schools. Current mental health and well-being supports were not considered adequate with 65.1% of the participants feeling 'somewhat supported' and 22.9% feeling 'not at all supported'. CONCLUSIONS: Better advertising of mental health support services should be implemented in schools to promote awareness. This study can inform the development of such services which are urgently needed.

Staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome in a paediatric burn unit.

A case of staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome (TSS) in a 15-year-old patient undergoing reconstructive burn surgery is reported. This syndrome, first described in menstruating women using tampons, can also occur as a postsurgical complication. The epidemiology, microbiology, clinical presentation and management of non-menstrual TSS are discussed and correlated with the patient present. We advise caution in the use of occlusive dressings and recommend constant isolation of patients with open wounds colonized with a TSST-1 producing strain of Staph. aureus.

Oropharyngeal dysphagia--the need for effective management.

Increasing international recognition of the high incidence of oropharyngeal dysphagia has incited Speech and Language Therapists to establish a service for the management of this life-threatening disorder. This study evaluates the first such Irish service instigated in St. James's Hospital four years ago. Retrospective analysis of Speech and Language Therapy departmental records for a twelve month period examined incidence of referral for dysphagia, subsequent clinical and objective assessment findings and management recommendations. A referral rate of 52% emerged with a mean of 74 years. CVA was found to be the commonest etiology. Therapeutic intervention was implemented with 68% of dysphagic subjects considered suitable candidates and improvement evidenced in 78% of treated cases. These results highlight the prevalence of oropharyngeal dysphagia in a neurologically impaired Irish adult population and the efficacy of a dysphagia service in its management, while categorically stating the need for such service provision nationwide.

A functional analysis of social reinforcement in vicarious verbal conditioning.

This article reports the results of 629 subjects in three experiments designed to replicate and extend the phenomenon of vicarious verbal conditioning. Experiment I replicated the finding that subjects who responded most to vicarious verbal conditioning were aware of the contingency involved. Experiment II attempted to examine the effects of prior history with the verbal reinforcer on vicarious verbal conditioning by providing seven groups of subjects with varying classic conditioning histories prior to vicarious verbal conditioning. The null results associated with this experiment were hypothesized to be due to the fact that the vicarious verbal conditioning took place in a language laboratory where the subjects could hear but not see the model. Experiment III replicated Experiment II in a live group context as was done in Experiment I. The results showed that vicarious verbal conditioning was again found to take place, that associating the verbal reinforcer with a tone or tone plus money via forward classic conditioning potentiated the effects of the verbal reinforcer, that backward classic conditioning did not potentiate the reinforcer, d) nor did either of two sensitization procedures potentiate the effects of the verbal reinforcer. Both aware and unaware subjects evidenced vicarious verbal conditioning.

Relative potencies of four reference endotoxin standards as measured by the Limulus amoebocyte lysate and USP rabbit pyrogen tests.

Four commonly used reference endotoxin standards, Escherichia coli O113:H10:K0, E. coli O55:B5, Salmonella abortusequi, and Shigella dysenteriae were compared by the USP rabbit pyrogen and the Limulus amoebocyte lysate tests. By the rabbit pyrogen test, S. abortus equi was identified as the most potent endotoxin, followed closely by E. coli O113:H10:K0 and E. coli O55:B5.

Detection of endotoxin in the plasma of patients with gram-negative bacterial sepsis by the Limulus amoebocyte lysate assay.

A total of 120 Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) determinations were made on plasma obtained from normal, healthy human blood donors. Results demonstrated a mean endotoxin level in blood of 0.02 to 1.57 pg/ml. The amount of Escherichia coli endotoxin added to human plasma samples can be quantitated by both nephelometry and turbidimetry. Endotoxin-spiked samples were shown to be significantly different from unspiked samples. When plasma samples were collected from 45 patients hospitalized at three centers, a strong association was demonstrated between a positive Limulus amoebocyte lysate assay and a septic condition. Sensitivity, specificity, and false-positive and false-negative rates for the Limulus amoebocyte lysate assay as a diagnostic test for gram-negative bacteremia were estimated.