Ageism refers to discrimination against older persons. It may not appear apparent that this could, let alone should, happen in healthcare systems, but it regrettably does. This narrative review outlines 15 studies that looked at attitudes to ageing amongst nurses,
The Carer Appraisal Scale – a new way to communicate.
One of the commonest complaints of mental health services is a perceived failure of communication between caregivers and clinicians regarding those with mental health issues. With this in mind, a few of us put together a form that could
Elder Abuse – A National Legal Response
I work in an old age mental health service. We have a patient, a 77 year old woman, who used to live in her family’s backyard in a tent. She would sleep each night in the cold, regardless of
Psychotherapy and the Older Person – A Review
In the latest Australasian Psychiatry journal, I provide an update regarding the current state of evidence for psychotherapeutic interventions for the elderly.
Analysing Trump: Pitfalls and Professionalism
No political figure has ever mobilised, and frustrated, the mental health profession as much as President Trump. Prior to Mr Trump’s inauguration, 3 professors of psychiatry called for a ‘neuropsychiatric evaluation’. Shortly after, with the first wave of chaos from
The Role of the Father
A famous study on parenting styles had two groups of psychiatrists being shown the same video clip. In the clip, a man is seen seated reading a newspaper, whilst his child is playing on the floor in front of him.
Personality disorders – the ignored mental health epidemic
Pancreatic cancer is well known as the cancer with the lowest profile. A poorly understood and minimally researched disease, its dismal prognosis has an aura of untreatability that is instilled from the first years of medical school. I spoke
“Is it better to not exist?”
A new update in the Journal of Applied Psychology provides a rebuttal against the soundness of a theory that supports abortion. In doing so, it provides an interesting framework as an argument against suicide.
Videogames – friend or foe?
Psychiatry has had an unusual relationship with videogames – and despite several hundred studies on the topic, it is still not clear how and to what extent they influence the mind. Do they encourage violence? And can they prevent dementia?
Euthanasia – the problem of capacity
I once had a 70 year old patient with recurrent serious depressive episodes leading to suicide attempts. She was a “professional suicider”, in that she subscribed to an organisation that clandestinely posted out kits to help people kill themselves. I