Psychology and research assessment in the United Kingdom

Bullying and cyberbullying have severe psychological and legal consequences for those involved. However, it is unclear how or even if previous experience of bullying and cyberbullying is considered in mental health assessments. Furthermore, the relevance and effectiveness of current legal solutions has been debated extensively, resulting in a desire for a specific legislation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the psychological and legal components of bullying and cyberbullying. This is a qualitative research that includes interviews with five practitioner psychologists and four lawyers in the United Kingdom (UK). Thematic analysis revealed three main themes. One theme is related to the definition, characteristics, and impact of bullying and cyberbullying and the need for more discussion among the psychological and legal professions. Another theme is related to current professional procedures and the inclusion of questions about bullying and cyberbullying in psychological risk assessments. The third theme emphasised the importance of intervention through education. Two key messages were highlighted by the lawyers: ample yet problematic legislation exists, and knowledge will ensure legal success. The study recommends the necessity of performing revisions in the clinical psychological practices and assessments, and the legal policies regarding bullying and cyberbullying. In addition to improving legal success, this will reduce bullying prevalence rates, psychological distress, and psychopathology that can be comorbid or emerge as a result of this behaviour.

Unspecified living kidney donation, where an individual donates a kidney to a stranger, is practised in very few countries. Since the Human Tissue Act 2006, the practice has been increasingly prevalent in the United Kingdom. However, evidence exists of uncertainty from healthcare professionals as to whether this is appropriate or manageable. The Barriers and Outcomes in Unspecified Donation study is a mixed-methods study designed to determine the answers to three research questions: Is there variation in transplant professionals' practice and attitudes, which is preventing some unspecified donations? Are psychosocial and physical outcomes after unspecified donation equivalent to those after specified donation? What is the economic benefit from unspecified donation? For RQ1, a qualitative study of healthcare professionals using focus groups and interviews was performed. Additionally, a quantitative, questionnaire-based study, including healthcare professionals from all United Kingdom transplant centres, was carried out. For RQ2, a qualitative study of unspecified kidney donors, including those who did not donate, was performed. A prospective, questionnaire study of both specified kidney donors and unspecified kidney donors across the United Kingdom was completed, and linked to data recorded by National Health Service Blood and Transplant. For RQ3, data on utilisation and quality of life were collected pre- and postoperatively using health economic and quality-of-life questionnaires to allow calculation of costs and comparisons between unspecified kidney donors and specified kidney donors. Fifty-nine interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals at six United Kingdom centres. There was broad support for unspecified donation, but key themes included the need for further training and information, consistency in approach across the United Kingdom, and uncertainty about age limits and psychological assessments. Managing donor expectations was a major concern. One hundred and fifty-three healthcare professionals, from all 23 United Kingdom transplant units, were recruited into the questionnaire study. The themes above were confirmed, and the need for more resource, particularly training and staffing, were emphasised. Eight hundred and thirty-seven participants including (59.3%) specified kidney donors and (40.7%) unspecified kidney donors were recruited to the prospective questionnaire study, of whom 373 went on to donate. We found no difference in psychosocial or physical outcomes, withdrawal rates [hazard ratio: unspecified kidney donors vs. specified kidney donors 1.12 (95% confidence interval 0.75 to 1.67)] or regret, although unspecified kidney donors experienced fewer positive perceptions [specified kidney donors 319 (86.2%) vs. unspecified kidney donors 247 (79.9%); p = 0.034]. In the qualitative study of 35 unspecified kidney donors (15 donated, 20 withdrawn), we found evidence of psychological distress in those not proceeding to donation, with a need for consistency and management of expectations. Data from the RQ2 prospective study showed a wide variation in withdrawal rates of donors across the United Kingdom, with withdrawal less likely in high volume, well-staffed centres. Fifty-eight per cent of unspecified kidney donors came from just five centres. We found no difference in costs between the two groups (£937 vs. £778; ns). We calculated that a 10% increase in unspecified kidney donors nationally would save at least £5 million. This study suggests that unspecified donation is a safe and acceptable practice. Training and information should be disseminated across United Kingdom centres, with increased resource for unspecified donation where necessary. Consistency in approach and support for donors who do not proceed is important. This synopsis presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme as award number 13/54/54.

Prisoners serving indeterminate sentences in the United Kingdom do not know when or if they will be released from prison. Release and progression decisions are determined by the risk the ISP presents of reoffending. This makes the assessment of risk a high stakes business for ISPs. Whilst there is a large body of literature focused on prisoners’ general experiences of prison, there is an absence of specific empirical exploration of prisoners’ experiences of risk assessment. This paper aims to address this gap by reporting the results of a qualitative exploration of ISPs’ experiences of psychological risk assessment. Interviews with 10 ISPs were conducted and analysed using Grounded Theory methods. Analysis indicated that prisoners experienced the prison environment as characterised by violence, volatility and suffering. Psychological risk assessment is embedded within this emotionally and physically challenging context but also contributes to the experience of suffering. Within this context, prisoners felt stuck, powerless and out of control in relation to risk assessment, and experienced psychologists as untrustworthy yet powerful. Understanding prisoners’ experiences is the first step in resolving some of the long-reported difficulties in working relationships between psychologists and prisoners as well as making the process more procedurally just.

Formal Decision Trees in Plastic Surgery

Mental health counseling in third-party reproduction in the United States: evaluation, psychoeducation, or ethical gatekeeping?

Reports an error in "Temporal attitudes profile transition among adolescents: A longitudinal examination using mover-stayer latent transition analysis" by Grant B. Morgan, Kevin E. Wells, James R. Andretta and Michael T. McKay (Psychological Assessment, Advanced Online Publication, Sep 5, 2016, np). In the article, the affiliation for Michael T. McKay should be Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool. All versions of this article have been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2016-42727-001.) Over the last 20 years, the study of Temporal Psychology and its relationship with a range of psychosocial indicators has increased exponentially. The present study makes use of recent advances in analytic methods and uses statistical inference via longitudinal examination of latent profiles through Latent Transition Analyses (LTA). The first 2 available waves of data from a longitudinal study in the United Kingdom were used to assess the following: (a) the factor structure of Adolescent Time Inventory-Time Attitudes Scale (ATAS) scores at Waves 1 and 2, (b) the viability of time attitudes profiles based on ATAS scores at both time points, (c) the degree of stability and/or transition between membership of these profiles at +12 months, and (d) the relationship between profiles and scores on 4 distal outcomes, including academic, social and emotional self-efficacy, and sensation seeking. Four latent profiles called Positives, Ambivalents, Negatives, and Negative-Futures were identified and their relationship with the 4 distal outcomes was examined. Results showed that time attitude profiles were unstable across the first year of high school. Furthermore, instability was explained by transitions to more negative profiles, and these transitions were associated with unfavorable outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record

Validated Survey Tools for Pre-operative Psychological Assessment in Plastic Surgery.

The application of Generative Artificial Intelligence in mental health care: A bibliometric and visualized analysis.

This bibliography addresses counseling in schools involving young people up to age eighteen and excluding higher education. We acknowledge that the transition between school and higher education can be an issue, but this is not addressed in this bibliography. Counseling in schools has been occurring formally in many countries and has been present in different forms and with different time scales. In the United States, school counseling began at the beginning of the 20th century with a focus on vocational guidance, and in the United Kingdom it began in the 1960s with a very person-centered emphasis. There are different emphases and models in different countries. Counseling in schools parallels the development of counseling in general and owes much to the original thinkers and practitioners of counseling, such as Carl Rogers, but it has developed particular ways of working with children and young people and current approaches owe much to the theoreticians and practitioners who developed working through play and the arts, such as Virginia Axline. There are different theoretical stances, as in other forms of psychotherapy. Counseling is similar to psychotherapy, and there have been attempts to distinguish it from psychotherapy by emphasizing that psychotherapy is concerned with “maladaptive responses and patterns associated with psychological disorders” (see the Oxford Bibliographies article Psychotherapy for more information), while counseling is concerned with problem solving and helping clients to make positive changes to their lives. Many debate this distinction or whether there is one. The section Definitions and Concepts explores this further. Counseling as a formal process can be found in every continent of the world, and the Western models have been highly influential, although there are moves to rediscover and reclaim more indigenous forms of counseling. Counseling activities include a wide range of helping forms and have different emphases within different contexts. They include vocational counseling and guidance; psychological assessment and testing; psychotherapeutic interventions; problem solving; a curriculum element for personal social and emotional learning, or a guidance curriculum; working or liaising with parents and caretakers, and with other professionals and teachers—all focusing on the personal issues of young people. The role titles of those who work in schools vary, too, from counselor to guidance officer, guidance counselor, and psychotherapist. There has been a recent upsurge in empirical research into the nature of the approaches, the effectiveness of various interventions and approaches, the nature of the client group, and the outcomes of counseling in schools.

Survey of assessment criteria prior to implantation of spinal cord stimulators in United Kingdom pain management centres

An international panel of pain specialists (anesthesiology, neurology, neurosurgery, and psychology) and research methodologists developed a screening tool to identify patients who may be suitable for spinal cord stimulation (SCS)--the Refractory Chronic Pain Screening Tool (RCPST) prototype. We describe a feasibility study to explore practicality and validity of this prototype. Consecutive outpatients were screened in two centers (United Kingdom and United States). Sixty chronic pain adults without satisfactory pain relief despite treatment were assessed using RCPST (by pain specialist without expertise in neurostimulation) and then evaluated by two pain specialists experienced in SCS implantation and management to determine whether the patient should be referred for SCS. To maintain blinding, the participating physicians did not inform each other or the patient of assessment outcome. Sensitivity and specificity of the RCPST prototype were calculated using implanters' judgment as "gold standard." The average age of patients was 47.7 years; 53% were female. Fifty-seven patients completed the study (one withdrew consent, two lost to follow-up). The pain specialists agreed the prototype was easy to use and took <10 minutes to complete. Implanter agreement was moderate (Kappa: 0.63, 95% confidence interval: 0.35-0.91). The prototype had low sensitivity (40%, 19-61%) and moderate specificity (78%, 65-92%). Using the same questionnaire with a modified decision algorithm, new prototypes were generated with range of high sensitivity (80-100%) and specificity (89-97%) values. The RCPST aims to identify patients that should be referred for consideration for neurostimulation. The final implant decision requires appropriate neurological diagnostic workup, psychological assessment, and trial stimulation. RCPST was considered practical for routine clinical practice and contained appropriate questions. Sensitivity needs to be improved. A future study should select and validate the ideal RCPST prototype.

ERIC HAAS TESTING FOR LEADERSHIP AND MORALE : THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL METHODS INTO DUTCH TESTING PRACTICE This paper investigates the introduction and implementation, after World War II, of social psychological methods into the Dutch army's psychological testing practice. A short history of the testing and selection of officers in Germany and the United Kingdom is presented. The introduction of these methods in the Netherlands, which was closely connected with societal and political problems, is discussed. The application of modem social psychological methods was presented as a democratic means of selecting staff. Leadership based on nepotism and giving and obeying orders were considered no longer appropriate for the democratic postwar period. The way in which a person affiliated with others, understanding their feelings and motives, became important factors in psychological assessment. Within the Dutch army, these ideas called for a comprehensive testing procedure, in which the behaviour of the individual in group settings became an important target for social psychological testing methods.

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The acutely poisoned patient remains a common problem facing doctors working in acute medicine in the United Kingdom and worldwide. This review examines the initial management of the acutely poisoned...

BackgroundSurvivors of critical illness have significant psychopathological comorbidity. The treatments offered by primary health care professionals to affected patients are unstudied.AimTo report the psychological interventions after GPs received notification of patients who showed severe symptoms of anxiety, depression or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.MethodsDesign: Multi-centre prospective cohort sub-study of the ICON study. Setting: NHS primary care in the United Kingdom. Participants: Adult patients, November 2006–October 2010 who had received at least 24 h of intensive care, where the general practitioner recorded notification that the patient had reported severe symptoms or caseness using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) or the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Check List-Civilian (PCL-C). Interventions: We notified general practitioners (GPs) by post if a patient reported severe symptoms or caseness and sent a postal questionnaire to determine interventions after notification. Main outcome measure: Primary or secondary healthcare interventions instigated by general practitioners following notification of a patient’s caseness.ResultsOf the 11,726 patients, sent questionnaire packs containing HADS and PCL-C, 4361 (37%) responded. A notification of severe symptoms was sent to their GP in 25% (1112) of cases. Of notified GPs, 65% (725) responded to our postal questionnaire. Of these 37% (266) had no record of receipt of the original notification. Of the 459 patients where GPs had record of notification (the study group for this analysis), 21% (98) had pre-existing psychopathology. Of those without a pre-existing diagnosis 45% (162) received further psychological assessment or treatment. GP screening or follow-up alone occurred in 18% (64) whilst 27% (98) were referred to mental health services or received drug therapy following notification.ConclusionsPostal questionnaire identifies a burden of psychopathology in survivors of critical illness that have otherwise gone undiagnosed following discharge from an intensive care unit (ICU). After being alerted to the presence of psychological symptoms, GPs instigate treatment in 27% and augmented surveillance in 18% of cases.Trial registrationISRCTN69112866 (assigned 02/05/2006).