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35 - Working with the media – many benefits but some risks
- from Part III - Personal development
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- By David S. Baldwin, Professor of Psychiatry and Head of Mental Health Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Peter G. Conradi, Foreign Editor, Sunday Times
- Edited by Dinesh Bhugra, Stuart Bell, Alistair Burns
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- Book:
- Management for Psychiatrists
- Published online:
- 02 January 2018
- Print publication:
- 23 September 2016, pp 494-502
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- Chapter
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Summary
The importance of public education about psychiatric Illness
Misunderstandings about the nature of mental disorder, its origins and consequences, and its prevention and treatment are widespread among our patients, their carers, our colleagues and the general public. Reducing ignorance and misgivings about psychiatric illness, and tackling unhelpful and discriminatory attitudes towards people with mental health problems, are important parts of the workload of all psychiatrists.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists actively engages with all forms of national and local media, using the expertise and goodwill of health professionals and patient organisations in liaising with journalists and broadcasters in efforts to improve the situation of people with mental health problems, and to reduce the stigma that is still so damagingly associated with mental disorder. This is achieved through:
• the College Media Centre, which supports the College's divisional public education officers and media spokespersons by providing them with detailed information about particular mental health problems
• the activities of the Public Education Committee, including the development and publication of books, factsheets and web-based resources
• a series of public education campaigns, such as ‘Defeat Depression’, ‘Changing Minds’, ‘Partners in Care’ and ‘Fair Deal’.
The College's Public Education Handbook (2013): Practical Advice on Working with the Media includes much helpful advice on the benefits and risks of media engagement (available on the College website).
For psychiatrists interested in improving public understanding of mental illness, the College has the experience and resources needed to optimise the impact of educational activity, although many psychiatrists might wish to undertake this role locally, working in collaboration with university or NHS trust press offices and local patient support groups. Many other organisations also work to confront stigma and to provide accurate information to the media about the nature of mental health problems and their treatment.
Are you the right person for the job?
This is a simple question. We all want to do our bit to increase public understanding and reduce stigma, but there is a world of difference between undertaking these roles within the setting of clinical practice and attempting to address these matters through liaison with local, regional and national media. Reflect on whether you have the necessary communication skills, time and personal resources to undertake an additional role in public education.
Enhanced treatment for depression in primary care: long-term outcomes of a psycho-educational prevention program alone and enriched with psychiatric consultation or cognitive behavioral therapy
- HENK JAN CONRADI, PETER de JONGE, HERMAN KLUITER, ANNET SMIT, KLAAS van der MEER, JACK A. JENNER, TITUS W. D. P. van OS, PAUL M. G. EMMELKAMP, JOHAN ORMEL
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- Journal:
- Psychological Medicine / Volume 37 / Issue 6 / June 2007
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 22 March 2007, pp. 849-862
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- Article
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Background. The long-term outcome of major depression is often unfavorable, and because most cases of depression are managed by general practitioners (GPs), this places stress on the need to improve treatment in primary care. This study evaluated the long-term effects of enhancing the GP's usual care (UC) with three experimental interventions.
Method. A randomized controlled trial was conducted from 1998 to 2003. The main inclusion criterion was receiving GP treatment for a depressive episode. We compared: (1) UC (n=72) with UC enhanced with: (2) a psycho-educational prevention (PEP) program (n=112); (3) psychiatrist-enhanced PEP (n=37); and (4) brief cognitive behavioral therapy followed by PEP (CBT-enhanced PEP) (n=44). We assessed depression status quarterly during a 3-year follow-up.
Results. Pooled across groups, depressive disorder-free and symptom-free times during follow-up were 83% and 17% respectively. Almost 64% of the patients had a relapse or recurrence, the median time to recurrence was 96 weeks, and the mean Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score over 12 follow-up assessments was 9·6. Unexpectedly, PEP patients had no better outcomes than UC patients. However, psychiatrist-enhanced PEP and CBT-enhanced PEP patients reported lower BDI severity during follow-up than UC patients [mean difference 2·07 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1·13–3·00) and 1·62 (95% CI 0·70–2·55) respectively] and PEP patients [2·37 (95% CI 1·35–3·39) and 1·93 (95% CI 0·92–2·94) respectively].
Conclusions. The PEP program had no extra benefit compared to UC and may even worsen outcome in severely depressed patients. Enhancing treatment of depression in primary care with psychiatric consultation or brief CBT seems to improve the long-term outcome, but findings need replication as the interventions were combined with the ineffective PEP program.