This article discusses sceptical arguments about measurement scales. Measurement scales are part of a promising agenda of openness, transparency and patient and public involvement (PPI) in medical research, but have received critical, sometimes hostile attention from anthropologists. This is because scales repackage localised cultural assumptions about distress as something universal and pan-human and have the capacity to reshape people's interior lives in unhelpful, possibly harmful ways. We take as an example the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Use of the PHQ-9 is currently mandated by major funders. But its history suggests flawed PPI and a lack of openness. The article suggests a constructive role for anthropology in mental health research, using ethnographic evidence and theory to show how, although they have their uses, mental health scales should not be regarded as inert or harmless.

Psychopathology is an integral part of the theory and practice of psychiatry. This commentary explores the importance of psychopathology, especially with regard to clinical practice. The concept of lifeworld is introduced as an important component of attributing meaning to a person's experience of mental disorder. It is also argued that the advance of neuroscience does not preclude the importance of psychopathology.

This paper has two objectives: to review some aspects of the law of confidentiality in the health care field and to evaluate how the law of confidentiality impacts on the processes of child protection.

The article by Byrne gives a general overview of dementia with Lewy bodies (LBD) and discusses treatment in terms of modulation of neurotransmitter systems, treatment of psychotic symptoms and extrapyramidal features. However, as is the case with Alzheimer's disease, the dementia is related to underlying pathological processes which result in death and/or malfunction of neurons. Prevention or amelioration of this neuronal loss is therefore the ultimate aim of treatment. Such treatment is not yet available and the possibility of its development is likely to depend on further elucidation of the underlying pathological process. The relationship of LBD to Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease should be considered, as this is important for the determination of the underlying pathological processes in LBD.

At a time when patients are challenged to cope adaptively with both the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, clinicians need to respond appropriately to the many inevitable questions about the causes of cancer and contributing factors, including ‘Is this my fault?’. The evidence guiding answers to such questions has been confounded by many methodological challenges, but personality, stress and life events are no longer considered causes of cancer. However, social isolation, untreated depression and social deprivation continue to influence quality of life and reduce cancer survival times. Psychiatry might play a role in promoting lifestyle changes that reduce the risk of cancer, but more importantly it can influence disease progression by optimising patients' adaptation to the many challenges that cancer brings.

Email is a major means of communication in healthcare and it facilitates the fast delivery of messages and information. But email's ubiquity has brought challenges. It has changed the way we get things done, and working days can be dictated by the receipt and reply of multiple email messages, which drown out other priorities. This article examines email's advantages and disadvantages and, with a focus on healthcare professionals, examines what individuals and organisations can do to ensure email works for us, rather than – as can seem the case – the other way around.

In this article we start with the effectiveness paradox between different psychotherapeutic modalities, considering common factors, before moving on to give a brief overview of the three main psychotherapeutic approaches – psychoanalytic, cognitive–behavioural and humanistic – and their developments. We conclude that it is the therapeutic relationship – considered in the context of the above – that is core to all therapeutic engagement, medical or otherwise.

This article critically reviews the case law, guidance and standards related to the provision of expert psychiatric evidence in immigration and asylum cases in the UK. It discusses the potentially complex and medico-legally challenging process of psychiatric evaluation of asylum seekers, and the implications of the presence of psychiatric disorders for issues such as the individual's ability to give oral evidence in court, immigration detention, fitness to fly, removal, deportation, ability to reintegrate into the destination country and appeal rights. To give context to the discussion, it outlines the asylum process in the UK from claiming asylum, initial screening and the ‘substantive interview’ to, if a claim is rejected, appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), detention and the removal process.

Anthony Winston reviews and describes current perspectives on the aetiology of borderline personality disorder, covering areas such as the role of traumatic factors, attachment theory and self-psychology. The author links these to the psychopathology of the borderline patient who experiences difficulties such as regulation of affect, impulse control and cognitive capacity to both think and reflect. The psychological function of splitting is considered along with other defence mechanisms as having adaptive potential for the borderline patient. Winston describes in a helpful way the links between human development, psychodynamics and psychopathology as he reveals some of the more recent contributions to the field of BPD. At the beginning of his article, he emphasises the problems encountered when attempting to treat or manage patients with BPD. He centres these difficulties on the counter-transference of the clinician, pointing out how such feelings can “all too easily be transformed into therapeutic nihilism”. His article can easily be read as an attempt to counter such a state of mind and he appears to try to generate a more hopeful if not optimistic outlook. In doing so, I fear that he goes beyond his own account of the research evidence for the effectiveness of treatment. Such enthusiasm or optimism can readily be understood as a reactive polar opposite to nihilism or pessimism. I would like to consider further Winston's statements germane to this aspect of his article and raise for further discussion some other ideas which extend beyond the narrower confines of aetiology and psychological therapy.

Formal communication skills training is the norm at UK medical schools, and evidence is mounting that it is effective in a number of domains, including patient satisfaction and shared decision-making, leading to improved treatment adherence. However, applying these models in mental health settings is challenging, despite the fact that positive therapeutic relationships and an ability to actively manage consultations are the cornerstone of psychiatric practice. Communication skills training is still too often regarded as better suited to physical health consultations than more complex psychiatric interviews. Here, it is considered why this might be, with reference to the one eligible randomised controlled trial identified in this systematic literature review.

Mental disorders are overrepresented in the criminal justice system, and this applies equally to police custody. These environments are complex and often pressured, and the acuity of the situation, combined with underlying mental disorders, comorbid medical problems and substance misuse, can lead to behavioural disturbance and increased psychiatric risk. Police custody may also present an opportunity to identify and signpost people with mental disorders and vulnerabilities who are ordinarily hard to reach by standard health services. This article considers the purposes of mental health screening of detainees in police custody. It gives an overview of research into screening for a range of psychiatric disorders and vulnerabilities (including substance misuse and traumatic brain injury) and summarises data on deaths in and immediately following release from custody. Given the inadequacy of statutory screening procedures in some jurisdictions, the authors offer a pragmatic evidence-based protocol to guide screening for mental disorders in custody detainees.

This article examines Charles Baudelaire's life, works and his most important collection, The Flowers of Evil. Baudelaire is regarded as one of the most important 19th-century French poets. He revolutionised the content and subject matter of poetry and served as a model for later poets around the world. He continues to exert immense influence on writers. He contracted syphilis early in life, experienced episodes of depression, and had intense and complicated relationships with his mother and other women in his life.

Part 1 of this three-part series on integrated care discussed the drivers for change in healthcare delivery in England set out in the NHS Long Term Plan. This second part explores the evolution of mental health services within the wider National Health Service (NHS), and describes important relevant legislation and policy over the past decade, leading up to the 2019 Long Term Plan. We explain the implications of this, including the detail of emerging structures such as integrated care systems (ICSs) and primary care networks (PCNs), and conclude with challenges facing these novel systems. Part 3 will address the practical local implementation of integrated care.

Major depression and bipolar disorder in children and adolescents are serious conditions associated with considerable morbidity as well as increased risk of suicide. The treatment of depression in young people is currently controversial and this article reviews the evidence base and potential risks and benefits of antidepressants. Although the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is also controversial, medication is the first-line treatment of choice in cases that meet diagnostic criteria. The limited evidence base in children and adolescents is presented, along with current treatment guidelines. Despite the controversies in this field, this article concludes that medication remains an important part of the treatment approach for both disorders, although the risks and benefits of pharmacotherapy need to be carefully assessed in each patient.