Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T12:29:55.658Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Impact of community mental health services on users' social networks

PRiSM Psychosis Study 7

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Thomas Becker ,
Morven Leese ,
Paul McCrone ,
Paul Clarkson ,
George Szmukler  and
Graham Thornicroft
Thomas Becker*
Affiliation:
Section of Community Psychiatry (PRiSM), Institute of Psychiatry, London
Morven Leese
Affiliation:
Section of Community Psychiatry (PRiSM), Institute of Psychiatry, London
Paul McCrone
Affiliation:
Section of Community Psychiatry (PRiSM), Institute of Psychiatry, London
Paul Clarkson
Affiliation:
Section of Community Psychiatry (PRiSM), Institute of Psychiatry, London
George Szmukler
Affiliation:
Section of Community Psychiatry (PRiSM), Institute of Psychiatry, London
Graham Thornicroft
Affiliation:
Section of Community Psychiatry (PRiSM), Institute of Psychiatry, London
*
Dr Thomas Becker. Section of Community Psychiatry (PRiSM), Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF. Fax: 0171 277 1462
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Social networks are important for people with severe mental illness, and services need to assess whether they succeed in improving social contacts.

Method

In a prospective controlled study, social network data were obtained in an epidemiologically representative sample of people with psychotic disorders both before (Time I) and two years after (Time 2) the introduction of two sectorised community mental health services in south London (one intensive service with two specialist teams, one standard service with a generic team).

Results

There were significant baseline differences between sectors with social networks being smaller in the sector later served by the intensive service. Social network size increased within the intensive service sector, but not in the standard service sector. There was a significant sector effect for the network component of relatives (intensive > standard) and in the other (‘non friends’) component (standard > intensive) after adjusting for baseline differences.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that the intensive sector community mental health service enhanced peoples social networks with their relatives, relative to the standard service. The reverse is the case for other contacts.

Type
PRiSM Psychosis Study
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 173 , Issue 5 , November 1998 , pp. 404 - 408
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychiatrie Association (1987) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edn, revised) (DSM-III-R). Washington. DC: APA.Google Scholar
Becker, T., Albert, M., Angermeyer, M. C., et al (1997a) Social networks and service utilisation in patients with severe mental illness. In Making Mental Health Services Rational. From Monitoring to Evaluation (ed. Tansella, M.), Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale -Monograph Supplement I, pp. 113–125. Roma: II Pensiero Scientifico Editore.Google Scholar
Becker, T., Thornicroft, G., Leese, M., et al (1997b) Social networks and service use among representative cases of psychosis in South London. British Journal of Psychiatry, 171, 15–19.Google Scholar
Becker, T., Holloway, F., McCrone, P., et al (1998a) Evolving service interventions in Nunhead and Norwood. PRiSM Psychosis Study 2. British Journal of Psychiatry, 173, 371–375.Google Scholar
Becker, T., Leese, M., Clarkson, P., et al (1998b) Links between social networks and quality of life: an epidemiologically representative study of psychotic patients in south London. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 33, 299–304.Google Scholar
Beecham, J. & Knapp, M. (1992) Costing psychiatric interventions. In Measuring Mental Health Needs (eds Thornicroft, G., Brewin, C. & Wing, J.), pp. 163–183. London: Gaskell.Google Scholar
Beels, C. C., Gutwirth, L., Berkeley, J., et al (1984) Measurements of social support in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 10, 399–411.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bott, E. (1957) Family and Social Network: Rotes. Norms and External Relationships in Ordinary Families. London: Tavistock.Google Scholar
Buchanan, J. (1995) Social support and schizophrenia. A review of the literature. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 9, 68–76.Google Scholar
Dayson, D. (1992) The TAPS project 15: The social networks of two group settings: a pilot study. Journal of Mental Health, 1, 99–106.Google Scholar
Dunn, M., O'Driscoll, C., Dayson, D., et al (1990) The TAPS project. 4: An observational study of the social life of long-stay patients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 842–848.Google Scholar
Glover, G. (1996) Mental Illness Needs Index (MINI). In Commissioning Mental Health Services (eds Thornicroft, G. & Strathdee, G.), pp. 53–58. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Hammer, M., Makiesky-Barrow, S. & Gutwirth, L. (1978) Social networks and schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 4, 522–545.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hare, E. (1956) Family setting and the urban distribution of schizophrenia. Journal of Mental Science, 102, 753–760.Google Scholar
Leff, J., O'Driscoll, C., Dayson, D., et al (1990) The TAPS project. 5: The structure of social-network data obtained from long-stay patients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 157, 848–852.Google Scholar
McGuffin, P., Farmer, A. & Harvey, I. (1991) A polydiagnostic application of operational criteria in studies of psychotic illness. Development and reliability of the OPCRIT system. Archives of General Psychiatry, 48, 764–770.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mitchell, J. C., (ed.) (1969) Social Networks in Urban Situations. Manchester: Manchester University Press.Google Scholar
Mitchell, M. E. (1989) The relationship between social network variables and the utilization of mental health services. Journal of Community Psychology, 17, 258–266.3.0.CO;2-L>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (1991) The 1991 Census. Small Area Statistics. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Overall, J. E. & Gorham, D. R. (1962) The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Psychological Reports, 10, 799–812.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strauss, M. & Carpenter, W. (1972) The prediction of outcome in schizophrenia. I. Characteristics of outcome. Archives of General Psychiatry, 31, 37–42.Google Scholar
Szmukler, G. I., Wykes, T. & Parkman, S. (1998) Care-giving and the impact on carers of a community mental health service. PRiSM Psychosis Study 6. British Journal of Psychiatry, 173, 399–403.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thornicroft, G. & Breakey, W. R. (1991) The COSTAR programme. I: Improving social networks of the long-term mentally ill. British Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 245–249.Google Scholar
Thornicroft, G. Strathdee, G., Phelan, M., et al (1998) Rationale and design. PRiSM Psychosis Study I. British Journal of Psychiatry, 173, 363–370.Google Scholar
Ventura, J., Green, M. F., Shaner, A., et al (1993) Training and quality assurance with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale: ‘The drift busters’. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 3, 221–244.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1992a) Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (chief ed. Wing, J. K.). Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1992b) The Tenth International Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders. Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
Wykes, T. & Sturt, E. (1986) The measurement of social behaviour in psychiatric patients: an assessment of the reliability and validity of the SBS schedule. British Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 1–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.