Patient perceptions of healthy weight promotion in dental settings.

INTRODUCTION: Excess weight is a risk factor for systemic and oral diseases. Since dental professionals are already involved in imparting overall health messages when certain conditions impact oral health, it should make sense that they also deliver related health messages such as promoting the maintenance of healthy weight for patients. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the perceptions of adult patients attending private dental clinics on healthy weight promotion by dental professionals. METHODS: A cross-sectional multicenter survey was designed and set in four private dental clinics (London/Hampshire) between April and July 2015. All eligible patients (≥ 18 years) completed a questionnaire. Body Mass Index (BMI; kg/m2) was calculated from height and weight measurements. Questionnaire content was centred on patient perceptions of 6 domains with the primary domain as to whether patients would accept healthy weight promotion by dental professionals. RESULTS: 213 adults (aged 20-85 years) participated in this study and 58.2% were females. Although the overwhelming majority endorsed healthy weight promotion by the dental team, the overweight/obese were significantly more sensitive (BMI screening χ2 trend = 6.840, p = 0.009; healthy weight information χ2 trend = 6.231, p = 0.013). Awareness of risk of periodontitis, carcinoma and overall adverse health outcomes associated with overweight or obesity was low. CONCLUSION: The study cohort was well primed for healthy weight advice. Routine healthy weight promotion and BMI screening should be considered in the private dental clinic settings. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This is an opportunity to collaborate with other health care professionals to support overall health monitoring/advice; a common risk factor strategy as recommended by the WHO. Future research is merited for this new initiative particularly perceptions of: dental teams' on healthy weight management, longitudinal interventions, NHS, children/parents and separate obese groups.

The prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and its associated factors in general health care in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: This paper reports the prevalence, disability, sociodemographic and clinical association of psychiatric morbidity among attenders in general health care in Taiwan where, as in the rest of non-Western countries, few studies have been carried out. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey with a two-phase design was carried out at out-patient clinics of three health stations and a general hospital. RESULTS: A total of 990 patients completed the brief screen in the first phase, 486 of whom completed the independent assessment in the second phase. The proportion of screening positives was 46.0% and the weighted prevalence of definite psychiatric disorder was 38.2%. Common mental disorders were associated with female gender and unemployment. Housewives, students and patients with higher educational attainment were at lower risk of having alcohol use disorders. Patients with common mental disorders were more likely to present with psychological complaints, to attribute their illness to psychosocial causes and to perceive their mental and physical health as poor. Psychiatric morbidity was associated with excess life events. Common mental disorders, particularly depressive disorders, were significantly associated with self-reported disability. CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatric morbidity is a major health problem in general health care in Taiwan. Physicians should be aware of these health problems.

The evaluation of a mental health facilitator in general practice: effects on recognition, management, and outcome of mental illness.

BACKGROUND: Facilitation uses personal contact between the facilitator and the professional to encourage good practice and better service organisation. The model has been applied to physical illness but not to psychiatric disorders. AIM: To determine if a non-specialist facilitator can improve the recognition, management, and outcome of psychiatric illness presenting to general practitioners (GPs). METHOD: Six practices were visited over an 18-month period by a facilitator whose activities included providing guidelines and organising training initiatives. Six other practices acted as controls. Recognition (identification index of family doctors), management (psychotropic prescribing, psychological consultations with the GP, specialist mental health treatment, and the use of medical interventions and investigations), and patient outcome at four months were assessed before and after intervention. RESULTS: The mean identification index of facilitator GPs rose from 0.51 to 0.64 following intervention, while that of the control GPs fell from 0.67 to 0.59 (P = 0.046). The facilitator had no detectable effect on management or patient outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The facilitator improved recognition of psychiatric illness by GPs. Generic facilitators can be trained to take on a mental health role; however, the failure to achieve more fundamental changes in treatment and outcome implies that facilitator intervention requires development.

Psychiatric and social outcome following liver transplantation for alcoholic liver disease: a controlled study.

Psychiatric outcome, quality of life, and alcohol consumption were compared between patients transplanted for alcoholic liver disease and those transplanted for other chronic liver diseases. Instruments used included the Clinical Interview Schedule, the 28-item General Health Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Nottingham Health Profile. There was no difference between the two groups with regard to median scores or "caseness" on these instruments, except for physical mobility on the Nottingham Health Profile, where the alcoholic group was more likely to experience difficulties (p = 0.03). The majority of those transplanted for alcoholic liver disease remained abstinent, although 7 of the 31 in the alcoholic group (23%) were drinking above recommended safe limits. Psychosocial outcome is similar for individuals transplanted for alcoholic liver disease and those transplanted for other chronic liver diseases. Patients should not be excluded from transplantation on grounds of their drinking history.

Care homes. Home truths.

Proposed joint inspectorates of care homes open the way for health input into residential care. An investigation into quality-of-care measures concluded that health professionals should be included in inspectorate teams, particularly in view of the increasing dependency of residents. No association was shown between cost and quality, but higher costs were associated with short-term car provision. When costing residential care, the impact on community and primary healthcare services may need to be taken into account.

Does sleep disturbance predict depression in elderly people? A study in inner London.

Insomnia in elderly people has traditionally been regarded as inevitable and trivial. A longitudinal study was undertaken to examine the prevalence of sleep disturbance among elderly people in an inner London community and its association with demographic variables, depression, dementia and disability. Those aged 65 years and over living at home were interviewed using a validated and reliable semi-structured interview schedule. A total of 705 people were interviewed in 1987-88 and 524 were re-interviewed in 1990. Subjective sleep disturbance was found to be common (33% and 43%, respectively). Sleep disturbance was associated with being a woman, being unmarried, living alone, disability, and current and future depression, but not with dementia or older age. The best predictor of future depression in elderly people who were not depressed was current sleep disturbance. In the presence of current sleep disturbance, the traditional predictors of depression--being a woman, having a disability, being unmarried, living alone and being older--did not contribute further. This study has shown that sleep disorder is associated with pathology. Insomnia in elderly people requires assessment and this must be accompanied by the treatment of underlying disorders and monitoring of future health.

The Gospel Oak Study stage II: the diagnosis of dementia in the community.

An attempt was made to assess in detail subjects screened as suffering from dementia among a North London community sample of elderly people. Forty-eight (80%) subjects were interviewed, 7 (12%) were found to have died and 5 (8%) either refused interview or were lost to follow-up. By clinicians' diagnosis of the 48 interviewed, 22 subjects (46%) had probable Alzheimer's disease, one had multi-infarct dementia, five had mixed dementia, five had secondary dementia, 10 had a dementia which could not be further classified and 5 were not demented. No subject had a reversible condition. The prevalence rate for clinical dementia was 6.1%, and for Alzheimer's disease 3.1%. According to AGECAT diagnosis the prevalence of organicity was 5.7%. The AGECAT diagnoses and psychiatrists' diagnoses were significantly associated (P less than 0.003) and AGECAT was more likely to identify as organic those subjects with dementia diagnosed by psychiatrists as Alzheimer's disease, than those not so diagnosed (P less than 0.04). A short psychometric battery, including the MMSE in two versions, was administered and its acceptability to a community sample evaluated. This detailed clinical investigation showed that the Dementia Diagnostic Scale of the Short-CARE was a specific predictor of clinical dementia or death at the time of follow-up, whereas the more inclusive Organic Brain Syndrome scale was a more satisfactory first phase screening instrument.

The Gospel Oak Study: prevalence rates of dementia, depression and activity limitation among elderly residents in inner London.

The steps to setting up a population register of elderly residents are described. Based upon this, 87.2% of the elderly residents of an inner-city electoral area were screened for memory disorder, depression and activity limitation using the Short CARE. Contact with medical and social agencies was also recorded; 4.7% were classed as cases by the dementia diagnostic scale, sufferers being older and not living alone. Of the residents 15.9% were classed as depressed, this state being more prevalent in those not currently married. The depressed were, in contrast to the demented residents, likely to be in recent contact with hospital and general practitioner. Thirty-two per cent of the population showed impairment in daily activity, these individuals were usually older, not married and receiving hospital care. Sleep disorder and complaint of many somatic symptoms were associated with a diagnosis of depression. In contrast, most respondents with a subjective complaint of memory disorder, which was common in this population, were neither suffering from depression nor dementia. With this accurate sampling frame and a good response rate, the prevalence rate of clinical depression must be seen as disturbingly high. The prevalence rate of dementia approximated to that of other surveys. This study also indicated that general practitioners' lists may be inaccurate and that non-responders to first approaches for interview, although similar in demographic features to those responding, may contain among them many suffering from dementia.

The Gospel Oak Project: the use of health and social services by dependent elderly people in the community.

The Gospel Oak Project surveyed a community sample of elderly people. Prevalence rates of depression and dementia were determined. Cases were assessed in detail and subject to long-term follow-up. Demographic information and morbidity data identified details of health service, social service and informal service contact. This paper reports the findings of the first survey of this population completed in 1987. It examines the effect of the increase in the very elderly on the need for health and social services, including contact with general practitioners. Duplication of service contacts are explored and the dependent elderly people not in receipt of services are identified. Finally, the survey investigates the effect of informal care on the level of service contact. Results confirm that contact increases with age, especially multiple service contact, implying a need for an expansion in future services. Although most depressed residents do not usually complain of depression, they have increased contact with health services but are not treated with anti-depressant medication. Few dependent elderly people receive no services; conversely there is no evidence of service duplication. Finally, receipt of informal care affected attendance at a day centre but no other service provision.