Can the introduction of a quality of life tool affect individual professional practice and the quality of care planning in a community mental health team?

This practice development paper demonstrates the scope for creativity in mixing audit and methods of investigation. It details the evolution of Quality of Life (QOL) perspectives and relates them to the practice of care planning. The process proved enlightening and affirming to practitioners and engaged them in considering value-based practice (recovery-orientated) from the perspective of the client. It was clear that subtle changes to care planning emerged, and the goal of giving responsibility for self determining issues was addressed.

A study on the experience of insomnia in a psychiatric inpatient population.

Complaints of insomnia among psychiatric inpatients are high. Many technical studies about insomnia are available in the literature, but few make reference to individual experience. This study examines the subjective experience of insomnia for psychiatric patients in one mental health unit. A random purposive sample of seven subjects was selected from the population of patients complaining of insomnia. Subjective experience was examined using a tape-recorded semistructured interview. The data were analysed using Burnard's content analysis framework. Ten categories were identified: control, wants and desires, holistic, assessment, individualisms, beliefs, conflict, communication, resignation and sleep signatures. Biographical data, and data from clinical notes about sleep were also collected. Results show that the impact of insomnia should not be underestimated and that attention to this aspect of a patient's experience could have a general effect on their mental health and well-being.