Search

Background: Mental health is a global health priority, and pharmacists have a valuable role in improving outcomes in all sectors of practice. This study sought to explore pharmacy students' views on teaching and learning of mental health and future practice. Methods: An anonymous online questionnaire was distributed to pharmacy students in the UK and Ireland in February 2020 via the Qualtrics™ platform and 232 students responded. The questionnaire was originally intended to explore the provision of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaching and the quantitative analysis has been previously reported. Students were invited to comment on their views about MHFA. The open-ended question: 'Do you have any other comments about mental health teaching and learning in the MPharm degree?' was also included. The rich free-text data were analysed, and themes identified. Results: Three major themes were identified: (i) Mental Health is important; (ii) Pharmacist roles and (iii) So, Teach me. A fourth theme, Stigma, crosscut all the themes. Conclusions: Pharmacy students appreciate the importance of mental health care. The majority recognise the role of the pharmacist in providing person-centred care and the potential to enhance this role. Students are keen to learn more, and acquire the confidence and skills to contribute in the future. They would like an integrated approach and have more opportunities to learn from patients. Addressing stigma is an important consideration for educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) are at far greater risk of experiencing poor mental health (MH) than wider society. This disparity was exacerbated by additional 'unique to sexual minority status' COVID-19 stressors. Objective: This sequential, mixed-methods study examined remote MH help-seeking among GBMSM in the U.K. and Ireland during the first COVID-19 lockdown. Methods and Results: Quantitative survey data (n = 1368), analysed with logistic regression, suggested GBMSM experiencing moderate-to-severe anxiety and those with a past MH diagnosis were most likely to seek MH support. Thematic analysis of qualitative interview (n = 18) data identified multiple barriers and enablers to GBMSM seeking remote MH help, with the help primarily sought from GBMSM-facing organisations and generic online resources. Finally, the behaviour change wheel was used to generate theoretically informed recommendations to promote MH help-seeking among GBMSM in Scotland. Implications: We discuss how applying these recommendations in the short, medium and long term will begin to address GBMSM's MH needs, post COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates a range of scenarios to reduce soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) losses using the surface runoff phosphorus transport model (Surphos) to simulate the application of liquid manure (slurry) to grassland catchments. Surphos was applied using data from two contrasting sites in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It explored scenarios that investigated changes to the timing of slurry applications, based both on policy (i.e. a "closed" period where regulations prohibit any slurry spreading) and on climate-based restrictions, where soil moisture and antecedent rainfall were important factors. The observed data showed a considerable spatial variability in runoff at both sites, which resulted in a corresponding variable range of SRP losses predicted by the model. However, at both sites the model results showed that maintaining a closed period led to a greater reduction in SRP losses than opening this period up to slurry applications under climate-based restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To establish the experiences with and preferences towards existing thrombopoietin-receptor agonist (TPO-RA) treatments of individuals with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in the UK and Ireland, based on treatment attributes. Responses from UK and Ireland individuals with ITP were collected in a pan-European online survey (TRAPeze, [Thrombopoietin-Receptor Agonist Patient experience survey]) from 18 September 2020 to 18 February 2021. TRAPeze was a survey of treatment preference regarding TPO-RAs (using a discrete choice experiment design), participant demographics, disease characteristics, treatment history, overall satisfaction with therapy, direct healthcare resource utilization and wider social impact. The survey was completed by 32 UK respondents. Characteristics with the greatest influence on preference towards TPO-RA treatments were method of administration (odds ratio (OR) 5.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.2–10.1) and drug-food interactions (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.8–5.7). Particularly, participants were more likely to select an oral tablet over a subcutaneous injection (OR 7.4, 95% CI 3.6–15.1) and a treatment without food restrictions rather than with food restrictions (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.8–6.8). This is the first study to quantify the preference of individuals with ITP towards TPO-RA treatment attributes and demonstrates preference for orally administered treatments, without drug-food interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One in four people experience a mental health problem every year and improving mental health care is an international priority. In the course of their work, pharmacists frequently encounter people with mental health problems. The experience of mental health teaching, including Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, in undergraduate pharmacy (MPharm) students in the UK and Ireland is not well documented. Students' viewpoints, contextualised with curricular overviews provided by staff, were analysed to understand their experience. Methods: An anonymous, online questionnaire was distributed to MPharm students and staff in the UK and Ireland. Students were asked closed questions regarding their course and exposure to MHFA, which were analysed using descriptive statistics. Open questions were included to enable explanations and these data were used to contextualise the quantitative findings. One member of staff from each university was invited to answer a modified staff version of the questionnaire, to provide a curriculum overview and staff perspective. Results: 232 students and 13 staff, from 22 universities, responded. Three-quarters of students did not agree with the statement that 'mental health was embedded throughout the MPharm'. Most students (80.6%) stated that they were taught neuropharmacology whilst 44.8% stated that their course included communicating with people about their mental health. One-third (33.2%) of students stated that their degree 'adequately prepared them to help people with their mental health'. Twenty-six students (11.6%) had completed MHFA training of which 89% would endorse inclusion of this within the MPharm. Of those who had not completed the training, 81% expressed a desire to do so. Those who completed MHFA training self-reported greater preparedness than those who did not, but student numbers were small. Conclusions: Mental health teaching for pharmacy undergraduates is more focussed on theoretical aspects rather than applied skills. MHFA was viewed by students as one way to enhance skill application. The association of the increased self-reported preparedness of those who completed MHFA could be confounded by a positive environmental cultural. MPharm programmes need sufficient focus on real-world skills such as communication and crisis response, to complement the fundamental science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Written guidance can contribute to the development of effective SEA, delivering relevant information for those involved in policy, plan and programme making processes. Generally speaking, guidance should aim at setting best practice standards. However, to date, how guidance is impacting on SEA effectiveness and how it is best developed and maintained has not been explored to any great extent. As a consequence, it has remained unclear how a key ingredient of effective SEA, namely the support of an enabling context, should be approached. In this paper, we look at the perceived relevance of written guidance for the delivery of effective SEA, based on a two-stage survey with 26 practitioners (all with over 10 years of experience) from the UK and the Republic of Ireland, conducted between 2015 and 2017. Survey participants included representatives of the regulatory, consultancy and academic sectors. Our findings indicate that guidance can promote SEA effectiveness if it: (a) aims to go beyond basic legislative requirements; (b) is able to respond to the specific situation of application; (c) can establish a minimum standard for SEA; and (d) is able to stimulate the advancement of quality standards within a tiered approach to SEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to report on the health inequalities facing stroke survivors with visual impairments as described in the current literature. A systemic review of the literature was conducted to investigate the potential health inequalities facing stroke survivors with subsequent visual impairments. A quality-of-evidence and risk-of-bias assessment was conducted for each of the included articles using the appropriate tool dependent on the type of article. Only four articles discussed health inequalities affecting stroke survivors with visual impairment specifically. A further 23 articles identified health inequalities after stroke, and 38 reported on health inequalities within the visually impaired UK or Irish population. Stroke survivors with visual impairment face inconsistency in eye care provision nationally, along with variability in the assessment and management of visual disorders. The subgroups identified as most at risk were females; black ethnicity; lower socioeconomic status; older age; and those with lower education attainment. The issue of inconsistent service provision for this population must be addressed in future research. Further research must be conducted in order to firmly establish whether or not stroke survivors are at risk of the aforementioned sociodemographic and economic inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulster Bank faced a unique set of circumstances following the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. Although headquartered in Belfast with a strongly Unionist ethos, Ulster Bank continued to operate its considerable branch network in Southern Ireland notwithstanding partition, civil war and significant economic dislocation. This historical analysis considers Ulster Bank's operations in the context of both the realities of operating in a Catholic-dominated Irish Free State and the relationship with its owner, London County & Westminster Bank. This research challenges the dominant opinion that the Belfast Boycott of 1920–22 had a significant impact on Ulster Bank's southern business. It also identifies that Ulster Bank was subject to a previously unidentified level of external oversight from Westminster Bank from the mid-1920s on. This oversight, on occasion, resulted in direct confrontation and compromised Ulster Bank's ability to operate independently in Southern Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]