Critical Values Based Practice Network

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Reflections on 50 Editions of Clinical Psychology Bite-Size

Written by Steven Coles on . Posted in Clinical Psychology Bite-Size

Reflections on 50 Editions of Clinical Psychology Bite-Size

Issue 51 – September 2017 Authors: Steven Coles and Phil Houghton (steven.coles@nottshc.nhs.uk and philip.houghton@nottshc.nhs.uk)

Key points

  • Trauma and adversity are significant factors in mental health issues
  • Power is key to understanding the cause of people’s difficulties and the potential to overcome them through access to resources and supportive relationships
  • Making sense of experiences such as fear, sadness and madness is important. Bite-size has advocated for models beyond those which locate the problem inside the person
  • Clients can experience services as supportive and nurturing, or as controlling and coercive. The latter may mirror and trigger previous experiences of disempowerment.
  • Supportive and therapeutic conversations with clients are important as are positive connections to peers                                                                                          

Understanding Biology in Adult Mental Health

Written by Steven Coles on . Posted in Clinical Psychology Bite-Size

Understanding Biology in Adult Mental Health

Issue 47 – April 2016

Author: Steven Coles (steven.coles@nottshc.nhs.uk)

Key points

  • There are differing views as to the importance of biology in causing mental health issues
  • Staff tend to favour biologically based models, the public psychosocial
  • There is no firm evidence base for biology being the primary cause of mental health issues
  • Biology’s importance is in enabling what we do, rather than necessarily causing what we do.

Inequality and Mental Health

Written by Steven Coles on . Posted in Clinical Psychology Bite-Size

Inequality and Mental Health

Issue 45 – September 2015

Author: Steven Coles (steven.coles@nottshc.nhs.uk)

Key points

  • Inequality has been increasing in the UK for over 3 decades
  • Greater inequality is related to increases in mental health and community problems
  • There are concerns that austerity policies have increased: humiliation and shame; fear and distrust; instability and insecurity ; isolation and loneliness; and powerlessness

Making Sense of Psychiatric Drugs

Written by Steven Coles on . Posted in Clinical Psychology Bite-Size

Making Sense of Psychiatric Drugs

Issue 41 – September 2014

Authors: Steven Coles and Joanna Moncrieff (steven.coles@nottshc.nhs.uk)

Key points

  • Service users’ experiences of taking psychiatric drugs are varied, but often ignored
  • Evidence for the chemical imbalance theory of psychiatric drug action is weak
  • An alternative ‘drug model’ views psychiatric medications as working in a similar manner to other non-prescription drugs such as alcohol, and highlights the subjective experience of taking medication