Although electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most powerful treatment for depression, substantial variability in use has been described in Ireland. The Mental Health Commission collects usage data from approved centres but does not include home addresses or independent sector patients. Therefore, estimates of regional variation cannot be accurate, e.g. 145 (35% of total) independent sector pa...

BACKGROUND To assess the association between female sex workers' (FSWs) degree of community collectivisation and self-efficacy, utilisation of sexually transmitted infection (STI) services from government-run health centres in Andhra Pradesh, India. METHODS Cross-sectional analyses of 1986 FSWs recruited using a probability-based sampling from five districts of Andhra Pradesh during 2010-2011...

Recovery is the new vision for mental health services, in which two definitions of recovery dominate. Firstly, recovery is an outcome; research suggests that many people with serious mental illness learn to cope with their disabilities so they can achieve major life goals related to independent living. Secondly, recovery is a process; it reintroduces such important values as hope, empowerment a...

If you have schizophrenia or bipolar depression, you will generally get specialist help. But only about 1% of us have these terrible conditions. Very many more (15%) suffer from unipolar depression or anxiety disorders (at any one moment). If you have one of these, often crippling, conditions, you are unlikely to get any specialist help at all. You can see the GP, but the GP is unlikely to pres...