This study was concerned with the general mental health literacy of lay people in mainland China. It replicates in part many studies done in America, Australia, and Europe. A total of 212 participants were asked to read vignettes depicting people with schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social phobia, depression, bipolar disorder, stress, child attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), child depression, and child "daily troubles." For each vignette they were asked to label the vignette character's main problem, to evaluate various suggestions for helping that person, to rate their attitudes towards the character, and finally their confidence in all their responses. Overall ADHD was the best identified, and bipolar disorder and stress were the least frequently identified mental health disorders. Professional help from a psychologist/psychiatrist was most frequently endorsed for all disorders, which was followed by help from parents or friends. No significant correlation was found between psychological knowledge and "correct" recognition as defined by the psychiatric label. The findings were discussed in relation to the Chinese language and culture, social beliefs about mental disorders, and suggestions for improvements in mental health literacy. Limitations of this study were also acknowledged, particularly with respect to sampling. Suggestions for future work research were considered.

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance consumption commonly co-occur in victims of sexual assault. Substance consumption can occur pre- andi/or post-assault. Pre-assault substance consumption may have an impact on the subsequent development of PTSD. This review aims to provide an overview of current understanding of the effects of acute substance intoxication and chronic pre-assault problematic substance use on symptoms of PTSD amongst individuals who were victims of sexual assault.Methods: PsycINFO, EMBASE, and MEDLINE were searched using terms related to PTSD, sexual assault, and substance consumption. These yielded 2,121 articles, 268 of which were retrieved for more detailed evaluation and 13 of these met inclusion criteria and were appraised in full.Results: Overall, the reviewed papers supported our hypothesis that acute substance intoxication and chronic pre-assault problematic substance use are associated with fewer initial PTSD symptoms but less improvement over time, resulting in slower overall PTSD recovery. They also highlighted post-assault characterological self-blame and negative social reactions as mediators of recovery in the context of pre-assault substance consumption.Conclusions: Acute substance intoxication and chronic pre-assault problematic substance use appear to have an impact on the development of PTSD symptoms amongst victims of sexual assault. The importance of developing early interventions and routine screening and assessment for PTSD and pre-assault substance consumption is emphasized. The limited research on male victims and on substances other than alcohol is highlighted.

BackgroundPharmacological treatments targeting the neuroendocrine stress response may hold special promise in secondary prevention of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, findings from clinical trials have been inconsistent and the efficacy of specific drugs, their temporal window of efficacy, effective doses and the characteristics of likely treatment responders remain unclear.MethodUsing an experimental human model of distressing involuntary memory formation, we compare the effects of two drugs that have theoretical or empirical support as secondary preventive agents in PTSD. Eighty-eight healthy women (average age: 23.5 years) received oral propranolol (80 mg), hydrocortisone (30 mg), or matched placebo immediately after viewing a ‘trauma film’. They then completed daily, time-stamped intrusion diaries for 1 week, at the end of which, voluntary memory was tested.ResultsWhile neither drug affected voluntary memory for the trauma narrative, propranolol treatment was associated with 42% fewer, and hydrocortisone with 55% fewer intrusions across the week, relative to placebo. Additionally, propranolol reduced general trauma-like symptoms, and post-drug cortisol levels were negatively correlated with intrusion frequency in the hydrocortisone group.ConclusionsOverall, this study shows substantial reductions in intrusive memories and preserved voluntary narrative-declarative memory following either propranolol or hydrocortisone in an experimental model of psychological trauma. As such, despite some inconsistencies in clinical trials, our findings support continued investigation of propranolol and hydrocortisone as secondary preventive agents for re-experiencing symptoms of PTSD. The findings also suggest that it is critical for future research to identify the conditions governing the preventive efficacy of these drugs in PTSD.

This article explores integrative care in a paediatric and adolescent psychology service. We interviewed medical colleagues to discuss what works well and less well in the dance between our services. Themes emerged around valued ways of working, attitudes and ethos, and challenges moving forward.