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Changing shapes
Angela Neustatter
This article looks at some of the research that indicates a growing problem with body image disorders in boys. The author looks at some of the factors that contribute i.e. media and advertising. It also examines how body image disorders present e.g. taking steroids, excessive exercise etc, as well as eating disorders. It is discussed why these problems are not always identified early on and how body image disorders are greater in homosexual males. The author also looks at the similarities and differences in body image disorders between males and females.
A menacing question
Juli Beattie, Professor Sue Bailey and Gareth Lewis
This article is based on contributions from three experts who explore the concept of naughty children. Juli Beattie, Director of The Art Room, describes how they work with the children who are referred to their service. She states that naughty children are often alerting us to the fact that something is wrong in their lives, and that it is the duty of professionals to find out what that is. Sue Bailey, Chair of the Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, looks at risk factors for anti-social behaviour, and what can be done to help these young people. Gareth Lewis, Home Tutor and Editor of Freedom in Education Magazine, describes his experiences of teaching children who have displayed antisocial behaviour. He states that there is no such thing as a naughty child, and that they are responding to the situation they find themselves in.
Centre stage
Angela Neustatter
This article is based on an interview with Peter Wilson, Director of YoungMinds. He reflects back on his childhood, his professional life, family life and the origins and on-going work of YoungMinds, prior to his retirement in February 2004.
Filtering process
Shauna Kearney and Johan Horton
This article describes a multidisciplinary assessment service for ADHD in North Warwickshire. The service was developed as a result of increasing referrals to CAMHS requiring an assessment for ADHD, and confusion over which agency should carry out the assessment. A multidisciplinary steering group devised four stages of assessment and treatment. Firstly a child is assessed by a CAMHS professional to rule out other possible psychological explanations. The referrals are then filtered further, and a child is either referred to an assessment day, or fast tracked to a specialist clinic.
Great expectations
Patricia Stacey
his article is an excerpt from a recent book, which was written by the mother of a child with developmental problems, and likely to be diagnosed with autism. The author describes how they knew that there was something different about their child from moment he was born, and how it took some time before they were finally referred to an early intervention programme called REACH. This led to the child’s case being taken on by Stanley Greenspan, a child psychiatrist specialising in early development. The rest of the article describes how Greenspan and other professionals worked with the child, and it charts the child’s development following Greenspan’s intensive interactive therapy.
Jolly good fellow
Angela Neustatter
This article is based on an interview with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) fellow, Miranda Wolpert after nearly a year in post. This post is jointly held by the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) and YoungMinds, and aims to bring together professionals with a particular interest in developing and modernising services for children and young people. The article looks at the current policy climate with regards to CAMHS, and discusses what Dr Wolpert aims to achieve.
Living with loss
Simon Bishop
This article was written by a 15 year-old, reflecting on the tragic death of his brother and how it impacted on him and his family. Much of the article looks at problems within the family following the death, and how he learnt to deal with these traumatic events.
New horizons
Miranda Wolpert and Bob Foster
This is a new regular column, and intends to give an overview of national issues and to share thoughts about the way CAMHS are developing and might develop. This article looks at the three main challenges that must be addressed if CAMHS are ever to realise the ambition of comprehensive provision: workforce, good practice and collaboration. Although there is a growing body of evidence about what works in CAMH, there are difficulties in interagency working and bringing new people into the work force to meet the demand on services.
Professional dilemma
Richard McKenny and Ioan Rees
A social worker and a psychologist give their opinions on a fictional case study about a young child who is living with his grandparents following his parents divorce. The grandparents are finding it difficult to cope with the child’s behaviour and are considering whether he should go into care.
Rights and wrongs
Annita Wahab
The author looks at the Asylum and Immigration Bill, which was announced at the end of 2003. In particular Clause 7 is discussed. This clause would allow authorities to remove all forms of support from families whose asylum applications have failed and to take the children of failed asylum seekers into care. The mental health concerns of this group of potentially vulnerable children are examined. Being in the position of being a child asylum seeker is likely to already have exposed the child to serious mental health risks, and removal from their families is likely to increase this.
Opinion: Talk time
John Stead
The NSPCC is calling on Government to provide counselling schemes in schools, enabling local education authorities and schools to fulfil their duty of care to protect and promote the welfare of children. According to the NSPCC, this service should be self-referring, counsellors should also work with parents and carers, and that the counsellors should be part of a multidisciplinary team providing services directly to the school. The schools counselling campaign is part of a wider public education initiative ‘Someone to Turn To’.
Review: Broken
Sean Maher
This fiction book is aimed at younger teenagers. It is the story of two children who have been sent to stay with their unfriendly aunt. Halfway through, the reviewer found that he had to stop to reflect on the issues raised in the book; what would it be like to care for a parent and a hyperactive younger sibling? Or a mother suffering from drug abuse? What would it be like not to know one of your parents?
Review: Organising play in the early years
Jane Walby
This book is aimed at those working in early years education in accordance with ‘Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage’. It approaches play from a purely educational position, seeing it as a way to encourage children to initiate their own learning. The reviewer suggests that this practical, basic book would have benefited from a longer introduction, which developed ideas about play, and an additional chapter which covered the role of the practitioner.
Review: Teachers, parents and classroom behaviour
Graeme Robertson
This book looks at behaviour management. It adopts a psychosocial approach and concentrates on the beliefs, and interactions between parents, teachers and students, and on the contrasting perceptions they have. The reviewer suggests that anyone in his position (a teacher) hoping to read this for a variety of quick and easy solutions will be disappointed, but he would recommend it to senior managers and staff who work with pupils with behavioural problems.
Review: Thirteen
Imogen Le Patourel
This is a review of a film aimed at people over 18, which looks at the dark side of modern adolescence in America. It follows the relationship of Tracy, who isn’t in the ‘in crowd’ who wants to be respected by Evie, the cool girl in school. It follows Tracy’s journey through self-harm, sex and drugs, and her relationship with her mother.
Review: Touching the void
Richard Meier
The reviewer suggests that anyone interested in children’s mental health or the mind generally, will find something in this absorbing account of youthful confidence. The book recreates the ascent and calamitous decent of the 21,000ft Siula Grande mountain in the Andes by two British climbers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, about twenty years ago.
Webwatch: Learning zone
Paula Lavis
This column pulls together websites that provide information for different audiences, regarding education and mental health.
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