International review : homelessness and substance misuse in Scotland

The Scottish Government Social Research Unit has published a rapid evidence review of services for homeless people with substance misuse problems. The review considers models of service delivery and outcome measurement within a Scottish context.

Among the review's findings:

* There is strong evidence of a mutually reinforcing relationship between these two
social problems.

* There is a strong association between the presence of mental health problems or
severe mental illness among homeless people with substance misuse problems in
Scotland.

* Homeless people with substance misuse problems have a range of needs that can
include support with daily living skills, a requirement for mental health services and a
requirement for support in managing substance misuse.

* There is no strong evidence on the effectiveness of preventative services to counteract
potential homelessness among people with a history of substance misuse.

Community Mental Health Bulletin, July 2008

The new edition of the Library's Community Mental Health current awareness bulletin has just been distributed. Topics covered include recent publications from Scotland and from UK/England; community mental health teams; primary care mental health; social inclusion; care models; assertive outreach; social support and mental health promotion. If you would like to be added to the mailing list to receive future issues, contact Catriona Denoon at the Maria Henderson Library.

Pilot initiatives for CBT training

The Scottish Government has announced new pilot schemes to allow people experiencing mild anxiety and depression to access therapeutic help as part of their personalised care plans. Two new pilot initiatives will provide user friendly ways of accessing cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), including telephone and online based help.

Funding of £3 million will allow the pilots to be trialled over three years via:

* An NHS 24 'Living Life' pilot, which will be piloted in parts of the Western Isles, Shetland, Borders, Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Lothian. Patients will be referred by their GP and offered telephone based CBT and self help techniques. A team of qualified CBT therapists and self help coaches will be on hand to provide professional help and support

* In addition, the 'Living Life To The Full' initiative, will provide a range of self help resources including one-to-one self help clinics, CD Roms, group sessions, work books and college courses.

Full details here.

Guidelines newsletter, July 2008

The latest issue of the guidelines newsletter has just been published. This contains references to guidelines published in the UK and abroad on the following topics: general primary health care; cardiovascular health; cancer/palliative care; mental health and learning disabilities; dentistry; sexual health, BBV and related topics; child health; and guidelines implementation.

If you would like to be added to the mailing list to receive future copies of the guidelines newsletter, contact Catriona Denoon at the Maria Henderson Library.

Health needs of people with learning disabilities

The Health Needs of People with Learning Disabilities Annual Evidence Update has just been published by the National Library for Health Learning Disabilities Specialist Library.

People with learning disabilities have a higher level of health needs than the general population, many of which are unmet. This Annual Evidence Update provides bibliographies of published research for key health issues including cancer, coronary heart disease, epilepsy, challenging behaviour and respiratory illness. The Evidence Update is the latest in a series on various topics, and contains a search of research evidence over a 12 month period, user-friendly summaries written by relevant experts, and links to guidelines, secondary research and primary research.

The National Library for Health Learning Disabilities Specialist Library is produced by, among others, BILD, Social Care Institute for Excellence, Tizard Centre and the University of Lancaster.