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Adolescents referred following overdose

Support for Hawton's classification and the role of a primary child and adolescent mental health worker

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Gillian Davies  and
Samantha Ames
Gillian Davies
Affiliation:
Harvey Jones Unit, Whitchurch, Cardiff
Samantha Ames*
Affiliation:
‘Trehafod’ Child and Family Clinic, Waunarlwydd Road, Sketty, Swansea SA2 0GB
*
∗Correspondence
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Abstract

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Services for adolescents who overdose remain variable in the UK despite College guidelines. The problem is significant in terms of the demand placed on services, the level of distress it represents and the high eventual mortality rate. This study was undertaken to gain an understanding of the local picture with a view to improving service provision. The study revealed a high level of psychiatric morbidity, considerable drug and alcohol misuse and paracetamol as the most commonly taken substance. The findings supported Hawton's classification into three distinct groups, confirming it as a simple but useful system. This may provide a means of screening adolescents who overdose to improve service delivery to those most in need within the resources available. The possible role of the primary child and adolescent mental health worker is discussed.

Type
Original papers
Information
Psychiatric Bulletin , Volume 22 , Issue 6 , June 1998 , pp. 359 - 361
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

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