To study intrusive phenomena relating to traumatic experiences in a community sample seeking treatment for substance use disorder and an in-patient sample from an addiction in-patient detoxification service in London. Perceived effect of drugs and drug use on traumatic intrusion and memory experiences was also analysed. The study was conducted using a semi-structured patient interview comprising a series of questionnaires.

The most frequently identified traumatic memories were those of traumatic bereavements. Substance use appears to have had the effect of dampening the memories for those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and significantly more individuals reported that their memories were less vivid and less distressing before they ceased substance use.

The findings suggest that continued substance use could in part be motivated by its capacity to dampen distressing memories within the PTSD group. This should be addressed within a treatment plan of comorbid PTSD.

Coping Through Football aims to improve well-being and reduce social isolation for younger people with severe mental illness in a deprived area of North East London. Interviews were conducted with 12 service users, 5 referrers and 2 coaches to obtain their views of the project's implications for health and well-being, quality of life and social/community relationships. A qualitative approach was used to derive themes from interview transcripts using some of the tools of grounded theory.

Themes included: identifying with past self; service with a difference: opening up the social world; safety; empowerment; and feeling good. Coping Through Football was seen by stakeholders as leading to increased well-being and social opportunities within a safe and understanding environment.

For many service users the football project played a key role in their recovery of personal and social roles. Social and community-based mental health projects benefit greatly from active community collaboration, in this case a professional football club and several non-statutory sport/leisure bodies.

To assess the impact on psychiatric in-patient bed use of a new personality disorder service that uses two psychoanalytical models: mentalisation-based treatment (MBT) and the service user network (SUN). The number of psychiatric bed days used by patients attending each of the three arms of the service model (SUN, 3-day MBT, 2-day MBT) was collated using the electronic patient records system. Bed use in the 6 months and 12 months before each patient started treatment was compared with bed use in the same periods after starting treatment.

Overall, statistical analysis revealed bed use to be significantly reduced by 6 months of treatment, and the reduction continued to prove significant at 12 months. Comparison between subgroups found no significant difference in bed use between patients attending the MBT programme and patients attending the SUN project at 6 months, but patients on the 3-day MBT programme exhibited a significantly greater reduction in bed use at 6 months compared with patients on the 2-day MBT programme.

Intervention had a statistically significant effect overall on reducing bed use, which we suggest is linked to an improvement in patients' functioning, and is maintained at 6 months and 12 months of treatment. The lacking difference between the SUN and MBT components of the model raises questions regarding the best allocation of resources and the longer-term effects on bed use, to be answered by further study.

To describe the use of community treatment orders (CTOs) and outcomes for patients placed under CTOs within the first 8 months of use in Suffolk. We performed retrospective and prospective examination of health records to collect sociodemographic and clinical measurements with a specific data-collection tool.

All of the patients studied had a major psychotic mental illness. A significant proportion of the patients had a history of alcohol or substance misuse and contact with judicial services. Implementation of a CTO was associated with an increase in engagement, a decrease in the number of admissions, and increased time spent outside hospital.

This small localised study indicates that supervised community treatment can have benefits for some patients. The challenge now is to examine the practice of supervised community treatment and to receive meaningful feedback from people who are subject to such treatment.

Estimates of the impact of the London 2012 Olympic Games on general health service demand have been made. However, there are no formal estimates for mental health demand. Our aim was to conduct a review to identify data on mental health service demand during the previous ten Summer Olympics.

Eight relevant papers were identified. Little has been published on mental health demand; however, available data suggest demand will not substantially increase.

NHS London has no pan-London strategy for mental health services during the Olympics. This may not be unreasonable given the lack of evidence for increased demand during previous Olympics. However, high bed occupancy rates in mental health units in London and other strains on resources may amplify the impact of even small increases in demand on services.

The law allows courts to exclude evidence from police interviews if it is obtained unfairly or would have an adverse effect on the fairness of proceedings. The assessment of a detainee's fitness to be interviewed is therefore of paramount importance. We surveyed 70 psychiatrists in higher training within the Yorkshire and Humber Deanery to ascertain their current understanding of this clinically important task. The psychiatrists' level of training received and awareness of local employee guidance in relation to their responsibilities in this field was investigated. We then piloted an interactive teaching session aimed at improving knowledge in this area and gained feedback from attending higher trainees.

There was a 64% response rate to the survey before implementation of the teaching session. The survey found that half of all respondents had been asked to carry out a fitness to be interviewed assessment at some point in their higher training. Only a third of the respondents had attended formal teaching in this area, and only a fifth were aware of local employee guidance. All the trainees who attended the pilot teaching session felt it was beneficial to their future clinical practice.

It is imperative that all the higher training schemes in the country incorporate training in this field to help satisfy the Royal College of Psychiatrists' intended specialist trainee learning outcomes and, more significantly, to avoid potential miscarriages of justice.