Feedback on Part 2 Essay Paper autumn 2006

[Gurpal 278]

After the written exam, please post your experience of the essay paper. If you can remember the essay questions, please post them. Thanks!

[amarsandhu 0]

Immigration increases the risk of schizophrenia

Critically review with reference to evidence base

[wilcheng 0]

the 3 essay are something like:

1. immigration increase the risk of schizophrenia, please critically review it with evidence

2. 'medication is no longer helpful/benefical (something like that) in CAMHS' please comment on it and refer to diagnosis

3. after a major disaster, mental health services could play a key role in it, with reference to both immediate and long term psychiatric and psychological morbidity

[yasirkasmi 0]

Bloody hell! They were a lot easier last time. Good luck guys!!

[badgerattack 0]

I really enjoyed writing the mass disaster essay, I used to sit on a mass disaster planning committee. Unfortunately my answer was full of such helpful comments as, psychiatric hospitals make an excellent temporary mortuary facility.... Oh dear.

[chrispell 22]

Q2 was 'Medication has no role in the treatment of mental illness in children and young people.' Discuss this controversial statement with reference to specific disorders.

[psbrown 0]

I thought that all 3 topics were interesting and open to a multitude of ideas.

I chose the one about children nedication as I thought it would be easier as I didn't prepare for the essay.

Do people want to share ideas from their essays?

[funky 0]

I think the questions were more of an 'on the spot response generation' to be truthful. I had not prepared for any of the topics so I had to go for one in which i could ramble on for 90 minuites. I answered the question 3.

'In the event of a major disaster, the mental health services could play a key role in it' Discuss this statement with reference to both immediate and long term psychiatric and psychological morbidity.

I am not sure now whether I did justice to answering the question but I remember generally trying so hard to connect my very disjointed ideas in diagrams of care pathway,tables of illnesses of (psychiatric and psychological) both for the short term and long term. and going widely to cover every sector of the population. however I still left out some issues such as substance misuse- How dump of me! but well I hope I obtain a fair mark to pass.

[Oreta 1]

Unfortunately my answer was full of such helpful comments as, psychiatric hospitals make an excellent temporary mortuary facility.... Oh dear.

Well, I guess that's another way in which mental health services can help... Although now that the old victorian hospitals have mostly closed down and patients ara having to share a much smaller environment... :-?

I thought that all 3 topics were interesting and open to a multitude of ideas.

I agree. That could be dangerous too, when you only have 90 minutes to put all your thoughts together in an essay.

Personally, I'd read Professor Alexander's paper on 'Early intervention after disasters' (APT Jan 05), just the night before the exam... so that helped...

[psingh 0]

even i wrote the child psychiatry one but i was short of time and hence could not mention all the important child psy. problems and the relevance to medicines in it.

[lunawat 0]

Immigration increases the risk of schizophrenia

Critically review with reference to evidence base

major disaster q--did it require detail description of treatment or just morbidity. can anybody help pls

[self 0]

I did Q.3.

It s a huge topic, however, M y plan was a s such:

Intro.

wat a major disaster is. different people react differently.

Mostly psychological, & psychiatric& physical, negative impact on personal , social & economical lvels. Therefore mental healthhas a key role.

Body:

Psychiatric and psychological effects Effects of Major disaster

immediate, gave a list.

longterm; another list.

Psychological, refered to depression , beck's model, response style prevention.difference in gender respone

Comorbidity, alcohol & drug.

In children, early disaster morbidity as aduts.

Role Of mental health services:

early detection, accurate treatment, relapse prevetion.

Multisiciplinry teams,

liaisin with services.include medical.

Psychisocial support-supporting carers.

CBT-trauma focussed.

Conclusion.

summary, research interesting to identify how to predict type of reactions

references:beck, noel heoksema, heymanm ICD-10, Nice guideliines

However, i felt that i didnt talk in depth about the role, all i geve was a general perspective... i filled all the papres of the answer sheet but i could have rambled more, didnot mention EIS teams, or crisis teams.

Hope that goes well.

[r_sambhi 0]

I think the statement on the child psychiatry essay also included the words Young People which means that the statement becomes quite vague in terms of age limits and clearly the essay demanded the mention of various diagnoses and role of medication in each and every one whatever one could cover i.e. mood disorders, psychosis. ADHD and comorbidity with personality disorders etc.

That is how i dealt with the questions although i did not quote any specific references.

[wilcheng 0]

I did Q3 as well but I think I missed quite a lot of stuff

Intro - something like major disaster seems to much 'closer' to us during last 10 years, e.g. 9-11, london bombing, Indonesia etc.

Example - Rubin, kings college telephone survey after london bombing, as example to explain what do people think after the incident e.g. 1% thinks they need psych help. I also mention it was the mental health profession who suggest to the public that debriefing doesn't work (Wessley)

Immediate impact - I link it closely with PTSD and quote NICE, Kessler etc (but i completely forget about acute stress or adjustment disorder)

Long term impact - depression and suicide, substance misuse, neurosis

Goverment policy - how mental health should influence government policy and NICE, also quote College AGM glascow about the amydala change after repeated tv showing terroist attack

conclusion - mental health involves everything from initial public advice to treatment and future research

I was struggle how to differentiate bet psychiatric and psyhological morbidity

[Oreta 1]

Perhaps we need to look more at everything we put in our essay, rather than what we left unsaid. At the end of the day there are many papers and even books written about (at least some of) those subjects. We only had 90 minutes to do the whole thing!

And what about style vs content?

Don't be too hard on yourselves.

[btadros 0]

i have done more or less the same ,but I focused in depth about PTSD ,NICE guideline of PTSD. I felt slightly off the point , I am concerned more about Critical Ap paper , got panic when mentioned orginal study & I thought I misunderstood the paper

Nothing we can do now , we have to waight . IF not lucky will try again

[dontknow 1]

did anyone one pass who wrote the child psych essay?

[chrispell 22]

Yes.

[shubhavhegde 2]

Yes.i did child essay and passed

[dontknow 1]

congrats

[r_sambhi 0]

did anyone one pass who wrote the child psych essay?

Yes i did and passed