Papers by Walid Abdul-Hamid
Postgraduate Medical Journal, Nov 1, 1996
The medical literature on homeless people tends to concentrate on their biographic characteristic... more The medical literature on homeless people tends to concentrate on their biographic characteristics or clinical problems without enough attention being given to the social and environmental contexts which they have to survive. This article sunmmarises the literature on the role of social factors in the causation and outcome of health problems of the homeless and emphasises the importance of addressing the social context in effecting intervention. Services that deal with the social needs of the homeless will be more successful in meeting their needs and reducing their distress.
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OBJECTIVES : This study aimed to describe the elderly deliberate self-harm (DSH) cases in Maidsto... more OBJECTIVES : This study aimed to describe the elderly deliberate self-harm (DSH) cases in Maidstone and compare them with younger adult DSH cases. DESIGN / SETTING : Structured information on all DSH cases admitted to Maidstone Hospital has been dept by the DSH team for 4 years. We analyzed the records of all DSH cases who were over 65 years and compared them with a random sample of the younger adults DSH cases presented to the services during the same period. RESULTS : The number of the elderly DHS cases in Maidstone was in the lower levels of the prevalence suggested in previous studies. These elderly exhibited higher suicidal risks and has more serious suicidal attempts. CONCLUSION : The association of the elderly DSH with physical health problems and the possible low referral rate of elderly DSH to A+E department suggest the need to move the DSH team work to primary care. Language: en
Psychiatria Danubina, 2021
The Arab Journal of Psychiatry, 2019
Journal of Refugee Studies, 2020
This study investigates levels of secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and compassion satisfactio... more This study investigates levels of secondary traumatic stress, burnout, and compassion satisfaction in Syrian mental health workers (MHWs) in a low-resource post-conflict environment. Sixty-one Syrian MHWs completed a cross-sectional questionnaire, in Arabic, incorporating the professional quality of life (ProQOL) scale. Our Arabic-translated ProQOL scale showed acceptable internal consistency estimates of reliability for all subscales. Relative to population norms and other samples of MHWs, the Syrian MHWs showed similar levels of burnout and higher levels of secondary traumatic stress and compassion satisfaction. Those with no psychology-related educational background showed significantly higher secondary traumatic stress and burnout scores and significantly lower compassion satisfaction scores relative to those with a relevant educational background. Our findings indicate acceptable levels of ProQOL in Syrian MHWs, with the exception of those with no educational background in psyc...
International Psychiatry, 2011
The World Health Organization's International Advisory Group for the Revision of ICD-10 Menta... more The World Health Organization's International Advisory Group for the Revision of ICD-10 Mental and Behavioural Disorders is currently working on the development of ICD-11 (World Health Organization, 2007). A more responsive ICD coding system should incorporate recent work which suggests that the religious and spiritual domain is important for a comprehensive, culturally sensitive diagnosis and management plan (e.g. Sims, 1992, 2004; Koenig et al, 2008). A ‘religious or spiritual problems’ category, similar to that in DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994), should be included in ICD-11.
Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research, 2017
MOJ Addiction Medicine & Therapy, 2017
Aims & methods: To study the effects of homelessness on length of stay in psychiatric wards. All ... more Aims & methods: To study the effects of homelessness on length of stay in psychiatric wards. All 37 admissions of homeless people to an acute psychiatric service during the year 2005 were identified using the Carebase system. Admissions of homeless people were then compared to a random sample (of 62 admissions) from the total number of admission during 2005 (397 admissions). Results: Homeless patients were more likely to be younger, male and single compared to the random sample. A significantly higher proportion of the homeless patients had the diagnosis of schizophrenia. The mean length of stay of the homeless patients was significantly higher; 112 days compared to 33 days for the random sample (almost 4 times). Clinical implication: Homeless patients have significantly longer admissions than patients in general. This has implications in terms of costs, increased service use and greater risk of institutionalisation. This needs to be considered in planning residential and other community services for homeless psychiatric patients.
The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science, 2015
BackgroundThere is little research evidence as to whether general adult psychiatry or old age psy... more BackgroundThere is little research evidence as to whether general adult psychiatry or old age psychiatry should look after old people with enduring mental illness.AimsTo compare the extent to which general adult and old age psychiatric services meet the needs of older people with enduring mental illness.MethodA total of 74 elderly patients with functional psychiatric disorders were identified by reviewing the notes of patients over the age of 60 living in a defined inner urban catchment area. Data were collected on the morbidity and needs of the sample. Needs were assessed using the Elderly Psychiatric Needs Schedule (EPNS).ResultsThe participants in contact with old age psychiatry had significantly fewer unmet needs compared with those in contact with general adult psychiatry (2.8 v. 5.6, t = 2.2, P<0.03). Total needs were not significantly different between those managed by old age and general adult services (8.0 v. 6.5 respectively, t = 1.2, P = 0.2).ConclusionsThis study foun...
Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 2015
Bilateral stimulation (BLS) is of significant importance to eye movement desensitization and repr... more Bilateral stimulation (BLS) is of significant importance to eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Eye movements seem to be the most effective form of BLS in EMDR. A brief summary of the cultural applicability of EMDR is provided, and research which showed the value of incorporating religion and/or spirituality into psychotherapy is highlighted. Islamic Sufism, in common with other traditional religions, has long been known to have a psychotherapeutic perspective and has been used over time to help people to overcome trauma and stress. This article argues that the ritual movements associated with the SufiDhikrmay involve a form of BLS and that this might underline some of the therapeutic effectiveness ofDhikrand Sufism. The authors recommend investigating if the SufiDhikrelement could be incorporated into a modified EMDR protocol. We anticipate that this would give EMDR an even wider and more popular acceptance in the Middle East and the Muslim world.
Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps, 2015
In 2008, Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel laureate and famous economist, first assessed the economic an... more In 2008, Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel laureate and famous economist, first assessed the economic and human cost of the Iraq War. In his book ‘ The Three Trillion Dollar War ’, he quoted the American military psychiatrist, Jonathan Shay, who wrote that ‘ the mental health toll of the Iraq War is
Psychiatric Bulletin, 2009
Aims and MethodThere is a lack of tools to assess the needs of older people with enduring mental ... more Aims and MethodThere is a lack of tools to assess the needs of older people with enduring mental illness who have ‘graduated’ from adult mental health services and little is known about this population. the Elderly Psychiatric Needs Schedule (EPNS) was developed and applied to older people with enduring mental illness in contact with the old age and general adult components of an inner-city mental health service.ResultsThe EPNS proved reliable (mean agreement 96%, mean Kappa κ=0.90). the mean number of needs identified was 7.6, of which 4.3 were unmet and 3.3 were met.Clinical ImplicationsThe EPNS provided a reliable method of needs assessment in this population. the authors offer the EPNS as a tool to assess service needs of older adults with functional psychiatric disorders having ‘graduated’ from adult mental health services.
Medicine, science, and the law, 1997
One major difficulty that faces both researchers and practitioners who work with the homeless is ... more One major difficulty that faces both researchers and practitioners who work with the homeless is the lack of definitions and frameworks that assist better understanding of such people's problems and society's response to them. This article reviews the legislation dealing with homeless people's social, civil and legal problems. We tried to give this legislation's historic and social background, including a section on psychiatric disorders in this group because of their relevance to current debate on homeless offenders. We then reviewed the legislation relevant to homeless people in general and the homeless mentally ill in particular, including the recently introduced court diversion schemes.
International Journal of Culture and Mental Health, 2009
This trans-cultural comparison was undertaken to describe the the needs of homeless people for me... more This trans-cultural comparison was undertaken to describe the the needs of homeless people for mental health services in London and New York and the way services are meeting these needs in the two cities. An individual needs assessment procedure was undertaken on a random sample of individuals from a New York shelter for men to assess their needs for psychiatric services. These needs were compared with the needs of a sample of homeless men from hostels of an Inner London health District. The residents of the New York shelter were younger and many of them were in full-time employment. They had fewer physical and psychiatric problems compared with the London sample but much more substance abuse and in particular drug problems. Despite the similarity of the disablement of the two samples and in spite of the higher levels of service provision in New York, the unmet needs of homeless people were significantly higher in the New York sample. The explanation of this puzzling finding may lie in the institutional nature (and the resulted shelterisation) of New York settings that may have created more dependency and need for services.
Early Science and Medicine, 2014
Herodotus’ account of the Athenian spear carrier Epizelus’ psychogenic mutism following the Marat... more Herodotus’ account of the Athenian spear carrier Epizelus’ psychogenic mutism following the Marathon Wars is usually cited as the first documented account of post-traumatic stress disorders in historical literature. This paper describes much earlier accounts of post combat disorders that were recorded as occurring in Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) during the Assyrian dynasty (1300–609 bc). The descriptions in this paper include many symptoms of what we would now identify in current diagnostic classification systems as post-traumatic stress disorders, including flashbacks, sleep disturbance and low mood. The Mesopotamians explain the disorder in terms of spirit affliction; the spirit of those enemies whom the patient had killed during battle causing the symptoms.
The Psychiatrist, 2010
Aims and methodTo assess the individual needs for psychiatric services of a representative sample... more Aims and methodTo assess the individual needs for psychiatric services of a representative sample of homeless men living in hostels. A standardised procedure was used to assess the needs of 101 randomly selected homeless men.ResultsThe main mental health needs of the study sample were for psychiatric and social assessments and for alcohol and drug services. Men with psychotic problems had a high level of needs for psychiatric services and a higher proportion of unmet needs.Clinical implicationsOur findings support the need for community-based multidisciplinary services that work specifically with homeless people to meet their needs. These services should incorporate psychiatric, social and substance misuse services.
Postgraduate Medical Journal, 1996
Summary The medical literature on homeless people tends to concentrate on their biographic charac... more Summary The medical literature on homeless people tends to concentrate on their biographic characteristics or clinical problems without enough attention being given to the social and environmental contexts which they have to survive. This article summarises the literature on the role of social factors in the causation and outcome of health problems of the homeless and emphasises the importance of addressing the social context in effecting intervention. Services that deal with the social needs of the homeless will be more successful in meeting their needs and reducing their distress.
Psychiatric Services, 2011
Letters from readers are welcome. They will be published at the editor's discretion as space perm... more Letters from readers are welcome. They will be published at the editor's discretion as space permits and will be subject to editing. They should not exceed 500 words with no more than three authors and five references and should include the writer's email address. Letters commenting on material published in Psychiatric Services, which will be sent to the authors for possible reply, should be sent to Howard H. Goldman, M.D., Ph.D., Editor, at [email protected]. Letters reporting the results of research should be submitted online for peer review (mc.manu scriptcentral.com/appi-ps).
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Papers by Walid Abdul-Hamid