Norma V. Raynes

Factors affecting the prescribing of psychotropic drugs in general practice consultations.

The characteristics of patients and information-gathering processes in general practice consultations producing prescriptions for antibiotics and psychotropic drugs are discussed. The contribution of patients presenting symptoms and the exploration of these by the general practitioner in the prescribing of psychotropic drugs, is compred with that of diagnosis.

Attitudes to clients with mental handicap.

The increase in community care provision for people with a mental handicap makes an understanding of the attitudes and motivations of staff caring for them an urgent priority. Norma Raynes and colleagues describe a Department of Health-sponsored study which investigated the quality of care delivered in four key sectors of community residential care. Their findings reveal the positive attitudes of staff in all four settings and suggest that local authorities have a potential source of highly motivated recruits among those working in the health, voluntary and private sectors.

Better community residential services for the mentally handicapped

The sociological study of institutions has developed considerably in the past two decades. It has moved from the case studies of mental hospitals (e.g. Stanton & Schwartz, 1954; Belknap, 1956) and the graphic, speculative typology of Goffman (1961) to empirically based comparative studies of facilities for both the mentally ill and the mentally handicapped (Hewett et al. 1975; Wing & Brown, 1970; Ullman, 1967; Wing & Hailey, 1972; Morris, 1969; King et al. 1971; Raynes et al. 1977). All these studies have included among their goals the development of our understanding of the structure and functioning of these institutions so as to facilitate the planning, administration and evaluation of better residential services. Further, since the publication of Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped (DHSS, 1971), it is clear that in the United Kingdom the government supports the provision of a continuum of services for mentally handicapped persons. As part of that continuum there is a commitment to provide residential facilities in the community for those who need such services.