I’m a senior mental health nurse, AMA

[Ivycott90]

Anything at all..

Do you actually do any therapeutic work with patients? And what is your therapy training as I see very little evidence as a counsellor of any therapeutic work being done by MH nurses and even less of actual therapy training.

Hi, thanks for offering to share your insight. If you could advise parents on what one (or few) things they can do to promote the mental health of their teens, what would it be? I've experience of severe mental ill health on both sides of our family and want to do all i can to minimise risks of any genetic predisposition being borne out. Thanks

What do you think about the efficacy of SSRIs and other anti-depressants? Do they really work?

I'm trained in both mental health nursing and counselling, there are overlaps, I trained as an RMN 23 years ago and we had two years of our three years training focused on PCT, CBT, Humanistic, group therapy and I went on to be trained in DBT.

I would say it's incorrect to say mental health nurses don't do any therapeutic work, it's vastly different across different roles and certainly there is therapeutic work to be done in all of them. It is very different to the counselling work that I do, because the setting and intention is very different. Someone trained only as a counsellor would find it very difficult to work therapeutically with someone in acute psychosis actively seeking to harm themselves for example, whereas an experienced mental health nurse could.

@fourelementary mental health nurse here of 32 years - have qualifications in CBT and DBT, both of which I used, where appropriate with the people I was supporting. When someone is acutely unwell therapeutic interventions are more difficult as your focus in on patient safety, comfort and immediate support.

Just wanted to say thank you for the incredibly important work you do. I hope you have a good work life balance, it must be a tough job.

Why do some secondary care CMHTs employ CPNs and others MHN? Why are so many of our patients just monitored by the team instead of active therapeutic work being offered by the MHNs? It honestly seems unless the OT or peer support workers or psychologist is involved the MHNs just "review" patients endlessly checking on risk and medication adherence and that's it. Is this something unique to my ICB?

Thank you.

What and is there any medication available for bpd?

What would you say needs to change, in society, and in the way your service is supported, to improve mental health outcomes for people?

I am diagnosed with bpd ( and bipolar 2)
There isn't any "licenced" medication for bpd.
The treatment is CBT / other talking therapies

I'm under psychiatry - I am on lamogtringe for the mood dysregulation side of it.

Why are young adults transitioning from CAMHS to CMHT treated so shockingly bad?Do you agree that there is an over use of medication and home treatment teams with little actual treatment?

What do you think a new government needs to do to improve the service?

Thankyou but cvt has never really worked for me. Would you suggest dbt?

A lot of my RMNs on the night shift would fall asleep. I didn't mind at all, as didn't need them to do anything, lol.

But what would be your tip for staying awake on a 1-1 at night when patient is asleep and really quiet/low risk? It must be so boring!

What else can i do to help my anxious teen? Taking antidepressants, under CAHMS, seen psychologist and counsellor but still having problems after 2 years, I am desperate