HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS British Journal of Psychiatry Advances in Psychiatric Treatment All RCPsych Journals		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Filson, P. Articles by Kendrick, T. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Filson, P. Articles by Kendrick, T.

Survey of roles of community psychiatric nurses and occupational therapists

Croydon Mental Health Services, Lena Peat Resource Centre, 32/34 Sydenham Road, Croydon CR0 2EF

Tony Kendrick, Senior Lecturer in General Practice and Primary Care

St George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE

^* Correspondence

The roles of community mental health professionals may overlap and need clarifying. A survey is described of 95 occupational therapists (OT) and 200 community psychiatric nurses (CPN), of their views on their respective roles, and information on current practices. Administering medication and crisis intervention were regarded as specifically CPN roles, yet 28% of CPNs did not regularly administer medication. Half of the CPNs' clients were not chronically mentally ill, and over two-thirds of the nurses regularly carried out counselling and anxiety management. Assessing activities of dally living and work skills were seen specifically as OT tasks, yet 60% of the OTs did not usually assess work skills in practice. Roles overlapped considerably, suggesting that a more efficient approach might be to develop a generic core training for community mental health workers.