International Congress on Mental Health in New York
June 29, 2009
Experts from Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital will present findings from their most recent research projects at the 31st International Congress on Law and Mental Health, to be held in New York from June 28 to July 4. Taking place once every two years, the event is an initiative of the International Academy of Law and Mental Health and welcomes an international community of researchers, academics, health professionals and other stakeholders, whose broad range of perspectives helps shed light on issues pertaining to law and mental health. The fact that researchers, health professionals and nurses from Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital are participating speaks volumes about the extent to which their expertise is recognized.
The Dawson College Shooting: Two Deaths, Hundreds of Victims
A study conducted by the Fernand-Seguin Research Centre of Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital and the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) reveals that, two years after the tragedy, some members of the Dawson College community still manifest severe post-traumatic stress symptoms, demonstrating the importance of offering suitable long-term support services. Also, victims’ fears of being judged and concern about being labelled as mentally ill have impeded their access to available psychosocial support services. The research team—including Dr. Alain Lesage, researcher at the Fernand-Seguin Research Centre of Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital and professor of psychiatry at the Université de Montréal, and Dr. Warren Steiner, head of the McGill University Health Centre’s Department of Psychiatry—will present the preliminary findings from this first-of-its-kind study, which will help to improve psychological support conducted as part of intervention plans following traumatic incidents.
Community Housing for People Being Followed by Forensic Psychiatry Services
Over the years, Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital has developed a network of community-housing resources for people with mental health problems. This network currently comprises around 1,500 places. Among the resources that have been developed, Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital handled the management and advancement of a specialized housing network for the use of a hundred of people with mental disorders who have had problems with the law. It is one of the largest networks of its kind in the world. Needless to say, implementing resources for this type of patient presents particular challenges, notably to integrating patients into the community, dealing with stigmatization and coordinating services with partner organizations. This forensic psychiatry housing network is based on partnerships with the Philippe-Pinel Institute of Montréal, health and social services, community organizations and the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal. The network’s development is also supported by the expertise of researchers from the Fernand-Seguin Researcher Centre (Philippe-Pinel Institute of Montréal and Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital). Jean-Jacques Leclerc, director of rehabilitation and community housing services at Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital, research team members, partners and users will explain the partnerships that ensure the implementation of a high-quality network. They will also highlight the importance of continuing to develop and improve the services offered.
Reducing the Use of Isolation and Restraint
A study conducted under the direction of Caroline Larue, researcher at the Fernand-Seguin Research Centre of Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital and associate professor in the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Nursing Science, in partnership with Geneviève Ménard, director of nursing care at Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital, reveals that nursing care in the area of seclusion and restraint meets the required standards of quality. Nevertheless, it is necessary to continue developing a culture of partnership by acting in a preventive manner and by collaborating directly with patients and their families.
The context for this research project is a desire to treat seclusion and restraint as exceptional measures. The province’s health institutions were asked to review their protocols and practices in order to promote the use of alternate measures and improve the quality of care. The study examines nursing care in episodes of seclusion with reference to the patient’s perspective, protocols recommended by institutions and guidelines developed elsewhere in North America. Synergy between research and clinical services is essential in order to ensure that changes in practices occur within the framework of ongoing improvement of clinical practices. The issue of seclusion and restraint will be the subject of three presentations on projects conducted at Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital, including those by Éric Ahern, doctor of nursing science, and by Dr. Alexandre Dumais.
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