Are lay people good at recognising the symptoms of schizophrenia?

©2013 Erritty, Wydell. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the general public’s perception of schizophrenia symptoms and the need to seekhelp for symptoms. The recognition (or ‘labelling’) of schizophrenia symptoms, help-seeking behaviours and public awareness of schizophrenia have been suggested as potentially important factors relating to untreated psychosis. Method: Participants were asked to rate to what extent they believe vignettes describing classic symptoms (positive and negative) of schizophrenia indicate mental illness. They were also asked if the individuals depicted in the vignettes required help or treatment and asked to suggest what kind of help or treatment. Results: Only three positive symptoms (i.e., Hallucinatory behaviour, Unusual thought content and Suspiciousness) of schizophrenia were reasonably well perceived (above 70%) as indicating mental illness more than the other positive or negative symptoms. Even when the participants recognised that the symptoms indicated mental illness, not everyone recommended professional help. Conclusion: There may be a need to improve public awareness of schizophrenia and psychosis symptoms, particularly regarding an awareness of the importance of early intervention for psychosis

Community conversation : addressing mental health stigma with ethnic minority communities

Stigma associated with mental health problems is a significant public health issue. Patterns of stigma and discrimination vary between and within communities and are related to conceptualisations of, and beliefs about, mental health. Population approaches to addressing stigma rarely consider diverse cultural understandings of mental health. 257 members of the major black and minority ethnic communities in Scotland participated in 26 mental health awareness workshops that were designed and delivered by community organisations. Questionnaires measuring knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intent were completed before and after the intervention. Community led approaches that acknowledge cultural constructs of mental health were received positively by community groups. The study found significant reported stigma in relation to public protection, marriage, shame and contribution, but also high levels of recovery optimism. The workshops resulted in significant positive change in relation to knowledge, attitudes and behavioural intent amongst participants, with most aspects of stigma showing significant improvement, with the exception of dangerousness. The paper argues community approaches to tackling stigma are more valuable than top-down public education and could form the basis of national initiatives. Refinements to the evaluation framework are considered

Can vibrational playback improve control of an invasive stink bug?

Improved understanding of the function of insect vibrational signals has spurred development of a vibrational method for mass-trapping the brown marmorated stink bug, which is currently one of the most notorious invasive insect pests. We outline the ongoing research program, which started with the basic description of close-range sexual behaviour that is mediated by vibrational signals, and continued with testing of a promising female vibrational signal that proved to be considerably attractive to males in playback trials. On this basis, a bi-modal trap was constructed, comprising an aggregation pheromone dispenser, the vibrational signal playback and a device for electrocuting the attracted animals in a pyramid trap design. Preliminary field trial results are discussed in the context of the interplay between chemical and vibrational modalities during reproductive behaviour in stink bugs, and the potential for achieving environmentally friendlier control of this pest

Genetically modified crops and aquatic ecosystems: considerations for environmental risk assessment and non-target organism testing

Environmental risk assessments (ERA) support regulatory decisions for the commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops. The ERA for terrestrial agroecosystems is well-developed, whereas guidance for ERA of GM crops in aquatic ecosystems is not as well-defined. The purpose of this document is to demonstrate how comprehensive problem formulation can be used to develop a conceptual model and to identify potential exposure pathways, using Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize as a case study. Within problem formulation, the insecticidal trait, the crop, the receiving environment, and protection goals were characterized, and a conceptual model was developed to identify routes through which aquatic organisms may be exposed to insecticidal proteins in maize tissue. Following a tiered approach for exposure assessment, worst-case exposures were estimated using standardized models, and factors mitigating exposure were described. Based on exposure estimates, shredders were identified as the functional group most likely to be exposed to insecticidal proteins. However, even using worst-case assumptions, the exposure of shredders to Bt maize was low and studies supporting the current risk assessments were deemed adequate. Determining if early tier toxicity studies are necessary to inform the risk assessment for a specific GM crop should be done on a case by case basis, and should be guided by thorough problem formulation and exposure assessment. The processes used to develop the Bt maize case study are intended to serve as a model for performing risk assessments on future traits and crops. -® 2011 The Author(s