Mental health:psychology - Essay Example

Mental Health: Psychology A Critique on Epidemiology, public health and the problem of personality disorder AbstractThe essay aims to proffer a critique of the research entitled Epidemiology, public healthand the problem of personality disorder written by Jeremy Coid. The discourse would analyze and evaluate the study in terms of its strengths and weaknesses and overall structural content. Likewise, the paper would present suggestions on how the study could be improved.A Critique on Epidemiology, public health and the problem of personality disorderThe paper entitled Epidemiology, public health and the problem of personality disorder written by Jeremy Coid was noted to be presented at the second conference of the British and Irish Group for the Study of Personality Disorders (BIGSPD), University of Leicester, indicating that it was a peer reviewed article but which was not fairly current in date (2001), prior to it being published in the British Journal of Psychiatry in 2003.

Coid clearly indicated at the start of his paper the crucial elements, including a brief background, aim of the study, and an abstract of the method used, results and concluding remarks. In so doing, readers could get a glimpse of the gist of the article and evaluate the contents’ relevance to the readers’ purpose for review. Given the privilege of an overview presentation, the reader can initially gauge that the article delved into perspectives which are technical in nature but relevant to clinical psychiatrists, as clearly identified.

The literature review was composed of 77 studies from diverse academic sources with publication dates ranging from 1970 as the oldest and 2002 as the most current. The choices of literatures were balanced as antithetical contentions were both presented for the readers’ perusal. Likewise, the authors’ personal position was intermittently proffered to highlight and emphasize crucial points and to substantiate and validate the presented concerns. In the portion under setting priorities and policy formulation, for example, the research studies conducted by Rose (1992) and Guyer (1998) identified argumentative discourses which were later explained through the author’s definition of terms and further expounding of issues requiring support from Wallace’s published works.

The study’s methodology indicated the primary aim which was to “to review the major findings of the epidemiological studies of personality disorder together with their public health implications” (Coid, 2003, s3) using a selection of reports, book chapter reviews and other published journals, the choice of which were subjective in nature, depending on the author’s prerogative and judgement. Since Coid is a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, he is regarded as belonging to an elite group of scholars from the mentioned organization duly committed in the pursuit of continuing knowledge in the field of psychiatry.

In this regard, the theoretical framework for his article uses the epidemiology of personality disorder to search for alternative ways and means to enhance applications for preventive interventions in this field of endeavor. As indicated, a conceptual framework approach, in conjunction with the public health approach was used to find answers to the indicated problem.Since the research did not involve the use of samples and actual organizations, no research design was needed in terms of sampling, data collection and interpretation.

Likewise, no prior approval from an ethical board was necessary except to adhere to appropriate citations and referencing to credit support from statements used within the discourse.The discussion of the findings was brief and concise and focused on identifying that “the epidemiology of personality disorder is still hampered by poor case definition, largely confined to figures of prevalence, and is only beginning to reveal aetiological risk factors” (Coid, 2003, s8 – s9). The researcher successfully validated his contentions with the support of various literatures.

Both clinical implications and limitations were presented which give insights on practitioners’ potential future studies in terms of new treatment interventions, monitoring of risk factors, and the promotion of new services with the use of the public health problem solving paradigm.Overall, the study was generally highly technical in nature with the researcher presumptuously assuming that all readers are clinical psychiatrists, who are in the best position to appreciate the discourse. There was lack of considerations given to non-clinical practitioners in terms of using acronyms without prior definitions and explanations as to their meaning and content.

The structure was clearly and concisely designed with appropriate headings and subtopics. The tables were aptly footnoted as to meaning of acronyms (for table 2) although the “age” heading could have been more appropriately labeled “developmental stage”. Finally, the research being published in 203 should have avoided using references 10 years older from the date of the research to increase the credibility and validity of the results.ReferenceCoid, J. (2003). “Epidemiology, public health and the problem of personality disorder.

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