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The World Health Organisation (WHO)
developed a state of the art classification of mental disorders
for use in clinical practice and research: the 'Tenth Revision
of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10).
To extend this development into primary care, it published
in 1996 the 'Diagnostic and Management Guidelines for Mental
Disorders in Primary Care (ICD-10 Chapter V, Primary Care
Version). These guidelines were developed by an international
group of general practitioners, family physicians, mental-health
workers, public health experts, social workers, psychiatrists
and psychologists with a special interest in mental-health
problems in primary care, using a consensus approach. The
WHO guidelines were extensively field-tested in over 40 countries
by 500 primary-care physicians to assess their relevance,
ease of use and reliability.
These guidelines and other WHO primary-care
resources were adapted for the UK by a national editorial
team, coordinated by the WHO Collaborating Centre at the Institute
of Psychiatry. The evidence base was reviewed, information
on psychological therapies added, the views of primary-care
nurses, counsellors and patient groups were consulted and
the text agreed, following several rounds of consensus and
a conference. This UK version 'The WHO Guide to Mental Health
in Primary Care' was published in 2000.
This subsequent version for prison staff
was developed following a survey of prison healthcare staff
about whether a version tailored specifically to their needs
would be useful, and if so, what should be in it. This has
resulted in a guide covering a considerably broader range
of topics and including material specifically written for
prison nurses and healthcare officers as well as doctors;
and with information sheets for prison officers as well as
patients. The process followed was a consensus one similar
to that followed for the community primary-care guide. The
number and range of different professions and groups involved
was larger - a reflection of the complexity of the prison
environment. A list of all involved can be found in the Acknowledgements
section.
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