Psychological/Neuropsychological Services
Neuropsychological assessment
Where there is known/suspected injury to the brain (e.g. from trauma, anaesthetic accident, overdose, brain haemorrhage, etc) neuropsychological assessment identifies the effects of injury on thinking, memory, emotion, and behaviour. It is therefore important in planning rehabilitation and in a medico-legal context.
These assessments should be based on interview/assessment with the injured person, and also interview with a relative/friend (as the injured person may forget important information, or may lack insight and give a falsely optimistic view of his/her position).
These assessments include standardized (psychometric) measures, and cover:
- Language
- Intelligence: pre-injury and current
- Memory: verbal and visuospatial
- Mental speed and sustained concentration
- Executive function
There should also be assessment of "effort" to ensure deficits are "real" and not exaggerated.
Cognitive impairments - esp verbal memory and sustained concentration - are associated with difficulties in re-entering employment.
Psychological assessment
These assessments can deal with the emotional consequences of accidents and injuries, which may include:
- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Phobic disorders
- Panic disorder
- Depressive disorders
- Adjustment disorder
We have extensive rehabilitation and medico-legal experience.
Psychological Services
Stress - Related Problems: Treatment & Training
Referrals - We accept referrals for assessment and treatment of stress-related psychological problems.
Guidelines - for referral for treatment
- Referral is better early than late - there is more chance of successful treatment, avoiding the problems for individual and organization of prolonged absence.
- Confidentiality must be assured and understood - staff must be comfortable that personal information will be kept confidential.
- An assessment and treatment plan should be provided.
- We use, broadly, a cognitive-behavioural treatment approach (not drugs).
- We favour a reasonably early return to work. It often helps if employers can be flexible in terms of nature of duties for an initial period.
Training - We also provide training for supervisory staff, to help them recognise in their staff (and in themselves) signs of undue stress. Topics include:
- "Good" and "bad" stress
- Physical and mental manifestations
- Early warning signs
- Sources of stress ("stressors")
- Life Events/"Burnout"
- Anxiety/stress management