Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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Psychopathy: a comprehensive review of its assessment and intervention
- Authors:
- MOREIRA Diana, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aggression and Violent Behavior, 19(3), 2014, pp.191-195.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Psychopathy is one of the most studied personality disorders, in terms of the negative impact that the behaviours associated with this disorder — particularly, the criminal behaviour — have in the community where the individual lives. The aim of this article is to present a comprehensive literature review on psychopathy, focusing some difficulties related to its concept, assessment, and intervention. Here, psychopathy is presented as a construct resulting from decades of clinical and empirical research, and whose dimensional nature justifies the possibility of assessing the general population. Studies indicate that psychopathy is manifested in a number of behaviours resulting from biological and personality factors related to a series of family history and environmental factors. The authors emphasise the need for more empirical research on psychopathy in the general population in Portugal, regarding the development and adaptation of measures of the construct. (Edited publisher abstract)
A systematic review of the association between attributional bias/interpersonal style, and violence in schizophrenia/psychosis
- Authors:
- HARRIS Stephanie T., OAKLEY Clare, PICCHIONI Marco M.
- Journal article citation:
- Aggression and Violent Behavior, 19(3), 2014, pp.235-241.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Despite the widely recognised link between schizophrenia and violence, the illness-specific factors underlying that association remain unclear. A body of work has implicated deficits in social cognition, consistently seen in schizophrenia, that may mediate the risk of violence. Two specific areas of interest are attributional bias and interpersonal style. The authors conducted a systematic literature search using EMBASE, Scopus, Ovid Medline, PsycINFO and Science Direct databases with search terms relating to attributional bias, interpersonal style and violence/aggression in schizophrenia. Eleven studies were identified, six related specifically to attributional bias and five to interpersonal style. Results suggest an association between hostile and externalising attribution biases, and violence in schizophrenia. Furthermore, hostile, dominant, and coercive interpersonal styles are also frequently associated with violence in schizophrenia. An interaction between cognitive impairments and underlying personality traits, as well as other co-morbid or illness factors, is proposed to likely underpin associations with violence in schizophrenia. Conclusions are limited by methodological constraints. The field would benefit from consistent definitions of violence, and a more systematic approach to cognitive assessment. Furthermore, studies with more homogeneous samples; and longitudinal designs are warranted in order to gain a better understanding of causation with regard to illness factors specific to schizophrenia. (Edited publisher abstract)
Demon Drink? A study of alcohol and youth offending in London
- Authors:
- ALCOHOL CONCERN, MENTOR
- Publishers:
- Alcohol Concern, Mentor
- Publication year:
- 2013
- Pagination:
- 24
- Place of publication:
- London
Using quantitative data from 388 young offenders, and qualitative interviews with 19 young offenders in London, this study examined the links between alcohol misuse and youth crime. The study found evidence of strong relationships between mental health risks, educational disaffection (especially school exclusion and truanting) and alcohol use. No direct link between alcohol use and violent crime was found, though drinking was associated with fighting and violence. Risky alcohol use often presents as one of many risk factors, and it is recommended that practitioners address it before it reaches crisis point. Interview findings suggest that alcohol related offending may not be consistently identified or interventions in youth justice consistently delivered. The 12-month study was carried out with research overseen by Middlesex University. It is noted that the quantitative data analysed was not collected specifically for research purposes, therefore findings should be interpreted with caution. (Original abstract)
Sick or sad? supporting Palestinian children living in conditions of chronic political violence
- Authors:
- RABAIA Yoke, SALEH Mahasin F., GIACAMAN Rita
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Society, 28(3), 2014, pp.172-181.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
In this article the authors reflect on the relatively recent emphasis on Palestinian children's mental health and well-being in the context of exposure to chronic warlike conditions, as they position this trend within the larger framework of the generations-long history of political turmoil and suffering. The authors describe how a process that started with no attention to psychosocial health of children in relation to exposure to dispossession, expulsion, occupation, repression and military attacks, proceeded with a focus on presumed mental disorders, and the more recent approach of designing context appropriate and community-based psychosocial interventions. (Edited publisher abstract)
Betrayal trauma among homeless adults: associations with revictimization, psychological well-being, and health
- Authors:
- MACKELPRANG Jessica L., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 29(6), 2014, pp.1028-1049.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Betrayal trauma theory postulates that traumas perpetrated by a caregiver or close other are more detrimental to mental health functioning than are traumatic experiences in which the victim is not affiliated closely with the perpetrator. This study is the first to examine the concept of betrayal among a sample of individuals with a history of homelessness. A total of 95 homeless or formerly homeless adults completed the Brief Betrayal Trauma Survey, the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale the Perceived Stress Scale, and a demographics questionnaire assessing participants' histories of homelessness, health, and relationships with their families. Regression analyses were conducted to explore the associations between high betrayal (HB) and low betrayal (LB) trauma exposure, relationship with family, and physical and mental health symptoms. Exposure to HB traumas in childhood and poor family relationships predicted earlier age at first episode of homelessness, and participants who had been exposed to a greater number of traumas during childhood were more likely to be revictimized during adulthood. Trauma exposure as an adult and earlier age of first homeless episode predicted symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, while trauma exposure alone predicted symptoms of depression and perceived stress. Number of medical diagnoses was associated with trauma exposure and becoming homeless at an older age. These findings emphasize that even among the most marginalized and multiply victimized individuals in our society, traumas that are characterized by a higher degree of betrayal are associated with more adverse outcomes. (Publisher abstract)
Lifetime prevalence of multiple victimizations and its impact on children’s mental health
- Authors:
- CYR Katie, CLEMENT Marie-Eve, CHAMBERLAND Claire
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 29(4), 2014, pp.616-634.
- Publisher:
- Sage
This study sought to document lifetime experiences of individual categories of victimizations and polyvictimization using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire among children from the province of Quebec (Canada) to examine whether polyvictimization predicts mental health symptoms and to assess whether categories of victimization still contribute to mental health symptoms after considering polyvictimization. Polyvictimization accounted for the most variability in scores for depression, anxiety, and anger/aggression compared with individual victimization categories. None of the individual categories of victimization made an independent contribution to the prediction of trauma scores, once polyvictimization was considered. (Publisher abstract)
History of interpersonal violence, abuse, and nonvictimization trauma and severity of psychiatric symptoms among children in outpatient psychiatric treatment
- Authors:
- FORD Julian D., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26(16), November 2011, pp.3316-3337.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Child victims of interpersonal violence are at increased risk of both internalising and externalising psychiatric problems. This study aimed to determine whether specific forms of interpersonal violence were associated with the internalising and externalising psychiatric problems in a clinical sample of child psychiatry outpatients. Study data was collected by chart review of 114 consecutive admissions over a 1-year period at a Child and Adolescent Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic in the northeastern United States. Data included history of documented maltreatment, potentially traumatic domestic or community violence, neglect or emotional abuse, and noninterpersonal stressors as well as demographics, psychiatric diagnoses, and parent-rated child emotional and disruptive behaviour problems. Analysis revealed that any past exposure to interpersonal violence, but not to noninterpersonal traumas, was related to more severe disruptive behaviour problems. Noninterpersonal trauma and psychiatric diagnoses were associated with emotional problems; exposure to interpersonal violence appeared to partially account for this relationship despite not being independently associated with emotional problem severity. The article concludes that a history of exposure to interpersonal violence should be considered in the assessment and treatment planning of children receiving outpatient psychiatric care.
Mental illness, crime, and violence: risk, context, and social control
- Author:
- MARKOWITZ Fred E.
- Journal article citation:
- Aggression and Violent Behavior, 16(1), January 2011, pp.36-44.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
This article reviews perceptions, realities and processes relating to the relationship between mental illness, crime, and violence. It begins by discussing how deinstitutionalisation has led to an overrepresentation of persons with mental illness in the criminal justice system, with persons being retained in jails and prisons rather than hospitals. The article then compares public perceptions of dangerousness associated with mental illness with individual-level studies that assess the risk of violence and criminal behaviour among those with mental illness. Public perceptions of the risk of violence associated with mental illness are shown to be overstated but not unfounded. The article then reviews key findings as to the role of certain psychotic symptoms, social demographic characteristics, and the context in which violence unfolds. Finally, the article discusses recent legal and social policy initiatives related to managing persons with mental illness who violate the law. High quality, well-coordinated community mental health services that focus on both symptom reduction and socioeconomic well-being may reduce the number of mentally ill person who end up in jails and prisons. However, the article argues that such efforts are likely to be limited in their scope and effectiveness relative to the scale of the problem.
Promoting mental health in Northern Ireland: addressing division, inequality and stigma
- Authors:
- DAVIDSON Gavin, LEAVEY Gerard
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Public Mental Health, 9(4), December 2010, pp.6-15.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The authors review the literature on the impact of sectarian violence, known as ‘the Troubles’, on mental health in Northern Ireland. Three main phases of professional and policy response were identified, starting with concerns about the effects of violence in the 1970s, then several years of collective denial and neglect, until acknowledgement, following the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, of high levels of trauma and unmet need. The authors also explore the impact of inequality and stigma and argue that peace is necessary but insufficient for promoting mental health. The development of mental health services in Northern Ireland are then outlined and the main developments in promoting mental health are discussed. It is suggested that attempts to address the needs arising as a result of ‘the Troubles’ and more general mental health promotion strategies have, to some extent, developed in parallel and that it may be important to integrate these efforts. Routine screening, in primary care and mental health services for trauma, including Troubles-related trauma, is recommended to identify and address these issues on an individual level. However, the authors also argue that more substantial political change is needed to effectively address societal division, inequality and stigma to the benefit of all.
Associations among violence exposure, mental disorder, substance use disorder, and HIV
- Authors:
- SHERBA R. Thomas, SINGER Mark I.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of HIV/AIDS and Social Services, 9(1), January 2010, pp.58-76.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Through the application of the conceptual model of HIV infection this study attempted to affirm the associations of violence exposure and co-occurring mental and substance use disorders (COD) with HIV. The study investigated what proportion of individuals who experience a lifetime mental health issue also experience lifetime violence exposure; whether the proportion of individuals who experience both a lifetime mental health issue and lifetime violence exposure differ based on HIV status; whether lifetime violence exposure is significantly associated with HIV infection; and whether COD is significantly associated with HIV infection. Participants were clients assessed for alcohol and other drug treatment through the network of providers overseen by the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, from December 2001 to July 2007. The study sample comprised 319 HIV infected subjects and 319 matched HIV uninfected subjects. The prevalence rate of COD with HIV infection was 26.3%. Through logistic regression modelling, both violence exposure and COD were found to be associated with HIV infection.