Predicting recidivism for offenders in UK substance dependence treatment: do mental health symptoms matter?

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josefien J.F. Breedvelt ◽  
Lucy V. Dean ◽  
Gail Y. Jones ◽  
Caroline Cole ◽  
Hattie C.A. Moyes
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Substance Dependence ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Factors ◽  
Substance Dependence Treatment ◽  
One Year ◽  
Mental Health Factors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess whether mental health symptoms affect one-year reoffending rates upon release from prison for participants engaging in substance dependence treatment in the UK. Design/methodology/approach – A retrospective cohort study was used to assess reconviction outcomes upon release. The Comprehensive Addiction and Psychological Evaluation (CAAPE) was administered to 667 inmates admitted to the programme. The effect of mental health, drug use, and static risk factors on reoffending was assessed at one-year post release. Findings – Logistic regression analysis showed that symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder at the start of substance dependence treatment increased the likelihood to reoffend, whilst Obsessive Compulsive Disorder symptoms and length of sentence decreased the likelihood to reoffend. Antisocial Personality Disorder symptoms show a trend towards increasing the likelihood to reoffend. In addition, previously established risk factors for reoffending, including dependence on heroin, crack/cocaine, and poly drug use significantly increased the likelihood of reconviction. Practical implications – Depressive symptomatology pre-treatment could affect reoffending outcomes for participants in substance dependence treatment in prison. An integrative approach addressing both substance misuse and mental health factors is pivotal. Future efforts to address both simultaneously can be made to improve assessment, training, treatment, and through care for prisoners in substance dependence treatment. Originality/value – Few studies have assessed the effect of mental health factors on reoffending outcomes for offenders in substance dependence treatment. A large sample was studied in an understudied population of UK prisoners in substance dependence treatment. The results have implications for clinical settings where mental health symptoms are not addressed concurrently with substance dependence. This finding can inform policy makers and practitioners who provide substance dependence treatment in prison.

Inpatient treatment of borderline personality disorder in adults with intellectual disability: reflections on practice

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-75
Author(s):  
Trine Elisabeth Iversen ◽  
Kristin Horndalsveen ◽  
Espen Matre ◽  
Tine Finstad Henriksen ◽  
Sarah Fusche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Inpatient Treatment ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Behaviour Problems ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Content Type

Purpose There are few publications on personality disorder in adults with intellectual disability (ID), and on borderline personality disorder (BPD) specifically. Publications concerning treatment are sparse, despite the high symptom burden in these patients. This paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Six patients with BPD and ID were recruited from the same inpatient unit. Behaviour problems and mental health symptoms were scored on admission and discharge. Information about treatment, length of stay, etc. was taken from case files. Findings Both mental health symptoms measured by the SCL-90-R, and behaviour problems measured by the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist were significantly reduced on discharge. In the active treatment period, the two main aspects of treatment were validation and practicing new solutions when emotional and behavioural problems occur, i.e. skills training. Research limitations/implications The limitations related to this study are that the study is conducted in one milieu only. Another limitation is that the patients were admitted over a five-year period, where, some changes were made in the treatment approach. Practical implications Inpatient treatment of this patient group seems to be effective if individually adjusted to the patient’s psychopathology, ID and communication style. Close co-operation between the individual therapist and milieu therapists is essential. Originality/value There is a need for intervention studies on BPD in ID. This study may be a valuable contribution.

scholarly journals The changing postdoc and key predictors of satisfaction with professional training

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-142
Author(s):  
Kathleen Van Benthem ◽  
Mohamad Nadim Adi ◽  
Christopher T. Corkery ◽  
Jiro Inoue ◽  
Nafisa M. Jadavji
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Training Period ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postdoctoral Training ◽  
Depth Analysis

Purpose The postdoctoral position was originally created as a short training period for PhD holders on the path to becoming university professors; however, the single-purpose paradigm of training has evolved considerably over time. The purpose of this paper is to report on the opportunities and challenges faced by postdocs as they navigate this complex training period. Design/methodology/approach To better understand the changes in postdoctoral training the Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars – l’Association Canadienne des Stagiaires Postdoctoraux (CAPS-ACSP) conducted three professional national surveys of postdocs working in Canada and Canadian postdocs working internationally. Using the data from each survey, the authors investigated demographics, career goals and mental health and developed a theory-based path model for predicting postdoctoral training satisfaction, using structural equation modeling. Findings The analysis revealed that during their training postdocs face mental health symptoms, which play a role in job satisfaction. Additionally, predictors of satisfaction with career training were opportunities for skills development and encouragement from supervisors. Predictors of satisfaction with compensation were salary, skills training, mental health and encouragement from supervisors. Originality/value This first in-depth analysis of mental health symptoms illuminates the postdoc experience in academia. The study highlights the need for substantive changes to address the challenges facing postdoctoral training in the current research model in North America.

Recruit firefighters: a longitudinal investigation of mental health and work

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-152
Author(s):  
Shannon Wagner ◽  
Romana Pasca
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Fire Department ◽  
Fire Service ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Workplace Exposure ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
In Fire ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the contribution of work to self-reported mental health symptoms in fire service members. Design/methodology/approach In 2004, the first wave of this data collection was completed with all members of a fire department in a small northern center in British Columbia. The members completed a series of questionnaires measuring mental health, personality and satisfaction. Since 2004, all recruit members entering the department have also completed the same set of questionnaires shortly after hiring. Subsequently, in 2016–2017, the full sample, including recruit members, were invited to complete the Wave 2 data collection cycle, which included a set of questionnaires very similar to that collected in Wave 1. Findings The recruit sample reported significantly fewer mental health symptoms, as compared to career firefighters, at Time 1 (prior to workplace exposure). However, at Time 2 (after workplace exposure), no difference between the groups was evident. Research limitations/implications It is possible that recruit firefighters reported more positive mental health because of social desirability bias upon beginning a new job. Practical implications These results suggest that service as a firefighter could potentially have an impact on mental health and efforts should be made to mitigate this impact. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, the current research is the first study that has followed recruit firefighters longitudinally in an effort to prospectively evaluate the impact of workplace exposure on mental health.

Risk Factors for Childhood Mental Health Symptoms: National Longitudinal Study of Australian Children

PEDIATRICS ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 128 (4) ◽  
pp. e865-e879 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. K. Bayer ◽  
O. C. Ukoumunne ◽  
N. Lucas ◽  
M. Wake ◽  
K. Scalzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
National Longitudinal Study ◽  
Childhood Mental Health

scholarly journals Pandemic and student mental health: A cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of mental health symptoms amongst university students and young adults after the first cycle of lockdown in the UK

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Tang ◽  
Katharine McEnery ◽  
Laura Chandler ◽  
Carla Toro ◽  
Lukasz Walasek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Young People ◽  
University Students ◽  
Substance Misuse ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundEarly COVID-19 research suggests a detrimental impact of the initial lockdown on youngpeople’s mental health, but it is unclear whether the impact would persist.AimsWe investigated mental health symptoms amongst university students after the firstlockdown in the UK and changes in symptoms over 6 months. We examined risk factors forthese symptoms and whether they were shared by young people not in higher education.Method895 university students and 547 young people not in higher education completed an onlinesurvey at T1 (July-September 2020). A subset of 203 university students also completeda 6-month follow-up survey at T2 (January-March 2021). Mental health symptomsmeasured were anxiety, depression, insomnia, substance misuse, and suicide risk.ResultsAt T1, nearly 40% of the participants reported moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety anddepression and risk of substance misuse; a quarter reported insomnia and clinicallysignificant suicidal risk. A reduction in anxiety, depression and insomnia was observed inparticipants reassessed at T2, but not in substance misuse and suicidality.Cross-sectionally, greater symptoms across measures were consistently associated withgender (female or other), sleep irregularity, and a worse-off financial status. Longitudinally,the most consistent risk factors for T2 symptoms were having previously diagnosed mentalhealth problems and having difficulty sleeping since the first lockdown.ConclusionsMental health symptoms were prevalent in a large proportion of young people after the firstlockdown. Risk factors identified may help characterise high-risk groups for enhancedsupport and inform interventions in both university and non-university settings.

Youth victimization profiles and change in mental health symptoms over one year.

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 256-265
Author(s):  
Lynsay Ayer ◽  
Lisa H. Jaycox ◽  
Claude Setodji ◽  
Dana Schultz ◽  
Rosalie Malsberger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
One Year

The efficacy of exercise referral as an intervention for Irish male prisoners presenting with mental health symptoms

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shay O’Toole ◽  
Jim Maguire ◽  
Pearse Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Male Prisoners ◽  
Exercise Referral ◽  
Positive Results

Purpose The use of exercise as an intervention to improve health in the general population is well documented. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether an exercise referral scheme can be an effective health promotion tool for male prisoners in Ireland, presenting with mental health symptoms. Design/methodology/approach This mixed methods study with a pre- and post-intervention design was conducted in Mountjoy Prison, Dublin, which has a capacity for approximately 790 prisoners. Reliable and validated symptom assessment scales were used to assess levels of depression, anxiety, stress, self-esteem and anger amongst a sample of 40 prisoners pre- and post-intervention. The scales used were the Depression, Anxiety and Stress scale or DASS-42 (Lovibond and Lovibond, 1995), the Novaco Anger Scale (Novaco, 1994), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965) and the Zung Self-Rated Anxiety Scale (Zung, 1971). Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with a subset of the participants post-intervention to further test and contextualise the symptom ratings. The data gathered from the self-rating scales were imported into SPSS 22 for statistical testing for significance. Wilcoxon’s signed-rank test was then used to measure significance of changes. Thematic analysis was performed on the qualitative data. Findings In the post-intervention, significant levels of improvement were achieved in the levels of depression, anxiety (DASS), anxiety (Zung), stress, anger, and self-esteem for 29 of the 30 prisoners who completed the study. The incidence of normal mood scores rose from 33 to 90 per cent after the intervention; the incidence of extremely severe scores for anxiety changed from 40 to 7 per cent, severe stress scores changed from 27 to 3 per cent, normal stress levels rose from 17 to 73 per cent, marked anger ratings reduced from 40 to 3 per cent and low self-esteem levels reduced from 20 per cent of participants pre-intervention to 7 per cent post-intervention. In the main, participants perceived the experiences and outcomes of the intervention positively. Research limitations/implications There are some limitations to the design of this study. Operational circumstances within the prison at the start of this study prevented the authors from accessing a larger sample. A control group would add greatly to the study but this was not possible within a single prison setting. The possible influence of extraneous variables such as increased attention and social contact, and more time out of one’s cell may have contributed to improved symptom scores as much as the exercise intervention in this study. This possibility was recognised from the outset but the authors proceeded because the aim was to test if an exercise referral package (and all that inevitably goes with that) would make a difference for symptomatic prisoners. Practical implications The organisation and smooth running of the intervention and the positive results therein underpinned the practicality of this project. The significantly positive results contribute new knowledge to the profile of Irish male prisoners’ mental health. Social implications This study could be the foundation for a larger study or set of studies which should include a control group and one or more female prisoner cohorts. The impact of positive changes in prisoners’ mental health on the prison staff and environment could also be researched. This type of study could lead to important social implications in relation to its impact on prisoner rehabilitation. Originality/value This study was the first of its kind to explore the effectiveness of exercise referral as a health promotion intervention for Irish male prisoners presenting with mental health symptoms.

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