scholarly journals Filicidal Women: Jail or Psychiatric Ward?

2003 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Line Laporte ◽  
Bernard Poulin ◽  
Jacques Marleau ◽  
Renée Roy ◽  
Thierry Webanck

Objective: This study aims to examine the legal procedure that women who are charged with killing their children experience and to compare the variables that discriminate between those found guilty and those who received a medical disposition. Method: The sample comprises 32 adult women who killed their biological children in the province of Quebec over an 11-year period (1981 to 1991). Results: Of the sample, 18 women were found guilty, and 14 received a medical disposition. Of those who were the object of a penal disposition, most received a sentence that exceeded 2 years. Women who were sentenced to prison had a lower socioeconomic status and, compared with those who received a medical disposition, were more likely to have had a criminal and substance abuse history. Further, this latter subgroup of women were more likely to have a psychiatric history, to suffer from psychotic symptoms, and to become oriented to the mental health system immediately after their offence. Conclusions: These comparative results suggest that women's profiles differ according to some descriptive variables. From a clinical point of view, however, these results do not suggest that a different approach with respect to treatment of filicidal women or prevention of filicide would be more appropriate.

Author(s):  
Giovanni Martinotti ◽  
Cristina Merino Del Villar ◽  
Andrés Garcia Cordoba ◽  
Lluís Andrés Tubau ◽  
Ivan Castro Sánchez ◽  
...  

The pursuit of pleasure among clubbers and disco-goers often involves drug use. However, whether substance use may represent a relevant risk factor contributing to the development of psychiatric symptoms and of mental illness remains debated. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the percentage of subjects who developed long-lasting psychiatric symptoms in a sample of subjects reporting use of substances in nightclubs, and to evaluate the role of a previous psychiatric diagnosis in these subjects. Data were collected during three consecutive years in dedicated nursing units inside all the nightclubs of Ibiza, in emergency hospital rooms at the Can Misses Hospital and inside the psychiatric ward. A total of 10,163 subjects required medical assistance inside discos in the medical-nursing units, of which 223 required transfers to hospital emergency rooms. Of these, 110 required subsequent psychiatric hospitalization. Ninety-one (82.7 %) of these patients had a positive psychiatric history, which was also found in thirty-one of the 113 subjects (27.4%) not requiring psychiatric hospitalization. Negative psychiatric history was negatively associated with hospitalization (Coefficient = −2.574; p = 0.000) and for subjects with a negative psychiatric history the odds to be hospitalized changed by a factor of 0.076. Gender, age, civil status and nationality were not significant predictors of hospitalization. Overall, the number of subjects who developed major psychiatric disorders appeared to be limited. However, the presence of a psychiatric history here played a crucial role. Club drugs are therefore able to induce psychiatric sequelae requiring hospitalization mainly in subjects who are already vulnerable from a psychopathological point of view.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 2333794X2199090
Author(s):  
Vilounna Sanaphay ◽  
Sourideth Sengchanh ◽  
Alongkone Phengsavanh ◽  
Anousavanh Sanaphay ◽  
Leelawadee Techasatian

Newborn skin disorders are quite common and happen to occur during the neonatal period. Most of the birthmarks are transient; however, worried parents often seek medical advice from their child’s physician regarding skin lesions. Thus, it is important to differentiate the skin lesions from pathologic ones to avoid unnecessary diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. This is the first published study in Lao neonates that carried out the data from 4 central hospitals in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR from September 2019 to February 2020. Among 500 neonates, Sebaceous gland hyperplasia (53%), Mongolian patches (46.6%), and Erythema toxicum neonatorum (30%) were the 3 most common cutaneous conditions found in the Lao newborns. From a clinical point of view, these findings are often a source of parental anxiety and medical concern for inexperienced clinicians.


2021 ◽  
pp. 0169796X2199685
Author(s):  
Svenn-Erik Mamelund ◽  
Jessica Dimka ◽  
Nan Zou Bakkeli

In the absence of vaccines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 governments had to respond by rely on non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). Socioeconomic inequalities likely influenced the uptake of NPIs. Using Norwegian survey data, we study whether income was associated with increased handwashing, keeping 1 m distance, using facemasks increased use of home office, and less use of public transportation. Except for using facemasks and less public transportation in a non-work context, all analyzed NPIs showed an independent positive association with income. Social disparities in NPI uptake may be important drivers of higher risks of disease outcomes for people of lower socioeconomic status.


2016 ◽  
Vol 157 (18) ◽  
pp. 712-717
Author(s):  
Ágnes Lukács ◽  
Helga Judit Feith

Introduction: The perception of health and sickness are culturally determined and, therefore, ethnic and religious socialization forms attitudes toward the medical system. During everyday practice, patients’ rights and obligations, which are based on the norms of the major society, confront Roma minority norms. Aim: The aim of the authors was to explore the main interferences of patients’ rights and obligations during the medical care of the Roma. Method: The authors analyzed the results of medical anthropology, health sociology, and the experience obtained from more than 40 courses about patients’ rights. Results: Cultural determinants, effects of the lower socioeconomic status and social-psychological mechanism equally form the situations of healthcare and the observance of patients’ rights and obligations. Conclusions: Most of the misunderstandings between healthcare workers and Roma patients stem from the lack of knowledge about cultural differences. Therefore, transcultural approach and Romani studies should be significant part of graduate and postgraduate courses in the field of medical education. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(18), 712–717.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek MD Mohan ◽  
Durjoy MD Lahiri

Introduction: Psychotic disorder has been rarely reported in patients with COVID-19 infection and also in patients affected by the pandemic but who do not have COVID-19 infection. It is unclear if the disorder occurs due to the stress of the pandemic or is due to a cerebral infection of the virus.Methods: on PubMed we searched for all reports of patients who developed a new psychosis during the COVID-19 pandemic to review their symptomatology.Results: Psychotic symptoms were similar in onset, description, duration and severity in patients who had been infected and those who were affected by the pandemic but did not have the infection. In both groups, most patients were young, without previous psychiatric history, had experienced severe external stress due to the pandemic, had an abrupt onset of symptoms, had severe hallucinations and delusions and needed psychiatric hospitalization. The disorder commonly lasted about a week, after which anti-psychotic medications could be stopped.Conclusion: External psychological stress and not cerebral COVID-19 infection is the likely cause of psychotic disorder in both infected and uninfected patients. 


BMJ Leader ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. leader-2021-000509
Author(s):  
Marcel Levi

BackgroundThe NHS is a fascinating health care system and is enjoying a lot of support from all layers of British society. However, it is clear that the system has excellent features but also areas that can be improved.Story of selfA number of years as a chief executive in one of London’s largest hospital has brought me a wealth of impressions, experiences, and understanding about working in the NHS. Contrasting those to my previous experience as chief executive in Amsterdam (The Netherlands) provides an interesting insight.ObservationsVery strong features of the NHS are the high level of health care professionals, the focus on quality and safety, and involvement of patients and the public. However, the NHS can significantly improve by addressing the lack of clinical professionals in the lead, curtailing ever increasing bureaucracy, and reducing its peculiar preference for outsourcing even the most crucial activities to private parties. The frequent inability to swiftly and successfully complete goal-directed negotiations as well as the large but from a clinical point of view irrelevant private sector are areas of sustained bewilderment. Lastly, the drive for innovation and transformation as well as the level of biomedical research in the NHS and supported by the British universities is fascinating and outstanding.


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