scholarly journals Role of risk assessment in reducing homicides by people with mental illness

2000 ◽  
Vol 176 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eileen Munro ◽  
Judith Rumgay
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
The Public ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Substantial Risk

BackgroundImproved risk assessment has been stressed as the way to reduce homicides by people with mental illness. The feasibility of predicting rare events needs examining.AimsTo examine the findings of public inquiries into homicides by people with mental illness to see if they support the claim that better risk assessment would have averted the tragedy.MethodAnalysis was made of the findings of the public inquiries between 1988 and 1997 in relation to the predictability and preventability of the homicides.ResultsOf the homicides considered by the inquiry panels, 27.5% were judged to have been predictable, 65% preventable and 60% of the patients had a long-term history containing violence or substantial risk factors for violence.ConclusionsImproved risk assessment has only a limited role in reducing homicides. More deaths could be prevented by improved mental health care irrespective of the risk of violence. If services become biased towards those assessed as high risk, then ethical concerns arise about the care of both violent and non-violent patients.

Incorporating Exercise Professionals in Mental Health Settings: An Australian Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamish Fibbins ◽  
Oscar Lederman ◽  
Rachel Morell ◽  
Bonnie Furzer ◽  
Kemi Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Health Organizations ◽  
Physical Activity Interventions ◽  
Mental Health Settings

ABSTRACT Low rates of physical activity, in addition to other poor physical health behaviors, contribute to lower quality of life and increased rates of premature mortality for people living with mental illness. Physical activity reduces this mortality gap while simultaneously improving mood, cognitive function, and symptomology for a variety of psychiatric disorders. While physical activity programs are feasible and acceptable in this population, significant barriers exist that limit long-term adherence. Accredited exercise physiologists (AEPs) are best-placed in Australia to lead physical activity interventions for people living with mental illness. Additionally, AEPs provide an important role in improving culture change within mental health settings by influencing clinicians' attitudes to physical activity interventions. Leading international mental health organizations should collaborate and promote the role of physical activity to increase the provision of such services to people living with mental illness.

Empowerment and mental health

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 2100-2100
Author(s):  
N.H. Sartorius
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Disadvantaged Groups ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
People With Mental Illness

The word empowerment has been used to describe the efforts to give disadvantaged groups in the population a better chance to state their opinion and influence decisions affecting the population as a whole as well as themselves. In psychiatry the word is used both when talking about the process of raising self-confidence of an individual and in speaking about the need to increase the role of people with a mental illness and of their families in the shaping of the services which are to serve them.In these and other instances it would be possible to expect two positive outcomes if empowerment were to happen: firstly, disadvantaged individuals (including people with mental illness) who were empowered would feel better and be more likely to participate in the work of the group that has helped them to gain or regain self-confidence; and secondly, if given a chance people who were empowered would help to shape services that are to help them in harmony with their needs and the environment in which they are to work. The presentation will exemplify some of these points by a description of the experience gained in programmes that fought stigma and consequent discrimination.

Forensic Psychiatry

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheku Magona ◽  
Tara Straka
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
The Public ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Fitness To Stand Trial ◽  
Criminal Procedure Law ◽  
Serious Mental Illnesses ◽  
Public Psychiatrists

Law enforcement, lawmakers, and the public are increasingly concerned about how people with mental illness are treated within the criminal justice system. This chapter focuses on the role of public psychiatrists in the provision of timely evaluation, expertise, and care for individuals in custody—particularly for individuals with serious mental illnesses. A case-based discussion illuminates important aspects of the legal and health care challenges facing individuals at the time of arrest, arraignment, incarceration, trial, and community re-entry. The chapter discusses mental hygiene law, criminal procedure law, advocacy, and the formation of policy with an emphasis on fitness to stand trial. Appropriate diversion of individuals with mental illness from incarceration, and its role in helping these individuals to achieve recovery, is explored in detail.

Mental Illness and its Link to Illegal Street Market Activity: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and How They Compare to Violence

2020 ◽  
pp. 0306624X2094469
Author(s):  
Michelle N. Harris ◽  
Leah E. Daigle
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Violent Offending ◽  
Assessment Study ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Type Of Behavior

Given the focus on research assessing violence among people with mental illness, other forms of deviance such as illegal street market offending have been relatively ignored. As such, the prevalence and risk factors for illegal street market offending among those with mental disorders is unknown. Utilizing the MacArthur Risk Assessment Study, the prevalence of illegal street market offending among this population is assessed along with the risk factors for engaging in this type of behavior. These factors are investigated for their generality in predicting violent offending to see if there are unique risk factors associated with illegal street market offending. Results indicate that factors related to money, factors related to substance usage, and general factors related to offending are significantly associated with illegal street market offending. Theoretical implications and future research are discussed.

Public knowledge, attitudes and behaviour regarding people with mental illness in England 2009-2012

2013 ◽  
Vol 202 (s55) ◽  
pp. s51-s57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Evans-Lacko ◽  
Claire Henderson ◽  
Graham Thornicroft
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Public Knowledge ◽  
The Public ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
English Population ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Intended Behaviour

BackgroundPublic stigma against people with mental health problems is damaging to individuals with mental illness and is associated with substantial societal burden.AimsTo investigate whether public knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in relation to people with mental health problems have improved among the English population since the inception of the Time To Change programme in 2009.MethodWe analysed longitudinal trends in public knowledge, attitudes and behaviour between 2009 and 2012 among a nationally representative sample of English adults.ResultsThere were improvements in intended behaviour (0.07 standard deviation units, 95% CI 0.01-0.14) and a nonsignificant trend for improvement in attitudes (P=0.08) among the English population. There was, however, no significant improvement in knowledge or reported behaviour.ConclusionsThe findings provide support for effectiveness of the national Time to Change programme against stigma and discrimination in improving attitudes and intended behaviour, but not knowledge, among the public in England.

scholarly journals Why People Hesitate To Help: A Relationship Between Stigma and Help-Giving Attitude

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 227-234
Author(s):  
Franz A. Nurdiyanto ◽  
Diana Setiyawati
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Public Stigma ◽  
The Public ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Appropriate Treatment ◽  
Help Giving

Mental disorders have become a prominent global burden of disease and their prevalent rate has increased by 37.6% in 1990-2010. In Indonesia, the prevalence of people with severe mental illness was approximately 1-2 out of 1,000 people. Unfortunately, the provisions of mental health services are still insufficient compared to the public need. It is difficult to find mental health services. People with mental illness also rarely receive an appropriate treatment they need. Furthermore, misconceptions on mental illness have made the society hesitate to help. This research aimed to investigate the correlation between public stigma and mental health help-giving attitude. There were 203 participants (Male n = 44) from psychology, medicine, and nursing programs involved in the research. They completed public stigma scale and attitude towards mental health help-giving scale. A correlational analysis using the Charles Spearman’s rank-order correlation revealed a negative correlation of - .47 (p < .05). Based on the result, public stigma was related to mental health help-giving. There was no difference between males and females in mental health help-giving.

Psychological torture: Characteristics and impact on mental health

2020 ◽  
pp. 002076402096180
Author(s):  
Joseph El-Khoury ◽  
Riwa Haidar ◽  
Andres Barkil-Oteo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
The United States ◽  
Physical Pain ◽  
Therapeutic Implications ◽  
The Public ◽  
Critical Commentary

Torture has been illegal in most of Europe and the United States for over a century but persisted in other parts of the world. The changing geopolitical landscape has led to its resurgence in recent years. The public rejection of traditional forms of torture that rely on the infliction of physical pain has paradoxically increased the reliance on psychological methods of torture. This critical commentary aims to define and characterize psychological torture (PT) while exploring practical, legal, ethical and therapeutic implications relevant to clinicians and policymakers. Psychological torture comes in a range of forms. It is being increasingly justified and adopted by legitimate authorities in the name of national security. The emphasis on the avoidance of physical pain leads to the assumption that PT does not produce the levels of suffering and harm that are associated with physically violent forms of torture. This same assumption has allowed for the implication of mental health professionals in theorizing and providing legitimacy for the actions of perpetrators. Psychological torture is still poorly defined with limited understanding of its long-term psychiatric impact on those who are subjected to it. The role of mental health professionals in preventing or addressing psychological torture remains ambiguous and needs to be reinforced.

scholarly journals Regulating Madness in a Mental Health Court

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 26-37
Author(s):  
Sue-Ann MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Court ◽  
Public Order ◽  
Ethnographic Methods ◽  
The Public ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
New Form

This article explores the regulation of people with mental illness who are accused of committing minor crimes (e.g. mischief, minor theft, assault, uttering threats, etc.) and viewed as disturbing the public order. The results are drawn from a study of a Mental Health Court (MHC) in Montréal (Canada), illuminating the perceptions and experiences of MHC actors who are involved in its operation. Deploying a multi-method design inspired by institutional ethnographic methods, this study sought to explore the inherent tensions in regulatory penal practices that oscillate at varying degrees between prevention, punishment and therapeutic intentions. It is argued that MHCs symbolize a new form of governmentality, in an eff ort to create disciplined subjects by reigning in madness and controlling marginality.

Genetic influences across the age span

2018 ◽  
pp. 55-58
Author(s):  
Edward Shaw ◽  
Daniel J. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Genetic Research ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Significance

Most psychiatric disorders have a genetic component. Mental illness tends to occur as a consequence of the dynamic interaction between genetic vulnerabilities and environmental risk factors. Future advances in public mental health should bear in mind the important role of genetics in determining mental health and well-being. Genetic research raises important ethical considerations. The challenges of discovering genetic risk factors for psychiatric disorders are outlined, along with examples of recent discoveries from large-scale genetic epidemiological research. The focus is on an age span perspective, with consideration of the role of epigenetic processes during development. Discoveries in childhood (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), adulthood (schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) and older-age (Alzheimer’s disease) are summarized. The public health significance of psychiatric genetics is considered within the context of ongoing global efforts to understand the causes of mental illness and how this might lead to new approaches to diagnosis, classification, and treatment.

scholarly journals Transferring people with mental illness from emergency department to acute mental health wards: survey of contemporary practice

2006 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 447-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Antwi ◽  
Adrian Flynn ◽  
Paul Chrichard ◽  
Amanda Haddock ◽  
Claire Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Emergency Departments ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Liaison Psychiatry ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Psychiatric Units ◽  
Risk Patients ◽  
Contemporary Practice

Aims and MethodA substantial minority of patients attending emergency departments do so with a primary mental health problem. A number will require admission to an acute psychiatric unit. There is little guidance about the best practice in terms of risk assessment and escorting of these patients. We conducted a telephone questionnaire survey of acute trusts, to identify current policies for the transfer of patients with mental illness to acute psychiatric units.ResultsEighty-two trusts were contacted. We could not verify the presence of any current policies. There was considerable variation in the assessment and management of risk in these clinical circumstances.Clinical ImplicationsCurrent local service structure and transfer distance may influence the way in which risk is assessed. However, there is a need for trusts to ensure that basic standards of risk assessment are maintained for the transfer of these high-risk patients. We recommend that all emergency departments should have such policies and that liaison psychiatry is well placed to aid their development.

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