scholarly journals Preventing crime by people with schizophrenic disorders: the role of psychiatric services

2004 ◽  
Vol 185 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Hodgins ◽  
R. Müller-Isberner

BackgroundKnowledge of when and how to implement treatments to prevent criminal offending among people with schizophrenia is urgently needed.AimsTo identify opportunities for interventions to prevent offending among men with schizophrenic disorders by tracking their histories of offending and admissions to hospital.MethodWe examined 232 men with schizophrenic disorders discharged from forensic and general psychiatric hospitals. Data were collected from participants, family members and official records.ResultsMore than three-quarters (77.8%) of the forensic patients had previously been admitted to general psychiatric services; 24.3% of the general psychiatric patients had a criminal record. Offences had been committed by 39.8% of the forensic patients and 10.8% of the general psychiatric patients before their first admission to general psychiatry, and after their first admission these 59 patients committed 195 non-violent and 59 violent offences. Subsequently, 49 of them committed serious violent offences that led to forensic hospital admission. The offenders were distinguished by a pervasive and stable pattern of antisocial behaviour evident from at least mid-adolescence.ConclusionsGeneral psychiatry requires resources in order to prevent criminal offending among a subgroup of patients with schizophrenic disorders.

1994 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liam Watters ◽  
Miriam Gannon ◽  
Denis Murphy

Structural AbstractObjective: General practitioners play a crucial role in the delivery of psychiatric treatment to patients who have many similarities to those attending the general psychiatric services. The purpose of this study was to elicit attitudes of general practitioners to an existing local service. Methods: We used an anonymous questionaire hand delivered to 54 general practitioners with practices in the catchment area of one of Dublin's psychiatric hospitals. Results: We received responses from 40 of the GP's indicating a high level of psychiatric morbidity in the primary care setting, a moderate level of satisfaction with psychiatric service, a low level of knowledge of the catchment area system, limited interest in taking on an increased role in the care of psychiatric patients and a high popularity rating for the community psychiatric nurse. Conclusions: This study confirms previous estimates of psychiatric morbidity in general practice, a need for improved communication between psychiatrists and general practitioners to identify more realistic expectations on both sides of the equation, and a huge potential for the expanding community psychiatric services to improve liaison between general practitioners and psychiatrists and yield considerable patient and doctor gains.


2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Amaddeo ◽  
Michele Tansella

Mortality among psychiatric patients has been found to be higher than the general population, not only in those long-term residents in old-fashioned psychiatric hospitals or attending hospital-based psychiatric services (Harris & Barraclough, 1998) but also in those treated in modern community-based systems of care (Amaddeo et al., 1995; Grigoletti et al., 2009).


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 256-259
Author(s):  
Hou Y.C. ◽  
Hsieh Y.L. ◽  
Tzeng I.S. ◽  
Kuo C.Y.

Malnutrition is an important issue in hospitalized patients. Poor nutrition may lead to increased risk of morbidity and death, impaired mental and physical conditions, apathy, depression, self-neglect, increased risk of medical complications, increased risk of pressure ulcers, reduced immune response, delayed wound healing, longer hospital stays, and reduced quality of life. However, few studies have investigated malnutrition in psychiatric patients. Psychiatric patients are known to have an increased risk of malnutrition, but psychiatric hospitals rarely conduct physical examinations and nutritional assessments. In this preliminary study, patients from a psychiatric ward of the Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital were chosen using the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool. We used the before-and-after analysis to test the effect of a nutrition intervention on the selected parameters. We found that patients who had an impaired nutritional status showed significant increases in body weight (mean: 43.6 ± 7.5 vs. 46.5 ± 8.2 kg; P < 0.001), BMI (mean: 16.8 ± 2.0 vs. 17.9 ± 2.1 kg/m2; P < 0.001), and total calorie intake (mean: 1128 ± 230 vs. 1378 ± 320 Kcal; P < 0.001). Nutritional intervention significantly improved body weight, BMI, and total calorie intake. Nutritional intervention may help prevent malnutrition and improve the management of psychiatric patients.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Girela ◽  
A. López ◽  
L. Ortega ◽  
J. De-Juan ◽  
F. Ruiz ◽  
...  

We have studied the use of coercive medical measures (forced medication, isolation, and mechanical restraint) in mentally ill inmates within two secure psychiatric hospitals (SPH) and three regular prisons (RP) in Spain. Variables related to adopted coercive measures were analyzed, such as type of measure, causes of indication, opinion of patient inmate, opinion of medical staff, and more frequent morbidity. A total of 209 patients (108 from SPH and 101 from RP) were studied. Isolation (41.35%) was the most frequent coercive measure, followed by mechanical restraint (33.17%) and forced medication (25.48%). The type of center has some influence; specifically in RP there is less risk of isolation and restraint than in SPH. Not having had any previous imprisonment reduces isolation and restraint risk while increases the risk of forced medication, as well as previous admissions to psychiatric inpatient units does. Finally, the fact of having lived with a partner before imprisonment reduces the risk of forced medication and communication with the family decreases the risk of isolation. Patients subjected to a coercive measure exhibited a pronounced psychopathology and most of them had been subjected to such measures on previous occasions. The mere fact of external assessment of compliance with human rights slows down the incidence of coercive measures.


2005 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart D M Thomas ◽  
Mairead Dolan ◽  
Jenny Shaw ◽  
Samantha Thomas ◽  
Graham Thornicroft ◽  
...  

Historically, a substantial proportion of women have been unduly detained in conditions of high security in England due to the lack of suitable alternative facilities. There have been no studies that have comprehensively examined the individual needs of these women in relation to their placement needs. A cross sectional survey was undertaken of the individual and placement needs of all females detained in the three high security psychiatric hospitals (HSPHs) in England on 18th October 1999. Whilst there are clearly differences in accommodation needs among the women, those requiring lower secure services are significantly less likely to have needs in relation to violence (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.14-0.62) and drugs (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.12-0.67) when length of stay is taken into account. They also have lower security, treatment and dependency needs than women still requiring HSPH treatment. A significant reorganisation of services is required. There is a need to gain further understanding of the relationships between traumatic histories, clinical presentation and antisocial behaviour and how these impact on assessed risk, treatment and care needs and outcome. The special needs of these women should be considered a priority when developing treatment and care packages.


1970 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilfred A. Cassell ◽  
Colin M. Smith ◽  
Maggie Grandy Rankin

This study has examined the nature and extent of services provided to psychiatric patients under ‘Medicare’. An analysis of the records of 864,128 residents of Saskatchewan revealed that in 1965, 13,950 males and 27,009 females received a psychiatric diagnosis from physicians in private practice. Psychoneurotic conditions were frequent. General practitioners provided the majority of treatment services for this group. Physicians practising in urban areas were found to complete more psychiatric treatment than their rural counterparts. Female patients were found to receive relatively more psychiatric care than males. The latter obtained more consultations, hospital visits and somatic investigations. Lastly, the rate of service was infrequent, averaging less than one treatment session per patient.


1970 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 143-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Innes ◽  
W. M. Millar

A 5-year follow-up study was carried out of all referrals to the psychiatric services in a Regional Board area. The death registers of the Registrar General for Scotland were searched for all patients who were not known to be alive at the end of the study. Of the 2103 patients included in the original study, 343 were found to have died. This represents 15.9 per cent of males and 16.7 per cent of females referred. Most of the deaths (41%) occurred in the first year of follow-up, 20 per cent in the first 3 months. The overall death rate was approximately twice the expectation based on death rates in the general population of the area. The excess was greatest in those aged under 55 years. All areas of residence, occupations and social classes had increased mortality. Those patients diagnosed as organic psychosis had highest mortality (70%) but all diagnoses had an excessive number of deaths when standardised for age. Of the initial referrals, 1.4 per cent committed suicide during the follow-up period. Apart from neoplasms where deaths were close to expectation, all other broad categories of causes of death were equally involved in the increase. This survey of a total psychiatric referral group (in-patients, out-patients and domiciliary visits and private patients) supports previously reported studies, mainly of in-patients, in their finding of an association between high mortality rates and psychiatric illness. It is possible that this association may result from selective referral to the psychiatric services of those psychiatrically ill patients who exhibit physical symptomatology.


2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 359-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Bayney ◽  
George Ikkos

Success in preventing and responding to criminal behaviours on psychiatric wards may sometimes require cooperation between mental health services and local police services. This is especially so when seeking legal remedies through the criminal justice system. This article describes police perceptions of psychiatric services and psychiatric patients. It also reviews police procedures and factors that influence their response when the police are requested to intervene following an alleged criminal act by an in-patient. A case vignette is used to highlight the causes of tensions and guide the reader through the steps that might be considered when the issue of prosecution arises.


1978 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 209-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezzat F. Guirguis ◽  
Henry B. Durost

The use of mechanical restraints for the management of disturbed or violent psychiatric patients continues to be a controversial issue. A survey of their use was carried out by means of a questionnaire sent to 370 psychiatric facilities in Canada to which there was a 62.2% response. General hospital psychiatric units, psychiatric hospitals and mental retardation centres accounted for 83.0% (191) of the returns and were the only facilities analyzed. The study showed that the vast majority still use mechanical restraints. The types of restraints in order of frequency of use included posey belts or shirts, isolation room, straps, sheets, strait jackets, wet or dry packs, hydrotherapy, and others. Violent behaviour is the main reason for which restraints are used. Medical orders, recording procedures and staff training in techniques of managing disturbed behaviour are reviewed. An important finding is the significant majority of facilities that have no stated policy permitting or forbidding the use of restraints. The findings are briefly related to Tuke's work in 1882 pointing to similarities in practice. Finally, the authors emphasize the need to deal with this contentious issue in an enlightened manner reflecting modern day demands.


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