What is the Impact of Mental Health Courts? A Systematic Literature Review

Mental health court programs have proliferated in the United States in the past few decades in response to the growth of persons with mental illness involved in the criminal justice system. Research has previously been conducted on the impact of these programs, but few studies have been done to identify themes among the research as a whole in regard to their impact on three main goals: reducing recidivism, improving mental health and connecting participants to treatment and services. This systematic review was designed to explore the question: what is the impact of mental health court programs on recidivism, connection to treatment services, and clinical outcomes for participants? Database searches of SocINDEX, Academic Search Premier, Criminal Justice Abstracts and Social Work Abstracts were conducted in September and October of 2016 using a combination of the following search terms: “mental health court NOT juvenile” AND “outcome” or “effect” or “impact” or “effectiveness” AND “recidivism” or “re-arrest” or “clinical” or “treatment”. The search resulted in 13 articles meeting inclusion criteria, which were subsequently used in the final review.( The three main themes of recidivism, connection to treatment services and clinical outcomes each were evaluated to identify subthemes. These subthemes were: mental health courts have a positive impact on reducing recidivism, the importance of graduation from the program as opposed to being terminated or opting-out, the maintenance of a positive effect on recidivism beyond the supervision period, and finally, that mental health courts reduce the need for crisis services or hospitalization and increase the therapeutic treatment intensity for participants.) The research found conflicting findings regarding mental health courts’ impact on clinical outcomes

What is the Impact of Mental Health Courts? A Systematic Literature Review

Mental health court programs have proliferated in the United States in the past few decades in response to the growth of persons with mental illness involved in the criminal justice system. Research has previously been conducted on the impact of these programs, but few studies have been done to identify themes among the research as a whole in regard to their impact on three main goals: reducing recidivism, improving mental health and connecting participants to treatment and services. This systematic review was designed to explore the question: what is the impact of mental health court programs on recidivism, connection to treatment services, and clinical outcomes for participants? Database searches of SocINDEX, Academic Search Premier, Criminal Justice Abstracts and Social Work Abstracts were conducted in September and October of 2016 using a combination of the following search terms: “mental health court NOT juvenile” AND “outcome” or “effect” or “impact” or “effectiveness” AND “recidivism” or “re-arrest” or “clinical” or “treatment”. The search resulted in 13 articles meeting inclusion criteria, which were subsequently used in the final review.( The three main themes of recidivism, connection to treatment services and clinical outcomes each were evaluated to identify subthemes. These subthemes were: mental health courts have a positive impact on reducing recidivism, the importance of graduation from the program as opposed to being terminated or opting-out, the maintenance of a positive effect on recidivism beyond the supervision period, and finally, that mental health courts reduce the need for crisis services or hospitalization and increase the therapeutic treatment intensity for participants.) The research found conflicting findings regarding mental health courts’ impact on clinical outcomes

What is the Impact of Mental Health Courts? A Systematic Literature Review

Mental health court programs have proliferated in the United States in the past few decades in response to the growth of persons with mental illness involved in the criminal justice system. Research has previously been conducted on the impact of these programs, but few studies have been done to identify themes among the research as a whole in regard to their impact on three main goals: reducing recidivism, improving mental health and connecting participants to treatment and services. This systematic review was designed to explore the question: what is the impact of mental health court programs on recidivism, connection to treatment services, and clinical outcomes for participants? Database searches of SocINDEX, Academic Search Premier, Criminal Justice Abstracts and Social Work Abstracts were conducted in September and October of 2016 using a combination of the following search terms: “mental health court NOT juvenile” AND “outcome” or “effect” or “impact” or “effectiveness” AND “recidivism” or “re-arrest” or “clinical” or “treatment”. The search resulted in 13 articles meeting inclusion criteria, which were subsequently used in the final review.( The three main themes of recidivism, connection to treatment services and clinical outcomes each were evaluated to identify subthemes. These subthemes were: mental health courts have a positive impact on reducing recidivism, the importance of graduation from the program as opposed to being terminated or opting-out, the maintenance of a positive effect on recidivism beyond the supervision period, and finally, that mental health courts reduce the need for crisis services or hospitalization and increase the therapeutic treatment intensity for participants.) The research found conflicting findings regarding mental health courts’ impact on clinical outcomes

Directed Morphogenesis of Smallpox Vaccine for Enhanced Immunogenicity and Decreased Side Effects

Vaccinia virus (VACV) produces two morphologically distinct mature virions: enveloped virus (EV) and intracellular mature virus (IMV). EV is produced first in the replication cycle and is required for virus dissemination. IMV is thought to be produced by default, when the cellular membranes that wrap EV become exhausted and as the more robust particle, is involved in host-to-host transmission. The aim of this study was to examine the hypothesis that IMV production is not a default, but is an active process mediated by the IMV-specific protein, A26. Two recombinant VACVs were constructed: vldA26L and vldA26L. neo, in which the A26L gene was deleted or inactivated. One-step growth curves demonstrated a reduction in virus yields for these viruses. Examination of the kinetics of EV and IMV production by the A26L deletion mutants did not demonstrate a reduction in IMV as expected, yet the production of single-membraned virus was perturbed when compared to wild-type VACV IHD-J and a revertant virus. Constitutive expression of A26 from a synthetic early/late promoter did not affect virus yields and did not result in increased production of IMV in favour of EV. Treatment of virions with membrane perturbing agents demonstrated increased susceptibility of EV to inactivation when compared to IMV, suggesting that the EV pre-cursor and mature IMV are different particles. Mutant IMV from A26L-VACV cultures demonstrated increased sensitivity to the detergent Tween-20 when compared to wild-type IMV, behaving similarly to stripped EV. This suggests resistance might be attributable to the presence of IMV-specific proteins that are not found on stripped EV. This study provides evidence that IMV is a true end-stage product of VACV morphogenesis, and that OPVs employ a mechanism to actively differentiate particles towards IMV, thus preventing maturation of a subset of virions as EV. This results in two non-interchangeable isoforms of mature infectious virions that are produced to perform their individual functions in the virus life-cycle

Examining the Role of the Catholic Environment in Students’ Search for Meaning

Emerging research illustrates that undergraduate students are searching for meaning in their lives, yet postsecondary institutions generally do little to support them in exploring such issues (Astin et al., 2005b). We speculated that religiously affiliated institutions might offer guidance on supporting students’ spiritual development, and thus examined students in the context of Catholic postsecondary environments, focusing on whether the students’ religious affiliations and perceptions of their institution as supporting their spiritual development affected their search for meaning. Further, we examined the aspects of the environment that strengthened students’ perceptions of their college environment as closely aligned with the Catholic mission, and thus supportive of their spiritual development. We discuss implications for secular and religious institutions

“You can be blind because of loving them so much”: the impact on owners in the United Kingdom of living with a dog with osteoarthritis

BackgroundThere is growing awareness that caring for a chronically ill pet may have a detrimental impact on their owner’s quality of life. Companion animal orthopaedic disease has received little research interest in this context. Canine osteoarthritis is known to negatively affect the welfare of many dogs in the United Kingdom, but its consequences for their owners has not previously been described. The aim of this study was to use a qualitative methodology to explore the impacts on a dog owner that occur following their dog’s diagnosis with osteoarthritis. Owners of osteoarthritic dogs based in the United Kingdom (UK) were recruited through veterinary practices to participate in semi-structured interview about life with their dog. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was used to construct key themes. This publication describes the theme that focused on the impact(s) that the dog’s condition had had on the life of their owner.ResultsForty owners of 35 dogs of a range of breeds and ages were interviewed. A wide range of negative impacts on the physical, mental and financial health of owners were described. Few had any prior experience of canine osteoarthritis, and owners of young dogs appeared to be particularly affected by the diagnosis. Owners detailed increasing worry over time about their pet’s condition, frequently combined with a growing need to physically assist their dog. Sometimes this led them to seek information about, and purchase, adjunctive therapies and products. The dog’s reduced mobility and need for medications progressively limited their own lifestyles and ability to have time away from their pet. Owners typically described a strong bond with their dog as a motivator to provide ongoing care.ConclusionsThe negative impacts on owners of caring for an osteoarthritic dog appear multi-faceted and may be sustained over many years, particularly if the dog is young at diagnosis. Owners may be highly motivated to improve their dog’s mobility and to reduce the impact the condition has on their own lives, yet they may be unsure how to achieve this. Veterinary professionals should inform and support these owners as much as possible

Analysis of Turning Behavior in the African Clawed Frog

African Clawed Toads turn toward waves created by prey. We studied turning of four frogs. We concentrated on body movement, leg action and hip, knee and ankle movements, classified respectively as pushing/pulling or extension/flexion/ return. As expected, we observed symmetrical patterns for left and right stimuli. Very rostral stimuli (+- 30 °) generally elicited a forward movement as the legs extended and pushed; hips extended while knee and ankle movement varied according to turn angle. More lateral and caudal stimuli commonly elicited an initial backward movement of the rear of the body as one or both legs pulled, reflecting hip flexion. Knee and ankle movement again varied by turn angle and together with the pulling initiated body rotation. Turning usually continued with a sweeping push by the contralateral leg, involving hip and knee extension and knee flexion. Overall leg movement patterns are similar when compared amongst frogs though the strength of joint flexion and extension vary. Variation in joint movement may be influenced by the overall size of the frog.https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/u_poster_2013/1005/thumbnail.jp

Understanding strength training behaviour in older adults using the theory of planned behaviour

The purpose of this study was to use the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behaviour to gain a better understanding of older adults participation in strength training. Two hundred participants aged 55 years and older completed a questionnaire which assessed the constructs of the theory. Participants were classified into four groups based on self reported levels of participation in physical activity. The groups included strength plus aerobic trainers (SAT), strength trainers (ST), aerobic trainers (AT), and non-trainers (NT). Results revealed no significant differences between the groups on attitudes. Both the ATs and the NTs differed significantly from the two strength training groups on perceived behavioural control. The NT group also differed from the two strength training groups on subjective norms. The ATs were significantly different from the SATs on behavioural beliefs and both the ATs and NTs were statistically different from the SATs on control beliefs. Subjective norms and perceived behavioural control were the strongest predictors of intention. These findings provide information about the constructs that should be targeted in intervention programs designed to increase strength training participation in the older population

A novel approach to welfare interventions in problem multi-cat households

BackgroundThousands of injured, stray and relinquished cats are received at the RSPCA Greater Manchester Animal Hospital each year. A significant and challenging proportion of these cats are confiscated from multicat households by RSPCA Inspectors, due to the owners’ inability to care for them. These households share many characteristics of animal hoarding, including poor owner compliance with suggested welfare improvements and recidivism. The relatively poor adoption potential of animals from such households are a perennial problem for the charity.The aim of this study was to determine if offering female cat neutering assistance to multi-cat owners significantly improved colony welfare.ResultsTen multicat households with a history of public complaint to the RSPCA were recruited. An RSPCA veterinary surgeon (VS) initially assessed the overall welfare of each household’s cat population, individual cat welfare and the living environment. All entire female cats aged over 8 weeks were neutered and basic animal care education provided. Follow up visits were completed two and 12 months later to reassess welfare parameters and population numbers.The total number of cats was 176 across ten households (range 7–33, median 16). All owners consented to having all entire female cats spayed. At the first visit, mean individual cat welfare scores ranged from 5.4–8.7/ 16 across the 10 households, where 16 represented best possible welfare.Overall household mean welfare scores were significantly improved at both the 2 month and 12 month revisits (p = 0.011 and p = 0.01 respectively) when compared to the initial visits. By the end of the study period, three out of the ten households had voluntarily relinquished all of their cats, and overall there was a 40% reduction in the number of cats.ConclusionsAnimal hoarding has previously been an intractable welfare concern with little evidence informing intervention techniques. These results show that positive veterinary engagement on site, focused on preventative care and population control, can yield significant improvement in welfare scoring systems in relatively short timescales. Promptly collecting and neutering all female cats at a site, combined with advice and support, show promise in improving welfare