Adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism who deliberately set fires: A systematic review

Fire setting behaviour has devastating consequences and a significant number of adults who set fires have intellectual disabilities and/or autism. However, there has been no comprehensive review of the characteristics and treatment needs of this group of offenders, with existing reviews being limited in terms of sample population and methodological rigour. The purpose of this review was to systematically examine and synthesise existing research to determine what is known about adults with intellectual disabilities and autism who set fires. PsychINFO, PsychARTICLES, Medline, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, Criminal Justice Abstracts, SCOPUS, Open Grey, and the University of Kent arson library were searched for articles. The methodological quality of studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Searches resulted in 100 articles that met the specific inclusion criteria. Findings indicated adults with intellectual disabilities and autism share some characteristics with other adults who set fires (e.g. aggression, impulsivity). They also face additional challenges, which may have implications for treatment and risk formulation (e.g. communication difficulties, lack of support). However, current research is generally of poor methodological quality, limiting our ability to understand the unique characteristics and treatment needs of this population

Wind regime changes in the Euro-Atlantic region driven by Late-Holocene Grand Solar Minima

Understanding atmospheric response to radiative forcing, including the intensity and distribution of wind patterns is critical as this might have important implications in the coming decades. Long-term episodes of reduced solar activity (i.e. Grand Solar Minima, GSM) have triggered rapid climate change in the past, recorded in proxy-based records, including varved sediments from Meerfelder Maar, Germany, where the Homeric GSM (~ 2800 years ago) was studied. This study reconstructs windy conditions during the same GSM from Diss Mere, another varved record in England, to support the solar-wind linkage in the North Atlantic-European region. We use diatoms as proxies for windiness and support the palaeolimnological and palaeoclimate interpretation with a multi-proxy approach, including sedimentological, geochemical, and biological (chironomids and pollen) evidence. The diatom assemblage documents a shift from Pantocsekiella ocellata dominance to Stephanodiscus parvus and Lindavia comta, indicating a shift to more turbulent waters from ~ 2767 ± 28, linked to increased windiness. This shift is synchronous with changes in 14C production, linked to solar activity changes during the GSM. Both proxy records reflect a rapid and synchronous atmospheric response (i.e. stronger winds) at the onset and during the GSM in the North Atlantic and continental Europe. In order to test whether this solar-wind linkage is consistent during other GSMs and to understand the underlying climate dynamics, we analyse the wind response to solar forcing at the two study sites during the Little Ice Age, a period that includes several GSMs. For this, we have used a reconstruction based on a 1200-year-long simulation with an isotope-enabled climate model. Our study suggests that wind anomalies in the North Atlantic-European sector may relate to an anomalous atmospheric circulation in response to long-term solar forcing leading to north-easterlies modulated by the East Atlantic pattern

A systematic review and synthesis of outcome domains for use within forensic services for people with intellectual disabilities

Aims. In response to the large number of people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) and offending behaviour being treated in psychiatric hospitals, this study identified and developed the domains that should be used to measure treatment outcomes for this population using both a systematic review and consultation exercises. Methods. A systematic search of relevant databases, and sixty studies met the eligibility criteria, and findings were synthesised using content analysis. The findings were refined within a consultation and consensus exercises with carers, service users, and experts. Results. The final framework encompassed three a priori superordinate domains (a) effectiveness, (b) patient safety, and (c) patient and carer experience. Within each of these, further sub-domains emerged from our systematic review and consultation exercises. These included severity of clinical symptoms, offending behaviours, reactive and restrictive interventions, quality of life and patient satisfaction. Conclusions. To index recovery, services need to measure outcome using this framework