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Background and Objectives: In 2016, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) became legal in Canada for those suffering a grievous and untreatable medical condition. Currently, it is not available to minors or to those with an untreatable mental illness, although it is likely the scope of MAiD will be widened to include persons with severe and untreatable mental illnesses. However, little is known about the factors predicting acceptance or rejection of MAiD for persons with either a grievous medical condition or an untreatable mental illness. Methods: A survey was administered to 438 undergraduate students to examine factors associated with their acceptance or rejection of MAiD. The survey included four different scenarios: a young or old person with an untreatable medical condition, and a young or old person with an untreatable mental illness. Demographic questions (age, sex, religion, etc), personality measures, and an attitude towards euthanasia scale were also administered, as well as questions assessing participants’ general understanding of MAiD and their life experiences with death and suicide. Results/Conclusion: Overall, most of the Canadian undergraduate participants accepted MAiD for both terminally ill and mentally ill patients; however, different variables, such as age, religion, and ethnicity, predicted the acceptance or rejection of MAiD for each scenario.

Increasing industrialization, urbanization, and a failure of many world leaders to appreciate the consequences of climate change are deleteriously impacting quality of life as well as diminishing the prospects for long term survival. Economic competitiveness and corporate profitability often pre-empt environmental concerns. The calving of an iceberg in Antarctica and the hurricane activity in the Caribbean during 2017 are unfortunate illustrations of the continuing escalation of environmental issues. We provide historical and current evidence for the importance of Nature Exposure (NE) and introduce the continuum Nature Exposure Sufficiency (NES) and Insufficiency (NEI). Insufficiency includes impoverished environments (e.g., slums and prisons) where nature exposure is very limited. Nature Exposure Sufficiency (NES) is an optimal amount of exposure to nature where many benefits such as reinvigoration can be obtained by everyone. NES also has several benefits for individuals with various health conditions such as arthritis, dementia, or depression. The benefits of NE are not just derivable from parks, forests, and other natural settings. Interiors of buildings and homes can be enhanced with plants and even pictures or objects from nature. Additionally, there is abundant evidence indicating that virtual and artificial environments depicting nature can provide substantial NE and therefore contribute to general wellbeing. Besides the difficulty in achieving cooperation amongst nations, corporations, and other collectives in developing and implementing long range plans to deal with climate change, there is also sometimes an aversion at the individual level whereby people are unwilling to experience nature due to insects and other discomforts. Such individuals are often averse to supplanting the comforts of home, even temporarily, with inadequate facilities that are seemingly less pleasant than their typical dwellings. We propose using the term Nature Exposure Aversion (NEA) to describe such behavior and propose that the aversion is largely due to conditioning. Such behavior may be addressed through desensitization in virtual environments which in turn may contribute to an endorsement of the view that climate change is occurring and must be dealt with. The issues of Nature Exposure Sufficiency and Insufficiency are intertwined with the sustainability of the planet and future planning and efforts to deal with the environment. If the outcome is unfavorable, the descent of civilization will be more rapid than the ascent.

To improve patient care/outcome, an evaluation was conducted of nursing procedures and protocols for pro re nata (PRN) medications.A 14-day chart review was conducted for 27 patients with mood and thought disorders (MTD) and for 24 patients with organic disorders (OD) at a geriatric psychiatric hospital, and a questionnaire was completed by 20 nurses.377 PRNs were administered to patients in the MTD and OD units (240 and 137, respectively). The majority of PRNs were administered during the evening shifts on the MTD unit and during the day shifts on the OD unit. Chart notes indicated the behavior requiring PRN administration was not always specifically described and therapeutic interventions were not often attempted before PRN administration. Inconsistency between chart notes and medication record books was noted in the majority of cases. It was often not known whether the PRN was initiated by the staff, patient, or family. PRNs were reported to be not effective in the majority of cases.Documentation was suboptimal and effectiveness was poor.It would be worthwhile to train all staff in a patient-centered or ecopsychosocial (i.e., non-pharmacological) model of care, which would provide staff alternatives to PRNs. In that context, it would be important to implement standards of practice into geriatric psychiatry inpatient settings for PRN administration and documentation.

The direct or indirect experience of crime can cause individuals to feel vengeful against the perpetrator(s). The prison system reflects this sentiment by creating austere environments that are dehumanizing, punitive, and hopeless. Prisons are, therefore, environments in which retribution and punishment take priority over rehabilitation. Frequently, prisoners are believed to be untreatable because of their antisocial orientation. However, several factors influence an antisocial orientation such as socioeconomic status, family of origin, and mental health. The ubiquitous nothing works misbelief has resulted in prisoner marginalization and increased recidivism because of insufficient treatment. In 2015, 10 million individuals were incarcerated worldwide with around 30 million circulating through prisons each year. The prison environment decreases prisoner life expectancy and overall health. Sadly, prisoner benefits from treatment post-incarceration dissipate after 3–6 months and many prisoners die by suicide or drug overdose. Prison overpopulation, as well as poor outcome post-incarceration, requires more effective treatment. We hypothesize that Prisoner Exposure to Nature (PEN) can transform prisons into environments that are conducive to maintaining and improving physical and mental health. In prior work we proposed the continuum Nature Exposure Sufficiency (NES) versus Nature Exposure Insufficiency (NEI). Prisons are impoverished environments that limit Nature Exposure (NE) which results in NEI. Individuals experience fluctuations in mental and physical health as a result of NEI. Numerous studies have shown that direct and indirect NE can improve mood, physical health, and facilitate connectivity with self and society. It is necessary to consider ways in which we can incorporate NE for prisoner wellbeing. Additionally, it is crucial that prison personnel and prisoners develop a therapeutic/helping relationship (i.e., alliance) that is facilitated by friendliness and warmth to foster social change and citizenship. Many prisoners experience isolation and disconnection with society upon reentry. Given that most prisoners are eventually released into the community, we are obligated not to make them worse. Hence, it is important that prisons create programs that develop citizenship to engender prisoner volition to become positive and active citizens. We focus on the prison and prisoners, however our work is relevant to all total institutions (e.g., mental hospitals, nursing homes, schools, etc.). The prison system favors punishment and mass incarceration over treatment and decarceration. The deleterious effects of incarceration are clear and it is time to implement treatments based on the principles of PEN to improve prisoner wellbeing and citizenship.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate relapse prevention skill acquisition within the context of a comprehensive treatment program involving group psychotherapy, relapse prevention programming, and other essential psychoeducational components. The Sex Offender Situational Competency Test (SOSCT) was administered pretreatment and posttreatment to 139 convicted adult sex offenders in intensive inpatient treatment for 5.7 to 22.9 months. The SOSCT measures the ability to recognize high-risk situations and the effectiveness of the coping skills generated. Participants were presented with differing scenarios depending on their sex-offender subtype (75 heterosexual child molesters, 23 homosexual child molesters, and 36 rapists of women). Posttreatment scores on the SOSCT improved significantly (p .357) nor the interaction between treatment time and group (p > .097) obtained statistical significance. It is very unlikely that the SOSCT improvements obtain...

Foreslår et paradigme - "Living in history" - til undersøgelse af forholdet mellem samtidshistorie og selvbiografisk hukommelse. Metoden spørger ikke direkte og altså ikke til den anknytning, man bevidst ville vælge at fremhæve, men undersøger indirekte, om der spontant associeres til samtidsbegivenheden fra andre erindringer. Vi undersøgte 10 grupper unge i forskellige lande med paradigmet. Resultaterne tyder på, at begivenheder som krig og jordskælv bliver organiserende for den selvbiografiske hukommelse - dvs mange andre erindringer associerer spontant dertil - men stærk symbol-værdi og emotionel ladning er ikke nok til at danne effekten; fx sås ingen effekt af World Trade Center-angrebet med denne metode, end ikke blandt unge fra Manhattan eller andetsteds i USA. Derimod sås klar effekt hos unge fra Balkan - især Bosnien-Herzegovina - og i et jordskælvramt område i Tyrkiet. Vi foreslår på den baggrund "Fabric of daily life"-teorien: Når (og kun når) samtidsbegivenheder giver direkte og længerevarende omvæltninger i hverdagen, får de organiserende effekt på den mentale selvbiografi. Udgivelsesdato: APR

Executive functions in 100 incarcerated adolescent female offenders were examined using the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS). As hypothesized, mean scores for the sample were significantly lower than norms on measures of Planning and Successive Processing. Contrary to our hypothesis, the Attention mean did not differ significantly from the normative data. The Simultaneous mean was also significantly lower than norms although no hypothesis had been made and only a small effect size was noted. These findings suggest that incarcerated delinquent females can be differentiated from non-delinquent females on the basis of specific neuropsychological deficits in much the same way that male delinquents can be differentiated from non-delinquent males.

This report is primarily concerned with reporting on the normative results obtained on a large sample of serious adult offenders. An expanded Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery was administered to 584 adult offenders (OF), 132 normal controls (NC), and 494 acute psychiatric patients (PP). Subjects were between 18 and 44 years of age. Descriptive statistics for all neuropsychological measures are reported. Impairment analyses indicate substantial neuropsychological impairment in the OF and PP groups, especially on measures of executive function and verbal capacities. The neuropsychology of the prefrontal cortex and of Attentional Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Conduct Disorder is reviewed. This review, in the context of the present findings, supports a working hypothesis that the executive deficits and behavioral disinhibition of offenders represent heterotypic continuities of brain dysfunction among some children with disruptive behavior disorders. Implications for research, the ...

Inpatient assault of forensic and psychiatric staff is a complex and multifaceted issue. Hence, the consequences reported in the literature regarding prosecuting assaultive inpatients are quite variable. In this article, issues pertaining to the prosecution of violent inpatients are reviewed. Illustrative cases, challenges of prosecution, potential policies, therapeutic jurisprudence, pocket probation, and mental health courts are discussed.

Following 11–98 weeks of inpatient residential treatment, 69 male adolescent sex offenders completed the 60-item, 12-factor Yalom Card Sort. The rank orders were compared to adult sex offenders and a psychiatric adult outpatient group. Relative to adult psychiatric outpatients, the adolescent sex offenders had rated Instillation of Hope three ranks higher; Family Reenactment, four ranks higher; and Interpersonal Learning (input), eight ranks lower. In comparison to adult sex offenders, both Instillation of Hope and Universality were rated three ranks higher, and Interpersonal Learning (input) was rated four ranks lower. Rankings were correlated with age and treatment length. As age increased, the ranking of Family Reenactment decreased and as treatment length increased so did the importance of Group Cohesiveness. Implications for adolescent sex offender treatment are discussed.

The durability of the psychosocial benefits of Life Skills programming on outpatient adults with mental health/forensic issues was examined. Participants were 52 adults (28 males, 24 females) who completed 16 weeks of Life Skills at a psychiatric outpatient clinic and were re-assessed between six months and six years following treatment. Psychosocial adjustment was assessed using the three scales of the Holden Psychological Screening Inventory (HPSI). Two groups of participants were compared, based on time since completion of treatment. There were no significant differences between time-based groups on the HPSI, but there was a significant gender effect for psychiatric symptoms, with females scoring higher on this scale than males (p = .028). When current HPSI scores were compared to HPSI scores that were assessed upon completion of Life Skills in a recent pre-post study on the same clientele (Reddon, Hoglin, & Woodman, 2008), analyses produced no statistically significant differences between fol...

A total of 206 (105 men, 101 women) adult psychiatric patients participated in life skills programming 5 half days per week for 16 weeks. Psychosocial adjustment was assessed pre- and post-treatment with the three primary scales of the Holden Psychological Screening Inventory (HPSI). A multivariate pre- versus post-treatment analysis resulted in a nonsignificant effect for the covariate age (p= .136) but significant effects for time (p

Executive functions in 111 adolescent male offenders were examined using the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS). As hypothesized, mean scores for the sample were significantly lower than norms on CAS measures of Planning, Attention, and Successive Processing, and deficits remained for individuals with a childhood-onset when the sample was divided by age-of-onset for antisocial behaviors. Contrary to our hypothesis, mean scores for individuals with adolescent-onset antisocial behaviors were significantly below norms for Planning and Successive Processing. The study provides a direct rather than putative assessment of executive functions and identifies specific executive function deficits regardless of age-of-onset of antisocial behaviors. Implications for practice and limitations of the study are reviewed.

The American and Canadian standardization samples for the fourth edition of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children were used to ascertain the prevalence of “seemingly anomalous” Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) scores for all possible sums of scaled scores combinations of the Verbal Comprehension Index, Perceptual Reasoning Index, Working Memory Index, and Processing Speed Index. About 1% of FSIQ scores in both samples were anomalous (that is, fell outside the range of the four indices). Interestingly, the prevalence of anomalous scores was higher at the extremes of the FSIQ distribution. Moreover, anomalous FSIQ scores occurring above or below the mean of the FSIQ distribution (that is, 100) were larger or smaller, respectively, than any of the four indices. Furthermore, if the range of the four indices did contain the FSIQ (the non-anomalous case), when the FSIQ was below or above 100 it tended to be located distally in the half-segment of the range furthest below or above 100, respectively. A non-technical intuitive analogy from Olympic sports and a statistical explanation for the findings are provided. Important implications for practitioners are also presented.

Prevalence of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) was measured in 75 (45 men, 30 women) new admissions to an acute care dementia unit in a psychiatric hospital. Participants aged 64-97 years were administered a Mini Mental Status Examination within one or two days of admission. The behaviors of the participants were evaluated in each of the three work shifts (i.e., at 7:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., and 11:00 p.m.) using the Behavioral Severity Scale. The three ratings per day were obtained each day for two weeks upon admission, and one month later each day for one week. Results indicate that the prevalence of challenging behaviors in the patients observed in this study is very low. There was less evidence for a “sundowning (i.e., progressive deterioration over the course of the day) effect than a day in contrast to night effect.

The predictive accuracy of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised, Level of Service Inventory-Revised, Violence Risk Appraisal Guide, and the General Statistical Information on Recidivism were compared to four instruments randomly generated from the total pool of original items. None of the four original instruments better predicted post-release failure than the four randomly generated instruments. These results suggest two conclusions: (a) the instruments are only measuring criminal risk, and (b) no single instrument has captured sufficient risk assessment theory to result in better prediction than randomly derived instruments measuring criminal risk. A two-stage factor analysis was completed on 1614 cases. This analysis of the risk items indicated a 4-factor solution and all 4 factors were equal to the original instruments in predicting post-release failure. Thus, the original instruments did not improve prediction over randomly structured scales, nor did the restructuring of items improve risk assessment, suggesting substantial deficiencies in the conceptualization of risk assessment and instrumentation. We argue that developing a risk-based construct, which involves hypothesis testing and an explanation of behavior, is the optimal method to advance risk assessment within the criminal justice and mental health systems. Such an approach would provide targeted areas for clinical intervention that are salient to risk.

Relationships among preferred minus non-preferred hand difference scores from four neuropsychological sensorimotor tests were evaluated in Community (N= 121), Prison Inmate (N = 350), and Psychiatric Inpatient (N = 398) samples. Across the three samples, the average absolute off-diagonal correlations among the four difference scores ranged from .07 to .13, and the squared multiple correlations (used to predict any difference score from the other three) did not exceed .07. Based on the determinant of the correlation matrix (i.e., |R|), the null hypothesis of complete independence was rejected in only the Prison Inmate sample (p < .001), however, departure from the null hypothesis was negligible (i.e., |R| = .94, expected value under the null = .98). Preferred/non-preferred hand ratio scores were very highly correlated with the difference scores and consequently analyses of the ratio scores yielded results that were comparable to those obtained for the difference scores. Results indicate that the four difference scores or four ratio scores measure little in common and therefore cannot corroborate each other. In general, it would be prudent to exercise considerable caution when using difference scores or ratio scores obtained from non-independent measures, either singly or in combination.

The effectiveness of Snoezelen® multi-sensory stimulation treatment was evaluated with 50 psychiatric patients (25 men, 25 women) and 50 hospital employees (25 men, 25 women). Pre and post-treatment physiological responses (galvanic skin conductance response, heart rate, and percentage blood oxygen) were compared and participants were evaluated post-treatment for perceived psychological benefits with a nine-item questionnaire. Results indicate that participation in a single 20-minute Snoezelen® session had significant and positive physiological effects on both the patient and staff groups. Also, post-treatment participants in both groups did not perceive any change on the dimension reserved-outgoing but felt more sleepy, passive, relaxed, cheerful, focused, optimistic, calm, and comfortable. Consequently, beneficial physiological and psychological Snoezelen® treatment effects were apparent for both patients and controls.

The Canadian and American WISC-III and the American WAIS-III standardization data were used to investigate the prevalence of “seemingly anomalous” Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) scores for all possible Verbal and Performance sums of scale score combinations. It was found that 6% of FSIQ scores in these three samples were seemingly anomalous (i.e., fell outside of their associated VIQ/PIQ intervals). Interestingly, the anomalous FSIQ scores were more prevalent at the extremes of the FSIQ distribution, and did not occur when the VIQ/PIQ interval was greater than 12. Additionally, anomalous FSIQ scores were generally further from the center of the FSIQ distribution than were the associated VIQ and PIQ scores. Also, when the VIQ/PIQ interval contained FSIQ (the non-anomalous case), FSIQ tended to be located distally in the half-segment of the VIQ/PIQ interval furthest from the center of the FSIQ distribution. A statistical explanation for the findings is provided.

Thirteen probation officers were interviewed to obtain their opinions about the nature of remorse. Six hundred sixty-eight features were identified and reduced to 50 key concepts. A 50-item construct rating form was then administered to 79 probation officers to obtain their opinions about remorse. A refined 42-item Remorse Construct Rating Form (RCRF) was administered in the final study along with the Jackson Personality Inventory-Revised (JPI-R) to 363 college students. The 42 items of the RCRF loaded on 2 factors representing Internal and External aspects of remorse. Gender was independent of the ratings given to the internal factor but females tended to rate the external factor less strongly than males. In terms of personality correlates, empathy was positively related to the internal factor but negatively related to the external factor. A number of other personality dispositions were congruently related to the 2 remorse dimensions. Both remorse factors are discussed with respect to assessment...

A sample of 84 male young offenders, admitted for inpatient treatment in a psychiatric hospital, was used to examine the relationship between leisure motivation, leisure satisfaction, and perceived freedom in leisure using the Leisure Motivation Scale (LMS), the Leisure Satisfaction Scale (LSS), and the Perceived Freedom in Leisure Scale-Short Form Version A (PFS), respectively. All 3 inventories were completed as part of the pre-treatment assessment on the third week following admission. Age was not significantly correlated with any of the measures. All but 2 of the correlations between the 4 LMS scales and the 6 LSS scales were statistically significant and all 24 correlations were positive. Significant negative correlations were obtained between the PFS total score and all LMS and LSS scales. Three factors emerged from a principal components analysis, and the varimax rotated factors were labeled freedom-to engage, freedom-from constraints, and freedom-physical. Implications for therapeutic int...

Forty-seven psychiatric inpatients in a Canadian psychiatric hospital participated in an evaluation of the stability and validity of the Holden Psychological Screening Inventory (HPSI). Stability coefficients over a 1-month period were .85, .79, and .66 for the HPSI Psychiatric, Social, and Depression Symptomatology scales, respectively, and coefficient alpha reliabilities for these scales ranged between .76 and .89 across both time periods. Staff rating composite scales corresponding to the self-report HPSI scales had stability coefficients of .74, .85, and .82, respectively. As well, they had inter-rater reliabilities that ranged between .65 and .84 across both time periods. The 3 staff rating composites at time 1 correlated equivalently with the corresponding 3 primary HPSI scales at times 1 and 2 (p > .05). Similarly, the 3 staff rating composites at time 2 correlated equivalently with the corresponding 3 primary HPSI scales at times 1 and 2 (p > .05). Over a 1-month period, HPSI scale scores...

Lehman's Brief Quality of Life Interview (QOLI) was administered to psychiatric rehabilitation program clients 6 times at 6-month intervals. Participants were individuals with predominantly psychotic-type diagnoses. Results showed no change over time and few gender differences. No change over time indicates no improvement but also no deterioration in this chronic population. Correlations between test times indicated that the subjective scales were relatively stable in comparison to the objective scales. Results indicate that the QOLI has poor sensitivity, and therefore limited utility, for assessing change in psychiatric rehabilitation of individuals with severe and persistent mental disorders. However, the QOLI does have an important use: It provides a good indication of the clients' perspectives on the quality of their lives and services received.

Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale were used with 70 Functional Disorders (mean age = 74.0 years) and 58 Organic Disorders (mean age = 79.2 years) psychogeriatric inpatients to evaluate treatment outcome; 48.6% of the Functional Disorders patients were discharged home whereas 81.0% of the Organic Disorders patients were discharged to long-term/ continuing care facilities. Mean admission (32.8 versus 18.6), discharge (60.4 versus 29.6), and GAF change scores (27.5 versus 10.9) differed significantly between the two groups of patients, with the Functional Disorders patients obtaining higher scores on all 3 GAF measures. Mean number of GAS goals (2.7 versus 2.6) and mean GAS T-score (50.8 versus 48.8) did not differ between patient groups. The GAF admission score was not significantly correlated with the GAS T-score in either the Functional Disorders or Organic Disorders patient groups but both the GAF change score (r = .30 and .41, respectively) and t...

The effectiveness of an anger management program in a mixed security (minimum and medium security) institution was evaluated using a sample of 33 female inmates (19 treatment and 14 control). A significant within-participant effect revealed statistically significant decreases in anger and aggression variables as measured by the Novaco Anger Scale and the Aggression Questionnaire, respectively. As well, significant reductions in the number of institutional charges at post-test were obtained for the treatment group but not the control group. Inmate surveys also indicated moderate levels of program impact and satisfaction. Although the present findings support the effectiveness of the current program, the magnitude of the results is conservative in comparison to those currently reported in the literature. Implications and recommendations for future anger treatment research are discussed.

The records of 1,185 female and 5,114 male forensic psychiatry outpatients, within the age range of 15-44 years, were used to evaluate absenteeism from treatment in relation to age and gender. Age was divided into the 3 age groups 15-24, 25-34, and 35-44. Females had a significantly higher absentee rate than males in all age groups (p < .05). This gender difference is likely due to varying social roles as well as differential perceptions of treatment relevance. For both males and females, missed appointments declined significantly with age (p < .05). This age effect likely results from the decline in risk-taking and impulsivity with age. Because the efficacy of any treatment lies in a client's continued participation, it is important to address program attendance barriers and commitment to treatment issues. Commitment to treatment can be increased by active follow-up on non-attendance and by providing a positive therapy experience.

Autopsy reports of psychogeriatric patients who died in a mental hospital (N = 212) were compared with reports of geriatric patients who died in a general hospital (N = 249). The prevalence of malignancy was found to be 3 times greater in patients that died in a general hospital versus those that had died in a mental institution. The lower cancer rate in psychiatric patients is discussed with respect to neuroleptics, altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity, and inflammatory cytokines.

One hundred and six adolescent offenders completed the High Risk Situations Questionnaire for Young Offenders (HRSQ-YO), an instrument designed to assess the self-reported importance of various antecedents to a past, highly salient offense. Principal components analysis of responses to the 66 HRSQ-YO items resulted in three factors which were rotated to a varimax criterion and labelled Delinquency, Negative Affectivity, and Aggression. Consistent with previous findings, Delinquency factor scores were significantly higher for property offenses than for violent offenses, whereas Aggression factor scores were significantly higher for violent offenses than for property offenses. Negative Affectivity scores also tended to be higher for violent offenses than for property offenses. Implications of the results for the rehabilitation of adolescent offenders are discussed.

The Personality Research Form-E (PRF-E; 20 need structure scales), the Holden Psychological Screening Inventory (HPSI; 3 psychosocial adjustment scales), and the Leisure Motivation Scale (LMS; 4 leisure motivation scales) were administered to 60 young offenders and 50 high school students. Significant between sample differences in means resulted for the HPSI Psychiatric, Social, and Depression Symptomatology scales; the PRF-E Affiliation, Aggression, Autonomy, and Harm Avoidance content scales; and the LMS Social scale. Statistically significant correlations resulted between the LMS and 19 of the 20 PRF-E content scales as well as the HPSI Depression and Social Symptomatology scales. It is concluded that young offenders, as compared to high school students, are significantly less well adjusted and have different leisure motivations and personality needs. It is likely that need structure impacts directly on psychosocial adjustment as well as indirectly through leisure motivation.

Forty-four psychogeriatric patients, participating in a daily walking program, were rated pre-and post-treatment using scales which measured walking status, coordination of legs, posture, and gait pattern. Statistically significant (p< .05) improvements with substantial effect sizes (approximately .5) were obtained in all areas except gait pattern. Secondary benefits of increased mobility included improved self-efficacy, made it easier for the nursing staff to provide care, and improved discharge placement options. This evaluation lends credence to the incorporation of a daily walking program as an integral component of psychogeriatric patient care.

The effect of low intensity laser therapy (LILT) biosti-mulation on wound healing in a largely psychogeriatric population was assessed over a period of 6 years (1991-1996). In total, 84 psychiatric...

Ratings on the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale were obtained preand post-treatment from 37 male and 67 female psychogeriatric inpatients (age mean = 74.9, range = 54-91). Results indicated that a large treatment effect occurred, as GAF scores were significantly higher upon discharge than on admission (p < .0005, ES = 1.83). Pre-treatment GAF scores were also significantly correlated with length of stay (r = ▭ .20, p < .013). The findings suggest that the GAF scale is a useful tool for predicting length of stay and for measuring clinical change in elderly psychiatric patients.

Standard meta-analysis (Hunter & Schmidt, 1990a) assumes unidirectional (i.e., all positive or all negative) predictor-criterion relations. We challenge this assumption in the context of personality-job performance linkages based on several lines of evi- dence supporting the coexistence of true positive and true negative correlations in- volving the same trait. Subjecting such bidirectional relations to standard meta-analysis will underestimate effect sizes to an unknown degree owing to cancel- lation of positive and negative values. A modification of standard procedures is pro- posed that accounts for the possibility of bidirectionality. It employs successive itera- tion of an initial estimate of the absolute correlation, accounting for sample sizes and the sampling distribution of the correlation.

The best predictor of sexual offense recidivism is believed to be past sexual offending. However, clinical observations of treated individuals often contradict this view. Consequently, this relationship was evaluated, using a minimum follow-up period of 18 months. The samples were adult men and consisted of 127 treatment noncompleters who terminated treatment because of inadequate motivation/unacceptable behavior, legal transfer, or by request and 150 treatment completers who underwent a minimum of 6 months of 32-35 hours per week of therapy. Sexual offense conviction recidivism and prior sexual offense convictions were significantly related in noncompleters (r = .31, p < .05) but were not significantly related in completers (r = .03, p > .05). These two correlations differed significantly (two-tailed p < .05). There was no difference (p > .05) in the average number of prior sexual offense convictions between completers and noncompleters. The findings are supportive of treatment interventions, although they question the validity of prior sexual offenses in treated offenders for release decisions and/or risk prediction.

One-, 2-, and 3-factor solutions for the WAIS-R normative samples were examined using principal components analysis with varimax rotations. Factors were examined across age groups by computing congruence coefficients and root mean square differences to determine the equivalence and consistency of factors across age groups. There is strong evidence for the general (g) and 2-factor (verbal and perceptual organization) solutions but noticeably less support for memory/freedom from distractibility in the three-factor solution. Verbal and perceptual organization factors were also attenuated in the three-factor solution. One and 2-factor solutions were essentially equally justifiable but because the 1-factor solution was weighted most heavily with verbal measures, the 2-factor solution may be advantageous because this solution does distinguish between verbal and performance measures. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 54: 447–459, 1998.

Current research examining the effectiveness of sex offender treatment is encouraging, Despite this optimism, research focusing on men who sexually assault adult women is less optimistic. This study examines the preliminary results of 74 rapists admitted into the Phoenix program, a voluntary sex offender treatment program in a forensic psychiatric hospital. Patients were categorized according to whether they completed treatment or not Treated rapists (n = 36) reoffended at a substantially lower rate than untreated rapists who were assessed but not treated (n = 38). Statistically significant differences in reoffense rates were found for violent, nonsexual offenses as well as nonviolent, nonsexual offenses. Although nearly twice as many treatment noncompleters reoffended sexually, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. Mean follow-up time was well over four years for both groups. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Using a sample of 144 mature students, aged 18–53 years, attending a high school upgrading program, the screening properties of the Holden Psychological Screening Inventory (HPSI) and the correspondence of the HPSI to the Basic Personality Inventory (BPI) were evaluated. Correlations between the HPSI and the BPI scales and joint factor analysis of these two inventories demonstrated the validity of HPSI scales and their sampling adequacy from the major components of psychopathology measured by the BPI. Using the BPI as the “Gold Standard,” the HPSI has almost perfect specificity but the sensitivity of the HPSI is only about 50% at a T-score of 60, whereas at T = 55, the sensitivity is 70%, with a specificity of almost 80%. Overall, results indicated that the three HPSI scales distinctly measure the three major factors of the BPI, and the HPSI has considerable utility as a screening tool.

Patients admitted to the Phoenix Program for sex offender treatment at Alberta Hospital Edmonton were separated by family history into a group of North American Indians and a group of Caucasians, with respective sample sizes of 53 and 192 after range matching the Caucasian to the North American Indian sample on a number of demographic variables. Controlling for body mass index and age, the two groups were equivalent in terms of 12 basic blood chemistry variables and 5 of 6 endocrine measures. Serum testosterone did differ significantly (p < .0005, covariate adjusted means of 22.3 and 26.5 nmol/L, respectively, for Caucasians and North American Indians). Further research will be required to establish the generality of this result and to ascertain the etiology. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 53: 375–385, 1997.

This study investigates the validity of the Basic Personality Inventory (BPI) with a sample of 101 adult male offenders in a medium security institution. The criterion measures consisted of self-ratings (i.e., bipolar dimensional and adjective ratings), correctional officer ratings, and institutional adjustment (i.e., contact with medical staff, verbal warnings, institutional charges, days segregated, and cell maintenance). The majority of the scales corresponded well to the self-ratings. The Denial, Persecutory Ideation, Anxiety, and Thinking Disorder scales had poor convergent and discriminant validity with the correctional officer ratings. Interpersonal Problems, Alienation, and Impulse Expression scales predicted behavioral adjustment indexes. The results are summarized in relation to the higher order factors of emotional adjustment, antisocial orientation, cognitive functioning, and social or self-perception. Overall, the BPI scales adequately measure psychopathology and adjustment within a correctional setting.