October 2017 - Page 9 of 22 - searchfortruth.info

Access To The Courts For Persons Subject To Lps Commitments

November 18, 2018October 19, 2017 by admin

This handout outlines the methods of obtaining access to the courts for persons subject to mental health commitments under the Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act.

I. 72-Hour Hold (Welf. & Inst. Code [WIC] §§5150 et seq.):

A. Habeas Corpus -- there is no specific statutory right to a writ of habeas corpus for persons detained on 72-hour holds.

However, all persons retain their fundamental constitutional rights to petition the courts for a writ of habeas corpus. Calif. Const., art.1, §11; U.S. Const., art.1, §9, cl.2. And, any person committed to a state hospital has a statutory right to a writ of habeas corpus. WIC §7250. In addition, every person unlawfully imprisoned or restrained of his or her liberty under any pretense whatsoever may bring a writ of habeas corpus to challenge the legality of the detention. Penal Code §1473.

Note: The above writ provisions are applicable to all mental patients, regardless of the length of the...

What Exactly is a Mood Stabilizer?

November 18, 2018October 19, 2017 by admin

Two decades ago, there was 1 drug in the mood stabilizer category: lithium carbonate. Carbamazepine was used in refractory cases and in a small number of specialty clinics. Valproate was entering the scene as a novel and effective mood stabilizer. Since then, it seems that every new anticonvulsant is evaluated for its mood-stabilizing properties. More recently, the atypical antipsychotic drugs have emerged as promising treatments for bipolar disorder, and the evidence supporting their efficacy rivals that of anticonvulsant medications. Other agents, such as calcium-channel blockers, have also been evaluated but have shown little evidence of mood-stabilizing properties. Guidelines for the treatment of bipolar disorder now focus on lithium, a selected number of anticonvulsants and an increasing number of atypical antipsychotic drugs as the principal agents. How does the finding that seemingly disparate classes of medication have a common domain of efficacy shape our definition of what constitutes a “mood stabilizer” and our understanding of their mechanisms of action?...

“Switching” of Mood From Depression to Mania With Antidepressants

November 18, 2018October 19, 2017 by admin

Bipolar disorder often presents initially with one or more episodes of major depression, and an episode of mania or hypomania may first occur during treatment with an antidepressant, stimulant, or other agent with mood-elevating effects. Such “switching” of mood into mania, a mixed-state, or psychosis can be dangerous. This switching is particularly prevalent among juveniles and young adults exposed to treatment with an antidepressant or stimulant for a depressive, anxiety, or attention disorder.1 Such pathological shifts of mood and behavior may represent adverse drug actions or a manifestation of undiagnosed bipolar disorder.

DSM-5 now considers that mood elevation with antidepressants justifies the diagnosis of bipolar disorder, whereas earlier editions considered it a drug-induced reaction. Before the development of modern psychopharmacology, distinctions between recurrent unipolar depression and bipolar disorder within a broad “manic-depressive” concept may not have been critical. Currently, however, the diagnostic distinction has considerable clinical significance for prognosis and...

Deviance and Mental Illness

November 18, 2018October 19, 2017 by admin

Deviance and mental illness often go hand-in-hand. While not all deviants are considered mentally ill, almost all mentally ill persons are considered deviant (since mental illness isn not considered "normal"). When studying deviance, then, sociologists also often study mental illness.

The three main theoretical frameworks of sociology regard mental illness a little differently, however they all look to the social systems in which mental illness is define, identified, and treated.

Functionalists believe that by recognizing mental illness, society upholds values about conforming behavior. Symbolic interactionists see mentally ill persons not as "sick," but as victims of societal reactions to their behavior.

Finally, conflict theorists, combined with labeling theorists, believe that the people in a society with the fewest resources are the most likely to be labeled mentally ill. For instance, women, racial minorities, and the poor all suffer higher rates of mental illness than groups of higher social and economic status....

Poverty and Mental Health

November 18, 2018October 19, 2017 by admin

There is a growing contribution of mental health problems to the global disease burden - neuropsychiatric disorders now account for about 13% of the total.[1]

The link between individual poverty and mental health is well known.[2]The relationship between poor mental health and health inequality within neighbourhoods is, however, more complex.

One study found that living in neighbourhoods with the highest levels of income inequality was significantly associated with better mental health. The authors forwarded several explanations for these somewhat surprising findings. These included an increase in social capital (the collective value of social networks) in areas with low deprivation and a reduction in the risk of stress experienced by persons living in deprived areas.[3] The 'social capital' concept is supported by a study which found that older people in Hertfordshire, UK, who had a strong sense of cohesion within their neighbourhood and reported fewer neighbourhood problems, had higher levels of mental well-being.[4]

Drug-Induced Liver Injury

November 18, 2018October 18, 2017 by admin

Drug-induced liver injury is an injury of the liver that may occur when you take certain medicines.

Other types of liver injury include:

• Viral hepatitis • Alcoholic hepatitis • Autoimmune hepatitis • Iron overload • Fatty liver • Causes The liver helps the body break down certain medicines. These include some drugs that you buy over-the-counter or your health care provider prescribes for you. However, the process is slower in some people. This can make you more likely to get liver damage. Some drugs can cause hepatitis with small doses, even if the liver breakdown system is normal. Large doses of many medicines can damage a normal liver.

Many different drugs can cause drug-induced hepatitis.

Painkillers and fever reducers that contain acetaminophen are a common cause of liver injury, particularly when taken in doses greater than those recommended. People who drink alcohol to excess are more likely to have this problem...

An Empirical Examination of the Stage Theory of Grief

November 18, 2018October 18, 2017 by admin

Abstract

Context The stage theory of grief remains a widely accepted model of bereavement adjustment still taught in medical schools, espoused by physicians, and applied in diverse contexts. Nevertheless, the stage theory of grief has previously not been tested empirically.

Objective To examine the relative magnitudes and patterns of change over time postloss of 5 grief indicators for consistency with the stage theory of grief.

Design, Setting, and Participants Longitudinal cohort study (Yale Bereavement Study) of 233 bereaved individuals living in Connecticut, with data collected between January 2000 and January 2003.

Main Outcome Measures Five rater-administered items assessing disbelief, yearning, anger, depression, and acceptance of the death from 1 to 24 months postloss.

Results Counter to stage theory, disbelief was not the initial, dominant grief indicator. Acceptance was the most frequently endorsed item and yearning was the dominant negative grief indicator from 1 to 24 months...

Fratricide: A Forensic Psychiatric Perspective

November 18, 2018October 18, 2017 by admin

Abstract

Analyses of fratricide rates based on national homicide data have provided some general information pertaining to offenders and victims of sibling homicide but are limited by data constraints to examining a few major variables. Exploring fratricide from a forensic psychiatric perspective could uncover other related factors and provide insight into why some individuals murder their siblings. In a retrospective study of data from coroners' files on domestic homicide pertaining to individuals killed by their siblings over a 10-year period in Quebec, Canada, we identified several specific offender and victim characteristics and circumstances surrounding offenses. The impact of mental illness and substance abuse on fratricidal behavior is indicated, underscoring the importance of identifying existing psychopathology. From a forensic psychiatric perspective, we identify characteristic patterns and discuss potential dynamics operating in fratricide. We raise some issues relevant to treatment and prevention, including the fact that most cases are alcohol-related, impulsive, and unpredictable until the moment they occur...

Amateur Versus Professional Does The Recovery Of Forensic Evidence Differ Depending On Who Assesses The Crime Scene?

November 18, 2018October 18, 2017 by admin

Abstract

Volume crime offences such as domestic burglary are commonly assessed for forensic opportunities by the first attending officer present at the scene. Conversely, less serious volume crime offences such as thefts from motor vehicles are very frequent and are routinely assessed for forensic opportunities by the victim talking to the police over the telephone. It is not clear whether this difference in attendance policy leads to differences in the types and quantity of forensic material recovered. The current study explored whether there was a benefit to evidence recovery for attended as opposed to non-attended assessments. Five hundred thefts from motor vehicles offences recorded by Northamptonshire Police (UK) between 14 January 2010 and 28 February 2011 were analysed; 250 were attended forensic assessments and 250 were non-attended assessments. Significant differences were found between the two scenarios, with attended assessments more likely to yield DNA, property and trace substance material. Conversely, fingerprints were more likely...

Scene-of-Crime Analysis by a 3-Dimensional Optical Digitizer: A Useful Perspective for Forensic Science

November 18, 2018October 18, 2017 by admin

Abstract

Analysis and detailed registration of the crime scene are of the utmost importance during investigations. However, this phase of activity is often affected by the risk of loss of evidence due to the limits of traditional scene of crime registration methods (ie, photos and videos). This technical note shows the utility of the application of a 3-dimensional optical digitizer on different crime scenes. This study aims in fact at verifying the importance and feasibility of contactless 3-dimensional reconstruction and modeling by optical digitization to achieve an optimal registration of the crime scene.

The Forensic Expertise Of Cadavers Of Females Suspected To Be Victims Of Sexually Motivated Homicide.

November 18, 2018October 18, 2017 by admin

Abstract

According to the author's independent observations, the criminal, as a rule, strangles his victim in sex-related murders. In cases of suspected sex-related murders of women, the female urogenital system needs to be examined as an anatomically whole preparation. It was proven that the spermatozoid structure (in the cadaveric vagina, whose condition was optimal) began to change from week 2 with almost all their heads being destroyed by the end of week 6. When cadavers are found in 1.5-2 months after the event, there is no reason to give up examinations of the sperm from cadaver.

The Never-Never Land of Mental Health Law: A Review of Legal Rights of Youth Committed by Their Parents to Psychiatric Facilities in California

February 21, 2019October 18, 2017 by admin

I. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND REASONS FOR RISE IN PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALIZATION

The minors who are most frequently inappropriately hospitalized are described as "trouble makers," status offenders, or beyond parental control.3 These children are classified by California Welfare and Institution section 601 (hereinafter § 601). Pursuant to this provision minors who violate truancy, curfew or runaway laws, or who are disobedient or unruly, may become wards of the court.4 When this happens, a minor is supervised by a juvenile probation officer either within the home or in an unlocked out-of-home placement facility. Prior to the enactment of § 601, these minors could be placed in a locked juvenile hall by their parents or the police. Both before and after the enactment of the § 601 system, parents with appropriate insurance or financial resources have been able to place their children in locked psychiatric hospitals. Recently, however, hospitalization has become a burgeoning practice.5 A number of possible

Humiliation: the Trauma of Disrespect

November 18, 2018October 18, 2017 by admin

Abstract

Humiliation, triggered by sensed insult, is hypothesized as a traumatic stimulus and the driving force of a goal-directed survival response that includes predictable emotional appraisals, and motivational or behavioral responses. Because these responses appear automatic and obligatory, they are most likely innately planted as a survival mechanism. Sensitive to developmental experience, these psychobiological responses can be intensified or modulated by social learning....

Environmental Connections: A Deeper Look into Mental Illness

November 18, 2018October 18, 2017 by admin

Mental illnesses produce some of the most challenging health problems faced by society, accounting for vast numbers of hospitalizations, disabilities resulting in billions in lost productivity, and sharply elevated risks for suicide. Scientists have long known that these potentially devastating conditions arise from combinations of genes and environmental factors. Genetic research has produced intriguing biological insights into mental illness, showing that particular gene variations predispose some individuals to conditions such as depression and schizophrenia.

Now, thanks to a growing union of epidemiology and molecular biology, the role of the environment in the etiology of mental illness has become more clear. Indeed, E. Fuller Torrey, president of the Treatment Advocacy Center, a nonprofit organization that promotes treatment advances in psychiatry, suggests that mental illnesses increasingly fall into the realm of environmental health. And from that platform, he says, new treatment advances could soon emerge.

“Some of the greatest advancements in twentieth-century...

Unexpected Ways to Get Around Mental Blocks

November 18, 2018October 18, 2017 by admin

Mental blocks are every professional’s worst nightmare, yet they inevitably pop up when you work on a big project. You start out bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, making a ton of progress, and then for some reason, you hit a psychological wall and can’t move forward. Or else you lose the motivation to continue.

Perhaps you are just so fixated on making every detail perfect that you become paralyzed with the fear of failure. Or maybe you have so much left to do that the task ahead seems too daunting to handle.

These experiences are normal, so don't beat yourself up if you're stuck in a rut. Instead of trying to power through these complicated and often conflicting feelings, consider the following seven effective -- yet decidedly nonintuitive ways to surpass mental blocks.

1. Freewrite.

When you are feeling stuck, open up a new Word doc,

Understanding The Impact Of Stigma On People With Mental Illness

November 18, 2018October 18, 2017 by admin

Many people with serious mental illness are challenged doubly. On one hand, they struggle with the symptoms and disabilities that result from the disease. On the other, they are challenged by the stereotypes and prejudice that result from misconceptions about mental illness. As a result of both, people with mental illness are robbed of the opportunities that define a quality life: good jobs, safe housing, satisfactory health care, and affiliation with a diverse group of people. Although research has gone far to understand the impact of the disease, it has only recently begun to explain stigma in mental illness. Much work yet needs to be done to fully understand the breadth and scope of prejudice against people with mental illness. Fortunately, social psychologists and sociologists have been studying phenomena related to stigma in other minority groups for several decades. In this paper, we integrate research specific to...