Behaviour alteration and the criminal law.

Working Paper 43 of the Law Reform Commission of Canada addresses a number of issues that are of concern to psychologists. The paper describes in lay terms a variety of psychological and medical treatments and discusses the ethical and legal issues involved in each. It begins by setting out to answer the following questions: (1) Do present laws provide sufficient protection against involuntary or nonconsensual administration of behaviour alteration treatments? (2) Should criminal law protect psychological integrity in the same way it already protects physical integrity? (3) Should the law make legitimate the use of these techniques as punishment or as a method of social control? Without entirely answering these questions, it ends by making a series of recommendations. The most important of these recommendations are: (a) that the criminal law affirm the right of psychiatric patients not to be treated against their will except under certain specified circumstances, (b) that uniformity of practice over the provinces be established, and (c) that a code of ethics on the medical and psychological treatment of prisoners be established as an administrative directive covering consent to treatment and related issues. Although it is unlikely that many psychologists would disagree with the advocation of procedural uniformity, the undesirability of coercive treatment, or the importance of obtaining informed consent, psychologists are very unlikely to be happy with this paper. The authors of this paper do not have the foggiest understanding of behaviourism, and what they do know appears to have been learned from A Clockwork Orange. There are important terminological problems, logical and philosophical difficulties, and an avoidance of some of the more important and intractable ethical dilemmas that confront treatment efforts within both health and correctional institutions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An approach to public affairs: Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Public Affairs.

Describes a system constructed by a committee of the American Psychological Association for taking action on public policy issues. The system consists of a signal detection process, a decision-making mechanism to process information, and a set of effector mechanisms to carry out decisions. The structure of the decision process involves a series of types of issues ranked in terms of relevance, centrality, or urgency. From highest to lowest, these are scientific issues, professional issues, and social problems. The process also involves a graded series of actions that might be taken, ranging from a high level of political involvement to no action at all. A position paper would be written and a definitive statement of policy would be made before actions requiring high political involvement are taken. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stereoscopic discrimination of interval and ordinal depth relations on smooth surfaces and in empty space

In the present article, a learning model of binge eating is presented. It has been hypothesized that, parallel to drug intake, the craving and excessive food intake of binge eaters is cue controlled. Research in support of the model is reviewed and a series of predictions about clinical and non-clinical issues is derived from the model. Amongst other things, the model predicts that binge eating might be successfully treated with cue exposure and response prevention. Practical issues are discussed and preliminary pilot studies on cue exposure for bingers are reviewed.     

Psychology in the Schools, School Psychology Review, School Psychology Quarterly and Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation Editors Collaborate to Chart School Psychology's Past, Present, and "Futures".

This introduction will briefly describe the special journal issues that will be offered in Psychology in the Schools (PITS), School Psychology issues Review (SPR), School Psychology Quarterly (SPQ), and Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation (JEPC) on topics related to the conference. For almost a half-century, students in school psychology have investigated the "Boulder" and "Thayer" conferences, studying and exploring our foundation as scientist-practitioners and brooding over the "school" in school psychology. In a notable alliance, SPR and SPQ are publishing the proceedings of the conference jointly. As part of the School Psychology Futures Conference: Special Journal Issues se- series, Psychology in the Schools will publish a special issue entitled: Shortage of ries, School Psychologists in the April 2004 issue. School psychology quarterly will also be sponsoring a special issue addressing the faculty shortage in school psychology and related difficulties. Consultation emerged as a major thread throughout the School Psychology Futures Conference as participants brainstormed problems and solutions to meet the critical issues faced by school professionals as they work towards improving educational and mental health outcomes for children and families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Law and mental health: International perspectives. Volume 1.

Reviews the book, Law and mental health: International perspectives. Volume 1 by David N. Weisstub (1984). This is the first volume in a series designed to provide an international perspective on central issues in law and mental health. The editor, David N. Weisstub, is a professor of law at Osgoode Hall and was the founding editor of the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry. He is well qualified to accomplish his stated goal of establishing an international network of scholars and increase communication between countries. The first volume, however, focuses primarily on American jurisprudence. Weisstub argues that this is appropriate because the United States "has been a forerunner and, indeed, has functioned as a testing ground in the field." Subsequent volumes will include research reviews and examinations of legislative and judicial trends in other countries, focusing on topics such as malpractice, deinstitutionalization, guardianship, and competency. The present volume is comprised of six chapters, each on a different topic with the exception of two chapters on criminal responsibility. Few readers will be interested in all the chapters, but anyone interested in mental health law will find something of interest. The chapters are of uniformly high quality and the book is an excellent reference work. Since there are only six chapters, it may be of use to potential readers to have a brief overview of each. This volume (and the ones to follow) should prove to be a valuable reference for psychologists interested in legal issues. It may also be put to good use in graduate seminars in law and psychology because of the breadth of issues covered in the volume. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The coherence of individual development: Early care, attachment, and subsequent developmental issues.

Early development may be described in terms of a series of salient issues (regulating arousal, establishing an effective attachment relationship, moving toward autonomous functioning, establishing peer relations). The quality of individuals' functioning with respect to these issues may be assessed reliably. Such qualitative assessments yield strong predictions of later behavior. Children functioning well during the infancy period are more competent as toddlers and preschoolers, and there is a logic and coherence to the continuing pattern of adaptation shown by individuals. In various ways such continuity has been shown to be independent of IQ or temperament variation. Such continuity once again makes clear the importance of early experience and the need to examine public policy in light of this knowledge. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Using workforce analysis to answer questions related to the internship imbalance and career pipeline in professional psychology.

This article defines workforce analysis and reviews the ongoing call for the field of psychology to address workforce analysis issues in a systematic manner. The American Psychological Association's progress in developing a workforce analysis capacity is traced, and the authors focus on how workforce analysis can be used to answer a series of questions regarding career pipeline issues, the supply of students and demand for internship training positions, and employment opportunities in professional psychology. The authors conclude that professional education and training issues can only be fully understood in the context of a databased approach to workforce demands for psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Legal aspects of clinical supervision 1: Employer vs employee

In order to implement clinical supervision some major issues need to be clarified. This article looks at clinical supervision in terms of the relationship between the employer and the employee. It discusses clinical supervision as a contractual requirement and a voluntary system and examines some of the related problems. The implementation of clinical supervision may be limited by the significant cost of training. Possible frameworks for setting up a system for supervision are suggested. Employers need to be adequately informed about the clinical supervision process so that it can become both effective and flexible. The second article in this series will consider legal issues relating to professional accountability, patients' rights, and records and record keeping. These two articles refer to information generated from a workshop held at Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli, in which practitioners looked at some of the legal issues relating to clinical supervision.     

Suicidality in nursing home residents: Part II. Special issues.

Professional psychologists working with suicidal nursing home residents often deal with a host of special issues that may not be relevant to other populations. This review article (Part 2 of a series) was written to acquaint professionals with the concept of indirect self-destructive behavior and dealing with ethical concerns. This article also summarizes health care systems issues, including how to involve staff and family members in assessment and management, as well as understanding Medicare/Medicaid related concerns and public policy regarding long-term care. The article concludes with information about training and continuing education offerings for psychologists who need more information about working in nursing home settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical implications of research on brief dynamic psychotherapy I. Formulating the patient's problems and goals.

In this two-part series of articles, a model for understanding the process of brief dynamic psychotherapy is presented. The model suggests that patients enter therapy with an unconscious plan for how to get better. The therapist's interventions must be in accord with this plan for the patient to be helped by therapy. The plan concept is described, as are issues involved in inferring a patient's plan. Finally, the ramifications of the plan concept for the conduct of brief dynamic psychotherapy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Law and mental health: International perspectives, Volume 2.

Reviews the book, Law and mental health: International perspectives, Volume 2 edited by David N. Weisstub. Following the 1984 publication of Volume 1, reviewed in CJBS (1986), David Weisstub recently edited a second volume in this series. The publication follows the multidisciplinary lead established in the first volume. It consists of five papers, of which three are legal essays and two are empirical social science literature reviews. The two social science articles would be of interest to more psychologists, but particularly those in forensic and correctional psychology. Unlike the first volume, however, the legally oriented papers do not address the classical "forensic" issues. Instead, they deal more generally with legal aspects of mental health. In preparing a multidisciplinary edition, a reasonable objective given the topic, the editor has convened a collection of articles from various disciplines (law, medicine, psychiatry, psychology, criminology, and sociology) instead of articles that, in themselves, represent an integration of disciplines. Once again, one is left wondering if ever the twain shall meet between law and social science. Nonetheless, the editor, as promised, has put together papers on five current issues that are of international importance to law and to mental health. they deal more generally with legal aspects of mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Determining the causes of fertility problems

This article is the third in our series about fertility (the first two were in the September 3 and October 1 issues). It looks at the initial clinical investigations that patients have to undergo. The next article in the series, on December 3, will look at the indications for assisted conception.     

The consultant as expert witness in school and workplace cases—Part 2.

This article provides a review of both Part 1 and Part 2 of a series of the Consulting Psychology Journal on the consultant as an expert witness in school and workplace cases. Part 1 covered topics such as professional consultants as expert witnesses from a legal perspective, sexual harassment and retaliation cases in the workplace, and special education consultants in due process hearings. In part 2, three articles focus on violence in the workplace and two articles alert the consulting psychologist to the issues related to malingering by clients and how to detect it. These articles are meant to provide a sampling of contemporary issues for which the mental health consultant may provide expert testimony in litigation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

District nurses' knowledge and practice of wound assessment: 2

The first article in this series reported a study that examined the wound assessment practices of 20 district nurses in one healthcare trust. The most common method of assessing wounds was found to be a combination of observation and experience (Vol 7(7): 380-6). This article, the second part, describes the subsequent establishment of a forum to develop a research-based wound assessment tool. The issues surrounding changing practice are complex. It is clear that the process of basing practice on evidence is the responsibility of all those who are involved in healthcare. However, there is an urgent need to bring the practice, research and education agenda closer with organizational and managerial commitment to change. This work suggests that a short-term increase in resources will result in possible long-term benefits for patient care.     

Lower limb amputation 2: once the decision to amputate has been made

This is the second of four articles on lower limb amputation. The first article (Vol 6(17): 970-7) discussed the indications for amputation and briefly outlined the treatment options that may be tried before the amputation stage is reached. This second article examines the factors that need to be addressed once the decision to amputate has been made. It stresses the importance of preparing the patient and his/her family both psychologically and physiologically for the operation. The techniques and rationale for selecting the optimum level of amputation are then discussed. Finally, the specific levels of lower limb amputation are outlined. The next article in this series will explore the nurse's role in preparing the patient for an amputation, and the final article will address the issues raised when a patient decides that death is preferable to living as an amputee.     

The cognitive revolution and mind/brain issues.

Proposes that the convergence of data in the neuro- and computer sciences on psychological issues such as the nature of perception and the mechanisms of memory has led to a resurgence of interest in the mind/brain relationship. It is suggested that the relationship should be addressed in terms of scientific theory based on, but not limited to, philosophical inquiry, with each proposed stance examined not only in terms of logic but also by identifying the database to which the stance refers. Philosophical positions on the mind/brain relationship such as identity, dualism, interactionism, materialism, physicalism, and mentalism are described as theories that cannot be extended beyond their databases into overarching cosmologies. Concepts such as information, entropy, and energy are described as factors that are neutral to the mind/brain dichotomy. It is concluded that structural monism is primarily a neural monism that relates to such issues as procedural and transformational duality to resolve mind/brain dualism. (93 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the special series.

Provides an introduction to the special series on cross-cultural clinical applications. The broader application of clinical assessment and treatment technology with diverse populations and settings has increased in the United States and has expanded to numerous other countries as well. The application of psychological procedures and methods with patients from different cultural backgrounds raises numerous methodological issues. This special series is devoted to those issues and problems inherent in applying techniques developed in one culture with individuals from another—either in other lands or with immigrant populations here. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction to the special issue on diagnoses, dimensions, and DSM-IV: The science of classification.

This special issue grew out of a meeting of the editorial board of the Journal of Abnormal Psychology chaired by Susan Mineka at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in 1989 in New Orleans. At that time the processes were in place for developing the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), and it was clear that for the first time many psychologists were strongly involved. In addition, committees were completing work on the mental disorders section of the 10th edition of the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10; World Health Organization, 1990), and a concerted effort was underway to make the DSM-IV and ICD-10 as compatible as possible. These developments pointed to something that approaches a worldwide system of nosology for use in both clinical and research endeavors. Quite naturally, these events have resulted in renewed interest in nosology, particularly the scientific basis of our nosological systems. The board felt that a series of invited papers on various scientific issues in this area might be very useful to the field. It also agreed that it would be important to concentrate on the scientific approaches to classification and the scientific underpinnings of the DSM-IV as it approximates some ideal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prediction analysis and developmental priority: A comment on Froman and Hubert.

T. Froman and L. J. Hubert (see record 1980-06671-001) attempted to show how recently developed prediction analysis techniques may be applied clarifying the interrelationship between 2 developing concepts. Although this work is in some respects an advance over earlier statistical techniques, it raises new problems: (a) It goes too far in identifying issues of developmental priority (sequence vs synchrony) with issues of statistical relationship (dependence vs independence), and thus (b) unjustifiably fails to consider certain information inherent in the data which, although irrelevant to issues of statistical relationship, is highly relevant to issues of developmental priority. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)