Adults living with intellectual and developmental disabilities are often prescribed psychotropic medication on an "as needed" basis (PRN) in response to behavioural challenges. In the present study we conducted a retrospective analysis of medication administration records in the 6-months preceding and following discharge of 11 adults…

Adaptive care plans (ACPs) are an innovative method to providing care for children and adolescents with developmental disabilities who have challenging behaviors during healthcare encounters. ACPs take a family-centered approach to ensure that children with developmental disabilities are able to receive safe and appropriate healthcare by…

Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk for emotional dysregulation and behavior problems that can escalate to levels requiring psychiatric hospitalization. Evaluating the etiology of such behaviors can be challenging for health care providers, as individuals with ASD can have difficulty self-reporting concerns.…

In this article, Nicholas Covino states that mental illness is a problem many people do not want to discuss, yet it affects everyone. Today, one in four adults and one in five children have a diagnosable mental illness, and one of two Americans will suffer from mental illness at some point in their lives. Suicide will claim one American every 13…

In this article we discuss the necessity of fully informing patients and their families of what constitutes physical interventions and their attendant risks under the established principles and obligations of informed consent. After a brief review of the elements of informed consent and the nature of the duty to advise patients and their families…

There is substantial evidence for the effectiveness of psychological treatments for OCD, and various approaches have been widely recommended. These approaches tend to be characterized by exposure and response prevention (ERP) and also tend to be applied equally to all forms of OCD. Patients/clients (and some therapists) often find ERP to be a…

Wandering is a difficult-to-manage behavior problem for individuals with cognitive impairments that can jeopardize safety if an individual enters a hazardous area or becomes lost. This study investigated the effects of a cloth barrier on entry into an unsafe area. The cloth barrier reduced entry into the restricted area and had high treatment…

This descriptive study examined reports of behavioral problems among older patients hospitalized in acute care medical settings. Greater numbers of behavioral problems were reported by nursing staff on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Questionnaire than were documented in medical charts over the same time period. Such underreporting may have…

Diagonistic dyspraxia is a clinical syndrome usually characterized by involuntary and conflicting behaviors between the hands following corpus callosum lesions. In the present study, we report the case of a patient who presents such symptoms, along with a series of complex abnormal behaviors, such as carrying out an action and subsequently doing…

The technical difficulties posed for the child psychotherapist working with children who have themselves experienced violence and abuse are addressed. A distinction is drawn between violence in the service of communicating about such experiences and violence that arises from more perverse aspects of the patient. The therapist's need to pay close…

Patients exhibiting symptoms associated with conduct disorder present challenges in assessment and treatment. The difficulties are not only the complexities of correct identification and appropriate intervention, but also that the knowledge is rapidly growing. Evidence-based practice (EBP) provides a useful framework for dealing with these issues.…

Presents and evaluates a comprehensive client management system for suicide and crisis intervention services, consisting of five service designations: self-injury, crisis, active support, general support, and single contact. Self-injury clients received more contacts and more time in direct service. (Author)

This paper discusses a treatment approach to addiction counseling which emphasizes the need for information in the areas of major life problems, problem-causing behaviors, early family experiences, and self-esteem or self-image. This treatment process is outlined. The Danic Quick Personal Inventory Scale is presented in a sample case study.…

Estimates of the prevalence of alcohol dependence among Americans approach 14% (Read, Kahler, & Stevenson, 2001). Alcohol dependence was once considered among the most recalcitrant of problem behaviors, with only 20% to 30% attaining sustained abstinence (Hunt Barnett & Branch 1971). Although current definitions of treatment success now consider…

In the treatment of addiction, the problem of motivating people into some form of treatment is sometimes the most difficult part of the process. In this paper, two forms of motivation into treatment are discussed. In the first, the person is treated like a child and someone, acting as the parent, forces the person into beginning the therapy…