Quantitative and qualitative measures of patient satisfaction with psychiatric outpatient services were compared in interviews with 263 outpatients. Results indicate that expressions of dissatisfaction appear mainly in open-ended questions. Focus on the questions and acceptability of the data gathering procedure appears to influence responses…

A study compared 58 patients who were deaf and 168 hearing patients at a facility serving youth with psychological disturbances. All of the children who were deaf and admitted at age 12 or younger had strong or confirmed indications of sexual abuse and 85 percent of the adolescents. Residential facilities are described. (Contains references.)…

Objective: To determine the demographic and psychosocial correlates of physical and sexual abuse among children with autism. Methods: Data collected from 1997 to 2000 through the national evaluation of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and their Families Program on 156 children with autism were used. Data included a…

A system of care for children and youth with severe emotional and behavioural disorders, as outlined by Stroul & Friedman (1986, 1994) has been mandated for social service providers in the province of Manitoba. However, this model of service delivery has not been entirely effective in promoting collaboration among service providers. In this…

The practice of child and adolescent psychiatry is more complex now. More is known about the neurobiology of common psychiatric disorders. Sophisticated diagnostic systems can be downloaded for nonprofit use from the Internet (e.g., Kaufman et al., 1997). Treatment alternatives for a single disorder have proliferated (e.g., Clarke et al., 1999;…

Structured checklists have been used to supplement psychiatric assessment of children with normal intelligence, but for children with intellectual disability, only a few checklists exist. We evaluated the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) in the assessment of psychopathology in Finnish children with intellectual disability. The CBCL was completed by…

Objective: The short-term benefit of risperidone in ameliorating severe disruptive behavior in pediatric patients with autism spectrum disorders is well established; however, only one placebo-controlled, long-term study of efficacy is available. Method: Thirty-six children with an autism spectrum disorder (5-17 years old) accompanied by severe…

Objective: To predict psychiatric hospital length of stay (LOS) for a sample of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services wards across 4 fiscal years. Method: A prospective design was implemented using the Children's Severity of Psychiatric Illness scale, a reliable and valid measure of psychiatric severity, risk factors, youth…

Context: National data demonstrate that mental health (MH) visits to the emergency room (ER) comprise a small, but not inconsequential, proportion of all visits; however, we lack a rural picture of this issue. Purpose: This study investigates the use of critical access hospital (CAH) ERs by patients with MH problems to understand the role these…

A description is provided of "Introduction to Psychiatric Nursing," a 7-week course offered to juniors and seniors in a bachelor of science nursing program. The first sections present information on curricular placement, time assignments, and the targeted student population, and define psychiatric/mental health nursing. Next, the course…

A chronicle of the developmental thrust of psychiatry into the community mental health movement; its rise and fall in popularity, and the subsequent doubts raised about the power of social environment and mental health experts as manipulators of that environment to serve as unique forces for the betterment of society as a whole. (EH)

The connections between human communication and mental health were first noted 50 to 60 years ago by such early psychiatrists as Alfred Adler, Harry Stack Sullivan, and Karen Horney. They were concerned with understanding those communication processes and skills that make for effective, fully functioning human beings. Adler emphasized faulty…

This account of the author's service as a consultant to groups that provide "alternative social services" for young people presents first a historical perspective, then a brief sketch of two alternative service projects he has worked with, and finally an actual description of his work as a consultant. (JM)

This paper discusses the ineffectiveness of Suicide Prevention Centers in terms of the following: (1) diffusion vs. specific focus; (2) client centered orientation; (3) passive approach; and (4) failure to develop minority programs. Suggestions for improving prevention efforts are presented. (JLL)