To determine whether blind children in a well-equipped modern institution are receiving enough physical education activities to maintain good physical condition, the physiological characteristics of 20 institutionalized blind children were measured according to body composition, pulmonary function, and tolerance for exercise. (Author)

An overview is presented of several areas of deprivation research (animal, child, young adult) and methods of conceptualizing and measuring deprivation is applied to institutionalized geriatric patients. Suggestions are made for more precise approaches to studying and treating deprivation in this population. (Author/SS)

Examined collateral costs of incarceration for jail inmates. Explored relationship between costs of confinement and affective responses of inmates to incarceration. Found collateral costs could be extensive and were unrelated to legal status, prior criminal history, time in jail, or resources available to inmate at arrest. Collateral costs…

Compared demented patients in special care units in four nursing homes with demented counterparts in same facilities who were not placed in special care units. Results suggest that two groups differ in level of cognitive impairment, behavior, and functional and physical status. No deleterious or beneficial effects were associated with special care…

Medicaid billing information was used to examine the administration of psychotropic medication to residents of community long-term care facilities providing mental retardation services. Results indicated 28.9 percent of such residents in Illinois received at least one psychotropic medication with little or no influence of demographic and facility…

The Survey of Elderly Reading Attitudes completed by 30 institutionalized and 40 noninstitutionalized older adults found differences in reading preferences and needs, attributed to differences in residential lifestyle. (SK)

Investigated self-esteem and career salience of institutionalized male adolescent offenders (n=185) in context of Super's lifespan career development theory. Results indicated that participation, commitment, and values expectations in home-family roles contributed significantly to self-esteem in adolescent offenders. Adolescent offenders differed…

This study evaluated effects on 77 institutionalized patients with mental retardation of changing from anticonvulsant Depakote to the similar drug, Depakene. Results showed no changes in seizure control, less lethargy on Depakene, but some increase in diarrhea and some changes in psychiatric symptoms. Substantial cost savings were achieved by the…

Examines theoretical approaches and nature of evidence typically brought to bear in addressing issue of elderly African Americans being admitted to nursing homes at one-half to three-quarters the rate of elderly whites. Notes that double jeopardy hypothesis effectively describes but does not explain apparent racial inequities in use of…

Nurse's aides (n=43) at two institutions answered questions about their experience and knowledge of aging and rated nursing home residents on a semantic differential (attitude) scale. Results indicated including a brief life history in a routine medical chart caused aides to perceive residents in a more positive manner. (Author/ABL)

The role of institutions in promoting self-care requires a new look at what self-care is and how caregivers are prepared to assess and promote self-care abilities of the older person with moderate to severe functional impairment while ensuring high quality care. (Author)

Nationally published reports on death rates for substance abuse (drug-alcohol related), violence (homicide), and risky sexual behaviors (HIV/AIDS) among African-American men are deeply concerning. The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between historical/developmental factors (masculine identity, racial identity, racism),…

In addition to the impaired ability to effectively communicate, adults with acquired brain injury (ABI) also experience high incidences of depression, social isolation, and decreased quality of life. Expressive writing programs have been shown to be effective in alleviating these concomitant impairments in other populations including incarcerated…

Background: Although juveniles within the justice system have high psychiatric morbidity, few comprehensive investigations have shown posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in female delinquents. Here, we aim to describe the nature and extent of PTSD and trauma exposure and to clarify the relationships among comorbidity and psychosocial factors in…