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Biomedical subjects

H J Steadman

Publications and source records attributed to H J Steadman.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Role incongruence and gender variation in the provision of prison mental health services.

Correctional administrators are equipped with a variety of responses to manage problematic inmate behavior. The forms of these responses range from subtle coercion in the context of everyday prison life to segregative placements that include protective custody, disciplinary confinement, and mental health residential services. Using logistic regression, the present study examines the disproportionate placement of female inmates in mental health facilities. The results suggest that placement differences for male and for female inmates reflect both psychiatric need and differential responses to role-incongruent behavior.

Adult↗

Refining prevalence estimates of pathological gambling.

Pathological gambling was officially defined as a psychiatric illness by APA in 1980. The authors report on the results of a state-wide study in New York that indicated significant differences between problem gamblers in the general population and pathological gamblers entering publicly funded treatment programs. These results, based on telephone interviews using standardized assessment instruments with 1,000 persons, raise serious clinical and programmatic issues regarding the development and organization of appropriate services for pathological gamblers. They also point to the fact that large segments of the general population are not receiving needed services.

Adult↗

Arrest rates of patients treated at a community mental health center.

Records of inpatients and outpatients first admitted to a community mental health center (CMHC) in 1975 or 1983 were studied to determine the patients' arrest rates and to note the factors associated with incidence of arrest one to nine years after admission to the CMHC. CMHC patients were at greatest risk for arrest within their first year after admission. During the year after admission, arrest rates for CMHC patients were .76 to 1.96 times those of the general population, but were lower than rates reported in the literature for patients released from state hospitals. Attributes that predicted arrest of CMHC patients were a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder, a history of arrests, and younger age.

Adult↗

A survey of mental disability among state prison inmates.

To obtain a comprehensive picture of the levels of mental disability in the general state prison population in New York State, the authors gathered data on a random sample of inmates using a survey instrument adapted from the state's level-of-care surveys of the psychiatric population. The sample consisted of 3,332 inmates in the general prison population (9.4 percent) and 352 inmates in prison mental health units. The survey results showed that 8 percent of the state's prison inmates have severe psychiatric or functional disabilities that clearly warrant some type of mental health intervention, and another 16 percent have significant mental disabilities that require periodic services. The specific nature and extent of these disabilities need to be assessed before appropriate services can be developed.

Humans↗

Incident reporting: evaluation of New York's pilot incident logging system.

A revised incident reporting system that combined an abbreviated logging procedure for documenting minor incidents and a more comprehensive and detailed procedure for documenting major incidents was pilot tested in three New York State adult psychiatric centers. The pilot test had two major goals: to reduce the volume of work associated with current reporting procedures, and to facilitate even more thorough investigation of incidents warranting prompt and comprehensive review. Evaluation of pilot study data showed that a logging procedure is viable for the management of minor incidents.

Aggression↗

Constructing an efficient inpatient incident reporting system.

The NYS Office of Mental Health invests significant staff resources in documenting, investigating, and reviewing minor incidents. This process generates an enormous amount of paperwork. A study by the NYS Commission on Quality of Care revealed that this investment, in fact, compromised the intended positive outcomes. A major flaw they cited was the requirement for identical reporting procedures for both major and minor incidents. A logging system for reporting minor incidents was developed and pilot tested in three OMH psychiatric hospitals. The study revealed that utilization of a log system for the reporting of minor incidents greatly reduced paperwork and staff time, and that these reductions were accomplished without detriment to the quality of care. In fact, the quality of patient care may have improved. More incidents were being reported, a stable record was available on wards for clinical review, staff were enthusiastic about the log system, perhaps improving their morale, and direct care staff had more time available to spend with patients. This type of logging system for the reporting of minor incidents would appear applicable to practically all inpatient psychiatric settings, and, if employed as intended, could be expected to contribute to an improved quality of patient care.

Accident Prevention↗

Assessing the operation of secure care programs in New York State facilities.

In 1980 New York State's Office of Mental Health began operation of a program designed to provide a secure treatment unit at each of the 23 state psychiatric centers. As part of a research project to assess the operation of the units, demographic and hospitalization data were gathered on all clients residing on, and admitted to, the 14 operational units over a five-month period in 1982. Clinical data and information on program operation were also obtained. Results indicated that the units were generally functioning as planned, primarily serving young male civil patients referred for assaultive behavior. The patients were significantly more likely to have been involved in incidents of dangerous behavior and to have been in restraint or seclusion than were patients on comparison wards. The study also found that the secure units had been effective in reducing the rate of such incidents for the patients served. However, some data suggested the presence of an inappropriate population on certain units.

Adult↗

Hospitalization length of insanity acquittees.

Used step-wise multiple regression procedures to predict length of hospitalization of 225 defendants acquitted by reason of insanity in New York state. Of the 21 variables considered, only 9 (severity of offense, sex, marital status, days prior imprisonment, homicide offense, days previous civil hospitalization, educational level, race, number of victims) contributed to the significance of the regression equation. However, these accounted for but 11% of the observed variance.

Adolescent↗