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Biomedical subjects

I K Packer

Publications and source records attributed to I K Packer.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

From case management to court clinic: examining forensic system involvement of persons with severe mental illness.

The study examined the flow of a state mental health agency's case-managed clients into its forensic mental health court clinic systems for evaluation of competency to stand trial (CST) for a criminal offense. An analysis of merged encounter data from the case management and court clinic systems revealed that roughly 2% of the case-managed population were referred to court clinics for evaluation of CST during a 1-year period, but that these 2% represented roughly one eighth of that year's court clinic evaluees. The likelihood of this involvement was higher for males, African-Americans, and Latinos, and for persons with a history of substance abuse, and also was associated with higher levels of previous hospitalization. In addition, CST evaluees were more likely to be non-White, male, and uninsured than were case-managed evaluees. These data indicate that demographic characteristics, substance abuse, and lack of insurance are potential risk factors for forensic and, by inference, criminal justice system involvement among persons with mental illness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Community mental health services and the prevalence of severe mental illness in local jails: are they related?

The excessive prevalence of severe mental illness noted in correctional settings has sometimes been attributed to the inadequacy of community based mental health services. This study examines the prevalence of severe mental illness in two jails situated within catchment areas featuring markedly different levels of community mental health services. We use these settings to test the hypothesis that greater levels of services in a community are associated with lower prevalence of severe mental illness in the community's jail. An epidemiologic approach, using standardized field instruments, was used to estimate the prevalence of major mental illness in detainees arriving at the two sites over a 6-month period. The hypothesis that greater levels of mental health resources in a community would be associated with lower prevalence of mental illness in the community's jail was not supported. These findings suggest that community-based mental health services by themselves do not affect the prevalence of mental illness in jail.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Privatized managed care and forensic mental health services.

Managed care for mental health services, which began in the private, commercial sector, has spread over the past few years to the public mental health sector as well. Recently, states have begun considering whether to include the forensic population within their privatized managed care systems. This article explores some of the complexities and special challenges unique to forensic services and notes some of the problems that might be incurred if the forensic population were included in a managed care system.

Contract Services↗
PubMed1990

Domestic violence: the role of the mental health expert.

Mental health experts are often called upon to testify in trials of battered woman who have killed their husbands. Such experts have an important role to play in educating both the public and the legal profession about the Battered Woman Syndrome.

Expert Testimony↗
PubMed1985

Examining the application of the guilty but mentally ill verdict in Michigan.

The insanity defense has come under increased criticism after the highly publicized acquittal of John Hinckley, Jr. A variety of proposals have been suggested to rectify the perceived injustices of an insanity acquittal. In 1975 Michigan passed a guilty but mentally ill statute that allowed for individuals to be found mentally ill at the time of the offense but still criminally responsible for their actions. The authors review the history of the Michigan statute, scrutinize an empirical study of the statute's effectiveness, and debate a number of controversial issues. They suggest that guilty but mentally ill may be a misleading verdict established because of purely political motives.

Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders↗
PubMed1980

Differences in the distribution of gray and white matter in human cerebral hemispheres.

The distribution of gray matter in the two cerebral hemispheres was determined by the xenon-133 inhalation method. There was more gray matter relative to white matter in the left hemisphere than in the right, particularly in the frontal and precentral regions. This finding suggests that the organization of the left hemisphere, relative to that of the right, emphasizes processing or transfer within regions, or both, rather than transfer across regions.

Brain↗