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Biomedical subjects

J W Conroy

Publications and source records attributed to J W Conroy.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

The Thomas S. case: report on progress with court compliance issues.

The present paper is a brief summary of the progress which has been made in the Thomas S. case, a U.S. Federal Court lawsuit The suit focused on adults with intellectual disability who had been inappropriately placed in state psychiatric hospitals in conditions which violated their constitutional rights. These constitutional rights include safety, protection from harm, treatment under safe conditions, freedom from undue restraint, and minimally adequate habilitation or treatment The present report summarizes the progress made by the 239 class members after they had received a Thomas S. service plan for 6-24 months. Overall, the results suggest that the class members have made significant progress in several areas. Two areas needing continued attention are the challenging behaviours of some class members and their lack of employment opportunities.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Mortality among Pennhurst class members, 1978 to 1989: a brief report.

Pennhurst Center closed in 1987, and the closure was one of the most intensely studied of all deinstitutionalizations. Because of recent interest in mortality after deinstitutionalization, we examined all deaths from 1978 to 1989 among the people who had resided at Pennhurst in 1978. During the period from 1978 to 1989, every person moved from Pennhurst to a community home. Relocation literature would suggest that this might be a time of high risk of mortality. However, the actual mortality rates were considerably lower than what would have been expected if Pennhurst had remained in operation, even though the stress of relocation was present. Movement to community homes appeared to improve survival for the Pennhurst people.

Cohort Studies↗
PubMed1997

Concentrations of mercury in otters (Lutra lutra L.) in Scotland in relation to rainfall.

Concentrations of mercury (Hg) were measured in 112 livers of otters from various areas in Scotland during 1986-1992. Mercury concentration varied from 0.3-44.7 ppm (dry). There was a significant positive correlation between Hg in otters and annual rainfall, consistent with an atmospheric origin of mercury pollution. Mercury concentration was higher in animals with lower body condition. Concentrations were shown to increase with the age of the animal, but not everywhere, and the correlation was weak. It appeared unlikely that during the study period otter numbers were affected by mercury.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1997

Use of psychotropic medication in Oklahoma: a statewide survey.

Analysis of statewide survey data revealed that 22.5% of individuals with mental retardation who were served by the Oklahoma mental retardation system were receiving antipsychotic medication. Anxiolytic medications were prescribed for 9.3%, and antidepressants were prescribed for 5.9%. Higher levels of medication use were found in institutional settings and Intermediate Care Facility settings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Concentrations of some organochlorines in otters (Lutra lutra L.) in Scotland: Implications for populations.

The concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and residues of organochlorine pesticides (HEOD and DDE) were measured in livers of otters (Lutra lutra) from different areas in Scotland. Whilst HEOD and DDE occurred at very low concentrations only, PCBs were present in high levels in some areas, the highest in Shetland (geom mean 2.05 ppm wet wt), related probably to high levels in sediments in the north-east Atlantic. PCBs were a mixture of congeners in which higher-chlorinated ones predominated, especially 138, 153, 170 and 180, a pattern comparable to that observed in otters from continental Europe. Individual values of total PCB reached levels of over 14 ppm wet weight, even in otters in good condition in thriving populations. Otter population densities were known in some of the study areas; in Shetland numbers increased over the study period, and the density was relatively high also elsewhere in Scotland. There was a strong negative correlation between PCB and body condition, but no correlation between PCB concentration and age of otters (mean age=4.1 years), which suggests that PCBs do not accumulate substantially in otters in the long term. The observations cast doubt on the significance of published 'critical levels' of PCBs to otter populations, based on data obtained from captive mink.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

The small ICF/MR program: dimensions of quality and cost.

Dimensions of quality of life were compared for people living in small ICFs/MR versus other community living arrangements. Individual differences were controlled by using a matched comparison design. The data set contained 35 indicators of quality. Primary analyses were restricted to data from 1988 to 1992. Fifty-one people from small ICFs/MR were matched with people from community living arrangements. Subjects were matched on adaptive behavior, challenging behavior, age, and gender. Quality outcomes were superior for people in the non-ICF settings on 10 of the 35 measures. The ICFs/MR were not superior on any of the indicators. Results suggest that less intensively regulated and more flexible models of residential supports may produce superior outcomes at equal or lower cost.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

The Woodhaven short-term model reconsidered: a study of developmental growth and criteria for discharge.

This article concerns the issues surrounding discharge of mentally retarded clients from a short-term, intensive residential service setting. The Temple University Woodhaven Center is designed as a two-year setting for about 270 clients. They require intensive assistance in acquiring behaviors necessary for independent functioning and in learning appropriate social behavior, so that they can adapt to and thrive in a less restrictive, more integrated setting. Woodhaven, however, serves clients at all levels of retardation. The question arises: How is it decided who is to be discharged and when? Upon entry to Woodhaven, a contract is written with the family and client, specifying what behavioral changes are expected as preconditions for discharge. In this approach, a client should be discharged upon attainment of contract goals. A second approach uses adaptive behavior skills as a criterion of progress, and attempts to determine the level of skills displayed by other, similar clients who are already living in the community. This second, criterion-referenced approach is important not only for discharge decisions from one facility, but for broad service system planning as well. The results of the present study supported the notion of a two-year intensive residential program.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1977

Behavioral effects of interinstitutional relocation of mentally retarded residents.

Deinstitutionalization requires relocation of mentally residents. An exploratory investigation was conducted of the impact of interinstitutional relocation. The subjects were residents transferred from a large institution to a smaller facility and a matched comparison group from the latter facility. The 92 male and female subjects ranged from 10 to 42 years of age. The Adaptive Behavior Scale was administered prior to relocation, immediately following relocation, and 6 to 8 weeks following relocation. Higher functioning residents showed a pattern of lowered functioning and withdrawal following relocation. Relative to the comparison group, they were more withdrawn and suffered setbacks in language development. In contrast, lower functioning residents generally increased activity levels of both adaptive and acting-out behavior. The necessity for risk/benefit analysis preceding decisions to relocate residents was discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Improve quality in nursing homes or institute community placement? Implementation of OBRA for individuals with mental retardation.

A matched sample longitudinal design was used to compare the outcomes for individuals with mental retardation who were either retained in nursing homes or transferred to community based living arrangements. Persons who moved from nursing homes to community residences experienced increased performance in adaptive behavior skills, whereas persons who remained in nursing homes regressed. Individual habilitation plans became nearly universal in both environments, but those plans prepared in the community were more focused on vocational type goals. Hours of service also increased in both environments, with the greatest increases being observed in habilitation training. Nursing services dropped to near-zero levels in community-based programs.

Activities of Daily Living↗