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Biomedical subjects

S K Littmann

Publications and source records attributed to S K Littmann.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

Suicide epidemics and newspaper reporting.

This paper looks at the relationship between suicide-related newspaper reports and a subway-suicide epidemic. More reports were published during the epidemic, without statistically significant differences between epidemic and nonepidemic years. There did not appear to be an excess of reports antecedent to the suicide. The role of newspapers is discussed with particular reference to suicide epidemics. The need for studies of content of newspaper items related to self-harm is emphasized.

Humans

Involuntary admission to hospital and treatment in Ontario: is pessimism among physicians warranted?

In 1978 the Ontario Mental Health Act was revised to contain more specific and objective criteria for involuntary admission to hospital and treatment. The new requirements have elicited critical and pessimistic comments from psychiatrists and other physicians in Ontario. Two recent cases, described in this paper, indicate that the changes in the law have not obstructed good clinical care and treatment and may, in fact, be salutary to the management of patients who are involuntarily admitted to hospital.

Adult

A psychiatric clinic for the deaf.

From the increasing number of requests being received by the Deafness Clinic (as many in the first three months of 1981 as in the whole of 1980), it would appear there is a sizable minority in Canada for whom psychiatric and mental health services are not easily accessible in their present form. Not only does hearing impairment significantly affect language, communication and social skills acquisition, it also separates persons so affected from services that other Canadians take for granted.

Adolescent

Schizophrenia: group support for relatives.

This paper outlines the organization and evolution of educational-support groups for the families and friends of schizophrenic patients. The organization involved three phases of expanding services to this target population. Our findings are that: a) relatives experience stage-specific reactions to the fact of schizophrenia in the family; b) topic areas for discussion tend to be the same in different groups; c) as total attendance grows (larger groups), individual attendance rate drops; d) the groups tend to evolve into self-led committees; e) the maximum benefit from the groups, as reported by the participants, is the opportunity to share common, painful experiences. Future goals lie in the encouragement of relative-run community organizations for schizophrenia and the clarification of the role of families in the development and course of the illness.

Attitude

Planning for psychiatric emergencies.

Hospital emergency services have been used increasingly in recent years. This has resulted in questions as to the true nature of patients' complaints and the appropriateness of this type of care. Since the increase in the number of psychiatric emergency patients has paralleled that for patients at other types of emergency clinics a study was conducted at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Toronto, to examine the situation prior to the inception in 1977 of a crisis intervention unit. It was found that most patients had both psychiatric and social difficulties, and it was considered that planning should concentrate on strategies for efficient management of the clinical problems.

Adult