Symptom Validity Testing in Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders: A Critical Review

When patients present with unusual, atypical, and difficult-to-understand complaints known as dissociative and somatoform disorders or medically unexplained symptoms, clinicians may administer symptom validity tests (SVTs) to determine whether or not the patient exhibits negative response bias. Such tests are especially informative in a context where incentives play a substantial role (e.g., the legal arena). If patients fail SVTs and exhibit negative response bias, how should that bias be interpreted? Some authors have argued that psychological problems (e.g., unconscious conflicts and depression) and circumstances (e.g., a cry for help) may explain such bias. In the current article, we critically review this “psychopathology = superordinate” position. We argue that (1) there is no empirical evidence to suggest that psychological problems may foster SVT failure per se and (2) that the “psychopathology = superordinate” position invites circular argumentation: to clarify the nature of the atypical symptoms, SVTs are administered and a negative response bias is found, which is explained away by the atypical symptoms. Negative response bias allows for only one conclusion: the patient’s self-report of symptoms and life history can no longer be taken at face value.     

Altes und Neues zum Grundsatz der Gewaltentrennung

Der Grundsatz der Gewaltentrennung steht heute vor der Herausforderung, jene Funktionen unter ver?nderten Rahmenbedingungen zu erfüllen, die ihm im 19. Jahrhundert zugedacht wurden. Diese Funktionen sind dem Prinzip nach heute aktueller denn je. Und sie erfordern, diesen Grundsatz mehr als bisher aus rechtsstaatlicher Perspektive zu betrachten und jene Elemente, die die Judikatur des VfGH seit Jahrzehnten unver?ndert aus ihm ableitet, einer kritischen Revision zu unterziehen.     

Viele Tocquevilles? — Neuere Interpretationen eines Klassikers

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

From alcohol to liquid ecstasy (GHB)--a survey of old and modern knockout agents. Part 2: benzodiazepines and other sedatives/hypnotic drugs

Owing to the rapid progress in the development of synthetic pharmaceuticals, the classical knockout drugs such as chloroform and diethyl ether have been superseded by highly effective sedative and hypnotic drugs (e. g. methyprylone, clozapine and especially benzodiazepines). These are frequently given to the victim unnoticed by adding them to an alcoholic drink. In this way, alcohol still plays an important role as an interaction partner. The article presents relevant case examples together with their criminalistic background.     

Verwaltungsgerichtsbarkeit und Rechtsschutz

Die Verwaltungsgerichtsbarkeit zählt zu einem der zentralen Elemente des Rechtsschutzsystems und damit zum rechtsstaatlichen Gesamtkonzept der Bundesverfassung. Mit der Verwaltungsgerichtsbarkeits-Novelle 2012 wurden die Parameter der Verwaltungsgerichtsbarkeit insoweit grundlegend verschoben, als sich das dualistische Rechtsschutzmodell mit einer Kombination aus Administrativ- und gerichtlichem Rechtsschutz zu einem ausschließlich verwaltungsgerichtlichen Rechtsschutzsystem wandelt und auch die traditionelle Formgebundenheit des Rechtsschutzsystems relativiert wird. Der Beitrag untersucht zentrale Elemente dieses Systemwechsels aus rechtsstaatlicher Perspektive.     

The 2008 Declaration of Helsinki — First among Equals in Research Ethics?

The World Medical Association's (WMA) Declaration of Helsinki is one of the most important and influential international research ethics documents. Its most recent 2008 version declares unprecedented universal primacy over all existing national or international ethical, legal, or regulatory requirements. This self-proclaimed status as a set of minimal ethical standards raises important questions about the Declaration's appropriate normative status. The present paper argues that the new claim of ethical primacy is problematic and makes the Declaration unnecessarily vulnerable to criticism. Future revisions of the Declaration should therefore remove this claim and strengthen the document, first, by clarifying its normative status as a set of strong default recommendations, to be followed unless there is compelling ethical reason to do otherwise; and second, by improving the substance of the Declaration through further precision, specification, and argument.