Trials of Women for Homicide in Nineteenth-Century England

This study examines the rates of trial of women on charges of murder at five yearly intervals from 1845 to 1900. Most women in the nineteenth century were charged with murdering their new-born infants or older children, though few were convicted. Also discussed are the rates of trial for charges of "concealment of birth," a charge frequently used when a jury was reluctant to convict an accused woman of the more serious charge of murder.     

The Impact Imprisonment has on Women's Health and Health Care from the Perspective of Female Inmates in Kansas

This multimethod study, conducted at the Topeka Correctional Facility during the summers of 2001, 2002, and 2003, investigated the impact of imprisonment on women's health and health care. The researcher hypothesized that 3 independent constructs—(a) extended strain, (b) level of health care received either before or during incarceration, and (c) detrimental social structural influences—could predict the health status of female inmates prior to and during incarceration. Multiple regression analyses conducted on 1 survey sample of 120 inmates revealed that only health care prior to incarceration and extended strain contributed significantly to explaining the inmates' self-perceived health status prior to and during incarceration. When life history interviews with 22 inmates were examined to determine inmates' perceptions of their health status and the health care they had received, prior to and during their imprisonment, qualitative results revealed inmates expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of health care received in prison, as well as the manner in which it was administered.     

美国精神卫生制度的发展——兼论我国新《精神卫生法》

美国精神卫生制度的形成经历了从漠视和侵犯人权到尊重和重视人权的发展过程。然而美国现有精神卫生制度领域仍然存在着诸多问题和缺陷,特别体现在医疗服务可获得性缺乏这一问题上。《中华人民共和国精神卫生法》力求在医疗服务可获得性与强制住院之间达到平衡。     

The observation of mental disorder and dangerousness in arsonists: a contemporary appraisal of changes in Dutch forensic mental health cases

In the Netherlands pre-trial forensic mental health assessments are conducted to examine whether a mental disorder was present at the time of the offence that affected the free will of a person, in which case criminal accountability is considered diminished or absent. This study aims to investigate societal changes over time in forensic mental health recommendations in arson cases. Seventy-two reports of male arsonists assessed in 1950–2010 were included in this study, 36 arsonists were assessed in the first time period (1950–1979) and 36 in the second period (1980–2010). Results show an association between DSM classification and the conclusion on criminal accountability only in the first period and an association between recidivism risk and the forensic mental health recommendation only in the later period. It is concluded that mental disorder was of greater influence on the conclusion on accountability in the first time period, whilst dangerousness played a more important role on the forensic mental health recommendation in the later time period. Our findings reflect a shift from paternalistic principles to principles of risk control and show that societal changes influence the field of forensic mental health.     

城市社区老年群体就医行为影响因素分析

日益增长的老年人健康需求是老龄化带来的诸多挑战中的一个重要方面。新一轮医药卫生体制改革突出强调基本医疗服务供给和基层卫生服务体系建设,在缓解老年人健康压力方面有一定的积极作用。老年人在身体条件、经济能力、思想观念等方面的特点,使得其就医行为受到机构服务能力、距离、费用、就医过程等多方面因素影响。在新医改背景下,需要结合这些影响因素继续完善基层医疗服务体系,以更好地满足老年群体健康需求。     

Special Issue on electronic media,markets and civil society in East and Southeast Asia: Introduction

Abstract

The government of Hong Kong has been trying to reform the territory's health care financing system since the early 1990s and is finally on the verge of succeeding. The objective of this paper is to assess the reform efforts and explain the causes of repeated failures and eventual success. It will argue that the government's fortunes changed only after it abandoned the core reform goal and decided to pursue peripheral objectives. It will explain the abandonment with reference to the peculiar political system in Hong Kong that makes it difficult for the government to adopt substantial policy reforms in the face of even moderate opposition. The reason for the government's policy incapacity is the existence of liberalism in a non-democratic setting, which allows the government to neither suppress opposition nor mobilize popular support. This has been illustratively evident in its health care reforms when its proposals to improve the system's fiscal sustainability invariably met an early death because they imposed costs on employers, the population or both. The current proposal has fared better not only because it addresses a simpler peripheral problem but also because it offends almost no one and pleases many among the powerful.     

A Targeted Approach to the Provision of Ubiquitous Healthcare Services for the Newly Retired

The purpose of this research is to discuss a targeted approach to health care provisions for the newly retired. This approach focuses on the application of specific services provided by the development of Web 2.0 technologies and an identification system that determines the needs of a community of newly retired. The paper examines the significance of this community and also discusses the steps required for the research. The first phase of the research which is covered here involves reviewing pervious literature to determine what information has been gathered about the subject. Once this has been accomplished that the researcher will investigate the defined community to determine what resources are in place and what additional resources need to be in put in place in order to help the community to continue to thrive. The final steps include implementing what services were found to be necessary for the continued growth of the community and a follow-up concerning the success of these services.     

Rich doctors and poor patients: Market failure and health care systems in developing countries

This article argues that, in developing countries, health care systems (HCS) have been facing the problem of market failure, implying that the fair rules of market principles do not apply and patients often become losers. Explaining the theoretical issues involved, the article examines various causes of market failures in HCS, including: rent-seeking activities by doctors, asymmetric information between doctors and patients, between patients and insurance companies, and the oligopolistic behaviour of health care practitioners. The policy implications of the study suggest that, in many cases, government intervention is essential to eliminate market failures in the HCS in developing countries.     

Age Differences Among Homeless Individuals: Adolescence Through Adulthood

The present study examines differences between homeless adolescents, young adults, and older adults served by homeless shelters or food programs to inform service provision. Four homeless studies using the same sampling and measurement methods were pooled to permit comparisons across age groups. Results showed that homeless adolescents demonstrated greater resilience than younger and older adults. Adolescents reported the shortest duration of homelessness, lowest number of life stressors, fewest physical symptoms, largest social networks, and fewest clinically significant mental health problems. Adolescents also received fewer alcohol and drug abuse diagnoses than younger and older adults. Younger adults reported less time homeless and fewer physical symptoms than older adults, but more life stressors. Younger adults also endorsed higher levels of hostile and paranoid psychological symptoms. Implications for service provision and policy are discussed.