Failings of Trauma‐Specific and Related Psychological Tests in Detecting Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder in Forensic Settings

Judges and juries tend to be particularly impressed by test data, especially quantitative test data. Psychometric tests specific for assessing the presence of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are commonly employed by forensic mental health evaluators. Most of these instruments, however, have been designed to detect PTSD in treatment or research, and not forensic, settings. Those who rely on these measures without adequate awareness of their often significant limits in correctly identifying malingering may induce finders of fact to inordinately confidently accept the presence of PTSD. This article reviews problematic structural and content components of trauma‐specific and related instruments used to evaluate PTSD and discusses the utility of specific techniques liable to be used in forensic settings to “fool” these measures.     

理性市场秩序呼唤道德支持——规范市场秩序的伦理思考

市场秩序混乱是我国当前经济生活中十分突出的问题.本文对这一经济现象从伦理道德的角度加以审视,认为理性的市场秩序既是一种经济秩序,也是一种伦理道德秩序.市场失序不仅源于制度约束机制的软化,在更深层次上,它是转型时期社会伦理道德失范在经济领域的反映,是伦理上层建筑对经济生活反作用的集中表现.因此,道德秩序是市场秩序的精神支柱,活而有序的市场机制的建立既要有完备的法规体系作保障,又要有相应的伦理价值观念予以支撑.     

颅脑损伤所致精神障碍的相关因素研究

目的探讨颅脑损伤所致精神障碍的相关因素。方法以成都市公安交通管理局事故处理大队提供的因道路交通事故造成颅脑损伤的255名存活者为研究对象,在颅脑损伤治疗终结后进行智商测验、记忆商测验、SCID -I评估、PDQC和SCICP评估、脑电地形图检查,并完成人口学资料的收集。依据CCMD-3诊断标准中有关器质性精神障碍的分类进行精神障碍的诊断。结果 255例颅脑损伤患者中,罹患各类精神障碍者共185例,发生率为 72．5％。与颅脑损伤所致精神障碍相关的因素有:患者的文化程度低、脑挫裂伤、脑损伤程度重、左额叶和左颞叶损伤、多脑叶联合损伤及BEAM异常程度重。结论颅脑损伤所致精神障碍的发生率较高;患者的文化程度、颅脑损伤的性质、程度、部位及多脑叶联合损伤等因素对精神障碍的发生具有一定影响。     

实验性糖尿病大鼠胃壁内一氧化氮合酶与胃电节律失常关系

目的：研究糖尿病大鼠胃动力障碍发生的电生理机制及胃壁内一氧化氮合酶(NOS)神经细胞分布；探讨健脾活血法中药“脾胃康”治疗糖尿病大鼠胃动力障碍作用机制。方法：同步记录对照组、中药组、链脲佐菌素所致糖尿病模型组清洁级雄性SD大鼠胃窦部的胃电活动，并应用NDP组织化学染色。结果：发现糖尿病组大鼠与对照组和中药组大鼠相比，胃电慢波频率及振幅明显下降；胃电节律失常；慢波频率变异系数(CV)及异常节律指数(ARI)显增加；胃肌间神经丛的氮能神经含量明显增加。结论：脾胃康可通过降低糖尿病组大鼠氮能神经的含量，使糖尿病大鼠胃电失常得到改善。     

再论法治的价值

主流观点认为,法治的核心价值是人的尊严与自由。这是一个可以质疑的观点。在百年中国的历史上,法治的价值主要被理解为救亡与治乱;对于不同的主体而言,法治的价值与意义也是不一样的。要全面地理解法治的价值,有必要把法治的价值分为两个层面：直接价值与间接价值。     

The criminality of female narcotics addicts: A causal modeling approach

A longitudinal model was developed relating early deviance, narcotics use, and three types of income-generating crime (property crime, drug dealing, and prostitution) among female narcotics addicts during the first 2 years of the addiction career. The model was tested by a confirmatory structural equation analysis. Early deviance predicted subsequent property crime involvement. Stability across time was demonstrated for narcotics use, property crime, and drug dealing. Strong contemporaneous relationships among these constructs were found. These findings partially replicate patterns found in previous studies for male addicts. In contrast to male addicts, a positive, instead of negative, contemporaneous relationship was found between property crime and drug dealing activities. Between constructs, cross-lag effects were generally small and only that between property crime and later narcotics use was significant. Finally, prostitution was failed to be incorporated in the model. Further research is needed to elucidate the diverse economic support systems among women which may affect the drug-crime relationship.     

Modeling the longitudinal impact of legal sanctions on narcotics use and property crime

Structural equation models are used to confirm the suppressive effects of legal sanctions, e.g., probation and parole, on narcotics use and property crime. Both concurrent and longitudinal effects of legal sanctions are tested within two different models, which together span the entire addiction career. The findings indicate that (1) the suppressive effects of legal sanctions are evident only when legal sanctions are operationalized as parole or probation officer contact where urine monitoring is utilized; (2) only concurrent suppressive effects are statistically significant, and longitudinal suppressive effects are not; (3) both narcotics use and property crime are suppressed by legal sanctions, although the latter is less responsive than the former to intervention by the criminal justice system; and (4) suppressive effects tend to be more pronounced later in the addiction career. The significance of the findings and the implications for criminological theory related to issues regarding surveillance effects are emphasized.     

Traumatic Brain Injury among Indiana State Prisoners

Research on traumatic brain injury among inmates has focused on comparing the rate of traumatic brain injury among offenders to the general population, but also how best to screen for traumatic brain injury among this population. This study administered the short version of the Ohio State University Traumatic Brain Injury Identification Method to all male inmates admitted into Indiana state prisons were screened for a month (N = 831). Results indicate that 35.7% of the inmates reported experiencing a traumatic brain injury during their lifetime and that these inmates were more likely to have a psychiatric disorder and a prior period of incarceration than those without. Logistic regression analysis finds that a traumatic brain injury predicts the likelihood of prior incarceration net of age, race, education, and psychiatric disorder. This study suggests that brief instruments can be successfully implemented into prison screenings to help divert inmates into needed treatment.     

Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Young French Male Prisoners

While forensic studies have reported higher than community rates of mental disorders in imprisoned populations, few studies have focused on attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in these subjects. The aim of this study was to investigate ADHD prevalence among young French male prisoners. A specific diagnostic interview (Conners' Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM‐IV, CAADID) was used. Correlations between ADHD, subsyndromal ADHD, and criminal features were investigated. 11% of young male prisoners among 93 male subjects aged 18–35 years met the criteria for actual ADHD, and 17% met those for childhood ADHD. Considering ADHD and subsyndromal ADHD, prevalence was about 43% in adulthood. ADHD and subsyndromal ADHD in adulthood were significantly associated with a higher number of imprisonments and a younger age at first arrest. It could be advisable to better identify subjects with ADHD symptoms among prison populations.     

Effectiveness of modified therapeutic community treatment within a medium-secure service for personality-disordered offenders

There is debate as to whether secure hospital treatment for offenders with personality disorder can be effective relative to criminal justice interventions. This study examines the evidence for long-term treatment of such offenders in hospital within in a modified therapeutic community model including accredited offending behaviour programmes. A panel sample of 47 patients were followed up on measures of violence risk (HCR-20, VRS) and symptom severity (SCL90-R). Intention-to-treat analysis with reliability thresholds showed significant positive change between assessment and discharge in both violence risk (VRS) and symptoms (SCL90-R) indicating a positive treatment effect. Threshold effects for treatment effectiveness seemed to occur at 1?year of treatment for risk and 3?years for symptom reduction.