Categorizing Temporal Patterns of Arrest in a Cohort of Adults with Serious Mental Illness

Temporal patterns of arrest among mental health systems' clientele have not been well explored. This study uses “trajectory analysis,” a methodology widely employed by criminologists exploring patterns of desistence in offending, to examine patterns of criminal justice involvement in a cohort of mental health service recipients. Data for this study are from a statewide cohort of individuals who received services from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health in 1991 (N = 13,876) and whose arrests were followed for roughly 10 years. Zero-inflated Poisson trajectory analysis applied to cohort members having two or more arrests identified five trajectories with widely varying arrest patterns. Analysis of differences in the composition of the five trajectory-based groups revealed few between-group differences in members' demographic and service use characteristics, while certain offense types were disproportionately prevalent among particular trajectory-based groups. The implications of these findings for understanding criminal justice involvement in this population and the utility of the trajectory model for system planning are discussed.     

Tobacco Retailer Proximity and Density and Nicotine Dependence Among Smokers With Serious Mental Illness

Objectives. We examined the density and proximity of tobacco retailers and associations with smoking behavior and mental health in a diverse sample of 1061 smokers with serious mental illness (SMI) residing in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.Methods. Participants’ addresses were geocoded and linked with retailer licensing data to determine the distance between participants’ residence and the nearest retailer (proximity) and the number of retailers within 500-meter and 1-kilometer service areas (density).Results. More than half of the sample lived within 250 meters of a tobacco retailer. A median of 3 retailers were within 500 meters of participants’ residences, and a median of 12 were within 1 kilometer. Among smokers with SMI, tobacco retailer densities were 2-fold greater than for the general population and were associated with poorer mental health, greater nicotine dependence, and lower self-efficacy for quitting.Conclusions. Our findings provide further evidence of the tobacco retail environment as a potential vector contributing to tobacco-related disparities among individuals with SMI and suggest that this group may benefit from progressive environmental protections that restrict tobacco retail licenses and reduce aggressive point-of-sale marketing.Tobacco use among people with serious mental illness (SMI) is common and has serious health and financial costs.1 Nationally, individuals with psychiatric or addictive disorders consume 44% to 46% of cigarettes purchased and are more likely than those in the general population to be daily and heavy smokers.2,3 In one study, it was estimated that smokers with SMI spend, on average, 27% of their income on tobacco.4 Individuals with SMI suffer disproportionately from tobacco-related diseases and, as a group, have a 25-year premature mortality rate.5 Increasingly, researchers and practitioners highlight the need for more targeted prevention and intervention strategies to reduce the burden of smoking-related diseases in this vulnerable group.6,7Cigarette smoking among people with SMI reflects a complex interplay of genetic, neurobiological, cultural, and psychosocial factors.6 Studies have examined shared genetic effects between smoking and SMI,8–11 as well as associations with attention and cognition, stress and mood, and reductions in the side effects of psychotropic medications.6 In addition to individual-level risk factors, a complete understanding of smoking disparities among individuals with SMI requires examination of “upstream” social determinants of health, including social, political, and economic contexts. Accordingly, research on the etiology and maintenance of cigarette use in this disproportionately affected group has increasingly focused on systemic factors outside of an individual’s control, such as tobacco industry targeting, reduced access to smoking cessation services, and tobacco control policies.7,12 Notably, smokers with SMI are responsive to tobacco control policies that have been effective in the general population, such as smoking bans and cigarette tax increases.13–16The built environment is another important social determinant of health that has the potential to affect smoking among people with SMI. In the general population, retail availability of tobacco, which includes the number of retailers per area or population (i.e., density) and the distance to the nearest retailer (i.e., proximity) from one’s home or school, is associated with earlier smoking initiation,17,18 increased current smoking19–22 and cigarette purchases,23 and reduced smoking cessation over time.24,25 Smokers who live in neighborhoods with higher densities of tobacco retailers have greater exposure to retail advertisements and promotions, which can obstruct quit attempts by increasing cues to smoke, provoking cravings, and triggering impulse purchases.26–29 Smokers are price sensitive,30,31 and the financial costs of smoking are lower in communities with more convenient tobacco access and reduced travel time to purchase.22 Moreover, retailers and point-of-sale tobacco advertisements are more prevalent in socially and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.19,22,32–36The effects of increased tobacco availability may be particularly strong among smokers with SMI given that factors such as unreliable transportation and limited resources37 in this population may lead to a greater reliance on readily obtainable consumer goods. Furthermore, people with SMI have been targeted by the tobacco industry,12,38 and they may be especially sensitive to aggressive tobacco advertisements and promotions. Surprisingly, in spite of the public health relevance, to our knowledge no studies of the retail availability of tobacco have involved clinical samples of individuals with SMI.Our goals in this study, which included a diverse sample of adults with SMI, were to characterize the proximity (roadway distance to the nearest retailer) and density (number of retailers per acre) of tobacco retailers within 500 meters and 1 kilometer of participants’ residences and to assess whether retail availability of tobacco is associated with severity of mental illness, nicotine dependence, and readiness to quit smoking. We also evaluated whether these associations vary according to gender.We hypothesized that smokers with SMI would reside in neighborhoods with greater than average tobacco retailer density for their county area and that this neighborhood characteristic would be associated with greater severity of mental illness. Furthermore, we predicted that increased retail availability of tobacco would be associated with greater nicotine dependence and lower readiness to quit, regardless of severity of mental illness. We also examined gender differences given calls to assess such differences in tobacco control research, policy, and practice39 and recent evidence that proximity to a tobacco retailer is associated with a lower likelihood of smoking cessation among men but not women who are moderate to heavy smokers.24     

Serious Mental Illness and Nursing Home Quality of Care

Objective

To estimate the effect of a nursing home''s share of residents with a serious mental illness (SMI) on the quality of care.

Data Sources

Secondary nursing home level data over the period 2000 through 2008 obtained from the Minimum Data Set, OSCAR, and Medicare claims.

Study Design

We employ an instrumental variables approach to address the potential endogeneity of the share of SMI residents in nursing homes in a model including nursing home and year fixed effects.

Principal Findings

An increase in the share of SMI nursing home residents positively affected the hospitalization rate among non-SMI residents and negatively affected staffing skill mix and level. We did not observe a statistically significant effect on inspection-based health deficiencies or the hospitalization rate for SMI residents.

Conclusions

Across the majority of indicators, a greater SMI share resulted in lower nursing home quality. Given the increased prevalence of nursing home residents with SMI, policy makers and providers will need to adjust practices in the context of this new patient population. Reforms may include more stringent preadmission screening, new regulations, reimbursement changes, and increased reporting and oversight.     

Risk Profile and Treatment Needs of Women in Jail with Co-Occurring Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders

Recent research has documented the unusually high rates of incarcerated women’s serious mental illness (SMI) and substance use disorders (SUD). Complicating these high rates is the high comorbidity of SMI with SUD and trauma histories. Yet, incarcerated women have significantly less access to treatment and health services while incarcerated than men. We used data from a multi-site, multi-method project funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (2011–2012) to determine the risk profile of women in jail (n = 491) with a current co-occurring SMI (i.e., major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorder) and SUD (i.e., abuse, dependence). The study spanned multiple geographic regions, and structured diagnostic interviews were used to understand better the women that comprised this vulnerable population. One-in-five of the women had a current co-occurring disorder (CCOD). The findings revealed that significantly more women with a CCOD had been exposed to violence and were exposed to drugs at a younger age. Further, about one-third of women with a CCOD had received no treatment from a health care professional in the past year, demonstrating a substantial unmet need. We conclude that investing in mental and behavioral health care in jails is critical to the health and safety of women as well as the communities to which they return.     

Mental Illness as a Risk Factor for Uninsurance Among Mothers of Infants

The objective of this study was to assess the extent to which maternal prenatal mental illness is associated with mothers’ health insurance status 12–18 months after giving birth. The sample consisted of 2,956 urban, mostly unwed, mothers who gave birth in 20 large U.S. cities between 1998 and 2000 and participated in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing birth cohort study. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to assess associations between maternal prenatal mental illness and whether the mother had private, public, or no insurance one year after the birth. Covariates included the mother’s and child’s physical health status, the father’s physical and mental health status, and numerous other maternal, paternal, and family characteristics. Potential mediating factors were explored. The results showed that mothers with prenatal diagnosed mental illness were almost half as likely as those without mental illness diagnoses to have private insurance (vs. no insurance) one year after the birth. Among mothers who did not have a subsequent pregnancy, those with prenatal mental illness were less likely than those without mental illness diagnoses to have public insurance than to be uninsured. Screening positive for depression or anxiety at one year decreased the likelihood that the mother had either type of insurance. Policies to improve private mental health care coverage and public mental health services among mothers with young children may yield both private and social benefits. Encounters with the health care and social service systems experienced by pregnant and postpartum women present opportunities for connecting mothers to needed mental health services and facilitating their maintenance of health insurance.     

Work and Health of Parents of Adult Children with Serious Mental Illness

This study examined the effects of work schedule flexibility and the spillover of work stress to family life on the health of parents of adult children with serious mental illness (SMI). The authors compared 100 parents of adult children with SMI to 500 parents with nondisabled adult children using data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. The detrimental impact on health of a lack of work flexibility and of higher levels of negative work‐to‐family spillover was more pronounced among parents of adult children with SMI than parents with nondisabled adult children. The results have significant implications for developing interventions to help midlife families of persons with SMI cope with work‐related stress and for policies that provide for greater work schedule flexibility.     

Hepatitis C Screening Rate Among Underserved Adults With Serious Mental Illness Receiving Care in California Community Mental Health Centers

Although HCV is more prevalent among people with severe mental illness (SMI; e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) than in the general population (17% vs 1%), no large previous studies have examined HCV screening in this population. In this cross-sectional study, we examined administrative data for 57 170 California Medicaid enrollees with SMI to identify prevalence and predictors of HCV screening from October 2010 through September 2011. Only 4.7% (2674 of 57 170) received HCV screening, with strongest predictors being nonpsychiatric health care utilization and comorbid substance abuse.People with severe mental illness (SMI; e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) die 25 years earlier than the general population.1 Although cardiovascular disease represents the primary cause of mortality,1 blood-borne infectious diseases are another contributor.2 HCV is the most prevalent blood-borne infection in the United States; by the best available estimates, more than 17% of people with SMI have HCV, compared with only 1% of the general US population.2 Although prevention, early detection, and treatment are crucial interventions for high-risk populations, most people with SMI do not receive these services.3 To our knowledge, no previous large studies have examined HCV testing among this high-risk population served in the public mental health system.4     

Epidemiology of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Offenders Following Arrest or Incarceration

Objectives. We sought to estimate rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among criminal offenders in the 1 year after arrest or release from incarceration.Methods. We performed a retrospective cohort study of risk of having a positive STI (chlamydia, gonorrhea, or syphilis) or incident-positive HIV test in the 1 year following arrest or incarceration in Marion County (Indianapolis), Indiana. Participants were 247 211 individuals with arrest or incarceration in jail, prison, or juvenile detention between 2003 and 2008.Results. Test positivity rates (per 100 000 and per year) were highest for chlamydia (2968) and gonorrhea (2305), and lower for syphilis (278) and HIV (61). Rates of positive STI and HIV were between 1.5 and 2.8 times higher in female than male participants and between 2.7 and 6.9 times higher for Blacks than Whites. Compared with nonoffenders, offenders had a relative risk of 3.9 for chlamydia, 6.6 for gonorrhea, 3.6 for syphilis, and 4.6 for HIV.Conclusions. The 1-year period following arrest or release from incarceration represents a high-impact opportunity to reduce STI and HIV infection rates at a population level.At the end of 2011, more than 2.2 million adults and 70 000 juveniles were incarcerated in the United States, with an additional 4.8 million on parole or probation.1,2 Adults and juveniles entering correctional facilities have high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV3–12; however, limited STI and HIV screening and testing services in jails and prisons make estimating the overall prevalence of STIs and HIV difficult.13 Likewise, the arrested population, even when not detained, has increased risk of STIs.14 It is likely that many incarcerated and arrested individuals infected with STIs or HIV are never tested or treated, and the burden of disease in this population is underestimated.Despite extensive research documenting high rates of STIs and HIV among individuals who have interacted with the justice system,15–22 there are few data on STI and HIV rates in the period following release from incarceration or following arrest (“postincarceration period”).15,23,24 A portion of prevalent STIs and HIV in the postincarceration period is expected to be from undiagnosed or untreated STIs and HIV acquired before or during incarceration, but offenders are also at high risk for acquiring new infections after release. Incarceration disrupts social and interpersonal relations, and individuals in the postincarceration period often engage in high-risk behaviors including unprotected sexual intercourse, concurrent sexual partnerships, and sex for money or drugs.25–30 Regardless of when such infections are acquired (i.e., before, during, or after incarceration), a better understanding of STI and HIV rates and risk factors in the postincarceration period can inform clinical and public health interventions to reduce the burden of STIs and HIV among recent offenders, their sexual partners, and the communities to which they return.The objective of this study was to estimate rates of STI, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV diagnosis, and identify risk factors for test positivity among individuals within 1 year after any interaction with the justice system, including arrest or incarceration in Marion County (Indianapolis), Indiana.     

Gender and Illness Behavior Among Colorectal Cancer Patients

This study of 154 men and 152 women with cancer of the colon or rectum addresses the lag between the first recognition of symptoms and the securing of definitive diagnosis and treatment. Total treatment delay is divided into two categories: patient delay, or the lag between the patient's fust recognition of symptoms and first physician contact; diagnostic delay, or the lag between the patient's first physician contact and treatment. The results do not support the contention that women are more prone than men to respond to cancer symptoms; women in this sample are not more likely than men to recognize and respond to symptoms and seek care. The results suggest that, among patients with cancer of the rectum, women are more likely than men to delay in seeking care. Among patients with cancer of the colon, women are more likely than men to experience diagnostic delay.     

Treatment Patterns Among Offenders with Mental Health Problems and Substance Use Problems

Research on treatment utilization among offenders with mental health problems and substance use problems, i.e. the ‘triply troubled’, is scarce. The aim was to contribute to the general knowledge about treatment patterns among the triply troubled. This register-based study explored treatment patterns during a 3-year follow-up among 157 Swedish offenders with substance use problems who had undergone forensic psychiatric assessment. There were three subgroups of treatment users: low treatment, planned substance abuse treatment and substance abuse emergency room visits, and planned psychiatric treatment. About 40% of the participants displayed a stable treatment pattern. Outcomes were less successful for those participants displaying a non-stable treatment pattern. Allocation of treatment resources should take into account the associations between treatment patterns and recidivism into criminality. Also, it should be valuable for clinicians to gather information on treatment history in order to meet various treatment needs.     

Social Integration of People with Serious Mental Illness: Network Transactions and Satisfaction

Social integration involves a process through which an individual establishes and maintains meaningful interpersonal relationships characterized by mutual exchange with community members in nonclinical settings. Using self-report data from a probability sample (n = 252) of supportive independent housing residents, transactional (i.e., support exchanges) characteristics of social networks, paying particular attention to reciprocation of exchanges between residents and their network members, were analyzed. The study also examined the extent to which transactional characteristics are related to satisfaction with social relations. Findings indicated considerable reciprocity in social relationships. Controlling for sociodemographic variables and network structure characteristics, mutual exchanges of tangible and problem-solving support were positively associated with network satisfaction. Results suggest that supported socialization services aimed at network and resource development with this population could facilitate more frequent exchanges of tangible resources and problem-solving opportunities between consumers and network members, which, in turn, might promote social integration.     

The Criminalization of Persons with Serious Mental Illness Living in Rural Areas

Abstract: In the context of restrictive admissions policies at public inpatient facilities, rates of arrest and incarceration of persons with serious mental illness (SMI) have been increasing, leading to the perception that SMI persons are being unduly "criminalized." This paper describes the characteristics of persons with SMI (N=177) in Mississippi who have been (1) jailed without charges while awaiting a hospital bed and (2) jailed for a criminal offense. Seventy-five percent (N=132) of the 177 subjects had been held in local jails awaiting state hospital admission at least once in their lives, most for more than five days. Fifteen percent (N=26) had contact with the police for a criminal offense in the past year. Rural residence markedly increased the risk for waiting in jail (OR=4.24) but was not related to committing a criminal offense. Protective factors for any type of criminal justice contact were female gender, caucasian ethnicity, better compliance with medication regimes, and nonrural residence. The phenomenon of rural criminalization, i.e., waiting in jail without criminal charges, differs qualitatively from the criminalization that occurs in urban areas and may require a different solution. To avoid criminalization of SMI persons in rural areas, public mental health systems must develop effective crisis interventions in the community or work with local law enforcement officials and medical and mental health facilities to create more immediate access to acute inpatient care.     

Gender Similarities and Differences in the Association Between Risk and Protective Factors and Self-Reported Serious Delinquency

Boys consistently report higher rates of serious offending during late adolescence than do girls, yet research is mixed regarding the ways in which males and females may differentially experience risk and protection in their families, schools, peer groups, and as individuals. This article examines gender differences in 22 psychosocial risk and protective factors associated with serious delinquency. Based on self-reported information from 7,829 10th-grade students completing the Communities That Care Youth Survey, all psychosocial factors were significantly related to serious delinquency for both sexes. For 12 of the 22 factors, the strength of the association was significantly greater for males, and, for 18 factors, boys reported higher levels of risk exposure and lower levels of protection than did girls. Together, these findings suggest that boys' greater involvement in serious delinquency is due to the combination of experiencing more risk and less protection than girls and the greater association of these predictors with serious delinquency for boys compared to girls. Implications for prevention programming are discussed.     

Perspectives of Treatment Providers and Clients with Serious Mental Illness Regarding Effective Therapeutic Relationships

This study explores the nature of clinical therapeutic relationships between mental health treatment providers and high-need clients with serious mental illness who had recently discontinued treatment. Semi-structured qualitative interviews of 56 clients with serious mental illness who had recently discontinued care and 25 mental health treatment providers were completed. Both clients with serious mental illness and treatment providers emphasized the importance of client-focused goal setting, time and availability of treatment providers, a caring approach, and trust and honesty in the relationship. However, clients with serious mental illness placed greater emphasis on goals involving tangible services, a notable area of discord between the two groups. Individuals with serious mental illness and treatment providers agreed regarding several key elements to a positive clinical relationship. Further attention to client goals related to tangible services may serve to improve relationships between treatment providers and high-need clients with serious mental illness.     

深圳市167例社区重性精神疾病患者服药现况分析

目的 了解深圳市福田区在社区康复的重性精神疾病患者的服药情况. 方法 调查2012年4月167例深圳市福田区户籍贫困精神疾病患者到本院精神卫生科参加“福田区贫困精神疾病患者服药补贴”项目的具体服药情况.结果 (1)使用频率在前六位的抗精神病药依次是利培酮、氯氮平、奥氮平、富马酸喹硫平、阿立哌唑、奋乃静.(2)在167例患者中,105例(62.87％)接受单一抗精神病药治疗,其中31人(18.56％)单纯使用典型抗精神病药,74人(44.31％)单纯使用非典型抗精神病药,62例(37.13％)联合2种及以上抗精神病药. 结论 非典型抗精神病药在深圳市福田区社区康复的精神疾病患者的维持用药方案中占主导地位.单纯使用非典型抗精神病药的患者的社会功能明显好于单纯使用典型抗精神病药以及合并使用非典型和典型药物的患者的社会功能.     

Joint Consideration of Distal and Proximal Predictors of Premature Mortality Among Serious Juvenile Offenders

PurposeJuvenile offenders are at heightened risk of death in adolescence and young adulthood compared to adolescents in the general population. The current study extends previous research by testing the joint contributions of distal (historical and demographic characteristics) and proximal (closer to the time of the death) predictors of mortality. We also tested whether proximal variables were potential mediators of the effects of distal variables on mortality.MethodsParticipants were 1,354 serious juvenile offenders, 45 (3.32%) of whom were deceased by the completion of the study. Data were collected through self-reports and official records.ResultsSignificant distal predictors of mortality were being African-American and having a history of substance use disorder. Proximal predictors that added significantly to prediction included gun carrying, gang membership, and substance use problems. Potential mediators of the effects of substance use disorder history were continuing substance use problems and gang membership. However, proximal variables could not explain the heightened risk for African-Americans.ConclusionsGang membership, gun carrying, and substance use problems are risk factors for early mortality among juvenile offenders, but they do not explain the elevated risk for death among African-Americans. Thus, further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying risk for premature death among African-American adolescent offenders.     

Adequacy of Treatment for Serious Mental Illness in the United States

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and correlates of treatment for serious mental illness. METHODS: Data were derived from the National Comorbidity Survey, a cross-sectional, nationally representative household survey assessing the presence and correlates of mental disorders and treatments. Crude and adjusted likelihoods of receiving treatment for serious mental illness in the previous 12 months were calculated. RESULTS: Forty percent of respondents with serious mental illness had received treatment in the previous year. Of those receiving treatment, 38.9% received care that could be considered at least minimally adequate, resulting in 15.3% of all respondents with serious mental illness receiving minimally adequate treatment. Predictors of not receiving minimally adequate treatment included being a young adult or an African American, residing in the South, being diagnosed as having a psychotic disorder, and being treated in the general medical sector. CONCLUSIONS: Inadequate treatment of serious mental illness is an enormous public health problem. Public policies and cost-effective interventions are needed to improve both access to treatment and quality of treatment.     

Heart Matters: Gender and Racial Differences Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Control Among Veterans

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality for U.S. women. Racial minorities are a particularly vulnerable population. The increasing female veteran population has an higher prevalence of certain cardiovascular risk factors compared with non-veteran women; however, little is known about gender and racial differences in cardiovascular risk factor control among veterans.MethodsWe used analysis of variance, adjusting for age, to compare gender and racial differences in three risk factors that predispose to CVD (diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia) in a cohort of high-risk veterans eligible for enrollment in a clinical trial, including 23,955 men and 1,010 women.FindingsLow-density lipoprotein (LDL) values were higher in women veterans than men with age-adjusted estimated mean values of 111.7 versus 97.6 mg/dL (p < .01). Blood pressures (BPs) were higher among African-American than White female veterans with age-adjusted estimated mean systolic BPs of 136.3 versus 133.5 mmHg, respectively (p < .01), and diastolic BPs of 82.4 versus 78.9 mmHg (p < .01). African-American veterans with diabetes had worse BP, LDL values, and hemoglobin A1c levels, although the differences were only significant among men.ConclusionsFemale veterans have higher LDL cholesterol levels than male veterans and African-American veterans have higher BP, LDL cholesterol, and A1c levels than Whites after adjusting for age. Further examination of CVD gender and racial disparities in this population may help to develop targeted treatments and strategies applicable to the general population.