Demographic, clinical and forensic characteristics of alleged offenders referred to West End Specialised Hospital, Kimberley, South Africa

The study investigated demographic, clinical and forensic characteristics of alleged offenders referred for forensic assessment. A data collection form was used to gather information from 155 offenders' clinical records. The subjects were mainly young males, aged between 18 and 35 years, with low educational levels and high unemployment rate. The most common diagnoses were substance-related and addictive disorders, and schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders. A sizeable number of offenders were diagnosed with an intellectual disability. The comorbidity of other medical conditions such as epilepsy and HIV/AIDS was also noteworthy. In total, 55.5% of the offenders were found competent to stand trial, and 46.5% were declared criminally responsible. Offenders presenting with schizophrenia and intellectual disabilities were often declared incompetent to stand trial and were generally not responsible for alleged crimes. There was association between adjudicative competence and criminal responsibility. The results highlight effect of substances on mental illness and crime.

Integrating Occupational Therapy Specific Assessments in Practice: Exploring Practitioner Experiences

BACKGROUND

Occupational therapists sometimes find it challenging to integrate client-centered and occupational therapy specific assessments in practice. The aim of this study was to explore the use of occupational therapy specific assessments such as the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) among occupational therapists in Sweden and Japan.

METHODS

Interviews and qualitative thematic analyses were utilized.

FINDINGS

Four themes are reported: (1) use it or lose it, (2) simply no space until after hours, (3) biggest barriers can be colleagues, and (4) being more specific: communication.

CONCLUSION

In keeping with previous studies, occupational therapists often find it challenging to implement client-centered and occupation-based assessment tools into practice. However, more work is needed to understand how best practices can be incorporated into a changing occupational therapy daily practice.

The Scope of Practice of Occupational Therapy in U.S. Criminal Justice Settings

In the past 40 years, prison populations in the U.S. have nearly quadrupled while funding for rehabilitation, education and other programmes has been cut. Despite accounting for a small fraction of the world's population more than 20% of the worlds incarcerated population is in the U.S. and the rate of recidivism remains alarmingly high. Occupational therapists have the capability to play a significant role in addressing the needs of persons within the criminal justice system. However, the profession has been slow to delineate of the role occupational therapy within criminal justice settings. This study sought to provide a descriptive analysis of current occupational therapy roles and practices within the U.S. criminal justice system. Using survey research methods, the researchers collected data from respondents (N = 45; Response Rate + 51.7%) to establish a baseline of the scope of practices employed by occupational therapists working in the U.S. criminal justice system. U.S. practitioners work within institutional and community based criminal justice settings. Primary practice models, assessments and group interventions were catalogued. Respondents strongly valued the creation of networking to build the professions' presence within criminal justice settings. Occupational therapy in the criminal justice system remains an emerging practice arena. Understanding the current scope of practice in the U.S. and creating a mechanism for collaboration may help increase the depth, breadth and overall growth of the profession's role in these settings. The sampling method does not guarantee a representative sample of the population and is limited to practice within the United States. Survey design may not have allowed for respondents to fully describe their practice experiences. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Occupational therapy in forensic psychiatry: Recent developments in our understandings (2007–2013)

Introduction

Occupational therapy in forensic settings has developed in recent decades, leading to an increasing amount of research being conducted in this field. There have been two previous attempts to provide overviews of this body of evidence and future directions for research; however, the rate of research has accelerated in recent years. This critical review addresses the following question: what evidence has been published about occupational therapy in forensic psychiatry over the past 7 years?

Method

A mixed methods approach was adopted, with four databases and a search engine consulted (OTDBase, CINAHL, AMED, PSYCHInfo, Google Scholar). The inclusion criteria were: (a) articles published in peer reviewed journals since 2007 and (b) authored by at least one occupational therapist. Twenty-five studies were identified for review, and the four dimensions of occupation – doing, being, becoming and belonging – were used to provide a theoretical context for the subsequent discussion.

Findings

The recent evidence base in forensic psychiatry focuses on doing and being, with fewer articles addressing becoming and belonging.

Conclusion

This review has identified increasing numbers of studies about forensic occupational therapy, which may reflect growth in both interest and the worldwide workforce.