Behavioural Social Work with Schizophrenic Patients in the Community

Summary A preliminary project on the application of behaviour modificationprocedures in the home setting is reported together with commentson the social needs of schizophrenic patients and their families.The article includes suggestions about social work with thisclient group based on the project experience.     

Crime,antisocial personality and pathological gambling

To investigate the hypothesized causal relationship between pathological gambling and gambling-related illegal behaviors, 77 patients seeking behavioral treatment for excessive gambling and 32 members of Gamblers Anonymous were administered a structured interview schedule. Data on the incidence, nature and extent of both gambling and non-gambling related illegal behaviors was obtained and DSM-III (A.P.A., 1980) criteria for Antisocial personality were used as the measure of sociopathy.Of the sample, 54.1% admitted to a gambling related offense and 21.1% were charged. Results showed that 14.6% met DSM-III criteria for Antisocial Personality, Four subgroups were subsequently identified; gamblers who committed no offense (36.7%), gambling only offenses (40.4%), non-gambling only offenses (9.2%) or both gambling and non-gambling offenses (13.7%). Significantly more subjects from the gambling plus non-gambling related offenses subgroup were classified as antisocial personalities.Of pathological gamblers who committed offenses, two thirds reportedly did so as a direct consequence of gambling induced problems. Subjects reporting gambling-only related offenses showed a significant increase in antisocial features after adolescence suggesting that antisocial features emerge as a secondary phenomenon to pathological gambling behavior patterns.Acknowledgments: This study was made possible by a grant from the Criminology Research Council, Australian Institute of Criminology.     

REVIEWS

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Abstracts

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New directions in child care

SUMMARY. This article examines through examples of child care services the gaps between research findings, child care policies and good practice. Links are made between research studies and Parliamentary enquiries, and the White Paper on Child Care law, concerning Children's Homes, fostering, education and health in care and leaving care The writer proposes that agencies should consider setting up internal means of keeping up to date with and disseminating research into policy and practice, and monitoring performance in relation to research findings, guidelines, legal requirements and inspectorial findings, Linked with internal training and staff development the article concludes that quality services might thus he more readily achieved than at present This article is based on a presentation to the joint Association of Metropolitan Authorities/Association of County Councils/National Children's bureau Child Care Conference on 26 January 1988     

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