Treating the 'idiot' child in early 20th-century Ontario

The late 19th and early 20th centuries witnessed the widespread construction of institutions for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Consequently, most historical research into the history of intellectual disability has focused on medical interventions performed inside these quasi-medical institutions. Recently, however, there has been new interest in community options that existed at the same time and the way in which community care and formal institutions interacted. This paper explores these issues in the context of early 20th century Canada. It will demonstrate that families of 'idiot' children sought different types of treatments and care in order to remedy their child's behavioural difficulties and learning delays. In many cases, families resorted to applying for their child's admission to the then largest 'idiot' institution in Canada, the Orillia Asylum. However, these admissions often occurred after lengthy and often exhaustive attempts by families to find alternatives to the institution and, indeed, to formal medical treatment.     

Smoking reduction & cessation: a hospital based survey of outpatients' attitudes

1. Most people with mental illnesses have made at least one attempt to quit smoking on their own. 2. Psychiatric diagnosis and degree of nicotine dependence do not appear to be predictive of ability to quit. 3. People with mental illnesses are aware of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), but do not combine it with a behavioral program, possibly contributing to the higher rates of recidivism in this population. 4. The lack of participation of mental health care providers in promoting smoking cessation is a complex issue.     

The Call-Centre: a child welfare liaison program with immigrant serving agencies

Alberta, Canada, welcomed nearly 16,000 landed immigrants in 2003, of whom more than half came to the Calgary area. Approximately 200,000 immigrants of various ethnic and cultural groups now live in the region. Many of these new arrivals have no natural support networks while struggling with language, cultural, and economic barriers. Recognizing these difficulties, the Calgary and Area Child and Family Services Authority (CFSA) joined with several Immigrant Serving Agencies to develop guidelines and procedures to direct staff working with diverse cultures, including the Call-Centre pilot project, which provided CFSA staff with a one-stop telephone contact for information about an immigrant or refugee family, their culture, and available culturally-appropriate resources. The Call-Centre, which is currently being evaluated by researchers at the University of Calgary, will gradually expand to all CFSA sites in the region. This article describes the Call-Centre and the first phase of the evaluation.     

Age and gender differences and predictors of victimization of the older homeless

Using data from the National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients (NSHAPC) and an application of Felson's Routine Activities Theory, this paper examines gender and age differences in victimization experiences of a sample of more than 4,200 homeless and near-homeless people, mostly adults. Results suggest that there are no differences in victimization experience by homelessness status and that the negative relationship between age and victimization rates found in the general population is also found in the homeless population. However, the relationship is relatively weak and erratic, suggesting that homeless older adults who are at least 50 years old are at increased risk of becoming victims, a finding consistent with Routine Activities Theory. In addition, similar to research with other populations, younger homeless males are statistically more likely to report being victims of theft and physical assault while females of all ages are more likely to report being victims of sexual assault. However, for older homeless adults, the gender difference in likelihood of victimization disappears. Perhaps because older homeless women are labeled as easy targets, they were equally as likely as men to be victims of physical assault and theft in old age. This is also consistent with Routine Activities Theory.     

Clinical correlates and repetition of self-harming behaviors among female adolescent victims of sexual abuse

This study investigated self-harming behaviors in 149 female adolescent victims of sexual abuse, first, by determining the rates of nine types of self-mutilating behavior at intake and nine months later and, second, by investigating comorbidity of clinical correlates associated with these behaviors. The adolescents were divided into three groups according to level of self-mutilating behavior and then compared on symptom self-reports; 62.1% of the adolescents engaged in at least one self-mutilating behavior. A graded relation was observed between level of self-mutilating behavior and rate, and total number of clinical disorders. At nine month follow-up, one in four teenagers still reported a moderate or high level of self-harm. The need for systematic assessment and intervention of self-mutilating behaviors is discussed.