Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes special report study entitled: Psychology for the architecture : perception of space and behavioural pattern. Includes bibliographical references.

published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

Not available / text

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There is ongoing controversy concerning the relationship between crime, violence and mental illness. Studies from the first half of the century reported low arrest rates amongst the mentally ill. However recent researchers have suggested an increase in crime amongst the mentally ill since the advent of deinstitutionalisation, while other studies have implicated social factors, inadequate community facilities and prior criminality to account for this apparent trend. A longitudinal prospective and descriptive study was therefore planned to investigate the relationship between crime and mental illness. All consecutive admissions to the Midlands Hospital Observation Unit during a six month period were included in this study. Relevant information was obtained from personal interviews by the author and from court records. The final study sample consisted of those in whom a final finding was made in terms of Section 78(2) of the Criminal Procedures Act 51 of 1977. The significant findings were: DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS. The majority of mentally ill offenders were young males in the age range 20-29 years. CHARACTERISTICS OF CRIMES COMMITTED BY MENTALLY ILL OFFENDERS. The majority of mentally ill offenders were apprehended for property offences, theft being most common. Chi square analysis produced the following statistically significant findings pertaining to mentally ill offenders: 1. Mentally ill offenders committed significantly more property offences. Crimes were significantly less dangerous and less physically violent. 2. Fewer crimes involved use of a weapon. 3. Significantly more crimes were seemingly without a motive or in response to an hallucination or delusion. 4. Offences were seldom planned. 5. Crimes were more visible, most occurring during the day, with little attempt made to conceal the act. In conclusion most mentally ill offenders committed commonplace offences which due to their greater visibility may have predisposed them being channelled through the criminal justice system. Investigation revealed a need for further research into this controversial sub-group of mentally ill patients. / Thesis (M.Med.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1992.

Since the turn of the century, there has been a general awareness that children raised by parents with psychiatric disorders remain at risk for psychopathology themselves. This research investigates the mother-child responsivity and coping behavior of high risk children. Two groups of mother-infant dyads (N = 60) (mothers with and without psychiatric disorders) were coded during a videotaped, semi-structured play interaction using the CARE-Index. Results indicated that mothers with psychiatric disorders were significantly less sensitive and more unresponsive with their children than normal mothers. Mothers with psychiatric disorders who had extreme levels of psychosocial stress were significantly less sensitive and more controlling than those mothers diagnosed as living under less stressful circumstances. Children of mothers with psychiatric disorders were significantly less cooperative with their mothers in the play interaction. The results indicated that children whose mothers had chronic psychiatric disorders demonstrated significantly less effective coping behavior on all subscales of the Early Coping Inventory. Implications for the identification and treatment of children at risk for psychiatric disorder are discussed.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if significant differences exist in responses to pictures of diagnosed abnormal subjects between normal and emotionally handicapped (EH) children. The Szondi Test, which contains 48 pictures of mental patients divided into six sets, was utilized. Each of the eight pictures within a set represents one of the following mental disorders: sadist, homosexual, epileptic, hysteric, catatonic schizophrenic, paranoid schizophrenic, manic, and depressive. The subject is asked to choose the two most liked and two least liked pictures from each set. The composite responses constitute a profile which is interpreted in terms of psychological meanings of the clinic types chosen and rejected.A random sample of 112 intermediate-age Caucasian subjects was selected from emotionally handicapped classes. These subjects were assessed on the characteristics of age, intelligence, socioeconomic status, and sex. Normal subjects were then randomly sampled and selectively discarded until the proportions for the normal group were the same as the group with respect to age, intelligence, socioeconomic status, and sex. All subjects were given an administration of the Szondi Test.Multivariate analysis of variance and discriminant analysis were used to determine if differences in responses between the normal and EH groups were significant. The conclusion was made that the normal and EH groups did differ significantly (p <.O1) on personality factor profiles of the Szondi Test. Based on the obtained profiles, the discriminant analysis showed that 62% of the subjects in the EH group were correctly classified while 61% of those in the normal groups were classified accurately. The univariate F tests revealed that the significant multivariate F was accounted for, for the most part, by the catatonic and manic factors.The results of this study appear to represent a first step in supporting the potential usefulness of the Szondi Test as a diagnostic instrument for discriminating between EH and normal intermediate-age children.

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