Background: Emerging adulthood (18-30 years), in the Western world, is often a time of identity development and exploration, focusing on areas of work, relationships and education. Individuals with chronic illnesses, such as chronic pain, may be more vulnerable to facing challenges during this time. This study aims to investigate the needs of young adults (YAs) attending a tertiary level National Health Service (NHS) Pain Management Programme (PMP) Service in the United Kingdom; exploring how these needs may translate on to clinical assessment and the delivery of rehabilitation interventions. Method: This is a descriptive qualitative study influenced by phenomenological approaches. YA with a diagnosis of chronic pain were recruited and assigned to one of four focus groups facilitated by a clinical psychologist and occupational therapist. A semi-structured interview guide was used to help facilitate the group discussion. Results: Qualitative analysis identified four key themes in understanding the needs of YAs with chronic pain: (1) thwarted opportunities, (2) peer separation, (3) perceived illness validity in the context of age and (4) dependency/parental enmeshment. Conclusions:The emerging adulthood literature provides a valuable framework for examining a normal developmental trajectory and highlights the relevance of age-related processes in YAs with chronic pain. The idealisation of opportunity and the role of perception in this developmental phase both appear relevant. It is significant that emotional stability is not yet established in emerging adulthood and links to unhelpful management strategies that may be differentiated from older populations are identified.

The War on Drugs has yielded a significant growth in the United States prison population, particularly for women. A substantial percentage of women involved in the criminal justice system have a substance use disorder, have committed their crimes for drug money, or were convicted of a drug-related felony. Many druginvolved women enter prison with histories of sexual=physical assault and may be subjected to further victimization within the institution. Although staff sexual misconduct within women's prisons has been established, there has been little attention to its effects on the mental health of incarcerated women or the ways in which women cope with such abuse within the confines of prison. We constructed case narratives from secondary data collected as part of an investigation and later used in a class action lawsuit, thus allowing the women to portray their experiences and choice of coping strategies in their own 'voices.' We found that women often made active and calculated decisions to comply with the officers' demands for sex, usually without engaging in a grievance process. Although this 'compliant' behavior may be interpreted as passive, and perhaps consensual to the officers seeking sex, it reflects careful planning toward the greatest degree of safety-discharge from prison.Rarely is trauma discussed in relation to incarceration À either prison as a site of new trauma, the effect of incarceration on those with trauma histories, or the effect of trauma-related disorders on recidivism. This is particularly troublesome given the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder

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Findings support inclusive eligibility for MHC participation across diagnostic categories and should inform policy and practice in regard to MHC development and operation. Future research should examine other key characteristics to determine ways in which resources can be best utilized.

Identification of serious mental illness (SMI) among those entering jail is the first step in diversion or appropriate services in jail. Although best practices guidelines for identifying SMI exist, many jails do not employ these standards. Researchers describe identification of SMI in the “practice as usual” and compare/contrast the results with a validated screening instrument for 2,961 individuals across eight jails. Overall, 20% scored positive on the screening instrument, and staff identification yielded an additional 16%. While the instrument was consistent in identifying the proportion of persons with SMI across each county (16% to 22%), the proportion identified by jail staff varied greatly (3% to 33%). Moreover, referral to—and receipt of—subsequent services for the staff-identified individuals varied greatly, leading to recommendations for improved processes.