Schizophrenia, neighbourhood, and crime

Abstract

In spite of enormous changes in social conditions, psychiatric knowledge and organization of treatment, and political ambitions, schizophrenic patients still aggregate in socially deprived areas. This segregation may result in worsening of the illness as well as increasing the social disorganization in the local domicile.

Burden of caregivers of adult patients with schizophrenia in a predominantly African ancestry population

“…Caregiver burden has been described as having two components: ''objective burden'' which relates to the tangible impact of caregiving on a caregiver's life (e.g., financial loss and time lost from daily activities) and ''subjective burden'' which refers to the caregiver's perception of burden of care [6]. Caregiving burden also includes environmental burden and is associated with stigmatization and social isolation by neighbors or other acquaintances [7]. McDonnell et al [8] reported that caregiver's awareness of patient's suicidal ideation and long-term cost implications for care contribute to the burden and were significant predictors of the burden of care.…”

Institutionalization revisited – with and without walls

“…Since the 1950s, de-institutionalization led to the closure or downsizing of asylums and formerly long-term hospitalized patients were discharged. Thus, people with chronic illnesses nowadays live in the community, although often in deprived and socially disadvantaged areas -as the paper by Lo¨gdberg et al in this issues demonstrates for schizophrenia patients in Malmo¨ (2).…”

Violent typologies among women inpatients with severe mental illness

“…Accordingly, additional explanatory factors have been found to moderate this relationship including: substance misuse [12, 21]; personality disorder, specifically the presence of borderline (BPD) and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) [22]; ethnicity, as racial inequalities are well documented within the health system in Britain [23, 24], and as such, ethnicity is an important (and politically contentious) variable that is often included but rarely explored within research studies [25]; and social vulnerabilities (e.g., victimisation and homelessness), as these factors increase ones risk for physical violence [26–28], particularly in those with psychotic disorders [29]. …”