Abstract The paper describes self-harm as a physical expression of emotional distress and highlights the need for a strong focus on psychological care for patients who self-harm. The paper explores self-harm triggers, looks at nurses' attitudes towards mental health patients and their needs and provides an understanding of the needs of patients. The paper then explores the attitude of health care workers towards young prison inmates who deliberately self harm. The paper concludes that more research is needed on self-harm prevention and on the practice of professionals working with people who deliberately self-harm.
Outline:
Introduction
Literature Review
From the Paper "Deliberate self-harm, (DSH) described as a behaviour not an illness (Isacsson and Rich, 2001, 213), is a complex issue with much debate surrounding its cause and treatment (McAllister, 2003, 177, Freeman, 2002, 10, Redley, 2003, 348). Deliberate self-harm is frequently encountered in emergency departments (ED) but is a hidden health problem world-wide. Approximately 4% of the population self-harms and it is one of the leading five causes of acute medical admission for women and men (Wilhelm, Schneiden, Kotze, 2000, 349). Nine out of ten people who self-harm seek help in emergency departments (Crawford, 1998, 18), so the role of emergency nurses is fundamental to ensuring that they receive timely and appropriate care. Research suggests that patients who present at assessment and emergency after self-harm incidents repeat the behaviour (Joiner, 2002, 33, Morgan and Coleman, 2000, 391)."
Abstract Deliberate self-harm (DSH) or self injurious behavior (SIB) involves intentional self-poisoning or injury, irrespective of the apparent purpose of the act. This paper presents an in-depth overview of the issue, including psychological causes of the problem, treatment available and myths surrounding DSH.
Paper Outline:
Introduction and Overview
Types of Self-Harm Physiological Manifestation
Psychological Manifestation
Demographics
Methods of Alleviating Self Injurious Behavior
Common Misconceptions
Conclusions
From the Paper "The forms and severity of self-injury can vary, although the most commonly seen behavior is cutting, burning, and head banging. Other forms of self-injurious behavior include: carving, scratching, branding, marking burning/abrasions, biting, bruising, hitting, picking, and pulling skin and hair. Knowing that DSH people inflict self-injury for physical or emotional reasons is important. It is not per se, a voluntary act. Therefore it should be distinguished between other forms of body mutilation. These forms are body piercing, tattooing and scalding patterns in the body. These are voluntary acts. They are performed either for sexual gratification or for body decoration. Sometimes these acts make people one of a crowd or it enables others to fit in among their peers. Several cultures view body painting, piercing, tattooing and other forms of body mutilation as rites of passage. Other times, they are parts of cultural or religious rituals. These voluntary acts are not self-injurious behaviors."
Abstract This paper begins by defining self-harm and differentiating between this practice and suicide attempts. The paper then examines predisposing factors and the gender differences in self-harm behaviors. In addition, the paper provides an in-depth review of the literature and explores the treatment and prevention of this phenomenon.
Outline:
Part I: Introduction
Part II: Review of the Literature
Part III: Treatment and Prevention
Part IV: Summary and Conclusion
From the Paper "It is important and difficult for families and friends of self-harming individuals to make the differentiation between this practice and suicide attempts since both behaviors are "self-directed and dangerous." (Centre for Suicide Prevention, 2001) However, it has been recognized by researchers that the individual who engages in self-harm has no intention to kill themselves or die as an outcome of the harm caused to themselves. This disorder is one in which the individuals get relief from the self-harm on some psychological level. While the self-harm and suicide are not always co-existent, it is important to remain that these two disorders may co-exist in the individual. Self-harm, with no intent to die has been known to result in death due to accidental cuts to main arteries."
Abstract This paper discusses the pilots do endanger themselves, passengers, and the craft by deliberate actions. The author points out instances in which a pilot may misdirect an aircraft.
From the Paper "This paper examines some of the reasons why pilots take deliberate actions to ground their planes thereby endangering themselves any passengers and the craft. When we hear about the grounding of an airplane ,we are likely to think first about mechanical problems with the aircraft or adverse weather conditions or in our post era about sabotage. However, there are also instances in which a pilot while in control of the aircraft experiences excluding situations such as when a pilot accidentally presses a lever because he or she ..."
Abstract The paper reveals that while the suicide rate has been decreasing, suicide is still responsible for more deaths than automobile accidents. The paper explains the differences between self injury and suicide; self-injury is usually meant to allow the victim to continue living, as opposed to suicide which is meant to end a life. The paper discusses the factors which tend to contribute to the tendency of individuals to suffer from depression or mental illness and be more likely to hurt themselves. The paper points out that deliberate self harm is common in adolescents, especially females. The paper contends that school-based mental health initiatives are needed.
Outline:
Causes and Correlates for Self-Harm and Self Injury
Conclusions
From the Paper "Incidents of self injury are somewhat different in their intent than those of attempted suicide. Self injury, as opposed to suicide, is usually meant to allow the victim to continue living, as opposed to suicide which is meant to end a life. There is no strict definition of self injury, but the patient is usually easily identified if he or she deliberately causes self harm to the extent of causing tissue damage such as breaking the skin, bruising, leaving marks and doing so as a way to deal with unpleasant and overwhelming emotions or situations. Some individuals may even simply think about self harm when feeling calm as a method to control emotional pain. Self injurious behavior is not always associated with abuse in childhood, although it can be."
Abstract This paper describes three companies in three different sectors that are pursuing a deliberate strategy and three that are pursuing an emergent strategy. The first part of the paper looks at examples of deliberate strategy, whereby the decisions are initiated from within a company and accord with the company's intrinsic goals. The paper then explores three companies that use emergent strategy, where the company continually shifts its strategy in line with the market's needs.
From the Paper "An apparel company that is currently using an emergent strategy is Vans, which is continually shifting its strategy. In the arena of youth fashion in which Vans operates, producing shoes as well a clothes for the segment of the youth market that associates itself with skateboarding, being the "in" label is the most important thing. It is the most important thing for the company but it is also the most important thing for those who wear Vans products. There is actually relatively little that a company can do to guarantee this "in" status: Such a designation as being in is made by the young men (and some very few young women) who identify with this brand."
Abstract This paper discusses athlete training. The paper details the practice of using deliberate play and deliberate practice concepts in training sessions and explains how these concepts allow the coach to incorporate the athlete's feelings and thoughts into situations involving the game. The paper also cites studies that show how this method can influence athletes' perception of the practices and training they receive.
From the Paper " Both concepts consider the athlete's desires as well as the supportive role of the parents and coaches in assisting the athletes in obtaining those desires. The coaches are called upon to provide the athletes with the resources including training such as skill training, conditioning, team concepts, and positioning theories. The parents offer a supportive role as well, oftentimes becoming the sounding box for the athletes that can be both negative and positive in feedback.
"Deliberate play begins when the athletes are young and requires training at a rate of 2-5 hours per week. The training time increases through the years until approximately a decade later the athletes are practicing at a rate of 25 - 30 hours per week. Each stage incorporated into deliberate play is defined in a certain manner. These distinct stages of development include different types of activities through the early years, middle years, later years and maintenance years. The activities are mainly focused on deliberate activities used to ensure the athlete is progressing. This concept also states that the hours of practice should have direct results and a corresponding improvement in the performance level of the athlete."
Abstract This paper examines the history of the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution and how it has evolved inside the judicial system into the right to preventive healthcare within the prison setting. The author studies diseases such as viral hepatitis and how the justice system has dealt with this disease. This paper discusses human papillomavirus (HPV) and how it can be compared to viral hepatitis types B and C. The author concludes that the standard of deliberate indifference to health care needs in women's prisons requires the United State's justice system to immunize women prisoners to prevent the spread of HPV and cervical cancer. The paper argues that it is now the obligation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to add to the "Clinical Practice Guidelines" a requirement for mandatory testing for HPV and for immunization with Gardasil for those who are at high risk of HPV.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution
Preventive Healthcare in the General Population
Preventive Healthcare for Federal and State Correctional Populations
Congress' Response to the Threat of Infectious Disease in Prison and its Economic Impact
Guidelines for Federal Correctional Facilities but Just Proposed for States to Adopt
Correctional Facilities Continue to Lack Adequate Preventive Care, Leading to Lawsuits
The Importance of Preventive Healthcare for Infectious Disease Using a Viral Hepatitis
Hepatitis
Human Papillomavirus Infection
Demographics of Human Papillomavirus Infection
Demographics of Human Papillomavirus Infection in Prison
Public Health Responses to Human Papillomavirus Infection
Applying Viral Hepatitis Approaches to HPV
Conclusion
From the Paper "In "Ruiz v. Johnson", a group of inmates had sued the Director of the Texas Department of Corrections. The plaintiffs alleged that conditions in the correctional facilities violated Eight Amendment protections. Conditions were so extreme that the United States joined in as a plaintiff, against the defendant's resistance. The case includes commentary from Dr. Robertson, an expert in the trial. He stated that he saw two cases of "potentially preventable" cancers where the patients received delay in diagnosis and treatment, causing a negative prognosis. The defendants argued that the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) accredited them and therefore their practices were constitutional."
Abstract This paper examines how harm reduction is a theoretical model which has been proposed to address the harm which is caused by the behavior of an individual, not only to themselves, but also to the wider community. In particular, it looks at how the model has also provided a potential framework for dealing with substance abuse, and has been adopted in practice in many countries around the world. This paper examines the principals behind the theoretical model, and how these can be applied to successfully treat substance abusers. Specific applications of the model are also examined to determine how successful certain strategies have been in reducing harm, and how any limitations could be overcome to improve future implementations.
Outline:
Theoretical Model
Environmental Effects on the Individual
Time Orientation of Model
Applications of the Model
Strengths and Limitations
Harm Reduction Model and Substance Abuse
Basic Principles of Harm Reduction in Substance Abuse
Major Guidelines and Tools for Assessment
Syringe Exchange Program
Strengths and Limitations of Model
Conclusions
From the Paper "However there are certain principles to the theory of harm reduction which are generally agreed. Harm reduction is an approach or strategy rather than an actual goal, the aim of which is to reduce or eliminate the negative consequences of drug use rather than eliminate the actual drug use itself. There is an emphasis on the aim of reducing the adverse consequences among individuals who cannot be expected to cease their drug use at the present time for various reasons (Riley et al., 1999). The underlying philosophy to harm reduction is that the practitioner approaches the client in a nonjudgmental manner and works to help the client meet goals which have been established personally by the client (Bradley-Springer, 1996). In the harm reduction model, the rights of the individual are of prime importance, which include the client's rights to dignity and the right to make personal decisions. Harm reduction includes a holistic, incremental and multidimensional approach to decreasing risks for individuals and communities (Bradley-Springer, 1996). Although the model of harm reduction is contradictory to the traditional abstinence model, it may however be compatible with the eventual goal of abstinence. The model proposes that social support, health assistance, education and disease prevention measures should be maximized for all. "
Abstract This paper examines how self-harm includes any intentional act that damages tissue or causes illness with little or no intent of suicide. It looks at how self-harm can be divided into three major categories: major self-mutilating behaviors, stereotypical self-mutilating behaviors, and moderate/superficial self-mutilation. The three subtypes of the last category, compulsive, episodic, and repetitive self-mutilation, are the focus of this paper. It discusses how environmental factors are associated with self-harm, such as severe sexual abuse, physical abuse, and a history of stealing. It analyzes how myths and misunderstandings negatively impact the treatment of self-harm and how Dialectic Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Therapy, EMDR, and group therapies have demonstrated some success in treating self-harm.
From the Paper "One distinguishing characteristics of these behaviors is that they so overwhelmingly preoccupy the thoughts of the person that he or she begins to identify himself or herself by the form their self-harm takes. Self-harm is very disturbing to this person. Repetitive self-mutilation usually begins in early adolescence and can persist for decades although there can be breaks lasting several years between groups of episodes. The most common forms of RSM are cutting, pin sticking, interfering with wound healing, severe skin scratching, head banging, bone breaking, insertion of foreign objects into the urethra, and vaginal laceration. Those with RSM report that it helps them relieve anxiety, tension, anger, rage, racing thoughts, depersonalization, depression, and feelings of loneliness (Favazza, 1996)."
Abstract This paper analyzes Adam Harmes' text, "The Return of the State: Protectors, Power-Brokers, and the New Global Compromise". The paper explains that while Harmes' thesis is a thoughtful treatise on how the historical pendulum has swung back and forth between unrestrained capitalism and tight, welfare-state regulation, his work offers a solution to the ills of global capitalism that may ultimately prove more unlikely than practical. The paper looks at the likely reasons why both powerful and impoverished nations will find objections to global governance. The paper also points out that Harmes' book becomes a laudable exposition of the usually-antagonistic relationship between the state and the marketplace - and a good example of how something that sounds wonderful in theory may not work in the real world. The writer concludes that Harmes' text has many fine points, but it seems his over-eagerness to press his case causes him to forget that the world may not be as ready for the "international state" as he evidently is.
From the Paper "Unfortunately for Harmes, there are complications that get in the way of the practical fulfillment of his political globalization. For one thing, Adam Harmes blithely assumes - or at least confidently assumes - that nations great and small will embrace the kind of political globalization of which he speaks. For one thing, all nation-states - whether America or a tiny, backwater country in Southeast Asia - have socio-cultural, anthropological and political forces that bind together their citizens and shape their world view; in short, people in France (to give just one example), because of a collective national historical narrative reaching back many centuries, tend to see themselves as "French" before they see themselves as anything else."
Abstract This paper discusses how Mill is worried about the freedom of the individual against the influence of the majority. He proposes the "harm principle" as a way to protect individuality. Is the "harm principle" sufficient? Some of the problems related to the principle are discussed.
Abstract In her book, "Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex," Judith Levine puts forth a thought provoking argument that by shielding America's children from sex, America is harming its children. In essence, the protector has become the problem. The paper shows that those hardest hit by Levine's targeted analysis are the very people trusted to protect children.
From the Paper "Levine dissects kiddie porn and cyberporn, considered by many to be two of the greatest threats invading the family home today. She contends that studies in the 1950s proved that child pornography was a crime led and kept alive by a very small fraction of society. (p32) The problem was not the perverts who traded and sold yellowing photographs, it was the zealous adults bringing it into the open and then sensationalizing it to the point of starting a nation wide panic."
Abstract This paper explains that in the 7/3/2006 issue of Business Week, Dean Foust, the author of "ID Theft: More Hype than Harm", argues that identity theft is really more hype than harm. The paper relates that Faust discusses the public's hysteria which pertains to identity theft and claims that the public overreacts with the issue of identity theft since it really is not as bad as it seems to be for the victim. The paper reflects on Foust's assumptions and claims regarding the seriousness of the identity theft problem in the United States today.
From the Paper "According to Foust, it is not easy to convert stolen data into money. Because of the media attention that identity theft is receiving today, many consumers are on alert for such activity and from the first indication that someone else is using their information, the consumer will call banks, credit card companies, license bureaus and other places and either cancel their accounts, report the possible theft, and information the agency that they suspect unauthorized use. However, there are many consumers who are not aware of what is happening until it is too late."
