Predicting voluntary and involuntary readmissions to forensic hospitals by insanity acquittees in Maryland.

The current study investigated factors associated with voluntary and involuntary readmissions to forensic hospitals 356 insanity acquittees on conditional release in the state of Maryland from 2007, 2008, and 2009 and monitored their community progress for a 3-year follow-up period. The results indicated that voluntarily readmitted insanity acquittees had fewer reported arrests on conditional release and fewer reported instances of non-compliance with treatment compared with insanity acquittees who were returned involuntarily to hospital. As expected, arrests and treatment non-compliance predicted involuntary readmission. A third group of insanity acquittees who were not readmitted on conditional release presented with numerous differences compared with voluntarily and involuntarily readmitted acquittees. These included a longer duration in the community prior to any psychiatric readmission and fewer community psychiatric admissions than both the voluntary and involuntary groups. Data from this study provide useful information on where community monitoring resources for insanity acquittees may best be allocated.

Helen (Lena) Stavridou Astin (1932-2015).

This article memorializes Helen (Lena) Stavridou Astin, who died at her home October 27, 2015 after a long illness. As only the second woman to earn a doctorate in psychology at the University of Maryland, Lena opened the door for other women. Her 1969 classic book, The Woman Doctorate in America, was the first to provide data to counteract the belief that highly educated women drop out of the labor force to concentrate on family. Within the American Psychological Association, Lena was the first chair of what became the Committee on Women in Psychology and the second president of the Division on the Psychology of Women (Division 35). She also served on several American Psychological Association governance boards. During her early years, she worked at the National Academy of Science, the Bureau of Social Science Research, and University Research Associates.