Changing demography of homeless adult populations.

As the demographic characteristics of the US population have changed over the past decade, the characteristics of different homeless populations have changed as well. This study tracked changes in demographic characteristics of homeless adult, veteran, and healthcare service user populations against general adult and veteran populations from 2007-2017. The results showed that changing demographics of homeless populations largely reflected broader trends in the general population, and attention is needed on the clinical needs of aging homeless populations. There may be some unique changes in the demography of some homeless populations, such as younger homeless veterans seeking healthcare services.

Hierarchical classification and the integration of self-structure in late adolescence.

A number of empirical studies have demonstrated that one's self-concept is multi-dimensional in nature, varies according to social context, and shows increased differentiation throughout adolescence. There has been relatively less work, however, examining the integration of multi-dimensional social selves. Rosenberg and Gara's (1985) model of the multidimensional self (a model that utilizes a statistical procedure called "hierarchical classification" or HICLAS) was employed to investigate the integration of social selves during late adolescence. First- and fourth-year college students (n=128) completed a computer program designed to collect data required to construct HICLAS "self-structures". The findings indicated that the social selves of fourth-year college students were more related conceptually and were more differentiated than the social selves of first-year students. The differences between first- and fourth-year students suggested that hierarchical classification procedures could be used to address developmental hypotheses.

From the psychiatric hospital to the community: integrating conditional release and contingency management.

Psychiatric hospital recidivism has been and continues to be a persistent problem in treating individuals with chronic mental illness. Conditional release, a form of involuntary outpatient commitment, has been suggested as one possible solution. Guided by therapeutic jurisprudence, this article presents a proposal about conditional release that would maximize convergence of social values and would be empirically testable. Specifically, a scientifically validated treatment intervention for individuals with chronic mental illness, contingency management, is integrated with conditional release. From this proposal, a number of empirical hypotheses and legal questions about discharging psychiatric patients are generated and discussed.

The psychiatric hospital and therapeutic jurisprudence: applying the law to promote mental health.

If the law provided for accessible and efficient means to facilitate mental health treatment, the law itself could be a component of the comprehensive care system.