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In this article, I present an analysis of institutionalization as an interplay between three interrelated yet separate components-actors, actions, and meanings. Drawing on ethnographic data of a rape crisis center in Israel, where the entry of therapeutically oriented members resulted in the infusion of new meanings into originally feminist practices, I examine the role of organization members as carriers of institutions and their (possible) agency in infusing actions with meanings through interpretation; how meanings connect actors with actions; and institutional meanings as political resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) research has shown increases in officer transports of individuals with serious mental illness to emergency departments (ED) which, while more appropriate than incarceration, can be expensive and lack linkage to long-term mental health services. Mental health crisis centers offer a promising alternative, but impact may be limited by proximal distance and lack of officer awareness. To address this concern, this study asked, "Does CIT training affect officer transport decisions to a crisis center over a nearby ED?" Researchers analyzed crisis call reports in a Midwestern county and found increased use of the crisis center and decreased use of EDs by officers after CIT was implemented. The crisis location affected officer transport decisions, yet CIT officers were more likely than non-CIT officers to travel farther for appropriate linkage. Findings suggest CIT changes officer behavior, which could potentially lead to long-term, low-cost treatment for individuals with serious mental illnesses when there is a mental health crisis center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the likelihood of a negative incident occurring on campus, a simple but comprehensive framework was developed in 2016 at La Trobe University so that Accommodation Services staff could refer to a tool to assist them to respond to situations of crisis or potential crisis. The Crisis Management Framework comprises ten elements. These ten elements are not sequential and are not to be interpreted as steps or stages. The central theme in this framework is that each element needs to be taken into consideration when responding to a crisis and delivered to varying degrees. The ten elements are: • Co-ordinate, Control and Contain • Cluster • Communicate • Create a place to Congregate and instil "Community" • Collaborate • Business Continuity • Plan Comprehensively and Chronicle • Care and Counsel • Continuous Review and Improvement • Celebrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Розглянуто проблему віктимізації особистості жінки, роскрито особливості формування відчуття страху у жінки та запропоновано шляхи її вирішення.

Copyright of Military Science Review / Hadtudományi Szemle is the property of National University of Public Service and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This Medical News story examines the controversy surrounding crisis pregnancy centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early pregnancy loss (EPL) is the most common complication of early pregnancy and has a negative impact on the couple’s reproductive experience, including depression and anxiety disorders. Embryo selection is one of the most important steps in achieving success of ART treatment. Selection of high implantation potency embryo can improve treatment outcome and decrease EPL and multiple pregnancy rate implementing selective single embryo transfer (SET). One of the noninvasive embryo selection methods is time-lapse based morphokinetic (TLM) evaluation of the embryonic development. So, the objective of the study was to compare EPL rate between conservative embryo cultivation/selection and TLM groups. Longitudinal cohort study of 376 couples undergoing ICSI cycles in private reproductology clinic iVF Riga was performed. Logistic regression analysis adjusted by age and autologous oocyte in TLM assessment and control group was done, so there were no statistically significant differences in biochemical, clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates per ET, but EPL rate per ET was still statistically significantly reduced: OR 0.41, 95%CI 0.17–0.98,p = 0.044. TLM embryo culturing and selection method is safe, reliable and noninvasive strategy for improvement ongoing pregnancy rate and decreasing EPL rates for patient undergoing infertility treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For evaluating the effectiveness of intrauterine ultrasonic cavitational irrigation to restore the endometrium in women after pregnancy regression in the first trimester, 70 patients were randomly divided into two groups: group 1 – 38 patients, who received in combination therapy the intrauterine ultrasonic cavitation irrigation, and group 2 – 32 patients, in which treatment is not carried out by intrauterine irrigation. Intrauterine cavitation irrigation was carried out on the third day after regressing pregnancy interruption by unit “Fotek АК100” (five treatments for 3–5 min each). Immunohistochemical study of the endometrium, taken by pipelle-biopsy, was carried out at 7–10 d of the next menstrual cycle. ERα expression in endometrial glands in the group 1 was 188.54 ± 1.97, and group 2 was 177.01 ± 5.29 (p < 0.05). Stromal ERα demonstrated no significant differences in observation group, but they were below the reference values. Stromal PR expression in group 1 was 159.09 ± 4.82, whereas group 2 showed 143.01 ± 8.19 (p < 0.05); in the glands 196.18 ± 1.94 in the group 1, 181.66 ± 3.18 in the group 2 (p < 0.01). Ki67 expression in the glands was 145.63 ± 5.43 in group 1, 168.33 ± 14.59 in group 2; the control values 132.51 ± 4.25 (p < 0.01). Intrauterine ultrasonic cavitational irrigation after pregnancy regression is an effective rehabilitation technology of endometrial receptive area. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A brief questionnaire was developed to evaluate crisis services. Results showed that it could be used within standard clinical practice and that there was a statistically significant change for participants on the majority of the items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the potential legal claims in terms of legal standards and likelihood of success in line with abusive tactics of crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) in Pennsylvania which rarely prevent a woman from actually procuring an abortion. Topics covered include the results of a Right to Know (RTK) request directed toward the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare (DPW), and public policy recommendations aimed at eliminating the liability of the DPW for these claims.

This article charts the ideology and mobilization of the women's crisis center movement—the most recognizable example of postcommunist feminist activism until 2011—over the first decade of the twenty-first century as Russia moved toward consolidation and authoritarianism. We draw on our experience in and observation of this movement, a 2008 photoethnography project, and a nationwide survey of crisis centers conducted in 2008–9. By the end of Vladimir Putin's first presidency, we find that Russia's semiauthoritarianism was infused with a new masculinism, leaving less room for self-identified feminisms and for feminisms that include critique of male roles. The crisis centers as a phenomenon were etaticized and domesticated: they no longer resembled an autonomous movement, and much of the feminism had been lost. Yet even staff at state agencies frame their work in the language of women's rights, a shift from their earlier tendency to assert that women provoke the violence against them. Previous studies of feminism under authoritarianism suggest that feminism is often driven underground, both in terms of activities and the way activists can frame their claims. Our study suggests that in the growing number of semiauthoritarian states such as Russia, feminism may go inside the state, a tribute to the transnational women's activism of the last three decades. However, such insider feminism often has much more moderate claims and comes at the expense of autonomous feminism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1972, The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay has been very successful in bringing help, hope, and healing to people facing serious life challenges. The Crisis Center has delivered their many services through a mix of government funding, corporate and private donations, and earned income strategies. Despite this success, funding is decreasing while demand for services continues to increase. With demand in 2011 projected to exceed the 175,000 people served in 2010, The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay must evaluate alternatives including pursuing funding to expand services to underserved populations, expanding earned income strategies and implementing cost reductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The general role of symbolic power in contributing to the legitimacy of security has been acknowledged, and this article seeks, more specifically, to advance the understanding of gendered power dynamics and (in)security. It demonstrates how, through their first decade of existence, nonstate crisis centers in Northwest Russia contributed to security but also to the (unintentional) marginalization of women's security. Their emphasis on victims acting on their own behalf, inducing them to becoming acting subjects, is a misrecognition of the effect of symbolic power in this field. The refusal by the Russian (patriarchal) legislature of anti-domestic violence law, combined with the hesitancy of public institutions' personnel (doctors, police, judges) to provide support for women, gives the local crisis centers, which lacked financial resources, little choice about which intervention strategies to prioritize while emphasizing women's personal responsibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Differences in the content of care provided by acute in-patient mental health wards and residential crisis services such as crisis houses have not been researched. Aims To compare planned and actual care provided at alternative and standard acute wards and to investigate the relationship between care received and patient satisfaction. Method Perspectives of stakeholders, including local service managers, clinicians and commissioners, were obtained from 23 qualitative interviews. Quantitative investigation of the care provided at four alternative and four standard services was undertaken using three instruments developed for this study. The relationship of care received to patient satisfaction was explored. Results No significant difference was found in intensity of staffpatient contact between alternative and standard services, Alternative services provided more psychological and less physical and pharmacological care than standard wards. Care provision may be more collaborative and informal in alternative services. All measured types of care were positively associated with patient satisfaction. Measured differences in the care provided did not explain the greater acceptability of community alternatives. Conclusions Similarities in care may be more marked than differences at alternative and standard services. Staff-patient contact is an important determinant of patient satisfaction, so increasing it should be a priority for all acute in-patient services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through an ethnographic field study of the River Valley, a rural rape crisis center, we explored how volunteers experienced and expressed emotion as it relates to temporality in the volunteering process. We sought to map the relatively unexplored terrain of emotion work among volunteers and disrupt dominant disciplinary and lay notions of what counts as “real work.” Narrative theory offered a lens through which to observe the interconnected nature of volunteers' stories, organizational and societal scripts, traumatic events, and conceptual narratives of emotion work developed by scholars. A narrative perspective, with its emphasis on how characters reckon with others across time and space, revealed the varied temporal nature (a priori, during, post hoc) of emotion work for volunteers. For River Valley volunteers, their status as unpaid workers shaped the nature of their emotion work prior to, during, and after calls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In ongoing discussions surrounding the issue of human security, the security of individuals has become entangled in conceptual debates that are preoccupied with notions of appropriate variables, measurements and issue areas. This article suggests and illustrates a basis for human security research that is distinct from such objectivist empiricism. A case study of crisis centres in northwest Russia is used to demonstrate that human security is not only a matter for objectified generalizations, but also a question of practices. Feminist security theory and the work of Pierre Bourdieu are used to address methodological concerns raised during fieldwork on crisis centres in northwest Russia. Three dimensions are discussed: the conceptualization of security for the specific-actor approach of crisis centres, the ways in which relevant empirical data are established, and the subsequent interpretation of such data. The discussion shows, first, that rethinking security for crisis centres reveals contingencies in the research process that are relevant to the establishment of human security knowledge; second, the practice of human security research reflects the fragility in the understanding and production of security in everyday contexts. Accordingly, when we examine human security, our analysis ought to be directed at security as an ambiguous practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examines the outputs and qualities of the thirteen teen pregnancy service hotlines in Taiwan that were funded by the Children’s Bureau in 2004 and 2005. The evaluation was made through agency visits, focus groups, document reviews, call-in tests and the use of a management information system. The results show that the average number of calls was low, and one agency did not receive any calls during the time period examined. The quality of services varied, and the advice provided by the hotline staff was influenced by the value orientation of the agencies. Most callers were adult women, and the major services they received were information and emotional support. The service characteristics were heavily affected by the goals and routine tasks of the agencies as certain agencies applied their existing services to the program without assessing their fitness to the needs of the potential clients. Suggestions for service improvement are provided, including an islandwide hotline to be set up and operated by a single agency with high accountability. Implications for program monitoring and documentation, staff training and knowledge-sharing, and service advertisement and promotion are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: While numerous studies have documented the prevalence, correlates, and consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV); most of this research has used a criminal justice framework that has focused on acts of physical violence. However, critics argue that this narrow conceptualization of IPV belies the heterogeneity in this experience with respect to the nature of coercive control in the relationship. Moreover, they contend that the different types of abusive and controlling relationships not only have a different etiology, health consequences, and help-seeking characteristics, they also have a different relationship by gender. This study examined the extent to which different patterns of violence, abuse, and control were differentially associated with formal and informal help-seeking in a national Canadian sample. Data from the 2004 General Social Survey were analyzed, which included 696 women and 471 men who reported physical or sexual violence by a current or ex-spouse or common-law partner. The most commonly reported formal sources for women and men were health professionals (i.e., doctors, nurses, counselors, psychologists) and the police. For women, informal sources (i.e., family, friends, neighbors) were commonly reported across all IPV subgroups. However, the importance of almost all of the formal sources (e.g., health professionals, police, lawyers, shelters, crisis centers) increased as the severity of the violence and control increased. Shelters and crisis centers were also reported by a notable proportion of women who experienced the most severe pattern of violence and control. For men, both formal and informal sources were more commonly reported by those who experienced moderate violence and control compared with those who experienced relatively less severe acts of physical aggression. The results suggest that research that more sensitively examines people''s experiences of violence and control can help identify their health, social, and safety needs; and ultimately better inform the development of programs and services aimed at addressing these needs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The perception that there is a climate of fear and blame in mental health services often drives people away from them and causes workers to practise defensively. The Leeds Survivor Led Crisis Service is an example of an alternative way of working. This survivor-led organisation works in a risk-embracing way, which supports user empowerment and reduces risk to self and others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a quantitative content analysis, the telephone-based and Web-based support of the Dutch child helpline were studied. Both adult judges and the children themselves indicated that the quality of chat conversations was better than that of telephone conversations. Both the chat and telephone service succeeded in improving children's well-being and decreasing the perceived burden of their problems. The findings lend support to offer a combined telephone-based and Web-based support for child helplines. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Woman Studies is the property of Canadian Woman Studies/Les Cahiers de la Femme and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examines service utilization among 283 adult victims of domestic violence identified by crisis responders as being in need of crisis services. The purpose of this study is to explore the differences between the domestic violence victims who choose to utilize shelter services and those who do not. Findings suggest that domestic violence victims who were more likely to utilize shelter services included those who had children at the time of the incident, victims who called for assistance from a location other than their home, victims who did not have a current order of protection in place, and victims who were injured during the domestic violence incident. Implications suggest more specific services to be provided by shelters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few rape survivors seek help from formal social systems after their assault. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that prevent survivors from seeking help from the legal, medical, and mental health systems and rape crisis centers. In this study, 29 female rape Survivors who did not seek any postassault formal help were interviewed about why they did not reach out to these systems for assistance. Using qualitative methodology, this study found that survivors believed that formal social systems would or could not help or would psychologically harm them. Specifically, survivors thought that systems would not help because survivors themselves believed that they were unworthy of services or that their rape experience did not match stereotypical conceptions of rape. Survivors did not see how the systems could help or protect them from their assailants. Finally, survivors anticipated that systems personnel would cause them further psychological harm by not believing they had been raped or not caring about them. Survivors feared that system assistance would have intensified their painful feelings beyond their coping skills. Therefore, survivors who do not seek help may be attempting to protect themselves from perceived psychological harm. Implications for social work practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health is the property of Canadian Periodical for Community Studies Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Crisis center staff help form the frontline in the fight against domestic violence. Therefore, it is important that we understand any biases they may have when addressing cases of same-sex domestic violence. In this study, 120 crisis center staff members were given a vignette depicting a domestic dispute and asked to complete a questionnaire about their perceptions of the incident and the parties involved. We manipulated the sex of the perpetrator and victim. All other aspects of the vignette remained consistent. Because gay and lesbian relationships are often perceived as less serious than heterosexual relationships, we hypothesized that participants would perceive same-sex domestic violence as such. Consistent with this hypothesis, participants rated same-sex domestic violence scenarios as less serious than opposite-sex domestic violence and as less likely to get worse over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of seclusion and physical restraint is viewed as a practice incompatible with the vision of recovery, and its therapeutic benefit remains unsubstantiated. This Open Forum describes an initiative that began in 1999 at two crisis centers that was designed to completely eliminate the practice of seclusion and restraint. Seclusion and restraint elimination strategies included strong leadership direction, policy and procedural change, staff training, consumer debriefing, and regular feedback on progress. Existing records indicated that over a 58-month follow-up period (January 2000 to October 2004), the larger crisis center took ten months until a month registered zero seclusions and 31 months until a month recorded zero restraints. The smaller crisis center achieved these same goals in two months and 15 months, respectively. The success of this initiative suggests that policy makers and organizational leaders familiarize themselves with these and other similar seclusion and restraint reduction strategies that now exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to describe my exciting adventures in the development of the emergency medical systems in our country. After my training in plastic surgery at the University of Virginia, I accepted the position of Acting Director of the Emergency Room at the University of Virginia Health Science Center. Working with gifted physicians, basic scientists, nurses, and students, we coordinated the development of an emergency medical system that has been replicated throughout our country. Our system included the following: State legislation for the sexual assault victim, public access by the 9-1-1 telephone number, training of rescue squads, emergency radio communication system, trauma centers, poison control centers, emergency medical plan for the President of the United States, national telecommunications system for the deaf, and the first air medical transportation system in Virginia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Inspired by the Crisis Home programme in Madison, we have adapted and evaluated the programme at the Community Mental Health (CMH) Centre in Tønder, Denmark. Procedures and schedules from the Crisis Home programme were applied in this open trial. Questionnaire data concerning satisfaction with the stay and registration data concerning the admissions and bed days two years before and two years after the first stay were obtained. During four years, 52 different patients had a total of 187 stays in a crisis home. Twenty (38.5%) of the patients were attached to the ACT team. The average duration of the stays was 4.0 days. The number of readmissions and bed days after the first stay showed a significant downward tendency for the subgroup of patients with a more severe mental disorder, but not for the whole group. The patients, the crisis homes families and the referrers were very satisfied with the programme and the treatment. Crisis home stays represent a quality improvement in the treatment package, especially for patients with a more severe mental disorder. Further documentation will require a controlled study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory study examines which risk factors are associated with intimate partner violence against women in St. Petersburg, Russia. Women attending two crisis centers and a birthing house constituted the study sample. The male partner's frequent alcohol consumption and seeing his father hit his mother in childhood were associated with an increased risk of violence, whereas living in a communal apartment reduced the risk of intimate partner violence. The importance of crisis centers in Russia is highlighted by the study, as the women who turn to them are likely to have experienced more severe forms of violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of telephone crisis services/hotlines, examining proximal outcomes as measured by changes in callers' crisis state from the beginning to the end of their calls to eight centers in the U.S. and intermediate outcomes within 3 weeks of their calls, was evaluated. Between March 2003 and July 2004, 1,617 crisis callers were assessed during their calls and 801 (49.5%) participated in the follow-up assessment. Significant decreases in callers' crisis states and hopelessness were found during the course of the telephone session, with continuing decreases in crisis states and hopelessness in the following weeks. A majority of callers were provided with referrals and/or plans of actions for their concerns and approximately one third of those provided with mental health referrals had followed up with the referral by the time of the follow-up assessment. While crisis service staff coded these callers as nonsuicidal, at follow-up nearly 12 % of them reported having suicidal thoughts either during or since their call to the center. The need to conduct suicide risk assessments with crisis callers and to identify strategies to improve referral follow-up is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper seeks to examine the extent of monetary damage, the loss of life and the effect on employment caused by 1977 Johnstown Flood and their subsequent effects on population, unemployment rate, poverty rate, per capita income, median household income, and education in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. Design/methodology/approach - Statistics from 1980, 1990 and 2000 were used to create an economic and population overview of Cambria County. Short-term and long-term effects of the 1977 flood were examined to uncover possible trends regarding population and economics. Revealed trends might aid communities in recovering following a natural disaster. Findings - There have been continuous decreases in population following the 1977 Johnstown Flood and a drastic increase in the unemployment rate following the flood. These findings suggest that the loss of key employers following a major natural disaster may lead to long-term losses in the overall population. Research limitations/implications - These data relate to only Cambria County and may not relate to other areas. Implications suggest that following a similar natural disaster Crisis Counselors may aid community governments in rebuilding economic infrastructures and Career Counselors could assist displaced workers with retraining and job-seeking. Originality/value - This paper begins to explore the relationship between natural disasters and population changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand barriers service providers may face when advocating for survivors, a study using grounded theory and qualitative, semistructured interviews was conducted of rape victim advocates (N = 25) working in rape crisis centers in a large metropolitan area. Broader societal attitudes framed and were reflected in institutional responses to victims and in barriers faced by advocates working with survivors. Organizational barriers noted by advocates related to resources, environmental factors, professionalization, and racism. Staff burnout was a major barrier affecting advocates' ability to help survivors. Finally, the most salient direct service barrier was secondary victimization by criminal justice and medical or mental health systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the crisis of Fordism, capitalism has been characterised by the ever more central role of knowledge and the rise of the cognitive dimensions of labour. This is not to say that the centrality of knowledge to capitalism is new per se. Rather, the question we must ask is to what extent we can speak of a new role for knowledge and, more importantly, its relationship with transformations in the capital/labour relation. From this perspective, the paper highlights the continuing validity of Marx's analysis of the knowledge/power relation in the development of the division of labour. More precisely, we are concerned with the theoretical and heuristic value of the concepts of formal subsumption, real subsumption and general intellect for any interpretation of the present change of the capital/labour relation in cognitive capitalism. In this way, we show the originality of the general intellect hypothesis as a sublation of real subsumption. Finally, the article summarises key contradictions and new forms of antagonism in cognitive capitalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Expanded Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations was used to examine the predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with mental health service use in a homeless adolescent sample (N = 688). Among all youth, 32% perceived a need for help with mental health problems and 15% met Brief-Symptom Inventory (BSI) criteria for emotional distress. The rate of mental health service use in our sample was 32%. One enabling factor, having a case manager/discussed mental health concerns, and one need factor, which met criteria for BSI, were found to be associated with mental health service use in the past 3 months. The majority of youth who used mental health services had obtained services from crisis centers. Among those who perceived a need for help with mental health problems but who did not use services, the most common barrier was not knowing where to go or what service to use (57%). These findings suggest that due to the high prevalence of mental health problems among homeless youth, it would be helpful for service providers coming into contact with youth to make them aware of existing community resources for mental health services; making youth aware of these resources may in turn decrease the rate of crisis center use and instead allow youth to receive mental health services in outpatient settings that provide continuity of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Socialno Delo is the property of Socialno Delo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: This study is in response to the question of whether the moon can influence daily levels of stress. Method: Four years of telephone-call frequency data were obtained from a single crisis-call centre. We used the method of lunar-day numbers 1 to 29 for analysis. We also tested the concept of 'strong moons' as occurring when the Sun was near to the lunar-node axis. Results: An increase in calls was recorded from females and a decrease in calls by males during the new moon period, suggesting a sex difference in response, and there were proportionally more calls by males a fortnight later. A comparable swing in the male/female call-ratio on a weekly basis over Fridays and Saturdays was noted. Limitations of staffing at the call-centre prohibited comment on seasonal correlations. Conclusion: Lunar-related studies of stress should endeavour to separate the data by sex or the effect can be lost. Distress-calls by women were more strongly linked to the lunar month than were those by men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To demonstrate how mental health legislation and its implementation can detract from a patient's "right to health." Method: The author surveyed colleagues working at the London and St Thomas Psychiatric Hospitals about cases where the structure or implementation of the Mental Health Act in Ontario (1) impeded the provision of good psychiatric care. Results: Four clinical vignettes illustrate specific problems: possible solutions to these difficulties are suggested. Conclusion: Physicians must remain vigilant in their role as advocates for patients' right to appropriate treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on crisis centers has focused on descriptions of the programs or of the process of crisis intervention. A social movement model is proposed to explain the evolution of crisis centers and to contribute to our understanding of the success or failure of crisis centers. Crisis centers are discussed in terms of the original generating conditions, leadership styles, organization, and adaptation process. In conclusion, the implications of a social movement perspective for community psychologists are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current investigations of telephone crisis intervention effectiveness have neglected the evaluation of broad patterns of interaction between the crisis center and the larger community. This study describes the development and implementation of a Caller Frequency Category System (CAFS) which is based upon the frequency and type of contacts between callers and the center. Data collected for 100 clients from a crisis intervention center suggest that the system can be applied reliably and does differentiate among clients by the type of interaction they have with the center. Two unexpected findings were that (a) longer-term callers tended to be older men or teenage girls, and (b) the greatest proportion of total telephone use involved calls initiated by the center itself to people other than crisis clients. Revisions to the CAFS are proposed which will clarify the role which a crisis center serves in the community-wide resolution of personal crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the development of a crisis intervention center in Vienna, Austria. In particular, the goals of the center mainly concern suicide prevention and treatment of patients undergoing psychosocial crises. The center works as a liaison with hospitals, counseling centers, and schools in order to provide solutions for individuals with suicidal tendencies.

The paper describes group reactions among survivors, relatives and hospital staff participating in a crisis intervention programme following a bus accident in Norway. The survivors and the dead were brought to the regional hospital. The groups gathered were injured children and adults, and relatives of injured and dead victims. The participating hospital staff were mainly members of the intensive care unit, staff from two surgical wards and personnel from the psychiatric service unit. Group reactions observed were suggestibility and helplessness; a lack of autonomous functioning as individuals followed by group reinforcements of emotional outbursts, and subsequently, fight/flight reactions and intergroup rivalry, parallel to an idealization of the Norwegian crisis team. Similar reactions were to a lesser extent also seen among members of staff groups. There was a reduction in the hospital's capacity to maintain its ordinary treatment programmes during the crisis intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]