Attempted Serial Neonaticides: Case Report and a Brief Review of the Literature.

Neonaticide is an infant murder occurring on the day of birth. The case reports found in the literature are often focused on the mother as the agent in the context of pregnancy denial, dissociative symptoms, or psychosis. However, this report describes a rare case of attempted serial neonaticides, in which the acts were committed by a nurse at the nursery of a referral hospital in Brazil.

Public health system and psychiatry in the treatment of 'dangerous' young offenders in Brazil.

We describe the Experimental Health Unit, a special forensic mental health facility in Brazil, created by court order and administered by the São Paulo Department of Health. It was designed for young offenders receiving compulsory inpatient treatment for severe personality disorders. All nine patients admitted to date came from Foundation CASA (a socio-educational centre of assistance for adolescents, the juvenile correctional centres managed by the São Paulo state Department of Justice).

Phenomenological aspects of the cognitive rumination construct.

Objective: To evaluate the importance of phenomenological aspects of the cognitive rumination (CR) construct in current empirical psychiatric research.

Method: We searched SciELO, Scopus, ScienceDirect, MEDLINE, OneFile (GALE), SpringerLink, Cambridge Journals and Web of Science between February and March of 2014 for studies whose title and topic included the following keywords: cognitive rumination; rumination response scale; and self-reflection. The inclusion criteria were: empirical clinical study; CR as the main object of investigation; and study that included a conceptual definition of CR.

Serum concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and mental disorders in imprisoned women.

Objective: Mental disorders and early trauma are highly prevalent in female inmates. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in learning, memory processes, and mood regulation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum BDNF levels and mental disorders among imprisoned women as compared with age- and education-matched controls.

Drug-related disorders and the criminal and clinical background of the prison population of São Paulo State, Brazil.

Objective: To analyze the association between drug (DAD) and alcohol (AAD) abuse and dependency and criminal and clinical background by gender of prisoners in São Paulo, Brazil.

Method: Cross-sectional study, random sample stratified by administrative district, from which prisons and prisoners were selected via random, multistage sampling. Psychiatric diagnoses were made with the CIDI 2.

Prevalence of mental disorders among prisoners in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the prison population in the State of São Paulo, Brazil.

Methods: Through stratified random sampling, 1.192 men and 617 women prisoners were evaluated for the presence of psychiatric disorders by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, 2.

Accuracy of the Historical, Clinical and Risk Management Scales (HCR-20) in predicting violence and other offenses in forensic psychiatric patients in Brazil.

Background: Assessing the risk of violence is a complex task. In Latin America it is often based on clinical criteria that are not very objective or structured. HCR-20 has been used to increase the accuracy of this exam.

Sexual disorders and crime.

Purpose Of Review: Highlighting the relationship between sexual disorders and crime, reviewing and summarizing the articles published throughout 2011 which add to the current knowledge on this subject.

Recent Findings: Studies on specific populations confirm the association between sexual disorders and crime, particularly between paraphilias and sexual crimes regarding male offenders. Female offenders are less likely to be diagnosed with a sexual disorder.

Mental disorders in prisons.

Purpose Of Review: The existence of people with mental disorders in prisons is a reality found worldwide. The purpose of this article is not only to review the publications on this subject in 2009 but also to stimulate discussions that could contribute to its further scientific study.

Recent Findings: Most studies published in 2009 related to drug use among inmates and its consequences made it clear that this kind of disorder has a closer relationship with the crime than with mental illness.

Reliability of the Brazilian version of HCR-20 Assessing Risk for Violence.

Objective: Assessing risk for violence is a complex task often based on not objective or structured clinical evaluations. HCR-20 Assessing Risk for Violence has been used in several countries to increase the accuracy of this exam. The purpose of this study was to inform on central aspects of this instrument, as well as the results of the reliability assessment of the HCR-20 Assessing Risk for Violence in a Brazilian inpatient criminal population.

Legal controls of the medical profession.

Purpose Of Review: The authors, after a brief historical review of the theme, review the articles published in the last year. The purpose is to verify how the field has moved on during this period, as a constant increase of legal and social controls on the medical profession is perceived.

Recent Findings: Surprisingly, very few articles treating directly the theme reviewed were found.

Ethics in forensic psychiatry.

Purpose Of Review: Ethics in forensic expertise has been the focus of important debates. After providing a brief history of the theme, a review is given of the articles published in the last 2 years. As this field is constantly changing, it is possible to identify significant differences and even opposing positions adopted till now by various researchers.

[Forensic psychiatry ethics: expert and clinical practices and research on prisoners].

Objective: Review the most relevant ethical issues of the tripartite aspects on which forensic psychiatry is based: expert activity, treatment of the mentally ill in prisons, and research on prisoner subjects.

Results And Discussion: The principles of General Medical Ethics and those of Forensic Medical Ethics are discriminated and confronted and the steps the psychiatrist should take both as an expert and as a clinician to follow the ethical principles of his profession are indicated. A succinct résumé of the research on prisoners is offered and the basic principles, which, if respected, would keep a balance between the need for carrying out research in prisonal environments and the safeguard of prisoners' rights are suggested.