Background: Emotional eating (EE) is a tendency to consume food in response to positive or negative emotions, leading to obesity and an increased Body Mass Index (BMI). Evidence supports the positive association between EE and binge eating disorder (BED), but little is known about its prevalence among patients referred for bariatric surgery and the psychological characteristics of this patient population. We aim to examine (i) the prevalence of binge eating and EE, (ii) its association with the prevalence of anxiety, depression, diabetes and hypertension and (iii) the correlation between anxiety and depression with emotional and binge eating behaviours among patients attending a regional bariatric service in the UK.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRadicalization to terrorism is a multifaceted process with no single theory or approach to explain it. Although research has focused on understanding the process, there is still a dearth of studies that examine an empirically driven pathway to terrorism behavior. This study examines a cross-sectional sample of incarcerated men convicted of terrorism in Iraq (N = 160).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeveral studies demonstrated non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are safe and simple techniques that can reduce body weight, food cravings, and food consumption in patients with obesity. However, a systematic to evaluate the efficacy of active NIBS versus sham stimulation in reducing body weight and food cravings in patients with obesity is not available. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Central Register of Control Trial between January 1990 and February 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe increasing recognition of the risks posed by lone-actor terrorists provides the impetus for understanding the psychosocial and ideological characteristics that distinguish lone from group actors. This study examines differences between lone and group actor terrorists in two domains: (i) attitudes toward terrorism, ideology, and motivation for terrorist acts; and (ii) empirically derived risk factors for terrorism. Using a cross-sectional research design and primary source data from 160 men convicted of terrorism in Iraq, this study applied bivariate and logistic regression analyses to assess group differences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Challenging behaviours, in particular aggressive behaviours, are prevalent among people with intellectual developmental disabilities. Predictors of challenging behaviours are numerous, including past history of aggression, poor coping skills and impulsivity. Factors like motor or rapid-response impulsivity (RRI) have neurobiological underpinnings that may be amenable to change via neuromodulation using non-invasive brain stimulation techniques like transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFoetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is highly prevalent in criminal justice settings. Despite increased awareness of the neurocognitive deficits among justice-involved individuals with FASD, no systematic evaluation of the literature in the field has been conducted to date. We aimed to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the neurocognitive profiles of justice-involved individuals with FASD, by searching five key electronic databases, dissertations database, and Google scholar, up to January 2021.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhallometry is an objective method of assessing male sexual arousal. The main applications in forensic psychiatry concern the evaluation of men charged with or convicted of sexual offences, the evaluation of those with suspected paraphilias not subject to the criminal justice system, risk assessment and measurement of response to sex offender treatment. In some jurisdictions, phallometry is incorporated into legal decisions about release from custody or discharge from secure hospitals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTranscranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) has been used to modulate empathy, but no studies have meta-analyzed the evidence base for its efficacy. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of tDCS at modulating empathy. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials involving anodal or cathodal versus sham tDCS to modulate empathy in healthy adults and clinical populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTelemedicine has become increasingly used by prison mental health services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In this editorial, we explore the benefits and risks of the remote provision of forensic mental healthcare, with consideration of the clinical, financial, ethical and legal consequences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImpulsivity is a multi-faceted construct that underpins various mental health disorders. Impulsive behavior exacts a substantial health and economic burden, hence the importance of developing specific interventions to target impulsivity. Two forms of non-invasive brain stimulation, namely transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), have been used to modulate impulsivity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCochrane Database Syst Rev
September 2020
Background: Antisocial personality disorder (AsPD) is associated with rule-breaking, criminality, substance use, unemployment, relationship difficulties, and premature death. Certain types of medication (drugs) may help people with AsPD. This review updates a previous Cochrane review, published in 2010.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCochrane Database Syst Rev
September 2020
Background: Antisocial personality disorder (AsPD) is associated with poor mental health, criminality, substance use and relationship difficulties. This review updates Gibbon 2010 (previous version of the review).
Objectives: To evaluate the potential benefits and adverse effects of psychological interventions for adults with AsPD.
To examine the feasibility of conducting a fully powered randomized controlled trial (RCT) of Individual Placement and Support (IPS). IPS is a form of supported employment which aims to put people into open employment quickly and in accordance with their preferences. It is delivered by employment specialists collocated within clinical teams, and provides time unlimited support for the individual and their employer, along with welfare benefits counselling.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDecision-making has many different definitions and is measured in varied ways using neuropsychological tasks. Offenders with mental disorder habitually make disadvantageous decisions, but no study has systematically appraised the literature. This review aimed to clarify the field by bringing together different neuropsychological measures of decision-making, and using meta-analysis and systematic review to explore the performance of offenders with mental disorders on neuropsychological tasks of decision-making.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImpulsivity and empathy are clinically relevant multi-dimensional concepts. Existing evidence suggests the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDLPFC) plays a crucial role in impulsivity and empathy. However, the neuromodulation effect of excitatory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation at the LDLPFC is insufficiently explored in the current literature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims and methodAs part of a larger clinical trial concerning the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for treatment-resistant depression, the current study aimed to examine referral emails to describe the clinical characteristics of people who self-refer and explore the reasons for self-referral for TMS treatment. We used content analysis to explore these characteristics and thematic analysis to explore the reasons for self-referral. RESULTS: Of the 98 referrals, 57 (58%) were for women.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Interactions between individuals experiencing mental health (MH) problems and the police are complex, and effectiveness of innovative support and diversion models in England and Wales not yet fully evaluated.
Aims/hypotheses: Our aims were to examine police interactions with suspects and to measure the immediate effectiveness of police/NHS MH interventions, including liaison and diversion and embedded staff in police contact and control rooms. We hypothesised that those with an MH flag would have significantly greater benefit from such interventions than those without in terms of how far they are taken down the criminal justice pathway and how long they spend in police custody.
Neuropsychol Rev
September 2018
Impulsivity is a multi-dimensional construct that is regarded as a symptom of many psychiatric disorders. Harm resulting from impulsive behaviour can be substantial for the individuals concerned, for their social network, and for wider society. Therefore, the importance of developing therapeutic interventions to target impulsivity is paramount.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Impulsivity is a multi-faceted concept. It is a crucial feature of many neuropsychiatric disorders. Three subtypes of impulsivity have been identified: motor, temporal, and cognitive impulsivity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Health services are increasingly required to measure outcomes after treatment, which can be reported to the funding body and may be scrutinised by the public. Extensive high-quality measurements are time consuming. Routinely collected clinical data might, if anonymised, provide good enough evidence of useful change consequent on service received.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCrim Behav Ment Health
February 2017
Background: Academic literature and government initiatives have emphasised the importance of work as a means of improving health and reducing reoffending among offenders with mental disorders. Whilst a number of work skills programmes have shown promise for offenders more generally, evaluation of evidence for their effectiveness for those with a mental disorder is lacking, particularly in relation to improving employment outcomes.
Aims: To assess the evidence on the effectiveness of work skills programmes for mentally disordered offenders.