Jeremy Sandbrook, Tom Clark and Karen Amanda Cocksedge
Rates of co-morbid substance misuse are high within forensic populations. Addressing these problems should be a priority as mental disorder with co-morbid substance misuse is…
Abstract
Purpose
Rates of co-morbid substance misuse are high within forensic populations. Addressing these problems should be a priority as mental disorder with co-morbid substance misuse is associated with worse outcomes, including rates of re-offending and violence recidivism. A study undertaken in 2006 by the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Research and Training Unit concluded that the provision of substance misuse treatments in medium-secure units (MSUs) at that time was inadequate. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how services may have developed since then to inform discussion over future development and best practice.
Design/methodology/approach
A postal survey, supported by the Quality Network for Forensic Mental Health Services, was sent to 62 MSUs across the UK and Ireland. This questioned prevalence, interventions and staff training in substance misuse.
Findings
In total, 41 units responded (66 per cent). The data suggest rates of substance misuse within MSUs have reduced and provision of treatment has increased in recent years. The majority of MSUs provide a variety of interventions to address substance misuse and are internally resourced, in tune with current national guidance. However, the data suggest many MSU staff are not receiving adequate training in substance misuse treatments and some MSUs do not appear to have a cohesive strategy that would be consistent with best practice.
Practical implications
This study provides an up-to-date overview of the provision of treatment for substance misuse within MSUs.
Originality/value
There is no other source for this information, which will provide an invaluable reference point for services seeking to develop or improve their clinical services.
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The quest for Africa's desire to achieve innovative and transformative ways in the use of natural resources and the implications this might have on people's lives for the present…
Abstract
Purpose
The quest for Africa's desire to achieve innovative and transformative ways in the use of natural resources and the implications this might have on people's lives for the present and future generations is now more critical than ever. This paper aims that in order to let African countries attain an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena, it is imperative that a coherent policy direction be set between individual countries and continental framework for participatory management of resources in order to address the global challenge of climate change.
Design/methodology/approach
This article employs literature review of various sources, to get a deeper understanding of the situation of management of natural resources for sustainable development within the global and African development agenda.
Findings
The literature review indicates that nearly 1 out of every 9 people on Earth go to bed hungry every night; there is a challenge of having access to safe and affordable drinking water; fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions drastically result into climate change; more than half the world's population lives in cities posing a challenge to affordable public housing, upgraded slum settlements and investment in public transport, creation of green spaces; every country in the world is witnessing the drastic effects of climate change; fish stocks are overexploited and oceans are becoming more acidic.
Research limitations/implications
The study is based on findings from literature review, specifically in line with the global development agenda and African agenda on sustainable development. More studies are needed to include findings from Africa and elsewhere so as to get a clearer global perspective about resource exploitation and sustainability.
Practical implications
The work is expected to provide practitioners concerned with environmental conservation and development with the theoretical and policy gaps that need to be addressed when dealing with environmental management for sustainable development.
Originality/value
The review structures extant natural resource management literature and highlights its critical importance in development management research. Topical gaps in the literature are identified as areas for future research.
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The international women's movement has always focused on discrimination against women, but only in the past few decades have activists paid special attention to domestic violence…
Abstract
The international women's movement has always focused on discrimination against women, but only in the past few decades have activists paid special attention to domestic violence. In post-communist Europe, it took even longer but the Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, and Slovene governments eventually reacted to domestic and global pressure and established new definitions and norms dealing with domestic violence. Analyzing the process of norm development on domestic violence in Central Europe can direct us toward determining to what extent political and economic processes and decisions in Europe are driving globalization, or are being driven by globalization.