Biobanks correspond to different situations: research and technological development, medical diagnosis or therapeutic activities. Their status is not clearly defined. We aimed to investigate human biobanking in Europe, particularly in relation to organisational, economic and ethical issues in various national contexts. Data from a survey in six EU countries (France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the UK) were collected as part of a European Research Project examining human and non-human biobanking (EUROGENBANK, coordinated by Professor JC Galloux). A total of 147 institutions concerned with biobanking of human samples and data were investigated by questionnaires and interviews. Most institutions surveyed belong to the public or private non-profit-making sectors, which have a key role in biobanking. This activity is increasing in all countries because few samples are discarded and genetic research is proliferating. Collections vary in size, many being small and only a few very large. Their purpose is often research, or research and healthcare, mostly in the context of disease studies. A specific budget is very rarely allocated to biobanking and costs are not often evaluated. Samples are usually provided free of charge and gifts and exchanges are the common rule. Good practice guidelines are generally followed and quality controls are performed but quality procedures are not always clearly explained. Associated data are usually computerised (identified or identifiable samples). Biobankers generally favour centralisation of data rather than of samples. Legal and ethical harmonisation within Europe is considered likely to facilitate international collaboration. We propose a series of recommendations and suggestions arising from the EUROGENBANK project.
Personality disorders (PDs) are considered to be potential predictors of treatment outcome in substance-dependent patients and potential treatment matching variables. There is a need for a brief and simple screening instrument for PDs that can be used in routine psychological assessment, especially in a treatment setting for previously substance-dependent criminal offenders, where a high prevalence of PDs is expected. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Standardized Assessment of Personality-Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS), a commonly used screening interview for PDs, in a population of inpatient criminal offenders with a history of substance dependence. Various statistical procedures were used to establish reliability and validity measures, such as Kuder-Richardson 20, confirmative factor analysis, receiver operating characteristic analysis and multitrait multimethod matrix. The SAPAS was administered to 101 inpatient criminal offenders with a history of substance dependence at baseline. Within three weeks, participants were administered the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality in order to assess the presence of PDs. Results show limited evidence to make firm conclusions on the psychometric qualities of the SAPAS as a screening instrument for comorbid PDs in a substance dependence treatment setting for criminal offenders. Suggestions for improvement concerning the psychometric qualities of the SAPAS as a screening instrument for this population are noted.
Eens in de twee jaar wordt door een therapeutische gemeenschap (TG / TC), die lid is van de World federation of therapeutic communities (WFTC), een conferentie georganiseerd voor alle leden van deze federatie. Dit jaar was het de beurt aan Daytop in New York. Het belangrijkste doel van de conferentie is onderzoeksresultaten uit te wisselen en elkaar te informeren hoe wereldwijd vormgegeven wordt aan het TG-concept. Tevens stond de vraag centraal hoe deze behandelvorm aangepast kan worden aan diverse doelgroepen. De vier hoofdlijnen van de conferentie, waar de verschillende sessies in waren ondergebracht, luidden:
The chapter presents a careful comparative study on ethical and legal aspects of human biobanks both in Europe and elsewhere. The rapid expansion of human DNA sampling and data collection has taken place in the last few years, but the legal and ethical perception of this situation looks very different in European countries and beyond. The author focuses her attention on the European Union, especially in Estonia, where a population wide gene back has been established; moreover, she also discusses what is happening in Macedonia, a relatively neglected country in Eastern Europe, as well as Australia, India and Israel.
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