The pro-anorexia community has emerged as a powerful cultural movement that takes an at least partially positive attitude toward anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. A systematic review of the literature on pro-ana forums focused specifically on females with eating disorders. However, epidemiological data suggest that as much as 25% of the eating disorders population is male. In our review of pro-anorexia web sites, we found a substantial number of participants were male. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of male participation in pro-ana forums in an effort to learn more about male participation in these forums. In this article, we present the results of this analysis, highlighting themes of social support, community appreciation, and ambivalence, as well as themes that appear to be particular to the male experience of eating disorders, such as alienation and teasing.
The sequential intercept model (SIM) of mental health decriminalization describes five stages in the legal system at which people with mental illness can be diverted out of that system and into treatment. Law enforcement represents the first stage and that with the highest potential for diversion. A novel interpretation of the SIM is as a model of threat management and violence risk mitigation since crisis de-escalation can constitute primary prevention of violent behavior. Health care settings that treat substance abuse and mental illness represent excellent settings in which to optimize such prevention. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs is a nationwide system of such settings and also maintains its own internal federal police force. This study examined the pilot implementation of a 14-hr national "train-the-trainer" curriculum, focusing on mental health diagnoses, stressors, de-escalation techniques, and referral options. The goals of this study were to evaluate feasibility-of-implementation issues, recommend any changes for the full-scale project, and provide preliminary analysis of outcomes. Trainers (n ϭ 35) exhibited significant pre-to posttest increases in the domains of (a) knowledge and (b) skill, but not in (c) attitudes or (d) perceived efficacy as a trainer. Police officers (n ϭ 140) demonstrated significant gains in all three assessed domains of (a) knowledge, (b) attitudes, and (c) skill in identifying diversion resources. The results supported changes to the curriculum and procedure as well as progression to the full-scale implementation. The curriculum has the potential to systematically enhance officer management of violent behavior while simultaneously decriminalizing mental illness. Public Significance StatementInterpreting the sequential intercept model as a novel model for threat or violence mitigation invokes law enforcement officers as the group with the highest potential to effect primary prevention of violence through use of de-escalation techniques. The initial feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a nationwide (United States) train-the-trainer program designed to enhance federal police officers' response to
Law enforcement officers (LEOs) may play the most important role in directing people in mental health crises into treatment versus incarceration. While most military veterans will never experience a crisis interaction with LEOs, they represent an important at-risk target group for whom to enhance LEO response. The evidence supporting LEO crisis training models includes important limitations that stem from jurisdiction-limited studies, and emphasize LEOs who volunteer for mental health training. The current study reports the primary outcomes of a national (U.S.) large-scale mandated train-the-trainer program to enhance VA LEO response to military veterans with mental health issues. Multidisciplinary teams comprised of VA LEOs, Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists, and mental health professionals (n = 245) were trained in two nested waves. Both trainers and endpoint LEOs (n = 1,284) improved from pretest to posttest on knowledge and skills in identifying psychological services and related treatment referral resources and cross-discipline collaboration, the latter of which showed some retention at 3-month follow-up. The findings support the potential for LEOs mandated to training to improve in important prerequisites to diverting people with mental health issues into care, and away from the criminal justice system. Such results may require professional trainers of LEOs who have themselves received relevant specific training. Potential cautions of such an approach, including interteam differences and potential for publication bias in extant literature, are also elucidated by the current methodology. The links to all of the collaboratively-developed curriculum materials from the current study are provided for use by qualified professionals. Impact StatementAcross a wide range of regions and jurisdictions, police can improve in mental health knowledge as well as skills in identifying psychological services and related treatment resource options and collaborating with mental health professionals, even when they are mandated to training versus volunteering. Such positive outcomes may require that trainers work in highly trained, multidisciplinary teams. Access to curriculum materials used to achieve these outcomes is provided in this article.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.