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BackgroundThe Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory (OSI) is a self-report measure that offers a comprehensive assessment of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), including measurement of its functions and addictive features. In a preliminary investigation of self injuring college students who completed the OSI, exploratory analysis revealed four function factors (Internal Emotion Regulation, Social Influence, External Emotion Regulation and Sensation Seeking) and a single Addictive Features factor. Rates of NSSI are particularly high in inpatient psychiatry youth. The OSI can assistin both standardizing assessment regarding functions and potential addictive features and aid case formulation leading to informed treatment planning. This report will describe a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the OSI on youth hospitalized in a psychiatric unit in southwestern Ontario.MethodsDemographic and self-report data were collected from all youth consecutively admitted to an adolescent in-patient unit who provided consent or assent.ResultsThe mean age of the sample was 15.71 years (SD = 1.5) and 76 (81 %) were female. The CFA proved the same four function factors relevant, as in the previous study on college students (χ2(183) = 231.98, p = .008; χ2/df = 1.27; CFI = .91; RMSEA = .05). The model yielded significant correlations between factors (rs = .44-.90, p < .001). Higher NSSI frequency was related to higher scores on each function factor (rs = .24-.29, p < .05), except the External Emotion Regulation factor (r = .11, p > .05). The factor structure of the Addictive Features function was also confirmed (χ2(14) = 21.96, p > .05; χ2/df = 1.57; CFI = .96; RMSEA = .08). All the items had significant path estimates (.52 to .80). Cronbach’s alpha for the Addictive Features scale was .84 with a mean score of 16.22 (SD = 6.90). Higher Addictive Features scores were related to more frequent NSSI (r = .48, p < .001).ConclusionsResults show further support for the OSI as a valid and reliable assessment tool in adolescents, in this case in a clinical setting, where results can inform case conceptualization and treatment planning.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13034-015-0056-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Sexual identity has generally been studied with a focus on sexual orientation and has not incorporated a general identity framework. Low levels of identity exploration and commitment have been shown to predict poor well-being in adolescents, but the relationship between sexual identity and sexual well-being has not been examined. The current cross-sectional survey was administered to 293 heterosexual female undergraduate students from a mid-sized university in Ontario, Canada. Participants completed the Measure of Sexual Identity Exploration and Commitment (Worthington, Navarro, Savoy, & Hampton, 2008), as well as several measures to assess sexual well-being. These included the Sexuality Scale (Snell & Papini, 1989), the Sexual Awareness Questionnaire (Snell, Fisher, & Miller, 1991), the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (Mendelson, Mendelson, & White, 2001; Mendelson, White, & Mendelson, 1997), and four individual items assessing sexual satisfaction (Laumann et al., 2006). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the measurement models of sexual identity and sexual well-being, and structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationship between sexual identity and sexual well-being. Results indicated that higher levels of sexual identity exploration and commitment predicted sexual well-being. However, other aspects of sexual identity, such as synthesis and sexual orientation identity, were not predictive of sexual well-being. The implications of using an identity framework for measuring sexual identity are discussed.

In the present healthcare environment, budget cuts, staff shortages, and resource limitations are grave concerns. The elderly in particular consume a considerable proportion of hospital resources. Thus, the discharge planner's role, particularly with respect to elderly patients, is extremely important. In this systematic review recent (within the last 10 years) randomized, controlled or quasi-experimental trials of discharge planning (DP) from hospital to home of patients age 65 years or older were examined. The most important finding was the paucity of investigations by social work professionals. A second important finding was the lack of appropriate reporting of methods and results. Where data were provided, an effect size was computed for statistically significant results (overall mean d = 0.51, SD 0.35). Large effects were noted for patient satisfaction, while moderate effects were evident for patients' quality of life and readmission rates. The integration and evaluation of current knowledge in this field may inform further research and may lead to the advancement of clinical practice and new policy development, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of patient care and the quality of patient outcomes. The implications for social work clinicians and researchers are discussed.

The current health care system is discharging elderly patients "quicker" and "sicker" from acute care facilities. Consequently, hospital readmission is common; however, readmission may be only one aspect of adverse outcomes of importance to social work discharge planners. The early recognition of risk factors might ensure a successful transition from the hospital to the home. A systematic review was conducted to identify factors associated with adverse outcomes in older patients discharged from hospital to home. Using a content analysis, factors were characterized in five domains: demographic factors, patient characteristics, medical and biological factors, social factors, and discharge factors. The most frequently reported risks were depression, poor cognition, comorbidities, length of hospital stay, prior hospital admission, functional status, patient age, multiple medications, and lack of social support. A systematic search identified four discharge assessment tools for use with the general population of elderly patients. Practice and research implications are offered.

In this study the long-terms outcomes of children and youth with severe mental health problems receiving residential treatment (RT) or an intensive homebased treatment (IHT) were reported. RT is 24-hour mental health intervention in a highly supervised and structured group living setting where individualized and related therapies are provided. Youths attend a day school within the residential environment. IHT developed as an alternative to residential treatment for youth and comprises the same therapeutic interventions provided in the home as opposed to the residential setting. Youths attend their regular school which could be within a specialized setting, such as a day school. At discharge, there were statistically and clinically significant improvements in psychosocial functioning for children and youth in RT and IHT. There were also statistically significant improvements in scores on symptom severity from admission to 12 to 18 months post-discharge, and these improvements were maintained at 36 to 40 months post-discharge. Differences in demographic data between the two groups suggest that the programs may serve two different populations, and that both programs are important components of a comprehensive mental health plan for children and youth.