Objective The internal consistency, test-retest reliability and validity of the Self-report Standardized Assessment of Personality-abbreviated Scale (SAPAS-SR) as a screening instrument for personality disorders were studied in a random sample of 195 Dutch psychiatric outpatients, using the Structured Clinical Interviews for DSM-IV Personality Disorders (SCID-II) as a gold standard. Method All patients completed a self-report version of the SAPAS. One week later, they were interviewed with the SCID-II. Two weeks later, the SAPAS-SR was re-administered. Results According to the SCID-II, 97 patients (50%) were suffering from a personality disorder. The SAPAS-SR correctly classifi ed 81% of all participants. Sensitivity (0.83) and specifi city (0.80) were slightly lower compared with the original English version. This difference may be explained by the lower prevalence and severity of personality disorders in the study population. Conclusion The results provide evidence for the usefulness of the SAPAS as a self-administered instrument for screening personality disorders in clinical populations.

The prevalence of personality disorder in community mental health care appears to be substantial, but better estimates will only emerge from high quality studies with greater consistency of method. Implementing screening tools within outpatient or community services may result in high rates of personality disorder identification, with both clinical and service implications.

Complexity science constitutes an emerging post-positivist interdisciplinary field of investigation of dynamical systems in the natural and physical worlds. The central concept of complexity is that interactions between parts of open systems create novel, unpredictable patterns, and that while the history of the system is relevant in understanding its dynamic, the isolation of individual parts of the system (analysis) does not reveal the casual mechanisms in the system. It is suggested that complexity science can inform our methodologies for investigating the social sciences. The paper explores whether complexity science offers ways of theory building that can take account of pluralistic or interdisciplinary research in enterprise dynamics. The authors offer a model of six theorized ontological layers, derived from the canon of research literature within a small enterprise domain, with boundaries at each end. It is suggested that dynamical concepts of agency (adaption, evolution, fitness, interdependence) coupled with the theory of evolutionary autopoietic structures generate a plausible field for the study of enterprise dynamics. A focus on ontological and experimental adequacy is necessary to develop theory within this framework. An appropriate methodology involves iterations between experimental forms of scientific analysis and the grounding of emergent or evolving theories

Objective: To examine predictors of death in young offenders who have received a custodial sentence using data routinely collected by juvenile justice services. Design: A retrospective cohort of 2849 (2625 male) 11–20‐year‐olds receiving their first custodial sentence between 1 January 1988 and 31 December 1999 was identified. Main outcome measures: Deaths, date and primary cause of death ascertained from study commencement to 1 March 2003 by data‐matching with the National Death Index; measures comprising year of and age at admission, sex, offence profile, any drug offence, multiple admissions and ethnic and Indigenous status, obtained from departmental records. Results: The overall mortality rate was 7.2 deaths per 1000 person‐years of observation. Younger admission age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.4; 95% CI, 1.0–1.9), repeat admissions (HR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1–2.9) and drug offences (HR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.0–2.1) predicted early death. The role of ethnicity/Aboriginality could only be assessed in cohort entrants from 1996 to 1999. The Asian subcohort showed higher risk of death from drug‐related causes (HR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1–5.5), more drug offences (relative risk ratio [RRR], 13; 95% CI, 8.5–20.0) and older admission age (oldest group v youngest: RRR, 9.3; 95% CI, 1.3–68.0) than non‐Indigenous Australians. Although higher mortality was not identified in Indigenous Australians, this group was more likely to be admitted younger (oldest v youngest: RRR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.15–0.63) and experience repeat admissions (RRR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.0–2.4). Conclusions: Young offenders have a much higher death rate than other young Victorians. Early detention, multiple detentions and drug‐related offences are indicators of high mortality risk. For these offenders, targeted healthcare while in custody and further mental healthcare and social support after release appear essential if we are to reduce the mortality rate in this group.

Personality disorder, as rated by a research interview, is a predictor of health service usage. There is a significant disparity between a research rating of personality disorder and the diagnostic ratings made by GPs. The GP ratings of personality disorder were strongly associated with adverse perceptions of the patient's consulting behaviour.