 According to a study out of Florida International University, children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can expect meaningful real-world consequences when they become adults. Children with ADHD tend to lag behind their peers when they are younger, and this lag often continues well into adulthood. This occurs even if the symptoms of ADHD, including an inability to focus, impulse control issues, and hyperactivity, appear to have been controlled.
The Study The study found that the consequences a child with ADHD may experience in adulthood will likely include financial struggles. The study tracked 364 adults aged 25 to 30 who had been diagnosed with ADHD as children and compared them to a control group of the same age. The study found that by age 30, individuals without ADHD were far more likely than those in the study with ADHD to have achieved the traditional markers of financial independence, including:
There were limitations to the study. The small number of participants made the results less reliable. In addition, a significant number of study participants had other behavior disorders, including conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder. The study also did not look at participants older than 30 years. Regardless of its limitations, the study does point to the fact that we need more educational support. People with ADHD should be taught life skills that may come more naturally to others. These include executive skills like planning and setting goals. These skills could better prepare them for handling their lives as adults. If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental disabilities. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058.  The suicide rate in California prisons reached its highest level in decades in 2019. The total number of suicides in prison for 2019 was 36. This is a rate of 28.7 suicides per 100,000 prisoners, which results in an increase over last year's rate of 26.3. This rate is well above the national average of 20 and is the highest rate since tracking of the figure began in California in 1990. The suicide rate in California prisons is more than double the rate in the general American population.
Failures in Mental Health Care California’s suicides are most likely the result of a system that has failed for decades to properly help prisoners with mental illness. In a 1995 decision by a federal court, it was found that the inadequate mental health care in prison was so bad that it violated the constitutional rights of the prisoners. Corrections officials were forced by the court to make reforms, and the court appointed a Special Master to oversee the prison system. It has also been reported that failures to obey policy and procedure have led to an increase in suicides. Prisoners who were at risk for suicides were not properly monitored. In addition, long wait times for mental health care and a lack of prison psychiatrists could all have contributed to the crisis. Disturbingly, 10 of the 36 suicides occurred in special housing units where prisoners are kept separate from the general population, sometimes in solitary confinement. Prisoners in special housing may have psychiatric issues, have violated prison rules, or have known gang affiliations. Given the small number of prisoners in special housing, this suicide rate amounted to a shocking 203.3 deaths per 100,000 people. This increase in suicides in California prisons may result in increased federal scrutiny of the system, which is already under the microscope. Suicidal people behind bars in California are clearly not getting the help they need. In order to improve the system, serious changes must be implemented or the crisis will worsen. If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental disabilities. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058.  It is a well-known fact that the faithful companionship of a dog can help with an individual’s emotional well-being. Now a new study out of Johns Hopkins University suggests that exposure to man’s best friend at a young age may decrease a person’s chance of developing schizophrenia.
The Study The study looked at patients at Sheppard Pratt Health System in Baltimore. These adult patients consisted of 396 people with schizophrenia and 381 with bipolar disorder. The individuals were compared to 594 healthy controls. Participants in the study reported whether they had a dog or a cat when they were growing up. More than half of the study subjects reported having dogs before their 13th birthdays. About a third reported having cats. Researchers, accounting for other factors, found that exposure to a dog at any time in childhood led to a 24% decrease in the incidences of schizophrenia. Subjects exposed to dogs at birth were 55% less likely to have schizophrenia than those individuals who had no exposure at all. There was no significant effect with exposure to cats, and neither animal affected the development of bipolar disorder. Researchers adjusted their study results to account for other known risk factors. However, there are limitations to the study due to the reliance on participants self-reporting their childhood exposure to dogs. There should be more research to determine whether there is a direct correlation between dogs and schizophrenia. Reasons for the Results While the study did not pinpoint the reasons why there may be a correlation between exposure to dogs and the development of schizophrenia, there are some possible theories. Previous studies have shown early life exposure to dogs can alter the immune system. It could be that effects on allergy responses, contact with animal bacteria, changes in a home's microbiome, and pet-induced stress reduction could alter an individual's brain chemistry. This change in the immune system may alter the risk of developing psychiatric disorders to which a person is otherwise predisposed. If you or a loved one has a mental disability and has been arrested or convicted of a crime, you need an experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. Elizabeth Kelley specializes in representing individuals with mental disabilities. To schedule a consultation call (509) 991-7058. |
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