Constructing community change: Assertive Community Treatment for persons with severe mental illness as a community change intervention.

Constructing community change: Assertive Community Treatment for persons with severe mental illness as a community change intervention.

Published: | Author: Anna M. Scheyett, Carrie Pettus-Davis, Gary S. Cuddeback

Individuals with severe mental illnesses are a vulnerable population, struggling to cope with fragmented and often unwelcoming community service systems. Research has examined Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) as an intervention for individuals with severe mental illness, but little research has explored ACT's potential as a community system change intervention. Using focus groups with ACT teams, we explored changes in community service systems as a result of ACT teams' presence.

Category: Evidence-based practice, Mental Health
General Medical Problems of Incarcerated Persons With Severe and Persistent Mental Illness: A Population-Based Study

General Medical Problems of Incarcerated Persons With Severe and Persistent Mental Illness: A Population-Based Study

Published: | Author: Gary S. Cuddeback, Anna M. Scheyett, Carrie Pettus-Davis, Joseph P. Morrissey

Persons with severe mental illness have higher rates of chronic general medical illness compared with the general population. Similarly, compared with the general population, incarcerated persons have higher rates of chronic medical illness; however, there is little information about the synergy between severe mental illness and incarceration and the general medical problems of consumers.

Category: Reentry, Mental Health
From the “streets” to “normal life”: Assessing the role of social support in release planning for HIV-positive and substance-involved prisoners.

From the “streets” to “normal life”: Assessing the role of social support in release planning for HIV-positive and substance-involved prisoners.

Published: | Author: Carrie Pettus-Davis, Anna M. Scheyett, Danielle Hailey, Carol Golin, David Wohl

In 2005, there were 20,888 prisoners in the U.S. prisons known to be HIV-positive, many substance-involved. The high reincarceration rate of substance-involved prisoners, coupled with the fact that substance-involved prisoners are more prone to HIV-risk behaviors in the community, necessitates attention to preventing substance use and HIV transmission risk behaviors of prisoners upon reentry to communities. We use a social support framework to explore the role of social support in HIV+ prisoners’ expectations of release and postrelease plans.

Category: Reentry, HIV/AIDS, Substance Use, Social Support
HIV-Infected Prison Inmates: Depression and Implications for Release Back to Communities

HIV-Infected Prison Inmates: Depression and Implications for Release Back to Communities

Published: | Author: Anna M. Scheyett, Sharon Parker, Carol Golin, Becky White, Carrie Pettus-Davis, David Wohl

High rates of both HIV and depression are seen in prison populations; depression has been linked to disease progression in HIV, risky behaviors, and medication non-adherence. Despite this, few studies have examined HIV-infected inmates with depression. We therefore conducted an exploratory study of a sample of HIV-infected inmates in North Carolina prisons (N=101) to determine what proportion of this sample screened positive for depression and whether depression was associated with different pre-incarceration characteristics or post-release needs. 

Category: Mental Health, HIV/AIDS