A Study of University Efforts to Provide Students with the Ability to Comprehend and Apply Total Quality Principles in Their Fields of Study

This research investigated some of the educational processes which are being used by several universities to enable their students to comprehend and apply Total Quality principles. The results of this research are intended to be used by Department of Defense institutions of higher education as a guide to help them adopt practices which will enable their students to comprehend and apply Total Quality in their future assignments. Using a source list of schools from Quality Progress, points of contact were interviewed at several civilian and military universities across the United States. Investigative questions were developed and asked concerning the specific educational processes of curriculum development, course construction and delivery, and the use of employer and student feedback. The results of the interviews were consolidated, compared, and contrasted to produce a guide of activities that have been attempted by universities trying to impart the principles of Total Quality to their students. The self-reported impressions of strengths and weaknesses were also reported

Criminal offending and distinguishing features of offenders among persons experiencing a first episode of psychosis

Aims: Persons with severe mental illness (SMI) are at increased risk of criminal offending, particularly violent offending, as compared with the general population. Most offenders with SMI acquire convictions prior to contact with mental health services. This study examined offending among 301 individuals experiencing their first episode of psychosis. Methods: Patients provided information on sociodemographic and clinical variables and completed a neurological soft sign examination and neuropsychological tests. Additional information was extracted from clinical files and official criminal records. Results: The results show that 33.9% of the men and 10.0% of the women had a record of criminal convictions, and 19.9% of the men and 4.6% of the women had been convicted of at least one violent crime. Proportionately more male and female patients than men and women in the general UK population had prior convictions for violent crimes. In a multivariate model including background and clinical variables, only one variable distinguished the male offenders. African-Caribbean ethnicity was associated with a threefold increase in the odds of offending (odds ratio = 3.84, 95% confidence interval 1.03–14.37). Offenders, as compared with non-offenders, obtained significantly lower premorbid and current intelligence quotient scores and similar scores on tests of neurological soft signs, working memory and executive functions. Conclusions: At contact with mental health services for a first episode of psychosis, significant numbers of patients have records of criminal convictions and thereby a high risk for future violent behaviour. These patients require specific interventions, in addition to medication, to reduce offending and aggressive behaviour