Solomon, Phyllis L
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Publication Bridging the Gap: Using Microsociological Theory to Understand How Expressed Emotion Predicts Clinical Outcomes(2007-05-01) Stanhope, Victoria; Solomon, Phyllis LResearch has shown that EE among families is a strong predictor of relapse for people with severe mental illness. Recent studies have also found the presence of EE in consumer-provider relationships. Despite high consistency in the findings related to EE and relapse, the concept has weak validity as little is known about how exactly it triggers relapse. Microsociological theory provides a framework with which to analyze social interaction and, more specifically, understand how interactions relate to the emotions of pride and shame. By identifying the components of interaction rituals, the theory provides insight into the key processes underlying EE and demonstrates how methodologies based on direct observation have the potential to measure EE with greater validity. This article describes how microsociological theory can be applied to the concept of expressed emotion (EE).Publication Characteristics of Persons With Severe Mental Illness Who Have Been Incarcerated for Murder(2008-03-01) Matejkowski, Jason C; Solomon, Phyllis L; Cullen, Sara WIn this descriptive study, we analyzed data collected from multiple state agencies on 95 persons with severe mental illness who were convicted of murder in Indiana between 1990 and 2002. Subjects were predominately suffering from a mood disorder, were white and male with a high school education or equivalent, were living in stabilized housing, and, to a lesser degree, were involved in significant intimate and familial relationships. Rage or anger, overwhelmingly directed toward intimate or familial relations by the use of a firearm or sharp object, was the most frequently mentioned motive for murder. Most of those studied had been raised in households with significant family dysfunction, had extensive histories of substance abuse and criminality, and had received little treatment for their mental and substance use disorders. Findings are contextualized and compared with similarly descriptive studies of nonlethal violence and persons with a mental illness; hospitalized, schizophrenic and psychotic murderers; and homicide offenders outside the United States.Publication Rapid Assessment of Existing HIV Prevention Programming in a Community Mental Health Center(2007-01-01) Solomon, Phyllis L; Tennille, Julie A; Metzger, David; Lipsitt, David; Blank, Michael; Plumb, EllenIn preparation for implementation of a comprehensive HIV prevention program in a Community Mental Health Center for persons with mental illness who are also abusing substances, a rapid assessment procedure (RAP) of existing prevention services that may have developed in the setting over time was undertaken at baseline. In addition to an ecological assessment of the availability of HIV-related information that was available on-site, in-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted with Center administrators, direct-care staff, and mental health consumers. Results indicated that responses regarding available services differed depending upon type of respondent, with administration reporting greater availability of preventive programs and educational materials than did direct-care staff or mental health consumers themselves. But overall, formalized training on HIV prevention by case managers is extremely rare. Case managers felt that other providers, such as doctors or nurses, were more appropriate to deliver an HIV prevention intervention.Publication The Validity of Self-Reported Criminal Arrest History Among Clients of a Psychiatric Probation and Parole Service(2000-01-01) Draine, Jeffrey N; Nieves, Kim E; Solomon, Phyllis LSelf-report data have consistently demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity in prior studies by exhibiting high correlations with other criterion related measures of criminal frequency and arrest history. Mental health factors and substance abuse factors are suspected to affect the quality and accuracy of self-reported data. This analysis sought to examine the impact of major mental illness and substance abuse factors on the validity of self-reported criminal history data as given by clients of a psychiatric probation and parole service. After controlling for socio-demographic variables, the number of officially recorded arrests, high number of lifetime hospitalizations and overall years spent in jail significantly explained the number of self-reported arrests. The predominance of the official record in explaining self-reported arrest history suggests that self-reported arrest history data given by a psychiatric offender population is as valid as that given by general offender populations. Substance abuse factors and mental illness factors did not affect the quality and accuracy of self-reported arrest history.Publication Shared Decision Making for Clients With Mental Illness: A Randomized Factorial Survey(2013-11-01) Solomon, Phyllis L; Lukens, Jonathan M; Sorenson, Susan BObjective: The goal of this study was to test the degree to which client clinical characteristics and environmental context and social workers’ practice values and experience influenced support for client’s autonomy and willingness to engage in shared decision making (SDM), and whether willingness to engage in SDM was mediated by support for autonomy. Method: A randomized factorial survey of social workers working with adults with severe mental illness was employed. Eighty-seven social workers responded yielding 435 vignettes. Results: Hypotheses were partially supported. Diagnosis, symptomology, threats of harm, treatment adherence, substance use, and social workers’ values and experience predicted support for autonomy and willingness to engage in SDM. Willingness to engage in SDM was modestly mediated by support for autonomy. Conclusion: Helping social workers avoid bias in decision making is critical to the goal of supporting clients’ autonomy, building their capacity, minimizing disempowerment, and promoting recovery.Publication Developing Educational Groups in Social Work Practice(2003-01-01) Sands, Roberta G; Solomon, Phyllis LEducation is integral to social work practice with groups and a central component of educational groups. Yet the social work literature has not offered much guidance in the development of educational groups other than to report on the content and/or evaluation of groups that are focused on a specific condition or population. This paper offers a generic process model for educational groups that are developed and led by social workers. The educational groups described here are differentiated from psychoeducational groups, which are treatment-oriented. The paper provides guidelines on how to set up educational groups with particular attention to their structure, content of the curriculum, implementation, and evaluation. Two checklists are offered to assist in the development and implementation and evaluation of educational groups.Publication Community Integration of Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities in Supportive Independent Housing: A Conceptual Model and Methodological Considerations(2002-01-01) Wong, Yin-Ling I; Solomon, Phyllis LDespite the consensus regarding community integration as a major goal of mental health policy and the emergence of supportive independent housing as a critical component of community mental health services, mental health services research has not examined the extent to which housing and service characteristics are associated with community integration of persons with psychiatric disabilities in supportive independent housing. The main goal of this paper is to propose a conceptual model of factors influencing community integration which takes into account the differential configuration of housing setting and support structure in supportive independent housing. The conceptual model encompasses a multidimensional conceptualization of community integration and considers an array of housing and service characteristics that are potentially relevant determinants of community integration. Based on the proposed model, this paper outlines the methodological considerations for future research with regard to measurement, research designs, and statistical models.