International journal of law and psychiatry
-
Int J Law Psychiatry · May 2019
How private is your mental health app data? An empirical study of mental health app privacy policies and practices.
Digital mental health services are increasingly endorsed by governments and health professionals as a low cost, accessible alternative or adjunct to face-to-face therapy. App users may suffer loss of personal privacy due to security breaches or common data sharing practices between app developers and third parties. Loss of privacy around personal health data may harm an individual's reputation or health. ⋯ We consider that the app industry pays insufficient attention to protecting the privacy of mental health app users. We advocate for increased monitoring and enforcement of privacy principles and practices in mental health apps and the mobile ecosystem, more broadly. We also suggest a re-framing of regulatory attention that places consumer interests at the centre of guidance.
-
Int J Law Psychiatry · May 2019
Pattern of self-injurious behavior and suicide attempts in Italian custodial inmates: A cluster analysis approach.
Self-injurious behaviors and suicide attempts are more frequent in prison settings than in the general population and represent a crucial problem. The aims of this work are to assess the prevalence of self-injurious behaviors and suicide attempts in an Italian prison setting, to determine whether inmates could be differentiated based on profiles of psychological distress and impulsiveness, and to assess the predictive power of the proposed profiles. A sample of 1422 male inmates of a north Italian penitentiary was assessed upon admission with a clinical interview and completed a set of self-report questionnaires to assess psychological distress and impulsiveness; the number of self-injurious behaviors and suicide attempts occurring in the first year of detention was recorded. ⋯ Cluster analysis revealed four clusters: dysregulated (high impulsivity and distress), impulsive (high impulsivity and mean distress), mildly distressed (mean impulsivity and moderate distress) and well-balanced (low impulsivity and distress). The four clusters help to discriminate subjects more at risk of self-injurious behaviors and suicide attempts and are confirmed by the inclusion of risk factors such as marital status and relatives'/social support. Clinical implications are discussed.