John W. Hinckley, Jr.: A Case of Narcissistic Personality Disorder

This article is about John W. Hinckley, Jr., whose attempt to assassinate President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981 was unsuccessful and whose trial in 1982 resulted in a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. It focuses on the view of psychiatric experts that he has a narcissistic personality disorder and on the fact that this diagnosis is the primary rationale for his continuing confinement to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. I conclude that the question of his release raises the difficult issue of the possible conflict between justice and care.     

Reply by Edward S. Casey

Stigma and discrimination against mental illness represent chronic social stressors that can inflame psychiatric symptoms and limit functional adjustment. The implication is that the prevalence and severity of mental illness is determined, at least to a certain extent, by aversive socio-cultural factors. In a hostile social environment, these factors may seriously limit the effectiveness of professional interventions; whereas, removing social barriers to functioning often results in a favorable clinical outcome. For example, studies show that inclusive settings with supportive employment decrease psychiatric symptoms and the use of mental health services. By extrapolation, these results point to the possibility that a society-wide reduction in the prevalence and severity of mental illness may come from benevolent changes in the social climate, not just from innovative treatments. Public health policies rarely take this possibility into consideration in resource allocation decisions.     

Great Men: Psychoanalytic Studies by Edward Hitschmann. Foreword by Ernest Jones

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of an integrated model of brief group psychotherapy for treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome, using cognitive behavioral and supportive expressive techniques. In the context of an outpatient, multidisciplinary fibromyalgia treatment program, group psychotherapy was provided to 35 patients with 21 control patients. Pre–post treatment measures of depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia impact, pain, fatigue, and morning tiredness were obtained. Using a quasi–experimental design with validated psychometric instruments, the results showed a significant decrease in pre-versus post treatment measures of depression, fibromyalgia impact, fatigue, and pain for the treatment patients, suggesting that an integrated model of group psychotherapy may have beneficial psychological and functional effects for some patients with fibromyalgia.     

美国华人基督教会研究:以大波士顿地区为例

美国华人基督教的历史与华人移民美国的历史几乎一样长。大波士顿地区的华人基督徒出现较早,但华人基督教会直到1946年才出现。该地区现有华人基督教会近30家,信徒5000多人,约占当地华人总人口的5%。华人新移民加入基督教会的主要原因有:近代以来中国社会和文化变迁;寻求族群归属和文化认同;寻求物质与精神帮助;华人教会的主动宣传。华人基督教会的特点有:组织独立,神学保守;华人新移民是华人基督教会的生力军;普通话、英语和粤语三种语言并存;尽量少谈或不谈政治。华人基督教会的功能有:解决华人信仰问题;团结华人;服务华人,教育华人,帮助华人新移民融入美国社会,同时保持中国传统文化。华人基督教会是华人社团的重要组成部分,与华文报刊和中文学校一起构成美国华人文化社区的核心内容。     

Case Study: The Case of Joyce F.

This case review identifies the use of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) principles and concepts while detailing the plight and fight of one woman in overcomingagoraphobia with panic attacks. It illustrates how the frequency of anxiety disorder symptoms can be lessened, their intensity minimized and their duration reduced. Techniques plus the value of persistence, boldness, risk taking, eagerness to learn, gumption and guts in confronting her symptoms cognitively, emotively and behaviorally are meant to come through the following narrative explanation.     

Systematic Exclusion: A Case Study

Suspension removes a troublesome pupil from school but it merely relocates the problem and does nothing to teach him/her new coping behaviours. This paper is an account of how a behaviour-modification programme, systematic exclusion, was implemented as an alternative to suspension, with a pupil whose classroom behaviour was extremely disruptive. It outlines how, in this particular case, the difficulties of implementing such a programme in a secondary school were overcome.     

Stepfamily Education: A Case Study

Stepfamily education programs are becoming increasingly common. While research on these programs is also increasing, the extant literature tends to be quantitative and cross-sectional. To more fully understand the stepfamily education experience, this case study focuses on the perceptions, feelings, and reports of one participating couple in the Smart Steps program. The nuances and complexities of this single case highlight the sequentiality and reasons for seeking out and participating in stepfamily education. A holistic portrayal of the perceived benefits of attending is also provided, including improvements with spouse, ex-spouse, and children.     

Begging the Question: A Case Study

The essay starts by presenting two accounts of begging the question, John Biro's epistemic account and David Sanford's doxastic account. After briefly comparing these accounts, the essay will study an argument suspected of begging the question and subsequently apply the epistemic and doxastic accounts to this test case. It is found that the accounts of Biro and Sanford do not analyse the test case adequately, therefore a new account is developed using the idea of a knowledge-base.     

Conservatism in Metaethics: A Case Study

Metaethicists typically develop and assess their theories—in part—on the basis of the consistency of those theories with “ordinary” first‐order normative judgment. They are, in this sense, “methodologically conservative.” This article shows that this methodologically conservative approach obstructs a proper assessment of the debate between internalists and externalists. Specifically, it obstructs one of the most promising readings of internalism. This is a reading—owed to Bernard Williams—in which internalism is part of a practically and politically motivated revision of the assessment of action. The article uses this case study to highlight the role of methodological conservatism in contemporary metaethics more generally.