Annette Opitz‐Welke
Biographic Data
| ID | 7955002 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Annette Opitz‐Welke |
| GIVEN NAMES | Annette |
| FAMILY NAME | Opitz‐Welke |
| SIGNATURE | WELKE A O |
| AFFILIATIONS | Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 15 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 0 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 15 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2018 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| H-INDEX | 0 |
Self-harm among inmates of the Berlin prison system
Our study found similarities between the study population and international studies in the distribution of certain characteristics. We assume that many of the postulated risk factors can also apply to Berlin prisoners. However, the study is limited by the small number of cases and the absence of a control group
Comparison of two suicide screening instruments for identifying high-risk individuals in prison
Increased suicide rates in prison are a serious concern. Early identification of inmates at risk is a component of effective suicide prevention. The present study examined two suicide screening instruments in a sample of men in the Berlin, Germany, prison system (n = 289). The Screening for Initial Risk Assessment (SIRAS) identified significantly more high-risk inmates than the Vienna Instrument for Suicidality in Correctional Institutions (VISCI…
Mental health intervention research in Latin American correctional settings
BACKGROUND: The Latin American prison population has grown faster than anywhere else globally over the past two decades, reaching a total of 1.7 million people at any given time. However, research on mental health prevention and treatment interventions in Latin American prisons remains scarce. AIMS: This study aimed to systematically review and synthesize research on prison mental health interventions conducted in the region. METHODS: We used a t…
Availability of opioid agonist treatment and critical incidents in Forensic Clinics for Dependency Diseases in Germany
In Forensic Clinics for Dependency Diseases in Germany, OAT is not available in every institution, and thus, access is limited. Critical incidents such as violent behavior against staff or patients and escape are not uncommon in these forensic treatment settings. Further studies are needed to enhance the understanding of OAT practice and the risks for patients and staff
Psychosis in German prisoners
Surveys confirm risk factors for the incarceration of patients with psychosis including homelessness and comorbidity. There is also agreement that severe psychosis can lead to violence. Data describing prisoners with psychosis in Germany are scarce. We aimed to compare patients with psychosis in a prison hospital and patients with psychosis in a community hospital. Demographic data were collected, as well as comorbidity in the form of substance d…
Applicability of two violence risk assessment tools in a psychiatric prison hospital population
The risk of violent behavior is known to be higher for patients who suffer from a severe mental disorder. However, specific prediction tools for clinical work in prison psychiatry are lacking. In this single‐center study, two violence risk assessment tools (Forensic Psychiatry and Violence Tool, “FoVOx,” and Mental Illness and Violence Tool, “OxMIV”) were applied to a prison hospital population with a primary psychotic or bipolar disorder and sub…
Introduction to this Special Issue
Prevalence of Opioid Dependence and Opioid Agonist Treatment in the Berlin Custodial Setting
The prevalence of opioid dependence and access to OAT remains a major health issue in the custodial setting. OAT implementation must be especially intensified among male, non-German, opioid-dependent individuals with a short detention period. Treatment itself must be diversified regarding the substances used for OAT, and institutional treatment differences suggest the need for a consistent treatment approach and the standardized implementation of…
Foreign National Patients in German Prison Psychiatry
Treatment conditions of foreign national patients in prison psychiatry must be improved. To achieve this, the psychiatric assessment and (mental) health-related aspects of these patients should be further investigated
Psychiatric approach to violent behavior in severe mental illness — Violation of human rights
Violent Behavior During Psychiatric Inpatient Treatment in a German Prison Hospital
Violent behavior in correctional facilities is common and differs substantially in type, target, implication, and trigger. Research on frequency and characteristics of violent behavior in correctional facilities and psychiatric hospitals is limited. Results from recent research suggest that comorbidity of severe mental disorder, personality disorder, and diagnosis of substance abuse is related to a higher risk of violent behavior. In the Berlin p…
Suicide in Older Prisoners in Germany
As in many countries, the numbers of older prisoners are rising in Germany, but scientific information on this group is scarce. For the current study, a survey was used that included all prison suicides in Germany between the years of 2000 and 2013. Suicide rates of the elderly prisoners exceeded the suicide rates of the general population and the same age group. We observed a continuous decrease in the suicide rate of elderly prisoners. When com…
Identifying Violent Behavior Using the Oxford Mental Illness and Violence Tool in a Psychiatric Ward of a German Prison Hospital
Background: Although there is evidence that individuals who suffer from severe mental disorders are at higher risk for aggressive behavior, only a minority eventually become violent. In 2017, Fazel et al. developed a risk calculator (Oxford Mental Illness and Violence tool, OxMIV) to identify the risk of violent crime in patients with mental disorders. For the first time, we tested the predictive validity of the OxMIV in the department of psychia…
Implementation of a Suicide Risk Screening Instrument in a Remand Prison Service in Berlin
In the present study, we examined the effects of implementing the suicide risk screening instrument SIRAS in a pre-trial detention facility for men in Berlin. Within a period of 3 months, all newly arriving prisoners were screened ( n = 611) by social workers or prison officers. Cases of elevated suicide risk were immediately referred to a psychologist or medical staff the same day. Follow-up over a 6-month period showed that 14% of all incoming …
Prison Suicide in Comparison to Suicide Events in Forensic Psychiatric Hospitals in Germany
Background: There is limited international as well as national research on suicide events in prisons and in forensic psychiatric hospitals. This retrospective study compares completed suicide events within these two high-risk populations in state institutions over a time period of 5 years from 2000 to 2004. Material and Methods: Data was collected through a nationwide survey: all forensic psychiatric hospitals within Germany were contacted via po…
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Implementation of a Suicide Risk Screening Instrument in a Remand Prison Service in Berlin
In the present study, we examined the effects of implementing the suicide risk screening instrument SIRAS in a pre-trial detention facility for men in Berlin. Within a period of 3 months, all newly arriving prisoners were screened ( n = 611) by social workers or prison officers. Cases of elevated suicide risk were immediately referred to a psychologist or medical staff the same day. Follow-up over a 6-month period showed that 14% of all incoming …
Prison Suicide in Comparison to Suicide Events in Forensic Psychiatric Hospitals in Germany
Background: There is limited international as well as national research on suicide events in prisons and in forensic psychiatric hospitals. This retrospective study compares completed suicide events within these two high-risk populations in state institutions over a time period of 5 years from 2000 to 2004. Material and Methods: Data was collected through a nationwide survey: all forensic psychiatric hospitals within Germany were contacted via po…
Psychiatric approach to violent behavior in severe mental illness — Violation of human rights
Violent Behavior During Psychiatric Inpatient Treatment in a German Prison Hospital
Violent behavior in correctional facilities is common and differs substantially in type, target, implication, and trigger. Research on frequency and characteristics of violent behavior in correctional facilities and psychiatric hospitals is limited. Results from recent research suggest that comorbidity of severe mental disorder, personality disorder, and diagnosis of substance abuse is related to a higher risk of violent behavior. In the Berlin p…
Suicide in Older Prisoners in Germany
As in many countries, the numbers of older prisoners are rising in Germany, but scientific information on this group is scarce. For the current study, a survey was used that included all prison suicides in Germany between the years of 2000 and 2013. Suicide rates of the elderly prisoners exceeded the suicide rates of the general population and the same age group. We observed a continuous decrease in the suicide rate of elderly prisoners. When com…
Identifying Violent Behavior Using the Oxford Mental Illness and Violence Tool in a Psychiatric Ward of a German Prison Hospital
Background: Although there is evidence that individuals who suffer from severe mental disorders are at higher risk for aggressive behavior, only a minority eventually become violent. In 2017, Fazel et al. developed a risk calculator (Oxford Mental Illness and Violence tool, OxMIV) to identify the risk of violent crime in patients with mental disorders. For the first time, we tested the predictive validity of the OxMIV in the department of psychia…
Psychosis in German prisoners
Surveys confirm risk factors for the incarceration of patients with psychosis including homelessness and comorbidity. There is also agreement that severe psychosis can lead to violence. Data describing prisoners with psychosis in Germany are scarce. We aimed to compare patients with psychosis in a prison hospital and patients with psychosis in a community hospital. Demographic data were collected, as well as comorbidity in the form of substance d…
Applicability of two violence risk assessment tools in a psychiatric prison hospital population
The risk of violent behavior is known to be higher for patients who suffer from a severe mental disorder. However, specific prediction tools for clinical work in prison psychiatry are lacking. In this single‐center study, two violence risk assessment tools (Forensic Psychiatry and Violence Tool, “FoVOx,” and Mental Illness and Violence Tool, “OxMIV”) were applied to a prison hospital population with a primary psychotic or bipolar disorder and sub…
Introduction to this Special Issue
Prevalence of Opioid Dependence and Opioid Agonist Treatment in the Berlin Custodial Setting
The prevalence of opioid dependence and access to OAT remains a major health issue in the custodial setting. OAT implementation must be especially intensified among male, non-German, opioid-dependent individuals with a short detention period. Treatment itself must be diversified regarding the substances used for OAT, and institutional treatment differences suggest the need for a consistent treatment approach and the standardized implementation of…
Foreign National Patients in German Prison Psychiatry
Treatment conditions of foreign national patients in prison psychiatry must be improved. To achieve this, the psychiatric assessment and (mental) health-related aspects of these patients should be further investigated
Availability of opioid agonist treatment and critical incidents in Forensic Clinics for Dependency Diseases in Germany
In Forensic Clinics for Dependency Diseases in Germany, OAT is not available in every institution, and thus, access is limited. Critical incidents such as violent behavior against staff or patients and escape are not uncommon in these forensic treatment settings. Further studies are needed to enhance the understanding of OAT practice and the risks for patients and staff
Mental health intervention research in Latin American correctional settings
BACKGROUND: The Latin American prison population has grown faster than anywhere else globally over the past two decades, reaching a total of 1.7 million people at any given time. However, research on mental health prevention and treatment interventions in Latin American prisons remains scarce. AIMS: This study aimed to systematically review and synthesize research on prison mental health interventions conducted in the region. METHODS: We used a t…
Self-harm among inmates of the Berlin prison system
Our study found similarities between the study population and international studies in the distribution of certain characteristics. We assume that many of the postulated risk factors can also apply to Berlin prisoners. However, the study is limited by the small number of cases and the absence of a control group
Comparison of two suicide screening instruments for identifying high-risk individuals in prison
Increased suicide rates in prison are a serious concern. Early identification of inmates at risk is a component of effective suicide prevention. The present study examined two suicide screening instruments in a sample of men in the Berlin, Germany, prison system (n = 289). The Screening for Initial Risk Assessment (SIRAS) identified significantly more high-risk inmates than the Vienna Instrument for Suicidality in Correctional Institutions (VISCI…
Medicine (15 works) · Psychiatry (15 works) · Psychology (14 works) · Prison (9 works) · Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending (9 works) · Clinical Psychology (7 works) · Criminology (7 works) · Medical emergency (7 works) · Poison control (7 works) · Suicide and Self-Harm Studies (6 works)