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Twin's Birth-Order Differences in Height and Body Mass Index From Birth to Old Age: A Pooled Study of 26 Twin Cohorts Participating in the CODATwins Project
- Yoshie Yokoyama, Aline Jelenkovic, Reijo Sund, Joohon Sung, John L. Hopper, Syuichi Ooki, Kauko Heikkilä, Sari Aaltonen, Adam D. Tarnoki, David L. Tarnoki, Gonneke Willemsen, Meike Bartels, Toos C. E. M. van Beijsterveldt, Kimberly J. Saudino, Tessa L. Cutler, Tracy L. Nelson, Keith E. Whitfield, Jane Wardle, Clare H. Llewellyn, Abigail Fisher, Mingguang He, Xiaohu Ding, Morten Bjerregaard-Andersen, Henning Beck-Nielsen, Morten Sodemann, Yun-Mi Song, Sarah Yang, Kayoung Lee, Hoe-Uk Jeong, Ariel Knafo-Noam, David Mankuta, Lior Abramson, S. Alexandra Burt, Kelly L. Klump, Juan R. Ordoñana, Juan F. Sánchez-Romera, Lucia Colodro-Conde, Jennifer R. Harris, Ingunn Brandt, Thomas Sevenius Nilsen, Jeffrey M. Craig, Richard Saffery, Fuling Ji, Feng Ning, Zengchang Pang, Lise Dubois, Michel Boivin, Mara Brendgen, Ginette Dionne, Frank Vitaro, Nicholas G. Martin, Sarah E. Medland, Grant W. Montgomery, Patrik K. E. Magnusson, Nancy L. Pedersen, Anna K. Dahl Aslan, Per Tynelius, Claire M. A. Haworth, Robert Plomin, Esther Rebato, Richard J. Rose, Jack H. Goldberg, Finn Rasmussen, Yoon-Mi Hur, Thorkild I. A. Sørensen, Dorret I. Boomsma, Jaakko Kaprio, Karri Silventoinen
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- Journal:
- Twin Research and Human Genetics / Volume 19 / Issue 2 / April 2016
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 09 March 2016, pp. 112-124
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We analyzed birth order differences in means and variances of height and body mass index (BMI) in monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins from infancy to old age. The data were derived from the international CODATwins database. The total number of height and BMI measures from 0.5 to 79.5 years of age was 397,466. As expected, first-born twins had greater birth weight than second-born twins. With respect to height, first-born twins were slightly taller than second-born twins in childhood. After adjusting the results for birth weight, the birth order differences decreased and were no longer statistically significant. First-born twins had greater BMI than the second-born twins over childhood and adolescence. After adjusting the results for birth weight, birth order was still associated with BMI until 12 years of age. No interaction effect between birth order and zygosity was found. Only limited evidence was found that birth order influenced variances of height or BMI. The results were similar among boys and girls and also in MZ and DZ twins. Overall, the differences in height and BMI between first- and second-born twins were modest even in early childhood, while adjustment for birth weight reduced the birth order differences but did not remove them for BMI.
Zygosity Differences in Height and Body Mass Index of Twins From Infancy to Old Age: A Study of the CODATwins Project
- Aline Jelenkovic, Yoshie Yokoyama, Reijo Sund, Chika Honda, Leonie H Bogl, Sari Aaltonen, Fuling Ji, Feng Ning, Zengchang Pang, Juan R. Ordoñana, Juan F. Sánchez-Romera, Lucia Colodro-Conde, S. Alexandra Burt, Kelly L. Klump, Sarah E. Medland, Grant W. Montgomery, Christian Kandler, Tom A. McAdams, Thalia C. Eley, Alice M. Gregory, Kimberly J. Saudino, Lise Dubois, Michel Boivin, Adam D. Tarnoki, David L. Tarnoki, Claire M. A. Haworth, Robert Plomin, Sevgi Y. Öncel, Fazil Aliev, Maria A. Stazi, Corrado Fagnani, Cristina D’Ippolito, Jeffrey M. Craig, Richard Saffery, Sisira H. Siribaddana, Matthew Hotopf, Athula Sumathipala, Fruhling Rijsdijk, Timothy Spector, Massimo Mangino, Genevieve Lachance, Margaret Gatz, David A. Butler, Gombojav Bayasgalan, Danshiitsoodol Narandalai, Duarte L Freitas, José Antonio Maia, K. Paige Harden, Elliot M. Tucker-Drob, Bia Kim, Youngsook Chong, Changhee Hong, Hyun Jung Shin, Kaare Christensen, Axel Skytthe, Kirsten O. Kyvik, Catherine A. Derom, Robert F. Vlietinck, Ruth J. F. Loos, Wendy Cozen, Amie E. Hwang, Thomas M. Mack, Mingguang He, Xiaohu Ding, Billy Chang, Judy L. Silberg, Lindon J. Eaves, Hermine H. Maes, Tessa L. Cutler, John L. Hopper, Kelly Aujard, Patrik K. E. Magnusson, Nancy L. Pedersen, Anna K. Dahl Aslan, Yun-Mi Song, Sarah Yang, Kayoung Lee, Laura A. Baker, Catherine Tuvblad, Morten Bjerregaard-Andersen, Henning Beck-Nielsen, Morten Sodemann, Kauko Heikkilä, Qihua Tan, Dongfeng Zhang, Gary E. Swan, Ruth Krasnow, Kerry L. Jang, Ariel Knafo-Noam, David Mankuta, Lior Abramson, Paul Lichtenstein, Robert F. Krueger, Matt McGue, Shandell Pahlen, Per Tynelius, Glen E. Duncan, Dedra Buchwald, Robin P. Corley, Brooke M. Huibregtse, Tracy L. Nelson, Keith E. Whitfield, Carol E. Franz, William S. Kremen, Michael J. Lyons, Syuichi Ooki, Ingunn Brandt, Thomas Sevenius Nilsen, Fujio Inui, Mikio Watanabe, Meike Bartels, Toos C. E. M. van Beijsterveldt, Jane Wardle, Clare H. Llewellyn, Abigail Fisher, Esther Rebato, Nicholas G. Martin, Yoshinori Iwatani, Kazuo Hayakawa, Joohon Sung, Jennifer R. Harris, Gonneke Willemsen, Andreas Busjahn, Jack H. Goldberg, Finn Rasmussen, Yoon-Mi Hur, Dorret I. Boomsma, Thorkild I. A. Sørensen, Jaakko Kaprio, Karri Silventoinen
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- Journal:
- Twin Research and Human Genetics / Volume 18 / Issue 5 / October 2015
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 04 September 2015, pp. 557-570
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A trend toward greater body size in dizygotic (DZ) than in monozygotic (MZ) twins has been suggested by some but not all studies, and this difference may also vary by age. We analyzed zygosity differences in mean values and variances of height and body mass index (BMI) among male and female twins from infancy to old age. Data were derived from an international database of 54 twin cohorts participating in the COllaborative project of Development of Anthropometrical measures in Twins (CODATwins), and included 842,951 height and BMI measurements from twins aged 1 to 102 years. The results showed that DZ twins were consistently taller than MZ twins, with differences of up to 2.0 cm in childhood and adolescence and up to 0.9 cm in adulthood. Similarly, a greater mean BMI of up to 0.3 kg/m2 in childhood and adolescence and up to 0.2 kg/m2 in adulthood was observed in DZ twins, although the pattern was less consistent. DZ twins presented up to 1.7% greater height and 1.9% greater BMI than MZ twins; these percentage differences were largest in middle and late childhood and decreased with age in both sexes. The variance of height was similar in MZ and DZ twins at most ages. In contrast, the variance of BMI was significantly higher in DZ than in MZ twins, particularly in childhood. In conclusion, DZ twins were generally taller and had greater BMI than MZ twins, but the differences decreased with age in both sexes.
The CODATwins Project: The Cohort Description of Collaborative Project of Development of Anthropometrical Measures in Twins to Study Macro-Environmental Variation in Genetic and Environmental Effects on Anthropometric Traits
- Karri Silventoinen, Aline Jelenkovic, Reijo Sund, Chika Honda, Sari Aaltonen, Yoshie Yokoyama, Adam D. Tarnoki, David L. Tarnoki, Feng Ning, Fuling Ji, Zengchang Pang, Juan R. Ordoñana, Juan F. Sánchez-Romera, Lucia Colodro-Conde, S. Alexandra Burt, Kelly L. Klump, Sarah E. Medland, Grant W. Montgomery, Christian Kandler, Tom A. McAdams, Thalia C. Eley, Alice M. Gregory, Kimberly J. Saudino, Lise Dubois, Michel Boivin, Claire M. A. Haworth, Robert Plomin, Sevgi Y. Öncel, Fazil Aliev, Maria A. Stazi, Corrado Fagnani, Cristina D’Ippolito, Jeffrey M. Craig, Richard Saffery, Sisira H. Siribaddana, Matthew Hotopf, Athula Sumathipala, Timothy Spector, Massimo Mangino, Genevieve Lachance, Margaret Gatz, David A. Butler, Gombojav Bayasgalan, Danshiitsoodol Narandalai, Duarte L. Freitas, José Antonio Maia, K. Paige Harden, Elliot M. Tucker-Drob, Kaare Christensen, Axel Skytthe, Kirsten O. Kyvik, Changhee Hong, Youngsook Chong, Catherine A. Derom, Robert F. Vlietinck, Ruth J. F. Loos, Wendy Cozen, Amie E. Hwang, Thomas M. Mack, Mingguang He, Xiaohu Ding, Billy Chang, Judy L. Silberg, Lindon J. Eaves, Hermine H. Maes, Tessa L. Cutler, John L. Hopper, Kelly Aujard, Patrik K. E. Magnusson, Nancy L. Pedersen, Anna K. Dahl Aslan, Yun-Mi Song, Sarah Yang, Kayoung Lee, Laura A. Baker, Catherine Tuvblad, Morten Bjerregaard-Andersen, Henning Beck-Nielsen, Morten Sodemann, Kauko Heikkilä, Qihua Tan, Dongfeng Zhang, Gary E. Swan, Ruth Krasnow, Kerry L. Jang, Ariel Knafo-Noam, David Mankuta, Lior Abramson, Paul Lichtenstein, Robert F. Krueger, Matt McGue, Shandell Pahlen, Per Tynelius, Glen E. Duncan, Dedra Buchwald, Robin P. Corley, Brooke M. Huibregtse, Tracy L. Nelson, Keith E. Whitfield, Carol E. Franz, William S. Kremen, Michael J. Lyons, Syuichi Ooki, Ingunn Brandt, Thomas Sevenius Nilsen, Fujio Inui, Mikio Watanabe, Meike Bartels, Toos C. E. M. van Beijsterveldt, Jane Wardle, Clare H. Llewellyn, Abigail Fisher, Esther Rebato, Nicholas G. Martin, Yoshinori Iwatani, Kazuo Hayakawa, Finn Rasmussen, Joohon Sung, Jennifer R. Harris, Gonneke Willemsen, Andreas Busjahn, Jack H. Goldberg, Dorret I. Boomsma, Yoon-Mi Hur, Thorkild I. A. Sørensen, Jaakko Kaprio
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- Journal:
- Twin Research and Human Genetics / Volume 18 / Issue 4 / August 2015
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 27 May 2015, pp. 348-360
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For over 100 years, the genetics of human anthropometric traits has attracted scientific interest. In particular, height and body mass index (BMI, calculated as kg/m2) have been under intensive genetic research. However, it is still largely unknown whether and how heritability estimates vary between human populations. Opportunities to address this question have increased recently because of the establishment of many new twin cohorts and the increasing accumulation of data in established twin cohorts. We started a new research project to analyze systematically (1) the variation of heritability estimates of height, BMI and their trajectories over the life course between birth cohorts, ethnicities and countries, and (2) to study the effects of birth-related factors, education and smoking on these anthropometric traits and whether these effects vary between twin cohorts. We identified 67 twin projects, including both monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins, using various sources. We asked for individual level data on height and weight including repeated measurements, birth related traits, background variables, education and smoking. By the end of 2014, 48 projects participated. Together, we have 893,458 height and weight measures (52% females) from 434,723 twin individuals, including 201,192 complete twin pairs (40% monozygotic, 40% same-sex dizygotic and 20% opposite-sex dizygotic) representing 22 countries. This project demonstrates that large-scale international twin studies are feasible and can promote the use of existing data for novel research purposes.
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- By Zachary W. Adams, Margarita Alegría, Atalay Alem, Jordi Alonso, Victor Aparicio, Rifat Atun, Florence Baingana, Emily Baron, Marco Bertelli, Dinesh Bhugra, Sanchita Biswas, José Miguel Caldas de Almeida, Edwin Cameron, Somnath Chatterji, Erminia Colucci, Janice L. Cooper, Carla Kmett Danielson, Diego De Leo, Mary-Jo DelVecchio Good, Marten W. de Vries, Maureen S. Durkin, Xiangming Fang, Julia W. Felton, Sally Field, Andrea Fiorillo, Lance Gable, Teddy Gafna, Sandro Galea, Patrick Gatonga, Sofia Halperin-Goldstein, Yanling He, Grace A. Herbert, Sabrina Hermosilla, Simone Honikman, Takashi Izutsu, Ruwan M. Jayatunge, Janis H. Jenkins, Rachel Jenkins, Lynne Jones, Jayanthi Karunaratne, Ronald C. Kessler, Rob Keukens, Lincoln I. Khasakhala, Hanna Kienzler, Sarah Kippen Wood, M. Thomas Kishore, Robert Kohn, Natasja Koitzsch Jensen, Sheri Lapatin, Anna Lessios, Isabel Louro Bernal, Feijun Luo, Laura MacPherson, Matthew J. Maenner, Anne W. Mbwayo, David McDaid, Ingrid Meintjes, Victoria N. Mutiso, David M. Ndetei, Samuel O. Okpaku, Lijing Ouyang, Ramachandran Padmavati, Clare Pain, Duncan Pedersen, Jordan Pfau, Felipe Picon, Rodney D. Presley, Reima Pryor, Shoba Raja, Thara Rangaswamy, Jorge Rodriguez, Diana Rose, Moosa Salie, Norman Sartorius, Ester Shapiro, Manuela Silva, Daya Somasundaram, Katherine Sorsdahl, Dan J. Stein, Deborah M. Stone, Heather Stuart, Athula Sumathipala, Hema Tharoor, Rita Thom, Lay San Too, Atsuro Tsutsumi, Chris Underhill, Anne Valentine, Claire van der Westhuizen, Thandi van Heyningen, Robert van Voren, Inka Weissbecker, Gail Wyatt
- Edited by Samuel O. Okpaku
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- Book:
- Essentials of Global Mental Health
- Published online:
- 05 March 2014
- Print publication:
- 27 February 2014, pp x-xiv
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- By Victoria M. Allen, Frederic Amant, Sarah Armstrong, Thomas F. Baskett, Michael A. Belfort, Meredith Birsner, Renee D. Boss, Leanne Bricker, Josaphat K. Byamugisha, Giorgio Capogna, Michael P. Casaer, Frank A. Chervenak, Vicki Clark, Filip Claus, Malachy O. Columb, Charles Cox, Jean T. Cox, Vegard Dahl, John Davison, Jan Deprest, Clifford S. Deutschman, Roland Devlieger, Karim Djekidel, Steven Dymarkowski, Roshan Fernando, Clare Fitzpatrick, Sreedhar Gaddipati, Thierry Girard, Emily Gordon, Ian A. Greer, David Grooms, Sina Haeri, Katy Harrison, Edward J. Hayes, Michelle Hladunewich, Andra H. James, Tracey Johnston, Bellal Joseph, Erin Keely, Ruth Landau, Stephen E. Lapinsky, Susanna I. Lee, Larry Leeman, Hennie Lombaard, Stephen Lu, Alison MacArthur, Laura A. Magee, Paul E. Marik, Laurence B. McCullough, Alexandre Mignon, Carlo Missant, Jack Moodley, Lisa E. Moore, Kate Morse, Warwick D. Ngan Kee, Catherine Nelson-Piercy, Clemens M. Ortner, Geraldine O’Sullivan, Luis D. Pacheco, Fathima Paruk, Melina Pectasides, Nigel Pereira, Patricia Peticca, Sharon T. Phelan, Felicity Plaat, Lauren A. Plante, Michael P. Plevyak, Dianne Plews, Wendy Pollock, Laura C. Price, Peter Rhee, Leiv Arne Rosseland, Kathryn M. Rowan, Helen Ryan, Helen Scholefield, Neil S. Seligman, Nadir Sharawi, Alex Sia, Bob Silver, Mieke Soens, Ulrich J. Spreng, Silvia Stirparo, Nova Szoka, Andrew Tang, Kha M. Tran, Els Troost, Lawrence C. Tsen, Derek Tuffnell, Kristel Van Calsteren, Marc Van de Velde, Marcel Vercauteren, Chris Verslype, Peter von Dadelszen, Carl Waldman, Michelle Walters, Linda Watkins, Paul Westhead, Cynthia A. Wong, Gerda G. Zeeman, Joost J. Zwart
- Edited by Marc van de Velde, Helen Scholefield, Lauren A. Plante
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- Book:
- Maternal Critical Care
- Published online:
- 05 July 2013
- Print publication:
- 04 July 2013, pp ix-xiv
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The relationship between suggestibility and anxiety among suspects detained at police stations
- G. H. Gudjonsson, S. C. Rutter, I. C. H. Clare
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- Psychological Medicine / Volume 25 / Issue 4 / July 1995
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 09 July 2009, pp. 875-878
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The present study investigated the relationship between anxiety, as measured by the State-Trait Inventory (Spielberger, 1983) and interrogative suggestibility, as measured by the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS 2, Gudjonsson, 1987). One hundred and sixty-one suspects detained at two English police stations for questioning were assessed prior to being interviewed by the police. Unexpectedly, trait anxiety correlated more consistently with suggestibility than did state anxiety. The correlations were consistently higher among the Caucasian than the Afro-Caribbean subjects and the Afro-Caribbean subjects were significantly more suggestible than the Caucasian subjects even after their GSS 2 memory and IQ scores had been controlled for. The main practical implications of the findings are that interrogative suggestibility cannot be easily evaluated from the person's self-reported anxiety and the situation in which people are assessed may influence the relationship between these psychological variables.
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- By Gareth Allen, Rowan Burnstein, Mick Cafferkey, Joseph Carter, Jonathan Cole, Giles Critchley, Marek Czosnyka, Egidio J. da Silva, Bruce Downey, Susan Dutch, Jonathan J. Evans, Peter Farling, Judith Fewings, Clare N. Gallagher, Helen M. K. Gooday, Arun K. Gupta, Adel Helmy, Camilla Herbert, David A. Hilton, Peter J. Hutchinson, Roisin Jack, Thérèse Jackson, Deva S. Jeyaretna, Peter J. Kirkpatrick, W. Hiu Lam, Fiona Lecky, Paul McArdle, Duncan McAuley, William W. McKinlay, Chris Maimaris, Alexander R. Manara, Anjum Memon, Patrick Mitchell, H. C. Patel, Brian Pentland, Puneet Plaha, Ann-Marie Pringle, Richard Protheroe, Heinke Pülhorn, Robert Redfern, Jane V. Russell, Ayan Sen, Martin Smith, Fiona Summers, Matthew J. C. Thomas, Elfyn O. Thomas, I. Timofeev, Lorna Torrens, Rikin A. Trivedi, Martin B. Walker, Laurence Watkins, Ruwan Alwis Weerakkody, Peter C. Whitfield, Maggie Whyte, Maralyn Woodford
- Edited by Peter C. Whitfield, Elfyn O. Thomas, Fiona Summers, Maggie Whyte, Peter J. Hutchinson
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- Book:
- Head Injury
- Published online:
- 25 January 2010
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- 09 April 2009, pp ix-xii
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The capacity of people with a ‘mental disability’ to make a health care decision
- J. G. WONG, I. C. H. CLARE, A. J. HOLLAND, P. C. WATSON, M. GUNN
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- Journal:
- Psychological Medicine / Volume 30 / Issue 2 / March 2000
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 March 2000, pp. 295-306
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Background. Based on the developing clinical and legal literature, and using the framework adopted in draft legislation, capacity to make a valid decision about a clinically required blood test was investigated in three groups of people with a ‘mental disability’ (i.e. mental illness (chronic schizophrenia), ‘learning disability’ (‘mental retardation’, or intellectual or developmental disability), or, dementia) and a fourth, comparison group.
Methods. The three ‘mental disability’ groups (N = 20 in the ‘learning disability’ group, N = 21 in each of the other two groups) were recruited through the relevant local clinical services; and through a phlebotomy clinic for the ‘general population’ comparison group (N = 20). The decision-making task was progressively simplified by presenting the relevant information as separate elements and modifying the assessment of capacity so that responding became gradually less dependent on expressive verbal ability.
Results. Compared with the ‘general population’ group, capacity to make the particular decision was significantly more impaired in the ‘learning disability’ and ‘dementia’ groups. Importantly, however, it was not more impaired among the ‘mental illness’ group. All the groups benefited as the decision-making task was simplified, but at different stages. In each of the ‘mental disability’ groups, one participant benefited only when responding did not require any expensive verbal ability.
Conclusions. Consistent with current views, capacity reflected an interaction between the decision-maker and the demands of the decision-making task. The findings have implications for the way in which decisions about health care interventions are sought from people with a ‘mental disability’. The methodology may be extended to assess capacity to make other legally-significant decisions.
Assessing the capacity of people with intellectual disabilities to be witnesses in court
- G. H. GUDJONSSON, G. H. MURPHY, I. C. H. CLARE
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- Journal:
- Psychological Medicine / Volume 30 / Issue 2 / March 2000
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 March 2000, pp. 307-314
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Background. People with intellectual disabilities who have been victims or other witnesses of crime have had limited access to the criminal justice system, often on the basis of assumptions about their incapacity to be interviewed by the police and to give evidence in court. The aim of this study was to assess their capacity to be witnesses in court.
Methods. Forty-nine men and women with intellectual disabilities, all of whom were potential witnesses of ill-treatment, were assessed in order to provide advice, initially to the police, about their capacity to be interviewed for judicial purposes. The assessments included evaluations of each person's intellectual ability, memory, acquiescence, suggestibility, and their ability to explain concepts relating to the oath.
Results. Only 37 (76%) were able to complete the assessments. Most of those with a Full Scale IQ score of [ges ] 60 had a basic understanding of the oath, compared with only a third of those with IQ scores between 50 and 59, and none of those with IQ scores < 50. Nevertheless, some of the people who were unable to demonstrate an understanding of the oath did understand the words ‘truth’ and ‘lie’, especially when asked about these concepts in relation to concrete examples.
Conclusions. While intellectual ability appears to be the best overall predictor of the capacity of people with intellectual disabilities to act as witnesses, confining witnesses to those who could explain the meaning of the oath would mean that a number of persons who might be interviewed by the police and subsequently appear in court could be excluded from the judicial process.
Capacity to make health care decisions: its importance in clinical practice
- J. G. WONG, I. C. H. CLARE, M. J. GUNN, A. J. HOLLAND
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- Journal:
- Psychological Medicine / Volume 29 / Issue 2 / March 1999
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 March 1999, pp. 437-446
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Background. Assessment of capacity plays a pivotal role in determining when decisions need to be made on behalf of an individual. It therefore has major clinical management implications for health care professionals and civil liberties implications for the person concerned. In many countries, there is a presumption that adults have the capacity to make health care decisions. However, in persons with a mental disability, capacity may be temporarily or permanently impaired.
Methods. A selective review is presented which considers: (i) the broad approaches taken to determining capacity; (ii) the abilities commonly assessed in determining capacity; and (iii) the principles underlying health care decision-making for adults who are without capacity.
Results. Capacity is a functional concept, determined by the person's ability to understand, retain, and weigh up information relevant to the decision in order to arrive at a choice, and then to communicate that choice. We have reviewed the studies that examined decision-making abilities in people with dementia, chronic mental illness or intellectual disabilities. Approaches to decision-making in adults who lack capacity include: anticipatory decisions made through advance health care statements or decisions by proxy based on ‘best interests’ or ‘substituted judgement’.
Conclusions. The understanding of clinical and legal aspects of capacity is still developing. This paper examines current concepts of capacity and decision-making on behalf of those without capacity. We propose a framework, in line with current ethical and legal guidelines, as an aid to clinicians when they are seeking consent for a health care intervention.