One of the most established "truths" in suicidology is that almost all (90% or more) of those who kill themselves suffer from one or more mental disorders, and a causal link between the two is implied. Psychological autopsy (PA) studies constitute one main evidence base for this conclusion. However, there has been little reflection on the reliability and validity of this method. For example, ps...

We prove, using the minimalist axiom system for convex geometry proposed by W. A. Coppel, that, given n red and n blue points, such that no three are collinear, one can pair each of the red points with a blue point such that the n segments which have these paired points as endpoints are disjoint. MSC 2000: 51G05, 52A01, 52B11, 51K05 The problem stated in the abstract appeared as problem A-4 on ...

eHealth—the organisation and delivery of health services and information using information technology (IT) systems—is playing an increasingly important role in shaping health care systems. However, as Catwell and Sheikh described in the first article in this series [1], IT systems can introduce harms as well as benefits. Catwell and Sheikh argued for a general scheme of evaluation starting with...

In this chapter I lay out a notion of philosophical naturalism that aligns with pragmatism. It is developed and illustrated by a presentation of my views on natural kinds and my theory of concepts. Both accounts reflect a methodological naturalism and are defended not based on metaphysical considerations, but in terms of their philosophical fruitfulness. A core theme is that the epistemic inter...

The paper offers a secondary analysis from a grounded theory doctoral study that reconsiders its “grounded systemic design” (Mitchell, 2005, 2007). While theorists across multiple disciplines fiercely debate the ontological implications of Niklas Luhmann’s autopoietic systems theory (Deflem 1998; Graber and Teubner 1998; King and Thornhill 2003; Mingers 2002; Neves 2001; O’Byrne 2003; Verschrae...

In this article, the authors critically review the literature testing the cycle of maltreatment hypothesis which posits continuity in maltreatment across adjacent generations. That is, the authors examine whether a history of maltreatment victimization is a significant risk factor for the later perpetration of maltreatment. The authors begin by establishing 11 methodological criteria that studi...

How does a researcher investigate phenomena that continually emerge through, with and as various practices? This paper explores this question, drawing on transformative reflections the unfolding process of an empirical research project investigating professional practice in Dutch early childhood education. The initially applied open, exploratory mixed-methods design, aim gaining comprehensive u...

Personality is an inherent rater’s characteristic influencing rating severity, but very few studies examined their relationship and the findings were inconclusive. This study aimed to re-investigate between raters’ personality severity with more control on relevant variables reliable analysis of severity. Female novice raters ( n = 28) from a demographically homogeneous background recruited rat...