bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Minor psychiatric disorder in primary care in Brazil: a pilot study
Authors: Mari J. J. , Williams P.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS) were translated into Portuguese and were used in a pilot study of psychiatric morbidity in primary care at ‘The Health Centre Barra Funda/Bom Retiro’ of the Faculty of Medicine of Santa Casa Hospital at Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Portuguese translation of the CIS was found to be a feasible instrument for community studies in Brazil, but the Portuguese translation of the GHQ-30 was shown to be of limited use in this particular setting. The extent of minor psychiatric morbidity was very high (46%); 33% was regarded as conspicuous (CPM) and 13% as hidden (HPM).
Serum creatine phosphokinase levels and assaultive behaviour of psychotic patients
Authors: Isaacs John S. , Yesavage Jerome A.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels were compared with assaultive behaviour by 46 psychiatric patients. Significant relationships were found between CPK level and violent behaviour prior to admission and CPK level and seclusion as a danger to others while in hospital. No relationship was found between CPK level and assaultiveness while in hospital.
The Popper/Kuhn debate: truth and two faces of relativism
Authors: Notturno M. A.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

This paper argues: (1) that analysis of the issues upon which Popper and Kuhn have been thought to differ – the possibility of conclusive falsification, the incommensurability of theories, and the existence of normal science – reveals no appreciable difference at all; (2) that the basic point of disagreement concerns the role of truth in scientific inquiry, i.e. whether or not truth should be considered the regulative ideal of science; (3) that confusion concerning these issues results from a paradigm shift in epistemology; and (4) that Popper's epistemology proves more attractive than Kuhn's for unification in psychology.
The psychiatric expert in court
Authors: Kenny Anthony
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The law about expert evidence is unsatisfactory: it gives scope for the expert to usurp the role of judge, jury and parliament; it brings the professions of the experts into disrepute; and it sets juries the impossible task of sorting pseudo sciences from genuine ones. The law should be reformed by changing statutes which force expert witnesses to testify beyond their science, by taking the provision of expert evidence out of the adversarial context, and by removing from the courts the decision whether a nascent discipline is or is not a science.
Descriptive psychopathology: conceptual and historical aspects
Authors: Berrios G. E.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

This paper offers a conceptual and historical analysis of descriptive psychopathology. The first section defines it as a cognitive system constituted by terms, assumptions and rules for its application. It traces the conceptual implications of this definition and relates them to clinical practice. The second section contains an up-to-date assessment of current historical work on descriptive psychopathology and offers a new hypothesis to account for its development during the nineteenth century. It is suggested that the work involved in the testing of the hypothesis should be carried out by psychiatrists with historical training and as a separate speciality. It is concluded that the historical calibration of psychiatric symptoms must be considered as an essential stage in the construction of a viable descriptive psychopathology.
Psychiatric disorder in a rural and an urban population: 3. Social integration and the morphology of affective disorder
Authors: Prudo R. , Harris T. , Brown G. W.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

This paper focuses on the morphology of affective disorder. We set out to confirm on the island of Lewis a cross-over result originally found on the island of North Uist, whereby in those sections of the population where the rates of depression were lowest the rates of anxiety were highest. These sections of the population varied in the degree to which their members were integrated into the traditional way of life. ‘Integration’ was characterized in terms of churchgoing and crofting (the word for farming in the Hebrides). It is predicted here that the churchgoing rather than the crofting component of the integration measure would account for any cross-over result found concerning the morphology of symptoms. This hypothesis, derived from a theoretical concern with links between repression and anxiety, is not confirmed. Instead, crofting is found to be the component of the integration index which predicts anxiety/phobia without depression. In seeking to explain this unexpected finding further significant associations between crofting, pure anxiety/phobia and the style of personal relationships are revealed. It is also confirmed that types of severe events among women are also found to vary with the degree of integration into traditional society. A perspective is then developed which might explain how the interaction between style of personal attachments and types of provoking event could produce variations in the morphology of affective disorder.
Misfortune and resilience: a community study of women
Authors: Bebbington P. E. , Sturt E. , Tennant C. , Hurry J.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

A community survey of psychiatric disorder carried out in South London enabled the authors to investigate the ‘vulnerability model’ proposed by Brown & Harris (1978). In the current study none of the ‘vulnerability factors’ proposed by Brown & Harris fulfilled the requirements of the model. It was, however, found that working class women with children seemed particularly prone to develop minor psychiatric disorder in response to adversity. A similar result is apparent in the analyses of the earlier authors. A number of studies now published give some support to the vulnerability model using what are broadly measures of social support, but there is little corroboration using the other variables proposed by Brown & Harris.
Psychological sequelae of female sterilization: short-term outcome in a prospective controlled study: A report from the UK Field Research Centre of a WHO Collaborative Project
Authors: Bledin K. D. , Cooper J. E. , Mackenzie S. , Brice B.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Healthy multiparous women having elective interval (N= 69) or postpartum (N= 69) sterilization were interviewed pre-operatively and 6 weeks and 6 months post-operatively, using standardized instruments. They did not differ significantly from control samples of comparable non-sterilized women with respect to mental state (Present State Examination) or subjectively-assessed mental or physical health or abdominal pain. More sterilization subjects than control subjects reported subjectively experienced improvement in sexual satisfaction at the later follow-up. Reports of poor physical health and abdominal pain increased over time within both the sterilization and the control groups. Reports of adverse effects at follow-up were often associated with higher PSE scores initially. Regrets and wish for reversal were rare and were also associated with higher initial PSE scores. Since the adverse effects were more common among postpartum subjects, it is suggested that subjectively experienced sequelae of sterilization may sometimes be attributable to ‘normal’ postnatal events.
A modified video camera for measuring body image distortion: technical description and reliability
Authors: Freeman Richard J. , Thomas Cheryl D. , Solyom Leslie , Hunter Michael A.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Previously employed techniques for the measurement of body image are briefly described, with a short consideration of methodological or procedural limitations associated with each technique. A new procedure is described which employs a simple modification to a standard video camera to produce an image which appears from 20% thinner to 40% fatter than the actual person, without other distortion of the image. Reliability and preliminary validity data for the new procedure are presented.
Recall and recognition in mildly disturbed schizophrenics: the use of matched tasks
Authors: Calev Avraham
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Unlike previous studies, this study shows that in controlled conditions non-chronic schizophrenics receiving neuroleptic medication show no disparity between recall and recognition. Patients receiving both neuroleptic and anticholinergic drugs show this disparity, performing less well on recall than on recognition. These patients also seem more severely disturbed. The importance of task matching, drugs and chronicity are discussed.
Estimating levels of disturbed behaviour among psychiatric in-patients using a general linear model
Authors: Bouras N. , Chilvers Clair , Watson J. P.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Disturbed behaviour was studied in relation to two contrasting ward environments, one representing the ‘medical model’ of psychiatry and the other being a modified form of ‘therapeutic community’. A mathematical model was used in order to identify the characteristics of disturbed patients. The results suggested that behavioural disturbance of a patient in our sample was related to diagnosis, to the ward of admission and to the length of stay in hospital. Patients in all diagnostic categories tended to be more disturbed in the ‘therapeutic community’ than in the ‘medical model’ ward.
A comparative study of bed usage by younger and older patients with depression
Authors: Murphy Elaine , Grundy Emily
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Recent follow-up studies of depression in old age have highlighted the high relapse rate in older patients compared with younger patients. The consequences for the provision of acute psychiatric beds for elderly patients has been investigated by comparing the usage of beds by younger and older patients with depression over a 4-year period. Overall, elderly depressed patients consumed one and a half times as many bed days as younger depressed patients and a quarter of all acute bed days available in the hospital were used by elderly depressed patients.
The psychological effect of a screening programme and clinical trial for hypertension upon the participants
Authors: Mann A. H.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Two hundred and thirty-five entrants into the MRC trial for mild to moderate hypertension were matched with control subjects in order to assess the psychological effects of a screening programme and recruitment into a clinical trial. The prevalence and incidence of psychiatric morbidity among the trial participants were compared with those of the controls by means of responses to a self-administered questionnaire and diagnostic psychiatric interviews. No differences among the groups were shown between screening and entry into the trial, but after entry the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among the trial participants fell. This was due to a greater improvement of those with psychiatric symptoms at entry in this group, the incidence of new morbidity being similar among the groups.
Dementia and depression among the elderly living in the Hobart community: the effect of the diagnostic criteria on the prevalence rates
Authors: Kay D. W. K. , Henderson A. S. , Scott R. , Wilson J. , Rickwood D. , Grayson D. A.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

A survey was made of 274 non-institutionalized persons aged 70 and over living in Hobart. The prevalence of dementia and of depression was measured by interviewing subjects using a modified version of the Geriatric Mental State Schedule (GMS) (Copeland et al. 1976) and the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) (Folstein et al. 1975). Rates of morbidity were derived from different diagnostic procedures. These were: (1) diagnoses made by a psychiatrist (A.S.H.) directly from the interview schedules and audiotapes, and rated as mild, moderate or severe; (2) the criteria laid down in DSM-III, converted into algorithms describing 3 degrees of severity; and (3) the algorithms for pervasive dementia and depression proposed by Gurland et al. (1983), and from these authors' rational scales. In addition, the relation between scales for dementia and for depression and the diagnosed categories was examined. Some problems in applying these methods to aged persons in the community are discussed. It is concluded that more detailed specification of criteria is desirable if the comparative epidemiology of dementia and depression in old age is to advance.
Brief report on the clinical reappraisal of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule carried out at the Johns Hopkins site of the Epidemiological Catchment Area Program of the NIMH
Authors: Folstein Marshal F. , Romanoski Alan J. , Nestadt Gerald , Chahal Raman , Merchant Altaf , Shapiro Sam , Kramer Morton , Anthony James , Gruenberg Ernest M. , McHugh Paul R.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

A psychiatric examination was conducted on 810 community dwelling subjects previously given a diagnosis derived from the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). The agreement in allocating subjects to a particular disorder was never high enough to encourage the confident replacement of a psychiatric diagnosis with a DIS diagnosis.
Alcohol abuse in Huntington's disease
Authors: King Michael
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Forty-two patients attending a Huntington's Disease Research project at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, were screened for alcohol abuse and alcohol-related problems. Prevalence of current or past alcohol abuse was 24% for males, 5.9% for females or 16.7% overall. When alcohol abuse occurred in HD probands it was often concurrent with depressive symptoms, and may have been associated with the threat of the disease. There was no evidence that HD patients had an increased rate of alcohol abuse above that of the local Baltimore community.
Measuring life events in an adolescent population: methodological issues and related findings
Authors: Monck Elizabeth , Dobbs Rebecca
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Issues surrounding the collection of accurate information about the life events of girls aged 15–20 were tested on 67 mother/daughter pairs in a community sample. The Bedford system of classifying and rating the events was modified to accommodate the perspective of an adolescent. Mothers recalled fewer events than their daughters, but the difference was most marked for the ‘severe’ events of girls aged over 17. There was a marked fall-off in the reporting of severe and non-severe events after the 30th week, and a significant difference between the rate of events in the furthest 6 months, compared with the proximal 6 months.
Myocardial infarction on various days of the week
Authors: Massing Walter , Angermeyer Matthias C.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The weekly distribution of deaths for myocardial infarction was studied, using mortality data for Lower Saxony for the years 1968–77. In accordance with hypotheses derived from Holmes & Rahe's stress model, an increase of deaths was found on Saturdays and Mondays only in men aged between 25 and 55 years.
Effects of withdrawal from long-term nicotine gum use
Authors: West R. J. , Russell M. A. H.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

A small proportion of smokers who stop smoking with the aid of nicotine chewing gum continue to use the gum for more than a year. This study shows that when these people abstain from nicotine gum use they experience withdrawal symptoms similar to those found during cigarette withdrawal, including increased irritability, difficulty in concentrating and a drop in heart rate.
The pattern of function-related regional cerebral blood flow investigated by single photon emission tomography with99mTc-HMPAO in patients with presenile Alzheimer's disease and Korsakoff's psychosis
Authors: Hunter R. , McLuskie R. , Wyper D. , Patterson J. , Christie J. E. , Brooks D. N. , McCulloch J. , Fink G. , Goodwin G. M.
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSIS

Single photon emission tomography (SPET) with the lipophilic blood flow marker99mTc-hexamethyl propyleneamine oxime (99mTc-HMPAO) has been used to determine regional uptake of radiolabel into brain regions of patients with presenile Alzheimer's disease and Korsakoff's psychosis, and age-matched controls. Using occipital cortical uptake as reference area, the pattern of relative regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was determined in other cortical areas and basal ganglia. In Alzheimer's disease, reduction in rCBF occurred most strikingly in posterior temporal and parietal areas. By contrast, in Korsakoff's psychosis, posterior temporal rCBF was maintained, although there was a trend to reduced tracer uptake in other cortical areas. These impairments of flow were correlated with impairments of neuropsychological function. In Alzheimer's disease, left posterior temporal and left parietal regions in particular showed rCBF to be strongly correlated with most aspects of cognitive function. In Korsakoff's psychosis, however, impaired flow in frontal regions was correlated with impaired performance on tests of memory and orientation. The findings in Alzheimer's disease show quantitative parallels with those from studies using Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and extend our understanding of the relationship between cognition and regional brain function in dementia. The findings in Korsakoff's psychosis offer the first direct evidence linking frontal lobe dysfunction with the cognitive impairment seen in the disorder.
Psychiatric morbidity in multiple sclerosis: a clinical and MRI study
Authors: Ron M. A. , Logsdail S. J.
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSIS

This study reports the psychiatric morbidity in 116 patients with definite multiple sclerosis (MS). The presence of brain pathology was investigated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A group of 48 physically disabled controls suffering from rheumatic or neurological conditions not involving the brain was used for comparison. Normative MRI data were obtained from a group of 40 healthy volunteers.

Psychiatric morbidity was significantly higher in the MS group with nearly half of the patients scoring as cases at interview. There was no evidence to suggest that psychiatric symptoms in isolation were the first manifestation of MS in the present material. The presence of psychiatric illness at interview was significantly related to the degree of social stress as perceived by the patient. The severity of MRI abnormalities was greater in those with longer histories and greater physical disability, but did not show a significant relationship with global measures of psychiatric disability. Of the various psychiatric symptoms elation was significantly correlated with the presence of widespread MRI abnormalities, while flattening of affect, delusions and thought disorder correlated with the degree of pathology in the temporo-parietal region.
Cognitive impairment, clinical course and treatment history in out-patients with bipolar affective disorder: relationship to tardive dyskinesia
Authors: Waddington John L. , Brown Katherine , O'Neill Jane , McKeon Patrick , Kinsella Anthony
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSIS

Clinical, neuropsychological and psychopharmacological characteristics were investigated for their ability to distinguish individuals with and without involuntary movements (tardive dyskinesia), among a population of 40 out-patients with bipolar affective disorder and a history of exposure to neuroleptics and lithium. Impaired performance on a test of cognitive flexibility bore the primary association with both the presence and the severity of involuntary movements. The additional relationships identified emphasized further that individual vulnerability to involuntary movements appeared to be associated not with greater duration or dosage of treatment, but with features of the bipolar illness, including number and type of affective episodes, for which that treatment was prescribed.
The prevalence of psychiatric disorder among female new referrals to a migraine clinic
Authors: Morrison D. P. , Price W. H.
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSIS

In a consecutive series of 46 female new referrals to a migraine clinic, 17 patients (37%)complained of increased irritability and/or depression in association with more than 50% of their migraine attacks. This was not related to the attack frequency or duration. Sixteen patients (33 %) met DSM-III criteria for a current diagnosis of an affective syndrome and when present this was significantly associated with these complaints.
Characteristic psychiatric symptomatology of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in veterans: a three year follow-up
Authors: Solomon Zahava
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSIS

This study assessed the clinical picture of two groups of Israeli veterans of the Lebanon war: (a) veterans who sustained a combat stress reaction (CSR) (N = 213), and (b) matched controls not so diagnosed (N = 116). Subjects were screened at three points – one, two, and three years after their participation in the war. The results indicated that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was correlated with a wider range of general psychiatric symptomatology, as measured by the SCL-90. Moreover, among PTSD veterans, those who suffered from an antecedent CSR reported wider and more severe symptomatology. This trend was observed at all three time points. The most salient symptoms were obsessive-compulsive tendencies and anxiety, followed by depression and hostility.
Hyposexuality and epilepsy: a community survey of hormonal and behavioural changes in male epileptics
Authors: Toone B. K. , Edeh J. , Nanjee M. N. , Wheeler M.
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSIS

A survey of five group practices in South London identified 60 male patients currently undergoing treatment for epilepsy. Fifty-four agreed to participate in a detailed enquiry into aspects of their sexual activity and behaviour. Anterior pituitary and sex-hormone levels were measured. The epileptic patients were characterized by low levels of sexual activity and interest. Temporal-lobe and non-temporal-lobe epileptics were indistinguishable in these respects, but when the latter group was further subdivided into primary generalized epilepsy and focal non-temporal lobe epilepsy, the focal groups (both temporal lobe and non-temporal lobe) were more impaired. Hormonal analysis confirmed earlier hospital-clinic-based reports. In the epilepsy group, plasma free testosterone and percentage free testosterone values were decreased, sex hormone binding globulin, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were increased compared to values in a normal healthy population. As association between the behavioural and hormonal indices of hyposexuality was shown, particularly for LH, but this was less apparent than in previous work.
Mana, Tapu, Noa: Maori cultural constructs with medical and psycho-social relevance
Authors: Sachdev Perminder S.
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSIS

This paper discusses three concepts, mana, tapu and noa, that lie at the heart of Maori culture. These concepts are inter-related and concern power and influence, with political (or secular) authority implicit in mana and ritual (or religious) authority determined by tapu and noa. The paper explores their importance for the understanding of the ethnic views on aetiology and management of illness, the mechanisms of social organization and control, and the behaviour of individuals. Although the belief in these concepts exists in only an attenuated form in modern Maori society, their importance becomes obvious to any psychiatrist or physician working with Maori patients.
Severity of withdrawal symptoms as a predictor of outcome of an attempt to quit smoking
Authors: West R. J. , Hajek P. , Belcher M.
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSIS

In 227 smokers' clinic clients who managed at least one week of abstinence, ratings of withdrawal symptoms were used to predict subsequent return to smoking. Depression, time spent with urges to smoke, and difficulty not smoking during the first week of abstinence were significantly associated with lapse back to smoking during the second week. Depression and difficulty not smoking during the second week significantly predicted smoking status during the third week. No withdrawal symptoms during the third week were associated with a return to smoking during the fourth week. The predictive power of withdrawal symptoms was over and above that of smoke intake and dependence. The findings provide some support for the view that reduction of withdrawal symptoms may be a worthwhile target in programmes for helping smokers to quit.
Calcium metabolism and mental disorder
Authors: Crammer J. L.
Published: July 2009

This is an uncertain, neglected and misunderstood corner of organic psychiatry. Calcium disturbances are clinically the concern of physicians interested in bone diseases, in malabsorption or nutritional deficiencies, and opinions vary on whether such illnesses are accompanied by emotional and behavioural disorder: at least psychiatrists are not usually called in. Parathyroid disease is generally granted to have frequent psychiatric accompaniments (e.g. see Granville-Grossman, 1971) but is very rare in the psychiatric clinic, and possibly under-diagnosed there. Laboratory aids tend to be underused or inadequately applied. Total plasma calcium as a screening test cannot be understood without at least a plasma protein measurement as well; but serum phosphate, parathormone and plasma 1, 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol levels, urinary calcium and magnesium, and Ca45, may all have roles in fuller investigation (Nordin, 1976).
Better community residential services for the mentally handicapped
Authors: Raynes Norma V.
Published: July 2009

The sociological study of institutions has developed considerably in the past two decades. It has moved from the case studies of mental hospitals (e.g. Stanton & Schwartz, 1954; Belknap, 1956) and the graphic, speculative typology of Goffman (1961) to empirically based comparative studies of facilities for both the mentally ill and the mentally handicapped (Hewett et al. 1975; Wing & Brown, 1970; Ullman, 1967; Wing & Hailey, 1972; Morris, 1969; King et al. 1971; Raynes et al. 1977). All these studies have included among their goals the development of our understanding of the structure and functioning of these institutions so as to facilitate the planning, administration and evaluation of better residential services. Further, since the publication of Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped (DHSS, 1971), it is clear that in the United Kingdom the government supports the provision of a continuum of services for mentally handicapped persons. As part of that continuum there is a commitment to provide residential facilities in the community for those who need such services.
Does dopamine play a role in schizophrenia?
Authors: Carlsson Arvid
Published: July 2009

synopsis

Inhibition of central dopamine functions appears to be a common basic property of antipsychotic drugs. The mesolimbic and nigrostriatal portions of the dopaminergic system are probably the main targets of these drugs for the mental and the extrapyramidal actions respectively.

Dopaminergic hyperfunction, induced by amphetamines or dopa, may lead to a disturbance mimicking paranoid schizophrenia, lending further support for a key role of dopamine in mental functions.

While a primary disturbance in dopamine function in schizophrenia cannot be ruled out, the intimate relationship between dopaminergic and other neuronal systems must be emphasized. The possible involvement of other amine, aminoacid or peptide transmitters in schizophrenia cannot be disregarded.
Lithium therapy and alkaline earth metal metabolism: a biochemical screening study
Authors: Birch N. J. , Greenfield A. A. , Hullin R. P.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

A study is described of 90 patients receiving lithium prophylactically for recurrent affective disorder. A total of 90 biochemical variables was analysed by correlation matrices. No abnormality in calcium or magnesium metabolism was detected though this may merely be a reflection of the insensitivity of the screening technique used.
Psychiatric morbidity and hostility in hypertension
Authors: Mann A. H.
Published: July 2009

synopsis

In a large survey of subjects aged between 35 and 64, no difference was detected in the amount of psychiatric morbidity, determined by response to the General Health Questionnaire, between those with hypertension and those with normal pressure. This finding also obtained if only those subjects ignorant of their own blood pressure level were considered for the same comparison.

As a result of administration of a standardized psychiatric interview and a hostility questionnaire to 108 hypertensive and normotensive subjects of a special study, differences in the expression of hostility were demonstrated between the 2 groups. Subjects with hypertension appear to demonstrate more hostility and be less self-critical than a normotensive group. This finding could reflect the effect of recent diagnosis and treatment of hypertension or be associated with the hypertensive state itself.
The effect of maternal narcotic addiction on the newborn infant
Authors: Ghodse A. Hamid , Reed J. L. , Mack J. W.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

This paper presents a review of the literature on the effects of maternal narcotic addictions upon the foetus and newborn infant. Six children born to ‘registered’ narcotic addicts were studied, and particular attention was paid to any signs of narcotic withdrawal that might occur after birth. Although all the mothers took heroin or methadone regularly up to the time of delivery, minor physical signs which might have been considered part of the withdrawal syndrome occurred in only one baby. The absence of major withdrawal signs found in this study contrasts with previous findings. The reasons for these differences are discussed, and the implications of these observations for the management of the pregnant narcotic addict and her newborn infant are considered.
Migration, culture and mental health
Authors: Murphy H. B. M.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The former belief that immigrants always suffer from an excess of mental disorder is no longer valid, and the old rivalry between social selection and social causation hypotheses has lost much of its relevance. The mental health of a migrant group is determined by factors relating to the society of origin, factors relating to the migration itself, and factors operating in the society of resettlement; and all three sets need to be considered if one seeks to reduce or merely to understand the level of mental disorder in any immigrant group. Illustrations from each set of factors are presented, with indications of whether they appear to have general relevance or be related to specific mental disorders.
Costs and benefits of behavioural psychotherapy: a pilot study of neurotics treated by nurse-therapists
Authors: Ginsberg Gary , Marks Isaac
Published: July 2009

synopsis

A pilot study is reported of costs and benefits from behavioural psychotherapy by nurse-therapists for selected neurotic problems. Figures are based on the treatment of 42 neurotics (mainly phobics and obsessive-compulsives) who completed treatment with nurse-therapists in a mean of 9 sessions (16 hours). The year before and after treatment was studied. Apart from significant and lasting reduction in patients' distress, economic benefits to them, their families and the community yielded a worthwhile internal rate of return when benefits from the cohort continue for 3 years, a reasonable assumption on available other evidence. Though untreated phobics did not improve elsewhere over 5 years follow-up, a controlled study would seem desirable.
Lowered responsiveness and auditory signal detectability during depression
Authors: Malone J. R. L. , Hemsley D. R.
Published: July 2009

synopsis

Ten depressed patients were assessed on an auditory signal detection task; testing was repeated on remission. The patients' clinical state was monitored by means of the Hamilton rating scale and the Beck Depression Inventory. The task was performed under three conditions: 2 button (Yes/No); 1 button (Yes); 1 button (No). The findings indicated lower motor responsiveness during depression, consistent with Seligman's learned helplessness model. The measure of auditory sensitivity was also lowered during depression, possibly attributable to attentional disturbance. It is suggested that the lowered initiation of voluntary responses may be an important factor in the assessment of cognitive functioning during depression; such deficits may be reduced if the task does not permit the omission of a response.
Prostaglandins and schizophrenia: further discussion of the evidence
Authors: Horrobin D. F. , Ally A. I. , Karmali R. A. , Karmazyn M. , Manku M. S. , Morgan R. O.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

It has been proposed that schizophrenia is a prostaglandin-deficiency disease and also that it is a disease of prostaglandin excess. New evidence is reviewed which suggests that ‘classic’ schizophrenia is due to a specific deficiency of prostaglandin E1while certain toxic and vitamindeficiency psychoses may be due to a broader spectrum of prostaglandin deficiency. There is also good evidence that a particular schizophrenic subgroup, which includes catatonic schizophrenia but may not be confined to it, is associated with an excess of prostaglandins. Part of the explanation may be that prostaglandin E1has a ‘bell-shaped’ dose-response curve with high concentrations having effects similar to those of prostaglandin deficiency.
The relationship between psychological and physiological measures of anxiety
Authors: Morrow Gary R. , Labrum Anthony H.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The responses of 6 representative physiological parameters frequently assumed to be measures of anxiety along with a set of 4 psychological tests for measuring anxiety were obtained under naturalistic conditions from 25 patients hospitalized with a first myocardial infarction. A canonical correlational analysis failed to show any relationship between anxiety as assessed by the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, Mood Adjective Check List, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Multiple Affect Adjective Check List psychological tests, and anxiety as assessed by the physiological indices of heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, epinephrine, norepinephrine and VMA. The intercorrelation matrix revealed a significant positive pattern of relationships among all 4 psychological tests, a non-significant, positive pattern of relationships among the physiological indices, and a non-significant, negative pattern of relationships between the psychological and physiological measures. The absence of mood-specific physiological measures for anxiety, as measured by the psychological tests, supports previous theory and investigation and points to the inadvisability of assuming that studies on anxiety that use diverse physiological and psychological measures yield results that may be compared as though they were assessing a common mood.
Serum folic acid and B12 in 272 psychiatric in-patients
Authors: Carney M. W. P. , Sheffield B. F.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Serum folate and B12 estimations were carried out on 272 admissions to a psychiatric unit during 1972 and 1973. 21–3% had serum folate below 2 ng/ml and 26–1% serum B12 below 150 pg/ml. The organic psychosis patients had a significantly lower mean B12 than the others, and were over-represented among the low B12 group. Low B12 status was also associated with low RBC and WBC. Low folate status was linked with depression, malnutrition, physical illness and low Hb, RBC and WBC. There were more chronic alcoholics than others with serum folate > 4·9 ng/ml, low RBC and macrocytosis. The presence of one or more haematological abnormalities (macrocytosis, low Hb, low RBC or low WBC) predicted low folate in 76%, and low B12 in 79%, but these were also found in 40% of the normal folate and 41% of the normal B12 patients. Macrocytosis may prove to be a reliable sign of alcoholic abuse.
Multiple personality: A single case study with a 15 year follow-up
Authors: Cutler Brian , Reed John
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

A review of the literature relating to multiple personality is presented together with a study of a single case of hysterical aetiology that demonstrates the development of multiple personality from a fugue amnesic state. A re-examination of this case after 15 years without significant psychotherapeutic intervention demonstrates a tendency towards remission. The view that multiple personality is a form of fugue, not necessarily hysterical, in which an alternative personality is adopted and that this behaviour is reinforced by the attention that it receives, is discussed.
Depression followed by suicide: a comparison of depressed suicides with living depressives
Authors: Barraclough B. M. , Pallis D. J.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The characteristics of 64 suicides with a retrospective diagnosis of depression and 128 depressives referred for psychiatric treatment were compared. The following items differentiated the suicide group: male sex, older age in females, single status, living alone, the symptoms of insomnia, impaired memory and self neglect, and a history of suicide attempts. The value of these items in assessing suicide risk in depressive illness is discussed.
Effects of maintenance amitriptyline and psychotherapy on symptoms of depression
Authors: Paykel E. S. , Dimascio A. , Haskell D. , Prusoff B. A.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Depressives responding to initial treatment were maintained on amitriptyline for eight months, withdrawn double-blind to placebo after two months, or withdrawn overtly onto no medication. In each group half the patients received weekly psychotherapy and half were seen, once monthly. Effects on symptom ratings were examined. Maintenance amitriptyline gave a significant advantage over early withdrawal in preventing symptom recrudescence. There were no differences between double-blind or overt withdrawal. There were no interactions between drug withdrawal and psychotherapy. Psychotherapy produced no significant advantages over low contact on symptoms, although it did improve social adjustment ratings reported elsewhere.
Double-blind procedure: an assessment in a study of lithium prophylaxis
Authors: Stallone F. , Mendlewicz J. , Fieve R. R.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Fifty-seven patients with primary affective disorder who were in a double-blind outpatient study to evaluate the prophylaxis of lithium were questioned as to whether they believed they were receiving lithium or placebo. Research nurses who were ‘blind’ to the patients' medication and a close relative living with each patient were also questioned. Nearly all patients (96%) said they believed they were receiving lithium, ascribing this belief in 63% of the cases to a perceived improvement in condition. In only 14% of the cases on lithium was the presence of side-effects implicated in the patients' beliefs. One of the three nurses had a correct guess rate in excess of chance expectancy. All nurses tended to be more accurate in their guesses in the cases of patients who had been in prophylactic trials of over 15 months' duration than for patients with briefer periods in the study. Patients' relatives were, as a group, extremely accurate, their correct guess rate exceeding chance expectancy at the 0·001 level.
Tolerance to amphetamine in two species (rat and guinea pig) that metabolize it differently
Authors: Sever Peter S. , Caldwell John , Williams R. Tecwyn
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

It has been proposed thatp-hydroxynorephedrine, a metabolite of amphetamine, is responsible for the tolerance that occurs to this drug. To test this idea, the development of tolerance to amphetamine has been examined in two species, the rat and the guinea pig, the former of which producesp-hydroxynorephedrine from amphetamine while the latter does not. In both species, tolerance develops to the anorectic and hyperthermic actions of amphetamine, and similar changes in the pattern of behavioural stimulation are seen.
Psychoneurotic disturbance and drug-taking in Borstal boys
Authors: Foggitt R. H. , Gossop M. R. , Nicol A. R.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Their own accounts of their use of drugs, together with a detailed description of psychiatric history and present mental state, were obtained from a sample of institutionalized delinquents, Subjects reporting extensive involvement in drug abuse were found to be disturbed on a number of psychiatric variables; however, those reporting some limited abuse were less disturbed than subjects reporting no experience of drug taking. The results and their implications are discussed.
Magnetic resonance imaging in pre-senile dementia of the Alzheimer-type, multi-infarct dementia and Korsakoff's syndrome
Authors: Christie J. E. , Kean D. M. , Douglas R. H. B. , Engleman H. M. , St. Clair D. , Blackburn I. M.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Magnetic resonance imaging T1 values in Alzheimer's disease (ATD) were similar to age-matched controls although frontal T1 values tended to increase intraindividually with progression of the dementia. T1 values were raised, in both cortical grey and white matter, in Korsakoff's syndrome and multi-infarct dementia. T1 values appear of little value in studying the neuropathological changes in ATD in relationship to the neuropsychological deficits, but can assist in the differential diagnosis of pre-senile dementia.
Agenesis of the corpus callosum and schizophrenia: a case report
Authors: Lewis S. W. , Reveley M. A. , David A. S. , Ron M. A.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Clinical, radiological and neuropsychological findings in the first reported case of schizophrenia with complete agenesis of the corpus callosum are described. Although causal inferences were made difficult by the co-existence of a left frontotemporal cyst and a family history of affective disorder, some theories of the role of callosal dysfunction in schizophrenia require revision in the light of this case.
Psychiatric morbidity in patients with clinically isolated lesions of the type seen in multiple sclerosis: a clinical and MRI study
Authors: Logsdail S. J. , Callanan M. M. , Ron M. A.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

This study reports the psychiatric morbidity in 76 patients with clinically isolated lesions of the type seen in multiple sclerosis (optic neuritis, brain stem and cord lesions). The presence or absence of brain pathology was investigated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A group of 33 patients suffering from rheumatic and neurological conditions not known to involve the brain was used for comparison. Normative MRI data were obtained from a group of 40 normal volunteers.

Over half of the patients with the clinical presentation of single lesions had MRI abnormalities in the brain, but past and present psychiatric morbidity were similar in patients and controls and no significant associations were found between the presence of MRI abnormalities and psychiatric morbidity. The degree of social stress experienced by the patients with clinically isolated lesions appeared to be highly relevant in the causation of psychiatric symptoms.
Personal networks, support mobilization and unemployment
Authors: Jackson Paul R.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Measures were obtained of features of social network structure and the mobilization of instrumental and expressive support from a sample of 301 unemployed men. Findings showed dependence on a restricted number of family members and close friends, with high levels of expressive support (for example, 71 per cent of the sample reported that someone had ‘let you know that he or she is always around if you need help with something’). Follow-up interviews were obtained on two further occasions over a period of one year, and significant changes in network structure and support mobilization were found. A decrease in non-family network size suggested greater reliance on close family and friends and a withdrawal from weaker ties with members of the community. Finally, the findings of this study emphasize the importance of incorporating a time dimension into research on the mobilization of support following a stressful life event such as job loss.
Needs for care among the long-term mentally ill: a report from the Camberwell High Contact Survey
Authors: Brewin C. R. , Wing J. K. , Mangen S. P. , Brugha T. S. , MacCarthy B. , Lesage A.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

We report the results of a survey of the needs for items of care of 145 long-term users of psychiatric day-hospitals and day-centres in Camberwell. The overall ratio of met to unmet need was almost exactly 5:1. Need was shown to vary according to chronicity, degree of participation, and placement in day-hospital or day-centre. Specific areas of functioning and specific types of care were identified in which there was significant overprovision or underprovision. The utility of our measures, and their ability to identify clinically significant unmet need, are discussed.
The use of cholecystokinin in schizophrenia: a review
Authors: Montgomery Stuart A. , Green Mary C. D.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a peptide originally isolated from the gut. It has been investigated as a candidate treatment for schizophrenia on the assumption that the illness is associated with an imbalance between CCK and dopamine in the mesolimbic dopamine system. Many of the studies to assess the efficacy of CCK used open designs and are prone to observer bias and over-optimistic reporting. Most of the studies used CCK as an adjunct to standard neuroleptic treatment and are too small to be able to demonstrate extra efficacy above that of the active compound. Only three out of ten studies using CCK or placebo as an adjunct to neuroleptics reported limited efficacy. Of the 14 placebo-controlled reports only three were in drug-free patients. These were unfortunately too small, or too brief, to draw valid conclusions of efficacy. A summary of these data suggests that although 500 patients have received CCK, its efficacy in the treatment of schizophrenia has not been properly tested.
Abnormal eating attitudes in London schoolgirls — a prospective epidemiological study: factors associated with abnormal response on screening questionnaires
Authors: Johnson-Sabine Eric , Wood Kathryn , Patton George , Mann Anthony , Wakeling Anthony
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

One thousand and ten unselected London state schoolgirls were screened by questionnaire to identify an ‘at risk’ cohort displaying abnormal eating attitudes and two control cohorts, one with probable general psychiatric morbidity, one without. Members of all cohorts were assessed at interview for the presence of eating disorder and for putative risk factors implicated in the development of anorexia nervosa. A prevalence rate of 0·99 % was detected for clinical eating disorder and 1·78 % for the partial syndrome of eating disorder. Factors specifically associated with abnormal eating attitudes were identified, in particular, current or past overweight, history of amenorrhoea and perceived stress in school and social life. Some commonly accepted risk factors for eating disorders were discovered to be associations with general psychiatric morbidity. These were perceived parental pressure to eat more, taking exercise to lose weight, perceived stress at home and reporting a family history of anxiety or depression. Other well reported putative risk factors for eating disorder, including social class, birth order, age at menarche, obsessional personality and weight related career choice were not associated specifically with abnormal eating attitudes in schoolgirls. These findings represent cross-sectional data at entry into a prospective epidemiological study.