bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving the usefulness of the Karolinska Psychodynamic Profile in research: proposals from a reliability study
Authors: Haver B. , Svanborg P. , Lindberg S.
Published: August 2007

The interrater reliability of data obtained by use of the Karolinska Psychodynamic Profile (KAPP) was tested among 60 women seeking treatment for drinking problems. The first rater had a psychodynamic background but was minimally trained rating the KAPP subscales and performing KAPP interviews. Independent, blind ratings of audiotaped interviews by an experienced KAPP rater revealed that 8 of the subscales obtained satisfactory reliability, whereas 6 subscales showed unsatisfactory reliability. Furthermore, data for one subscale (normopathy) showed a zero correlation between raters, probably due to the novelty of the construct. Additionally 3 subscales related to bodily aspects were of little clinical significance among the present study group. Our data were compared with data from previous KAPP reliability studies, and the reasons for similarities and discrepancies of results are discussed.
Appearance, body image and distress in facial dysmorphophobia
Authors: Thomas C. S. , Goldberg D. P.
Published: August 2007

Compared with surgical patients awaiting rhinoplasty and control subjects, dysmorphophobic patients were more dissatisfied with facial appearance, more anxious, more depressed, more neurotic and less extrovert. Morphanalysis, an objective measure of facial appearance, was applied to the first 11 dysmorphophobic and first 11 surgical subjects. The dysmorphophobic group had a variety of abnormal features that were not identified by medical practitioners or the patient. These subtle anomalies were often unrelated to the focus of dissatisfaction which was usually normal. A panel of lay judges rated the appearance of the dysmorphophobic group as being intermediate between the control and surgical groups but not significantly different from either.
Obsessive‐compulsive disorder in children and adolescents: predictors in childhood for long‐term phenomenological course
Authors: Thomsen P. H.
Published: August 2007

Prediction of the phenomenological course of obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) in adulthood was determined in 47 probands referred in childhood for in‐ or outpatient treatment for OCD. The only factor that predicted a poor outcome, defined as the presence of OCD in adulthood, was severity of OCD in childhood, as measured by the duration of the obsessive‐compulsive symptoms. More females than males had an episodic course of OCD. However, just as many females as males had OCD, either chronically or episodically, in adulthood. Age of onset did not predict the phenomenological course of OCD.
Social phobia: the clinical efficacy and tolerability of the monoamine oxidase ‐A and serotonin uptake inhibitor brofaromine. A double‐blind placebo‐controlled study
Authors: Fahlén T. , Nilsson H. L. , Borg K. , Humble M. , Pauli U.
Published: August 2007

Seventy‐seven patients with a primary diagnosis of social phobia (DSM‐III‐R) were randomized to treatment with the reversible and selective monoamine oxidase type A inhibitor brofaromine (n= 37) or placebo (n= 40) for 12 weeks in a double‐blind trial. A fixed dose of 150 mg/day or a matching placebo was given after a 2‐week dose titration phase. Patients with additional diagnoses of simple phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, dysthymia or major depressive disorder currently in remission were accepted. Patients with other Axis I mental disorders were excluded. In the brofaromine group, 78% of the patients scored much or very much improved on the Clinical Global Impression scale compared with 23% in the placebo group. The anxiety and avoidance scores on the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) were significantly reduced in favor of brofaromine. The clinical effects were not significantly correlated with the plasma concentration of brofaromine. After 12 weeks the brofaromine group scored significantly Jower than the placebo group on a core depression part of the Montgomery‐Åsberg Depressid Rating Scale. After 12 weeks of treatment the brofaromine group had significantly higher total scores on the LSAS than an age‐ and gender‐matched group of healthy controls. The brofaromine group improved further during 9‐month follow‐up treatment period, whereas 60% of the placebo responders who continued long‐term treatment relapsed. The most common side effects in the brofaromine group were sleep disturbances, dry mouth and nausea.
Clinical evidence for genomic imprinting in bipolar I disorder
Authors: Grigoroiu‐Serbanescu M. , Nothen M. , Propping P. , Poustka F. , Magureanu S. , Vasilescu R. , Marinescu E. , Ardelean V.
Published: August 2007

The phenotypic indicators of the genomic imprinting model were applied to clinical psychopathology data on 100 bipolar (BP) I probands and their families. The paternal transmission was associated with a significantly younger age of onset of the BP illness in probands and a higher rate of affective disorders in first‐ and second‐degree relatives. The effect of the sex of the transmitting parent on age of onset in probands decreased but remained significant when controlling for the effect of the probands' age at investigation. Probands' sex had no significant influence on their age of onset. The severity of the BP illness in probands in terms of number of illness episodes and annual frequency was not influenced by the sex of the transmitting parent.
Childhood unwanted sexual events and degree of psychopathology of psychiatric patients: research with a new anamnestic questionnaire (the CHUSE)
Authors: Lange A. , Kooiman K. , Huberts L , van Oostendorp E.
Published: August 2007

By means of a recently constructed anamnestic instrument, the questionnaire Childhood Unwanted Sexual Events (the CHUSE), the incidence of childhood experiences with sexual threat and/or abuse is investigated among 152 female psychiatric patients. The construction and applicability of the questionnaire are described. A Guttman scale‐analysis shows a unidimensional construct (severity of the sexual abuse) for the CHUSE. Within this psychiatric population, sexually abused women report significantly more psychopathological symptoms than non‐abused women. The correlation between severity of the abuse and severity of the psychopathological symptoms is investigated. The use of questionnaires concerning sexual abuse is compared with the more common interview techniques, and suggestions for future research are given.
Renal, thyroid and parathyroid function during lithium treatment: laboratory tests in 207 people treated for 1–30 years
Authors: Kallner G. , Petterson U.
Published: August 2007

A total of 207 patients (diagnoses revised according to DSM‐HI‐R) attended our outpatient clinic and were treated with lithium for 1–30 years. They were subjected to conventional renal, thyroid and parathyroid function tests. With increasing treatment duration, the renal tests showed only moderate deviations from expected reference values. No patient developed renal insufficiency. Oversubstitution (thyrotropin ≤0.1 mU/l) was suspected in 25% of the patients on thyroxine. Cross‐sectionally unrecognized hypothyroidism was found in 6% of the patients. Elevated ionized serum calcium was found in 25% and elevated serum intact parathyroid hormone in 23% of the patients.
Relationships between mental disorders in childhood and adulthood
Authors: Rutter M.
Published: August 2007

Research findings on continuities and discontinuities in psychopathology between childhood and adult life are reviewed with respect to major depressive disorders, anxiety states, obsessional conditions, anorexia nervosa, conduct disorders, hyperkinetic disorders, autism, specific developmental disorders of language and schizophrenia. The findings are used to consider both the conceptual issues and possible mediating mechanisms.
The predictive value of depression in anorexia nervosa Results of a seven‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Herpertz‐Dahlmann B. M. , Wewetzer C. , Remschmidt H.
Published: August 2007

This study investigated the predictive value of depression in patients with adolescent anorexia nervosa. Thirty‐four anorectic inpatients were assessed for DSM‐III‐R comorbid major depression at admission and at 3‐year and 7‐year follow‐ups. Two standardized instruments, the Zung Self‐rating Depression Scale and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, were applied to improve objective rating of depression. The findings suggest that severity of depressive symptoms at admission does not correlate with the severity of depression at follow‐up, initial depressive psychopathology is not a valid prognostic indicator for the outcome of the eating disorder and at follow‐up there is a highly significant relationship between depression and the outcome of anorexia nervosa. Patients with persisting eating disorder are also very likely to suffer from comorbid depression.
Definite and undetermined forensic diagnoses of suicide among immigrants in Sweden
Authors: Ferrada‐Noli M. , Åsberq M. , Ormstad K. , Nordström P.
Published: August 2007

A total of 707 cases of violent death (suicide, undetermined mode or accident) occurring in 1990 were investigated at the Department of Forensic Medicine in Stockholm. The catchment area of the Department includes about 1.9 million people. Fourteen percent of the population in the area are immigrants. The largest single immigrant group was the 91,015 Finnish‐born inhabitants, who represented 33% of the overall immigrant population. Thirty percent of all undetermined deaths and 20% of the suicides were among people born outside Sweden. A significant overrepresentation of the largest immigrant group (Finnish‐born) was found in both the definite and undetermined suicide categories. There was also an overall overrepresentation of immigrants among the undetermined cases and a trend towards overrepresentation among definite suicides. Also, there was a significant overall overrepresentation of immigrants in the total cases of undetermined and definite suicide. Some psychosocial factors found predominant among the immigrant sample were social isolation, low social class and poor social network. The findings in this study indicates that immigrant status should be considered as a risk factor for suicide in Sweden. Previous reports on the high suicide rates among immigrants in Australia, Canada, Great Britain and the United States suggest that the overrepresentation of immigrants found in our study could represent a worldwide epidemiological trend related to voluntary and forced migration. Possible hypotheses that could explain this phenomenon are discussed.
Galactorrhea: subjective response by schizophrenic patients
Authors: Wesselmann U. , Windgassen K.
Published: August 2007

The frequency of galactorrhea and the subjective response to it were investigated in 150 schizophrenic patients. The incidence rate was 14% and the prevalence rate 19%. More than half the women experienced galactorrhea in connection with their femininity, with this side effect of neuroleptic therapy being rated more often as a positive effect, especially as a reinforcement of feminine identity or as an expression of the ability to conceive children. The overall response to galactorrhea was positive among 43% and negative among 20%, with the remaining patients tending towards indifference.
The patients' opinions about curative factors in involuntary treatment
Authors: Vartiainen H. , Vuorio O. , Halonen P. , Hakola P.
Published: August 2007

The patients' opinions about their treatment are seldom solicited in psychiatry. We studied the opinions of 225 patients about curative factors in their treatment in a maximum security hospital: 90% answered the questions, which evaluated 38 forms of treatment. The patients received help from free walking in the hospital area in 98% of the patients, holidays in 93%, a personal psychiatric nurse in 91%, trips in 91% communication in 88%, personnel's support in 87% and a psychiatrist in 86%. Medication was considered helpful in 77% and even restriction or isolation in 36% of the patients. If the patient experienced help from the psychiatrist, the cross‐tabulation revealed that she or he also received help from many other treatment forms, even from the isolation. Help from the personal psychiatric nurse and medication depended on many other treatment forms. The most helpful treatment factors experienced were liberties and interactive treatment forms.
First admission with puerperal psychosis: 7–14 years of follow‐up
Authors: Videbech P. , Gouliaev G.
Published: August 2007

The aim of this study was to investigate women who had first‐episode psychosis within 1 year after parturition. The Danish Psychiatric Central Register and the Danish Medical Birth Register were linked to identify all women admitted for the first time to a psychiatric department in Århus County with a psychotic episode. Fifty cases were found, giving a frequency of first‐episode psychosis within 1 year after delivery of 1 per 1000. First‐episode psychotic disease within the first month postpartum occurred in 1 case per 2000 deliveries. The age distribution corresponded to that of the background population, but the cases were primiparous more often than expected. The socioeconomic status was equal to that of a matched control group of obstetric patients. Birth complications did not occur more frequently than expected, but the probands had a higher risk of preterm delivery than the controls. The clinical picture of the index episode was that of manic‐depressive psychosis in nearly half of the cases, but no cases of schizophrenia were found. Sixty percent of the patients had a picture of severe depression, and 20% suffered from manic disorder. The follow‐up, 7 to 14 years later, was carried out by interviewing the general practitioners. Forty percent of the women had not preserved full working capacity due to mental disorder. Moreover, the follow‐up pointed to schizophreniform symptoms at the index episode as a predictor of incapacity to work. Recurrences were very common (60%), especially of the nonpuerperal type, and half of the recurrences belonged to the manic‐depressive disorders. Schizophrenia was diagnosed in one case at the follow‐up. Cases with exclusively puerperal episodes were rare (4%).
Dermatoglyphic patterns in schizophrenic patients
Authors: Varma S. L. , Chary T. V. R. , Singh S. , Azhar M.Z. , Dharap A.S.
Published: August 2007

Schizophrenics (n= 250) and normal controls (n= 90) were studied to investigate and compare their dermatoglyphic patterns. Their fingerprint patterns were studied. The frequency of arches in the patient and control groups was similar. The frequency of loops in the control group was higher than in the patient group, and the trend was consistent in all the digits. The whorls in the patient group showed an increase over the control group in all the digits, although this finding was not statistically significant.
Relationship of parental bonding to child abuse and dissociation in eating disorders in Japan
Authors: Berger D. , Ono Y. , Saito S. , Tezuka I. , Takahashi Y. , Uno M. , Ishikawa Y. , Kuboki T. , Asai M. , Suematsu H.
Published: August 2007

Parental bonding patterns were studied in 52 female Japanese eating disorder outpatients with and without histories of sexual or physical abuse and with dissociation. Instruments included the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) and the Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule (DDIS). Those with physical abuse history, but not sexual abuse history, had significantly different parental bonding scores and higher DES scores compared with subjects without physical abuse. DES scores and PBI scores were not correlated. Although the PBI was useful in discriminating between those with and those without abuse histories, it did not detect differences in degree of dissociation. Lack of association of sexual abuse to PBI and DES scores may have been due to mild abuse.
Predictive validity of subtypes of chronic affective disorders derived by cluster analysis
Authors: Furukawa T. , Awaji R. , Nakazato H. , Sumita Y.
Published: August 2007

This study aimed to examine the predictive validity of the cluster‐analytically derived 3 subtypes of chronic affective disorders that were proposed on the basis of cross‐sectional symptoms and were shown to have some external validity with regard to psychosocial characteristics. Two‐year naturalistic follow‐up data were available for 38 (97%) of the original 39 patients with chronic affective disorders. The 3 subtypes, which were named psychotic subtype, late‐onset female subtype and depressive personality subtype in the previous analyses, did not differ in their depressive severity or social functioning upon entry. In the course of the 2‐year follow‐up, however, there were significant differences in the Global Assessment of Functioning scores as well as the social adaptation in the economic sphere according to the Social Adjustment Scale‐Self Report. All these indices revealed the psychotic subtype to have the worst outcome, followed by the depressive personality subtype, and the late‐onset female subtype fared best.
Yale‐Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and US National Institute of Mental Health Global Obsessive Compulsive Scale in Turkish: reliability and validity
Authors: Tek C. , Uluǧ B. , Rezaki B. Gürsoy , Tanriverdi N. , Mercan S. , Demir B. , Vargel S.
Published: August 2007

Fifteen patients with DSM‐III‐R diagnosis of obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) were rated according to the Turkish version of the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y‐BOCS) and the US National Institute of Mental Health Global Obsessive Compulsive Scale (NIMH‐GOCS) by 7 raters independently from audiotaped interviews. Patients also completed the Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (MOCI). Interrater reliability of Y‐BOCS and NIMH‐GOCS were very good as well as correlations between these two scales. The correlations of MOCI with Y‐BOCS and NIMH‐GOCS were not significant. We found Y‐BOCS and NIMH‐GOCS to be reliable and valid instruments in assessing the severity of OCD. These findings suggest that MOCI may not be a suitable instrument for assessing the severity of OCD.
Seasonal variation of depressive symptoms in Antarctica
Authors: Palinkas L. A. , Cravalho M. , Browner D.
Published: August 2007

Symptom characteristics and risk factors for seasonal variation in depressive symptoms were prospectively examined in 119 men and women who overwintered in Antarctica. Over a 12‐month period, this cohort reported significant increases in their global depressive symptom scores as well as several individual symptoms associated with winter depression. Summer depression and marital status were significant independent predictors of winter depression. Factor analyses of summer and winter symptoms revealed a set of symptoms traditionally associated with the winter‐over experience in a distinct factor not found in summer. These results indicate that even asymptomatic, clinically normal populations experience seasonal variation in mood in high‐latitude environments. However, this seasonal variation may be the result of social isolation during the winter months rather than the prolonged absence of sunlight.
Is there a pathophysiological and therapeutic link between panic disorder and epilepsy?
Authors: Dantendorfer K. , Amering M. , Baischer W. , Berger P. , Steinberger K. , Windhaber J. , Katschnig H.
Published: August 2007

Relations between panic disorder (PD) and epilepsy (E) have repeatedly been discussed. Three patients with juvenile E who had been free of seizures under anticonvulsant medication for many years and developed PD are presented. Increasing anticonvulsant medication resulted in complete and stable remission of PD. It is hypothesized that, in a subgroup of patients with PD, there is a pathophysiological relation to E. Further research into the usefulness of anticonvulsants in the treatment of PD, especially in 1 therapy‐refractory cases, is suggested.
The Reactivity of Psychosis Rating Form (RPRF): background, development and psychometrics
Authors: Guldberg C. A. , Dahl A. A. , Bertelsen A. , Hansen H. , Haslerud J. , Hytten K. , Narud K.
Published: August 2007

The ICD‐10 and DSM‐IV classifications have both given low priority to “reactivity” to acute stress as a classificatory principle for functional psychoses. In Scandinavia, reactivity is still considered an important factor in the development of such psychoses. Reactivity is a complex concept, and its various components are historically examined. The Reactivity of Psychosis Rating Form (RPRF) was developed in order to operationalize reactivity. Seven of the 10 elements of RPRF can be rated reliably. Factor analysis of the RPRF yields three factors: stressor, onset and change, that also show high interrater reliability. Our results indicate that RPRF has both construct and discriminant validity. Further studies with the RPRF may elucidate the true status of reactivity in functional psychoses.
Treatment of manic episodes: Zuclopenthixol and Clonazepam versus Lithiim and Clonazepam
Authors: Gouliaev G. , Licht R. W. , Vestergaard P. , Merinder L. , Lund H. , Bjerre L.
Published: August 2007

For the treatment of acute mania, no single drug is sufficiently effective in daily clinical routine for all patients. Drug combinations are often prescribed but poorly investigated. The present study examined whether a treatment with a neuroleptic drug (zuclopenthixol) combined with a benzodiazepine (clonazepam) was superior to a treatment with lithium and the same benzodiazepine (lithium citrate and clonazepam). Twenty‐eight hospitalized patients with a DSM‐III‐R manic episode were included, randomized to fixed drug doses and observed up to 28 days. Degree of mania, side effects and patients satisfaction with the treatment were registered. Approximately two thirds of the patients improved fully or partially on both drug combinations. Furthermore no statistically significant differences were found regarding acceptance and tolerance of the two drug combinations. The present drug combination are only two among several which deserve a thorough examination in order to prevent a random polypharmacy for treatment of mania.
Prefrontal neuropsychological impairment and illness duration in Schizophrenia: a study of 204 patients in Hong Kong
Authors: Chen E. Y. H. , Lam L. C. W. , Chen R. Y. L. , Nguyen D. G. H. , Chan C. K. Y.
Published: August 2007

Previous studies investigating the progression of neuropsychological impairment in schizophrenia have yielded conflicting results. We compared prefrontal neuropsychological function and other cognitive performance in a larger sample of schizophrenic patients with different duration of illness. The inclusion of a normal control group also allowed the effect of age to be taken into account. Performance in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and semantic fluency were both impaired at an early stage in the illness and did not significantly deteriorate as the illness duration increased. Against this background there was preliminary evidence for deterioration in verbal memory function. The data support a lack of progression in prefrontal dysfunction and in most other cognitive domains.
Suicide attempts among Inuit youth: a community survey of prevalence and risk factors
Authors: Kirmayer L. J. , Malus M. , Boothroyd L. J.
Published: August 2007

The prevalence of and risk factors for attempted suicide and suicidal ideation were examined with a survey of 99 Inuit, aged 14–25 years, residing in a community in Northern Québec. A total of 34% of survey respondents reported a previous suicide attempt, and 20% had attempted suicide more than once. A suicide attempt had resulted in injury in about 11 % of those surveyed. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was also very high: 43% of subjects reported past thoughts of suicide, and 26% had had suicidal thoughts during the month before the survey. Risk factors for suicide attempts included male gender, having a friend who had attempted or committed suicide, a history of being physically abused, a history of solvent abuse, and having a parent with an alcohol or drug problem. Protective factors included a family history of having received treatment for a psychiatric problem, more frequent church attendance, and a high level of academic achievement. While individuals in the community who are at high risk for suicide can be targeted for preventive measures, the high prevalence and effect of family problems on likelihood of suicide attempts indicate the need for family‐ and community‐based approaches.
Screening and treating depressed patients. A comparison of two controlled citalopram trials across treatment settings: hospitalized patients vs. patients treated by their family doctors
Authors: Fuglum E. , Rosenberg C. , Damsbo N. , Stage K. , Lauritzen L. , Bech P. ,   Danish University Antidepressant Group
Published: August 2007

This study is a comparison across treatment settings of two previously published trials, namely the Danish University Antidepressant Group (DUAG) study on citalopram vs. clomipramine in hospitalized patients with major depression, and the Nordic citalopram vs. imipramine study of depressed patients treated by their family doctors. The Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM‐D) had the same level of inter‐rater reliability and construct validity in the two settings. Using a HAM‐D score of 7 or less as the criterion for full remission, clomipramine was superior to imipramine and citalopram. Using a reduction of the baseline HAM‐D score by 50% or more as a response criterion, there were no differences between the three antidepressants after 5 or 6 weeks of treatment. Citalopram showed superior tolerability to the tricyclic antidepressants.
Six‐year follow‐up of thyroid function during lithium treatment
Authors: Bocchetta A. , Cherchi A. , Loviselli A. , Mossa P. , Velluzzi F. , Derai R. , Del Zompo M.
Published: August 2007

A cohort of patients at various stages of lithium treatment was followed up for 6 years in order to evaluate the course of thyroid abnormalities. Ultrasonography confirmed that lithium can increase thyroid size, especially in cigarette smokers, and that it can affect the texture of the gland. However, the incidence of clinical hypothyroidism or specific thyroid autoimmunity does not exceed that found in the general population. Repeated determinations of thyrotrophin (TSH) concentrations can prevent clinically relevant consequences. Addition of carbamazepine to lithium can counteract lithium‐induced subclinical hypothyroidism, possibly improving prophylactic efficacy in recurrent affective disorders.
The Kleinian Psychoanalytic Diagnostic Scale (revised version): presentation and study of reliability*
Authors: Aguilar J. , Mauri L. , Salamero M. , Amadei P. , Ballo M. , Beneitez I. , Boada C. , Busani F. , Coromina J. , Grimalt M. A. , Marzani C. , Miquel C. , Montoli R. , Noguera R. , Rueda M. , Oliva M. V. , Rinaldi B. , Viloca LI.
Published: August 2007

The Kleinian Psychoanalytic Diagnostic Scale (KPDS) is a psychodiagnostic instrument of assessment based on the psychoanalytical theory of object relations. It was created in order to introduce an intrapsychic and relational dimension into the clinical research on and epidemiology of psychiatric diagnosis. It consists of 15 subscales grouped into the following four dimensions: ‘Ego Abilities’; ‘Projective Identification’; ‘Paranoid‐Schizoid’; and ‘Depressive’. These dimensions constitute different, relatively stable aspects of the mental life of the subject, their demarcation and description permitting the obtention of a chart and profile of the intrapsychic and relational structure. Following several free, unstructured interviews the scale is assessed on the basis of what the subject says and what the rater may detect in the relationship. The inter‐rater reliability of the scale, its stability over a time lapse, as well as its internal consistency have all been shown to be high.
Contrasts in neuropsychological test profile between patients with first‐eoisode schizophienia and first‐episohe affective disorders
Authors: Albus M. , Hubmann W. , Wahlheim C. , Sobizack N. , Franz U. , Mohr F.
Published: August 2007

Patients with first‐episode (FE) schizophrenia (n=27), unipolar depression (n=10) and bipolar disorder (n=17) and age‐ and gender‐matched healthy control subjects (n=27) were administered a battery of neuropsychological (NP) tests. FE schizophrenics performed significantly less well than patients with affective disorders in the area of visual motor processing and attention. Affective disorder patients without psychotic features did not perform significantly differently to controls. However, affective disorder patients with psychotic features performed as poorly as schizophrenics, with the most pronounced impairment in the area of visual motor processing and attention. Our data tentatively suggest the existence of a dichotomy in neuropsychological impairment, with psychotic patients showing similar neuropsychological deficits, while non‐psychotic affective patients perform comparably to controls.
Family violence among psychiatric in‐patients as measured by the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS)
Authors: Bergman B. , Ericsson E.
Published: August 2007

The aim of this study was to analyse the frequency and pattern of family (domestic) violence in a group of psychiatric in‐patients by using the Conflict Tactics Scale. The study is based on a consecutive series of 55 married or cohabiting psychiatric in‐patients treated at Huddinge Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden in 1994. The study shows that males and females use similar types of both violent and non‐violent strategies when trying to solve marital conflicts. Depressed patients use both non‐violent and violent methods less often than non‐depressed patients, while the opposite is true for patients with a personality disorder, and for schizophrenics. Psychosocial stressors appear to be of limited importance in this context, while poor general functioning is associated with destructive ways of trying to solve conflicts between husband and wife. However, there have been no Scandinavian population‐based studies to establish the frequency and type of violence used when trying to solve marital conflicts. Thus there is a need for such studies, and the present investigation supports the American experience that the Conflict Tactics Scale is a usable and easily administered instrument for population‐based studies.
Citalopram as an adjuvant in chronic schizophrenia: a double‐blind placebo‐controlled study
Authors: Salokangas R. K. R. , Saarijärvi S. , Taiminen T. , Kallioniemi H. , Lehto H. , Niemi H. , Tuominen J. , Ahola V. , Syvälahti E.
Published: August 2007

The effects of citalopram — the most selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor on the market — on psychopathological symptoms were studied in chronic schizophrenic patients on a stable regimen of neuroleptic medication. Outpatients suffering from schizophrenic disorder (DSM‐III‐R) with Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) scores higher than 50 were included in a double‐blind placebo‐controlled add‐on study. The daily dose of citalopram was 20 mg in the first week and 40 mg for the remaining period. A total of 90 patients (45 patients receiving citalopram and 45 receiving placebo) completed the 12‐week trial. There were no changes in neuroleptic plasma levels during the trial. There was a significant decrease in total PANNS scores during the trial, although no statistically significant differences between the citalopram group and the placebo group were revealed. The number of responders in terms of severity of illness (CGI) was higher and the increase in subjective well‐being (VAS) was greater in patients on citalopram than in those receiving placebo. There were no significant differences in the occurrence of side‐effects. It is concluded that, in chronic schizophrenic out‐patients, citalopram has no clear effect on the psychopathological symptoms; it may improve the general clinical condition, and it appears to increase the subjective well‐being of these patients. Citalopram appears to be safe when used to treat schizophrenic patients who are receiving concomitant neuroleptic treatment.
Depression Scale (DEPS) among suicide attempters
Authors: Taiminen T. J. , Saarijärvi S. , Helenius H. , Keskinen A. , Korpilahti T. , Salokangas R. K. R.
Published: August 2007

The Depression Scale (DEPS), a new screening instrument for detecting depression in primary health care, was compared with the Hamilton Depression Scale (HDS) among 50 suicide attempters. Using the HDS as a gold standard, the positive and negative predictive values of the DEPS for the diagnosis of depression were 98% and 20%, respectively. The correlation between the total HDS scores and the total DEPS scores was 0.60. The DEPS may help general practitioners to detect depression among suicide attempters, but it should not be used to exclude depression.
Seasonal variation of mood and behaviour in a healthy middle‐aged population in Japan
Authors: Okawa M. , Shirakawa S. , Uchiyama M. , Oguri M. , Kohsaka M. , Mishima K. , Sakamoto K. , Inoue H. , Kamei K. , Takahashi K.
Published: August 2007

A population survey of seasonality in six representative cities in Japan was conducted using the Japanese version of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). The questionnaires were given to 951 parents (male: female ratio 1 : 1 age range 34‐59 years) of high‐school students. Significant regional differences in seasonal variations of mood, length of sleep, and weight were observed; the proportion of individuals reporting high seasonality in the two northern cities was significantly higher than that in the other areas. These results provide evidence for a northern predominance in the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder in Japan.
Antisaccadic eye movements and attentional asymmetry in schizophrenia in three Pacific populations
Authors: Allen J. S. , Lambert A. J. , Johnson F. Y. Attah , Schmidt K. , Nero K. L.
Published: August 2007

Antisaccadic eye movements were examined in 50 patients with schizophrenia and in 77 controls in three Pacific populations, namely New Zealand, Palau and Papua New Guinea. Despite the great biocultural variation encompassed by these three populations, schizophrenic patients made significantly more antisaccadic errors than controls (36% vs. 13%), as has been demonstrated previously in other populations. This neurocognitive deficit may be consistent with frontal lobe dysfunction in schizophrenia. In addition, patients with schizophrenia made significantly more errors than expected when the target was presented in the right visual field (RVF). This trend was observed in patients from all three study areas, and was not seen in any of the control populations. Antisaccadic test performance in schizophrenia may be influenced by lateralized (left hemisphere) neuroanatomical impairment.
Validity of DSM‐III‐R diagnosis by psychological autopsy: a comparison with clinician ante‐mortem diagnosis
Authors: Kelly T. M. , Mann J. J.
Published: August 2007

Psychological autopsies are an important research tool in establishing risk factors associated with suicide. We report the results of a validity study comparing psychological autopsy‐generated DSM‐III‐R diagnoses in suicides and non‐suicides with chart diagnoses generated by clinicians who had treated the subjects prior to death. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐III‐R Disorders (SCID‐P) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐III‐R Personality Disorders (SCID‐II) were used to make independent post‐mortem diagnoses. Comparison of research diagnoses with clinician ante‐mortem diagnoses generated kappa coefficients of 0.85 for Axis I diagnoses and 0.65 for Axis II conditions. These kappa coefficients compare favourably with direct patient interview reliability studies. This provides evidence for the validity of the psychological autopsy as a method of determining psychiatric diagnosis.
Specific P300 features in patients with cycloid psychosis
Authors: Strik W. K. , Fallgatter A. J. , Stoeber G. , Franzek E. , Beckmann H.
Published: August 2007

In previous studies, low amplitudes and asymmetrical topography with right‐sided peaks of the P300‐evoked response have been repeatedly described in schizophrenic patients. A total of 18 patients with cycloid psychosis fulfilling the criteria of Perris and Brockington and 18 controls were investigated with a standard auditory odd‐ball paradigm and multichannel‐evoked potential recordings. Patients had normal P300 topographies and latencies but significantly higher amplitudes than controls. Higher than normal P300 amplitudes have not been described in any other psychiatric disorder until now, and indicate an enhanced level of arousal. Future studies are expected to shed light on the question of whether high P300 amplitudes are transitory sequelae of the acute psychotic episode or a trait of cycloid psychosis.
A prospective 1–5 year outcome study in first‐admitted and readmitted schizophrenic patients; relationship to heredity, premorbid adjustment, duration of disease and education level at index admission and neuroleptic treatment
Authors: Wieselgren I.‐M. , Lindström L. H.
Published: August 2007

Wieselgren, I‐M, Lindström LH. A prospective 1–5 year outcome study in first‐admitted and readmitted schizophrenic patients; relationship to heredity, premorbid adjustment, duration of disease and education level at index admission and neuroleptic treatment. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1996: 93: 9–19. © Munksgaard 1996.

In a prospective outcome study, 120 DSM‐III‐R schizophrenic patients were followed for up to 5 years after index admission, when a comprehensive clinical and demographical examination was undertaken with the aim to find early prognostic factors for outcome. They were 86 males (72%) and 34 females (28%), and 66 (55%) were first‐admitted and never before treated at index admission from a geographically defined area. Outcome was evaluated 1, 3 and 5 years after index admission by use of a Strauss‐Carpenter outcome scale. At year five, 101 patients could be evaluated. Seven (7%) patients had committed suicide during the 5 years' follow‐up period. 30% of the patients was considered to have a good, 14% a poor and 56% an intermediate outcome. It was found that 58% had not been in hospital during the last year, 27% were employed on the open market, 25% met friends regularly and 38%) had no or only mild symptoms at the five years' follow‐up evaluation. Females had a significantly better outcome than males. High education level and absence of premorbid deviant behaviour at index admission predicted a good outcome whereas problems in school (with friends and/or teachers) reported by relatives predicted poor outcome. No relationship was found between outcome and age at onset of the disorder and no gender difference in age at onset of the disorder. Patients with a family history of schizophrenia improved more between year one and five as compared with those without a family history, but heredity in itself was not an important factor for outcome. At 5 years after index admission, 40% of patients were on classical neuroleptics and 33% on clozapine whereas 19% were without medication. Of the total sample of 101 patients, 10% were drug‐free and had a very good outcome at the 5 years' evaluation. The data indicate that there is a substantial subgroup of schizophrenic patients with a good prognosis and they can be characterized by female sex (even in a group without gender difference in age at onset), absence of premorbid deviant behaviour and a high education level at index admission.
Parental divorce and depression in young adulthood: adolescents' closeness to parents and self‐esteem as mediating factor
Authors: Palosaari U. , Aro H. , Laippala P.
Published: August 2007

Palosaari U, Aro H, Laippala P. Parental divorce and depression in young adulthood: adolescents' closeness to parents and self‐esteem as mediating factor. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1996: 93: 20–26. © Munksgaard 1996.

The mediating factors between childhood experience of parental divorce and subsequent depression in young adulthood were assessed in a follow‐up study of one Finnish urban age cohort from the age of 16 to 22 (n = 1656). Depression was found to be more common among the offspring of divorced families. Low self‐esteem at age 16 was an indicator of vulnerability to depression in young adulthood irrespective of family background or gender. Among girls the long‐term impact of divorce was mediated via low self‐esteem and lack of closeness to father. When the relationship with the father was close, no excess risk of depression was found among girls from divorced families. Conversely, in boys no statistical connection between low self‐esteem or unsatisfactory relationship with parents and depression after parental divorce was found.
Confirmatory and disconfirmatory family communication as predictor of offspring socio‐emotional functioning. A 10 to 14 year follow‐up of children at risk
Authors: Wichstrøm L. , Anderson A. M. Chmielewski , Holte A. , Husby R. , Wynne L C.
Published: August 2007

Wichstrøm L, Chmielewski Anderson AM, Holte A, Husby R, Wynne LC. Confirmatory and disconfirmatory family communication as predictor of offspring socio‐emotional functioning. A 10 to 14 year follow‐up of children at risk. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1996: 93: 49–56. © Munksgaard 1996.

Forty‐nine families from the University of Rochester Child and Family Study were followed up 10 to 14 years after initial assessment. Two inclusion criteria were applied: at least one of the parents should have been hospitalized for a functional psychiatric disorder before initial assessment and the male index offspring should be 18 years or older at follow‐up. Family communication was observed by the Consensus Rorschach procedure and coded with the Confirmation‐Disconfirmation Coding System. Offspring childhood social competence was rated by peers, teachers and parents. Outcome measures included the Denver Community Mental Health Questionnaire, the Global Assessment Scale and hospitalization for a psychiatric disorder. Results showed that the family's level of confirmation and disconfirmation communication during Consensus Rorschach at initial testing predicted offspring interpersonal functioning and hospitalization for psychiatric disorders. These findings were not due to the initial social competence or IQ of the child, the level of functional impairment in parents or their social class
Effect of pharmacotherapy on serum cholesterol levels in patients with panic disorder
Authors: Shioiri T. , Fujii K. , Someya T. , Takahashi S.
Published: August 2007

Shioiri T, Fuji K, Someya T, Takahashi S. Effect of pharmacotherapy on serum cholesterol levels in patients with panic disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1996: 93: 164–167. © Munksgaard 1996.

It is unclear whether elevated cholesterol level is a complication of panic disorder (PD) or is associated with pharmacotherapy. We compared the total cholesterol (TC) level in 47 PD patients with that in 47 gender‐ and age‐matched normal controls (NC), and we also examined the pre‐ and post‐treatment TC levels. There was no sex difference in TC. Before pharmacotherapy, the mean TC level in the PD group (194.9 ± 39.6 mg/dl) was non‐significantly higher than that in the NC group (190.5±26.7 mg/dl). The mean TC level in the PD group was significantly reduced following the pharmacotherapy (post‐TC: 184.7± 31.0 mg/dl; t= 2.44, P<0.02), and the subgroup treated with alprazolam (n = 26) showed markedly significant decrease of TC after the treatment (t= 2.36, P<0.03). The TC level in the PD subgroup with agoraphobia (n= 24, 198.9 ± 37.9 mg/dl) was slightly higher than that in the group without agoraphobia (n= 23, 190.8±41.6 mg/dl). These findings suggest that there is a relationship between cholesterol levels and treatment in PD.
Accuracies and inaccuracies of the family history method: a multivariate approach
Authors: Roy M.‐A. , Walsh D. , Kendler K. S.
Published: August 2007

Roy M‐A, Walsh D, Kendler KS. Accuracies and inaccuracies of the family history method: a multivariate approach.

Scand 1996: 93: 224–234. © Munksgaard 1996.

This paper reports on 1459 first‐degree relatives of probands with schizophrenia or affective illness and matched community controls. We sought (i) to validate psychiatric diagnoses obtained by family history (FH) against those obtained by a best estimate (BE) procedure based on personal interview and (ii) to explore the factors influencing the accuracy of the FH report. We found relatively poor agreement between the FH and BE diagnoses, and the disagreements were influenced by numerous factors, including gender, psychiatric status of the informant or proband's diagnosis. When validated against a BE diagnosis, the overall accuracy of the FH method is relatively poor, and is furthermore subject to several biases. Therefore, substituting the FH method for BE diagnosis may be an important source of error in the investigation of familial/genetic factors in psychiatric disorders.

Earlier versions of this paper were presented at the Canadian Psychiatric Association Meeting (1993), at the International Congress in Psychiatric Genetics, (1993), at the Behavior Genetics Association Meeting (1994) and the Congress of the International Genetic Epidemiology Society (1994). An earlier version of this paper received the 1993 R.O. Jones award for the best paper by a regular member of the Canadian Psychiatric Association.
Parasuicide in Pakistan: experience at a university hospital
Authors: Khan M. M. , Islam S. , Kundi A. K.
Published: August 2007

Khan MM, Islam S, Kundi AK. Parasuicide in Pakistan: experience at a university hospital.

Scand 1996: 93: 2644267. © Munksgaard 1996.

There have been few reports of parasuicide from Pakistan, where the act is considered to be a criminal offence and the Islamic religion strongly disapproves of it. In order to address the problem, a retrospective case report analysis of all index cases of parasuicide presenting over a period of 3.5 years to a university hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, was undertaken. Our results showed that most of the subjects were young adults, with married women representing the single largest group. Self‐poisoning with medication was the most common method, and benzodiazepines the most frequently used drug. Interpersonal conflict with the opposite sex was the most common precipitating cause. In Pakistani culture, marriage appears to be a significant source of stress for women. Reports based on official police records do not reflect the true picture of the problem in Pakistan.
Psvchotheraw and bulimia nervosa: eviluation and long‐term follow‐up of two conflict‐orientated treatment conditions
Authors: Jäger B. , Liedtke R. , Künsebeck H.‐W. , Lempa W. , Kersting A. , Seide L.
Published: August 2007

Jäger B, Liedtke R, Künsebeck H‐W, Lempa W, Kersting A, Seide L. Psychotherapy and bulimia nervosa: evaluation and long‐term follow‐up of two conflict‐orientated treatment conditions. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1996: 93: 268–278. © Munksgaard 1996.

Analytic in‐patient therapy (n = 32) and systemic out‐patient therapy (n = 39) were applied to patients with bulimia nervosa, and the effects were evaluated 14, 26 and 38 months after the start of the treatments. Our assumptions about the general efficacy of both conflict‐orientated techniques were confirmed: both therapies satisfactorily reduced the symptomatic behaviour, as well as secondary factors related to bulimia nervosa, in the long term. However, we could not identify differential effects of the two treatment regimes, which we had expected with regard to the very different therapeutic approaches. The similarities of outcome of both therapies predominate, with slightly better results in the case of the analytic in‐patient treatment. The results are discussed with regard to the assumption that specific healing factors are involved in conflict‐orientated treatments in addition to the ‘common factors’ of psychotherapy.