Items addressed attitudes and behaviors of psychiatrists towards religion in relation to their clinical practice. Training in religious issues is lacking. Psychogeriatricians think that religion is relevant in the assessment and treatment of elderly patients. In view of the lack of training in religious issues, revisions to the psychiatric training curriculum would be appropriate. This would promote dialogue between psychiatrists and religious caregivers.
Aggressive behavior is common in nursing homes for the elderly.
It causes distress to carers and can lead to hospitalization, overmedication, and physical restraint. A 6-month prospective study examining the characteristics of aggressive subjects in 11 nursing homes in Melbourne using validated, reliable instruments. Aggressive behavior was associated with younger age, men, subsequent mortality, and prescription of psychotropic drugs including neuroleptics, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines. Student s t test resulted in a significant discriminant validity for the scale total score. Factor study with principal component analysis and varimax rotation gave rise to a structure with seven factors.