New research into cholesterol-lowering statin drugs and serotonin-1A receptors may help explain the relationships between cholesterol levels and symptoms of… Read More
Richard Kogan, MD, always draws a crowd, whether he is presenting one of his hugely popular lectures at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) or performing brilliantly on the concert stage… Read More
Some see health care as a political or economic issue. They are correct, of course, on one level. But I believe that health care is fundamentally a moral issue… Read More
A survey of more than 500 long-term survivors of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) has revealed that more than one-third experience persistent or worsening... More »
The sexual abuse of children is a substantial social problem that affects large numbers of children and young people worldwide. For many children, though not all, it can result in a range of psychological and behavioural problems, some of which can cont...
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1. PSS. Book Reviews | May 01, 2012 . Post-traumaticStressDisorder. ... Post-traumaticStressDisorder. by Dan J.Stein, Matthew J.Friedman and Carlos Blanco; Oxford, United Kingdom, Wiley-Blackwell, 2011, 304 pages, $79.95.
A life threatening illness such as breast cancer can lead to a secondary diagnosis of PTSD (post traumaticstressdisorder) with intrusive thoughts and avoidance as major symptoms. In a former study by the research group, 80% of the patients with breast cancer reported a high level of stress symptoms close to the diagnosis, such as intrusive thoughts and avoidance behavior. These symptoms remained high throughout the study. The present paper presents the design of a randomized study evaluating the effecti
Childhood traumatic events: physical abuse, witnessing violence in the home, neglect and sexual assault. ... Mental health disorders ( defined using DSM-IV criteria): any mood disorder ( major depression, dysthymia, bipolar I, bipolar II), any anxiety
Although greater gender equality at the state-level is associated with fewer depressive symptoms in women after controlling for individual-level confounders, the extent to which state-level women's status is related to psychiatric disorders in women and gender differences in psychopathology has never been examined. We examined these associations in the current report.|We used data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (n=34,653), a national probability sample of US adults. Respondents completed structured diagnostic assessments of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders. We used generalized estimating equations to examine associations between four state-level indicators of women's status (political participation, employment/earnings, social/economic autonomy, and reproductive rights) and odds of 12-month mood and anxiety disorders among women. We also tested whether women's status predicted the magnitude of gender differences in psychiatric
This study assessed the distribution of posttraumatic stressdisorder (PTSD) symptoms and psychosis indicators among a large sample of individuals with a lifetime diagnosis of PTSD. The identification of a psychotic PTSD subtype was also predicted.|Using data from the National Comorbidity Survey a latent class analysis was conducted on the PTSD symptoms of intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal and the psychosis hallucination and delusion indicators.|Results indicated four latent classes, two of which had relatively high probabilities of endorsing the hallucination and delusion indicators. These classes were associated with a broad range of traumatic experiences. One particular class had high probabilities of endorsing both the psychosis indicators and the PTSD symptoms and was associated with a broad range of comorbid psychiatric disorders.|There was a candidate class that met the characteristics expected to be evident in a psychotic PTSD subtype.
The development of acute and posttraumatic stress symptoms after a traumatic event is common and often leads to personal distress, functional impairment, and economic consequences in trauma victims and their loved ones. Hence, the prevention of acute and chronic posttraumatic stress is an important public health priority. This article aims to review the current evidence regarding immediate (within hours) and early (within days and weeks) psychological and behavioral interventions to prevent posttraumatic stress symptoms.|Acute distress management, psychological debriefing and other immediate unspecific interventions within the first hours following a traumatic event have so far not demonstrated efficacy in preventing posttraumatic stress symptoms. So far, there are no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that have examined immediate trauma-focused cognitive behavioral interventions. In contrast, some, but not many, studies have shown that cognitive behavioral interventions are
HIV-infected individuals face a tremendous burden of psychiatric comorbidity. This study evaluates a community health care system's effort to screen for psychiatric disorders among patients at an HIV clinic and evaluate adherence to psychiatric service utilization.|Standardized screening measures were used to identify participants who met diagnostic symptom criteria for post-traumaticstressdisorder (PTSD), acute stressdisorder (ASD) and depression. All participants who screened positive were referred for psychiatric follow-up. Rates of utilization were measured and barriers to adherence were investigated.|Of the 210 participants, 118 patients met screening criteria for PTSD, ASD, and/or depression, and 116 of these had medical records available for review. Of the 116 patients with psychiatric comorbidity, 46.6% saw a psychiatrist and/or were prescribed a psychiatric medication. Thirty-two percent of Latinos, 40.5% of African Americans, and 38.5% of heterosexuals utilized referred
Second-generation Holocaust survivors might not show direct symptoms of posttraumatic stressdisorder or attachment disorganization, but are at risk for developing high levels of psychological distress. We present themes of difficult experiences of second-generation Holocaust survivors, arguing that some of these aversive experiences might have disorganizing qualities even though they do not qualify as traumatic. Based on in-depth interviews with 196 second-generation parents and their adolescent children, three themes of disorganizing experiences carried across generations were identified: focus on survival issues, lack of emotional resources, and coercion to please the parents and satisfy their needs. These themes reflect the frustration of three basic needs: competence, relatedness, and autonomy, and this frustration becomes disorganizing when it involves stability, potency, incomprehensibility, and helplessness. The findings shed light on the effect of trauma over the generations
The core symptoms of PTSD include re-experiencing of the traumatic event with intrusive thoughts and dreams, avoidance of reminders of the event, emotional numbing, hypervigilance, excessive startle response, and chronic ... 2. Yehuda R. Post-traumatic
Making Public Health Policy and Economics a Priority Bryan R. Fine, MD, MPH, May 21, 2012 Public health as an important part of an allopathic, clinical program may be intuitive to some, but implementing it is still a challenge.
Using Pinterest to Market Your Medical Practice Jenny Conviser, PsyD, May 18, 2012 Pinterest is quickly becoming the next big social media outlet, so here's an easy guide on how your practice can get online and connect with patients.
How to Close Your Medical Practice the Right Way Sue Jacques, May 16, 2012 Whether you've decided to retire, relocate, or retreat from practice, you can reduce the pain for your patients and staff by following these five guidelines.