NeedsFixing

January 18, 2013

These articles illustrate the variety and complexity of problems associated with comorbidity in psychiatric disorder.

January 21, 2012

Special Report chairs discuss patient education and provide a brief overview of materials that provide an opportunity for patients to help themselves.

January 10, 2012

With appropriate educational strategies, psychiatrists can address and match diverse goals, competencies, preferences, and practical means of access.

September 09, 2011

Cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, or antidepressants can be effective treatments for major depression-despite their minimal separation from placebo/control therapies in clinical trials. This article argues that their specific efficacy has not been established.

June 23, 2011

There should be no quarrel over the reality of severe CFS as an instantiation of genuine disease, just as schizophrenia and major depression constitute real disease.

November 17, 2010

In this autobiographic work, Darryl Cunningham explains mental illness in a succinct and novel way. It is already proving to be of use to both health professionals and mental health service clients. Published in the UK this year, its US release is scheduled for February 2011.

June 26, 2010

As early as the 1970s, researchers and practitioners became increasingly aware of the necessity for services that would address the varied needs and treatment implications for consumers with the co-occurring disorders of substance abuse and mental illness. High percentages of consumers in substance abuse treatment centers were identified with mental illness disorders, and consumers admitted to psychiatric facilities often were identified as having additional substance use disorders.

March 05, 2010

On February 12, 2009, the US Court of Federal Claims issued a trio of long-awaited decisions in its Omnibus Autism Proceeding.1 The 3 were representative cases chosen from more than 5500 pending MMR/autism cases by the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee. Each presented the theory that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in combination with thimerosal, a mercury-based ingredient contained in some diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP), diphtheria-tetanus–acellular pertussis (DTaP), hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccines, causes autism. In nearly 700 combined pages that reviewed the scientific and epidemiological evidence, all 3 opinions determined that the plaintiffs had not demonstrated a link between these vaccines and autism.

January 07, 2010

On October 19, 2009, the Office of the Deputy US Attorney General issued a memorandum, “Investigations and Prosecutions in States Authorizing the Medical Use of Marijuana.”1 The memo announced a federal policy to abstain from investigating or prosecuting “individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana.” The memo made clear, however, that it did not “legalize marijuana or provide a legal defense to a violation of federal law.” Rather, it was “intended solely as a guide to the exercise of investigative and prosecutorial discretion.”

June 08, 2009

I first met 22-year-old “Linda” when she was brought to the emergency department (ED) after a drug overdose. Although the drug Linda had ingested-clonazepam-was a CNS depressant, she did not appear groggy or sedated. In fact, her speech was rapid and pressured; she showed marked psychomotor agitation, which was demonstrated by her twitching feet and the incessant twisting of her hair. This presentation suggested a paradoxical response to her medication. Her chief concern was, “I feel as if I am going to come out of my skin.” I was puzzled.