News

APA Annual Meeting Highlights New Research

With more and more Americans engaging in gambling activities, odds are high that psychiatrists may see patients who have some sort of gambling problem. What can be done about this problem, and how can these patients best be treated?

Smoking is not only a comorbid condition for schizophrenia; it may also have an effect on other psychiatric conditions.

America's policy regarding illegal drugs has been accused of being a failure and being racially biased against blacks and other minorities. The author asserts that while drugs and crime exist in all parts of the society, problem-generating drug use and serious crime are indeed concentrated among the urban poor, some of whom are black. He further explores what this disproportionate drug-related suffering means when it comes to the provision of addiction treatment, law enforcement resources and other responses to the problems spawned by addiction.

This article presents addictive behavior as a chronic illness rather than an acute illness. Studies of characteristics and treatment of addiction, similar to that of other chronic illnesses, are discussed.

Despite assertions by the manufacturers of generic clozapine that their products are equivalent to Clozapine, two new studies presented at the 2000 APA meeting have raised questions about the drugs' assessment ratings.

Results from the 1999 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse show significant increases in rates of prescription drug abuse. Other surveys show similar findings. An overview of the most commonly abused drugs and suggestions for preventing abuse are reviewed.

Although comprehensive theories of addiction recognize the etiological importance of environmental and cognitive factors, it has been widely accepted for many years that addiction is also a brain disease and that individuals differ in their susceptibility to this condition.

With new pharmaceuticals entering into the market, sales calls on psychiatrists rose 5% from October 1998 to October 1999. Increasingly, industry-supported dinners, meetings and educational activities are the norm, with physicians leading the lectures. Meanwhile, the reps often have useful information for the practicing clinician, such as new treatment options and how to dilute or split medications to make them easier to take or cost less.

Psychiatrist Bennet B. Braun, who claims his career was destroyed when his APA liability insurance provider settled a malpractice suit against his wishes, has now sued the APA, holding them liable for his losses.

How much information do insurance companies need in order to reimburse psychiatrists? Should they be allowed access to therapy notes? These questions have sparked a battle in North Carolina that may affect the patient-psychiatrist relationship.

Sunday Parade - Poetry of the Times

On Oct. 8, 2000, Erwin Angres, M.D., passed away at the age of 89.

The totalitarian system as we know it today may also be called 'managerial capitalism' since the decisions dictated by technical and economic considerations are no longer hampered by the rights of ownership and title holders. Yet it should be emphasized, speaking of 'managers,' that the true technical directors have nowhere acquired the disposing power of technocrats; the real power rests mainly with economic and business managers. This was written by H. Bruggers in 1941 in his "Stages of Totalitarian Economy," in the publication Living Marxism.

The totalitarian system as we know it today may also be called 'managerial capitalism' since the decisions dictated by technical and economic considerations are no longer hampered by the rights of ownership and title holders. Yet it should be emphasized, speaking of 'managers,' that the true technical directors have nowhere acquired the disposing power of technocrats; the real power rests mainly with economic and business managers. This was written by H. Bruggers in 1941 in his "Stages of Totalitarian Economy," in the publication Living Marxism.

More patients are reaching the old-old demographic-those age 75 and above-with psychiatric conditions such as treatment-resistant depression. Research has shown that with some careful screening and precautions, ECT is a safe, effective treatment option for these patients.

Dementia produces significant dependency and contributes to costly long-term care; depression contributes to high rates of suicide; and both contribute to lower quality of life and higher disability among older patients. Therefore, researchers are eager to find new ways of preventing and treating these conditions. Studies currently underway include evaluating the role of health specialists in treating depressed patients, looking at bereavement and its effects on patients, and the role of estrogen, vitamin E, NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors in preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease.

As the population ages, psychiatrists will need to take a more proactive role in preventing, diagnosing and treating elder abuse. This article looks at the definition of elder abuse and the history of reporting it, research findings on the effects of abuse on mortality, and needs for the future.

In addition to reports on psychotherapeutic agents now available and anticipated in the United States, the presentations at the 22nd annual Collegium Internationale Neuropsychopharmacologicum (CINP) Congress, held from July 8 to 13, in Brussels, provided a unique view of varied investigational compounds and approaches outside our country.

Arguing that participation in any aspect of death penalty cases is an ethical conflict for physicians-and specifically psychiatrists-Dr. Freedman calls for physicians' organizations to join the American Bar Association's goal of a moratorium on executions. The author himself opposes the death penalty.

New studies show that the elderly may be more resilient in the face of natural disasters than younger victims. Preparing older patients is key to improving their coping skills.

Playing God in the Hospital - Poetry of the Times

Letter to a Young Psychiatrist: Confessions of a Psychodynamic Attending

Charles River Hospital, a 62-bed psychiatric facility in Wellesley, Mass., followed the trend of dozens of institutions, medical groups and some insurance companies last June. The hospital filed for bankruptcy.

Known as "the cancer of mental illness," schizophrenia can core a life, robbing a previously well-functioning person of what made the person uniquely them.

After this Tibetan monk's release, he fled across the Nepali border, made his way to India and then to New York City, where he was referred to a program for survivors of torture.

Show of Force - Poetry of the Times

As previously discussed, new research has made us look much more closely at the influence of religion and spirituality on overall health. Now more than 30 psychiatric residencies including Harvard, Baylor, and Georgetown provide focused training on addressing patients' religious/spiritual beliefs.

What a Psychiatrist Remembers - Poetry of the Times

Between 50% and 80% of people with mental disorders smoke cigarettes. Are the tobacco companies targeting this population, and are mental health care facilities promoting the use of tobacco? What are psychiatrists' responsibilities in the overall health of their patient?