Clinical Psychiatry News articles from November 2008

Clinical Psychiatry News archives from November 2008

Disparity cited on metabolic testing.(News)
November 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- A great disparity exists between psychiatrists' professed high rates of guideline-recommended cardiometabolic monitoring of patients on second-generation antipsychotic drugs and what they are actually doing as reflected in laboratory...

Mental health advocates praise new parity law: substance abuse treatment is included.(News)
November 1, 2008... Passage of mental health parity legislation after a 12-year fight led by mental health advocates, patients, families, clinicians, and a handful of members of Congress, represents a recognition by the federal government that. mental illnesses...

FDA clears device for resistant depression data analysis positive.(News)
November 1, 2008... The Food and Drug Administration has cleared a noninvasive device that delivers magnetic stimulation to the brain for treating depression in adults, according to Neuronetics Inc., the manufacturer of the device. The FDA cleared the...

Physician fee rule includes 1.1% raise.(News)
November 1, 2008... Physicians will have the potential to gain as much as a 5.1% increase in their Medicare payments next year, according to a final rule issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The projected pay raise is a combination of the...

St. John's wort holds its own in meta-analysis.(News)
November 1, 2008... St John's wort was more effective than placebo and just as effective as standard antidepressants in treating depression, a Cochrane analysis of 29 studies of almost 5,500 adults with major depression shows. The meta-analysis also found...

Antidepressant combinations preferred for resistant illness.(News)
November 1, 2008... Barcelona--Antidepressant combinations should be the preferred treatment option for patients with depression who do not respond to a first-line strategy, according to a new algorithm proposed by the Antidepressant Combinations Working Group of...

Medical bills plague 41 % of U.S. adults under age 65.(News)
November 1, 2008... A growing number of working-age Americans are struggling to pay their medical bills or have gone into debt because of high medical expenses, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Fund. In 2007, 41% of U.S. adults aged younger than...

Census data show slight decline in rate of uninsured.(News)
November 1, 2008... The number of Americans without health insurance coverage dropped to 45.7 million in 2007, down from 47 million in 2006, mainly because of increased enrollment in government-funded health insurance programs, according to new data from the U.S....

Mental health in U.S. worsening, survey shows.(News)
November 1, 2008... Chicago -- A barometer of the nation's mental health shows psychopathology-related symptoms have worsened overall in the past decade, with intriguing geographic variations. Rates of frequent mental distress are highest in the Appalachian...

FDA warns manufacturers about ADHD drug claims.(News)
November 1, 2008... The Food and Drug Administration has warned five manufacturers of drugs for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder against using what it terms "false or misleading" promotional materials that overstate the drugs' efficacy and downplay risks....

Mortality gap narrows for patients infected with HIV.(News)
November 1, 2008... Mortality rates of people infected with HIV now approach those of the general population, at least for the first 5 years of the infection, according to a large multinational study. The gap in mortality rates between people with HIV...

We must consider CAM for depression.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
November 1, 2008... It's time for psychiatrists to consider seriously an alternative approach to the treatment of depression. By alternative, I don't mean a fringe technique or a collection of them. I'm suggesting practicing in a way that is in harmony with the...

Health care after the election.(Guest Editorial)
November 1, 2008... As this piece is being written, America's quadrennial self-flagellation over choosing a new president is underway, and by the time it arrives in your mailbox, a new president will have been elected. That president will be facing numerous...

Antipsychotics and pregnancy.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
November 1, 2008... Data on the reproductive safety of certain psychotropics such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, anti-epileptics, and some antipsychotics have increased over the last few years. But information on risks of fetal exposure to atypicals...

Psychotherapy: not expendable.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... I thank Dr. Paul J. Fink for so clearly articulating one of the key concerns I have about our field ("is psychiatry in danger of losing psychotherapy as a tool?" Fink! Still at Large, September 2008, p. 22). For me, however, this trend toward...

Focus on drugs is wrong-headed.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... Dr. Paul J. Fink's column was timely and important ("Is psychiatry in danger of losing psychotherapy as a tool?" Fink! Still at Large, September 2008, p. 22). I agree that psychotherapy and context are key to any effective psychiatric...

Atypicals for resistant depression: patients 'have to go in with their eyes wide open' about the risks and benefits of this treatment.(PRACTICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY)
November 1, 2008... The off-label use of second-generation antipsychotics to treat resistant depression appears to be common, but it shouldn't be cavalier. Published data on the efficacy and safety of atypical antipsychotics for unipolar, nonpsychotic...

Heart risks cause more lost years.(PRACTICAL PSYCHOPHARMCOLIGY)
November 1, 2008... Chicago--Cardiovascular death dwarfs suicide as a cause of total years of potential life lost among patients with major mental illness, according to a five-state study. Critics of the recent push within psychiatry to emphasize the...

Depression, cardiovascular disease 'intertwined'.(PRACTICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY)(Clinical report)
November 1, 2008... Patients with heart disease are at increased risk of depression and should be screened routinely, and referred and treated as necessary for the condition, a new science advisory from the American Heart Association states. Depression has...

Economic turmoil and mental health.(THE PSYCHIATRIST'S TOOLBOX)
November 1, 2008... Over the last few months, at least a dozen people have sought my advice about their finances amid the current housing and financial meltdown. It's been a startling experience. With their personal finances tumbling and despair setting in, these...

Many depressed patients in U.K. are not getting relief.(THE PSYCHIATRIST'S TOOLBOX)
November 1, 2008... BARCELONA--Despite long-term treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, many depressed patients cared for by general practitioners continue to experience symptoms that affect their daily lives, according to a survey conducted in...

Broad strategy urged to curb obesity.(THE PSYCHIATRIST'S TOOLBOX)
November 1, 2008... Nothing short of a population-based strategy will curb the obesity epidemic in the United States, according to an American Heart Association scientific statement published online in Circulation. The medical community's traditional approach,...

Federal policy changes backed in effort to lower death rate of severely mentally III.(THE PSYCHIATRIST'S TOOLBOX)
November 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- What can be done to boost psychiatrists' to-date anemic adoption of the consensus guidelines on car-diometabolic screening for patients on antipsychotic drugs? Dr. Joseph J. Parks and fellow members of the National Association...

Many treatments available for clozapine-related drooling.(EVIDENCE-BASED PSYCHIATRIC MEDICINE)
November 1, 2008... The Problem You have a patient with schizophrenia who is finally doing well on clozapine. However, he experiences drooling to the point of wanting the clozapine discontinued. The Question What treatments are available for drooling...

Dual drug improves symptoms of fibromyalgia.(EVIDENCE-BASED PSYCHIATRIC MEDICINE)
November 1, 2008... Chicago -- Milnacipran, the first in a new class of dual norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake inhibitors, significantly improved the multiple core symptoms of fibromyalgia regardless of severity of baseline depressive symptoms in a...

Misdiagnosis common among psych inpatients.(EVIDENCE-BASED PSYCHIATRIC MEDICINE)
November 1, 2008... Chicago -- Misdiagnosis is extremely common among adults hospitalized for a suspected primary mood disorder, Dr. Akhil Sethi reported at the American Psychiatric Association's Institute on Psychiatric Services. Indeed, 26 of the first 100...

Antipsychotics tied to adverse metabolic events.(EVIDENCE-BASED PSYCHIATRIC MEDICINE)
November 1, 2008... Antipsychotic medications are associated with adverse metabolic and cardiovascular events in children and adolescents who are treated in usual-care settings, according to a report. In a retrospective cohort study children who are treated...

Undertreated pain can spark pseudoaddiction.(EVIDENCE-BASED PSYCHIATRIC MEDICINE)(Report)
November 1, 2008... Boston -- Adolescents with under-treated chronic pain may develop pseudoaddiction to their pain medications, which would involve the demonstration of drug-seeking behaviors that are easy to confuse with true addiction. "These symptoms can...

Some schools are integrating positive psychology into their curricula in an effort to foster a sense of optimism. What might he the impact of such efforts on students' psychological development?(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)
November 1, 2008... Positive psychology is at the core of a program in Philadelphia called Positive Behavioral Support, or PBS, and I think it has tremendous value for the psychological health of our young people. I'd like to see positive psychology used in every...

School-based intervention improves anger control in black teens.(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)
November 1, 2008... New Orleans--A school-based life skills training program proved feasible and was beneficial for improving anger control in African American adolescents who participated in a randomized, controlled study of the program. Spielberger State-Trait...

Tarenflurbil shows 'no efficacy' for Alzheimer's.(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)
November 1, 2008... Chicago--Tarenflurbil, a drug designed to reduce toxic amyloid (3 levels in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients, has failed its large phase III trial, Dr. Robert Green reported at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease....

Prayer helps enhance quality of life in dementia.(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)
November 1, 2008... Praying significantly improves quality of life in nursing home residents with dementia and agitation, findings from a controlled study of 28 nursing home residents suggest. Residents assigned to the intervention group participated with the...

Exercise protective for mild memory impairment.(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)(Clinical report)
November 1, 2008... Moderate physical activity improved cognition in people aged 50 years and older who had mild memory impairment, according to findings of a recently reported clinical trial. The cognitive benefits of a light exercise program--the equivalent...

For some, midlife smoking may raise AD risk.(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)
November 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- Smoking in midlife might increase the chance of Alzheimer's in later life among those who already carry an increased genetic risk. A population-based Finnish study with more than 20 years of follow-up concluded that carriers of...

Phase II findings in ad drug trial 'not all bad'.(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)
November 1, 2008... Chicago -- An updated version of the drug methylene blue appears to slow cognitive decline significantly in patients with moderate Alzheimer's disease by dissolving tau tangles in the brain, according to the results of a phase II trial. ...

Blacks may be at greater risk for alcoholism.(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)
November 1, 2008... Washington -- Differences in response to alcohol suggest that African Americans may be at greater risk for alcoholism than whites, based on the preliminary results of an alcohol challenge study involving 160 participants. "The surprising...

Medicaid substance abuse funds going unused.(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)
November 1, 2008... Washington -- More than $260 million in Medicaid funds set aside to pay-physicians to conduct brief screening and interventions for substance abuse are practically untouched, according to federal experts in the White House Office of National...

'Possible selves' may raise risk of alcohol use.(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)
November 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Children who can imagine drinking alcohol in the future maybe at greater risk for early alcohol use, findings of a study of 79 children show. The existence of a possible self who drinks alcohol might be an important predictor...

Extended varenicline aids slow-to-quit smokers.(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)
November 1, 2008... Munich -- Smokers who struggle to quit during the standard 12-week course of varenicline derive particular benefit from a second 12-week stint on the drug, a large international clinical trial has shown. In contrast, the study demonstrated,...

Infertility and mood disorders: breaking the cycle.(PREVENTION IN ACTION)
November 1, 2008... Infertility and its treatment can be an emotional minefield for couples, and the psychological implications can cut across multiple domains. According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, infertility--defined as an inability...

Anger control, venting drive CV risk in blacks.(PREVENTION IN ACTION)
November 1, 2008... New Orleans -- Anger control appears to have beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease risk in African Americans, and conversely, the expression of anger and hostility may be linked with increased levels of an inflammatory marker of...

Eplivanserin soothes insomnia without next-morning effects.(PREVENTION IN ACTION)
November 1, 2008... Chicago -- The novel investigational sleep agent eplivanserin improves sleep continuity in patients with chronic primary insomnia without causing next-day drowsiness or rebound insomnia upon discontinuation, clinical trials show. ...

Preoperative depression lowers survival with brain tumor.(PREVENTION IN ACTION)
November 1, 2008... Chicago -- Patients who were suffering from depression at the time of malignant brain astrocytoma surgery had significantly reduced survival compared with nondepressed patients in a retrospective analysis of 1,052 patients. Although no...

Watch for early warning signs of disturbed eating in diabetic girls.(PREVENTION IN ACTION)
November 1, 2008... Keystone, Colo. -- Red flags for disturbed eating behavior in adolescent girls with type 1 diabetes include a persistently high glycosylated hemoglobin level, frequent episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis, and behaviors such as skipping insulin...

Students' views on access associated with diversity.(PREVENTION IN ACTION)
November 1, 2008... White students attending more racially diverse medical schools consider themselves better prepared to care for patients of racial and ethnic minority groups than are students at less diverse medical schools, according to a study of more than...

Chantix has most adverse events.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Report)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Varenicline (Chantix) accounted for the largest number of adverse drug reactions reported to the Food and Drug Administration in the first quarter of this year, according to an analysis of agency data by the Institute for Safe Medicine...

Midlife whites top suicide risk.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
November 1, 2008... The epidemiology of suicide has changed, with middle-aged whites now at highest risk, and hanging and suffocation on the rise, a new study from researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests. The researchers studied...

Lilly: $1.5 billion Zyprexa charge.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
November 1, 2008... Eli Lilly & Co. will take close to a $1.5 billion charge against its earnings to account for the resolution of investigations of Zyprexa (olanzapine) by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and by 32 states and the...

Disparities in mental health.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
November 1, 2008... Three studies in the November issue of Psychiatric Services find persistent and deep disparities in mental health treatment of minorities. The lead study, by Margarita Alegria, Ph.D., and colleagues, found that 63% of Hispanics, 69% of Asians,...

GAO: FDA needed broader pool.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(General Accounting Office)(Report)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... FDA officials might have avoided some conflicts of interest on their scientific advisory committees by expanding recruitment efforts beyond word-of-mouth nominations, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office. The report...

Nationwide RAC launched.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
November 1, 2008... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has launched its national recovery audit contractor program as part of its "aggressive new steps to find and prevent waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare." The new RACs, which will be paid on a...

Let the Psychiatric gaines begin!(THE ETHICAL WAY)
November 1, 2008... The Olympics bring out the best in the world's premier athletes every 4 years. The 2008 competition, held in August in Beijing, set many new records. The following month, the Paralympic Games for athletes with disabilities also were held...

Paul newman: morality and mid-century man.(REEL LIFE)
November 1, 2008... Perhaps more than any other actor of his time, Paul Newman embodied a masculine style that was idealized in mid-20th century America, a style born of U.S. successes in World War II following the defeats of the Great Depression. It was a style...

Patient-chosen surrogates have a role, says study.(Clinical report)
November 1, 2008... When making treatment decisions for incapacitated patients, the wishes of family members are "generally respected as a key element of decision making," despite professional guidelines that recommend putting the patient's wishes first, results...

Substance Abuse therapy admissions.(FYI)
November 1, 2008... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has issued the completed version of its latest Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), which provides information on substance abuse treatment admissions from state-licensed facilities....

Helping young offenders.(FYI)
November 1, 2008... The Young Offender Reentry Progam aims to teach young offenders how to stop the cycle of crime and recidivism, get treatment for substance abuse and mental health issues, and become active in their communities. The program is funded by the...

Long-lived families sought for study.(FYI)(The Long Life Family Study )(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... The Long Life Family Study is looking for families with two or more healthy brothers and sisters who have lived to old age and who reside within a 2- to 3-hour drive of Pittsburgh, Boston, or New York City. Trained clinical staff will interview...

Mental health service use in kids.(FYI)(Report)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... A new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration gives the statistics on mental health service use among youths aged 12 to 17 years for 2005 and 2006. An average of 13.3% of the U.S. population in this age range...

Out-of-home youth services.(FYI)
November 1, 2008... A new report, "Out-of-Home Services for Emotional or Behavioral Problems Among Youths Aged 12 to 17: 2002 to 2006," indicates that 2.6% of this population in the U.S. received such care during the survey period, and that the length of inpatient...

Improved health site.(FYI)
November 1, 2008... The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched a more accessible version of healthfinder.gov, a federal Web site designed for professionals and consumers. The site features links to more than 6,000 government and nonprofit health...

Campus suicide prevention.(FYI)
November 1, 2008... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is accepting applications for Campus Suicide Prevention grants in 2009. The due date for applications is Nov. 25, 2008, and 21 expected grant winners will receive up to $100,000 each...

Additional vyvanse dosages.(FYI)(lisdexamfetamine dimesylate)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... The prodrug stimulant Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) is now available in three additional dosage strengths, bringing the total number of dosages to six: 20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 50 mg, 60 mg, and 70 mg. Vyvanse, which received FDA approval...

Pain relievers.(Cartoon)
November 1, 2008... "I've lost my sense of aloofness."