Clinical Psychiatry News articles from September 2007

Clinical Psychiatry News archives from September 2007

EDAPT's goal: find prepsychosis.(News)(University of California's Early Diagnosis and Preventive Treatment Clinic)
September 1, 2007... For years now, public-health minded psychiatrists have looked at psychosis prevention as a viable goal. Now, a growing number of researchers are betting their time and effort on it. In a recent development in this area, the Robert Wood...

Top 10 drugs prescribed by psychiatrists in 2006.(VITAL SIGNS)(Table)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Top 10 Drugs Prescribed by Psychiatrists in 2006 Percentage of prescriptions Clonazepam 4.8% Seroquel (quetiapine) 4.3% Lexapro (escitalopram) 4.2% Alprazolam ...

Mental health care still 'critical issue' in New Orleans: number of psych, detox beds way down.(News)(psychiatric services)
September 1, 2007... Two years after Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters submerged much of New Or leans, the city's relatively few open health care facilities and diminished corps of physicians are struggling to serve the needs of a smaller, but just as needy,...

Medication errors abound in treating pediatric ADHD.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
September 1, 2007... TORONTO -- Outpatient medication errors in the treatment of pediatric attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are numerous, but few appear to result in patient harm, Dr. David Bundy said at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic...

Meth use up among women, minorities.(News)(methamphetamine)
September 1, 2007... The abuse of methamphetamine remains a national epidemic--despite the recent enactment of federal laws that sharply limit access to products containing the ingredients needed for illegal manufacture of the drug, a new survey has found. A...

Indications for risperidone expanded to teens, kids.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)
September 1, 2007... The Food and Drug Administration has approved risperidone for the treatment of schizophrenia in adolescents aged 13-17 years and for the short-term treatment of bipolar mania associated with manic or mixed episodes of bipolar I disorder in...

Panel backs osteoporosis drug for reducing breast ca risk.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)
September 1, 2007... A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel has recommended that raloxifene be approved to reduce the risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have osteoporosis or who are at high risk of breast cancer. The Oncologic...

FDA requests study before approving drug for hot flashes.(NEWS FROM THE FDA)(Food and Drug Administration, desvenlafaxine)
September 1, 2007... The manufacturer of desvenlafaxine will conduct a 1-year study aimed at resolving cardiovascular and hepatic safety concerns raised by the Food and Drug Administration in an "approvable" letter for the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake...

Army suicide rate climbs to 26-year high.(News)
September 1, 2007... The U.S. Army's report that its 2006 suicide rate was the highest in the 26 years it has been keeping records was greeted with concern by experts, but also with some circumspection. Some suggested that it might reflect stress from the...

Army families' child abuse rate rises with deployment.(News)
September 1, 2007... The rate of child abuse in U.S. Army families that are prone to such maltreatment rises significantly when the soldiers are deployed for combat, researchers reported. Most of this increase is attributable to civilian wives of the Army...

How about hybrid health care?(GUEST EDITORIAL)
September 1, 2007... What is the best way to provide health care for the nearly 47 million individuals in the United States who do not have access to health insurance? Divergent viewpoints were presented earlier this year by Dr. Kevin Grumbach and Dr. Robert...

Clarifying the record.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2007... I need to bring to readers' attention a serious misstatement that was attributed to me in a recent issue ("Video/EEG 'Test' Can Diagnose Pseudoseizures," July 2007, p. 18). In this article, I am reported to have recommended the use of a...

Partnering with patients.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2007... Dr. Paul J. Fink's column on medical education was stellar ("What steps can be taken to improve medical education?" July 2007, p. 71). I would add that in the 21st century, psychiatrists must learn how to partner with patients who are much...

Help families carve out free time.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
September 1, 2007... Physicians are on the front lines of the pressure cooker that has become the American family. Compared with times past, expectations today are higher for every member of the family. And unfortunately, our culture as a whole does not place...

Military families need help dealing with war's effects.(Adult Psychiatry)
September 1, 2007... HONOLULU -- One in four U.S. servicemembers returning from deployment has a mental disorder. Meanwhile, their families at home also have significant emotional needs, Lt. Col. Harvey Leighnor reported at the annual meeting of the National...

Pharmacotherapy is "powerful tool' in palliative care.(PRACTICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY)
September 1, 2007... When the American Board of Medical Specialties gives its first examination for subspecialty certification in Hospice and Palliative Medicine in 2008, it will be open to members of 10 specialties. Psychiatry will be among them. This should...

Post-MI depression affects higher incidence of women.(Adult Psychiatry)(myocardial infarction)
September 1, 2007... ORLANDO -- The higher incidence of depression after a myocardial infarction in women, compared with men, contributes to the worse outcomes that women face, according to data from a study with more than 2,400 patients. "The clinical...

Flat affect tied to functioning in schizophrenia.(Adult Psychiatry)
September 1, 2007... SANTIAGO, CHILE -- Schizophrenia patients with flat affect can be distinguished from those without flat affect in several measures, Dr. Raquel E. Gur said at an international congress sponsored by the World Federation of Societies of Biological...

Deep sedation in ICU worsens risk of PTSD.(Adult Psychiatry)(intensive care unit, posttraumatic stress disorder)
September 1, 2007... SAN FRANCISCO -- A substantial proportion of patients experience posttraumatic stress disorder after their stay in an intensive care unit, and a new study has isolated three factors associated with an increased risk of developing the disorder,...

The study published in JAMA that looked at child maltreatment among U.S. Army families shows that wives often are the perpetrators. What factors might explain such violence?(FINK! STILL AT LARGE)(Journal of the American Medical Association)
September 1, 2007... Rarely do we think about how stressful it is for soldiers' wives who are left behind when their husbands are deployed. The spouse must take on all of the responsibilities that formerly had been handled by both parents. In addition, in most...

The art of Bradford Scott Stringfield.(VISIONARY ART)(Interview)
September 1, 2007... Bradford Scott Stringfield knows how to use his photography skills to connect with his subjects in a special way. "I take pictures of people, places, and things, but portraiture is my strongest interest," said Mr. Stringfield, 48, who...

Cancer patients' adaptive skills surpass those of counterparts.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
September 1, 2007... SAN FRANCISCO -- Children and adolescents with cancer showed greater adaptive skills and social skills than expected in healthy children, and certain adaptive styles help them thrive psychologically, separate speakers said at the annual meeting...

Look for off-line behavior problems among cyber bullies.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
September 1, 2007... Youth who harass their peers via the Internet are significantly more likely to suffer from behavioral and psychosocial problems than youth who don't harass others online, based on data from interviews with 1,500 adolescents aged 10-17 years...

Haloperidol may work as delirium prophylaxis.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
September 1, 2007... LONG BEACH, CALIF. -- So little is known about effective interventions for delirium that efforts to help elderly patients with the condition leave many clinicians, well, delirious. The goal of treating delirium is not just to control...

Protocol targets six modifiable risk factors for delirium.(Geriatric Psychiatry)(Elder Life Program)
September 1, 2007... DALLAS -- Prevention of delirium in hospitalized seniors is a largely untapped opportunity to achieve major improvements in health care--and the blueprint for success already exists in the form of standardized evidence-based approaches such as...

Mnemonic distinguishes depression, dementia.(Geriatric Psychiatry)
September 1, 2007... HOLLYWOOD, FLA. -- Common psychiatric disorders such as depression and dementia can be hard to distinguish in elderly patients, but there are some simple techniques that physicians can use to draw out the differences, Dr. Kevin Gray said at the...

Buspirone, fluoxetine may counter cannabis use.(Addiction Psychiatry)(marijuana)
September 1, 2007... MIAMI -- Limited access and availability of behavioral therapies aimed at helping cannabis-dependent patients support the search for effective pharmacologic treatments, Dr. Ahmed M. Elkashef said at the annual conference of the American Society...

Paroxetine shows no effect no drinking.(Addiction Psychiatry)
September 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Paroxetine can take the anxiety out of the drinker, but it cannot take the drinking out of the anxious person. The drug did uncouple anxiety and drinking in patients who use alcohol to cope with severe generalized social anxiety,...

Women want one doctor for substance abuse, obstetric Tx.(Addiction Psychiatry)
September 1, 2007... MIAMI -- Women with problematic substance use during pregnancy prefer integrated treatment over separate obstetric and substance use care, according to a presentation at the annual conference of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. ...

Abuse of bupropion.(EVIDENCE-BASED PSYCHIATRIC MEDICINE)
September 1, 2007... The Problem You work in one of America's contemporary long-term psychiatric treatment centers, also known as a state prison. Inmates who come to outpatient appointments and complain of depressive symptoms frequently request bupropion...

Commentary.(Community Psychiatry)(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults)
September 1, 2007... The legitimacy of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder as a diagnosis in adults as well as in children often has been questioned in the media. Some critics argue that the symptoms--distractibility, impulsiveness, and difficulty with task...

Adults with ADHD need to know treatment options.(PREVENTION IN ACTION)(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
September 1, 2007... In their best-selling book "Driven to Distraction," Dr. Edward M. Hallowell and Dr. John J. Ratey gave voice to what thousands of inattentive, impulsive, restless adults had thought to themselves for years: "I have a problem." And their problem...

Many epileptic women face sexual issues.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)
September 1, 2007... Sexual dysfunction is quite common in women with epilepsy, just as ignoring the problem is quite common among their physicians, experts say. Naturally, said Dr. Romila Mushtaq, an epileptologist at the Medical College of Wisconsin,...

Online registry is broadening autism research.(Neuropsychiatric Medicine)(Interactive Autism Network)
September 1, 2007... Since its launch earlier this year, the first online autism registry in the United States has garnered a diverse group of participants and a treasured commodity. Among the more than 14,000 registrants to the Interactive Autism Network...

Criteria proposed for refractory migraine: American Headache Society plan could lead to major changes in classification system.(Pain Medicine)
September 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- A proposed definition and diagnostic criteria aim to help physicians deal with the growing number of patients presenting with refractory migraine, Dr. Elliott A. Schulman said at the annual meeting of the American Headache Society....

Frequent callers to headache clinics also take more opioids.(Pain Medicine)
September 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Patients who frequently call their headache specialty clinic are more likely to be taking multiple opioids in higher doses, potency, and quantity than those who do not call frequently, Karen Fisher, R.N., said at the annual meeting...

Promote optimal functioning in families of headache patients.(Pain Medicine)
September 1, 2007... MIAMI BEACH -- The impact of headache disorders extends beyond the patient and can have devastating effects on family life. Attention to this potential problem can promote improved family functioning, Alvin E. Lake III, Ph.D., said at a...

Desvenlafaxine lowers menopausal symptoms.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
September 1, 2007... OTTAWA -- A new, nonhormonal drug was safe and effective for reducing the incidence and severity of vasomotor symptoms of menopause in a series of three pivotal trials with a total of about 1,700 women. If the drug, desvenlafaxine...

Two-drug regimen eases anxiety and insomnia.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
September 1, 2007... MINNEAPOLIS -- Treatment with both eszopiclone and escitalopram significantly improved the symptoms of insomnia and anxiety--compared with escitalopram alone, according to data from 595 adults presented at the annual meeting of the Associated...

Depressive symptoms could lead to diabetes in elderly.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
September 1, 2007... Older adults who report a high degree of depressive symptoms are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than are those without depressive symptoms, according to Mercedes R. Carnethon, Ph.D., of Northwestern University, Chicago, and her...

Emotional abuse may increase headache-related disability.(Psychosomatic Medicine)
September 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Women with migraine who have experienced emotional abuse, either recently or in the past, report higher levels of comorbid depression and headache-related disability, Dr. Gretchen E. Tietjen said at the annual meeting of the American...

Echinacea reduces incidence, duration of colds.(Across Specialties)
September 1, 2007... Users of echinacea supplements in clinical trials reduced their odds of developing the common cold by more than half, according to findings from a meta-analysis of 14 published, randomized, placebo-controlled trials. When patients in the...

Investigational drugs prevent glucose reabsorption.(Across Specialties)
September 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Suppressing the reabsorption of glucose in the kidney is the novel mechanism for an investigational new class of diabetes drugs. Early data presented at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association suggest...

New diabetes guidelines stress lifestyle changes: endocrinology association task force emphasizes individualized treatment over a 'cookbook approach.'.(Across Specialties)(American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists)
September 1, 2007... Diabetes management is becoming less "glucocentric" than it used to be, according to Dr. Helena W. Rodbard. Dr. Rodbard is the chairperson of the task force that wrote the new clinical practice guidelines on the management of diabetes...

Soda consumption linked to metabolic syndrome.(Across Specialties)
September 1, 2007... Drinking at least one soda per day is associated with a significantly higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome, compared with drinking less than one soft drink a day, according to an observational study of participants in the Framingham...

Exercise guidelines emphasize health maintenance.(Across Specialties)
September 1, 2007... Exercise experts have clarified what qualifies as the minimum level of physical activity for maintaining health and lowering the risk of disease in older and younger adults as well as in middle-aged adults with chronic conditions, according to...

Benefits of resistance training transcend age, health status.(Across Specialties)
September 1, 2007... Elderly men and women in nursing homes can benefit from resistance training, as can patients with heart failure, according an update on resistance exercise issued by the American Heart Association. The update follows up the AHA's first...

Effects of childhood cancer last a lifetime.(Across Specialties)
September 1, 2007... A substantial number of survivors of childhood cancer have a marked disease burden that doesn't emerge until their young adult and mid-adult years, according to a Dutch study. In the study of nearly every childhood cancer patient who...

Psychosocial concerns linger for children after hand burns.(Across Specialties)
September 1, 2007... SAN DIEGO -- Children with burn injuries to the hand sustain more severe injuries than do children who sustain burns to other parts of their body, Dr. Tina L. Palmieri said at the annual meeting of the American Burn Association. They also...

For asthma, home improvement may equal medical intervention.(Across Specialties)
September 1, 2007... TORONTO -- Asthma symptoms improve in children whose homes are remodeled to reduce triggers such as dust mites, mold, mice, and cockroaches, Dr. Megan Sandel reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic...

Medicare private plans urged to prove their worth.(Practice Trends)
September 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- If competition drives prices down, why does the government pay private insurers more per patient than the Medicare program spends on the average beneficiary? That is the question on the minds of a increasing number of people,...

Health system failing to produce geriatricians.(Practice Trends)
September 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- The number of physicians choosing to specialize in geriatrics will not be anywhere near enough to meet the needs of the elderly patients of the future, Dr. Christine Cassel said at a meeting jointly sponsored by the American...

Top 10 prescriptions by U.S. sales.(DATA WATCH)(Table)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Top 10 Prescriptions by U.S. Sales (in billions of dollars) Lipitor $8.6 Nexium $5.1 Advair diskus $3.9 Aranesp $3.9 Prevacid $3.5 Epogen $3.2 Zocor $3.1 Enbrel $3.0...

Men heavier alcohol users.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... As has been previously shown, males are more likely than females to report heavy alcohol use and binge alcohol use, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found. In 2004-2005, 57% of males aged 12 years or older reported past-month alcohol...

Torture resolution criticized.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(psychologist participation in interrogations)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... At its annual meeting, the American Psychological Association resolved that although psychologists can attend or participate in interrogations, they should not plan, design, assist, or participate in sessions that involve 19 techniques that...

Beefing up school mental health.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(services for students)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Lawmakers in the House and Senate have introduced legislation to funnel grants to schools to increase their ability to respond to students' mental health needs. Rep. Grace Napolitano's (D-Calif.) Mental Health in Schools Act of 2007 (H.R. 3430)...

Drug premium about $25 in 2008.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Medicare part D premium)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Medicare beneficiaries will pay about $25 a month for their Part D prescription drug coverage in 2008. This is an approximate $3 per month increase over the average premium in 2007, but is...

Small practices decline.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
September 1, 2007... Physicians are shying away from solo and two-physician practices, according to a new report from the Center for Studying Health System Change. Although these small practices are still the most common practice arrangements, between 1996-1997 and...

GAO finds Medicaid decline.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Government Accountability Office)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... A law requiring most U.S. citizens applying for Medicaid coverage to document their citizenship has caused eligible citizens to lose Medicaid coverage, and the law costs far more to administer than it saves, according to two government...

Dr. Death and the meaning of life.(THE ETHICAL WAY)(Jack Kevorkian)
September 1, 2007... Over the last 10 years or so, all has been relatively quiet on the so-called "physician-assisted suicide" front. This time period more or less coincides with the jailing of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, convicted of second-degree homicide for injecting...

Hospital clinicians often override warnings about drug allergies.(Practice Trends)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Clinicians ignored more than half of drug allergy warnings generated by computerized physician order entry programs, based on a review of nearly 30,000 medication orders for 2,732 hospitalized patients. To determine how often...

Diet lessens inpatient weight gain.(INPATIENT PRACTICE)(WIN Nguyen diet)
September 1, 2007... The cardiovascular data collected during the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) study showed that 36% of men and 51% of women with schizophrenia have the metabolic syndrome, putting them at greatly increased...

Federal action on obesity unlikely soon.(Practice Trends)
September 1, 2007... TORONTO -- Political conditions still aren't ripe for significant U.S. government action on the obesity front, Michelle Mello, J.D., Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society. Several highly active and influential public...

Strategies offered to address physician shortage.(Practice Trends)
September 1, 2007... COLORADO SPRINGS -- America's physician shortage--still barely noticeable in much of the country--is here to stay and will grow much worse, panelists agreed at the annual meeting of the American Surgical Association. "Because of our...

Pharma and medical breakthroughs.(THE PSYCHIATRIST'S TOOLBOX)(Medicine Ave.: The Story of Medical Advertising in America)(Book review)
September 1, 2007... I had the experience recently of taking a time shuttle back to my youth. I took the look back by reading "Medicine Ave.: The Story of Medical Advertising in America" (Huntington, N.Y.: The Medical Advertising Hall of Fame, 1999). The book,...

Most Part D plans cover a brand name in each drug class.(Practice Trends)(Medicare)
September 1, 2007... Formularies under Medicare Part D plans vary widely, but nearly all plans cover at least one brand-name drug in many commonly prescribed treatment classes, according to research that was published in the Journal of the American Medical...

Stalevo approved in higher dose.(FYI)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Parkinson disease drug Stalevo (carbidopa, levodopa, and entacapone) is now approved in a higher 200-mg dose indicated to help minimize the end of dose "wearing off" recurrence of Parkinson symptoms. Stalevo is made by Novartis...

Managing Suicide Prevention Lifeline.(FYI)(Link2Health Solutions financing by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration )(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has awarded $2.88 million each year to Link2Health Solutions to continue to operate the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255) for up to 5 years. The Lifeline is a...

SAMHSA releases new stats.(FYI)(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's report)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released the latest version of its biannual report on mental health services in the United States. First-time topics include the application of quality improvement to...

VA suicide hotline opens.(FYI)(Department of Veterans Affairs )(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Department of Veterans Affairs has begun operating a toll-free national suicide prevention hotline for veterans that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The hotline will be staffed by mental health professionals to take calls from...

Spanish language stroke tool kit.(FYI)(aid for stroke awareness in Hispanics)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... A Spanish language tool kit to increase stroke awareness in the Hispanic population is available from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The kit is for health care providers who seek to educate the Hispanic community...

Webcast training recordings.(FYI)(health care training seminar recordings)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Recordings of training seminars geared to the health care industry are available from the National Technical Information Service. The seminars are broadcast by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and have been recorded to make them...

Hotline expands Medicare advice.(FYI)(Medicare Rights Center Professional Hotline)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... The Medicare Rights Center's Professional Hotline has expanded its service to include guidance on Medicare benefits, rights, and options to professionals working with older adults and people with disabilities who are on Medicare. Until now, the...

Pain management Web site.(FYI)(Website overview)(Brief article)
September 1, 2007... Chronic pain patients and their physicians can use the interactive body maps and questionnaires on www.Relieflnsite.com to help track their pain and decide whether treatments are working. Any information shared on the Web site is protected by a...