Stress Disorders: Patient Assessment and Management
August 1st 2006Any survivor of a traumatic event is at increased risk for the development of a stress disorder. Considering the number of persons affected by events related to the global war on terrorism and several recent large-scale natural disasters, it seems inevitable that the number of persons who will experience a stress disorder will increase. It is also probable that many of these persons will at some point seek treatment in or be brought to an emergency department (ED).
Pharmacotherapies for Acute and Chronic Responses to Psychological Trauma
August 1st 2006The presentation of patients to the emergency department following trauma is often complicated by the behavioral reaction to the accident that brought them there. In some cases, the mental reaction to psychological trauma is the primary presenting phenomenon. ED physicians and staff often use medication to treat the acute effects of psychological trauma. However, there is little empiric evidence to support this practice.
DBS Curbs Major Depression and OCD
July 17th 2006Deep brain stimulation (DBS) may hold promise for patients with treatment-resistant and severe major depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, it may not be the best choice for patients with Parkinson (PD) disease who display certain compulsive behaviors, reported researchers from the Cleveland Clinic and from Brown Medical School (Providence, Rhode Island) at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurological Surgeons, which took place April 22-27 in San Francisco.
Understanding the Usefulness of Psychosocial Interventions for Personality Disorders
July 1st 2006An examination of recent research on psychosocial treatments for personality disorders, including randomized controlled trials and empirically supported therapies as well as dialectical behavior therapy.
News Brief: Continuous Psychosis Not Common in Long-Term Schizophrenia Study
July 1st 2006In a 20-year longitudinal study, it was found that after acute hospitalization, continuous psychosis was diagnosed in only 30% of patients with schizophrenia; 20% of patients showed no signs of reoccurrence of psychosis after the acute phase.