The Once-Forgotten Factor in Psychiatry: Research Findings on Religious Commitment and Mental Health
October 2nd 2000As 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.
Recovered Memory Lawsuit Sparks Litigation
December 1st 1999In a stunning move made to avoid a trial, an October 1997 settlement totaling $10.75 million ended one of the most controversial and widely publicized lawsuits ever brought against a psychiatrist by a former patient who later retracted memories of recovered abuse. Patty Burgus and other family members had sued Bennett G. Braun, M.D., an internationally renowned expert in the field of dissociative identity disorder, and the prestigious Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital in Chicago, among others. The suit claimed that bizarre recollections of satanic ritual abuse and other trauma, which were recovered during the course of psychiatric treatment, were false and the result of negligent care over a six-year period.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids Evaluated for Bipolar Disorder
December 1st 1999Intrigued by preliminary research indicating that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish, fish oil and flaxseed may ameliorate symptoms in bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders, investigators have launched a series of double-blind trials evaluating fatty acids as adjunctive treatment. This article will discuss studies on bipolar disorder.
NCDEU Report Part II: Research Methods Considered at NCDEU
November 2nd 1999The methodology of clinical trials was as much of interest as the trial results for investigators gathered at the 39th annual NCDEU (New Clinical Drug Evaluation Unit) Program meeting. This meeting was conducted in June by the National Institute of Mental Health in Boca Raton, Fla.
Managed Care Fights Mandates Despite Setback
November 2nd 1999With the stroke of a pen, California's governor, Gray Davis, approved legislation in September that will soon bring insurance coverage to 25 million individuals suffering from severe mental illnesses. Part of a major overhaul of the state's health insurance laws, when the parity bill becomes effective in July 2000, it will require that insurance companies provide co-payments, deductibles and lifetime benefits equivalent to those for other illnesses, along with reimbursements for partial hospital stays and outpatient and inpatient services.
Occupational Psychiatrists Foster Healthier Workplaces
November 2nd 1999A national company has chosen final candidates for a new group of regional manager positions. Even though the firm likes its choices, it wants an outside opinion to assess those candidates' leadership and management skills and make suggestions for their executive development.
Ground Lost: The False Memory/Recovered Memory Therapy Debate
November 2nd 1999The recovered memory debate has been the most acrimonious, vicious and hurtful internal controversy in the history of modern psychiatry. From its very beginning in the late 1980s, it has been more an "ad hominem" war, appealing to feelings and prejudices, rather than a matter of reasoned professional disagreement.
The Internet as Practice Extender
November 1st 1999In the early 1960s, the Internet was born out of the idea of a "Galactic Network." By the late 1980s, technology had advanced to allow for computer-based exchange of scientific information between academic and research institutes. From these humble beginnings, the Internet has experienced explosive growth in the last five years, evolving into a powerful global information resource and new media format unto itself. Psychiatrists can now reap the full benefit of this fast-paced evolution to extend the reach of their medical practice.
NCDEU Report Part II: Research Methods Considered at NCDEU
November 1st 1999The methodology of clinical trials was as much of interest as the trial results for investigators gathered at the 39th annual NCDEU (New Clinical Drug Evaluation Unit) Program meeting. This meeting was conducted in June by the National Institute of Mental Health in Boca Raton, Fla.
Peer Consultation Builds Camaraderie, Expertise
November 1st 1999When Colorado psychiatrist Ann Seig, M.D., wrestled with erotic transference and countertransference issues, she didn't have to struggle alone. Seig's feeling of "stark terror" signaled "a need to talk to someone" about this troublesome case. She brought her concerns to her peer consultation group, where colleagues helped her discern how issues in her private life were contributing to the countertransference.
NAPHS Data Show Closures Slowing and Diversification
November 1st 1999The pace of psychiatric hospital closings has slowed, and specialty psychiatric hospitals are diversifying their services to include a range of behavioral health treatment settings, according to data recently released by the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS).