Friday, December 19, 2003

Suicide Risk: Assessing the Unpredictable Psychiatric Times article - " The evaluation of suicide risk is a challenging clinical task. Suicide is a multi-determined act that results from a complex interaction between a number of factors. It is unfortunate but true that most clinicians have had or will have patients who attempt or commit suicide, making patient suicide an occupational hazard for clinicians. .." See also a number of other, related articles in the December issue - Managed Care's Role in Caring for Suicidal Patients, Identifying Neurobiological Correlates of Suicide Risk in Depression, Suicidal Behavior in the Elderly, Suicidal Self-Injurious Behavior in People With BPD, and The Relationship of Suicide Risk to Family History of Suicide and Psychiatric Disorders.  
  

Baclofen Holds Promise For Cocaine TreatmentPress release reprinted at Science Daily - " The anti-spasticity medication baclofen holds promise for helping cocaine abusers overcome their addiction, a study by a UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute researcher finds. No medication currently holds U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for treatment of cocaine addiction. Published in the Dec. 15 edition of the peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, the randomized, double-blind study found that baclofen used in conjunction with substance abuse counseling significantly reduced cocaine use in recovering addicts compared to placebo coupled with counseling. The study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse as part of a project to screen medications with potential for treating cocaine dependence. "