Friday, November 26, 2004

Effectiveness of Antidepressant Unclear in Elderly
Reuters Health story at Yahoo - "Depressed people 75 or older are just as likely to improve after an 8-week course with an inactive, placebo drug as with an antidepressant, new research indicates. The study shows that after a short course of the antidepressant medication citalopram (Celexa), around one-third of elderly people with depression went into remission -- the same improvement rate seen in people taking a placebo drug. However, study author Dr. Steven P. Roose of the New York State Psychiatric Institute in New York City cautioned that these findings do not suggest that the antidepressant is no better than doing nothing at all. "  
  

Serious Psychological Distress More Common in Diabetics
Reuters Health story at Medscape - "Adults with diabetes are considerable more likely to experience depression, anxiety and other disorders that cause serious psychological distress (SPD) than those without diabetes, researchers report in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report for November 26. Dr. K. H. McVeigh, of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and colleagues queried 9,590 people as part of the 2003 New York City Community Health Survey. Responses to six questions regarding sadness, nervousness and other feelings were the basis for classification as having SPD." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Study: Diverted Drug offenders Likely To Relapse
KCRA story - "Drug offenders sent to treatment instead of jail in the early days of California's Proposition 36 were far more likely to be re-arrested than were criminals sent to rehabilitation through other diversion programs, says a UCLA study released Friday. The findings by University of California, Los Angeles, researchers echo opponents of the initiative approved by 61 percent of voters in November 2000. Judges and prosecutors favored drug court programs that include stronger penalties for offenders who skip or fail treatment programs, while Proposition 36 requires that first- and second-time nonviolent drug offenders be sent to treatment programs instead of prison. But the UCLA study, published in the American Society of Criminology journal Criminology & Public Policy, suggests a big problem is that Proposition 36 offenders aren't getting enough treatment to make a difference."