Monday, January 24, 2005

The Treatment of Panic Disorder Current Opinion in Psychiatry article at Medscape - " Purpose of Review: The aim of this article is to provide an updated review of studies and recommendations published from August 2003 to August 2004 on the treatment of panic disorder. Recent Findings: Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy remains the treatment of choice for panic disorder. Recent studies confirm selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors as the first-choice drugs in treating panic disorder. Recommendations for (adjunctive) high-potency benzodiazepines have been published. Psychoeducation and combined pharmacotherapy/psychotherapy improve treatment response. Optimal long-term treatment of panic disorder involves adequate medication and duration of treatment, since relapse is frequent. Summary: Recent studies confirm that cognitive-behavioral therapy, alone or in combination with drug therapy, remains the treatment of choice for panic disorder. Long-term treatment is often necessary due to the chronicity of the illness." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

A Pilot Study of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder American Journal of Psychiatry article at Mental Help Net - "This article describes pilot testing of interpersonal psychotherapy adapted for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Unlike most psychotherapies for PTSD, interpersonal psychotherapy is not exposure-based, focusing instead on interpersonal sequelae of trauma. ... Treating interpersonal sequelae of PTSD appears to improve other symptom clusters. Interpersonal psychotherapy may be an efficacious alternative for patients who refuse repeated exposure to past trauma. This represents an exciting extension of interpersonal psychotherapy to an anxiety disorder."  
  

The Treatment Gap in Mental Health Care Red Nova article - "If disability is to be reduced, a bridging of the 'treatment gap' must occur. The treatment gap represents the absolute difference between the true prevalence of a disorder and the treated proportion of individuals affected by the disorder. Alternatively, the treatment gap may be expressed as the percentage of individuals who require care but do not receive treatment. Estimating the treatment gap in a population depends on the prevalence period of the disorder, the time frame of the examination of service utilization, and the demographic representativeness of the study sample with reference to the target population. The objective of this report is to examine the extent of the treatment gap for selected mental disorders. "  
  

Why Are Mental Illness Rates Lower in Some Immigrants?  Psychiatric News story - "Close-knit family and social supports that Mexican Americans bring when they immigrate appear to help them ward off aspects of U.S. culture that raise risks of psychiatric disorders. Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white immigrants both have a lower prevalence of psychiatric disorders than their U.S.-born counterparts, but Mexican Americans born in the United States retain that advantage over non-Hispanic whites born here, according to a study by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). "