Tuesday, March 04, 2003

People with major depression may have higher suicide risk
APA press release - "People suffering from major depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more likely to attempt suicide, and women with both disorders are more likely to have attempted suicide than men with both disorders, according to a new report in the March 2003 American Journal of Psychiatry, the monthly scientific journal of the American Psychiatric Association."  
  

Introduction to Current Controversies in Schizophrenia Research
Article from Current Opinion in Psychiatry at Medscape - "This past year has seen several interesting patterns in the literature on schizophrenia research. Increasingly, the emphasis has been on early detection and treatment, but two social aspects of the illness, comorbid substance abuse and suicidal behavior have also been investigated, one having a tendency to lead to the other. Clues to the etiology from brain imaging studies are reviewed in this issue, as well as a revival of the 'estrogen hypotheses' and olfactory processing as an indication of cortical dysfunction...." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Neuropsychology in Schizophrenia: An Update
Article from Current Opinion in Psychiatry at Medscape - "The treatment of schizophrenia has presented many challenges. Despite the fact that 70% of patients are partially or fully treatment responsive, i.e. positive symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations are significantly reduced by antipsychotic medication, many of these responders are left with debilitating thought disorganization, motivational deficits, and disabilities in multiple cognitive domains. The latter disabilities are now thought to be strongly related to clinical outcome, perhaps more than positive and negative symptoms. This article will review recent studies addressing these deficits." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

NAMI Board Nominations, Bylaws Amendments And Resolutions Sought
Notice at the NAMI web site - "Nominations are being accepted for candidates to serve on the NAMI Board of Directors. Nominations shall be made only by NAMI Affiliates and NAMI State Organizations for not more than one individual and must be forwarded to the NAMI National office no later than April 2, 2003 (90 days prior to the NAMI Annual Meeting). All nominees must be NAMI members."  
  

Maine Kids Count
A report (in Adobe Acrobat format) from the Maine Children's Alliance, which notes that depression, bipolar disorder and other mental health issues are the leading causes of children being hospitalized in Maine.  
  

300,000 Mentally Ill in US Prisons
Story originally published in The Guardian (UK) and reprinted at Common Dreams - "Nearly 300,000 mentally ill people are held in US prisons, often because there is nowhere else for them to go. So serious is the problem that one jail in Los Angeles has become in effect the biggest mental institution in the country. Senior police officers and mental health experts say that the situation is critical but there is a lack of political will to deal with it. Some of the mental patients spend many years in jail for minor offences..."