What do patients in a lithium outpatient clinic know about lithium therapy?

OBJECTIVE: To determine how much patients know about lithium therapy and to examine factors that might influence this knowledge. SETTING: Lithium outpatient clinic. PATIENTS: Patients (n = 123) affiliated with a lithium outpatient clinic (mean treatment duration of 12 years). Diagnoses, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd edition, revised, included bipolar disorder, recurrent unipolar depression and schizoaffective disorder. OUTCOME MEASURES: Quantitative assessment of lithium-related knowledge, obtained by responses to a questionnaire adapted from the Lithium Knowledge Test, and factors affecting this knowledge. RESULTS: Age was negatively correlated with lithium therapy knowledge scores, whereas duration of treatment, sex, education and diagnosis appeared to be unrelated to knowledge. CONCLUSION: Patient education about lithium treatment should be intensified, especially for older patients taking lithium because adverse drug reactions pose a greater risk to the elderly.     

Neuropsychiatric disorders: What do neurologists think about conversion disorder?

A new survey of British neurologists shows that no commonly accepted model exists for the diagnosis of conversion disorder. Instead, the results indicate that the neurologist’s diagnosis is influenced largely by their communication with the patients.     

Phsychotherapy results: What do our patients think?

The present paper shows the way a mental health organization works and, at the same time, examines some results upon the post-therapy follow-up for outpatient treatments, the therapists' qualities perceived by the patients and the readmission rate. The results are twofold: for internal purposes, they allow a feedback for continuous quality improvement. For the outside, they generate information for future comparisons among other similar organizations. This paper also address the debate between two major stands in the field of psychotherapy research (one for the Evidence Based Psychotherapy and the other for the Psychotherapy Based on Common Features).     

What do you think of it so far?

A consumer survey into the opinions of 20 mentally handicapped men, former long stay hospital residents, two years after moving into warden-controlled, independent living accommodation has shown that the men are generally satisfied with the move and are able to cope with the demands of independent living after a long period of institutional-isation.     

What do general medical guidelines say about depression care? Depression treatment recommendations in general medical practice guidelines

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Depression is one of the most costly and prevalent mental disorders, and it often co-occurs in patients with general medical conditions. This review identifies the extent to which depression treatment is being addressed in guidelines for general medical illness treatment. RECENT FINDINGS: We conducted a review of the literature published within the past year pertaining to depression treatment guidelines in medical care. We also conducted a systematic review of available practice guidelines listed by the Agency for Research and Quality to assess the extent to which depression treatment is being addressed in current general medical treatment guidelines. Overall, only a handful of articles addressed treatment of depression within the context of general medical care, and most only addressed screening. Among 199 available practice guidelines for general medical conditions, only 83 mentioned depression treatment, and the majority of these only addressed depression screening. SUMMARY: To improve outcomes in patients with co-occurring general medical conditions, general medical guidelines should include specific recommendations for treating and co-managing depression. Additional strategies that facilitate the translation of guidelines into routine practice, address the management of multiple chronic illnesses, and reduce the stigma of mental illness are also needed.     

What does the public think about sex offender registers? Findings from a national Australian study

This article presents data from questions about sex offender registration orders in a large national survey on Australian public opinion about adult sex offenders. It outlines the legislative frameworks that govern these registers in Australia and discusses the use of public registers, the research on the effectiveness of sex offender registers, and Australian attitudes to such registers. Our surveys of three cohorts of members of the Australian public reveal strong public support for sex offender registers, especially for cases involving child victims. However, there was also support for judicial discretion in the imposition of orders and reduced support for automatic registration where a non-custodial sentence is imposed. The Australian Government has recently announced the establishment of a national public sex offender register, but our findings show limited support for this approach. The implications for policy and practice are considered.Key words: Australia, jurors, public opinion, sentencing, sex offender registers     

What do nurses and physicians think about the need for specific dietary restrictions in patients with epilepsy?

PURPOSE: It is the responsibility of physicians and nurses to provide patients and their families with appropriate information. In the study described here, we attempted to identify nurses' and physicians' beliefs about and experience with the need for specific dietary restrictions in patients with epilepsy. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a questionnaire in Shiraz, Iran, in 2004. All nurses from the pediatric and internal medicine wards of Nemazee and Dastghaib hospitals and also a random sample of general practitioners, pediatricians, and internists from around the city were included in the study. RESULTS: The total number of participants was 250. Among the participants, 58.4% believed there existed a relationship between consumption of specific foods and occurrence of seizures. Personal experience with the occurrence of a seizure in a patient who consumed a specific food was reported by 28% of the participants. Dairy products, sour foods, food additives, meats and fish, and fruits and vegetables were the most common foods reported. CONCLUSIONS: It is clear that health care professionals want to know if their epileptic patients require dietary restrictions and, hence, collect information from different and sometimes unreliable sources. It will be invaluable, in future studies, to take into consideration the experience of health care workers caring for epileptic patients in the evaluation of the relationship between consumption of specific foods and seizures.     

What are the preferences of patients attending a memory clinic for disclosure of Alzheimer's disease?

Background/aims

This report shares and discusses the collected personal preferences of patients attending a memory clinic for disclosure of a potential Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis.