Monday, 20 October 2008
News: This is the age of paranoia, scientists say - Telegraph
Who are you calling paranoid? One in four of us regularly has paranoid thoughts, according to research from the Institute of Psychiatry. The Telegraph (20 October 2008) article quotes Dr Daniel Freeman from King's College London: "Social isolation, a frequent drawback to urban life, is closely associated with paranoid thoughts. In the UK nearly four times as many people live alone than 50 years ago. Increasing paranoia is certainly one more challenge posed by galloping urbanisation."
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
News: Long-term psychotherapy is superior, study finds - Los Angeles Times
Long-term psychotherapy is more effective than short-term therapy when treating complicated conditions, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (1 October 2008).
The LA Times (30 September 2008) quotes the JAMA editor, Richard M. Glass, who comments upon the the report's positive findings: "It is ironic and disturbing that this occurs at a time when provision of psychotherapy by psychiatrists in the United States is declining significantly. The reasons for this merit careful evaluation. To some extent this may reflect the cost-efficacy of treatments for some mental disorders with medications and brief supportive visits. However, this trend appears to be strongly related to financial incentives and other pressures to minimize costs. Is this what is really wanted for patients with disabling disorders that could respond to more intensive treatment?"
His point is well made.
The LA Times (30 September 2008) quotes the JAMA editor, Richard M. Glass, who comments upon the the report's positive findings: "It is ironic and disturbing that this occurs at a time when provision of psychotherapy by psychiatrists in the United States is declining significantly. The reasons for this merit careful evaluation. To some extent this may reflect the cost-efficacy of treatments for some mental disorders with medications and brief supportive visits. However, this trend appears to be strongly related to financial incentives and other pressures to minimize costs. Is this what is really wanted for patients with disabling disorders that could respond to more intensive treatment?"
His point is well made.
Sunday, 28 September 2008
News: The therapist will ring you now - Los Angeles Times
This LA Times article (22 September 2008) refers to a study from Northwestern University which found that people with depression continued seeing their telephone counsellor for longer than those who consulted an office-based therapist.
The study's author, David Mohr, comments that only 20% of those people who say they want therapy actually turn up and 50% drop out of treatment: "One of the symptoms of depression is people lose motivation. It's hard for them to do the things they are supposed to do. Showing up for appointments is one of those things."
It's not clear from this article whether the study measures efficacy. The fact that people remained with treatment for longer via telephone does not necessarily equate with clinical effectiveness of course, although it's interesting to see how the therapy world is changing to accommodate client need.
The study's author, David Mohr, comments that only 20% of those people who say they want therapy actually turn up and 50% drop out of treatment: "One of the symptoms of depression is people lose motivation. It's hard for them to do the things they are supposed to do. Showing up for appointments is one of those things."
It's not clear from this article whether the study measures efficacy. The fact that people remained with treatment for longer via telephone does not necessarily equate with clinical effectiveness of course, although it's interesting to see how the therapy world is changing to accommodate client need.
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
News: A quick fix for the soul - Guardian
Darian Leader writes an interesting piece for the The Guardian (9/9/08) about the UK government's concentration on cognitive behavioural therapy.
He writes: "Unlike CBT, traditional therapies do not aim to give access to a common, scientific reality but to take the patient's own reality seriously: to explore it, to define it, to elaborate it and to see where it will go. No outcome can be predicted in advance: the patient may go back to work but equally they may give up a well-paid job to pursue another path."
He writes: "Unlike CBT, traditional therapies do not aim to give access to a common, scientific reality but to take the patient's own reality seriously: to explore it, to define it, to elaborate it and to see where it will go. No outcome can be predicted in advance: the patient may go back to work but equally they may give up a well-paid job to pursue another path."
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
News: Older fathers linked with bipolar - BBC News
A Swedish study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry (Vol. 65, No. 9, September 2008) suggests a link between paternal age and bipolar disorder (BPD).
Older fathers are more likely to have children with BPD than younger fathers.
The study prompts a news item on the BBC News website (1 September 2008). BPD affects half a million people in the United Kingdom.
Older fathers are more likely to have children with BPD than younger fathers.
The study prompts a news item on the BBC News website (1 September 2008). BPD affects half a million people in the United Kingdom.
Monday, 25 August 2008
News: Medical trials explore benefits of hallucinogenic drugs to patients with terminal illnesses - Guardian
Scientists in Switzerland are exploring how psychedelic drugs may be used to treat the likes of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression. The Guardian (12 August 2008) report provides an interesting video clip from Pamela Sakuda who took part in another study, where people with terminal illness were given psilocybin, a chemical substance found in magic mushrooms.
Vanda Taylor of Cancer Research UK is quoted in the Daily Mail: "Research into the use of a variety of drugs to help with pain, anxiety and quality of life, may lead to better treatments and help patients cope better with their illness."
www.therapyme.com
Vanda Taylor of Cancer Research UK is quoted in the Daily Mail: "Research into the use of a variety of drugs to help with pain, anxiety and quality of life, may lead to better treatments and help patients cope better with their illness."
www.therapyme.com
Thursday, 7 August 2008
News: Move over Freud: Psychiatrists embrace pill power - Reuters
Could financial considerations be getting in the way of appropriate psychiatric care? Office-based psychiatrists in the United States are increasingly turning to pills for a quick fix replacement for psychotherapy, according to research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry (and reported by Reuters, 4 August 2008 and the LA Times, 5 August 2008).
Comparing the percentage of patients who received psychotherapy in 2004-2005 and 1996-1997, researchers discovered a fall of 15.5%.
Dr Ramin Mojtabai, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who conducted the research whilst at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, comments: "Psychiatrists get more for three, 15-minute medication management visits than for one 45 minute psychotherapy visit."
Commenting on the research, Dr Eric Plakun, of the American Psychiatric Association, voiced concerns: "I'm worried about our patients. Patients need the best help we can give them...If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."
Comparing the percentage of patients who received psychotherapy in 2004-2005 and 1996-1997, researchers discovered a fall of 15.5%.
Dr Ramin Mojtabai, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who conducted the research whilst at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, comments: "Psychiatrists get more for three, 15-minute medication management visits than for one 45 minute psychotherapy visit."
Commenting on the research, Dr Eric Plakun, of the American Psychiatric Association, voiced concerns: "I'm worried about our patients. Patients need the best help we can give them...If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."
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