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Is life getting manic? A survey of bipolar symptoms in the community

A group of investigators of he University of Bologna have tested the frequency of symptoms related to the psychiatric concept of mania (being easily distracted, irritable, with racing thoughts, etc..) in the community.

21 Mar 2005

Psychiatric diagnostic criteria fail to identify psychological suffering in oncology

A group of researchers of the University of Ferrara studied the psychological and psychosomatic distress associated with cancer in the march issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.

21 Mar 2005

Psychiatric trainees have no more psychological problems than other medical trainees

It has long been believed that psychiatrists should have more psychological problems than other doctors for making their choice. This does not appear to be true according to a study published in the March issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics by psychiatrists in Serbia-Montenegro and Greece.

21 Mar 2005

A new method for analysing the therapy process

In clinical settings, therapy processes are complex dynamical systems where several variables are constantly interacting with each other. In general, the underlying mechanisms are difficult to assess.

21 Mar 2005

Drugs alone are not enough for fighting obsessions and compulsions

Both medication and psychotherapy are effective in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, they both have disadvantages. A group of researchers at the La Sapienza University studied the long-term effectiveness of integrated treatment compared with medication alone.

21 Mar 2005

Does depression predict mortality in heart attacks?

A group of Danish investigators, headed by Per Bech (Hillerod) surveyed the the literature on depression in patients with myocardial infarction to assess the methodological quality and to test whether depression leads to an increased postmyocardial infarction mortality.

21 Mar 2005

Genetically modified plants are to be used to fight against HIV, tuberculosis, diabetes and rabies

Genetically modified (GM) plants are to be used to grow vaccines for use in the worldwide fight against HIV, tuberculosis, diabetes and rabies thanks to a grant of 12 million euros from the EU’s Sixth Framework Programme (FP6).

21 Mar 2005

Fishing communities are the hidden victims of HIV/AIDS

Men and women living in fishing villages across the world have been found to be between five and ten times more vulnerable to the disease than other communities.

21 Mar 2005

Simple risk assessment tool could increase the number of patients receiving vital medication for dangerous blood clots

Introducing a simple risk assessment tool could increase the number of patients receiving vital medication for dangerous blood clots, according to a paper just published online by IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

21 Mar 2005

New self-help technology set to combat eating disorders

A new interactive multi-media self-help package for people diagnosed with eating disorders developed by a medical researcher at the University of Glasgow is now set to be delivered over the internet to adolescent sufferers.

21 Mar 2005

Brain research to help in fight against heart disease

Scientists at the University of Liverpool, supported by the British Heart Foundation, are studying blood flow in the brain to further medical understanding of cardiovascular disease.

21 Mar 2005

Obtaining patient consent for clinical audit is unworkable

Obtaining signed patient consent for audit purposes is difficult and is unlikely to be successful unless extra resources are made available, finds a study published online by the BMJ.

21 Mar 2005

Costs of antidepressants could have funded effective alternatives

Some of the costs of prescribing antidepressant drugs over the last decade could have been used to deliver psychological treatments of proven effectiveness, finds a study published online by the BMJ.

21 Mar 2005

Acupuncture and strengthening exercises help relieve pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy

Researchers in Sweden identified 386 pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain. Women were randomly divided into three groups; one received standard treatment (a pelvic belt and a home exercise programme), another received standard treatment plus acupuncture, and the third received standard treatment plus stabilising exercises to improve mobility and strength.

21 Mar 2005

NHS Stop-Smoking Services are insufficient to deliver national smoking targets

NHS Stop-Smoking Services are insufficient to deliver national smoking targets, and Government smoking targets are themselves insufficient for the poorest communities, says a study published online by the BMJ.

21 Mar 2005

Denim and short skirt rules are for schools not hospitals

NHS staff have been subjected to a dress code that a leading doctor says belongs more to a classroom than a hospital.

21 Mar 2005

Research to improve bone marrow transplant outcomes

The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) and its affiliate, the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIMBTR), are supporting clinical trials to determine the best unrelated marrow and blood cell transplant procedures for patients and donors.

21 Mar 2005