AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION OCTOBER 1997
TIPSHEET TWO
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 24, 1997
Release no. 97-40.5
APAFastFAX #6147
Melissa Saunders Katz
(202) 682-6142 /[email protected]
www. psych.org
The American Journal of Psychiatry is proud to be one of more than 90 journals in 33 countries participating in the 1997 Global Theme Issue on Aging sponsored by the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Journal articles abstracted in this tipsheet are available in their entirety by calling APAFastFAX at 1-888-267-5400 and selecting the appropriate document number (numbers listed below).
In the October issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry: (Note: All Items Embargoed until October 1, 1997)
LOSING SLEEP OVER INSOMNIA
Patients with insomnia report significant interference with work and other daily responsibilities. According to a study in October's American Journal of Psychiatry, approximately 10% of primary care patients report significant sleep disturbance. Patients with insomnia reported an additional 3.5 days per month of time lost from work or other responsibilities.
["Prevalence, Burden, and Treatment of Insomnia in Primary Care," Gregory E. Simon, M.D., M.P.H., et al., p. 1417.] APAFastfax #6919
Highlights from Psychiatric Services: CONFINING SEX OFFENDERS: THE SUPREME COURT DECISION
In deciding to uphold a Kansas statute that allows indefinite detention of certain classes of sex offenders in psychiatric facilities, the U.S. Supreme Court has taken "a dangerous path" a path that "looked to psychiatry to fulfill a function that properly belongs to the criminal justice system," according to Paul Appelbaum, M.D., a psychiatric expert on forensic issues in the October issue of Psychiatric Services. A growing number of states have passed laws that allow civil commitment of some sex offenders until they are thought to have responded to treatment and can be safely released. The latest decision permits indefinite detention of persons -- beyond the terms of their sentences -- on the basis of the predictions of future behavior, he writes.
["Confining Sex Offenders: The Supreme Court Takes a Dangerous Path," p. 1265. Contact Dr. Appelbaum, at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, at 508-856-3066; fax, 508-856-2725; e-mail, [email protected].] APAFastfax #6920
*For more information on sexual disorders such as pedophilia, order APA's Fact Sheet on Pedophilia APAFastfax #6110
Highlights from Psychiatric Services:
NEW TREATMENT BRIDGES THE COMMUNICATION GAP FOR PATIENTS
People with schizophrenia may benefit more from psychotherapy if they can read the dialogue between themselves and their therapist on a computer screen during the therapy session, according to this Massachusetts study in the October issue of Psychiatric Services. Schizophrenia is characterized by deficits in processing information, especially auditory information, that profoundly disrupt communication. Being able to read the therapist's spoken statements and their own responses provides patients with an alternative way of understanding a conversation one that may allow them to stay better focused and engaged. ["Computer-Facilitated Therapy for Inpatients With Schizophrenia," p.1334. To interview one of the authors, contact Mohiuddin Ahmed, Ph.D., Taunton (Mass.) State Hospital, at 508-824-7551, ext. 340; fax, 508-824-1050.] APAFastfax #6921
PERSONS WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES BENEFIT FROM COMMUNITY CARE
People with serious and persistent mental illness who receive follow-up from assertive community treatment teams are more likely to continue with treatment than similar patients who receive the standard care provided by community mental health centers and other agencies, according to a Portland study in this month's issue of Psychiatric Services. At the end of this two-year study of patients released from psychiatric hospitals, 68 percent of those treated in assertive community treatment programs continued with that course of treatment, compared to 43 percent in standard care. Those in the standard care program were more than twice as likely as the assertive treatment clients to drop out. ["Assertive Community Treatment Versus Usual Care in Engaging and Retaining Clients With Severe Mental Illness," pages 1297. To interview on of the authors, contact Heidi A Herinckx, M.A., Portland State University, at 503-725-5958; fax, 503-725-4180; e-mail, [email protected].] APAFastfax #6922
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