APA Annual Meeting Highlights, Wednesday, June 3, 1998

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Release No. 98-27
June 3, 1998

Contact: For the 151st APA Annual Meeting program, new research abstract book, abstracts on disk, or syllabus, call 202-682-6325. To set up an interview with a presenter in Toronto, you may leave a message for that person with the annual meeting message center at 416-585-3620. For specific questions the Annual Meeting press room number is 416-585-3606.

APA ANNUAL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 1998

Note: All presentations are embargoed from broadcast, publication, and electronic dispersement until the day of the presentation. Only the presenter with authorization from the chairperson of his/her session can agree to an earlier release. If an embargo is lifted with these provisions, Public Affairs staff will post a notification in the Press Room and on the electronic news and information web sites read by journalists to ensure that no one outlet is granted an exclusive.

11:45 a.m.
APA Media Briefing "Family Issues and Life Concerns"
Briefing presenters will discuss research on estrogen and testosterone as natural antidepressants, Hispanic and African-American sexually abused children, gender differences in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Presenters:

Susan Rako, M.D.

Jon A. Shaw, M.D. University of Miami

Atilla Turgay, M.D. Scarborough General Hospital

1:30 p.m.
Global Alliance of Mental Illness Advocacy Groups Media Briefing,
"Advocacy Groups: A Cross-National Comparison"
Results of an international survey of patient advocacy groups in 11 countries. The more a patient knows about his/her illness, the more likely the patient is to seek and comply with treatment, according to an international survey of patient advocacy groups in 11 countries. In assessing barriers to current treatment, patterns of delays in initial help seeking and other information, the survey indicates that an essential need to deliver more information to patients exists and a stronger role in information delivery by patient advocacy groups is indicated. Presenters: Ronald Kessler, Ph.D.,Harvard University Medical School, Mary Guardino, Freedom From Fear

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

New Research Highlights

9:00 a.m.
Characterizing Psychiatric Patients and Treatments, New Research 432 presented by: Terri L. Tanielian, M.A., Harold Pincus, M.D. American Psychiatric Association, Deborah Zarin, M.D. American Psychiatric Association, Julie Johnson, M.A. Oral/Slide Session Objective: To understand the characteristics of psychiatric patients and treatments used by psychiatrists in routine clinical settings.

9:15 a.m.
Managed Care and Psychiatric Treatment Patterns, New Research 433 presented by Joyce West, M.P.P., Deborah Zarin, M.D. APA, Harold Pincus, M.D. APA. Oral/Slide Session Objective: To understand and demonstrate the relationship between health plan and clinical treatment patterns in routine psychiatric practice.

9:30 a.m.
Mental Disorders and Access to Health Care in the United States, New Research 434 presented by Benjamin G. Druss, M.D. Yale University Oral/Slide Session Objective: To understand the barriers to receipt of health care in the U.S. for people with mental disorders.

10:15 a.m.
Early Adverse Life Events of Single Mothers, New Research 437 presented by Ellen Lipman, M.D., Case Western Reserve University Oral/Slide Session Objective: To increase awareness that 1. Ontario single mothers had significantly more adverse early life events and current problems with employment, income support and psychiatric disorder versus mothers from two-parent families and 2. Among all mothers those with a childhood history of abuse had significantly higher rates of mental health problems compared with mothers without a history of abuse.

12 noon - 2:00 p.m.
A Comparison of Parental Support in Sexually Abused Children and Their Families, New Research 515, Juandalyn Peters, University of Miami, Jon A. Shaw, M.D., Poster Session Objective: to compare psychosocial, family and abuse-related variables between "Perfectly Supportive Mothers" (PSM) who affirm their children's sexual abuse and Unsupportive Mothers (UM) who question the sexual abuse among children whose abuse has been verified by medical examination and state investigation.

Session Highlights

9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
The Occurrence of Dissociative Identity Disorder in Psychiatric Inpatients, Issue Workshop 66. Presented by Arthur Rifkin, M.D., Hillside Hospital. Recent studies show a wide disparity in the rates of occupance of dissociative identity disorder. This session looks at strengths and weaknesses of diagnosis, rating instruments, and the inherent problem in methodological studies.

2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Personality Disorders Research in Canada, Symposium 65, Joel F. Paris, M.D., Chairperson. Discussion includes the etiology of personality disorder traits by John Livesley, M.D., University of British Columbia; prospective follow-up of borderline personality: mechanisms of change by Paul S. Links, M.D.; implications of research on psychological risk factors in border personality disorder by Joel F. Paris, M.D., Jewish General Hospital; risk factors for borderline pathology in children by Jaswant Guzder, M.D., Jewish General Hospital; defenses in personality and depressive disorder by J. Christopher Perry, M.D., Jewish General Hospital.

2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Medication: Changing a Person or Treating a Patient?, Symposium 71 Susan C. Vaughan, M.D., Chairperson. Discussion includes: stability of personality disorders with treatment for chronic depression by Robert M. A. Hirshfeld, M.D., University of Texas; does medication change personality organization? by Carlos Blanco, M.D., Columbia University; defense mechanisms and axis I: searching for stability by Linda S. Mullen, M.D., Columbia University; biological studies in personality disorders by Emil F. Coccaro, M.D., MCP Hahnemann

2:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m.
Herbal Medicine: Ancient Roots to Modern Use, Symposium 72 Michael W. Smith, M.D., Chairperson. Discussion includes: herbal medicine and psychiatry: potential for toxicity by Michael W. Smith, M.D., Harbor-UCLA REI; kava: ancient beverage to modern psychotherapeutic medicine by Dennis J. McKenna, Ph.D., Heffer Research; antidepressant activity of hypericum perforatum: St. John's Wort by Jerry M. Cott, Ph.D., National Institute of Mental Health; plant enthogens as medicine by Charles S. Grob, M.D., Harbor-UCLA Medical Center

2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Practice Profile of United States & Canadian Psychiatrists, Symposium 75 Michael F. Myers, M.D., Chairperson. Discussion includes: practice profile survey by the Canadian Psychiatric Association: study, design, and results; findings from the APA's Practice Research Network study of psychiatric patients and treatments by Harold Alan Pincus, M.D.

7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Genetics of Personality and Behavior, Symposium 94 John M. Oldham, M.D., chairperson. Discussion includes: genetics of personality and behavior by Kathleen R. Merikangas, Ph.D., Yale University; genetic structure of personality disorder traits by John Livesley, M.D., University of British Columbia; gene mapping of human personality traits by C. Robert Cloninger, M.D., Washington University Medical School; genetics of antisocial personality disorder by Remi J. Cadoret, M.D., University of Iowa; genetics of schizotypal and borderline personality disorder.

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