Psychiatry - July 2008 - (Page 8)

Editor’s Message Issue Highlights, July 2008 Dear Colleagues: Welcome to the July issue of Psychiatry 2008! We have a packed issue for our readers covering a diverse range of topics of interest to clinicians. We kick off with an article by Dr. Aboraya, which was inspired by an earlier article by Dr. Pies. In it Dr. Aboraya asks the question “Do psychiatrists use structured interviews in real clinical settings?” He gives his opinion and asks for feedback from readers. I am sure he will be happy to receive plenty of feedback from our readers. Next, in this month’s installment of Trend Watch, we investigated the use of atypical antipsychotics in the elderly. Despite the research on dementia patients that suggests use of antipsychotics may increase risk of hospitalization or death, 66 percent of dementia patients with behavioral disturbances receive antipsychotics. Dr. Jeffrey Cummings from the Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, provides a discussion of the data. Using case examples publicized in the media, Dr. Potash addresses a very important topic, that of mental healthcare in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The author discusses key issues of mental healthcare in New Orleans and the preexisting deficits in Louisiana’s mental health system that may have contributed to the current mental health crisis seen in the city. The author concludes by giving suggestions on how to improve mental health services after a disaster. In this installment of Psychotherapy Rounds, Nisenoff reviews psychotherapeutic and adjunctive pharmacologic approaches to treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The author discusses treatment of sleep disturbances, the entire cluster of symptoms, and residual symptoms of PTSD using psychotherapy and medication. Next, Morgan, et al., provide the results of their study, which examined whether tendency to dissociate under nonstressful circumstances (i.e., at baseline) can serve as a predictor of vulnerability to stress in healthy individuals. Using active duty male soldiers enrolled in Special Forces Assessment and Selection as the subjects of the study, the authors found that the greater the number of symptoms of dissociation endorsed at baseline, the greater the likelihood of failure in the program. This knowledge may lead to improved primary intervention strategies, better job placement, and lowered risk of PTSD. Dr. Lardon, a well-known sport psychiatrist, provides us with a commentary on a timely topic, the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports. He examines and discusses complex questions such as, “What is a therapeutic exemption?” and “When does restorative function end and performance enhancement begin?” and relates these issues to the field of sports psychiatry. Finally, Dr. Pies, continuing his occasional columns, rounds out this issue by examining the claim by some critics of psychiatry that, unlike “real” diseases, psychiatric conditions do not appear in pathology textbooks. In his commentary, Dr. Pies presents the results of his inspection of various textbooks of pathology and pathophysiology, with respect to whether they mention or discuss schizophrenia. Sincerely, Business Staff EDITOR Amir H. Kalali, MD Vice President, Global Therapeutic Group Leader CNS, Quintiles Inc.; Professor of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, California FOUNDING EDITOR Wade H. Berrettini, MD, PhD Karl E. Rickels Professor of Psychiatry, Director, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania PRESIDENT/GROUP PUBLISHER Robert L. Dougherty Matrix Medical Communications Edgemont, Pennsylvania PARTNER Patrick D. Scullin Matrix Medical Communications Edgemont, Pennsylvania VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Joseph J. Morris Matrix Medical Communications Edgemont, Pennsylvania VICE PRESIDENT, EXECUTIVE EDITOR Elizabeth A. Klumpp Matrix Medical Communications Edgemont, Pennsylvania ASSOCIATE EDITOR Colleen M. Hutchinson Matrix Medical Communications Edgemont, Pennsylvania ASSOCIATE EDITOR Kimberly B. Chesky Matrix Medical Communications Edgemont, Pennsylvania NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Brad A. Lacey Matrix Medical Communications Edgemont, Pennsylvania EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE should be directed to Executive Editor, Psychiatry 2008, Matrix Medical Communications, 4975 West Chester Pike, PO Box 445, Edgemont, PA 19028-0445. Tollfree: (866) 325-9907; Phone: (610) 325-9905; Fax: (610) 3259906; E-mail: eklumpp@matrixmedcom.com INDEXING— PsycINFO, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature®) ADVERTISING QUERIES should be addressed to Robert Dougherty, President/Group Publisher, Psychiatry 2008, Matrix Medical Communications, 4975 West Chester Pike, PO Box 445, Edgemont, PA 19028-0445. Toll-free: (866) 325-9907; Phone: (610) 325-9905; Fax: (610) 325-9906; E-mail: rdougherty@matrixmedcom.com 4975 West Chester Pike PO Box 445 Edgemont, PA 19028-0445 Copyright © 2008 Matrix Medical Communications. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed by authors, contributors, and advertisers are their own and not necessarily those of Matrix Medical Communications, the editorial staff, or any member of the editorial advisory board. Matrix Medical Communications is not responsible for accuracy of dosages given in the articles printed herein. The appearance of advertisements in this journal is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality, or safety. Matrix Medical Communications disclaims responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas or products referred to in the articles or advertisements. Reprints are available. Contact Matrix Medical Communications for information. Psychiatry 2008 (ISSN 1550-5952) is published 12 times yearly by Matrix Medical Communications and printed by Publishers Press, Shepherdsville, Kentucky. Printed in the United States of America. Amir Kalali, MD Editor, Psychiatry 2008 8 Psychiatry 2008 [JULY]

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Psychiatry - July 2008

Psychiatry - July 2008 Editor's Message Editorial Advisory Board Contents PsychRx Letters to the Editor Reliability of Diagnoses: Do Psychiatrists Use Structured Interviews In Real Clinical Settings? Trend Watch: Use of Atypical Antipsychotics in the Elderly Review: The Struggle for Mental Healthcare in New Orleans-One Case at a Time Psychotherapy Rounds: Psychotherapeutic and Adjuntive Pharmacologic Approaches to Treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Original Research: Baseline Dissociation and Prospective Success in Special Forces Assessment and Selection Commentary: Performance-Enhancing Drugs: Where Should the Line Be Drawn and By Whom? Commentary: Psychiatric Diagnosis and the Pathlogist's View of Schizophrenia Journal Watch Classified Advertising Information for Authors

Psychiatry - July 2008

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