General hospital psychiatry
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Gen Hosp Psychiatry · Jul 2011
Symptoms of delirium: an exploratory factor analytic study among referred patients.
Factor analytic studies of delirium symptoms among patients referred through consultation-liaison psychiatric services are rare. We examined the factor structure of delirium symptoms in referred patients and determined whether combining items from several delirium rating scales influenced the factor structure of delirium symptoms. ⋯ Similar to previous factor analytic studies, the present study supported the existence of two principal dimensions of delirium, cognitive and behavioral. Additionally, it extended the results of earlier investigations to a wider group of patients with delirium, suggesting that these dimensions might provide important clues to the neurobiology of delirium.
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Gen Hosp Psychiatry · Jul 2011
Case ReportsTreatment of delirium with ramelteon: initial experience in three patients.
The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of ramelteon for treating delirium. ⋯ These cases suggest that ramelteon may be beneficial in the treatment of delirium. Randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm the therapeutic benefits.
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Gen Hosp Psychiatry · Jul 2011
Association of serious psychological distress with health services expenditures and utilization in a national sample of US adults.
The Kessler six-item scale has been shown to be a valid and reliable measure of serious psychological distress (SPD) in community samples. We examined the effect of SPD on health service expenditures and utilization for seven categories in a national probability sample of community dwelling adults in the United States. ⋯ Among US adults, SPD is associated with significant increases in total expenditures and most other categories of expenditure and utilization. Targeted interventions to mitigate the adverse effects of SPD are needed.