Psychiatrikē = Psychiatriki
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Depression is the most common mental health problem among older people, posing a critical impact on their well-being and the quality of life. The objective of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of depression in elderly population of an urban area and to investigate the association with various aggravating or protective factors. The sample consisted of 239 subjects, aged >60 years, members of "daycare centers for older people" (KAPI) in the municipality of Patras, W-Greece. ⋯ Depressive symptoms were more frequent in elderly with chronic diseases compared to elderly without comorbidity (50.8% vs 27.5%, p=0.02). High prevalence of depressive symptoms in elderly population is evident, but rarely recognized. The systematic use of short GDS versions in Primary Care may increase detection rates of depression among the elderly.
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Medication can be an effective part of treatment for several psychiatric disorders of childhood and adolescence but its use should be based on a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and treatment plan. The aim of this study was to evaluate psychotropic medication use for children and adolescents treated as inpatients and to compare it with principles of rational pharmacotherapy, thus identifying possible downsides of current practices and pointing a way towards safer and more efficient practices. This is a descriptive study of prescribing trends at the Clinical Department for Children and Adolescents of the Institute of Mental Health in Belgrade, during the period from September 2009 to September 2010. ⋯ Current drug-prescribing practices at the Clinical Department for Children and Adolescents of the Institute of Mental Health in Belgrade are in accordance with current practices in the United States and Europe. Not every child with symptoms of mental health problems needs pharmacological treatment; when they do, the general rule of thumb should be "start low, go slow, and taper slowly". Follow-up studies are necessary to assess the change of trends, as well as studies in different patient populations and health centers, in order to globally evaluate psychotropic medication use in children and adolescents in Serbia.
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Recent studies indicate multiple consequences of pathologically excessive internet use. This study investigated the correlate of internet usage, with pathological internet engagement. ⋯ We found that the daily Internet use (b=0,38, t=10,38, p<0,001), the use of interactive online games (b=0,21, t=5,15, p<0,001), making acquaintances on the internet (b=0,20, t=5,11, p<0,001) and the participation in online forums (b=0,15, t=3,64, p<0,001) account for 42% of the variance of pathological internet engagement. Subjects at risk for developing pathological internet engagement had significantly higher levels of online gambling addiction, cybersexual addiction, suicidal ideation and alcohol abuse, compared with other groups. Pathological internet engagement, particularly in young people, is a new psychopathological parameter that should be incorporated in the diagnostic and therapeutic horizon of mental health professionals.
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Attitudes towards assisted death activities among medical students, the future health gatekeepers, are scarce and controversial. The aims of this study were to explore attitudes on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide among final year medical students in Athens, to investigate potential differences in attitudes between male and female medical students and to review worldwide attitudes of medical students regarding assisted death activities. A 20- item questionnaire was used. ⋯ Concerning attitudes towards euthanasia among medical students in various countries there are contradictory results. In USA, the Netherlands, Hungary and Switzerland most of the students supported euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. However, in many other countries such as Norway, Sweden, Yugoslavia, Italy, Germany, Sudan, Malaysia and Puerto Rico most students expressed negative positions regarding euthanasia and physician assisted suicide.
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The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) has been translated and widely used in several countries to assess anxiety and depression in general hospital patients with good results. Material-Method The HADS was administered to 521 participants (275 controls and 246 inpatients and outpatients of Internal Medicine and Surgical Departments). The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used as "gold standards" for depression and anxiety respectively. Results The HADS presented high internal consistency; Cronbach's α=0.884 (0.829 for anxiety and 0.840 for depression) and stability (test-retest Intraclass Correlation Coefficient 0.944). Factor analysis showed a two-factor structure. The HADS showed high concurrent validity; the correlations of the scale and its subscales with the BDI and the STAI were high (0.722-0.749). ⋯ The Greek version of HADS showed good psychometric properties and could prove as a good tool for clinicians to assess anxiety and depression in general hospital patients.