The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry
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Aust N Z J Psychiatry · Apr 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyMetabolite profiles in the anterior cingulate cortex of depressed patients differentiate those taking N-acetyl-cysteine versus placebo.
Increased oxidative stress is thought to contribute to the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD), which is in part due to diminished levels of glutathione, the primary anti-oxidant of the brain. Oral administration of N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) replenishes glutathione and has therefore been shown to reduce depressive symptoms. Proton magnetic spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) that allows quantification of brain metabolites pertinent to both MDD and oxidative biology may provide some novel insights into the neurobiological effects of NAC, and in particular metabolite concentrations within the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are likely to be important given the key role of this region in the regulation of affect. ⋯ The finding of higher Glx and NAA levels being predictive of the NAC group provides preliminary support for the putative anti-oxidative role of NAC in MDD.
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Over the last decade, Australia has seen an increase in investment in mental health services, primarily through the funding of headspace and Better Access to Mental Health Outcomes programs. Concurrently there has been a policy focus on prevention and early intervention, suicide reduction and 'hard-to-target' groups such as Indigenous groups. It is not clear, however, whether research funding targeting health services or prevention or promotion has been prioritized, or whether funding priorities in general have shifted over the last decade. ⋯ Despite mental health policy reforms through the last decade, there has been little change in the focus of research funding or publication output. There is modest evidence for a shift in support towards affective disorders as a major focus for research. However, the remaining gaps were very similar to those identified 10 years earlier showing that suicide, personality disorders and anxiety disorders are under-researched.
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Aust N Z J Psychiatry · Jan 2013
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder co-occurring with obsessive-compulsive disorder: Conceptual and clinical implications.
There are ongoing uncertainties in the relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). This study aimed to test the proposition that OCPD may be a marker of severity of OCD by comparing groups of OCD individuals with and without OCPD on a number of variables. ⋯ A high frequency of OCPD among individuals with OCD suggests a strong, although not necessarily a unique, relationship between the two conditions. This finding may also be a consequence of the blurring of the boundary between OCD and OCPD by postulating that hoarding and hoarding-like behaviours characterise both disorders. Results of this study do not support the notion that OCD with OCPD is a marker of clinician-rated severity of OCD. However, individuals with OCPD had more prominent OCD symptoms, they were more distressed and exhibited various other psychopathological phenomena more intensely, which is likely to complicate their treatment.
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Aust N Z J Psychiatry · Dec 2012
Prevalence, correlates and comorbidity of DSM-IV Cannabis Use and Cannabis Use Disorders in Australia.
To report nationally representative findings on the prevalence, correlates, psychiatric comorbidity and treatment of DSM-IV Cannabis Use and Cannabis Use Disorders in Australia. ⋯ The prevalence of cannabis use disorders in the Australian population is comparable with that in the USA. Current cannabis use disorders are highly concentrated in young Australians who have high levels of comorbidity. The low rates of treatment seeking warrant attention in treatment and prevention strategies.