The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry
-
Aust N Z J Psychiatry · Jun 1994
Police referrals to a psychiatric hospital: indicators for referral and psychiatric outcome.
Studies of police psychiatric referrals in the USA and the UK generally show these patients to be ill and in need of care. There are, however, no published Australian studies and such findings may not be validly generalised. This prospective study of consecutive police psychiatric referrals in Adelaide reports psychiatric assessment in 92 cases and observations by police in 69 of these, with no evidence of selection bias. ⋯ There were 14 cases where possible charges were not being pursued: of these 7 were regarded as ill and 4 were regarded as inappropriate referrals. The rates of major disorders are lower than in other published work. It is proposed that this can be explained by relative ease of referral by police to psychiatry and flexible acceptance criteria.
-
Aust N Z J Psychiatry · Jun 1994
Professional misconduct in psychiatry: sexual behaviour with patients. A report of recent New South Wales findings.
In the period 1989-1991 the Medical Tribunal in the state of New South Wales conducted enquiries into seven complaints about professional misconduct of a sexual nature incidental to psychiatric treatment. This study is submitted in the interests of patients, profession and public in accordance with the ethos of the Medical Practitioners Act (NSW). It is based on personal observations and published legal documents and refers to the legal context and procedures. ⋯ In three instances decisions or orders were unsuccessfully appealed in the Supreme Court. In two instances associated complaints (of illicitly prescribing drugs of addiction and of divulging confidential information) were also found to be professional misconduct. Courtroom pitfalls are illustrated and practical principles explicit in judgements are reiterated.
-
The aims of this study were (i) to determine the frequency of emotional lability following first ever stroke, and (ii) to identify factors associated with this condition. Sixty-six consecutive inpatients with first ever stroke were surveyed two months post stroke for the presence of emotional lability. Demographic, clinical, psychiatric and stroke lesion characteristics were also assessed. ⋯ Single lesions located in anterior regions of the cerebral hemispheres had four times the odds of emotional lability than lesions located anywhere else (p < 0.05). Emotional lability is a common emotional-behavioural syndrome following stroke and is probably a separate condition from post stroke depression. The aetiology of this condition is possibly related to the consequences of injury to anterior regions of the cerebral hemispheres.
-
The demographic and clinical features of 12 male patients with anorexia nervosa were investigated by means of a retrospective analysis of their medical records. The clinical characteristics of the male patients were found to be remarkably similar to those reported for female patients and our findings concur with previously published literature. There appears however to be a greater tendency to exercise excessively. The importance of recognising anorexia nervosa in males is emphasized.
-
Aust N Z J Psychiatry · Sep 1993
Case ReportsSomatisation as a presentation in depression and post-traumatic stress disorder among Cambodian refugees.
Three Cambodian patients with Depression and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) presenting with somatic complaints are described. Their case histories support previous observations that somatisation is the most common presentation of Cambodian patients with Depression and PTSD. The probable reasons why depressed, traumatised Cambodian patients somatise their psychiatric problems are discussed. These cases illustrate the difficulties involved in engaging such patients in Western style psychotherapy, but show the effectiveness of small doses of antidepressants in treating the depressive and post-traumatic stress symptoms.