Managing risks of violence in a youth mental health service: a service model description.

Aim: There is a significant relationship between experiencing a severe mental illness, particularly psychosis, and exhibiting violent or offending behaviour. Reducing, if not preventing, the risks of violence among patients of mental health services is clinically warranted, but models to address this are limited.

Methods: We provide a rationale for, and service description of, a pilot forensic satellite clinic embedded within an early intervention service for patients with emerging psychosis, mood disorder and/or personality disorders.

Integrated cognitive behaviour therapy for co-occurring substance misuse and major depression: lessons from a youth mental health service.

Objective: The aim of this paper is to describe a 20-week integrated cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) program addressing co-occurring substance misuse and major depression in young people.

Method: Participants were aged between 15 and 25 years, met DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder and had at least weekly illicit drug use and/or weekly alcohol use exceeding the Australian national guidelines on alcohol.

Results: Between December 2004 and January 2007, an integrated CBT program was offered to 60 young people with co-occurring depression and substance misuse who presented to a youth-specific mental health service.

Serum clozapine levels: a review of their clinical utility.

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is frequently utilized in the treatment of psychiatric conditions, but its clinical application concerning the use of clozapine is unclear. We present three case reports of patients taking clozapine, review the relevant literature, and propose guidelines to aid the clinical use of TDM of clozapine. Due to its complex metabolism, there are significant inter- and intra-individual variations in clozapine serum levels, for a given dose.