Income inequalities in case death of ischaemic heart disease in the Netherlands: a national record-linked study.

Background: Socioeconomic inequalities in ischaemic heart disease (IHD) mortality have been found in most European countries, but it is unclear to what extent inequalities in survival, as opposed to incidence, contribute to these inequalities in mortality. The author studied income-related inequalities in short-term and long-term case death after first hospitalisation with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and chronic ischaemic heart disease (CIHD), as well as inequalities in cardiovascular surgical procedures among patients admitted with IHD, in the Netherlands.

Design: A nationwide prospective cohort study of patients first admitted for IHD.

Failure of naltrexone hydrochloride to reduce self-injurious and autistic behavior in mentally retarded adults. Double-blind placebo-controlled studies.

Background: It is hypothesized that self-injurious behavior (SIB) and symptoms of autism may be due to overactivity in some opioid systems in the brain. We examined the efficacy and safety of naltrexone hydrochloride, an opioid antagonist, in the treatment of SIB and autism in mentally retarded adults.

Method: Thirty-three mentally retarded adults with autism and/or SIB participated in double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover studies.

Mental health care and the opposition movement in The Netherlands.

In The Netherlands, there is a more or less recognized movement in the field of mental health care which is referred to as the psychiatric opposition movement or the patients movement. The nucleus of the Dutch movement consists of patients and ex-patients. As far as mental health professionals are participating in the movement, they do so as more or less passive supporters of a movement dominated by patients and ex-patients.