Negative and Positive Automatic thoughts in Social Anxiety Disorder.

Background: Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is characterized by fear and avoidance in social situations where one is exposed to scrutiny by others. It is possible that automatic thoughts either cause the disorder or maintain it, and thus their examination is warranted.

Method: 30 SAD subjects diagnosed with the MiniInternational Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and 30 healthy controls were administered the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaires (ATQ-Negative and ATQ-Positive), the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).

Patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who receive multiple electroconvulsive therapy sessions: characteristics, indications, and results.

Background: While electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been used for many years, there is insufficient research regarding the indications for continuation/maintenance (C/M)-ECT, its safety and efficacy, and the characteristics of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who receive multiple ECT sessions. The aims of this study were to characterize a series of patients who received 30 ECT sessions or more, to describe treatment regimens in actual practice, and to examine the results of C/M-ECT in terms of safety and efficacy, especially the effect on aggression and functioning.

Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 20 consecutive patients (mean age 64.

Social Anxiety Disorder Comorbid with Schizophrenia: The Importance of Screening for This Under recognized and Under treated Condition.

Background: While the presence of comorbid anxiety disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder have been well described in schizophrenia, comorbid social anxiety disorder (SAD) has been less emphasized. The goal of this study was to examine the prevalence of SAD in our ambulatory population of patients with schizophrenia.

Methods: A group of 50 outpatients with schizophrenia randomly selected from our public mental health outpatient population was evaluated with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID)-schizophrenia section, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale (SQLS), the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF).

The attitudes of psychiatric hospital staff toward hospitalization and treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder.

Background: Negative attitudes towards patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) may affect their treatment. We aimed to identify attitudes toward patients with BPD.

Methods: Clinicians in four psychiatric hospitals in Israel (n = 710; psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and nurses) were approached and completed questionnaires on attitudes toward these patients.

[Social anxiety disorder and alcohol use disorders].

Social anxiety disorder is a mental condition with anxiety and avoidance in social settings and is frequently accompanied by self-medication with alcohol. Epidemiological studies demonstrate that the risk that patients with social anxiety disorder will develop alcohol dependence is more than two-fold. We will discuss epidemiological research findings about this comorbidity, as well as reasons for the comorbidity and the various treatments available for these conditions.

Self esteem, dependency, self-efficacy and self-criticism in social anxiety disorder.

Background: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by fear and avoidance in social situations where one perceives being in danger of scrutiny by others. Low self-esteem, low self-efficacy, high self-criticism and high dependency are additional potential features of SAD, and thus their examination is warranted, as is the elucidation of their inter-relationship.

Method: Thirty-two SAD subjects diagnosed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview and 30 healthy controls, were administered the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale, the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ) that assesses self-criticism, dependency and self-efficacy, and a socio-demographic questionnaire.

[Hyperhidrosis and social anxiety disorder--the same old thing under a different cloak?].

Hyperhidrosis is a reason for treatment by many specialists in medicine, such as dermatologists, family medicine doctors, surgeons and also psychiatrists. Hyperhidrosis causes considerable distress and disability. Despite the fact that the condition has been known for thousands of years, it is yet unclear whether excessive sweating derives from emotional" activation of the central nervous system, whether the emotional symptoms evolve due to local dysfunction of the sweat glands, or a combination of the two problems.

Recalling the threat: dental anxiety in patients waiting for dental surgery.

Objective: The tendency of patients with high levels of anxiety to easily recall threatening stimuli has not been examined in relation to dental anxiety. The current study was aimed to examine the effect of pre-treatment anxiety levels and of information given prior to dentistry surgical procedures on free recall of threatening words.

Methods: Forty-two subjects attending a private dental clinic were recruited.

Can Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 predict response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in depressed outpatients?

There is growing evidence that individual differences among patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) on psychological and demographic measures may predict the therapeutic response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). In this retrospective chart review, 108 outpatients with current major depressive episodes were treated with citalopram, paroxetine, or fluvoxamine. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 were administered before and after 8 weeks of SSRIs treatment.

Decreased serotonin content and reduced agonist-induced aggregation in platelets of patients chronically medicated with SSRI drugs.

Background: Chronic treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) reduces the risk and severity of cardiovascular diseases. SSRIs block the serotonin transporter, thereby inhibiting serotonin (5-HT) uptake into presynaptic neurons as well as into platelets where 5-HT is stored in dense granules. When 5-HT is released in response to agonists it enhances platelet aggregation induced by injury-related signals.

Shyness and social phobia in Israeli Jewish vs Arab students.

Background: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) has been repeatedly shown to be very prevalent in the Western society with prevalence rates of 10% or above. However, very few studies have been performed in the Middle East and in Arab countries.

Methods: A total of 300 Israeli students participated in our study and were administered the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS), the Cheek and Buss Shyness Questionnaire (CBSQ), and a sociodemographic questionnaire.

The relationship between type of insurance, time period and length of stay in psychiatric hospitals: the Israeli case.

Background: According to the current standard of practice in modern medicine, medical decision-making is often forced to comply with stipulations of the insurance provider. In the field of psychiatry, there has been a trend of shortened psychiatric hospitalizations which some have suggested may be due to pressures related to insurance coverage. In Israel, soldiers have comprehensive medical coverage provided by the military, and this coverage includes full payment for psychiatric hospitalizations.

Anti-ribosomal P antibody in schizophrenia.

Background: A series of epidemiological, clinical and laboratory findings suggest an autoimmune process in schizophrenia and include, among others, high titers of various autoantibodies in the sera of patients. Antiribosomal P antibody is known to exist in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with a psychiatric presentation, including psychosis, rationalizing the examination of its existence in patients with schizophrenia.

Methods: Sera of 59 patients, 48 diagnosed with schizophrenia and 11 diagnosed with a schizoaffective disorder, were examined for the presence of antiribosomal P antibody titers using ELISA.

Staff attitudes toward patients with borderline personality disorder.

Objective: Our aims were (1) to develop 2 inventories for the measurement of cognitive and emotional attitudes toward borderline personality disorder (BPD) patients and their treatment and (2) to use these tools to understand and compare attitudes of psychiatrists, psychologists, and nurses toward BPD patients.

Method: Two lists of items referring to cognitive (47 items) and emotional attitudes (20 items) toward BPD patients were formulated. Fifty-seven clinicians (25 nurses, 13 psychologists, and 19 psychiatrists), who had been working in public psychiatric institutions for more than 1 year, rated their level of agreement with each item.

Escitalopram in the treatment of negative symptoms in patients with chronic schizophrenia: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Antidepressant medication treatment has been associated with improvement in negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of escitalopram for the treatment of negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Under double-blind conditions, 40 patients with chronic schizophrenia were randomized to add-on treatment with escitalopram (up to 20mg) or placebo for 10weeks.

A comparison of life events in patients with unipolar disorder or bipolar disorder and controls.

Objective: The present study aimed to explore the association between stressful life events (LEs) and the development of affective psychopathology.

Method: Thirty patients with unipolar disorder and 30 patients with bipolar disorder were compared to 60 matched healthy controls in regard to the rate of stressful LEs. Assessment measures included the Beck Depression Inventory, the Adult Life Events Questionnaire, and the Childhood Life Events List.

Diminished neural sensitivity to irregular facial expression in first-episode schizophrenia.

Introduction: Blunted, inappropriate affective-social behavior is a hallmark of early schizophrenia, possibly corresponding to reduced ability to recognize and express emotions. It is yet unknown if this affective deficiency relates to disturbed neural sensitivity to facial expressions or to overall face processing. In a previous imaging study, healthy subjects showed less suppression of the fusiform gyrus (FG) to repeated presentation of the same transfigured-bizarre face relative to regular face.

[Physical exercise among psychiatric patients: physical and mental effects].

Physical activity is an important aspect of good health for everyone, and is even more important for psychiatric patients who usually live an unhealthy lifestyle, and take medications that tend to reinforce the metabolic syndrome. This article presents research dealing with the efficacy of physical activity in treating different psychiatric problems from the medical-physiological aspect, as well as from the psychological aspect. It is advised that physicians and mental health professionals should ask and encourage patients to participate in regular physical activity.

Pathological gambling: an update on neuropathophysiology and pharmacotherapy.

Neurobiological research has shown the potential involvement of serotonergic, dopaminergic and opioid dysfunction in the pathophysiology of pathological gambling. In this review, we present current theories of the neuropathology of pathological gambling, paying particular attention to the role of the neural circuitry underlying motivation, reward, decision-making and impulsivity. This review also presents a literature review of current pharmacological treatment strategies for pathological gambling, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), opioid receptor antagonists, anti-addiction drugs and mood stabilizers, and also discusses the role of nonpharmacological interventions.

A naturalistic long-term comparison study of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the treatment of panic disorder.

Objectives: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are currently considered as the first drug of choice in the treatment of panic disorder (PD). The aim of this long-term, naturalistic comparison study was to compare 4 SSRIs with respect to tolerability and treatment outcome of PD. Outcome measures included relapse rates and adverse effects.

[Pathological gambling].

Gambling behaviour is well-known for many centuries and is growing in popularity and frequency. Its etiology is multi-factorial and in this paper we review new developments in the field of pathological gambling, both regarding etiology and treatment progress. The aim of this review is to increase the physicians' awareness towards this entity.