The Royal Melbourne Hospital Lithium Clinic.

The Lithium Clinic at the Royal Melbourne Hospital was an innovative program for the management of mood disorders. The Clinic was a model for teaching and research, as well as a vehicle for expert treatment of patients. Many psychiatrists gained valuable experience and training during their period of involvement and many academics and psychiatric researchers were involved with the Clinic.

An evaluation of a behaviour therapy programme as an intervention treatment for the fear of withdrawal with heroin-dependent persons.

A methadone withdrawal programme (MWP) and a behaviour therapy programme (BTP) were compared in terms of their effectiveness to prevent relapse of heroin addicts after methadone treatment. The BTP incorporated systematic desensitization to effect a decrease in levels of fear of both physical and environmental withdrawal, in addition to assertive training to effect an increase in coping and social skills.Twenty-three voluntary ambulatory patients were allocated in four groups, one group receiving only the MWP (M), one only the BTP (BT), a third, a combination of the two treatments (MBT), and the fourth, a control group of no treatment (C).