[Genocide--some medical and psychological aspects].

The Nazi genocide of the Jews was the background for the UN Convention on Genocide in 1949. The number of people murdered according to the definition in the UN Convention in the period 1900-87 has been estimated at 37 million; the real number is probably higher. Genocide is a considerable cause of death, it has severe consequences for survivors, is an irreplaceable loss for surviving relatives and a trauma for the collective identity.

[Mental health among refugees. Connection between symptoms, traumatization and exile].

Traumatization and psychiatric symptoms among 346 refugees admitted to the outpatient unit at the Psychosocial Centre for Refugees from 1992 to 1996 were registered and analysed by means of systematic, clinical interviews. More than 50% reported exposure to physical torture, and more than 50% had also been involved in serious war actions. Most patients had experienced many forms of persecution.

Mental disorder among refugees and the impact of persecution and exile: some findings from an out-patient population.

Background: Refugees have long been considered at risk for mental disorder. We sought to characterise this risk in an out-patient refugee sample by analysing the relationship between psychiatric symptoms and dysfunction, and between symptoms and the socio-demographic background and stressors specific to this refugee sample.

Method: A consecutive sample of 231 refugee patients referred to the psychiatric out-patient unit at the Psychosocial Centre for Refugees, University of Oslo, was examined with a semi-structured interview guide, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Hopkins Symptom Check-List (HSCL-25) and a check-list for post-traumatic symptoms (PTSS-10).

[German medicine during the Nazi regime--cooperation and resistance].

The author reviews the collaboration between the medical profession and the Nazis in Germany during the period 1933-45, based mainly on recent literature. As several authors have pointed out, the medical profession became extensively involved in the implementation of a sterilisation programme, the practice of the racial laws, the exclusion of Jews from the medical practice, the Euthanasia Programme and the performance of painful and dangerous experiments on prisoners. Although the resistance to Nazism was weak and did not succeed in preventing the atrocities, it deserves historical attention.

[Norwegian psychiatry and Nazism. A historical project of current interest].

In 1945 the Ministry of Justice appointed a committee to conduct a psychiatric examination of Norwegian Nazis. This was done after a proposal from the Norwegian Psychiatric Association on the initiative of Professor Langfeldt, who at that time was head of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oslo. An investigation based on a crosscheck between membership of the Nazi party and the Norwegian case register for psychoses for the period 1926-1940 showed 30% more psychoses among the Nazis than in the population as a whole.

[Medicine and human rights].

Medicine's task to promote health without inflicting harm is parallel to the two dimensions of human rights-"the positive rights", meaning the right of fulfillment of certain basic needs, and "the negative rights", meaning protection from harmful violations. A historical review shows that the practice of medicine has been an integral part of every civilization in human history, but that the ideas of human rights are a more recent invention of the human mind. In spite of old philosophical traditions about the unique value of the human being, the idea that all human beings are created equal and born with the same rights has only been truly recognized in recent centuries, and has been elaborated through conventions and declarations in national and international political institutions after World War II.

[Mental health among Norwegian immigrants to America. Ornulv Odegård's migration research in a historical perspective].

Norway has a past history as a country of emigration, and in these earlier days, medicine and psychiatry had to cope with the effects of migration. A review of the scientific literature shows much concern about the high prevalence of psychoses. However, many of the conclusions were based on oversimplified methodology.

Eating behaviour, drug use, psychopathology and parental bonding in adolescents in Norway.

A 12-item version of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-12) was constructed and applied at 1-year intervals in a non-referred cohort of 1193 adolescents in Norway aged 13-18 years. Eight percent of the girls scored beyond the chosen cut-off point of 9/10 the first time and 9% the second time. Factor analysis demonstrated 3 factors--dieting, bulimia and food preoccupation and oral control.

Adolescents and benzodiazepines: prescribed use, self-medication and intoxication.

In a longitudinal study of 1230 people aged 13-18 years from the Greater Oslo Area, the past-year prevalence of anxiolytic or hypnotic use was 10%, which is higher than previously reported. The majority gave therapeutic reasons as a motive for using these drugs. However, most of the use was unprescribed.

Role modelling and cigarette smoking: vulnerable working class girls? A longitudinal study.

Risk factors for the onset of cigarette smoking were examined by means of a prospective longitudinal study in 1230 Norwegian adolescents aged 12-18. In particular the importance of role modelling was focused. The findings revealed that the age period between 12 and 15 is most important when it comes to the initiation of smoking.

[The clinical information value of an immunoenzyme study of the tumor markers CA-19-9, CEA and AFP in cancer of the stomach, pancreas, colon and rectum].

Blood levels of CEA, CA 19-9 and AFP were assayed by immunoenzyme technique in 60 cases of gastric cancer, 15 patients with pancreatic cancer and 30 patients with colorectal cancer. CEA and CA 19-9 levels were found to depend upon stage and degree of tumor differentiation. Changes in the antigen levels in the course of treatment reflected the degree of its radicality.

[Psychosocial consequences of organized violence. Experiences from Latin America].

The health consequences of organized violence are well documented (increasing from many parts of the world). We review experiences reported from Latin-America based on literature, contact with human rights organizations and participation in conferences in (Santiago de) Chile and Costa Rica, with special focus on: the destructive psychosocial influence of a repressive society; the development of torture methods; the development of therapeutic methods; the serious psychological implications of "impunity". In Central America joint strategies have been developed for preventive and therapeutic work connected to the effects of war-traumas and terror.

[Clinical experiences with refugees in need of treatment. Reflections on psychosocial problems of people living in exile].

In the light of experiences from the Psychosocial Team for Refugees in Norway, the authors describe factors of importance for understanding the personal meaning of the exile. We point to the implication of different traumatic events associated with flight and exile, and to the psychosocial consequence of such traumatization. We consider this to be important basic knowledge for doctors and other health workers engaged in preventive and curative work with refugees.

[Psychosocial problems among refugees in Norway].

172 patients were examined and treated by the Psychosocial Team for Refugees in Norway from 1 January 1986 to 15 November 1988. The patients came from 21 countries, the majority from Iran, Chile and Vietnam. Various reactive conditions dominated the clinical picture, and 53 patients had posttraumatic stress disorder, which was the most frequently occurring single diagnosis.

Patterns of drug use and sensation-seeking among adolescents in Norway.

The relationship between personality and drug use was investigated by studying patterns of sensation-seeking behaviour and drug use among adolescents. A questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 1027 Norwegian senior high school students aged 16 to 19 in the greater Oslo area. The response rate was 97%.

Drug abuse among junior high school students in Norway.

The use of legal and illegal drugs was screened by a questionnaire of 2,265 junior high school adolescents in a rural and semirural area in Norway. Mental symptoms were independently assessed by a personal interview of a random sample of 177 of the pupils. An index of total environmental adversity was developed based on questionnaire items from family, school and leisure time activities.