An interactive voice response system to enhance antidepressant medication compliance.

Advances in technology can have direct and indirect benefits to clinical practice. The challenge that clinicians face is to properly match resources and outcomes, along with patient preferences. This article explores the use of an innovative interactive voice response system to increase patient compliance with antidepressant medication prescribed in primary care settings.

Continuum of care for Alzheimer's disease: a nurse education and counseling program.

This study evaluated a one year long course education and counseling program with 93 family caregivers of elders afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. The elders had received treatment for agitation in an inpatient setting and were subsequently discharged to the caregivers' home. Caregivers were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 68) and a control group (n = 25).

Cerebrospinal fluid corticotropin-releasing factor concentrations in patients with anxiety disorders and normal comparison subjects.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) were measured in a group of patients with anxiety disorders and normal comparison subjects (NC) to explore the hypothesis that abnormalities in CRF neuronal regulation occur in patients with anxiety disorders. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed no differences in CSF CRF concentrations between the four diagnostic categories: panic disorder (PD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and NCs. Male OCD patients had higher CSF CRF concentrations than men with PD and GAD and male NCs.

Current approaches to the psychopharmacologic treatment of depression in children and adolescents.

Topic: A review of major depressive disorder and antidepressant drug treatment in children and adolescents.

Purpose: This paper provides a synthesis of current information regarding diagnosis, psychobiology, psychopharmacology, and practice guidelines for psychiatric nurses involved in the treatment of depression in children and adolescents.

Sources: Recent journal and book publications regarding the psychopharmacological treatment of depression in children and adolescents.

Dexamethasone for the treatment of depression: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial.

Objective: The authors' goal was to assess dexamethasone for the treatment of depression.

Method: Thirty-seven outpatients (11 men and 26 women) meeting DSM-III-R criteria for major depressive disorder were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or 4 mg/day of oral dexamethasone for 4 days. Baseline Hamilton depression scale scores were compared with scores obtained 14 days after the first dose of study medication.