The effects of a pretreatment educational group programme on mental health treatment outcomes: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Patients dropping out of mental health treatment is considered a widespread and significant obstacle to providing effective treatment, thus reducing the probability of patients achieving the desired improvement. Here, relative to ordinary treatment, we investigate the effects of providing an educational group programme before mental health treatment on mental health symptomatology and the risk of patients dropping out or prematurely discontinuing treatment.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial in which adults referred to a community mental health center were randomized to either a Control Group (n = 46) or a pretreatment educational programme followed by treatment as usual (Intervention Group, n = 45).

The effects of routine outcome monitoring (ROM) on therapy outcomes in the course of an implementation process: A randomized clinical trial.

This study investigated the effects of the Partners for Change Outcome Management System (PCOMS) in adult outpatient treatment at a hospital-based mental health clinic. It also investigated whether the effects differed with the timing of the treatment within a 4-year implementation period, with clients' initial distress levels, and between therapists. Adult clients (N = 170) were randomized to treatment as usual (TAU) or routine outcome monitoring (ROM).

Psychometric properties of the Patient Activation Measure-13 among out-patients waiting for mental health treatment: A validation study in Norway.

Objective: The Patient Activation Measure-13 (PAM-13) has been found useful for assessing patient knowledge, skills and confidence in management of chronic conditions, but the empirical evidence from mental health is sparse. The psychometric properties of PAM in out-patients waiting for treatment in community mental health centers (CMHC) have therefore been examined.

Methods: A total of 290 adults from two CMHC completed PAM.

Religious convictions in patients with epilepsy-associated affective disorders: a controlled study from a psychiatric acute department.

Patients with epilepsy often have different mood symptoms and behavioral trait characteristics compared to the non-epileptic population. In the present prospective study, we aimed to assess differences in behavioral trait characteristics between acutely admitted, psychiatric in-patients with epilepsy-associated depressive symptoms and gender/age-matched patients with major depression. Patients with epilepsy-associated depression had significantly higher scores for "religious convictions," "philosophical and intellectual interests" and "sense of personal destiny.

Prevalence and long-term predictors of persistent chronic widespread pain in the general population in an 11-year prospective study: the HUNT study.

Background: Chronic widespread pain (CWP) is common and associated with prominent negative consequences. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of persistent CWP in an 11-year prospective cohort study in the general population, and to examine anxiety, depression, alcohol use, poor sleep, body mass index (BMI) and chronic disease, along with demographic, lifestyle and other health-related variables as possible predictors for the assumed CWP persistence.

Methods: CWP was defined as having pain at three or more predefined sites (involving the trunk and upper and lower limbs) for at least three months in the last year.

Psychosocial factors and risk of chronic widespread pain: an 11-year follow-up study--the HUNT study.

Few studies have used prospective designs in large population surveys to assess the risk of developing chronic widespread pain (CWP). We wanted to examine 1) how many people without CWP developed it after 11years, and 2) how anxiety, depression, alcohol use, smoking, sleeping problems, and body mass index (BMI) were associated with this development. This study was based on a representative population-based Norwegian cohort attending both the second (1995 to 1997) and the third (2006 to 2008) wave of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT2 and HUNT3, respectively).

Confidentiality as a barrier to support seeking among physicians: the influence of psychosocial work factors in four European hospitals (the HOUPE study).

Background: Concerns about protecting patient's privacy can interfere with proper stress adaptation which is associated with physician's health. It is important to investigate relevant organizational confounders to this phenomenon to enable interventions that can ameliorate the subjective burden of patient confidentiality.

Objectives: This study investigates factors in the psychosocial work environment that can explain patient confidentiality's prominence in social support seeking among physicians, and if these factors covary differently with support seeking according to country.

Associations between confidentiality requirements, support seeking and burnout among university hospital physicians in Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Italy (the HOUPE study).

Concerns about protecting patient's privacy are experienced as a limitation in the opportunity to obtain and utilize social support by many physicians. As resources of social support can modify the process of burnout, patient confidentiality may increase risk of this syndrome by interfering with proper stress adaptation. This study investigates if experiencing limitations in seeking social support due to confidentiality concerns are associated with burnout.

The Mother and Baby Interaction Scale: a valid broadband instrument for efficient screening of postpartum interaction? A preliminary validation in a Norwegian community sample.

Background And Aims: The mother-infant relationship may represent a risk or a protective factor for child development. Hence, an early focus on the relationship may be a worthwhile preventive measure. A simple 10-item instrument, the Mother and Baby Interaction Scale, could be a convenient screening instrument for early bonding failure.

Electroconvulsive therapy in Norway: rates of use, clinical characteristics, diagnoses, and attitude.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to describe the rate of use and demographic distribution of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in Norway in 2004, as well as the attitudes among Norwegian psychiatrists about ECT.

Methods: A 42-item questionnaire on the practice of ECT was sent to 125 Norwegian psychiatric hospitals, district psychiatric centers, and child and adolescent psychiatric units in 2004.

Results: A total of 67 (54%) psychiatric units responded, including 26 (67%) of 39 psychiatric hospitals, 32 (46%) of 69 district psychiatric centers, and 9 (53%) of 17 child and adolescent units.

Questionnaire study about the practice of electroconvulsive therapy in Norway.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to describe the contemporary practice of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in Norway.

Methods: A 42- item questionnaire on the practice of ECT was sent to all the 125 Norwegian psychiatric hospitals, district psychiatric centers, and child and adolescent psychiatric units in 2004.

Results: A total of 67 (54%) psychiatric units responded, including 26 (67%) of 39 psychiatric hospitals, 32 (46%) of 69 district psychiatric centers, and 9 (53%) of 17 child and adolescents units.

Short-term prediction of threatening and violent behaviour in an Acute Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit based on patient and environment characteristics.

Background: The aims of the present study were to investigate clinically relevant patient and environment-related predictive factors for threats and violent incidents the first three days in a PICU population based on evaluations done at admittance.

Methods: In 2000 and 2001 all 118 consecutive patients were assessed at admittance to a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Patient-related conditions as actuarial data from present admission, global clinical evaluations by physician at admittance and clinical nurses first day, a single rating with an observer rated scale scoring behaviours that predict short-term violence in psychiatric inpatients (The Brøset Violence Checklist (BVC)) at admittance, and environment-related conditions as use of segregation or not were related to the outcome measure Staff Observation Aggression Scale-Revised (SOAS-R).

[Screening for intellectual disability among adults].

Background: Instigation of proper measures in case of intellectual disability is often conditioned by a diagnosis. Our aim was to assess whether the Hayes Ability Screening Index (HASI) is a suitable screening instrument for intellectual disability among adults.

Material And Methods: The article is based on three former studies aimed at validating HASI for use among patients referred for neuropsychological examination, prison inmates and psychiatric inpatients in community mental health centres.

Acute Unstable Depressive Syndrome (AUDS) is associated more frequently with epilepsy than major depression.

Background: Depressive disorders are frequent in epilepsy and associated with reduced seizure control. Almost 50% of interictal depressive disorders have to be classified as atypical depressions according to DSM-4 criteria. Research has mainly focused on depressive symptoms in defined populations with epilepsy (e.

Confidentiality and physicians' health. A cross-sectional study of University Hospital Physicians in four European cities (the HOUPE-study).

Objective: To investigate how the subjective burden of confidentiality can act as a stressor that affects physicians' psychological health and wellbeing.

Method: Cross-sectional survey data from a sample of university hospital physicians (N=1,956) in four European countries (Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Italy) who participated in the HOUPE (Health and Organization among University hospital Physicians in Europe) study was analysed.

Results: About 25% of the participants reported that confidentiality impedes emotional support to a considerable degree.

Validation and adaptation of the Norwegian version of Hayes Ability Screening Index for intellectual difficulties in a psychiatric sample.

Background: Intellectual disabilities (ID) among psychiatric patients have traditionally been neglected. A lack of convenient instruments and competency in ID may have worsened the conditions and treatment availability for these patients.

Aims: Validation and adaptation of a screening instrument for ID (Hayes Ability Screening Index; HASI) in a psychiatric hospital setting.

Using brief self-reports and clinician scales to screen for substance use disorders in psychotic patients.

Aims: The aims of this study were to examine evidence for the concurrent validity of two self-report measures and two staff-report measures measuring alcohol and drug problems in seriously mentally ill people and to examine if psychotic patients under-report their alcohol and drug problems in an early intervention clinic.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 48 patients (26 inpatients and 22 outpatients) from an early intervention clinic for psychosis. To examine the sensitivity and specificity, we compared both the staff-report measures Clinical Alcohol Use Scale (AUS) and Clinical Drug Use Scale (DUS) and the self-report measures Short Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (SMAST-13) and Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-20), with the current ICD-10 diagnostic criteria as the gold-standard for alcohol and drug problems.

Symptoms of epilepsy and organic brain dysfunctions in patients with acute, brief depression combined with other fluctuating psychiatric symptoms: a controlled study from an acute psychiatric department.

Background: In psychiatric acute departments some patients present with brief depressive periods accompanied with fluctuating arrays of other psychiatric symptoms like psychosis, panic or mania. For the purpose of the present study we call this condition Acute Unstable Depressive Syndrome (AUDS). The aims of the present study were to compare clinical signs of organic brain dysfunctions and epilepsy in patients with AUDS and Major Depressive Episode (MDE).

The experience of caring in relatives to patients with serious mental illness: gender differences, health and functioning.

The aims of the study were twofold. First, the study examined the extent to which there are gender differences in the experience of caring in a sample of relatives of patients with serious mental illness. Secondly, the study examined the association of self-reports of health and functioning with the experience of burden among relatives of patients with serious mental illness.

Quantitative EEG findings in patients with acute, brief depression combined with other fluctuating psychiatric symptoms: a controlled study from an acute psychiatric department.

Background: Patients with brief depressive episodes and concurrent rapidly fluctuating psychiatric symptoms do not fit current diagnostic criteria and they can be difficult to diagnose and treat in an acute psychiatric setting. We wanted to study whether these patients had signs of more epileptic or organic brain dysfunction than patients with depression without additional symptomatology.

Methods: Sixteen acutely admitted patients diagnosed with a brief depressive episode as well as another concurrent psychiatric diagnosis were included.

A 4-year follow-up study of syndromal and sub-syndromal anxiety and depression symptoms in the general population: the HUNT study.

Background: Our aims were to examine the stability of self-rated anxiety and depression symptoms and the predictors for change in case-level status after 4 years in a general population sample.

Methods: Prospective cohort study. Based on the total score on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression rating scale (HADS-T) in HUNT 2 (1995-1997), three groups were identified: Level 3 (n = 654, score >or= 25 points), Level 2 (n = 654, score 19-24 points), and Level 1 (n = 1,308, score < 19 points).

Staff injuries after patient-staff incidences in psychiatric acute wards.

The aim of the study was to describe the pattern of injuries to various body parts in patient-staff incidents; 507 patient-staff incidents in a psychiatric acute ward during the period 1990-1997 were included. Staff members registered 193 injuries in the head, 112 in the trunk, 265 in the upper extremities and 69 in the lower extremities. No differences between the two sexes or between different levels of education among the nurses were found in the pattern of injuries.

Mortality in relation to self-reported mixed anxiety and depression symptoms--The HUNT study.

Excess mortality in anxiety and depression has mostly been studied for diagnostic categories of each condition separately. The aim of this article is to study the association between self-reported mixed anxiety and depression and mortality in the general population. A population survey of 2624 individuals was defined in three groups according to their total score on Hospital Anxiety and Depression rating Scale (HADS-T): 0-19 points, 19-24 points and 25 points or above; 114 deaths (4.