Transdiagnostic Associations between Anger Hostility and Chemokine Interferon-gamma Inducible Protein 10.

Objective: Many psychiatric disorders are linked to low grade systemic inflammation as measured by systemic cytokine levels. Exploration of cytokines and immune activity and their role in psychiatric symptoms may inform pathobiology and treatment opportunities. The aim of this study is to explore if there are associations between cytokines and psychiatric symptom clusters.

Cytokines in hepatitis C-infected patients with or without opioid maintenance therapy.

Objective: Both chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and opioids cause altered blood levels of cytokines. Previous studies have investigated levels of selected groups of cytokines in patients on opioid maintenance treatment. Little is known about the levels of multiple cytokines in patients with chronic HCV infection on opioid maintenance treatment.

Association between brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and psychiatric symptoms in medicated and unmedicated patients.

Background: There is evidence that brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) plays a protective role in the brain. Peripheral levels of BDNF correlate with its concentration in the brain. Previous studies have revealed lower serum BDNF levels in patients with mental illnesses.

Outpatient clinics treating substance use disorders in Northwest Russia and Northern Norway: a descriptive comparative study.

Both in Norway and Russia a considerable portion of the population have substance use disorders. However, the knowledge about outpatient services treating substance use disorders in Norway and Russia is limited. This study will describe and compare outpatient clinics treating substance use disorders in Arkhangelsk in Northwest Russia and in Bodø and Tromsø in Northern Norway on availability, accessibility and treated prevalence (patients treated in one year).

Diagnosing comorbidity in psychiatric hospital: challenging the validity of administrative registers.

Background: This study will explore the validity of psychiatric diagnoses in administrative registers with special emphasis on comorbid anxiety and substance use disorders.

Methods: All new patients admitted to psychiatric hospital in northern Norway during one year were asked to participate. Of 477 patients found eligible, 272 gave their informed consent.

Classification of bipolar disorder in psychiatric hospital. A prospective cohort study.

Background: This study has explored the classification of bipolar disorder in psychiatric hospital. A review of the literature reveals that there is a need for studies using stringent methodological approaches.

Methods: 480 first-time admitted patients to psychiatric hospital were found eligible and 271 of these gave written informed consent.

Concurrent validity of the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales compared with a patient-derived measure, the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised in out-patient clinics.

The psychometric properties of the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) have been questioned. The present study examined the concurrent validity of the HoNOS against a patient-derived measure (the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R)) in out-patients. This relationship has previously only been investigated in in-patients.

Between health care and social security--psychiatric patients and the disability pension system in Norway and Russia.

Background: The official statistics of persons with mental disorders who are granted disability pension (DP) in Russia and Norway indicate large differences between the countries.

Methods: This qualitative explorative hypothesis-generating study is based on text analysis of the laws, regulations and guidelines, and qualitative interviews of informants representing all the organisational elements of the DP systems in both countries.

Results: The DP application process is initiated much later in Norway than in Russia, where a 3 year occupational rehabilitation and adequate treatment is mandatory before DP is granted.

The Barents project in psychiatry: a systematic comparative mental health services study between Northern Norway and Archangelsk County.

Background: There is virtually no readily accessible systematically recorded evidence on how the organization of mental health services in Europe's largest country, Russia, may differ from other national systems. This study systematically compares the mental health services in Archangelsk County and Northern Norway using instruments developed for trans-cultural use.

Methods: The European Service Mapping Schedule (ESMS) and The International Classification of Mental Health Care (ICMHC) were used to describe: (i) resources, organisation and utilisation of the services; (ii) their decentralisation and differentiation; (iii) some interventions delivered by the mental health service units (n = 132) in both regions.

A comparative study of diagnostic practice in psychiatry in Northern Norway and Northwest Russia.

Background: The co-operation between psychiatrists in Norway and Russia is increasing. The object of this study was to find out whether there were differences in diagnostic practice of psychiatrists in both countries, to look at the nature of the differences and to examine whether these differences affected diagnostic quality.

Method: Thirty medical doctors working at psychiatric hospitals in both countries diagnosed 12 clinical case vignettes selected from a wide spectre of psychiatric disorders.