Sex differences in mortality of admitted patients with personality disorders in North Norway--a prospective register study.

Background: It is well established that patients with serious mental disorders have higher mortality than the general population, yet there are few studies on mortality of both natural and unnatural causes in patients with personality disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the mortality of in-patients with personality disorder diagnosis in a 27-year follow-up cohort in North Norway, with a special focus on gender differences.

Method: Based on a hospital case register covering 1980 to 2006, 284 female and 289 male patients were included.

The factor structure and psychometric properties of the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation--Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) in Norwegian clinical and non-clinical samples.

Background: The Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation--Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) is a 34-item instrument developed to monitor clinically significant change in out-patients. The CORE-OM covers four domains: well-being, problems/symptoms, functioning and risk, and sums up in two total scores: the mean of All items, and the mean of All non-risk items. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Norwegian translation of the CORE-OM.

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.

Increasing mortality in schizophrenia: are women at particular risk? A follow-up of 1111 patients admitted during 1980-2006 in Northern Norway.

A study of mortality for all patients with schizophrenia admitted to the University Hospital of North Norway during 1980-2006 was performed, with a special focus on gender differences and changes in mortality during a period of transition from hospital-based to community-based care. A total of 1111 patients with schizophrenia were included, and the cohort was linked to the Causes of Death Register of Norway. Males and females had 3.

Seasonal affective disorder and latitude of living.

Aim: Since the importance of latitude of living for the prevalence of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is unclear, the study aims to test the latitude hypothesis by comparing SAD in two rather similar groups of students living at latitudes far apart.

Methods: Two groups of students, 199 in Tromsø, Norway (690 N) and 188 in Ferrara, Italy (440 N) were asked to fill in the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire.

Results: Global Seasonality score (GS-score) was significantly higher in Italian than in Norwegian students, in females and in students with sleeping-problems.

Validation of the Italian version of the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation Outcome Measure (CORE-OM).

Unlabelled: The Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation--Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) was translated into Italian and tested in non-clinical (n = 263) and clinical (n = 647) samples. The translation showed good acceptability, internal consistency and convergent validity in both samples. There were large and statistically significant differences between clinical and non-clinical datasets on all scores.

What is this thing called "SAD"? A critique of the concept of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Background: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is supposed to be caused by lack of daylight in winter. Yet the population of Northern Norway, living without sun for two winter months, does not spontaneously complain about depression during the dark period.

Aims: To summarize research bearing upon the validity of the concept of SAD.

Treatment needs and acknowledgement of illness - importance for satisfaction with psychiatric inpatient treatment.

Background: Patient satisfaction is an important, but controversial part of health service evaluation. This study dealt with how acknowledgement of illness and treatment needs effected the distribution of positive, neutral and negative evaluations in a group of first time admitted patients to a psychiatric hospital.

Method: The participants filled out a standardized user satisfaction form before discharge.

Excess in the spring and deficit in the autumn in birth rates of male schizophrenic patients in Italy: potential role of perinatal risk factors.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there were different seasonal variations of births in an Italian population of patients with schizophrenia, with other psychotic disorders, and with personality disorders than in the general population.

Methods: Birth dates of 1270 patients admitted to one university psychiatric unit in Rome between 1990 and 2003, with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, other psychotic disorder (OPD) and personality disorder/cluster A (PD) were analyzed according to seasonal variation.

Results: A significant excess of births in spring (with a peak in May) and a deficit in autumn (with a trough in October) was found in the sample of male schizophrenics (n = 506).

The effect of gender in diagnosing early schizophrenia--an experimental case simulation study.

Background: Studies of diagnostic practice confirm that there is a diagnostic delay in diagnosing women with schizophrenia compared to diagnosing men. The aim of the present study was to investigate the diagnostic practice of Norwegian and Russian psychiatrists when it comes to early psychosis, emphasising gender differences. We wanted to study the association between patient gender as such and diagnostic decision-making among psychiatrists.

Acute psychiatric admissions from an out-of-hours Casualty Clinic; how do referring doctors and admitting specialists agree?

Background: Over the last decades there has been an increasing pressure on the acute psychiatric wards in Norway. The major contributor to psychiatric acute admissions at the University Hospital of North Norway in the city of Tromsø in 2001 was the GP-based Tromsø Casualty Clinic, only open out-of-hours. We explored all acute psychiatric referrals from Tromsø Casualty Clinic in 2001.

Improvement in mental health over time in northern Norway- a prospective study of a general population followed for 9 years, with special emphasis on the influence of darkness in winter.

Background: There are very few prospective studies of mental distress in the general population. Two studies of general health in Finnmark county in northern Norway, performed 9 years apart, contained questions about depression and sleeping problems, which made it possible to study change in mental distress over time in the general population.

Methods: In a self-administered questionnaire, the subjects were asked about depression and sleeping problems, both generally and related to the dark period in winter, at two points in time: in 1987/88 and 1996/97.