The mental health of Australian medical practitioners during Covid-19.

Objectives: To ascertain whether doctors were experiencing higher rates of distress during Covid-19 and whether this was impacted by demographic factors. Our hypotheses were that being a junior doctor, having a previous mental health diagnosis and treating Covid-19 positive patients would predict higher rates of distress.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey conducted via Survey Monkey.

Alprazolam prescribing in Tasmania: a two-fold intervention designed to reduce inappropriate prescribing and concomitant opiate prescription.

Objective: The population rate of alprazolam prescribing in Tasmania has been more than double that of national rates. Serious adverse events have been observed through co-administration of opioid medications with alprazolam. A two-fold intervention, comprising GP education coupled with changes to prescribing regulations, was designed with the intention to decrease inappropriate prescribing of alprazolam and thereby reduce adverse outcomes.

Follow up of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in Australian servicemen hospitalized in 1942-1952.

Objective: To follow up survivors of Australian services hospitalized in 1942-1952 and compare their reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with symptoms in their hospital files.

Method: Twelve survivors were interviewed and combatants completed the revised Impact of Event Scale.

Results: Eight survivors had symptoms satisfying a diagnosis of PTSD at the time of the study.

Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in the files of Australian servicemen hospitalized in 1942-1952.

Objective: To investigate post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology in servicemen hospitalized 1942-1952.

Method: Hospital files of servicemen (n = 590) were studied and PTSD symptoms in groups, based on service experience, were compared.

Results: Based on their hospital files, 19% of servicemen were classified as having partial PTSD.

Developing a code of ethics for psychiatry: the Australasian experience.

The first ever code of ethics of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists was promulgated in 1992. In this paper two of the four members of the College's Ethics Committee (which prepared the document) describe the code's provenance and the procedure used to determine its form and content. The code, a milestone in the College's history, reflects its maturity in confronting the many ethical issues with which psychiatrists have to wrestle in contemporary clinical (and research) practice.