Adoption: from chaos to normalcy.

This article acknowledges the risk factors and psychological demands of the adopted child and adoptive parents. Despite many biologic and psychosocial obstacles, most adoptions are considered successful because most of the adopted children do not encounter long-term psychological difficulties.

Acute dually diagnosed inpatients: the use of self-report symptom severity instruments in persons with depressive disorders and cocaine dependence.

A total of 84 adult inpatient dual-diagnosis (cocaine dependence and unipolar depressive disorder) patients' charts were reviewed. Patients were administered the BDI, SCL-90-R with Additional Items for Major Depressive Syndrome, and the DAST-20 within 5 days of admission as standard assessment practice in a hospital program. Depression scores for the BDI and the SCL-90-R were generally consistent, respectively, across each of the depressive disorder diagnostic groups with the exception of organic (cocaine-induced) mood disorder, which had lower mean scores on both instruments.

An overview of adulthood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adulthood has become an increasingly recognized and clinically significant psychiatric syndrome. This article reviews the criteria for diagnosing adulthood ADHD, secondary complications of the disorder, and pharmacological methods for treating this disorder.