Psychiat Danub
-
On the 11th of February 2016, the Health Secretary in the United Kingdom (UK) Jeremy Hunt announced his plan to impose the Junior Doctor Contract despite thousands of healthcare professionals storming the streets of Westminster in defiant protest. A leading member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Psychiatric Trainee Committee described the Junior Doctor Contract as 'poisonous', exclaiming that it would be a 'disaster for mental health' and that it would 'disincentivize doctors to work in an already desperately under-resourced specialty'. The number of doctors who applied for documentation to work abroad surged by over 1000 per cent on the same day that the Health Secretary made the Junior Doctor Contract announcement. ⋯ This paper provides background information about working conditions for Junior Doctors in the National Health Service in the UK and the anticipated effects that the Junior Doctor Contract will have on their morale, well-being and occupational functioning. Our paper then provides a brief overview of mental health services in New Zealand with a focus on a Maori mental health service provider in the North Island. We conclude our paper by offering insights from International Medical Graduates from the UK and from South Africa working as a Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Psychiatric Registrar and Consultants in Waikato District Health Board (DHB) in Hamilton, New Zealand, respectively.
-
Prevalence of prescribing psychotropic medications, particularly inappropriate prescription, is widespread in older adults, both in nursing home residents as well as community-dwelling older adults. This review describes prevalence and prevention of inappropriate prescribing and risk factors associated with psychotropic medications. ⋯ The prevalence of prescribing psychotropic medications to older adults is high. Inappropriate prescribing of psychotropic drugs and polypharmacy are present in institutionalized and non-institutionalized older adults and can cause adverse health events, and can significantly reduce the quality of life of these vulnerable groups. Multidisciplinary approach is needed in addressing widespread problem of prevalence of psychotropic medications in older adults.
-
Chronic respiratory diseases which embrace asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are common in the population. In a large number of cases they are diagnosed very late. Statistics of deaths, especially in the case of COPD, are underestimated because morbidity and mortality can be affected by other comorbid conditions, for example cardiovascular disease. ⋯ First of all, patients with cognitive deficits have greater problems in applying treatment recommendations. Accordingly, it seems to be important to pay more attention to the problem of mental disorders in patients with obstructive lung diseases. There is a clear need for a multidisciplinary approach that will enable prevention, early detection and effective treatment of the psychological disorders in that group of patients.
-
It is well-known that placebo is a substance without medical effects, which benefits the health status because of the patient's belief that the substance is effective and that the nocebo is defined as a substance without medical effects but which worsenes the health status of the person taking it by the negative beliefs and expectations of the patient. Starting with the history of the placebo effect and giving a review of the most significant studies reporting about the placebo effect from 1939-2013 it was our intention to give the all-around look on this phenomena discussing the neurobiological and other theories of its origin and concentrating especially on the field of psychiatry and finally coming to conclusions regarding the conductance of clinical trials and ethics. Regarding psychiatry, the placebo effect has a substantial role in most of psychiatric conditions including depression, anxiety, addictions, and contrary to what may have been expected, schizophrenia. Likewise, the nocebo effect is not to be neglected as the studies are being conducted to identify the factors causing it so it could be prevented.