Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Medicine and Health Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 30 of 78

Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences

The Swedish Studies Of The Adopted Children Of Alcoholics, Jill Littrell Dec 2014

The Swedish Studies Of The Adopted Children Of Alcoholics, Jill Littrell

jill l littrell Dr.

The authors of the widely cited studies analyzing the Swedish adoption records of the children of alcoholics have advanced the notion that there are three distinct paths for the inheritance of alcoholism. One path results in moderate alcoholism in men and a form of somatization but no alcoholism in women. A second path results in severe and mild alcoholism in men and alcoholism in women. The third path results in a particular variety of alcohol abuse in men and a particular variety of somatization in women. This article analyzes the authors' claims. It is argued that the data were improperly …


Is There Evidence For The Bipolar Spectrum And The Safety Of Pharmaceutical Interventions?, Jill Littrell Dec 2014

Is There Evidence For The Bipolar Spectrum And The Safety Of Pharmaceutical Interventions?, Jill Littrell

jill l littrell Dr.

Social workers constitute a high proportion of mental health professionals and a high percentage of social workers provide mental health care. Thus, psychiatric diagnoses and pharmaceutical interventions are relevant for many social workers. This paper reviews the rise in the diagnoses of Bipolar spectrum disorders for both children and adults. It considers the safety of antipsychotic medications, a mainstay of treatment for children and adults, which, in addition to other well-documented negative side effects, have recently been shown to decrease brain volume by a significant percent. These issues are particularly relevant for children in the foster care system.


Taking The Perspective That A Depressive State Reflects Inflammation: Implications For The Use Of Antidepressants, Jill Littrell Dec 2014

Taking The Perspective That A Depressive State Reflects Inflammation: Implications For The Use Of Antidepressants, Jill Littrell

jill l littrell Dr.

This paper reviews both the evidence that supports the characterization of depression as an inflammatory disorder and the different biochemical mechanisms that have been postulated for the connection between inflammation and depression. This association offers credible explanation for the short term efficacy of antidepressants, which have short term anti-inflammatory effects. Evidence for those anti-inflammatory effects is discussed. Evidence of the contrary long-term effects of antidepressants, which increase rather than decrease inflammation, is also reviewed. It is argued that this increase in inflammation would predict an increase in chronicity among depressed patients that have been treated with antidepressants drugs, which has …


The Controversy Over Antidepressant Drugs In An Era Of Evidence-Based Practice, Jill Littrell, Jeffrey Lacasse Dec 2014

The Controversy Over Antidepressant Drugs In An Era Of Evidence-Based Practice, Jill Littrell, Jeffrey Lacasse

jill l littrell Dr.

Questions regarding the efficacy of antidepressant drugs have been a recent focus of attention in the national news both in print and in the television media. Many clients will have questions regarding what they can believe and how they can address mood problems. Social workers constitute a greater percentage of the mental health work force than any other profession. Thus, social workers will probably be asked by clients about these issues. This article presents information on the efficacy of antidepressants for both the short and long term. It covers adverse effects and withdrawal symptoms. Clients' self-determination should be honored. However, …


Perspectives Emerging From Neuroscience On Why People Become Addicted And What To Do About It, Jill Littrell Dec 2014

Perspectives Emerging From Neuroscience On Why People Become Addicted And What To Do About It, Jill Littrell

jill l littrell Dr.

This paper reviews the new ideas emerging from neuroscience regarding the question of why some people are compelled to use drugs. During the process of drug exposure, the brain’s motivational system is changed in ways that co-opts the individual’s motivational system. Changes in the brain’s motivational structures along with changes in the brain’s self-regulatory structures compel an individual to drug use. Ways to reverse those changes in an addicted brain have been identified, as have ways to enhance self-regulatory control. The information from neuroscience offers a new perspective on “loss of control” as well as offering implications for treatment.


Can A Diagnosis Be Epidemic, With Therapeutic Efforts The Catastrophe?, Jill Littrell Dec 2014

Can A Diagnosis Be Epidemic, With Therapeutic Efforts The Catastrophe?, Jill Littrell

jill l littrell Dr.

The diagnosis of Bipolar Spectrum Disorders (BSD) given for office visits has risen 40 fold for children and has risen dramatically for adults as well. Some of the growth may have been fueled by re-categorization of individuals who would previously have received diagnoses of major depression along with the widening of diagnostic criteria for BSD. Concomitant with the rise in BSD diagnoses, the number of adults and children receiving atypical antipsychotics has increased dramatically. Recent evidence finds that atypical antipsychotics cause considerable reduction in brain volume. It is thus imperative to ensure that those with diagnoses comprising BSD—Bipolar I, Bipolar …


How Addiction Happens, How Change Happens, And What Social Workers Need To Know To Be Effective Facilitators Of Change, Jill Littrell Dec 2014

How Addiction Happens, How Change Happens, And What Social Workers Need To Know To Be Effective Facilitators Of Change, Jill Littrell

jill l littrell Dr.

During the last two decades, neuroscience research has proliferated examining brain mechanisms that explain why some people are compelled to pursue drugs and alcohol. The findings suggest that addiction is independent of pleasure, and that drug seeking can be triggered outside of conscious awareness (Berridge, Robinson, & Aldridge, 2009; Goldstein et al., 2009; Kalivas, Volkow, & Seamans, 2005). The observations and conclusions from this research can be used to advantage in treating addiction. The use of social psychological principles, in the context of motivational interviewing, offers a platform for taking advantage of these new insights. After a brief sketch of …


Children In Foster Care And Excessive Medications, Jill Littrell Dec 2014

Children In Foster Care And Excessive Medications, Jill Littrell

jill l littrell Dr.

Children in foster care system are more likely to receive diagnoses of major mental illness and to be medicated with powerful medications such as antipsychotic drugs. Reasons for the increased risk of the actual mental illnesses and for the diagnoses of illness among children in foster care are reviewed. The reliabilities of various diagnoses are considered. The legitimacy of the rationale for early medications to prevent later disability is discussed. The very real hazards of medicating with antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, stimulants, mood stabilizers and antidepressants are reviewed. A discussion of advocacy efforts occurring around the United States on behalf of medicated …


Book Review: “Mental Illness In The Family: Issues And Trends”, Jill Littrell Dec 2014

Book Review: “Mental Illness In The Family: Issues And Trends”, Jill Littrell

jill l littrell Dr.

No abstract provided.


The Mind-Body Connection: Not Just A Theory Anymore, Jill Littrell Dec 2014

The Mind-Body Connection: Not Just A Theory Anymore, Jill Littrell

jill l littrell Dr.

The field of psychoneuroimmunology has witnessed an explosion of empirical findings during the last two decades. Research has documented the mechanisms through which stressful emotions alter white blood cell function. Stress diminishes white blood cell response to viral infected cells and to cancer cells. Moreover, vaccination is less effective in those who are stressed and wounds heal less readily in those who are stressed. While stress decreases the activity of some white blood cells, stress does not compromise the function of all types of white blood cells. Indeed, some types of autoimmune disease, which involve particular subsets of white blood …


Resilience : An Independent Psychobiological Mental Health Construct (Guest Editorial), Amresh Srivastava Nov 2014

Resilience : An Independent Psychobiological Mental Health Construct (Guest Editorial), Amresh Srivastava

Amresh Srivastava

Survival against trauma is a unique characteristic of all human beings. While a number of factors contribute in building this capacity, resilience appears to be the most important one. Interest in studying resilience arises from number of areas which are of utmost clinical significance such as such as exploring the possibility of at-risk individuals who developing a mental illness]. Resilience is a human capacity to adapt swiftly and successfully to stressful or traumatic events and revert back to a positive state. It is commonly conceptualized as the ability to thrive despite experiencing adversity


Development Of A Self-Report Measure Of Dual Diagnosis Capability For Addiction And Mental Health Programs, Kenneth E. Fletcher, Anna Kline, Tara Zandi, Gregory Seward, Sun Kim, Douglas M. Ziedonis Nov 2014

Development Of A Self-Report Measure Of Dual Diagnosis Capability For Addiction And Mental Health Programs, Kenneth E. Fletcher, Anna Kline, Tara Zandi, Gregory Seward, Sun Kim, Douglas M. Ziedonis

Douglas M. Ziedonis

The purpose of this study is to develop and test the psychometrics of a self-report version of a measure of the capacity of addiction and mental health programs to deliver dual-diagnosis treatment, that is, to provide treatment for both addiction problems and mental health problems. Traditionally these services are provided by very different service providers that did not until recently interact very well, if at all. The increasing recognition that patients who suffer from both kinds of problems – who are dually diagnosed – would benefit from integrated delivery of addiction and mental health services has led to efforts to …


Implementing The Massachusetts Child Trauma Project (Mctp) To Improve Services For Children With Complex Trauma In Child Welfare: Phase I Needs And Readiness Assessment, Charmaine B. Lo, Melodie Wenz-Gross, Jessica L. Griffin Nov 2014

Implementing The Massachusetts Child Trauma Project (Mctp) To Improve Services For Children With Complex Trauma In Child Welfare: Phase I Needs And Readiness Assessment, Charmaine B. Lo, Melodie Wenz-Gross, Jessica L. Griffin

Melodie Wenz-Gross

MCTP seeks to improve placement stability and outcomes for children with complex trauma in the care of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) by creating a sustainable capacity for providing evidence-based trauma interventions within provider agencies, and trauma-informed practices within DCF.


Outpatient Commitment: A Competency Based Justification, Albert J. Grudzinskas, Jeffrey L. Geller, Jonathan C. Clayfield, William H. Fisher Nov 2014

Outpatient Commitment: A Competency Based Justification, Albert J. Grudzinskas, Jeffrey L. Geller, Jonathan C. Clayfield, William H. Fisher

Jeffrey L. Geller

A recent survey of state statutes for outpatient commitment (Torrey and Kaplan, 1995) indicates that while thirty-five states and the District of Columbia have laws permitting outpatient commitment, Massachusetts is not one of them. Rather, Massachusetts uses a competency-based, substituted-decision-making model for the involuntary administration of medication in the community. To appreciate the Massachusetts model, it is important to understand how this court-ordered involuntary outpatient treatment fits into the overall scheme of outpatient commitment and how it is structured. A review of involuntary outpatient treatment (IOT) literature indicates that it is prudent to distinguish between outpatient commitment, conditional release, and …


The Family Options Project: Implementing An Innovative Intervention For Parents With Mental Illnesses And Their Families, Joanne Nicholson, Kathleen Biebel, Valerie F. Williams, Elizabeth A. Aaker, Karen Albert, Bernice Gershenson, Brenda Warren, Katherine Woolsey Nov 2014

The Family Options Project: Implementing An Innovative Intervention For Parents With Mental Illnesses And Their Families, Joanne Nicholson, Kathleen Biebel, Valerie F. Williams, Elizabeth A. Aaker, Karen Albert, Bernice Gershenson, Brenda Warren, Katherine Woolsey

Kathleen Biebel

The Family Options Project reflects a productive partnership between researchers and providers at the UMMS Center for Mental Health Services Research and Employment Options, Inc., Marlborough, MA The Family Options Intervention is an evidence-informed psychiatric rehabilitation intervention, developed and tested within the context of a community-based agency setting.


Heroin And Opiate Abuse In Ashland County, Ohio: A Public Perception Study, Oscar T. Mcknight Nov 2014

Heroin And Opiate Abuse In Ashland County, Ohio: A Public Perception Study, Oscar T. Mcknight

Oscar T McKnight Ph.D.

This research began with identifying an expert panel of professionals in Ashland County and facilitating an informational focus group on the perceived scope of heroin/opiate abuse within multiple social services, community intervention and support programs. Seven general findings emerged: 1. The overall total number of clients/cases/patients in the system has remained stable over the years; however, the proportional number of clients abusing opiates has increased. 2. That virtually every person abusing opiates enters their respective system at one point or another. 3. Only a small percent remain active with more than one system while engaged in opiate treatment. 4. Multiple …


Antipsychotic Use In Nursing Homes Varies By Psychiatric Consultant, Jennifer Tjia, Terry Field, Celeste Lemay, Kathleen Mazor, Michelle Pandolfi, Ann Spenard, Shih-Yieh Ho, Abir Kanaan, Jennifer Donovan, Jerry Gurwitz, Becky Briesacher Nov 2014

Antipsychotic Use In Nursing Homes Varies By Psychiatric Consultant, Jennifer Tjia, Terry Field, Celeste Lemay, Kathleen Mazor, Michelle Pandolfi, Ann Spenard, Shih-Yieh Ho, Abir Kanaan, Jennifer Donovan, Jerry Gurwitz, Becky Briesacher

Jennifer Tjia

BACKGROUND: The relationship between psychiatric consultation and antipsychotic prescribing in nursing homes (NH) is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To identify the association between psychiatric consultant groups and NH-level antipsychotic prescribing after adjustment for resident case-mix and facility characteristics. RESEARCH DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: Nested cross-sectional study of 60 NHs in a cluster randomized trial. We linked facility leadership surveys to October 2009-September 2010 Minimum Data Set, Nursing Home Compare, the US Census, and pharmacy dispensing data. MEASURES: The main exposure is the psychiatric consultant group and the main outcome is NH-level prevalence of atypical antipsychotic use. We calculated annual means and interquartile ranges …


Addressing The Ethical, Legal, And Social Issues Raised By Voting By Persons With Dementia, Jason H. Karlawish, Richard J. Bonnie, Paul S. Appelbaum, Constantine Lyketsos, Bryan James, David Knopman, Christopher Patusky, Rosalie A. Kane, Pamela S. Karlan Nov 2014

Addressing The Ethical, Legal, And Social Issues Raised By Voting By Persons With Dementia, Jason H. Karlawish, Richard J. Bonnie, Paul S. Appelbaum, Constantine Lyketsos, Bryan James, David Knopman, Christopher Patusky, Rosalie A. Kane, Pamela S. Karlan

Jason Karlawish

This article addresses an emerging policy problem in the United States participation in the electoral process by citizens with dementia. At present, health care professionals, family caregivers, and long-term care staff lack adequate guidance to decide whether individuals with dementia should be precluded from or assisted in casting a ballot. Voting by persons with dementia raises a series of important questions about the autonomy of individuals with dementia, the integrity of the electoral process, and the prevention of fraud. Three subsidiary issues warrant special attention: development of a method to assess capacity to vote; identification of appropriate kinds of assistance …


Education And Training For Suicide Prevention In India, Amresh Srivastava Oct 2014

Education And Training For Suicide Prevention In India, Amresh Srivastava

Amresh Srivastava

No abstract provided.


In-Hospital Depression Predicts Early Hospital Readmission After An Acute Coronary Syndrome: Preliminary Data From Trace-Core, David Mcmanus, Jane Saczynski, Molly Waring, Milena Anatchkova, Richard Mcmanus, Robert Goldberg, Jeroan Allison, David Parish, Hamza Awad, Jerry Gurwitz, Arlene Ash, Catarina Kiefe Oct 2014

In-Hospital Depression Predicts Early Hospital Readmission After An Acute Coronary Syndrome: Preliminary Data From Trace-Core, David Mcmanus, Jane Saczynski, Molly Waring, Milena Anatchkova, Richard Mcmanus, Robert Goldberg, Jeroan Allison, David Parish, Hamza Awad, Jerry Gurwitz, Arlene Ash, Catarina Kiefe

Richard H. McManus

Background: Hospital systems, patients and providers seek to avert rehospitalizations within 30 days for patients admitted with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Rehospitalizations within 30 days of discharge are often considered preventable and to reflect poor in-hospital management or discharge practices. However, independent associations of psychosocial factors with early rehospitalization in patients admitted with an ACS have not been examined. Methods: A multi-racial cohort of 1,540 patients admitted with an ACS reported psychosocial factors via standardized questionnaires in an in-hospital interview. One month following discharge, patients were interviewed via phone and reported hospital readmissions. We used logistic regression models to …


Chlorovirus Atcv-1 Is Part Of The Human Oropharyngeal Virome And Is Associated With Changes In Cognitive Functions In Humans And Mice, Lorraine Jones-Brando Ph. D., Robert H. Yolken M. D., David D. Dunigan Ph. D. Oct 2014

Chlorovirus Atcv-1 Is Part Of The Human Oropharyngeal Virome And Is Associated With Changes In Cognitive Functions In Humans And Mice, Lorraine Jones-Brando Ph. D., Robert H. Yolken M. D., David D. Dunigan Ph. D.

David D Dunigan Ph. D.

Chloroviruses (family Phycodnaviridae) are large DNA viruses known to infect certain eukaryotic green algae and have not been previously shown to infect humans or to be part of the human virome. We unexpectedly found sequences homologous to the chlorovirus Acanthocystis turfacea chlorella virus 1 (ATCV-1) in a metagenomic analysis of DNA extracted from human oropharyngeal samples. These samples were obtained by throat swabs of adults without a psychiatric disorder or serious physical illness who were participating in a study that included measures of cognitive functioning. The presence of ATCV-1 DNA was confirmed by quantitative PCR with ATCV-1 DNA being documented …


Executive Functions And Social Skills In Survivors Of Pediatric Brain Tumor., Kelly Wolfe, Karin Walsh, Nina Reynolds, Francie Mitchell, Alyssa Reddy, Iris Paltin, Avi Madan-Swain Oct 2014

Executive Functions And Social Skills In Survivors Of Pediatric Brain Tumor., Kelly Wolfe, Karin Walsh, Nina Reynolds, Francie Mitchell, Alyssa Reddy, Iris Paltin, Avi Madan-Swain

Nina Reynolds

No abstract provided.


Managed Mental Health Care's Effects On Arrest And Forensic Commitment, William Fisher, Sharon-Lise Normand, Barbara Dickey, Ira Packer, Albert Grudzinskas, Hocine Azeni Oct 2014

Managed Mental Health Care's Effects On Arrest And Forensic Commitment, William Fisher, Sharon-Lise Normand, Barbara Dickey, Ira Packer, Albert Grudzinskas, Hocine Azeni

Ira K Packer

No abstract provided.


Self-Reported Lifetime Psychiatric Hospitalization Histories Of Jail Detainees With Mental Disorders: Comparison With A Non-Incarcerated National Sample, William Fisher, Ira Packer, Steven Banks, David Smith, Lorna Simon, Kristen Roy-Bujnowski Oct 2014

Self-Reported Lifetime Psychiatric Hospitalization Histories Of Jail Detainees With Mental Disorders: Comparison With A Non-Incarcerated National Sample, William Fisher, Ira Packer, Steven Banks, David Smith, Lorna Simon, Kristen Roy-Bujnowski

Ira K Packer

Lack of access to hospitalization is an often-cited risk factor for incarceration among persons with severe mental illness. This proposition is examined by comparing self-reports of lifetime psychiatric hospitalization histories of mentally ill jail inmates with data from a national sample of non-incarcerated mentally ill. Roughly 52% of mentally ill jail detainees reported at least one psychiatric hospitalization, a rate nearly three times that of the comparison group. The data call into question the notion that mentally ill jail inmates have reduced access to psychiatric inpatient treatment, without addressing the adequacy of the treatment received. Longitudinal studies are needed to …


Community Mental Health Services And The Prevalence Of Severe Mental Illness In Local Jails: Are They Related, William Fisher, Ira Packer, Lorna Simon, David Smith Oct 2014

Community Mental Health Services And The Prevalence Of Severe Mental Illness In Local Jails: Are They Related, William Fisher, Ira Packer, Lorna Simon, David Smith

Ira K Packer

The excessive prevalence of severe mental illness noted in correctional settings has sometimes been attributed to the inadequacy of community based mental health services. This study examines the prevalence of severe mental illness in two jails situated within catchment areas featuring markedly different levels of community mental health services. We use these settings to test the hypothesis that greater levels of services in a community are associated with lower prevalence of severe mental illness in the community's jail. An epidemiologic approach, using standardized field instruments, was used to estimate the prevalence of major mental illness in detainees arriving at the …


Forensic Training And Practice, Ira Packer, Randy Borum Oct 2014

Forensic Training And Practice, Ira Packer, Randy Borum

Ira K Packer

The recognition by the American Psychological Association (APA) of Forensic Psychology as a Specialty is a significant landmark for the field. This recognition has resulted from the development of a substantial body of professional literature and specialized knowledge. The foundation for these advances was laid in the decades of the 1970s, with the establishment of the American Psychology-Law Society (later recognized as Division 41 by APA) and the American Board of Forensic Psychology (which subsequently became a specialty board of the American Board of Professional Psychology). This chapter describes the state of the field in terms of both practice and …


Concept Clarification Of Grief In Mothers Of Children With An Addiction, Donna M. Zucker Rn, Phd, Faan, Kimberly Dion Msn, Rn, Roxanne P. Mckeever Msn, Rn Sep 2014

Concept Clarification Of Grief In Mothers Of Children With An Addiction, Donna M. Zucker Rn, Phd, Faan, Kimberly Dion Msn, Rn, Roxanne P. Mckeever Msn, Rn

Donna M. Zucker

Aim: To report an analysis of the concept of grief in mothers of children with addiction. Background. The concept of grief in this context is poorly understood and often synonymously used with concepts depression, loss and chronic sorrow. In the US, the core concept grief has been recently revised by both NANDA and the DSM-V in efforts to better understand and characterize the concept. The plethora of literature on grief worldwide often characterizes grief as a response to a death. Design. Concept analysis. Data sources. Search terms ‘parental grief’ and ‘substance abuse’ yielded 30 articles. A second review using terms …


Introduction: Obstacles To The Development And Use Of Pharmacotherapies For Addiction, Richard C. Boldt Sep 2014

Introduction: Obstacles To The Development And Use Of Pharmacotherapies For Addiction, Richard C. Boldt

Richard C. Boldt

No abstract provided.


Binge Ethanol And Liver: New Molecular Developments, Shivendra Shukla, Stephen Pruett, Gyongyi Szabo, Gavin Arteel Sep 2014

Binge Ethanol And Liver: New Molecular Developments, Shivendra Shukla, Stephen Pruett, Gyongyi Szabo, Gavin Arteel

Gyongyi Szabo

Binge consumption of alcohol is an alarming global health problem. Binge (acute) ethanol (EtOH) is implicated in the pathophysiology of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). New studies from experimental animals and from humans indicate that binge EtOH has profound effects on immunological, signaling, and epigenetic parameters of the liver. This is in addition to the known metabolic effects of acute EtOH. Binge EtOH alters the levels of several cellular components and dramatically amplifies liver injury in chronically EtOH exposed liver. These studies highlight the importance of molecular investigations into binge effects of EtOH for a better understanding of ALD and also …


Acute Binge Drinking Increases Serum Endotoxin And Bacterial Dna Levels In Healthy Individuals, Shashi Bala, Miguel Marcos, Arijeet Gattu, Donna Catalano, Gyongyi Szabo Sep 2014

Acute Binge Drinking Increases Serum Endotoxin And Bacterial Dna Levels In Healthy Individuals, Shashi Bala, Miguel Marcos, Arijeet Gattu, Donna Catalano, Gyongyi Szabo

Gyongyi Szabo

Binge drinking, the most common form of alcohol consumption, is associated with increased mortality and morbidity; yet, its biological consequences are poorly defined. Previous studies demonstrated that chronic alcohol use results in increased gut permeability and increased serum endotoxin levels that contribute to many of the biological effects of chronic alcohol, including alcoholic liver disease. In this study, we evaluated the effects of acute binge drinking in healthy adults on serum endotoxin levels. We found that acute alcohol binge resulted in a rapid increase in serum endotoxin and 16S rDNA, a marker of bacterial translocation from the gut. Compared to …