D J Stein

..It may be concluded with a high degree of confidence that SSRI treatment for social anxiety disorder is effective, both in reducing total levels of social anxiety and in improving patients' overall clinical condition...

..Future investigation of the contribution of sociocultural mechanisms to the course of SAD may provide an important avenue toward understanding this complex disorder...

..They may support the idea that inositol effects a clinical response through alternate neuronal circuitry to the SSRIs and may complement animal work proposing an overlapping but distinct mechanism of action...

..fronts is needed, advances in the pharmacotherapy of premenstrual dysphoric disorder, recent safety data on certain agents in pregnancy, and progress in the management of post-traumatic stress disorder provides cause for clinical..

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..Neural network modelling provides a surprisingly coherent perspective of the psychobiology of OCD, simulating both reduced cognitive disinhibition as well as neurotransmitter dysfunction...

..Public health interventions are needed to address the dual burden of HIV/AIDS and mental illness in this and similar settings...

..These findings suggest that volunteers for vaccine-related research may be at greater risk of HIV infection than the general population from which they are recruited...

..66), posttraumatic stress disorder (0.69), panic disorder (0.71), and social phobia (0.76). The K-10 may be a useful screening measure for mood and anxiety disorders in pregnant women...

..These findings raise the possibility that affected sib pair status may be protective in nature. Given the counter-intuitive nature of this finding, further work is needed to replicate it, and to explore possible underlying mechanisms...

..This is consistent with previous work indicating decreased DAT binding in SAD, and increased DAT binding after SSRI administration...

..016). The difference in time period assessed on the K10/K6 (past 30  days) versus the CIDI (past 12  months) was a notable limitation of this study. Additional validation studies using clinician diagnostic instruments are recommended...

..Few data exist on how the HIV/AIDS epidemic may influence population mental health. The associations were examined between knowing someone who died of HIV/AIDS and common mental disorders among South African adults...

..The prevalence of personality disorders (PD) in the South African population is largely unknown. Thus, we undertook to estimate prevalence, demographic correlates, co-morbidity and treatment rates of DSM-IV PD among South Africans...

..This is particularly true for negative symptoms...

..While BI was linked to certain anxiety disorders, we found no evidence to suggest that BI, a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder, and/or depressive symptoms were associated with CD4 counts among HIV-positive adults...

..77), generalized anxiety disorder (0.78), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (0.77). The K-10 may be a useful screening measure for detecting mood and anxiety disorders, including PTSD, in patients with HIV/AIDS...

..They may compromise social and vocational functioning, and they are associated with an increased risk of relapse and suicide. Various treatment approaches have been reported to be successful...

..The proportion of people with mental disorders in treatment is relatively small in low and middle income countries. However, little is known about patterns of recent service use in a country like South Africa...

..The present study examines traditional healers' explanatory models (EMs) and treatment practices for psychotic and non-psychotic mental illnesses...

..The extent to which this assumption holds for South African populations is unknown. This paper attempts to address this gap by examining the prevalence and correlates of atypical patterns of drug progression among South Africans...

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..In some cases, PTSD is secondary to the diagnosis of HIV/AIDS but in most cases it is seen after other traumas, with sexual violation and intimate partner violence in women being particularly important...

..In the interim, however, the SSRIs can be recommended as a first-line medication for the treatment of PTSD...

..83, 1.88) were significantly associated with non-disclosure of HIV serostatus. Preventive strategies among HIV-positive patients should place emphasis on the management of self-disclosure and its importance in safe sexual behaviour...

..The implications of current findings for clinical practice are discussed, in order to facilitate optimal assessment and treatment of young female victims of violence...

..6, 95% CI = 0.45-0.96) were significantly associated with unprotected sex. These data suggest the need for interventions to further reduce sexual risk behaviours in HIV-positive patients in South Africa...

..In this pilot study, we investigated the frequency of SNP variants in these 3 genes within South African population groups, and assessed interactions between genes and phenotypes of BD disease severity...

..There are, however, few data to address whether more generalized and less generalized subgroups of social anxiety disorder differ in response to medication...

..The data here emphasize the crucial importance of early diagnosis and treatment of OCD, and of pharmacotherapy with appropriate dose and duration...

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..Further research, particularly genetic and neuroimmunological work, may ultimately be useful in validating the obsessive-compulsive spectrum...

..The present study applies the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to predict traditional healer referral practices of patients with a mental illness...

..As part of the comprehensive medical care of HIV, it is important that health workers assess past sexual abuse and current psychiatric symptoms...

..Citalopram had a greater effect on superior cingulate perfusion, an effect that is consistent with evidence of high levels of 5-HT transporters in this region...

..Further work is needed to explore the mechanisms that underlie these differences...

..Lack of forgiveness may be an important predictor of psychiatric risk in this population...

..Implications for diagnostic criteria are discussed...

..Ultimately, the delineation of such mechanisms will allow for a more rigorous approach to the putative obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders...

..Issues for future research include delineating optimal dosing, and demonstrating effectiveness in real-world settings...

..The present study provided limited support for the existence of possible subtypes of chronic hair-pulling. Recommendations are made for further investigations into such subtypes...

..Citalopram was well-tolerated overall with reported adverse experiences being relatively benign. However, larger, controlled trials are needed to consolidate these preliminary results...

..A new theoretical model, integrating the most valuable aspects of existing approaches, is proposed...

..To examine hippocampal volume and white matter tracts in women with and without intimate partner violence (IPV)...

..Given the limited resources, and the nature of modern research, increased emphasis on collaboration seems advisable. A number of areas in psychiatry deserve particular attention from future researchers...

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..Although the theoretical basis for such an approach has become increasingly appealing over the last several years, this foundation requires supplementation by further empirical research...

..SAD may be related to a dysregulation or hyperactivity of cortico-limbic circuitry. This is the first voxel-based whole brain study comparing resting function in SAD to a normal control group...

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..51, CI, 1.28, 1.80) predicted current major depression. It is well known from non-HIV populations that female gender and increased negative life events predict depression. These data also emphasize the importance of these links in HIV...

..We determined whether temperament and character, trait anxiety, resilience, and social support predicted distress and anxiety symptoms in pregnancy...

..It briefly covers seminal contributions in evolutionary theory, psychotherapy, and neuroscience, as well as conceptual and practical contributions to reconciliation...

..New research is needed to determine what interventions work best in the South African context...

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..Further work is needed to delineate fully the relationship between early adversity, immune alterations, and behavioural changes...

..Given the relatively low response rate, however, a controlled trial is needed before this agent can be said to be more effective than placebo. The pharmacotherapy of trichotillomania deserves further study...

..40-26.12). These results suggest that while willingness to participate in HIV vaccine trials is relatively low in this setting, educational campaigns may have a substantial impact on individuals' willingness to participate in research...

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..Its conceptualization as a subtype of BDD seems valid. The disorder deserves additional attention from both clinicians and researchers...

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..However, there remain important gaps in the evidence base, and there is a continued need for more effective agents in the management of PTSD...

..These findings may have important implications for patients suffering from psychiatric illnesses such as posttraumatic stress disorder and depression that are characterized by abnormalities in cortisol release...

..There is a lack of comparative data on the prevalence and effects of exposure to violence in African youth...

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..However the data are consistent with the hypothesis that early life stress influences neurochemical pathways that predispose an individual to drug dependence...

..Proteomic research may be useful in exploring the complex underlying molecular mechanisms of MA dependence...

..Pharmacotherapeutic management of pathological gambling secondary to medical causes deserves further study...

..This article reviews gender differences in exposure to trauma and subsequent PTSD, emphasizing those features that characterize trauma and PTSD in women...

..It is likely that strategies for improvement will need to be comprehensive and innovative, taking advantage of opportunities and meeting challenges faced in the developing world...

..We conclude that maternal separation induced abnormal behaviors and stress responses that were associated with altered neurotransmitter levels...

..The decision to use pharmacotherapy should be made after consideration of multiple factors, and firm recommendations for the use of drug therapy in anxiety disorders in children and adolescents await more rigorous data...

..It has been argued that measurement of outcome in panic disorder should not be limited to monitoring the number of panic attacks, but should include all domains that affect patient quality of life...

..CONCLUSIONS: There was an association between intoxication and both violent crime and suicide attempts. The importance of population studies and the need for intervention programmes aimed at teenagers who are drinking, are emphasised...

..History of simple phobia might be a GAD risk marker. Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms involved in the relationship between simple phobia and subsequent GAD...

..We interpret these findings as evidence for a specific role of 5-HT2A/2C receptors in the DPAG in the inhibition of female aggressive behavior, dissociated from those on motor activity...

..OCD patients demonstrate a range of insight with PI accompanied by significant dysfunction. Comorbid SPD in PI patients may be associated with worse prognosis...

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..South Africa's history and current social conditions suggest that mental disorders are likely to be a major contributor to disease burden, but there has been no national study using standardized assessment tools...

..These data confirm and extend previous findings on the value of moclobemide in the treatment of social anxiety disorder, and strengthen the range of therapeutic options for managing this important disorder...

..Cognitive-behavioral therapy is the preferred form of psychotherapy for GAD, although when GAD is comorbid with depression, pharmacotherapy is increasingly indicated...

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..An understanding of local attitudes and beliefs is crucial for the successful development of local psychoeducational programs...

..These findings underscore the importance of early identification and treatment of childhood PTSD in mental health settings, in particular tertiary service institutions...

..93) or gender (P = 0.67). These findings, although limited by a small sample size, suggest that the novel polymorphism adjacent to ERE 6 in the promoter area of COMT does not play a major role in the genetic predisposition to OCD...

..TesTcup is a clinically accurate test that allows the rapid assessment of several drugs of abuse, which may impact on anaesthetic care...

..The present association study assessed the risk for OCD conferred by this COMT polymorphism in a geographically different patient group, namely, the relatively genetically homogeneous Afrikaner population of South Africa...

..Quetiapine, a relatively well tolerated agent, deserves further controlled study in this context...

..These findings underscore the importance of early identification and treatment of childhood PTSD in mental health settings, in particular tertiary service institutions...