No abstract

The first episode of a psychosis is associated with a larger pituitary volume, which we suggest is due to activation of the HPA axis. The smaller pituitary volume in the group with established schizophrenia could be the consequence of repeated episodes of HPA axis hyperactivity.

This study revealed that depression was associated with inflammation and coagulation factors in cardiovascular disease-free people, suggesting a possible pathway leading to an increased frequency of events of coronary heart disease in depressive individuals.

Public mental health incorporates a number of strategies from mental well-being promotion to primary prevention and other forms of prevention. There is considerable evidence in the literature to suggest that early interventions and public education can work well for reducing psychiatric morbidity and resulting burden of disease. Educational strategies need to focus on individual, societal and environmental aspects. Targeted interventions at individuals will also need to focus on the whole population. A nested approach with the individual at the heart of it surrounded by family surrounded by society at large is the most suitable way to approach this. This Guidance should be read along with the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) Guidance on Prevention. Those at risk of developing psychiatric disorders also require adequate interventions as well as those who may have already developed illness. However, on the model of triage, mental health and well-being promotion need to be prioritized to ensure that, with the limited resources available, these activities do not get forgotten. One possibility is to have separate programmes for addressing concerns of a particular population group, another that is relevant for the broader general population. Mental health promotion as a concept is important and this will allow prevention of some psychiatric disorders and, by improving coping strategies, is likely to reduce the burden and stress induced by mental illness.

In eleven patients with the syndrome of Capgras, the clinical data and the results of electroencephalographic, echoencephalographic, air-encephalographic, psychological and brain-scanning investigations are presented and discussed. All patients were psychotic: six were schizophrenic, four were depressive and one suffered from an organic psychosis. A paranoid element was marked in all cases. The present evidence supports the view that organic factors are important in the pathogenesis of Capgras' syndrome.

No abstract

Aim of the study was to examine the consistency of the five-factor model of schizophrenic symptoms, assess its validity and evaluate its dimensional factor structure using confirmatory factor (CFA) analysis. A sample of 258 randomly assigned DSM-III R patients with schizophrenic disorders were studied by means of the structured clinical interview for the Greek validated Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and were rated on its 30 items. Patients' scores were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation. Internal consistency for each of the components was determined by the use of Cronbach's alpha. External validity of the model derived was investigated by searching for possible relationships between the components and sociodemographic characteristics with the aid of canonical correlation analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was also performed. Using the scree plot criterion PCA revealed a five-factor model. These factors were interpreted as representing--in a decreasing order of relative importance--the following dimensions of schizophrenic psychopathology: negative, excitement, depression, positive and cognitive impairment. The model was comparable with six previous factor analytic studies. Internal consistency was quite satisfactory whereas external validity was found to be not so powerful. CFA did not show that the proposed model yields an adequate factor structure.

The results of our study demonstrated that PMD in the elderly has a later age at onset.