The relationship between psychiatric emergency-room visits and meteorological variables was examined for the summer months across 2 consecutive years. Weather involving low barometric pressure and high cloud cover was significantly related to emergency-room visits for depression, and air pollution was correlated with schizophrenia and total visits. Whereas several studies have linked barometric changes to depression, no previous studies have examined or reported a link between air pollution and psychopathology. Data for this study were collected while John Briere was an intern in clinical psychology at the University of California, Davis, Medical School. Anthony Downes is no longer at the University of Manitoba.
iscussions of involuntary treatment D in the psychiatric literature have not systematically examined patients' opinions about their treatment. Psychiatrists frequently discuss appreciative patients who describe their involuntary treatment as very helpful. However, these anecdotal reports are dismissed as self-serving by those who question the benefits of involunta.ry treatment. Recent criticisms of involuntary treatment in the legal literature emphasize the lack of evidence for benefits 1 , s . 5 and conclude that more stringent legal procedures and due process restrictions are indicated to protect constitutional liberties. Lawyers, however, may be remiss in assuming that they know what is best for individuals they regard as being mistreated through involuntary commitment.In one research report, Tomellerri described a group of committed patients in which previous and subsequent admissions for a "large percentage" were voluntary. Tomellerri concluded that the previous and subsequent use of services supports the benefits of involuntary treatment. T h e present report investigates patient satisfaction for voluntary and involuntary psychiatric in-
SYNOPSIS
The present study was performed to compare the effectiveness of broadly‐based biofeedback and brief eclectic psychotherapy in alleviating tension headache. Twenty‐four patients diagnosed as suffering from this disorder were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: biofeedback, brief psychotherapy, biofeedback plus brief psychotherapy and waiting‐list control. Results indicated the equivalent effectiveness of the three active treatments in ameliorating various behavioral and psychophysiological aspects of tension headache. Contrary to expectation, broad‐gauged biofeedback produced more psychological gains than brief eclectic psychotherapy, The behavioral and psychophysiological findings are discussed in terms of a shared symptom‐removal focus, whereas the unexpected psychological findings are considered in light of headache patients' characteristic resistance to the psychological explanations of their illness afforded by psychotherapy.
An uncontrolled trial of doxepin as an adjunct to treatment of heroin addicts in a methadone program was performed over a 14-month period. Approximately 10% (27) of the program's population utilized a mean of 73 mg of doxepin, usually briefly, and beneficial results were noted in 93% (25). One adverse reaction occurred. No instance of habituation or addiction was noted. A controlled study is warranted to confirm the impression that doxepin represents a useful adjunct in the treatment of heroin addicts in a methadone program.
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