One hundred and eighteen inpatient adolescents in a psychiatric hospital were evaluated to determine the relationship of aggression, self injury, and suicidal behavior to impulsivity. It was hypothesized that all these variables would be significantly and positively correlated with one another. This hypothesis was in part based on the results of psychobiological research that found serotonin dysfunction to be the common denominator of these psychopathological dimensions. As predicted, a significant correlation was found between the measures of suicidal behavior, aggressive behavior, and impulsivity. This correlation between suicidal behavior and impulsivity remained after partialing out the factor of aggression. Furthermore, the correlations between impulsivity and suicidality appeared greater in males than in females. Since male suicide attempters are more likely to eventually commit suicide than female suicide attempters, these findings may have a bearing on suicide prediction.

Maintenance strategy with clonazepam is a useful BZD treatment modality for BZD-dependent MMT patients with a long-term history of abuse and previous attempts at detoxification. Psychiatric comorbidity may have an important role in choosing the adequate treatment modality and influencing treatment outcome.

Objective:  We addressed the following questions. What are the current and lifetime prevalence of cannabis abuse in an Israeli methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clinic? Does cannabis abuse change over time during MMT? Is cannabis abuse related to treatment outcome measures such as retention rate and the abuse of drugs? Is the abuse of cannabis related to psychopathology, HIV/HCV risk‐taking and infectious diseases? Do cannabis abusers (CAs) have a different psychosocial and demographic profile than nonabusers (NCAs)? Is cannabis abuse part of a polydrug abuse tendency or a distinct substance of abuse? Method:  Overlapping samples of either the entire clinic population (n = 283) or all the patients who had completed 1 year of MMT treatment (n = 196 of which 20 were re‐entering) underwent random and twice‐weekly observed urine analysis for various drugs of abuse, responded to self‐report questionnaires (SCL‐90‐R; HIV/HCV risk‐taking behaviours; n = 164), interviews (ASI, n = 176; SCID, n = 151) and hepatitis C and HIV testing (n = 149). Results:  Lifetime abuse prevalence was found in 75% and current abuse at MMT intake in 25%. Abuse did not increase significantly over a 1‐year period. Cannabis abusers were found to be more often polydrug abusers than NCAs. Cannabis abusers did not suffer from more psychological distress, infectious diseases, and did not engage in more HCV/HIV risk‐taking behaviour, nor did they leave treatment earlier than NCAs. Conclusions:  Cannabis abuse MMT patients should be treated as polydrug abusers, although no specific influences of cannabis abuse on psychological and medical conditions of MMT patients have been observed. Treatment policy should take these results into consideration.

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Objective:We addressed the following questions. What are the current and lifetime prevalence of cannabis abuse in an Israeli methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clinic? Does cannabis abuse change over time during MMT? Is cannabis abuse related to treatment outcome measures such as retention rate and the abuse of drugs? Is the abuse of cannabis related to psychopathology, HIV/HCV risk-taking and infectious diseases? Do cannabis abusers (CAs) have a different psychosocial and demographic profile than nonabusers (NCAs)? Is cannabis abuse part of a polydrug abuse tendency or a distinct substance of abuse? Method: Overlapping samples ot either the entire clinic population (n = 283) or all the patients who had completed t year of MMT treatment (n = 196 of which 20 were re-entering) underwent random and twice-weekly obsen/ed urine analysis for various drugs of abuse, responded to self-report questionnaires (SCL-90-R; HIV/HCV risk-taking behaviours; n = 164), interviews (ASI, n = 176; SCID, n = 151) and hepatitis C and HIV testing (n = 149). Results: Lifetime abuse prevalence was found in 75% and current abuse at MMT intake in 25%. Abuse did not increase significantly over a 1 -year period. Cannabis abusers were found to be more often polydrug abusers than NCAs. Cannabis abusers did not suffer from more psychological distress, infectious diseases, and did not engage in more HCV/HIV risk-taking behaviour, nor did they leave treatment earlier than NCAs. Conclusions: Cannabis abuse MMT patients should be treated as polydrug abusers, although no specific influences of cannabis abuse on psychological and medical conditions of MMT patients have been observed. Treatment policy should take these results into consideration.

Based on Durkheim's 'Control theory,' we explored the association between frequency of terror attacks in Israel and the frequency of suicide attempts admitted to the Emergency Room of a major general hospital in Tel-Aviv (1999-2004). Analysis of the six-year study period as a whole revealed no significant correlation between the variables, with the exception of one 11-month segment within it (December 2000-October 2001) that did show a statistically significant positive correlation, and in opposition to Durkeim's hypothesis. It is suggested that suicide attempts as a phenomena should be seen as a product of a multivariate model, in which the social context plays a role as well.