Jan
22
 
Rebecca Garcia
A study released today in Molecular Autism found no Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus- Related Virus (XMRV) in 230 autism samples and 204 healthy controls. The study was conducted jointly by Cooperative Diagnostics and the Greenwood Genetic Center. Controversy has surrounded XMRV since the first publication in Science October 9, 2009. The original publication associated XMRV with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Since the Science publication, several laboratories and government agencies around the world have tried to test for XMRV and have found nothing. With no XMRV results produced or reproduced, it leads one to believe that the original lab might have detected false positives. Dr. Mikovits and her associates continue to support their initial findings quite aggressively, while in the CFS and autism communities, bitter tension rises and some scratch their heads in puzzlement. Still it remains that the only reproducible results for XMRV are the negative results.
Read in Full: http://www.examiner.com/gluten-free-in-greenville/xmrv-not-related-to-autism
 
By Sarah Cassidy, Social Affairs Editor
Friday, 15 October 2010
The cull is bad news for society’s more vulnerable members.
Bodies scrapped include the Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group, the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, the Disability Employment Advisory Committee and the Disability Living Allowance/Attendance Allowance Advisory Board, as well as the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit and National Tenant Voice; and the Commission for the Compact, set up to promote partnerships between the public sector and charities and voluntary groups which receive public funding.
Meanwhile, the future of several children’s bodies still hang in the balance. Decisions over the future of the Children’s Workforce Development Council, the Office of the Children’s Commissioner and the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services have been deferred. The future of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service will be determined by the family justice review in 2011.
Source:Â http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/bad-news-for-the-young-or-disabled-2107218.html
Oct. 14 2010 – 1:27 pm
The FDA cracked down on chelation therapy for autism today, warning eight companies that make unproven over-the-counter supplements for autism they needed to submit data proving the therapy works or face legal action, which could include criminal sanctions. Chelation is a potentially dangerous treatment in which heavy metals are removed from the body. The method is proven for acute lead poisoning and iron intoxication, but recently has taken off as an alternative therapy for autism in the wake of the now-discredited theory that mercury from vaccines can cause autism. On a conference call, FDA officials said there is no evidence that chelation therapy in autism is safe or effective. Forbes’ writer David Whelan did big stories on the controversial practice earlier this year, HERE and HERE.
Source:Â http://blogs.forbes.com/robertlangreth/2010/10/14/the-fdas-autism-chelation-crackdown/
 
Article Date: 14 Oct 2010 – 6:00 PDT
Lessons learned from natural disasters, including the Black Saturday bushfires, Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, have helped shape a new web portal aimed at combating the psychological effects of large-scale emergencies, which will be launched this evening in Sydney by the Hon Mark Butler MP, Minister for Mental Health and Ageing.
The Psychosocial Support in Disasters web portal provides health professionals working with disaster-affected individuals and communities with a step-by-step guide to disaster response and the psychological implications at each stage from Preparation through to Response and Recovery.
It is a joint initiative of the Australian Psychological Society, the Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, Occupational Therapy Australia, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, the Australian Association of Social Workers, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and General Practice Victoria.
‘A coordinated approach enhances disaster response and this website brings all the latest and most vital information from across the key agencies together in one place in an easily accessible format,’ President of the Australian Psychological Society Professor Bob Montgomery said.
He said Australia was home to many of the world’s leading disaster experts, many of whom had contributed their expertise to the site.
‘Australia is very vulnerable to natural disasters and there are few communities that wouldn’t be exposed to a natural disaster of some kind at some time so increasing the ability of our communities to prepare for, and recover from, disasters is a priority,’ Professor Montgomery said.
Read in Full:Â http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/204589.php
 
Article Date: 14 Oct 2010 – 4:00 PDT
New guidelines published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) and the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) hope to reduce the number of avoidable deaths of patients with severe anorexia nervosa on general medical units.
The guidelines are aimed at all medical, nursing and dietetic staff working in hospitals to which a patient with severe anorexia nervosa could be admitted. They provide advice on the physical assessment of patients, required members of the in-patient medical team, the use of mental health legislation, and advice for commissioners on required services for this group of very ill patients.
The guidelines have been produced by the MARSIPAN working group, which stands for the MAnagement of Really SIck Patients with Anorexia Nervosa. The group was established in 2008 because of serious concerns over the number of deaths of young people with severe anorexia on general medical wards. Some died from medical complications such as pneumonia. Others died from, re-feeding syndrome (RFS) when food intake is increased too rapidly after weeks of starvation, or from “underfeeding syndrome” when nutrition intake is increased too slowly.
Most people with severe anorexia nervosa should be treated on specialist eating disorder units (SEDU). However, they may be admitted to a medical ward if a SEDU bed is not available, or if they need treatments that are not available on a psychiatric ward such as intravenous infusions or artificial ventilation. Anorexia nervosa has one of the highest mortalities of any psychiatric condition, and some deaths are inevitable. But patients admitted to medical wards are often at high risk and may not be seen by staff with specialist knowledge.
The guidelines make 9 key recommendations including:
– Physical risk assessment in these patients should include body mass index (BMI), physical examination, including muscle power, blood tests and electrocardiography (ECG). Â
Read in Full:Â http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/204570.php
The rescue operation at the San José copper and gold mine in Copiapó, in the heart of the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile, began just after midnight local time on Wednesday, as the first miner, 31-year old Florencio Avalos, wearing special sunglasses to protect his eyes, was brought to the surface among jubilations from the waiting crowd of rescue workers, families, reporters and the Chilean President Sebastián Piñera and his wife.
Video footage of the rescue operation underground was captured by the miners themselves, reported El Mercurio. It shows how Manuel González a rescue technician, who went down to the miners first, prepares each man to enter the torpedo-shaped rescue capsule, less than 28 inches in diameter (71 cm).
American astronaut Jerry Linenger, who spent five months isolated and confined in space aboard the Russian space station Mir, told CNN that until that point, the miners were in “survival mode”, which is “tough psychologically because you are in a life and death situation”.
All the reports so far say that the miners appear to be in very good physical shape. But the Chilean health authorities are taking no chances, and preparations to receive the men as they emerge from their underground prison have been extensive.
Experts from NASA, with experience of treating astronauts, have been advising the Chilean health team as they prepare to receive the miners. They suggest the main areas of concern will be the effects of confinement, sleep disruption and deprivation, lack of sanitation, and other problems like lack of sunlight, and nutrition.
There may also be other effects, such as due to the poor air quality thought to exist in the mine.
Dr Neil Schachter, a specialist in respiratory care in New York, told ABC News that he expects some of the men will have respiratory infections.
As well as the physical effects, there will be concerns about the miners’ mental health.
There will also be new stresses to cope with, even as a result of joyous occasions such as reunions with family and friends, and rejoining society.
And of course, the miners are now celebrities; their lives have changed dramatically, and demands on their time and attention from the press and media will be intense, as will the pressure to decide how to respond to them.
The deputy chief medical officer at Johnson Space Center, Dr Michael Duncan, told CNN news that:
“The work is just beginning when the miners get out of the mine.”
The miners are first spending time with their families in a special meeting room before being taken to hospital.
Although they were strongly recommended to go to hospital for evaluation and checks, the miners did have the option not to do so. But Manalich said they all said they would go.
www.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/world/americas/14chile.html?_r…
 The Wall Street Journal
online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703673604575549372…
 Paris Match
www.parismatch.com/Actu-Match/Monde/Actu/Chili-les-heros-…
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Article Date: 14 Oct 2010 – 3:00 PDT
According to a new survey sponsored by Janssen®, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc, 94 percent of psychiatric nurses feel very or extremely involved in providing care for people with mental illness. Although some psychiatric nurses believe that their specialty is as difficult as or more difficult than oncology nursing, or emergency nursing, one-third would prefer to be more involved in patient care than they are now. The survey also revealed that psychiatric nurses believe their work affects patient care, with more than 90 percent of psychiatric nurses viewing the time they spend with patients as very important to patient satisfaction with their overall healthcare experience. A majority of the nurses strongly agree that their involvement helps to achieve better outcomes for patients living with mental illness.
Results of the survey revealed that more than three-fourths of psychiatric nurses feel they are very responsible for educating patients about aspects of mental health and more than two-thirds feel a great deal of responsibility in the care of psychological problems and managing patients’ overall well-being. Additional survey findings include:
- More than one-half of psychiatric nursing professionals would like greater participation in the treatment team and 44 percent desire more involvement in helping patients adhere to their treatment.
- More than 90 percent feel they help to bridge any communication gap between patients and physicians.
- Almost one-half of psychiatric nurses feel they do not have enough time to be more involved in providing healthcare for psychiatric patients.
The survey results are being presented and discussed for the first time at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Annual Meeting in Louisville, KY, October 13-16, 2010. Several psychiatric nursing experts will present and discuss the results in front of an audience of their peers during a roundtable discussion sponsored by Janssen®. The discussion is being moderated by Dorothy E. Hill, RN, former president of APNA (2001) and a now retired psychiatric nurse after committing 40 years to the care of people with mental illness.
Read in Full:Â http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/204592.php
 
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on October 12, 2010Â
People who use cannabis are twice as likely to have mental health issues as those who do not.
These are the findings of a recent study published by Statistics Netherlands—known in Dutch as the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS). CBS is the Dutch governmental institution that gathers statistical information about the Netherlands.
Carried out between 2007 and 2009, researchers studied 18,500 people and found that more than four percent of 15- to 65-year-olds had smoked cannabis during the previous month. More than a quarter of this group reported smoking cannabis on a daily or almost-daily basis.
Cannabis—also known as marijuana—is a recreational drug used worldwide. It is only exceeded in popularity by alcohol, caffeine and tobacco. Estimates of those who have tried the drug in the United States alone exceed 100 million.
There has also been notable interest in the use of cannabis for medical conditions including neurogenic pain, movement disorders, glaucoma and asthma.
This recent study found that nearly 20Â percent of male cannabis users indicated they had psychological problems versus nearly 10Â percent of nonusers. Similarly, the findings indicated that more than 28Â percent of female users had psychological problems versus more than 14Â percent of nonusers, according to CBS.
The most common complaints associated with mental health were nervousness, depression, unhappiness or restlessness.
“People who reported to have smoked cannabis in the past 30 days in the period 2007-2009, feel less healthy mentally or psychologically than non-cannabis users,†CBS wrote in a statement.
Read in Full:Â http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/10/08/cannabis-use-increases-risk-for-mental-health-issues-2/19425.html
 
Article Date: 14 Oct 2010 – 0:00 PDT
Despite modest economic gains, gloomy unemployment numbers and low workplace morale still loom large within corporate America. Whether or not companies can capitalize on the momentum of this fragile financial revitalization is dependent on more than enhancing consumer confidence or introducing new products to the marketplace – it falls largely on employees working for organizations and their level of commitment to corporate success. Researchers from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley have discovered that building a more committed workforce can be as simple as asking employees to reflect on their company’s history.
“Institutions that can communicate a compelling historical narrative often inspire a special kind of commitment among employees. It is this dedication that directly affects a company’s success and is critical to creating a strong corporate legacy,” said author Adam Galinsky, Morris and Alice Kaplan professor of ethics and decision in management.
Read in Full:Â http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/204440.php
 
Article Date: 14 Oct 2010 – 0:00 PDT
Research led by a Michigan State University psychologist is playing a key role in the effort to change the way mental health clinicians classify personality disorders.
The study by Christopher Hopwood and colleagues calls for a more scientific and practical method of categorizing personality disorders – a proposal that ultimately could improve treatment, Hopwood said.
“We’re proposing a different way of thinking about personality and personality disorders,” said Hopwood, MSU assistant professor of psychology and an experienced clinician. “There’s widespread agreement among personality disorder researchers that the current way to conceptualize personality disorders is not working.”
The study is being cited by the team of experts that currently is developing criteria for the manual used to diagnose personality disorders – the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5, slated to come out in 2013.
The study is being considered for inclusion in the DSM-5. The DSM, published by the American Psychiatric Association, is considered the bible of the U.S. mental health industry and is used by insurance companies as the basis for treatment approval and payment. The study also will appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Personality Disorders.
The current method of classifying personality disorders, as spelled out in the fourth edition of the DSM, or DSM-IV, breaks personality disorders into 10 categories, Hopwood said. That system is flawed, he said, because it does not take into account severity of personality disorders in an efficient manner and often leads to overlapping diagnoses.
“It’s just not true that there are 10 types of personalities disorders, and that they’re all categorical – that you either have this personality disorder or you don’t,” Hopwood said. “Scientifically, it’s just not true.”
Read in Full:Â http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/204445.php