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PURPOSE: Breast cancer (BC) is a risk factor for major depressive disorder (MDD), yet little research has tested the efficacy of different psychotherapies for depressed women with BC. This study, the largest to date, compared outcomes of three evidence-based, twelve-week therapies in treating major depressive disorder among women with breast cancer. METHODS: This randomized trial compared interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), problem solving therapy (PST), and brief supportive psychotherapy (BSP). Conducted at the outpatient clinic of the New York State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia University, the trial offered bilingual treatment by treatment-specific psychotherapists supervised by treatment experts. The primary outcome was change in the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) at 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes included other validated patient-reported outcomes for depression and quality of life. RESULTS: Of 179 women with breast cancer screening positive for depression at the Columbia Cancer Center, 134 eligible patients signed informed treatment consent. Half of patients were Hispanic and economically disadvantaged. Most women had stage I (35.2%) or II (36.9%) BC; 9% had stage IV. The three brief psychotherapies showed similar improvements on the HAM-D, with large pre-post effect sizes (d~ 1.0); a priori defined response rates were 35% for IPT, 50% for PST and 31% for BSP, and remission rates 25%, 30% and 27%, respectively. The three treatments also showed similar improvements in the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire. Dropout was high, ranging from 37–52% across treatments. Predictors of dropout included having

Drugs lifted Frank's depression, but he had to find meaningful activity to relaunch his life

This paper describes the role of an agency Clinical Director in developing a project to assess and begin to address obesity-related health problems of patients treated in a community-based mental health clinic in New York City. After a five year review of outpatient deaths revealed a high rate of deaths from cardiovascular and diabetes-related issues, the Clinical Director assembled a group of clinicians, researchers, and administrative staff to design a pilot project to assess health and nutrition status of primarily Hispanic day treatment patients with severe and persistent mental illness.About 69 of the 105 patients at the clinic were assessed by chart review, interview about nutritional habits and medical care, and somatic measurements for blood pressure, weight, girth, body mass index (BMI), glucose and lipid levels.Patients were predominantly between the ages of 25 and 64 years, 51% were female, and 78% were Hispanic. Around 57% were diagnosed with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, 86% were receiving antipsychotic medications, and 25% were on two or more antipsychotics. Only 11% of the women and 41% of the men had normal weight. A total of 29% of the women and 18% of the men were overweight (BMI = 25-29.9); and an additional 60% of the women and 41% of the men were obese (BMIor = 30). Atypical antipsychotic treatment was significantly associated with obesity (BMIor = 30) (chi sq = 5.5, df = 1, P0.025). Using American Heart Association criteria, waist measurements showed significant abdominal obesity among female patients. Blood pressure was elevated in 77% of the patients: 45% were pre-hypertensive with BP 120-139/80-89 and 32% were hypertensive with BPor = 140/90. About 53% had elevated random blood glucoses (110 mg/dl). On the positive side, patients generally had had recent medical follow-up, and most had adequate cooking facilities.This project revealed that these predominantly Hispanic, severely mentally ill individuals were at high risk for cardiac illness, highlighting the need for developing culturally-sensitive interventions in urban outpatient psychiatric settings. Findings were disseminated in educational presentations and clinical discussions, and have mobilized an institutional effort to significantly improve medical monitoring for these patients.

Over the past decade, several studies have attempted to determine whether integrating psychiatric and substance abuse treatment leads to better outcome for patients with comorbid schizophrenia and substance use disorders. A recent (1999) Cochrane Review (1) analyzed the effectiveness of prospective randomized studies of integrated treatment approaches, and concluded that there was no clear evidence for superiority of integrated treatment. This paper describes one such integrated treatment approach, in Beth Israel Medical Center's COPAD (Combined Psychiatric and Addictive Disorders) program. We summarize findings from an initial outcome study and a recent replication study; and describe clinical and research issues relevant to this population. Our data suggests the benefits of integrated treatment for patients with addictive disorders and schizophrenia, at least with regard to treatment retention. Clinical issues for such patients include identification of patients at risk, proper assessment and treatment planning, decision-making about mainstreaming vs. referral to specialized programs, and the importance of initial engagement and ongoing reengagement in successful treatment.

RAW MATERIALS I work in a psychiatric clinic, an "outpatient mental health center" at a hospital on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, in a neighborhood which has traditionally been, and remains, the meeting ground of a hundred world cultures. Our neighborhood is a place of artists and bohemians and outcasts and addicts, and its streets are filled with the music of innumerable languages. At case conferences, in patient sessions, I am continually astonished by what I hear. I observe both as a psychiatrist and as a writer. A bipolar patient explains that he has been treated with "lithium carburetor"—the psychiatrist hears "neologisms" (creation of new words) or the phenomenon we call "flight of ideas" (runaway thoughts common in mania), the writer hears poetry. Another patient claims to be assaulted by "forces of magnetism released by construction in the city," or "caused by echoes from satellite dishes." A man comes to our Walk In Clinic convinced he has wings sprouting out of his feet. He wears a rubber suit studded with tiny blinking electric lights, and he regales the second year resident with tales of his girlfriend, a woman with twenty-two personalities. One morning in Teaching Case Conference, a man offhandedly reveals that "the whispering of demons make me choose the wrong Lotto numbers." Another day, a shy Caribbean woman describes being raped for hours each night by a phantom lover. Even our staff talks poetry—reporting on a crack-abusing schizophrenic man who is "ripping and running, dashing and scheming, and copping and hiding." On my way to lunch, walking down 15th Street, I pass by a bedraggled man who is singing: "If that don't get my woman, I'm sure my sho-sho-shotgun will!" At Grand Rounds, one of

In recent years, the frequency with which patients present with 'double depression', i.e. coexisting chronic depression (dysthymia) and acute major depression, has become increasingly evident. A growing research literature demonstrates that patients with double depression are at increased risk for poor outcome, including poor psychosocial functioning, high usage of medical services, high rates of suicide attempts, and increased recurrence of major depression. Furthermore, naturalistic studies have shown that when these patients are treated in the community, they often do not receive adequate antidepressant medication to treat their acute or chronic depressive disorders.In this article, we introduce a typology that is designed to assist clinicians in determining useful strategies in the short and long term treatment of double depression. This differentiates between those patients with double depression who present primarily with acute depression; those presenting primarily with chronic depression (where treatment can focus on the single, more severe disorder, and may be time-limited or episodic); and those presenting with severe acute depression and severe chronic depression, in whom lifelong medication is often required. Aggressive treatment is recommended for all patients with double depression, but refined treatment strategies based on depressive typology may help to increase compliance, consolidate therapeutic gains and forestall relapse.A growing psychopharmacology literature shows that several different classes of medication [tricyclic antidepressants, monamine oxidase inhibitors, selective serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) reuptake inhibitors and others] are effective in the treatment of double depression, although perhaps somewhat less effective than in the treatment of acute major depression.

We have previously described a model of outpatient integrated treatment for patients with comorbid psychoactive substance use disorders and schizophrenia (PSUD/S)(1). Here we review relevant literature on comorbidity and outline the rationale for integrated services. Further, we describe results from 3 related studies: First, we document the approximate incidence of PSUD among a heterogeneous group of 602 schizophrenic inpatient admissions to our hospital. Second, we describe in greater detail the psychiatric symptoms and patterns of substance abuse among a subsample of 106 inpatients with PSUD/S, contrasting them with 112 patients with PSUD and mixed psychotic disorders, but who are not schizophrenic. Third, we present a prospective research project and describe a sample of 30 patients with PSUD/S, detailing demographic characteristics, psychiatric symptoms and substance abuse history. Attention is given to current issues in the differential diagnosis of patients with PSUD/S using standardized instruments.

We devised a rating scale, the Resident Case Presentation Inventory (RCPI), to evaluate psychiatry residents' case presentations at our hospital's disposition conference. A review of 69 inpatient cases presented prior to discharge revealed that residents' greatest deficiencies were in the following two areas: 1) knowing indications for specific outpatient treatments and 2) coordinating input from various clinical disciplines, both inpatient and outpatient. The RCPI allows early identification of residents' educational needs and can give ongoing feedback on their progress.