Current trends in psychiatry care in Finland with special focus on private practice psychiatry and psychotherapy
Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 01/09/09

Fink-Jensen A et al. - Several previous reforms decentralized Finnish psychiatric services to a great extent. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is outlining a proposal for Health Care Law, which makes an effort to centralize and reorganize healthcare. It is not yet possible to see what this will mean for the psychiatric services. Moreover, disability related to major depression has increased drastically, which has lead to a nationwide project called MASTO, which has the aim to improve early detection and treatment of depression.

Factors Associated with Psychotherapy Longevity among HIV-Positive Patients
AIDS Patient Care and STDs, 01/12/09

Bottonari KA et al. - As a result of modest sample size relative to the number of predictor variables, analyses utilized multiple bivariate analyses and thus, results must be considered preliminary and should be replicated in a larger investigation. However, treatment providers may utilize these initial findings to improve retention in care and to improve the quality of mental health care provided to HIV-positive outpatients.

Severity of Dependence Scale as a Diagnostic Tool for Heroin and Cocaine Dependence
European Addiction Research, 01/13/09

Gonzalez-Saiz F et al. - The study gives further support to SDS dimensional properties and to its validity for rapid assessment of current heroin and cocaine dependence.

A Rasch Model Analysis of Alcohol Consumption and Problems Across Adolescence and Young Adulthood
Alcoholism, 01/14/0

Kahler CW et al. - A valid index of alcohol involvement in adolescents can be constructed combining indices of alcohol consumption and alcohol problems. Such an index covers a range of severity and functions similarly across sex and race/ethnicity. A similar index can be constructed in young adulthood. However, the interpretation of scores must be attentive to developmental differences. In particular, for adolescents, indices of alcohol consumption are relatively closer in severity to indices of alcohol problems than they are among young adults. Thus, alcohol problems are more likely among adolescents than young adults given a similar level of drinking.

Psychotherapy as monotherapy for the treatment of bipolar II depression: a proof of concept study
Bipolar Disorders, 01/15/09

Swartz HA et al. - Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy appears to be a promising intervention for a subset of individuals with bipolar II depression. A randomized controlled trial is needed to systematically evaluate the efficacy of IPSRT as an acute monotherapy for bipolar II depression.