Monitoring long-term court order psychiatric hospitalization: a pilot project in Israel.

BACKGROUND: In Israel, the rules of compulsory psychiatric hospitalization, including hospitalization under a court order, are set out in the Israel Mental Health Act, 1991 (MHA). The MHA does not specifically define the time limits of hospitalization by Court Order, though every patient, by law has to be brought before the Regional Psychiatric Board (RPB) once every six months for reevaluation. The Supreme Court recently addressed this issue and suggested that by having no specific time span, the way lies open for infringement of individual rights (Criminal Appeals 3854\02). Consequently the Supreme Court suggested that some court committed patients should be moved from the criminal to the civil track which inflicts less severe infringement of the mentally ill patient's rights. This ruling generated rethinking at the ministerial level aimed at improving the monitoring of the care of long-term psychiatric hospitalization in criminal cases. The Ministry of Health initiated a project designed to study this issue. OBJECTIVES: The main objective of this project, which is described below, is to monitor the type and incidence of forensic mental patients hospitalized in Israel for more than 10 years, and to propose alternatives to replace this untenable situation. METHODS: All the 12 psychiatric hospitals in Israel which hospitalize forensic patients were sent written requests for data on criminal patients hospitalized under court orders, including demographic data, diagnosis and type of offense. We identified in all 65 such patients. The data received were compared with the National Psychiatric Register databank of the Ministry of Health and divided in subgroups according to diagnosis, type of offence, demographic variables and length of hospitalization. RESULTS: Most of the subjects of the sample (89%) suffered from psychotic disorder mainly schizophrenia of the paranoid type. 95.5% were male. The most prominent type of offense was assault against family members (37%), which is in keeping with statistics reported in the relevant literature. The profile of the typical patient of this sample is: male, aged 45-65, unmarried, with 8 years of education and suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. DISCUSSION: No correlation between type and severity of offense and length of involuntary forensic hospitalization was found. We suggest some possible alternatives to improve the current handling of the group of long term hospitalized forensic patients. We also feel that a further study should be carried out on forensic patients hospitalized for a period of five to ten years.

Clozapine in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in schizophrenia patients: a case series study.

INTRODUCTION: Obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms have been observed in a substantial proportion of schizophrenic patients. There are some reports describing the appearance de novo or reemergence of preexisting OC symptoms under clozapine (CLZ) therapy. However, there are also reports describing a positive effect of CLZ therapy in OC schizophrenic patients. It seems that comorbid OC symptoms are common among CLZ-treated refractory schizophrenic patients and are likely to be an integral part of their illness. The complex nature of the treatment response in this group of schizophrenic patients is as yet unclear. The effects of CLZ on OC symptoms may vary, with evidence of improvement in some and worsening among others. METHODS: The present case series study describes our experience with CLZ as a sole agent (n = 10) or in combination with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (n = 5), in schizophrenic patients with prominent OC symptomatology. RESULTS: Systematic analysis of clinical features of our patients, as well as findings in the literature to date, led us to suggest some factors that may predict response to CLZ treatment in treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients with prominent OC symptoms: 1) schizophrenic patients who began to exhibit OC symptoms within the course of the psychotic process need and might to be successfully treated with CLZ alone; 2) when OC symptomatology preceded the development of schizophrenic process, CLZ monotherapy is inefficient and may even worsen OC symptoms; therefore, it should be treated concomitantly with specific anti-obsessive agents; 3) in both groups there is a definite dose-related pro-obsessive influence of CLZ when it is given in high doses. DISCUSSION: Further controlled investigations in a larger cohort of OC schizophrenic patients are needed to substantiate our hypothesis. OCD:Obsessive-compulsive disorder OCS:Obsessive-compulsive symptoms SRI:Serotonin reuptake inhibitors

[Risk versus confidentiality: the therapist's responsibility for his psychiatric patient's acts].

In this article we deal with the responsibility and liability of the therapist for aggressive and criminal acts perpetuated by his psychiatric patient against third parties. This issue has been the object of controversial discussion among professionals in the legal and medical field since the famous case of Tarasoff (this psychiatric patient killed his former girlfriend after he informed his therapist of his intention to harm her. The therapist was sued because he did not warn nor protect the potential victim and did not prevent the criminal act). We describe the situation in the U.S. before Tarasoff and the implications of the decision of the Supreme Court of California in 1974-76 which dealt with this case and broadened the therapist's responsibility towards third parties. We also analyze the actual legal situation in Israel on this issue, its disadvantages and shortcomings. We suggest some proposals for improvement, together with some operational measures to cope with this complex issue including a thorough evaluation of the patient's clinical state, identification of the potential victim, warning and involvement of the relevant authorities, and hospitalization if needed.

Informed consent: myth or reality.

The rapidly growing awareness and respect of the social needs and legal rights of the patient in many countries is a sign of cultural maturity of society at large. However, the implementation of these achievements is especially arduous in the field of psychiatry because often mental patients have cognitive restrictions and/or emotional distress both of which may interfere with the exercise of their civil rights. One focus of this paper is the challenging process of obtaining legally valid consent from a severely ill psychiatric patient for diagnostic procedures and for treatment and also for participation in research projects. This paper also analyzes and discusses the new developments in the health legislation in Israel and focuses on the questions that arise in its application to the field of psychiatry. A recommendation for practical assessment of competence is presented. Systematic studies ofthe application of legal regulation and appropriate modifications are needed.

Reflections on dangerousness and its prediction--a truly tantalizing task?

Risk or dangerousness is a problem which, of its very nature, must occupy the minds of all mental health and law enforcement professionals. Papers and research studies without number have attempted to define its extent and constituent elements and plumb the secrets of its assessment. Defining the tools and skills needed to analyze and predict dangerousness is a key contribution to helping psychiatrists and lawyers take their critical decisions on compulsory hospitalization, issuing or refusing a gun or driving license, etc. Members of other professions too have not only to decide whether or not to curtail an individual's civil rights but to be able to put forward rational and coherent grounds for their decision. And yet time after time mistaken decisions are made, frequently causing the subject of the decision unnecessary suffering and sometimes leading to a tragic outcome. The difficulty of risk assessment is its complexity, the result of a multitude of contributing and interacting variables. The 'dangerous person' does not have a single profile: there is no individual who under certain circumstances cannot become dangerous. That being so, the focus of our study must not be the factors capable of making a person violent but correctly managing the circumstances and situations in which violence can occur. For the purposes of this paper we concern ourselves only with the physical aspects of dangerousness. Although the risk we analyze here is bound up with an act of violence, we must keep in mind that dangerousness and violence are two separate concepts. After reviewing existing theory and current knowledge on risk assessment and prediction, we shall describe how the Israeli judicial and legislative systems deal with risk and attempt the task of forecasting the use of violence in a divided society in the throes of modernization. To close we propose an explorative study, designed to develop a short- and medium-range risk assessment instrument.

Association between flupenthixol treatment and emergence of manic symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Flupenthixol is an antipsychotic drug with known mood-elevating properties. Its propensity to induce manic symptoms has not been investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: We describe six patients, four with schizophrenia and two with bipolar disorder, in whom flupenthixol treatment was associated with emergence of manic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated with flupenthixol should be carefully monitored for the emergence of manic symptoms.

[The evaluation of mental capability to use firearms: practical and ethical questions].

UNLABELLED: This paper presents the results of a survey of 116 men who underwent psychiatric evaluation of their capacity to carry firearms. The data was collected using a standardized form. The results show the following profile: male, married with children, high school education and requesting the license to carry firearms due to reasons related to their type of work or their place of residence. The results point to several conclusions regarding the way in which these evaluations are performed. RECOMMENDATION: To centralize the process of evaluating the types of dangers within the auspices of one single medical institution.

Zuclopenthixol treatment of behavioral disturbances in mentally retarded children and adolescents: an open-label study.

The present open-label study assessed the efficacy of zuclopenthixol, an thioxanthene neuroleptic with combined dopamine receptors (D1/D2) antagonist activity, in the treatment of severe behavioral disturbances in mentally retarded children and adolescents. A sample of 15 (11 males, 4 females) mentally retarded children and adolescents, ages 5-18 years (12.2 +/- 2.3 [mean +/- SD] years), all exhibiting severe behavioral disturbances, was evaluated. The 12-week zuclopenthixol treatment (up to 26 mg/day) was initiated after a week's washout from previous antipsychotic agents. An assessment of the behavioral disturbances was performed using the 14-item Checklist for Behavior Problems Involving Limited or No Social Awareness (CBP-NSA). The Udvalg for kliniske undersøgelser (UKU) Side Effect Rating Scale was used to assess the pharmacologic side effects. Results show a significant reduction in total CBP-NSA scores and in individual items such as hyperactivity, aggressive behavior, and temper tantrums (p < 0.001 for each). It seems that zuclopenthixol monotherapy is effective and well tolerated in the treatment of severe behavioral disturbances in mentally retarded children and adolescents. Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies are needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn regarding the efficacy and safety of zuclopenthixol for this population.

Analysis of neurosteroid levels in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Neurosteroids are important neuroactive substrates with demonstrated involvement in several neurophysiological and disease processes. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been associated with dysregulation of the catecholaminergic and serotonergic systems, however its relationship to irregularities or changes in neurosteroid levels remains unknown. We examined the relationship between blood levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), its principal precursor pregnenolone and its principal metabolite dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) in 29 young male subjects aged 7-15 years with DSM-IV criteria of ADHD. Subjects were evaluated by a specially designed scale, following which patients were divided into two groups according to severity of symptomatology. Results indicated significant inverse correlations between clinical symptomatology and levels of DHEA and pregnenolone in the total group. These inverse correlations were particularly evident in the less severe group of subjects. Levels of DHEA and DHEAS were inversely correlated with the hyperactivity subscale. Furthermore, using median blood levels as a cut-off indicator, higher blood levels of DHEA and DHEAS were associated with fewer ADHD symptoms, in particular hyperactivity symptomatology. Our findings suggest a possible protective effect of various neurosteroids on the expression of ADHD symptomatology.

Has Israel and the Russian Federation legislation a full set of laws securing the protection of mental patients relative to United Nations' proposals and do they require modification?

This paper compares sections of laws dealing with the care and protection of mental patients in Israel and in the Russian Federation and matches them with the 24 recommendations on the subject proposed by the United Nations (UN) in 1988. Particular attention is given to issues related to forensic and ethical subjects. The UN proposals constitute a most laudable reform-inducing guideline for global mental health care systems, especially because of their emphasis on the preservation of mental patients' basic human rights. The proposals' strength springs from their influence regarding the prevention of misuse of psychiatry with focus on the care of inpatients and control over executive agencies. The detailed analysis of the similarities between the Israeli and Russian legislative approach reveals some badly matched organizational structure of many articles in comparison with the UN mandate. Forensic and ethical concepts present in the UN 1988 proposals are well addressed in both the Israeli and Russian mental health legislation. We conclude that the 1991 UN recommendations would demand further modification of the national standards.

The fitness of the mental patient to be a witness.

The determination of whether a patient has criminal responsibility or is able to stand trial is routine psychiatric work. Cases in which we- psychiatrists- are asked to express our opinion on whether a patient can testify, however, are quite rare. We shall attempt to clarify some of the issues relating to the testimony of mentally ill patients through a case presentation. In this case, the Court agreed to consider our patient's testimony, only after receiving our expert opinion. We find that the Court's reversal of its original decision and its willingness to consider the testimony of a mental patient in the same trial in which he was initially found unable to stand trial, marks an important precedent. The question of the credibility of the mental patient as a witness has significance beyond this case concerning mental patients' rights in regard to the judicial system. We believe there is a need for further discussion between psychiatrists andjurists regarding the fitness of the mental patient to testify as a witness.

Psychological distress around menopause.

The authors sought to identify a subgroup of women who are likely to experience psychological distress in the period around menopause. A sample of 189 women (mean age=49.49) was selected from the general population and rated for menopausal status, menopausal symptoms, depression, anxiety, perceived control, body image, and sex role. Menopausal symptoms were not found to discriminate between pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal women. Factor analysis of the symptoms yielded a specific somatic factor that correlated with menopausal status but not with psychological variables and a nonspecific psychosomatic factor that correlated with psychological variables but not with menopausal status. This suggests that psychological distress during the menopausal transition may indicate a personal psychological or physiological vulnerability rather than a specific reaction to the menopausal events.

Survey of patient satisfaction in adult psychiatric outpatient clinics.

A client satisfaction survey was undertaken in two adult psychiatric outpatient clinics. The anonymous self-report questionnaire covering demographic, setting and satisfaction with service variables was endorsed by 203 participants. The mean age of the subjects was 42.5 +/- 19 years, with a small majority (58.6%) of females. Overall satisfaction with psychiatric care was high (79.8%). None of the demographic or setting variables correlated significantly with satisfaction. Psychoeducation was significantly correlated with level of satisfaction with services. These findings further emphasize the importance of psychoeducation by service providers in mental health.

The influence of three months of methylphenidate treatment on platelet-poor plasma biogenic amine levels in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is related to dysregulation in the activity of brain monoamines. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of three months' methylphenidate (MPH) treatment on platelet-poor plasma (PPP) norepinephrine (NE), dopa and serotonin (5-HT) levels as well as on ADHD symptomatology. Three months of MPH treatment in 16 ADHD boys, aged 11.4 +/- 1.6 years, resulted in a significant reduction in PPP NE levels (p < 0.05). A tendency towards a reduction of PPP 5-HT and dopa levels was detected (p < 0.1 for both). The decrease in PPP biogenic amine levels after three months of MPH treatment was accompanied by a significant reduction in all psychometric characteristics of ADHD. This result indicates the possible role of overactivity of the noradrenergic system in the pathophysiology of ADHD and suggests that the MPH therapeutic action may be related to stimulant-induced inhibitory effect on the noradrenergic system. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hemispheric function in disorganized type schizophrenia: performance on the quality extinction test.

We assessed hemisphere function in right-handed male chronic, disorganized type schizophrenic patients (N = 60, age range 18-45 years) using the Quality Extinction Test (QET), in comparison to 20 right-handed male healthy controls in the same age range. The QET analysis discriminated between the disorganized schizophrenic patients and the controls. QET results indicated that chronic schizophrenic patients were less sensitive to tactile stimuli in both hands as compared to controls. Furthermore, the sensitivity to tactile stimuli of the left hand was less than that of the right hand in the schizophrenic patients. In contrast, in the normal controls the sensitivity was similar in both hands. These results indicate possible right hemisphere dysfunction together with disturbance in interhemispheric transmission through the corpus callosum in chronic, disorganized type schizophrenic patients.

Attitudes towards hormone replacement therapy among middle-aged women and men.

OBJECTIVES: To survey the attitudes of middle-aged women and men towards HRT and associated issues. Men were included because of the possible influence of their attitudes on womens decisions to use HRT. METHODS: Two-hundred women and 311 men, (not wife and husbands), between 45 and 55 years of age, from a general population sample, were queried about their attitudes towards menopause and HRT and on their knowledge about side effects of HRT. RESULTS: The men had a more negative attitude towards HRT than the women. Two-thirds of the subjects, mostly women, considered menopause to be a medical issue and not a developmental stage in the life cycle. The most mentioned benefits of HRT were the prevention of osteoporosis and cardiopathy, and the disadvantages were "cancer" and "side effects". The concept of menopause as a medical entity was significantly correlated with a positive attitude towards HRT and whether the responder currently used HRT. CONCLUSIONS: The attitudes of most women and men towards menopause and its psycho-social meaning play a vital role in the decision of whether women should start HRT. Education on HRT should be extended to include men who seem to have a more negative attitude towards HRT and are less informed about its benefits. Our results indicate that a positive attitude to HRT is associated with factual knowledge about its benefits and disadvantages, while a negative attitude is based more on emotional arguments.