Home care services maintain people in their own households by providing practical help such as with housework, shopping and personal care. In this study associations between mental disorder and health and social service use, demographics and activity limitation are investigated.

A cross-sectional study with random cluster sampling of people over 65 receiving home care in Lewisham. Mental disorder was rated using the GMS/AGECAT system.

We interviewed 169/177 eligible individuals, a response rate of 96%. Forty-six percent of this population were rated as cases of mental disorder (15% organic and 26% depressive). Most (84%) of those with depression did not appear to be receiving appropriate treatment. Home care provision to those with depression (unlike dementia) was only partially explicable in terms of activity limitation.

There is a high level of depressive disorder in this population with little in the way of appropriate primary or secondary care management. Those in sheltered housing seem particularly at risk; depression may lead to increased service use independent of disability.

This study was undertaken to examine the validity of different diagnostic definitions of hyperactivity in a Chinese population. Estimates of the prevalence of hyperactivity were made according to these different diagnostic definitions.

In a two-stage epidemiological study of hyperactivity in Hong Kong, 3069 Chinese schoolboys were screened by questionnaires; and a stratified sample of 611 of them entered a second stage for more detailed diagnostic assessment.

Children with hyperkinetic disorder (ICD–10) or ADDH (DSM–III) both displayed significant hyperactive symptoms, but with somewhat different external correlates; hyperkinetic disorder tended to show more neurodevelopmental impairments, ADDH more cognitive and educational difficulties. These findings raise the possibility of heterogeneity in the disorders present with hyperactivity. The DSM–III–R category of ADHD was more common, and those extra cases, that did not overlap with ADDH or hyperkinetic disorder, included children with no obvious behavioural, cognitive or neurodevelopmental impairments. Hence ADHD may be an over-inclusive category. Prevalence rates for hyperkinetic disorder, ADDH and ADHD were respectively 0.78%, 6.1% and 8.9%.

A disorder of hyperactivity does exist in the Chinese culture, displaying the same kinds of symptomatology and external correlates as in the West. The prevalence rates of hyperkinetic disorder and ADDH in Chinese schoolboys are on the low side when compared to those reported in Western studies.

High rates of comorbid alcohol and drug disorders have previously been found among individuals with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorders. Clinical and social outcomes have been reported to be worse in this group and service costs greater than in individuals with severe mental illness only. These ‘dual diagnosis’ patients have mainly been investigated in the USA, and there has been very little research in Europe, where patterns of substance abuse may be different.

All patients with psychotic illnesses who had any contact with the mental health services in a geographically defined sector in South London over a specified period were studied. Individuals with problems related to alcohol or drugs were identified using standardised interviews with subjects and their keyworkers. Data on psychiatric service use during the previous 2 years were also obtained.

One hundred and seventy-one subjects with psychotic illnesses were interviewed (response rate: 78.4%). The one-year prevalence rate for any substance problem was 36.3% (95% CI=29.1–43.5), for alcohol problems it was 31.6% (95% CI=24.6–38.5), and for drug problems 15.8% (95% CI=10.3–21.3). Young male subjects were at higher risk of having substance problems. Patients with substance problems had spent almost twice as many days in hospital as those without such problems over the previous two years (difference=26.3 days, 95% CI=3.8–48.7).

The prevalence of substance problems among people suffering from severe mental disorders is high, and seems to be associated with greater use of in-patient services. This is a significant clinical problem, with cost implications. Further investigation is needed for adequate service provision.

A 40-year-old chronic schizophrenic patient whose psychosis and associated violent behaviour resolved on clozapine, required chemotherapy for a testicular teratoma with pulmonary metastases. His treatment was initially delayed due to refusal to consent.

The patient finally agreed to orchidectomy and cytotoxic therapy, and following agreement by the CPMS, clozapine continued to be dispensed despite neutropenia and ‘red alert’ status on full blood count.

This is the only patient to continue clozapine despite ‘red alert’ status, and as such is an exceptional case, but may open the way for such patients in the future.

Several studies have revealed linguistic differences between diagnostic groups. This study investigates the extent to which these differences are accounted for by factors such as chronicity, or disturbances in cognition associated with acute psychosis.

Transcripts of interviews with patients suffering from RDC schizophrenia (n=38), mania (n=11) and controls (n=16) were examined using the Brief Syntactic Analysis (BSA). Patients were within two years of first onset of psychotic symptoms, and received tests of working memory and attention.

The speech of patients with schizophrenia was syntactically less complex than that of controls. Patients with schizophrenia and mania made more errors than controls. These differences were, to some extent, related to group differences in social class, working memory and attention, although significant group differences in language persisted after the effects of covariates were removed.

The study confirms the existence of differences in the speech of psychiatric patients. Low complexity appears to be a particular feature of speech in schizophrenia, even in the earliest stages of the condition. The importance of this finding is discussed in relation to two recent theories of schizophrenia: Crow's evolutionary model, and Friths neuro-psychological model.

This study examines the validity and screening properties of the Borderline Syndrome Index – BSI (developed in the USA) for categories of the Personality Assessment Schedule – PAS (developed in the UK).

Patients were recruited by case control sampling. Chance corrected agreement between instruments and screening properties of the BSI were calculated.

The BSI proved a moderately sensitive but non-specific screen. Questionnaire scores were highly correlated with symptom measures.

The results do not support the validity of the BSI or its use as a screening instrument. BSI scores may be distorted by current symptoms.

Depression affects a significant proportion of the expanding elderly population in the UK. Reports of a poorer prognosis for older than for younger adult patients have been challenged by recent papers.

The casenotes of 56 adults (mean age 47.8 years) and 54 elderly (mean age 72.9 years) patients with primary depression were assessed one year after receiving hospital treatment. Outcome measures were compared with earlier reported findings and factors possibly influencing outcome were explored.

The pattern of outcome in both age groups was broadly similar, thus: adults v. elderly: recovered 44.6% v. 44.4%; relapsed and recovered 23.2% v. 24%; residual symptoms 19.6% v. 13% and chronic depression 7.1% v. 5.5%. In the adults there were two natural deaths and one suicide. In the elderly there were two cases of dementia and five natural deaths, which was double the expected death rate. Predictors of poor outcome were melancholic depression in adults and longer duration of illness at intake and an increasing number of previous episodes of affective disorder in the elderly.

The outcome of treated depressive illnesses appears similar in elderly and adult patients. Associated physical ill health did not adversely affect outcome in the elderly group.

This is the first attempt to study the prevalence and clinical characteristics of somatisation (ST) in a representative primary care sample in Spain.

The sample consisted of 1559 consecutive patients attending eight randomly selected health centres in Zaragoza, Spain, examined by two-phase screening. First phase (lay interviewers): Spanish versions of GHQ–28, CAGE questionnaire, substance abuse, Mini-Mental State Examination. Second phase (research clinicians and psychiatrists): Standardised Polyvalent Psychiatric Interview, which permits the reliable coding of Bridges & Goldberg's ST criteria.

The prevalence of somatisers was 9.4% (34.5% of the cases) and most patients (68.7%) were diagnosed in the depression or anxiety DSM–IV categories. The severity was moderate in 40.1 % and 66.6% were chronic (six or more months). No significant demographic differences were found with non-cases. Backache was the most frequent somatic presentation (71.4%).

ST in primary care is a much broader phenomenon than categories such as somatoform disorders reflect. It may be less influenced by sociodemographic factors, but more chronic than previously reported.

Historical records suggest dyskinesia was observed in severely ill institutionalised patients with schizophrenia in the pre-neuroleptic era More recent work has not found dyskinesia in never-medicated younger and middle aged patients. The present study complements this recent work and avoids the confounders of severity of illness and institutionalism by examining elderly patients in a wide variety of community settings.

Movement disorders were examined in 308 elderly individuals in Madras, India, using the Abnormal Involuntary Movements Scale, the Simpson and Angus Parkinsonism Scale and the Barnes Akathisia Scale. Patients' mental state was assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.

Dyskinesia was found in 15% of normal subjects (n=101, mean age 63 years), 15% of first degree blood relatives of younger schizophrenic patients (n=103, mean age 63 years), 38% of never medicated patients (n=21, mean age 65 years) and 41 % of medicated patients (n=83, mean age 57 years). The respective prevalences for Parkinsonism were 6%, 11 %, 24% and 36%; and for akathisia 9%, 5%, 21 % and 23%. Dyskinesia was associated with negative schizophrenic symptoms.

Dyskinesia in elderly schizophrenic patients is an integral part of the illness and not associated with antipsychotic medication.

The Fear Questionnaire is an internationally popular measure in anxiety disorder research, but its validity with social phobia patients has not been clearly demonstrated.

A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using the Fear Questionnaire responses of 122 social phobia patients.

The results indicated that the proposed three-factor model of the scale (agoraphobia, social phobia, and Wood/injury dimensions) provided a good fit to the data.

These data provide strong support for the validity of the scale and for the multidimensional view of fears proposed by Arrindell.

The aim was to assess the clinical usefulness and economic viability of an aftercare worker for psychotic patients discharged from half-way houses in Hong Kong.

A sample of 32 chronic psychotic patients was provided with a full-time aftercare worker. A matched control group received no such service.

The experimental group was found to have greater and better employment prospects, better mental status with less hospitalisation and less law-breaking behaviour than the control group. Some of these benefits were converted into economic terms and the tangible costs incurred in the project were calculated.

The provision of an aftercare service is clinically useful and economically viable.

It has been suggested that in schizophrenia an association exists between family history of schizophrenia and poor outcome on the one hand, and family history of affective disorders and good outcome on the other.

We tested for associations between four-year outcome and familial loading for psychotic disorders in a mixed sample of 150 consecutively admitted patients with functional psychosis (schizophrenia, psychotic affective disorders, other psychotic disorders) of recent onset. For each proband, a familial loading score for (i) broadly defined psychotic disorder, (ii) schizophrenia, and (iii) affective disorder was calculated using information on relatives obtained through the Family History Research Diagnostic Criteria method and direct interviews of relatives with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia.

In our sample of psychotic patients, familial loading for psychotic disorder predicted persistent negative symptoms over the follow-up period (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1–2.2), especially in schizophrenia, and was also associated with more time hospitalised (P > 0.05), and more social disability at follow-up (P < 0.05). Greater familial loading for schizophrenia predicted a greater likelihood of non-recovery (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.1–4.4) and a greater likelihood to have had persistent negative symptoms over the follow-up period (OR 1.7; 95% CI 0.9–3.1). No association was found between outcome and familial loading for affective disorder.

We conclude that familial loading may be a continuous risk factor for some dimensions of clinical outcome in the functional psychoses. This suggests that there is a continuum of genetic liability not only to the emergence of psychotic illness, but also the subsequent chronicity of the disorder.

Studies of the relationship between negative symptoms, neuropsychological impairments and neurological signs in schizophrenia have yielded inconsistent results. In addition, little attention has been directed to address the extent of cultural modulation of negative symptoms.

We carried out cross-cultural validation of the High Royds Evaluation of Negativity Scale (HEN) in 50 Hong Kong Chinese patients with schizophrenia. We then investigated the relationship between negative symptoms, neurological signs and neuropsychological impairment in 204 patients.

Good interrater reliability, internal reliability, convergent and discriminant validity were found with the HEN. The HEN contained four factors corresponding to ‘behaviour‘, ‘functioning‘, ‘thought’ and ‘appearance’. Negative symptoms were correlated with semantic fluency but not with Wisconsin Card Sorting Test performance or sustained attention. Negative symptoms were also correlated with tardive dyskinesia and catatonia but not with soft neurological signs.

Cross-cultural robustness of the negative symptoms construct is supported. Association of negative symptoms with a specific profile of neurocognitive impairment suggests diversity within deficit domains in schizophrenia.

Previous population association studies have indicated that certain alleles of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) may reduce the risk of alcoholism in Asian populations. The association of ALDH2 and ADH2 with the development of alcoholism was found to be independent of each other and has been replicated in different Asian populations, while the effect of ADH3 is less studied.

We genotyped the alcohol metabolism genes among Han men with alcohol dependence (n=46) and their ethnically matched normal controls (n=63) in Taiwan. Multiple logistic regression was then applied to assess the contribution of ADH3 to alcoholism by controlling the effect of ALDH2 and ADH2.

The results of multivariate analyses demonstrated that the odds ratios for an increment of one allele of ADH2∗1, ADH3∗2 and ALDH2∗1 in the development of alcoholism were 4.18, 3.82, and 6.89, respectively.

These findings clearly indicate that all three alcohol-metabolising genes contribute to susceptibility to alcoholism.

This study surveyed all residents in a hostel for homeless women. Demographic data, and information on past and present psychiatric and social morbidity and current and premorbid cognitive functioning were collected.

A four week prevalence study using: SCID–PD; a semi-structured interview; GHQ; SBS; Manchester Scale; MMSE; and NART; the data were analysed using SPSS.

The women originated from across the social spectrum and disruption of early family life was common. Fifty per cent had a ‘severe mental illness’ and most were not receiving drug treatment. High levels of active psychotic symptoms were present. Women with psychosis had suffered a greater intellectual decline from their premorbid levels of functioning than those without psychosis.

The study affirmed findings of earlier studies employing case-series methodology. Women with high levels of psychiatric morbidity and social dysfunction were being managed by care workers in a way that may promote stability rather than a drift into street-life.

The study was designed to investigate whether seasonal mood and behavioural changes are detectable prospectively in a non-clinical population in the way they have been reported in retrospective studies. The specificity of any seasonal fluctuation in affective state was also investigated by measuring anxiety as well as depression.

To measure seasonal fluctuations in affect and behaviour prospectively, 25 women were interviewed every month for one year using four scales (depression, anxiety, stress, and behavioural change). Retrospective accounts of mood and behaviour at the end of the year were collected with the Seasonal Pattern and Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ).

Seasonal depression peaked in winter as did atypical behaviour when measured either prospectively or retrospectively, but the difference between winter and summer was much more pronounced in the retrospective data. No seasonal effect was found for anxiety or psychosocial stressors.

The results obtained by retrospective techniques have limited reliability. In future, more prospective studies with unbiased, standardised instruments are recommended to measure seasonal variations in affect and behaviour.