Aim – To describe the rationale for introducing molecular genetic analyses to psychiatric epidemiology. This offers new possibilities for aetiological research on common mental disorders. Method – In addition to the traditional variables used in field surveys, it is now possible to include molecular genetic information. This is currently done by looking for allelic associations rather than by linkage analysis, and can be directed either at traits conferring susceptibility or at states. The purpose is to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) by examining candidate genes. An alternative strategy is genome scanning, which can identify genes by their chromosomal position with increasing resolution. Results – Some associations have already been reported in the literature, linking personality traits with particular alleles: extraversion or novelty-seeking with a polymorphism of the dopamine DRD4 receptor gene; and neuroticism with a polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene. Conclusions – These findings are of major interest, but cannot yet be looked upon as confirmed. What is significant for epidemiology is the opportunity to link behavioural and psychiatric variables with genes influencing biochemical and physiological processes in the brain, and to do so at the population level. For further allelic association studies, there are four principal requirements: valid measures of phenotypes; replication of findings across diverse populations; more candidate genes; and exploration of the interaction between genotype and environmental exposures from conception to late life. Through such research, psychiatric epidemiology can now investigate biopsychosocial phenomena.

Objective – Satisfaction's measurement with Mental Health Services in patients and their relatives. Design – Satisfaction scale administration to the patients who were treated in community-based psychiatric service from 1.1.1996 to 31.3.1996 and the relatives who were primarily involved in caring for the patient. Setting – The ASL Rome «C» community-based psychiatric service. Main outcome measures – Verona Service Satisfaction Scale-54, a multidimensional instrument which measure satisfaction with community-based psychiatric service. Results – Main results (301 scales for patients, 163 scales for relatives), pointed out for patients a higher satisfaction for the technical and interpersonal skills of psychiatrists and psychologists (score of specific items >4). Lowest scores of satisfaction were towards the appearance, comfort level and physical layout of the facility (score 2.95) and towards the response of the service to emergencies during the night, weekend and Bank Holidays (score 2.87). Relatives were not particulary keen for the item regarding help to find open employement (score 2.76). Furthermore patients and their relatives gave a negative evaluation of the publicity and information offered by Mental Health Services. Dimensions's analysis reachs the same conclusions deduced items's average score. The result of this study emphasizes the patients higher degree of satisfaction than the relatives. Conclusions – The above results point out three aspects to be improved by the Menthal Health Service in order to satisfy the demands of the patients and relatives: 1. appearance, comfort level and physical layout of the facility, 2. publicity and information, 3. social actives and social skills.

Objective The purpose of this study is the systematic analysis of operators' points of view about psychotherapies concretely performed in the Public Psychiatric Public Services and inside the global operating mode of the assistance. Setting – The study has involved 26 CPS selected randomly in Lombardia. The sample has been built with 73 psychiatrists and 42 psychologists. Main outcome measures – All the therapeutists involved in this research have been submitted to a question-form querying socio-anagraphic data, professional training, orientations, operating modes in their CPS, rules and objectives of their psycotherapies, observations and evaluations about psychoterapic treatments and their effects. Results and conclusions: Psychiatrists and psycologists working in CPS, mostly the younger ones (less than 45 years old), followed a personal training in over the 70% of the cases. The prevalent orientation is the psycoanalityc one in both the categories. The most part of therapeutists deems that there has been an evolution in their way of conceiving psychiatry inside the public service. The lines at these evolutions have been mentioned explicitly in the article. Psychiatrists and psycologists, even with some concrete differences, seems to have mostly homogeneous points of view: psychiatrists have a more flexible vision of which practices can be considered as a psychotherapy, whereas psycologists are more rigorously linked to theoric reference models and to rules learnt during their training. They are both slightly favourable to the use of psychotherapies in their services, even if, as a matter of fact, they are used by just a few patients. No contrast between psycotherapy and psycopharmacology has been detected from operators' answers. These practices seem to be both considered useful and integrable.