American Journal of Psychiatry

Volume 145, Issue 5

May 1988

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May 1988

Privatization of psychiatric services

Pages:543–553
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.543

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The authors provide an overview of privatization, a major trend in mental health policy, focusing in particular on the reasons for and consequences of substantial growth and change in ownership of private psychiatric hospitals; the proportion of all ...

May 1988

Lies and liars: psychiatric aspects of prevarication

Pages:554–562
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.554

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The authors discuss the phenomenon of lying, a common psychic process that has received remarkably little scrutiny. The ubiquity of lying and others forms of deception suggests that they have "normal" aspects, but lying which is persistent or destructive ...

May 1988

The idiot savant: a review of the syndrome

Pages:563–572
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.563

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Since it was first described a century ago, the phenomenon of the idiot savant--the juxtaposition of severe mental handicap and prodigious mental ability--has remained unexplained. The author defines the condition, reviews and summarizes the world ...

May 1988

Personality disorders in DSM-III and DSM-III-R: convergence, coverage, and internal consistency

Pages:573–577
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.573

Preview Abstract

Although many sections of DSM-III-R reflect few changes from DSM-III, the diagnostic criteria for the personality disorders involve more substantial revisions. This study examined the impact of DSM-III-R revisions in terms of convergence with DSM-III, the ...

May 1988

Deficit and nondeficit forms of schizophrenia: the concept

Pages:578–583
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.578

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The authors provide a rationale for distinguishing the primary, enduring negative symptoms of schizophrenia (termed "deficit symptoms") from the more transient negative symptoms secondary to other factors. They argue that the former are more likely to ...

May 1988

Neuropsychiatric, psychoeducational, and family characteristics of 14 juveniles condemned to death in the United States

Pages:584–589
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.584

Preview Abstract

Of the 37 juveniles currently condemned to death in the United States, all of the 14 incarcerated in four states received comprehensive psychiatric, neurological, neuropsychological, and educational evaluations. Nine had major neurological impairment, ...

May 1988

A pilot study of treatment of social phobia with alprazolam

Pages:590–594
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.590

Preview Abstract

Fourteen patients with DSM-III social phobia were treated with alprazolam in an open study. Multiple measures of symptoms and disability showed significant improvement. The symptoms improved during the first and second weeks, and disability improved at 3 ...

May 1988

Use of laboratory tests to monitor heavy drinking by alcoholic men discharged from a treatment program

Pages:595–599
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.595

Preview Abstract

Changes in blood test values from the time of discharge from an alcohol treatment program to 3-month follow-up were studied in two consecutive series of alcoholic men. The parallel combination of a percent increase in gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) of ...

May 1988

The psychiatrist as legal guardian

Pages:600–604
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.600

Preview Abstract

Most discussions about legal guardianship pertain to special populations, such as the mentally retarded or demented. Except for the case of refusal of antipsychotic medication, little has been written about using guardianship to authorize nonemergency ...

May 1988

Psychiatry and the criminal justice system: testing the myths

Pages:605–610
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.605

Preview Abstract

Several states are changing legislation and treatment programs for mentally ill offenders without knowing how current laws and programs operate. To address this problem the authors linked data from police records, court reports, and clinical files for 2,...

May 1988

Privatization: economic opportunity and public health

Pages:611–612
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.611

May 1988

Tardive dyskinesia in bipolar affective disorder: aging, cognitive dysfunction, course of illness, and exposure to neuroleptics and lithium

Pages:613–616
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.613

Preview Abstract

Cognitive function, course of illness, and medication history were assessed in 42 bipolar patients evaluated for the presence of involuntary movements. Among the 25 patients 55 years old or older, the 16 with involuntary movements were not distinguished ...

May 1988

Hypothalamic pathology in the neuroleptic malignant syndrome

Pages:617–620
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.617

Preview Abstract

The pathogenesis of the neuroleptic malignant syndrome is currently unclear, and no specific morphological abnormalities in the CNS of victims of neuroleptic malignant syndrome have been described. The authors report a case of neuroleptic malignant ...

May 1988

Subtle and underrecognized side effects of neuroleptic treatment in children with Tourette's disorder

Pages:621–624
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.621

Preview Abstract

A variety of side effects developed in children treated with neuroleptics for Tourette's disorder. Of 208 children, 34 manifested dose-related symptoms of dysphoria, nine experienced a worsening of symptoms of Tourette's disorder that was attributed to ...

May 1988

Alprazolam dependence in seven patients

Pages:625–627
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.625

Preview Abstract

The authors report on seven patients who met the DSM-III-R criteria for psychoactive substance (alprazolam) dependence. All had withdrawal symptoms, six demonstrated tolerance, and at least four had substantial social or occupational impairment secondary ...

May 1988

Menstrual cycle phase-related changes in appetite in patients with premenstrual syndrome and in control subjects

Pages:628–631
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.628

Preview Abstract

Menstrual cycle phase-dependent changes in appetite in women with premenstrual syndrome has not thus far been systematically demonstrated. In this study of 21 patients with premenstrual syndrome and 13 control subjects, there were significant increases in ...

May 1988

Anxiogenic effects of caffeine on panic and depressed patients

Pages:632–635
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.632

Preview Abstract

Caffeine increases anxiety in people with anxiety disorders. To determine whether caffeine exerts a similar effect in depression, the authors compared retrospective reports of caffeine intake and symptoms produced by caffeine ingestion in patients with ...

May 1988

Response to memory training and individual differences in verbal intelligence and state anxiety

Pages:636–639
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.145.5.636

Preview Abstract

Prior studies have documented the effectiveness of several types of memory training for the elderly with normal age-related memory losses. Despite these positive results, there is substantial variability of individual response to treatment. The authors ...