Cover Article
National Survey Sharpens Picture of Major Depression Among US Adults
The new analysis of data from the 2001-2002 National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcoholism and Related Conditions has shown for the first time that middle age, Native American ethnicity, female gender, low income, and separation, divorce, or widowhood increase the likelihood of current or lifetime major depressive disorder. Asian, Hispanic, and Black race/ethnicity reduce that risk. The findings were published in the October Archives of General Psychiatry.

Selected Articles

• Risky Adolescent Behavior Leads to Depression, Not Vice Versa
• Body Dysmorphia in Adolescents—More Than Just Poor Body Image

Cover Article
Better Depression Remission May Be Found in SSRIs
Paroxetine and sertraline, two selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, were superior to venlafaxine, a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, in achieving and maintaining remission in patients with depression, according to Suhayl J. Nasr, MD. The study, presented at the 158th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, was conducted to counter data from what Dr. Nasr believed were studies with follow-up periods too short to allow for typic al response such as relapse.

Selected Articles

• New Medications for Alcoholism Enter Clinical Trials
• Multiple Mutations May Explain Autism

Cover Article
Atypical Antipsychotics—First-Line Therapies for Bipolar Depression?
Atypical antipsychotics have begun to show potential in the acute treatment of depressive symptoms in patients with bipolar disorder, according to Keming Gao, PhD. Dr. Gao reported on the use of atypical antipsychotics in the treatment of bipolar disorder at the 158th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. The findings are significant, he asserted, because depression is now viewed as being more likely than mania to cause impairment in patients with bipolar disorder.

Selected Articles

• Adult ADHD—In the Office and on the Road
• Cognitive Dysfunction in Schizophrenia: Probing Pathophysiology and Pathogenesis

Cover Article
The Evolution of Neuropsychiatry
Although widespread disagreement persists regarding what the field of neuropsychiatry should encompass, the intertwining of brain and thought and of mind and body is central to any definition, according to Stuart C. Yudofsky, MD. “The focus is on prevention, assessment, and treatment of psychiatric illnesses and symptoms associated with brain lesions and dysfunctions," he said at the 158th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.”

Selected Articles

• Phase III Trials Demonstrate Modafinil Efficacy in ADHD
• Depression is Underdiagnosed in Heart Attack Patients, Associated With Adverse Outcomes

Cover Article
Taking Aim at Targeted Treatment of Depression
Despite the official sanction of a “one-effect-fits-all” approach for prescribing antidepressants, survey data of antidepressant drug selection by psychiatrists suggest that clinicians continue to choose an agent based on such factors as the patient’s symptoms or the drug’s “profile,” including its purported effectiveness. The reasons for this stark disconnect between evidence-based protocols and clinical practice were elaborated in two presentations at the 158th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.

Selected Articles

• Epidemiology of Mental Health—Initial Findings From the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Study
• Mortality Rates in Patients With Bipolar and Unipolar Disorders

Cover Article
Antipsychotic Use in Elderly Patients With Dementia Prompts New FDA Warning
The use of atypical antipsychotic medications for treating behavioral disorders in elderly patients with dementia is associated with increased mortality, primarily due to cardiac-related events, according to the FDA. Therefore, the agency has requested on all antipsychotic medications the inclusion of a black box warning describing this risk and noting that the drugs are not FDA-approved for the treatment of dementia.

Selected Articles

• Brain Changes Linked to Seizures, Anxiety During Menstruation
• Celebrity Advocates Discuss Depression Treatment, Counter Stigma of Depression

Cover Article
The Neuroanatomy of Personality
Advances in neuroimaging combined with innovative applications of established psychiatric tools—such as the Five-Factor Model of Personality—are enabling researchers to map the neuroanatomy of personality. Katherine P. Rankin, PhD, reported on the application of psychocartography to frontotemporal lobar degeneration at the 16th Annual Meeting of the American Neuropsychiatric Association in Bal Harbour, Florida.

Selected Articles

• Effective Alcohol Abuse Screening Means Asking the Right Questions
• Behavior and Psychology Are Important Factors in Headache Management

Cover Article
Should Apathy Be Included in the DSM-V?
The case for why apathy should be included as a stand-alone disorder in the next revision of the DSM was made at the 16th Annual Meeting of the American Neuropsychiatric Association, as was an elucidation of some of the hurdles such a decision would involve.

Selected Articles

• New Treatment Guidelines for Children With Bipolar Disorder
• Eye Contact May Trigger Threatening Signals in Brains of Autistic Children

Cover Article
Men and Women Achieve Intelligence Differently
Imaging evidence indicates that men and women who have equivalent IQ scores get to those levels of intelligence using different areas of their brains.

Selected Articles

• Antidepressants and Suicide Risk—Has the Relationship Been Overstated?
• Olfactory Receptor Cells May Provide Clues to Bipolar Disorder

Cover Article
How Effective Is Psychotherapy for Depression in Adolescents?
The two most common psychosocial treatments for adolescent depression—cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy—are discussed and evaluated.

Selected Articles

• Is ADHD a Separate Clinical Syndrome in Children With Pervasive Developmental Disorder?
• Schizophrenic Patients and Psychiatrists Have Divergent Goals