Though antidepressants are prescribed for people with varying degrees of depression, new research suggests that only people who suffer from severe depression are helped by the drugs. British scientists analyzed data from 35 clinical trials submitted to U.S. health regulators on antidepressants such as Prozac, Paxil, and Effexor. The researchers found that patients with mild or moderate depression received no better relief from antidepressants than they did with a placebo, while severely depressed patients were helped by the drugs. Join discussion...

A nationwide survey of the religious beliefs and practices of American physicians has found that the least religious of all medical specialties is psychiatry. Among psychiatrists who have a religion, more than twice as many are Jewish and far fewer are Protestant or Catholic, the two most common religions among physicians overall. The study, published in the September 2007 issue of Psychiatric Services, also found that religious physicians, especially Protestants, are less likely to refer patients to psychiatrists, and more likely to send them to members of the clergy or to a religious counselor. Join discussion...

Over the past decade, legislation and enforcement have contributed substantially to the increasing trends in the use of child safety seats and safety belts. This high prevalence of their use in the United States is considered a public health success. The 1996 USPSTF recommendation addressed primary care interventions to increase the use of these restraints. The current recommendation focuses on the independent role of primary care interventions to increase the proper use of child safety seats, booster seats, and lap-and-shoulder belts (that is, safety belts that include straps across both the lap and the shoulder) to prevent motor vehicle occupant injuries (MVOIs). This recommendation also addresses the effectiveness of primary care counseling to prevent alcohol-related MVOI in adolescents and adults Join discussion...

A Summary for Clinicians and Policymakers From the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Join discussion...

By the American Psychiatric Association. Join discussion...

This report provides guidance in the clinical approach to the evaluation of suspected physical abuse in children. The medical assessment is outlined with respect to obtaining a history, physical examination, and appropriate ancillary testing. The role of the physician may encompass reporting suspected abuse; assessing the consistency of the explanation, the child's developmental capabilities, and the characteristics of the injury or injuries; and coordination with other professionals to provide Join discussion...

The family assessment is one component of the comprehensive psychiatric assessment of the child or adolescent with a psychiatric disorder. This guideline reviews the basic principles in conducting a family interview that gathers history relevant to the child’s disorder and observes family interaction associated with the child’s disorder. It reviews basic information that must be covered in all evaluations and the information required in complex and specialized situations. The parameter emphas Join discussion...

Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure does not always lead to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS); sometimes it can lead to cognitive and behavioral deficits in the absence of craniofacial features needed to make an FAS diagnosis. A new study has found that children and adolescents prenatally exposed to alcohol have altered responses in frontal-striatal areas, brain regions that may inhibit behavior. Results are published in the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. Join discussion...

Our results suggest that brief interventions (PMI and BIA) that link alcohol consumption with trauma injury and consequences of drinking can be effective in reducing drinking and consequences related to drinking in a significant portion of at-risk nondependent drinkers. Join discussion...

Around 3-5% of adolescents are affected by clinical depression worldwide.1 2 3 4 Although specific data on depression are not available, an Australian survey found 26% of adolescents with mental disorders were treated in general or paediatric practice, while only 9% received care from specialist mental health services.3 Episodes of depression generally last about seven to nine months. Probability of relapse is 40% within two years and 70% after five years.5 Depression can be devastating to a yo Join discussion...