Changes in the character of medical authorship.

To compare the impact of industry-linked and non-industry linked articles.

We compared articles on sertraline being coordinated by a medical writing agency with articles not coordinated in this way. We calculated numbers of Medline-listed articles per author, journal impactfactors, literature profiles and citation rates of both sets of articles.

Non-agency-linked articles on sertraline had an average of 2.95 authors per article, a mean length of 3.4 pages, a mean Medline listing of 37 articles per author (95% CI 27–47) and a mean literature profile of 283 per article (95% CI 130–435). Agency-linked articles on sertraline had an average of 6.6 authors per article, a mean length of 10.7 pages, a mean Medline listing of 70 articles per author (95% CI 62–79) and a mean literature profile of 1839 per article (95% CI 1076-2602). The citation rate for agency articles was 20.2 (95% CI 13.4–27.0) and for non-agency articles it was 3.7 (95% CI 3.3–8.1).

The literature profiles and citation rates of industry-linked and non-industry-linked articles differ. The emerging style of authorship in industry-linked articles can deliver good-quality articles, but it raises concerns for the scientific base of therapeutics.

Velo-cardio-facial syndrome (VCFS) is associated with interstitial deletions of chromosome 22q11. About 30% of patients with VCFS have psychosis, and the rate of these deletions in schizophrenia has been reported to be about 1%. Even higher rates of VCFS deletions have been reported for childhood-onset schizophrenia.

To test the hypothesis that there is an increased rate of VCFS among patients with early-onset psychosis (age at onset < 18 years). We screened 192 early-onset patients and 329 patients with adult-onset schizophrenia.

We genotyped the patients and 444 healthy controls for hemizygosity of five microsatellite markers and one single nucleotide polymorphism that map to the 22q11-deleted region.

One patient had a VCFS deletion, confirmed with semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. None of the controls showed a pattern of genotypes consistent with hemizygosity.

VCFS may be less frequent among patients with psychosis than previously suggested; this rate is not increased among early-onset patients.

Understanding of the impact of depressive and anxiety disorders on functional health status in the context of chronic medical illness has been gained almost exclusively from the study of patient populations.

To compare the impact of major depressive and generalised anxiety disorder with that of chronic medical conditions on functional health in a UK resident population.

The functional health of 20 921 study participants was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 questionnaire. Depressive and anxiety disorder episode histories and chronic medical conditions were assessed using independent self-completed questionnaires.

The degree of physical functional impairment associated with mood disorders was of equivalent magnitude to that associated with the presence of chronic medical conditions or with being some 12 years older.

Depressive and anxiety disorders have a profound impact on functional health that is independent of chronic medical illness. Chronic anxiety is associated with physical health limitations in excess of those associated with chronic depression or any of the physical health conditions considered, except for stroke.

The tragic events of 11 September 2001 and televised scenes of the terrorists' homicidal and suicidal acts could have had an impact on the behaviour of some people, who harbour suicidal ideation or homicidal tendencies.

To assess the effect of 11 September 2001 on the rate of suicide and homicide in England and Wales.

Analysis of the number of suicides (ICD–9 codes: E950–E959), undetermined injury deaths (E980–E989) and homicides (E960–E969) in England and Wales in the 12 weeks before and after 11 September 2001 and during a similar period in the previous two years.

The number of suicides reported in the month of September 2001 was significantly lower than other months in the same year and any September of the previous 22 years in England and Wales. A suicide reduction in men, regardless of age, occurred in the week starting Tuesday 11 September 2001. A reduction in female suicide occurred during the four weeks following the attack. There was no evidence of a similar effect on homicide.

The tragic events of 11 September 2001 appear to have had a brief but significant inverse effect on suicide. The finding of this study supports Durkheim's theory that periods of external threat create group integration within society and lower the suicide rate through the impact on social cohesion.

Accumulating evidence suggests that early-onset schizophrenia arises from a disturbance in the normal trajectory of cerebral development.

To investigate brain structure, asymmetry and IQ in early-onset schizophrenia.

Volumes of left and right cerebral hemispheres and IQ were assessed in 33 participants with early-onset DSM – IV schizophrenia and 30 members of a matched, normal control group.

Total brain volume was significantly smaller in the group with early-onset disease (‘cases’) relative to the control group (4.5%), especially for the left hemisphere in males (6.0%). A significant sex x diagnosis interaction in hemisphere asymmetry revealed that the female cases group had significantly reduced rightward asymmetry relative to the female control group and that the male cases tended to have reduced leftward asymmetry relative to the male control group. Decreased left hemisphere volume in males and decreased rightward hemispheric asymmetry in females correlated with reduced IQ.

Sexually dimorphic alterations in asymmetry correlate with degree of intellectual impairment in early-onset schizophrenia.

The cost of depression in the UK was estimated at £33.5 billion almost: adecade ago. The shift to community-based management for depression alongside the availability of more accurate data have allowed these estimates to be revised.

To calculate the total cost of depression in adults in England during 2000.

Recorded data on health service use by patients with depression were analysed and the cost of treating patients was calculated. The cost of working life lost was estimated from sickness benefit claims and the number of registered deaths of patients with depression.

The total cost of adult depression was estimated at over £9 billion, of which £370 million represents direct treatment costs. There were 109.7 million working days lost and 2615 deaths due to depression in 2000.

Despite awareness campaigns and the availability of effective treatments, depression remains a considerable burden on both society and the individual, especially in terms of incapacity to work.

People with psychosis have an elevated risk of violence.

To examine whether violent behaviour in adults with psychosis can be accounted for by psychotic symptoms or physical aggression in childhood.

We used data from a prospective longitudinal study of a complete birth cohort born in New Zealand. When cohort members were 26 years old, information was obtained on past-year psychiatric diagnosis of schizophreniform disorder and on violent behaviour. Childhood psychotic symptoms were measured at age 11 years using a diagnostic interview, and childhood physical aggression was assessed by teachers when cohort members were aged 7, 9 and 11 years.

Participants with schizophreniform disorder were more likely to be violent than participants without, even after controlling for sociodemographic variables and concurrent substance dependence disorders. Childhood psychotic symptoms were a strong risk factor for violence in adults with schizophreniform disorder, as was childhood physical aggression, allthough to a lesser extent.

Violence by individuals with schizophreniform disorder could be prevented by monitoring early signs of psychotic symptoms and by controlling childhood physical aggression.

Meta-analyses of hippocampal size have indicated that this structure is smaller in schizophrenia. This could reflect a reduction in the size of constituent neurons or a reduced number of neurons.

To measure the size of hippocampal pyramidal neurons in the brains of people with and without schizophrenia.

Pyramidal neuron size in hippocampal subfields was estimated stereologically from sections taken at 5 mm intervals throughout the whole length of right and left hippocampi from the brains of 13 people with schizophrenia and 16 controls. Results were assessed using repeated-measures analysis of covariance looking for a main effect of diagnosis and gender, and interactions of these with side.

We were unable to detect significant differences related to diagnosis, gender or side for any hippocampal subfield for this series of cases.

For this series of brains, hippocampal cell size is unchanged in schizophrenia.

There is controversy about whether late-onset schizophrenia is a precursor of cognitive decline.

To examine the long-term outcome of a group of patients with late-onset schizophrenia.

Patients with onset of DSM–III–R schizophrenia at age 50 years or over, but without dementia, and a healthy control group were assessed at baseline (n=27 and n=34, respectively), after 1 year and after 5 years (n=19 and n=24, respectively) on measures of psychopathology, cognition and general functioning, and compared on rates of decline and incidence of dementia.

Nine patients with late-onset schizophrenia and none of the control group were found to have dementia (5 Alzheimer type, 1 vascular, 3 dementia of unknown type) at 5-year follow-up. There appeared to be a subgroup of late-onset schizophrenia patients without signs of dementia at baseline or at 1 year follow-up who subsequently declined.

Late-onset schizophrenia may be a prodrome of Alzheimer-type dementia. More longitudinal studies are required to determine its nosological status.

Improved management of mental illness and substance misuse comorbidity is a National Health Service priority, but little is known about its prevalence and current management.

To measure the prevalence of comorbidity among patients of community mental health teams (CMHTs) and substance misuse services, and to assess the potential for joint management.

Cross-sectional prevalence survey in four urban UK centres.

Of CMHT patients, 44% (95% CI 38.1-49.9) reported past-year problem drug use and/or harmful alcohol use; 75% (95% CI 68.2-80.2) of drug service and 85% of alcohol service patients (95% CI 74.2-931) had a past-year psychiatric disorder. Most comorbidity patients appear ineligible for cross-referral between services. Large proportions are not identified by services and receive no specialist intervention.

Comorbidity is highly prevalent in CMHT, drug and alcohol treatment populations, but may be difficult to manage by cross-referral psychiatric and substance misuse services as currently configured and resourced.

Despite the burden of depression, there remain few data on its economic consequences in an international context.

To explore the relationship between depression status (with and without medical comorbidity), work loss and health care costs, using cross-sectional data from a multi-national study of depression in primarycare.

Primarycare attendees were screened for depression. Those meeting eligibility criteria were categorised according to DSM – IV criteria for major depressive disorder and comorbid status. Unit costs were attached to self-reported days absent from work and uptake of health care services.

Medical comorbidity was associated with a 17–46% increase in health care costs in five of the six sites, but a clear positive association between costs and clinical depression status was identified in only one site.

The economic consequences of depression are influenced to a greater (and considerable) extent by the presence of medical comorbidity than by symptom severity alone.

The National Confidential Inquiry into suicides in England and Wales found that a quarter of suicides are preceded by mental health service contact in the year before death. However, visits to accident and emergency departments due to self-harm may not lead to a record of mental health service contact.

To determine the proportion of suicides preceded by accident and emergency attendance in the previous year.

We obtained the list of probable suicides in Leeds for a 38-month period, and examined the records from thecity's accident and emergency departments for a year before each death.

Eighty-five (39%) of the 219 people who later died by suicide had attended an accident and emergency department in the year before death, 15% because of non-fatal self-harm. Final visits dueto self-harm were often shortly before suicide (median 38 days), but the National Confidential Inquiry recorded about a fifth of them as‘not in contact’ with local mental health services.

Although many suicides are preceded by recent attendance at accident and emergency departments due to non-fatal self-harm, local mental health service records may show no recent contact. Suicide prevention might be enhanced were accident and emergency departments and mental health services to work together more closely.

The levels and experiences of harassment of people with mental health problems in the community compared with those of the general population have not been explored.

To measure the levels and experience of harassment experienced by people with mental health problems in the community in Scotland and compare them with the general population.

Experiences of harassment were collected by interviewing 165 individuals with mental health problems and a control group of 165 people from the general population.

Harassment in the community was found to be twice as common for individuals with mental health problems (41%) than for those in the general population (15%). The harassment commonly involved verbal abuse referring to the individual's mental health problems and was committed primarily by teenagers and neighbours.

Harassment has a significantly higher prevalence among individuals with mental health problems living in the community and is believed to have a detrimental effect on mental health.

Child and adolescent inpatient care is a highly specialised service, ideally requiring planning at a national level, but there are no routine data collections specifically for these services.

To estimate unit costs for child and adolescent psychiatric in-patient units and to analyse the variations in costs between units.

Data collection alongside a national survey with cost estimations guided by principles drawn from economic theory. Bivariate and multivariate analyses are employed to identify cost influences.

Fifty-eight units could provide sufficient data to allow calculation of the cost per in-patient day; mean=$197 (s.d.=71.6; 1999–2000 prices). The management sector, type of provision, number of rooms, capacity and location explained nearly half of the cost variation.

Child and adolescent psychiatric in-patient units are an expensive resource, with personnel absorbing two-thirds of the total costs. Costs per in-patient day vary fourfold and the exploration of cost variations can inform commissioning strategies.

Self-injury is a neglected area of self-harm research and we know little about its epidemiology, hospital care and outcome.

To provide epidemiological data on self-injury and compare hospital management of self-injury with that for self-poisoning.

Data were collected on all self-harm attendances to the general hospitals in Leeds over an 18-month period.

People attending hospital for self-injury or self-poisoning do not form mutually exclusive groups. There were higher proportions of self-injury episodes compared with self-poisoning, where a history of self-harm or contact with mental health services had been recorded. Fewer psychosocial assessments were carried out after episodes of self-injury compared with self-poisoning but, when they were, follow-up was recommended more often.

The clinical importance of self-injury is not mirrored by the level of psychosocial assessment and after-care provided.

Wartime traumatic events are related to subsequent psychological and physical health, but quantifying the association is problematic. Memory changes over time and is influenced by psychological status.

To use a large, two-stage cohort study of members of the UK armed forces to study changes in recall of both traumatic and ‘toxic’ hazards.

A questionnaire-based follow-up study assessed 2370 UK military personnel, repeating earlier questions about exposure to military hazards.

The κ statistics for reporting of hazards were good for some exposures, but very low for others. Gulf veterans reported more exposures over time (no significant rise in the Bosnia cohort). In the Gulf cohort only, reporting new exposures was associated with worsening health perception, and forgetting previously reported exposures with improved perception. We found no association between physical health, psychological morbidity or post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and endorsement or non-endorsement of exposures.

Reporting of military hazards after a conflict is not static, and is associated with current self-rated perception of health. Self-report of exposures associated with media publicity needs to be treated with caution.

Assertive outreach teams have been introduced in the UK, based on the assertive community treatment (ACT) model. It is unclear how models of community care translate from one culture to another or the degree of adaptation that may result.

To characterise London assertive outreach teams and determine whether there are distinct groups within them.

Semi-structured interviews with team managers plus one month's prospective process of care data collection were used to test for ‘model fidelity'to ACT and, by cluster analysis, to identify groupings.

Fidelity varied widely, with four teams (out of 24 studied) rated ‘high fidelity’ and three teams rated ‘low fidelity’ by US standards and 17 rated ‘ACT-like’. Three clusters were identified, with voluntary sector teams being the most distinct group.

There is wide variation in the practice of assertive outreach in London. The role of the voluntary sector requires increased attention. Heterogeneity in practice is a clinical challenge but a research opportunity in distinguishing effective from redundant components of the approach.

Comorbid substance misuse in people with schizophrenia is associated with poor clinical and social outcomes. There are few studies of psychological treatments for this population and little long-term follow-up of their benefits.

To investigate symptom, substance use, functioning and health economy outcomes for patients with schizophrenia and their carers 18 months after a cognitive–behavioural treatment (CBT) programme.

Patients with dual diagnosis from a randomised controlled trial of motivational intervention, individual CBT and family intervention were assessed on multiple outcomes at 18-month follow-up. Carers were assessed on symptom, functioning and needs over 12 months. Health economy data were collected over 18 months.

There were significant improvements in patient functioning compared with routine care over 18 months. No significant differences between treatment groups were found in carer or cost outcomes.

The treatment programme was superior to routine care on outcomes relating to illness and service use, and the cost was comparable to the control treatment.

The job satisfaction, burn-out and work experiences of assertive outreach team staff are likely to be important to the model's sustainability.

To describe self-reported views and workexperiences of staff in London's 24 assertive outreach teams and to compare these with staff in community mental health teams (CMHTs) and between different types of assertive outreach team.

Confidential staff questionnaires in London's assertive outreach teams (n=l87, response rate= 89%) and nine randomly selected CMHTs (n=114, response rate=75%).

Staff in assertive outreach teams and CMHTs were moderately satisfied with their jobs, with similar sources of satisfaction and stress. Mean scores were low or average for all sub-scales of the Maslach Burnout Inventory for the assertive outreach team and the CMHT staff, with some differences suggesting less burn-out in the assertive outreach teams. Nine of the 24 assertive outreach teams had team means in the high range for emotional exhaustion and there were significant differences between types of assertive outreach team in some components of burn-out and satisfaction.

These findings are encouraging, but repeated investigation is needed when assertive outreach teams have been established for longer.

This paper is part of a project to identify the proportion of the burden of each mental disorder averted by current and optimal interventions, and the cost-effectiveness of both.

To use epidemiological data on schizophrenia to model the cost-effectiveness of current and optimal treatment.

Calculate the burden of schizophrenia in the years lived with disability (YLD) component of disability-adjusted life-years lost, the proportion averted by current interventions, the proportion that could be averted by optimal treatment and the cost-effectiveness of both.

Current interventions avert some 13% of the burden, whereas 22% could be averted by optimal treatment. Current interventions cost about AUS$200 000 per YLD averted, whereas optimal treatment at a similar cost could increase the number of YLDs averted by two-thirds. Even so, the majority of the burden of schizophrenia remains unavertable.

Optimal treatment is affordable within the present budget and should be implemented.