Internet and Psychiatry

Steven Lippmann, M.D.

Brain imaging technology improves the practice of psychiatry by better detection and monitoring of neuropathology. Computerized tomography (CT) of the head is fast, widely available, and excellent in assessment of recent trauma cases, but it yields exposure to radiation. Thus, any neonatal and pediatric use is severely limited and recurrent exposure is not desirable. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is more precise and involves no radiation, but it is expensive and cannot be performed on people with certain implanted devices.

Amra Zalihic, M.D. Ph.D.

Depression occurs as an independent disease or as a complication of other diseases. In the latter case, it complicates the existing disease and its treatment is difficult. We have excellent family physicians in my town and in my country. However, only few of them dare to treat depression in primary practice. May be, family physicians fear to treat depression, may be they do not have enough time (family physicians have to see more than 40 patients every day), or may be, they just forget to treat depression because they try to solve all medical problems.

Said Shahtahmasebi, Ph.D.

Environmental changes including global warming over recent decades have stressed the reality that the earth’s resources are not infinite. Depleting resources has given additional importance to the idea of ‘sustainability’. To slow down global change world leaders have met and decided on targets and actions. We have seen sustainable housing, sustainable farming, and sustainable energy and so on. I guess the idea is that designing houses that run on renewable energy uses less power from the national grid thus leading to saving of resources.

Leo Sher, M.D.

Suicidal behavior among war veterans may frequently be related to depression and/or PTSD (1-5). The risk of suicide attempts among the PTSD population is six times greater than in the general population (2) and even higher among treatment seeking war veterans with PTSD (3). Several years ago, I proposed that some or all individuals diagnosed with comorbid PTSD and MDD have a separate psychobiological condition that can be termed "posttraumatic mood disorder" (PTMD) (4,5). This idea was based on the fact that a significant number of studies suggested that patients suffering from comorbid PTSD and MDD differed clinically and biologically from individuals with PTSD alone or MDD alone.

“I am constantly amazed by man’s inhumanity to man”
Primo Levi (1919-1987)

War can be defined as a state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations. About 30 armed conflicts are occurring now around the globe involving more than 25 countries (1). The majority of war-related violence is non-fatal and results in a variety of physical and mental health problems (2) (3) (4) (5) (6).

Masahito Fushimi, M.D., Ph.D.

Escalating sharply in 1998, the suicide rate in Japan increased steadily during the 1990s and has remained high ever since. Presently, Japan has one of the highest suicide rates among developed countries (1). To address this grave situation, the Japanese government announced its resolve to tackle the rise in suicides and launched a nationwide strategy for suicide prevention. Furthermore, the Japanese government enacted a suicide prevention law in 2006. Akita Prefecture is located within Japan's Tohoku region in the northern part of Honshu Island. Generally, the Tohoku region has a relatively higher suicide rate than other parts of the country.