Internet and Psychiatry

Kalmár S.
Private practice, Kecskemét, Hungary
Neuropsychopharmacol Hung. 2009 Dec;11(4):227-34.

Introduction: Disturbances of perception play a considerable role in depressed patients' symptoms. These symptoms are mostly secondary in the daily practice, however, the disturbances of perception of a mild degree lead to cognitive distortions, and they make the recognition of the depression significantly more difficult. Purpose: To review several systems of diagnostic criteria, five developed in Europe, ten in the area of the United Kingdom, five in the United States and five other diagnostic systems with respect to the kind of significance they ascribe to the disturbances of perception in the presence of the depression.

Demitrack MA, Thase ME.
Neuronetics, Inc.
Psychopharmacol Bull. 2009;42(2):5-38.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a novel treatment for patients with major depressive disorder. Although clearly safer and better tolerated than many other pharmacotherapeutic options or electroconvulsive therapy, questions have persisted about thbe magnitude of the efficacy of TMS in patients with pharmacoresistant depression, and the clinical significance of these outcomes. Previous studies have explored whether specific patient characteristics are associated with a greater likelihood of clinical benefit.

Corsentino EA, Collins N, Sachs-Ericsson N, Blazer DG.
Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2009 Dec;64(12):1283-9.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that regular attendance at religious functions is associated with less cognitive decline (CD). However, little research has investigated factors that may moderate the religious attendance-CD relationship. The present study examined the effects of gender and depressive symptoms on the relationship between religious attendance and CD.

Ellison CG, Flannelly KJ.
Department of Sociology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
J Nerv Ment Dis. 2009 Aug;197(8):568-73.

This study investigated the association between religious involvement and major depression in 607 African American adults, using longitudinal data from the National Survey of Black Americans. Logistic regression found that survey participants who reported receiving "a great deal" of guidance from religion in their day-to-day lives at Time 1 (1988-1989) were roughly half as likely (OR = 0.47, p < 0.01) to have major depression at Time 2 (1992), controlling for sociodemographic and psychological factors, and major depression at baseline.

Freeman MP.
Center for Women's Mental Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
J Clin Psychiatry. 2009;70 Suppl 5:7-11.

Patients with major depressive disorder have high rates of cardiovascular disease and other medical comorbidity. Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly those found in fish and seafood, have cardiovascular health benefits and may play an adjunctive role in the treatment of mood disorders. However, existing studies on omega-3 fatty acids in depression have limitations such as small sample sizes and a wide variance in study design, and results regarding efficacy are mixed. The preponderance of data from placebo-controlled treatment studies suggests that omega-3 fatty acids are a reasonable augmentation strategy for the treatment of major depressive disorder.

Wilbertz G, Brakemeier EL, Zobel I, Härter M, Schramm E.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Freiburg, Germany.
J Affect Disord. 2010 Jan 18.

BACKGROUND: The Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) by James McCullough is the first psychotherapeutical approach specifically designed for chronic depression. Whereas its efficacy has recently been studied, empirical investigations on the underlying etiopathological hypotheses are missing. McCullough postulates that chronically depressed patients - particularly those with early onset - think preoperationally. This term was coined by J. Piaget and includes egocentrism in the views of self and others and incapacity for authentic interpersonal empathy. In accordance, empirical studies indicate a deficit in theory of mind (ToM) in depressed individuals.