Anxiety commonly accompanies serious illness. However, in some patients anxiety is the primary manifestation of illness. Diagnostic criteria for these "primary" anxiety disorders have been redefined in the most recent revision of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. We discuss these new diagnostic categories; review the theoretical basis for the psychodynamic, behavioral, and physiologic manifestations of each of these disorders; and critically examine the treatments offered for each.

Anxiety Disorders↗

PubMed1983

Normal and pathological grief.

Physicians are often called on to care for patients and members of patients' families during the period of bereavement. The grief process serves a psychologically adaptive function and usually progresses in a predictable manner. Under certain unusual circumstances, however, the grieving process may become pathologically delayed or distorted, with serious consequences for the survivor's emotional and physical health. There are three phases of the normal grief process and particular guidelines for physician recognition and management of pathological grief reactions.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1975

Synergism between prolactin and ovarian hormones of DNA synthesis in rats mammary gland.

Autoradiography with [30H] thymedine has been used to measure the rate of DNA synthesis in the mammary epithelium of hypophysectomized-ovariectomized rats under the influence of estradiol, progesterone, and prolactin. Controls and animals treated with estradiol did not increase [3-H] thymidine incorporation, while progesterone alone had a slight stimulatory effect. Prolactin alone stimulated some [3-H] thymidine uptake in ductal and alveolar epithelium, but when combined with either estradiol or progesterone synergistic effects were observed. Estradiol with prolactin stimulated incorporation primarily in the ductal epithelium, whereas progesterone with prolactin stimulated both ductal and alveolar epithelium.

Animals↗