DSM-IV primary care version: an opportunity for general hospital and consultation-liaison psychiatrists?
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Algorithms↗
Biomedical subjects
H A Pincus
Publications and source records attributed to H A Pincus.
The relationship of postdoctoral research training to current research activities of faculty in academic departments of psychiatry.
OBJECTIVE: This report describes the postdoctoral research training of faculty in departments of psychiatry and relates research training characteristics to current involvement in research. METHOD: Data were taken from a survey of 3,107 doctoral-level faculty in departments of psychiatry at 116 U.S. medical schools. The survey instrument gathered information about faculty members' postdoctoral research training and current research activities and elicited recommendations for research training programs. RESULTS: Of the survey respondents, 34.8% had had some form of postdoctoral research training. Most of those had trained in medical schools or intramural programs of the National Institutes of Health and federal institutes on alcoholism, drug abuse, and mental health. Most funding came from the federal government. Postdoctoral research training was significantly related to greater current research involvement across all degree types--M.D., Ph.D., and M.D.-Ph.D. Length of training was related to level of research involvement for M.D.s and Ph.D.s but not M.D.-Ph.D.s. Although most researchers believed their training programs prepared them for independent research, a smaller proportion of M.D.s than M.D.-Ph.D.s or Ph.D.s responded affirmatively to that question. Researchers were more likely than nonresearchers to consider their training adequate. Respondents rated time with mentor, course work in statistics, and length of training as the most important training program features. Both research training and research activities were concentrated in a relatively few institutions. CONCLUSIONS: These data show the critical importance of both federal support of research training and postdoctoral research training for subsequent research involvement of psychiatric faculty.
Attitude of Health Personnel↗
Use of benzodiazepines in the community.
BACKGROUND: Although benzodiazepines are the most commonly prescribed psychotropic medications in the United States, considerable controversy surrounds their proper role in medical practice. METHODS: Data from the household section of the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey were analyzed to estimate the prevalence and general characteristics of adults who purchased benzodiazepines in 1987. RESULTS: An estimated 6.2% (10.9 million) of the adult population purchased benzodiazepines in 1987. In nearly half (47.0%) of the purchases, the use of benzodiazepines perceived by the patient did not correspond to a labeled or literature-supported unlabeled use. Multivariate analysis disclosed that benzodiazepine use was predicted by sociodemographic factors (white race, female gender, age older than 64 years, and unemployed work status), pharmacologic factors (use of an antidepressant), mental health factors (high levels of anxiety), and general health factors (poor general health, cardiac disease, arteriosclerosis, health-related work impairment, and trouble walking one block). CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that benzodiazepine use is less prevalent than previously reported and suggest that there has been a recent decline in use. A marked discrepancy exists between why people perceive they purchase benzodiazepines and the recognized uses of these medications.
Adolescent↗
Professional practice patterns of U.S. psychiatrists.
OBJECTIVE: The authors develop a classification of psychiatric practice based on primary and secondary work settings. METHOD: Data from the 1988-1989 APA Professional Activities Survey were used to characterize seven practice groups: public psychiatrists, public psychiatrists with private secondary work settings, private psychiatric/general hospital psychiatrists, private office practice psychiatrists, private office practice psychiatrists with secondary private psychiatric/general hospital work settings, private office practice psychiatrists with secondary settings other than private hospitals, and psychiatrists in private organized outpatient settings. Psychiatrists primarily in government administrative agencies, medical schools, or nursing homes were among those excluded. Usable data were available from 16,135 psychiatrists (82.8% of the target respondents). RESULTS: The largest groups were private psychiatric/general hospital psychiatrists (19.6%), private office practice psychiatrists with secondary settings other than private hospitals (18.9%), and private office practice psychiatrists with secondary private psychiatric/general hospital work settings (17.4%), followed by public psychiatrists with private secondary work settings (14.5%), private office practice psychiatrists (11.7%), public psychiatrists (11.4%), and psychiatrists in private organized outpatient settings (6.6%). During a typical week, the practice groups varied in the average proportion of their outpatients who received assessments, therapy and medication, therapy and no medication, and medication management. The groups also varied in the mean number of patients they treated each month with affective disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and other disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Only about one in 10 clinical psychiatrists is engaged exclusively in office-based private practice, and approximately half of the outpatients treated by the average psychiatrist receive medication. Work setting appears to exert a powerful influence over whom psychiatrists treat and what services they provide. Because a majority of psychiatrists work in more than one setting, most psychiatrists serve a broad range of patients and provide a variety of treatments.
Age Factors↗
Sex differences in psychiatrists' practice patterns and incomes.
OBJECTIVE AND METHOD: Using data from the APA's 1988-1989 Professional Activities Survey, the authors compared male and female psychiatrists on demographic characteristics, training, practice patterns, and income. RESULTS: In keeping with previous studies' findings, female respondents on the average were younger than male respondents and more likely to have taken a residency or fellowship in child or adolescent psychiatry, worked fewer hours per week, allocated their working hours differently among types of activities, saw fewer patients per week, and worked in somewhat different settings. Multiple regression analysis showed that women had significantly lower mean net annual income than men after the effects of those predictors were statistically controlled. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in age, training, hours worked in specific settings, and numbers of patients do not completely account for the gender gap in psychiatrists' annual incomes.
Adolescent Psychiatry↗
Pharmacotherapy in outpatient psychiatric practice.
OBJECTIVE: This article examines some of the factors that influence the extent to which psychiatrists provide pharmacotherapy to their outpatients. METHOD: Data from the 1988-1989 APA Professional Activities Survey are used to define the characteristics of psychiatrists who prescribe medications to a high, medium, and low proportion of their outpatients in treatment. Outpatient assessments, evaluations, or consultations were excluded from this analysis. Correlations between psychiatric practice characteristics and rates of pharmacotherapy are examined. RESULTS: One-third of psychiatrists prescribed medications to less than 46.7% of their outpatients, one-third prescribed medications to between 46.7% and 84.6%, and one-third prescribed medications to over 84.6% of their outpatients. The psychiatrists in the last group included a proportionately higher number of young psychiatrists, men, nonwhites, those without psychoanalytic or child psychiatry training, those with larger caseloads, and those who worked in the public sector. These psychiatrists also treated a disproportionately large number of patients with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. In a multivariate model, clinical, practice, and educational variables, but not demographic variables, were found to correlate with the extent of pharmacotherapy provided. CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatrists vary widely in the extent to which they are involved in prescribing psychotropic medications. The diagnostic composition of their caseload, their work setting, and their educational background, but not their demographic characteristics, appear to influence the extent of their involvement.
Adult↗
Outpatient psychotherapy in the United States, I: Volume, costs, and user characteristics.
OBJECTIVE: This article provides an overview of the volume, composition, and costs of outpatient psychotherapy in the United States. METHOD: Data were analyzed from the household section of the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey. The authors determined the volume and distribution of psychotherapy visits by provider specialty, setting, source of expenditure, and reason for visit. An examination was made of the demographic characteristics, health status, and mental health utilization profile of psychotherapy users. RESULTS: In 1987, Americans made 79.5 million outpatient psychotherapy visits at a total cost of $4.2 billion. Most of these visits were to mental health specialists (more than 80%) and were reported to be for the treatment of mental health conditions (63.5%). However, psychotherapy was not provided in a substantial proportion of the visits to mental health specialists (21.1%) or the visits to treat mental conditions (29.8%). Separated and divorced persons, females, whites persons aged 35 to 49 years, and those with more than 15 years of education had a greater likelihood of using psychotherapy. Psychotherapy use was also greater among persons in poor general health and those reporting health-related functional impairments. General medical costs of psychotherapy users exceeded those of nonusers. CONCLUSIONS: Psychotherapy accounts for approximately 8% of outpatient medical care costs. Users of psychotherapy appear to be more distressed than is commonly assumed: they report poorer general health, higher general medical costs, and more functional impairment than nonusers. Although mental health specialists commonly provide psychotherapy to treat mental disorders, all mental health care is not psychotherapy.
Adolescent↗
Outpatient psychotherapy in the United States, II: Patterns of utilization.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to characterize the use of psychotherapy based on episode duration. METHOD: Data were analyzed from the household section of the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey. The authors determined the demographic characteristics, provider and reason for visit distribution, mental and physical health status, and expenditures associated with very short-term (one to two sessions), short-term (three to 10 sessions), intermediate-term (11 to 20 sessions), and long-term (> 20 sessions) psychotherapy. RESULTS: Long-term psychotherapy accounted for 15.7% of psychotherapy users and 62.9% of total psychotherapy expenditures. Age above 65 years, black race, and less than 12 years of education decreased the likelihood of receiving long-term psychotherapy. Whereas long-term psychotherapy episodes tended to be provided by the specialty sector (65.7%) for specific mental conditions (53.8%), very short-term episodes were predominantly provided by the general medical sector (72.2%) for general medical or unspecified conditions (68.3%). Psychotropic medication use and, to less extent, psychiatric hospitalization tended to be more common among longer- as opposed to shorter-term users. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term and short-term psychotherapy tend to be provided by different health care professionals for the treatment of different types of health conditions. To help ensure the future of third-party payment for long-term psychotherapy, research is needed to better define the conditions under which long-term psychotherapy achieves benefits that equal or surpass those of other medical services or procedures of similar cost.
Adolescent↗
DSM-IV in progress. Changes in substance-related, schizophrenic, and other primarily adult disorders.
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Adult↗
Changes in child and adolescent disorders, eating disorders, and the multiaxial system.
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Adolescent↗
Measuring outpatient mental health care in the United States.
A standard definition of outpatient mental health care does not now exist. Data from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey are used to examine how varying the definition influences utilization estimates. A broad definition of mental health care, which requires purchase of a psychotropic medication or a psychotherapy visit or a visit for a mental health condition, captures nearly seven times as many persons as a definition that requires a visit to a mental health specialist for a mental health condition and either purchase of a psychotropic medication or psychotherapy. Because estimates of mental health service use are highly sensitive to how treatment is defined, caution should be exercised in evaluating mental health utilization data.
Ambulatory Care↗
Research activities of full-time faculty in academic departments of psychiatry.
Using data collected by a 1989 American Psychiatric Association survey of full-time, salaried faculty in departments of psychiatry at US medical schools, we examined the number of faculty engaged in research, their levels of involvement in research, distribution, sources of funding, fields and topics studied, and training. Using a three-level measure of research involvement, we categorized 39.1% of the respondents as "researchers," 36% as "limited commitment researchers," and 25.1% as not involved in research. In a pattern similar to that observed for research funding in other studies, half of the researchers were concentrated in the top 15 of the 116 responding departments. Level of research involvement varied by degree type (joint-program MD/PhDs were most involved), sources of funding, fields, and topics. Among faculty with MDs, having had research experiences in medical school or postdoctoral research training was associated with a higher level of research involvement. The findings underscore the need to expand and improve postdoctoral research training--especially for MDs--and programs to recruit college and medical students into psychiatric research.
Faculty, Medical↗
Sex differences in rank attainment and research activities among academic psychiatrists.
Data from a survey distributed to all full-time faculty in academic departments of psychiatry were used to examine possible sex differences in research activities and rank attainment among psychiatrists. A total of 1923 psychiatrists responded, 1564 men (81.3%) and 359 women (18.7%). Continuous dependent variables were analyzed by using analyses of covariance with the year graduated from medical school as a covariate. For categorical dependent variables, the sample was divided into four 10-year cohorts based on the year graduated from medical school, and differences between men and women were analyzed with chi 2 tests. Over the entire sample, men were more likely than women to have had research training, to have ever been principal investigators on peer-reviewed grants, to mentor research trainees, to be currently involved in research activities, and to meet defined criteria as a "researcher." Many gender differences remained significant after controlling for seniority and research training. In every cohort, the men had attained higher academic rank than the women. In general, differences in research activity and productivity were most marked in the youngest cohort. To ensure a rich talent pool for psychiatric research, efforts must be made to recruit and support researchers from among the increased number of women in psychiatry.
Age Distribution↗
The classification of panic disorders: from Freud to DSM-IV.
The authors trace the history of the classification of anxiety disorders, beginning with a detailed discussion of Freud's work on anxiety-neurosis as a basis for subsequent work. They discuss how anxiety disorders were described in DSM-I and DSM-II where Freud's concept of the anxiety neurosis was used as a major organizing principle. The revolutionary change in DSM-III is described in which the term and organizing principle of neurosis was dropped. The controversies that have arisen as a result of changes in DSM-III-R are discussed, particularly as they relate to compatibility with the International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) and especially with respect to the relationship and priority of panic and agoraphobia. Finally the authors discuss the process by which decisions will be made in DSM-IV where changes will be based on systematic reviews of empirical evidence whenever possible.
Anxiety Disorders↗
Trends in research in two general psychiatric journals in 1969-1990: research on research.
OBJECTIVE: The authors describe the characteristics of psychiatric research over the past two decades as captured in the articles published by two general psychiatric journals. METHOD: A total of 1,236 articles were drawn from The American Journal of Psychiatry and Archives of General Psychiatry for October through September 1969-1970, 1979-1980, and 1989-1990. Articles were assigned to one of five categories. Research articles were then further categorized as to methodological approach and field of research as well as specific topic areas. Funding sources listed for each research article were also indexed. RESULTS: Over time and in both journals, the percentage and number of research articles have risen, with a concomitant reduction in case reports, opinion papers, and "other" articles. Categories of research design were fairly consistent across time and in both journals. Percentages of articles on specific fields and topics indicated an increasing emphasis on biological studies, especially those in clinical psychobiology, as well as a sharp move away from general categories to a more disorder-specific orientation. Reporting of funding sources has substantially increased. CONCLUSIONS: The large proportion of research articles published in these two important general psychiatric journals reflects editorial policies, changing audience expectations, and the availability of new research tools. Systematic analysis of trends in psychiatric research and other forms of research on research can be useful approaches to assessing the growth and utilization of knowledge in the field, to planning how to most effectively use limited research resources, and to increasing public support for research.
Humans↗
The roles of psychiatrists in organized outpatient mental health settings.
OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the clinical roles of psychiatrists in U.S. organized outpatient mental health settings. METHOD: Data were analyzed from the 1986 National Institute of Mental Health Client/Patient Sample Survey. The authors determined the range, volume, and content of services provided to established outpatients treated by psychiatrists at six types of mental health organizations: state and county mental hospital clinics, general hospital mental health clinics, private psychiatric hospital clinics, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical center mental health clinics, free-standing mental health clinics, and multiservice mental health organizations. RESULTS: The psychiatrists treated nearly one-half (48.2%) of the established outpatients in organized settings, more than any other discipline. Most of the psychiatrists' patients (68.3%) were also treated by other mental health professionals. Psychiatrists treated a greater proportion of the patients at hospital-based clinics (60.7%) than at clinics without hospital affiliations (43.6%). They also treated larger proportions of the patients with schizophrenia (77.9%), affective disorders (50.6%), or anxiety disorders (59.2%) than those with adjustment disorders (23.7%), substance use disorders (34.3%), or childhood mental disorders (29.5%). The patients treated by psychiatrists commonly received psychotropic medications (77.3%) and individual therapy (66.3%) but less commonly received group (20.7%), skills (11.9%), or family (5.9%) therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In organized outpatient settings, psychiatrists typically work with other mental health professionals to treat a select group of severely ill patients. However, there is considerable variation in the extent to which different types of mental health organizations rely on psychiatrists to provide clinical care.
Adolescent↗
Changes in mood, anxiety, and personality disorders.
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Anxiety Disorders↗