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The article presents a guideline from the American Psychiatric Association Practice for the treatment of Eating Disorders including improvement in quality of care and treatment outcomes; statistics of lifetime prevalence of eating disorders in the U.S.; and rating the strength of research evidence and recommendations are also discussed.

The article offers information on the American Psychiatric Association Practice guidelines focused on the pharmacological treatment of patients with alcohol use disorder. It states that focus of the guideline is to improve the quality of care and treatment outcomes for alcohol use disorder (AUD) disorder. It mentions that the guideline is focused on evidence-based pharmacological treatments for AUD.

The article discusses the use of antipsychotics to treat and improve the care of patients with dementia. Topics mentioned include the medical care settings for the individuals exhibiting agitation or psychosis, the efficacy of antipsychotic medication in individuals with dementia and the clinical presentation of antipsychotic medication.

Several case of psychic patients are presented. One of the cases is of a 36-year-old woman, who had been in agony since the death of her 18-year-old daughter from acute leukemia. Another case of a 40-year-old woman who had been variously diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia nervosa, binge-eating/purging type, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder and major depressive disorder with psychotic features.

The author reflects on the standards used for psychiatric investigation in the methods of reliability. It states that the commonly used method for analysis, the kappa statistic, is not known to most clinicians. It mentions that in situations of actual treatment, future tests must be considered in terms of clinical utility, reliability, and practicality in the application of new criteria even outside medical centers.

The article reflects on the resident work-hour regulation on Psychiatry, and its effects. According to the author, the regulation came after the death of Libby Zion. It was said that Zion's death has been contributed by overworked and inadequately supervised residents. It was said that based on a research, the consensus of the respondents was that the regulation has had a positive effect on the well being of psychiatric residents.

Focuses on the impact of the computer technology on psychiatry. Emergence of web-based groups for patients with psychiatric disorders; Utilization of computer-based education for autistic children; Limitations of the computer technology.

Demonstrates the use of herbal alternative medicine compounds by psychiatric patients. Hazardous interaction of valerian root with fluoxetine; Difficulties in determining the helpfulness of St. John's Wort in panic disorder; Patient-staff interactions involving alternative therapies.

Determines the relation between the rates of childhood sexual, physical, psychological and multiple abuse and bulimia nervosa. Higher level of childhood physical, psychological, physical and multiple abuse among women suffering from bulimia nervosa; Sexual abuse's effect noticeable only when combined with other forms of abuse; Importance of examining the full range of possible abuse.

Presents a guideline developed by the American Psychiatric Association for practice which addresses anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. DSM III-R criteria; Epidemiology and characteristics of eating disorders; Treatment principles and alternatives; Indications; Efficacy and safety; Prognosis; Recommendations; Areas for future research.

The article discusses the council responsibility on medical education and career development in the American Psychiatric Association effectiveness in addressing to the psychiatrists and other physicians, which was presented in the meetings held on September 7 to 10, 1988 in Washington, D.C. It explores the proposed task force on disclosure, guidelines from the residency review for psychiatry, review the child psychiatry and recertification in psychiatry.

There are no minimum standards for the clinical training of psychiatrists with regard to the type and number of patients evaluated or treated. Interest in establishing such standards derives from a need for greater accountability, a high fail rate on the clinical portion of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology examinations, and an increasing demand for precise documentation of competence in specific areas by hospital privileging committees. Although considerable disagreement exists as to what the overall requirements should be, some minimum requirements can be agreed on. The authors discuss concerns about minimal standards and make suggestions for further development of standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors examined the relationship of social supports to physical and psychological well-being in 118 men and women 65 years old or older who were living independently in the community. Subjects with more symptoms of depression reported having fewer emotionally satisfying consistent supports from relatives, but those who had physical illnesses reported more supports from relatives. The authors conclude that although having fewer key supports may contribute to dysphoria, having a physical illness may mobilize meaningful support. They suggest that social supports and health outcomes be carefully defined so that possible differential relationships between them can be understood more specifically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1980, psychiatric practitioners and educators were surveyed to determine their concepts of the knowledge and skills that define a specialist in psychiatry. The authors repeated this survey, expanding the list of skill and knowledge items and asking respondents to comment on whether particular skills or knowledge were important to a psychiatric subspecialty. Less importance was ascribed in the current survey than in the earlier survey to certain long-term and social psychotherapies, and more importance was ascribed to descriptive or biological psychiatry; brief or supportive therapies; psychopharmacological agents; consultation-liaison psychiatry; evaluation of children, the aged, and alcoholics; and certain desirable personal characteristics of the psychiatrist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychiatry is likely to evolve into a number of subspecialty areas, paralleling developments in other medical specialties. These changes are impelled both from within psychiatry, where the rapid increase in knowledge and skills makes mastery of the entire field by any one practitioner less possible, and from without, related to new expectations for psychiatric services from referral sources and patients, increasing competition by other physicians and non physician mental health care providers, and shifting reimbursement patterns. The authors discuss the advantages and disadvantages of subspecialization as well as implications for psychiatric practitioners and training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A national sample of 628 women with eating disorders completed questionnaires in 1982 and again in 1984. According to initial simulated DSM-III diagnoses, 34 had anorexia nervosa with bulimic features, 392 had normal-weight bulimia, and 202 had a subdiagnostic eating disorder. Most respondents in the latter two groups met some criteria for alternative eating disorders. At follow-up, 29% of the anorexia nervosa group and 43% of the normal-weight bulimia group bad improved enough to be classified as having a subdiagnostic disorder. Respondents who sought professional help between the initial survey and follow-up reported no more improvement than those who did not seek help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to the past decade's concerns about an undersupply of psychiatric manpower, the authors point out that the profession may soon be facing the prospect of an oversupply of psychiatrists. Given the present rate of producing psychiatrists, shifts in demands for psychiatric services, changing payment and access patterns regarding specialty medical care, increasing numbers of nonpsychiatrist mental health professionals, and a probable surfeit of primary care physicians, underemployment of psychiatrists may become commonplace. Future psychiatrists will likely be used more as consultants, and the profession will need fewer, but better trained, graduates. The authors present alternative proposals to deal with service needs related to such reductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors focus on the Clinical and Public Health Committee (CPHC) created by the Board of Trustees of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to review and assess the changes in the book "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," Fifth Edition, (DSM-5). Topics discussed by the authors include the review process, the attempt of the committee to improve the diagnostic criteria, and additional clarification on many diagnoses particularly in psychiatric nosology.

The article presents the author's perspective regarding the search for an effective treatment for binge eating disorder. This initiative has been ongoing and has produced some modest advances, given the significant psychological and physical impairments associated with this illness. With this, careful systematic reviews suggest that the strength of evidence of published studies of medication and psychotherapeutic-based interventions can only be rated as moderate.

Presents a case of monitoring patients with eating disorders using e-mail as an adjunct to clinical activities. Case history; Benefits of e-mail; Negative effects of e-mail therapy; Legal and ethical issues concerning the use of e-mail in psychiatry.

Editorial. Comments on the challenges faced by psychiatric professionals in the treatment of obesity and eating disorders. Wide scope of the biopsychosocial approach to treating obesity and eating disorders; Physiological propensities contributing to becoming overweight or obese; Need for clinicians to treat obese or anorexic patients with great humility.

To investigate whether homosexuality predisposes males to eating disorders, the authors studied 48 nonpatient homosexual male students at UCLA. The homosexual men bad higher prevalences of binge-eating problems, of feeling fat in spite of others' perceptions, of feeling terrified of being fat, and of having used diuretics than other male students. They also scored higher on the Eating Disorders Inventory scales for drive for thinness, interoceptive awareness, bulimia, body dissatisfaction, maturity fears, and ineffectiveness. One of the 48 homosexual men and one of the 300 comparison group men met criteria for probable past histories of eating disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Council on Quality Care. The Council is responsible in ensuring that the highest standards of care remain integral parts of the APA mission. Its duties includes participating in initiatives and disseminating information in the areas of clinical practice guidelines, development and implementation of patient registries and mental health information technology, among others. The Council's work groups are also mentioned.

Information on the meeting of the Council on Research and Quality Care of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in September 2012 is presented. It mentions that the Council reported on the award decisions and noted that the nomination process of APA based on the its operation manual will be reviewed. It says that the Council approved the revised resource document on neuroimaging markers of psychiatric disorders. It discusses the report of medical doctor William Byne.

Recounts the author's encounter with a close college friend as the latter was admitted for manic episode at a hospital where the former was a chief psychiatric resident. Relationship with the college friend in previous years; Author's initial reaction upon seeing his friend admitted as a psychiatric patient; Efforts to help the friend.

A response by Joel Yager, Alan J. Gelenberg, and Laura J. Fochtmann to a letter to the editor about their article on the use of aripiprazole as antidepressant in the December 2010 issue is presented.

A response by Patrick A. Rabjohn and Joel Yager to a letter to the editor about their article on the effects of resident work-hour regulation on psychiatry in the March 2008 issue is presented.

A response by Joel Yager, Jonathan Borus, Carolyn B. Robinowitz and James H. Shore to the letter to the editor regarding their article on standards for clinical experiences development.

A response by Joel Yager and Donald G. Langsley to a letter to the editor about their article "The Evolving Subspecialization of Psychiatry: Implications for the Profession" is presented.

A response by Joel Yager and Jonathan F. Borus to a letter to the editor about their article on credentials of psychiatrists is presented.