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Objectives: To review the ethical problems posed by the participation of psychiatrists in various forms of lay media and propose a method of resolving quandaries in this area.Conclusions: We review the potential ethical problems that arise when psychiatrists make contributions to the lay media, particularly when commentary and opinion reflects the views of the individual rather than the profession. The issues raised by the North American injunction known as the "Goldwater Rule" are pertinent to Australasia, particularly when media statements made by psychiatrists may seem to diminish the profession through politicisation, polemic, or bringing the profession and the field into disrepute. We propose a series of reflective questions to assist psychiatrists in Australasia to deliberate on the potential ethical problems arising from their participation in media activities. We conclude that it is for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists to formulate an approach to situations where the media activities of Fellows raise such problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses the concept of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and its association with the Hollywood movies. While the film industry has demonstrated a particular fascination for depicting psychotherapy, physical treatments including ECT have also been featured. Portrayals of ECT reflect and influence public attitudes toward the treatment. ECT made its film debut in 1948 in Anatole Litvak's Academy Award-winning film "The Snake Pit." The second celluloid appearance is in "Fear Strikes Out" in 1957.

There is considerable debate on the use and abuse of journal impact factors and on selecting the most appropriate indicator to assess research outcome for an individual or group of scientists. Internet searches using Web of Science and Scopus were conducted to retrieve citation data for an individual in order to calculate nine variants of Hirsch's h-index. Citations to articles published in a wide range of psychiatric journals in the periods 1995-99 and 2000-05 were analyzed using Web of Science. Comparisons were made between journal impact factor, h-index of citations from publication to 2008, and the proportion of articles cited at least 30 or 50 times. For up to 14 years post-publication, there was a strong positive relationship between journal impact factor and h-index for citations received. Journal impact factor was also compared to the percentage of articles cited at least 30 or 50 times-a comparison that showed wide variations between journals with similar impact factors. This study found that 40%-50% of the articles published in the top ten psychiatry journals ranked by impact factor acquire 30 to 50 citations within ten to fifteen years. Despite certain flaws and weaknesses, the h-index provides a better way to assess long-term performance of articles or authors than using a journal's impact factor, and it provides an alternative way to assess a journal's long-term ranking.

There is a growing expectation for staff to participate in benchmarking activities. If benchmarking projects are to be successful, managers and clinicians need to be aware of the steps involved. In this article, we identify key aspects of benchmarking and consider how clinicians and managers can respond to and meet contemporary requirements for the development of sound benchmarking relationships. Practicalities and issues that must be considered by benchmarking teams are also outlined. Before commencing a benchmarking project, ground rules and benchmarking agreements must be developed and ratified. An understandable benchmarking framework is required: one that is sufficiently robust for clinicians to engage in benchmarking activities and convince others that benchmarking has taken place. There is a need to build the capacity of clinicians in relation to benchmarking.

Objective: The authors assess mentors' perceptions of mentoring and experiences participating in an intensive, small-group mentorship program, with particular attention to potential challenges in their retention and the recruitment of new mentors to similar, future programs., Methods: Similar group mentorship programs were implemented at two child and adolescent psychiatry conferences, one national and the other international. The program included three daily small group meetings, one closing meeting for all participants, and administration of a web-based survey., Results: Of the 43 mentors, 42 (98%) completed the survey, and results were comparable across both programs. Among respondents, 93% found the group experience personally fulfilling and an equally valuable teaching and learning opportunity. Mentors unanimously agreed that co-mentoring enhanced the group mentoring experience. Group diversity enhanced the mentorship process, although differences in trainees' interests and levels of experience as posed concrete challenges. Sixty-two percent of the mentors thought that they would be able to adapt lessons and experiences from the mentorship program in their home institutions, and 95% agreed to participate if invited to mentor in future programs., Conclusion: Mentors found the intensive, brief group mentorship model to be a powerful, time-efficient, and enjoyable approach to mentoring, increasing trainees' exposure to child and adolescent psychiatry. Although group composition, schedule coordination, and logistics warrant closer scrutiny, these positive perceptions bode well for mentor recruitment and retention and for using a similar program in other settings.

Handover is a tradition in mental health settings and can occupy a significant amount of time each day, yet the topic has commanded limited attention in the psychiatric literature. Increasing staff changes and growing reliance on casual staff has heightened the need for the effective and efficient transfer of essential information, as staff will often find themselves in settings with unfamiliar patients. In this context, effective and timely handovers are crucial. The aim of this article is to examine handover and consider how it may be used optimally to enhance service delivery. To reduce information loss and increase accuracy, verbal handover could be supplemented with computer-generated patient data. This combination will ensure face-to-face interaction remains and perhaps decrease time spent unproductively. Further research is necessary to evaluate such a handover system.

The purpose of the present paper was to compare currently available diagnostic guidelines for juvenile bipolar disorder with respect to utility in research and clinical practice. A systematic search of psychiatric, medical and psychological databases was conducted using the terms 'juvenile bipolar disorder', 'paediatric bipolar disorder' and 'guidelines'. Three main sets of guidelines issued by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (UK), The National Institute of Mental Health (USA) and Child Psychiatric Workshop (USA) were found. There were key differences in the recommendations made by each regarding the diagnosis and symptomatic presentation of juvenile bipolar disorder. Although the diagnosis of juvenile bipolar disorder is gaining increased recognition, its definition remains controversial. It is recommended that clinicians and researchers need to develop diagnostic guidelines that have clinical salience and can be used for future research by incorporating key features of those that are currently available.