Self-induced water intoxication: a comparison of 34 cases with matched controls.

Of 2201 psychiatric patients in public facilities in a single metropolitan area evaluated for polydipsia, 34 (1.5%) were found to have a history of self-induced water intoxication. Among them, they had 101 episodes of water intoxication. Their mean age was 48.2 years, and they were predominantly white. Most had the primary diagnosis of schizophrenia. Compared with a matched control group, they had received more multiple courses of ECT but there were no significant differences in their use of psychotropic medications. Among nonpsychiatric medications, only phenytoin sodium and hydrochlorothiazide showed a trend toward significance.

Efficacy of oral hydergine (ergoloid mesylates) in alcohol related encephalopathy.

A pilot-study to explore the efficacy of oral hydergine in seven cases of alcohol-related encephalopathy was undertaken. It showed significant improvement in symptoms of depression, plus some improvement in sleep disturbance and agitation, as measured by the Geriatric Profile (GP).

An outcome study of Missouri's CSTAR alcohol and drug abuse programs.

The Comprehensive Substance Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation (CSTAR) program is described, and a study of its services is presented. The CSTAR program is a community program with wrap-around services and intensive case management. Eleven domains typically affected by substance abuse were measured, plus satisfaction with treatment services. A retrospective study of 280 clients at 10 facilities was done, and results analyzed separately by General Programs. Women with Children programs, and Adolescent programs. A small sample of clients who were early in their treatment was re-interviewed 90 days later. Data were also examined according to length of stay in the program. Results were consistently positive, and increased with length of time in the program.

The Missouri Alcoholism Severity Scale: relationship with type of alcohol consumption.

Data on 10,562 alcoholics treated in public programs in Missouri were retrieved from a statewide computerized mental health information system. Scores on the Missouri Alcohol Severity Scale were correlated with various symptom data, including average amount of beer, wine and distilled spirits ingested. Severity scores were primarily related to consumption of distilled spirits and the emergence of physical-medical symptoms. Correlations with beer drinking were higher for women than for men. A subsample of 889 alcoholics who drink beer only tended to be middle-aged, relatively stable, White men with less severe symptoms than other alcoholics.

Characteristics of detoxication of patients referred to alcoholism treatment programs.

An attempt to predict referrals to an alcoholism treatment program from a general detoxication population was largely unsuccessful, suggesting that referrals are made on a subjective basis.

Reliability of an alcohol self-report instrument.

According to testing and retesting of alcoholics admitted to a detoxication center, the reliability of the Alcohol History Form is comparable to that of most other psychometric instruments.

Biochemical diagnosis of alcoholism in men psychiatric patients.

A comparison was conducted of several discriminant models (linear, stepwise linear and quadratic) using two definitions of prior probability (proportional and equal) to detect alcoholism on the basis of routine blood test results. Discriminant functions were derived on a sample of men alcoholic (N = 407) and nonalcoholic (N = 1068) psychiatric patients, and were cross-validated on an independent sample of the same two populations (NS = 365 and 1020, respectively). Linear discriminant models generally outperformed quadratic models. The best classification was obtained by the equal stepwise linear model that retained SGOT, calcium, albumin, inorganic phosphate and BUN. The best quadratic model (equal) achieved good overall accuracy but weak sensitivity. The linear model was relatively accurate in terms of classification, and better sensitivity was achieved with the five best predictors than with all available measures.

A comparison of suicide and undetermined deaths in psychiatric patients.

Those people who had previously been patients of the Department of Mental Health of Missouri who died in the three year period 1972 through 1974 and whose deaths were designated as suicide or "undetermined whether purposely or accidentally inflicted," were identified by matching statewide death tapes against the DMH data base. The demographic characteristics of the two groups are compared to ascertain if the members of the undetermined group are essentially similar to the suicides, as has frequently been hypothesized. It is found that, in general, the similarities are in areas which would not have had a direct influence on the medical examiner/coroner's verdict, whereas, the differences do highlight areas which could cause an indecisive verdict. The significance of the undetermined deaths is discussed.