Ethnic inequalities in community rehabilitation use and psychiatric hospitalizations among people with chronic psychotic disorder.

PURPOSE: Community rehabilitation is crucial for the long-term treatment of people with chronic psychotic disorder. Ethnic minorities are less likely to seek care and have accessible treatment. This study examines whether the use of rehabilitation services and the relationship between rehabilitation and number of hospitalization days differ between Arabs and Jews. METHODS: Data from the Israel National Psychiatric Case Register on 18,684 adults with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorders hospitalized in 1963-2016 were merged with data from the national Mental Rehabilitation Register. Associations between the use of rehabilitation services and demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed through logistic regression modeling. Associations between ethnicity and duration of rehabilitation (housing or vocational) and annual hospitalization days during Period1: 2001-2009 and Period2: 2010-2016 were analyzed using ANOVA. RESULTS: Among Jewish patients (N = 2556), 37% and 57% used rehabilitation services during Period1 and Period2, respectively, compared with 18% and 40% among Arab patients (N = 15,145) (p < 0.0001). The use of rehabilitation services was significantly higher among Jews (adjusted OR = 2.26, 95% CI 2.07-2.47). Average duration of housing and vocational rehabilitation services did not differ between Arab and Jewish patients. In both groups, duration of rehabilitation was inversely associated with annual hospitalization days. CONCLUSIONS: The ethnic disparity in the use of rehabilitation services has narrowed over time, yet remains. Although fewer Arab patients use rehabilitation, Jewish and Arab benefit similarly from the services with regard to reduced hospitalization days. To further close the ethnic gap, greater efforts must be made to expand the availability of culturally appropriate rehabilitation services for the Arab minority.

Schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder? A 50-year assessment of diagnostic stability based on a national case registry.

BACKGROUND: Schizoaffective disorder (SAD) remains a controversial diagnosis in terms of necessity and reliability. OBJECTIVES: We assessed diagnostic patterns of SAD and schizophrenia (SZ) among hospitalized psychiatric patients over a fifty-year period. METHOD: Data from the Israeli National Psychiatric Registry on 16,341 adults diagnosed with SZ or SAD, hospitalized at least twice in 1963-2017, were analyzed. Stability between most-frequent, first and last diagnosis, and diagnostic-constancy (the same diagnosis in >75 % of a person's hospitalizations) were calculated. Three groups were compared: People with both SAD and SZ diagnoses over the years (SZ-SAD), and people with only one of these diagnoses (SZ-only; SAD-only). The incidence of SAD and SZ before and after DSM-5 publication was compared. RESULTS: Reliability between last and first diagnosis was 60 % for SAD and 94 % for SZ. Agreement between first and most-frequent diagnosis was 86 % for SAD and 92 % for SZ. Diagnostic shifts differ between persons with SAD and with SZ. Diagnostic-constancy was observed for 50 % of SAD-only patients. In the SZ-SAD group, 9 % had a constant SAD diagnosis. Compared to the other groups, the SZ-SAD group exhibited a higher substance use prevalence, younger age at first-hospitalization, and more hospitalizations/person (p < 0.0001). The incidence of a first-hospitalization SAD diagnosis increased by 2.2 % in the 4-years after vs. prior to DSM-5. CONCLUSIONS: A SAD diagnosis is less stable than SZ. The incidence of a SAD diagnosis increased after DSM-5, despite stricter diagnostic criteria. The SZ-SAD group exhibited the poorest outcomes. SAD may evolve over time necessitating periodic re-evaluation.

[ESKETAMINE FOR TREATMENT RESISTANT DEPRESSION: RESEARCH AND RISK MANAGEMENT].

INTRODUCTION: About 15-18% of the population will experience depression in their lifetime. One third among them will suffer from treatment resistant depression (TRD) which does not respond to two accepted treatment protocols. There is a pressing need for effective TRD treatments and especially for a rapid-acting drug for patients with suicidal ideation. Nasal spray esketamine, the S-enantiomer of the anesthetic agent and dissociative drug ketamine, was approved by the FDA to treat TRD in 2019 and was included in the 2020 Israeli Healthcare Basket. Clinical research suggests that esketamine, combined with an oral antidepressant, has a sustainable antidepressant effect as well as a manageable safety profile. However, ketamine has abuse potential and may cause adverse effects that require medical attention. The risk management plan includes administration under direct medical supervision in ambulatory care, and monitoring of blood pressure, awareness changes, dissociation, and dependence symptoms.