[Homeopathy for psychiatric patients-for and against]. / Homöopathie bei psychiatrischen Patienten ­ Für und Wider.

The application of homeopathic treatment quickly becomes a matter of ideological confrontation; however, homeopathy is steadily gaining in sympathy in the population. Although the possible effectiveness and the modes of action are currently not scientifically elucidated and the study situation regarding homeopathic treatment in psychiatry is still manageable, there is a whole series of positive evidence for the effects of homeopathic remedies for mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders and addiction. The most important studies are presented and the most important arguments are weighed up with respect to the pros and cons. It is clear that homoeopathic remedies can only be used as an add-on and not alone. These remedies belong in the hands of physicians experienced in homeopathic and psychiatric psychopharmacology. It would be advisable to at least try out homeopathy for the well-being of the patient not only in the case of very mild disorders but also in severe chronic cases, since due to the generally good tolerability, no avoidable disadvantage should result.

From a religious view of madness to religious mania: the Encyclopédie, Pinel, Esquirol.

This paper focuses on the shift from a concept of insanity understood in terms of religion to another (as entertained by early psychiatry, especially in France) according to which it is believed that forms of madness tinged by religion are difficult to cure. The traditional religious view of madness, as exemplified by Pascal (inter alia), is first illustrated by entries from the Encyclopédie. Then the shift towards a medical view of madness, inspired by Vitalistic physiology, is mapped by entries taken from the same publication. Firmed up by Pinel, this shift caused the abandonment of the religious view. Esquirol considered religious mania to be a vestige from the past, but he also believed that mental conditions carrying a religious component were difficult to cure.

Views of practitioners of alternative medicine toward psychiatric illness and psychiatric care: a study from Solapur, India.

BACKGROUND: It is common knowledge that patients seek treatment for psychiatric illnesses from various sources including the alternative medicine. Views and attitudes of clinicians often influence the provision of appropriate mental health care for these patients. In this context, it was intended to study the views of the practitioners of alternative medicine toward psychiatric disorders, patients and interventions. METHODS: The study was conducted as a questionnaire-based survey among a sample of practitioners of alternative medicine specifically Ayurveda and Homeopathy, who were practicing in Solapur and adjoining areas of Maharashtra and Karnataka states in India. A semi-structured Attitudinal Inventory for Psychiatry questionnaire was used. Demographic and professional data were collected. RESULTS: Out of 62 practitioners approached, 50 responded (80.6%). There were no significant differences in the views of practitioners toward psychiatry and psychiatrists based on respondents' gender, place of residence, location of practice, type of alternative medicine, exposure to psychiatric patients, or if they knew someone with psychiatric illness. Attitudes were generally positive, but variable. Among negative observations were that approximately 60% of respondents felt that a patient can be disadvantaged by being given a psychiatric label and 58% believed that emotions are difficult to handle. A considerable proportion (40%) of the respondents felt doctors other than psychiatrists were unable to identify psychiatric disorders. DISCUSSION: This study's findings suggest that practitioners of alternative medicine have mixed views about mental illness, patients and treatment. Some of their negative views and perceived inability to identify psychiatric disorders may be addressed through further training, information sharing and collaborative work.

Whom to Ask for Professional Help in Case of Major Depression? Help-Seeking Recommendations of the Sardinian Public.

Purpose of the study is to investigate help-seeking preferences of the Sardinian public in case of depression. A telephone survey was conducted among the adult population, using quota sampling (N = 1,200). Respondents were presented with a vignette depicting a person with symptoms of major depressive disorder, followed by a fully structured interview. Psychologists were most frequently selected as source of professional help, followed by psychiatrists and G.P.s. Residents of small towns more frequently recommended mental health professionals than city residents. Public help-seeking preferences reflect the availability of services, beliefs about the appropriate treatment of depression and attitudes towards those providing it.

Current Day Auto-Experimentation of Psychotropic Medications by French Psychiatrists.

Auto-experimentation is a relatively unknown practice, albeit central to the history of medical discoveries. Outside of the context of research, auto-experimentation with psychotropic medications by psychiatrists currently persists in an informal manner. However, this contemporary practice has never been studied so far. This study was conducted by distributing an electronic questionnaire to French hospital-based psychiatrists and residents of psychiatry in the summer of 2016. Lifetime prevalence of taking psychotropic medications and the context of this ingestion were questioned: "therapeutic", "auto-therapeutic", "research protocol", "auto-experimentation/curiosity", "recreation" or "other". We only studied "auto-experimentation/curiosity" in this article. Participants were also asked their age and gender. Seven hundred and sixty-four participants were included. 15.1% of participants declared having already taken psychotropic medication at least once in the context of "auto-experimentation/curiosity". We found that those who reported taking medication for "auto-experimentation/curiosity" had a significant association with being male (p < .001) but no relationship to age. This practice highlights and questions psychiatry's relationship with formal and informal knowledge, the importance of the subjectivity of each professional in psychiatry and the epistemological foundations of our discipline. The strong ambivalence of the medical field toward this relatively taboo practice deserves further exploration.

Homeopathic and psychiatric perspectives on grief.

OBJECTIVE: This review describes the homeopathic analysis of grief and common remedies corresponding to this reaction. Homeopathic descriptions of grief are compared with contemporary psychiatric criteria. DATA SOURCES: Each homeopathic rubric (i.e., symptom) is identified on the basis of a computerized repertory search, grouped according to body systems, and compared with a current set of operational criteria derived from the psychiatric literature. The major homeopathic remedies for grief are identified. STUDY SELECTION: One hundred four rubrics for grief were found, incorporating mental and physical symptoms as well as physical disease. DATA SYNTHESIS: Homeopathic phenomenology of grief was closely matched with its current psychiatric definition. A close correspondence was seen between psychiatry and homeopathy, even though each has a differing heritage and temporal origin. The correspondence of a later descriptive system (i.e., psychiatry) to an earlier, independently derived system (i.e., homeopathy) confers validation to both systems' description of the grief response. CONCLUSION: The similarities and differences between homeopathic and psychiatric descriptions of grief have been noted. Similar forms of grief response are recognized by both systems, though homeopathy provides a more extensive list of physical sequelae following bereavement. Controlled trials of homeopathy in grief states are recommended.

Meeting of minds in psychiatry and homeopathy: an example in social phobia.

Communication between homeopaths and the biomedical community can be enhanced by an interpretation of the homeopathic repertory in light of current medical diagnostic terminology. This report reviews the current, conventional symptom formulation for social phobia, the third most common psychiatric diagnosis in the US community. Eighty-three rubrics in the homeopathic materia medica corresponding to symptoms of social phobia were identified and then used in a computerized repertorizing program to identify potential homeopathic remedies for social phobia. Although Kent's Repertory describes many symptoms of social phobia, the terminology should be updated, and there is a surprising lack of information about some key rubrics. Clinical judgment is always needed to interpret the significance of symptoms that could be caused by more than one pathogenic mechanism. Although many of the remedies traditionally thought to be useful in treating patients with social phobia do indeed appear in the computerized Repertory search, additional remedies emerged, including both polycrests and small remedies, which may have a place in treating this disorder.

Help-seeking pathways among Malay psychiatric patients.

The aim of this study is to explore the help-seeking behaviour of Malay psychiatric patients. A semi-structured interview based on a standard proforma was conducted to assess help seeking process and delays for Malay psychiatric patients attending the psychiatric clinic for the first time. Help-seeking process and delays were defined. Among 134 patients evaluated in the study, 69% had visited traditional healers (bomoh) for the present illness before consulting psychiatrists. The second popular choice of treatment was medical practitioner and only a small percentage of them had consulted homeopathic practitioners and herbalists. Patients who had consulted bomohs were significantly delayed in getting psychiatric treatment compared with those who had not consulted them. Consultation of bomohs was significantly higher among married patients, those with major psychiatric illnesses and in family who believed in supernatural causes of mental illness. However, there was no significant difference in age, gender, educational status and occupation between patients who had consulted and not consulted bomoh. We concluded that majority of the Malay psychiatric patients had sought the traditional treatment prior to psychiatric consultation. The strength of social support and the belief of the patients, friends, and/or relatives in supernatural causes of mental illness were strongly associated with the rate of traditional treatment. Deep-seated cultural beliefs were major barrier to psychiatric treatment.

A psique ao encontro da matéria: corpo e pessoa no projeto médico-científico de Nise da Silveira / Psyche meets matter: body and personhood in the medical-scientific project of Nise da Silveira

Resumo No início do século XX, a psiquiatria brasileira foi caracterizada por controversos métodos de tratamento, como a eletroconvulsoterapia, as psicocirurgias e o coma insulínico. Em 1946, a médica alagoana Nise da Silveira ocupou a linha de frente na crítica a esse modelo terapêutico por meio da criação de um ateliê criativo no antigo Centro Psiquiátrico Nacional, na zona norte carioca. O artigo examina os fundamentos do projeto médicocientífico de Nise da Silveira a partir de fontes documentais e de pesquisa de campo no grupo de estudos do Museu de Imagens do Inconsciente, mantido por seus discípulos. Sustenta-se que seu pensamento constitui uma recusa aos pressupostos do fisicalismo e do mecanicismo, aproximando-se das ontologias vitalistas e românticas.

Abstract In the early 1900s, Brazilian psychiatry was marked by the use of controversial treatments, like electroconvulsive therapy, psychosurgery, and insulin coma therapy. In 1946, the Brazilian physician Nise da Silveira took the front line in criticizing these treatments by setting up a creative activities studio in the National Psychiatric Center (Centro Psiquiátrico Nacional), in Rio de Janeiro. The article examines the theoretical basis for Silveira's medical-scientific project, drawing on documental sources and fieldwork with the study group at the Museum of Images from the Unconscious (Museu de Imagens do Inconsciente), maintained by her disciples. It is argued that her thinking constituted a rejection of the assumptions of physicalism and mechanism and was closer to the ontology of vitalism and romanticism.

[Dr Stanislav Zupic (1897-1973) - a remarkable figure in Croatian psychiatry]. / Dr Stanislav Zupic (1897.-1973.) -osebujna licnost Hrvatske psihijatrije.

Stanislav Zupic (1897-1973) spent most of his career (1920-1962) in the Psychiatric Hospital Vrapce, Zagreb, Croatia and was its 8th director from 1940 to 1941. He is remembered by a number innovations in treating psychoses, by a pioneering Croatian psychodrama (in 1938, he published a play Coming back to Life), and by introducing bibliotherapy, musical therapy, art therapy, and homeopathy to treat mental illnesses. On his initiative, the psychiatric hospital introduced treatment with insulin-provoked comma, convulsive therapy, Largactil, and other state-of-the-art psychopharmaceuticals. In addition to treatment, he provided forensic expertise. His free time he would spend writing pathographies of artists and literary critics. In 1924, he was one of the founders of the Yugoslav Anthroposophical Society Marija Sofija, which is still active in Zagreb. From 1935, he had been collecting interesting exhibits for what was to become the core of the hospital museum.

A mirada da biotipologia no Sul do Brasil: discurso e prática nas décadas de 1930 e 1950 / The view of biotypology in Southern Brazil: discourse and practice in the 1930s and 1950s

Resumo Esta nota de pesquisa tenta demonstrar como o estado do Paraná figurou no panorama transnacional das vertentes de escolas biotipológicas presentes no Brasil a partir dos anos 1930. Abordamos o caso específico da cidade de Curitiba e pudemos identificar, num discurso acadêmico de 1938 e em dois laudos de sanidade mental de 1950 e 1951, a regularidade da escola constitucionalista alemã de Ernst Kretschmer, não obstante a preponderância da vertente italiana na bibliografia relacionada ao tema. Com isso, procuramos apontar por quais meios e espaços foram legitimados os preceitos concernentes àquela escola.

Abstract This research report aims to demonstrate how the state of Paraná, Brazil, featured in the transnational context of different schools of biotypological thought present in Brazil as of the 1930s. The city of Curitiba is taken as a case study, where we can identify, in an academic lecture from 1938 and two mental health reports from 1950 and 1951, the observance of Ernst Kretschmer's German constitutional medicine, despite the prevalence of the Italian school of thought in the bibliography on the subject. With this, we seek to identify through what channels and forums the precepts of the German school were legitimized.

Tendencias innovadoras en las prácticas psiquiátricas: Argentina, 1960-1970 / Innovative practices in Psychiatry: Argentina, 1960-1970 / Tendências inovadoras nas práticas psiquiátricas: Argentina, 1960-1970

El trabajo analiza prácticas psiquiátricas innovadoras que se llevaron a cabo en Argentina durante las décadas del sesenta y setenta, a partir del estudio del Hospital José Esteves en la provincia de Buenos Aires. Objetivo: presentar la convivencia de paradigmas diferentes y en tensión referentes a la salud mental en una misma institución, con las complejidades que este escenario apareja. Metodología: para este estudio se utilizó como fuente principal las historias clínicas de las pacientes admitidas en el Hospital entre 1960 y 1979, las que fueron cruzadas con publicaciones de diarios y revistas de la época. Resultados: del análisis se desprende que el contexto político de la época -de dictadura militar, de anulación de expresión política y persecución ideológica- influyó en el desarrollo de las experiencias psiquiátricas innovadoras. De este modo, se detectaron situaciones de antisemitismo y persecución ideológica a los trabajadores de la salud que participaron de estos proyectos, al tiempo que se confundieron conceptos y propuestas terapéuticas con ideas políticas "comunistas". Conclusiones: a pesar de que la introducción de concepciones y prácticas diferentes sobre la salud mental generó cierta resistencia entre los psiquiatras más ortodoxos, la presencia de paradigmas distintos muestra un plan, tanto político como profesional, para transformar la Psiquiatría y la internación en Argentina.

The paper analyzes innovative psychiatric practices that took place in Argentina during the sixties and seventies at the Hospital Jose Esteves in the province of Buenos Aires. Objective: To present the coexistence of different paradigms related to mental health in the same institution and to analyze the complexities generated by this scenario. Methodology: This study uses primary sources in the form of medical records of patients admitted to the hospital between 1960 and 1979. The medical records were cross-referenced with publications of newspapers and magazines of the time. Results: The analysis shows that the political environment during the era of military dictatorship -characterized by ideological persecution and the inhibition of political expression - influenced the development of innovative psychiatric practices. At the same time, instances of anti-Semitism and ideological persecution among health workers affected therapeutic approaches. Conclusions: While the introduction of innovative practices in mental health led to some resistance among the more orthodox psychiatrists, the presence of different paradigms shows a plan, both political and professional, to transform psychiatry and admission policy in Argentina.

O trabalho analisa práticas psiquiátricas inovadoras que se levaram a cabo na Argentina durante as décadas sessenta e setenta, a partir do estudo do Hospital José Esteves na província de Buenos Aires. Objetivo/apresentar a convivência de paradigmas diferentes e em tensão referentes à saúde mental em uma mesma instituição, com as complexidades que este cenário aparelha. Metodologia: para este estudo utilizou-se como fonte principal as histórias clínicas das pacientes admitidas no Hospital entre 1960 e 1979, as quais foram comparadas com publicações de jornais e revistas da época. Resultados: da análise se desprende que o contexto político da época (de ditadura militar, de anulação de expressão política e persecução ideológica) influiu no desenvolvimento das experiências psiquiátricas inovadoras. Deste modo, detectaram-se situações de anti-semitismo e persecução ideológica aos trabalhadores da saúde que participaram destes projetos, ao tempo que se confundiram conceitos e propostas terapêuticas com ideias políticas "comunistas". Conclusões: a pesar que a introdução de concepções e práticas diferentes sobre a saúde mental gerou certa resistência entre os psiquiatras mais ortodoxos, a presencia de paradigmas distintos mostra um plano, tanto político quanto Professional, para transformar a psiquiatria e a internação na Argentina.

A racionalidade homeopática e sua interface com a psiquiatria e a psicoterapia

A Homeopatia é um modelo médico cujo paradigma é a integralidade do ser humano e sua singularidade. Entende o processo de adoecimento como um desequilibrio da energia vital oriundo da tentativa de adaptação à circunstâncias e condições adversas. Por obter êxito na restauração da psicodinâmica do indivíduo, que o campo de interação entre a doutrina de Hahnemann, a psiquiatria e a psicoterapia, pode ser melhor explorado e aproveitado. Desenvolvido com o propósito de apresentar a racionalidade médica homeopática e sua capacidade em atender às necessidades dos pacientes e, ainda, analisar a interface da Homeopatia com a psiquiatria e a psicoterapia verificando como esse diálogo potencializa uma cura homeopática bem sucedida, este artigo adotou como método a pesquisa bibliográfica.A Homeopatia considera que a doença resulta da perturbação da força vital vista como energia essencial da vida e do equilíbrio biopsíquico. O restabelecimento da saúde depende de se restabelecer este equilíbrio. (AU)