Medicare Benefits Schedule item numbers for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): Questions arising.

OBJECTIVE: Four Medicare Benefits Schedule item numbers for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment of unresponsive MDD were declared in Australia in 2021. They are accompanied by rules/conditions. The aim is to consider these rules/conditions in light of recent research and real-world experience. CONCLUSIONS: While evidence supports some listed rules/conditions, others lack clinical justification and deserve to be reconsidered. These include (a) ineligibility of patients who have previously received TMS, (b) a lifetime total limit of 50 treatments, (c) a second/final course being unavailable for 4 months following the completion of the first course, and (d) the second/final course being limited to 15 treatments.

Suicide in Chinese myths and legends-Some familiar themes.

AIM: To expand our understanding of suicide by examining reports of this behavior from the Chinese mythical era (commencing circa 1200 BCE) and drawing comparisons with subsequent eras. METHOD: Four hundred recently published accounts of Chinese myths and folk tales were examined, along with supplementary material. Lists were created including one focused on attempted suicide and another on completed suicide. Comparisons were drawn with the suicide of a later era China and the current west. RESULTS: No evidence was located of suicide resulting from mental disorder. Six accounts of attempted suicide and 13 of completed suicide were located. Triggers included the death of a loved one, the loss of a valued possession, complicated relationships, and the avoidance of guilt and disgrace. These accord with current western behavior. CONCLUSION: There is at least fair agreement in the triggers of suicide in past eras in China and the current western era. This supports the view that suicide may be, in some instances, a customary response to circumstances.