[Consensus on physical health of patients with schizophrenia from the Spanish Societies of Psychiatry and Biological Psychiatry]. / Consenso sobre la salud física del paciente conesquizofrenia de las Sociedades Españolasde Psiquiatría y de Psiquiatría Biológica.

INTRODUCTION: Schizophrenia has traditionally been associated with higher rates of physical comorbidity and excess mortality. OBJECTIVE: To develop a Spanish consensus document concerning the physical health of patients with schizophrenia and the interventions required to reduce the over-morbidity and over-mortality of these patients. Method. The process consisted of: a) systematic review of the literature in the Medline database up to January 2006 and manual review of the bibliographical references of the papers obtained; b) reviews of national and international guides by the coordinating committee and medical specialist acting as expert advisors; c) multidisciplinary consensus meetings, and d) editing of the final consensus document. RESULTS: Compared to the general population, patients with schizophrenia present higher rates of infection (HBV, HCV, HIV), endocrine/metabolic disorders, cardiac and respiratory diseases (over-morbidity) and higher global death risk, as well as death from natural causes--basically respiratory, cardiovascular and oncological diseases (over-mortality). As a guide, therefore, this document proposes a series of interventions to be performed by psychiatrists to reduce the current rates. CONCLUSIONS: Given the over-morbidity and overmortality of patients with schizophrenia, awareness of these aspects should be increased among primary healthcare providers and specialists, including psychiatrists, and physical health problems should be incorporated into psycho-educational programs, and treatment compliance and severe mental disorder treatment units.

Motivation to change in eating disorders: clinical and therapeutic implications.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to understand the clinical impact of the motivational stage of change on the psychopathology and symptomatology of anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). METHOD: The participants were 218 eating disorder (ED) patients (58 AN, 95 BN and 65 EDNOS), consecutively admitted to our hospital. All patients fulfilled DSM-IV criteria for these disorders. ASSESSMENT: Assessment measures included the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI), Bulimic Investigation Test Edinburgh (BITE), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), four analogue scales of motivational stage, as well as a number of other clinical and psychopathological indices. RESULTS: Our results indicated higher motivation for change in BN than in AN and EDNOS patients (p < 0.05). For all groups, motivation to change was predicted by chronological age (p < 0.05). However, a longer duration of illness was only predictive of the motivational levels in EDNOS (p < 0.05) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to BN, AN and EDNOS patients are most resistant to change and the younger these patients are, the less likely they are to be motivated to change their disturbed eating behaviour.

Current situation of long-term treatment of depression.

Depression is the most common mental illness and the primary cause of disability. Currently, major depression is considered a chronic disorder, with very high lifetime recurrence rates. This article reviews the published literature on long-term treatment of depression, with special emphasis on unresolved issues of long-term treatment such as prevention of relapses and recurrences and optimal duration of maintenance treatment. Current recommendations on the treatment of major depression include three phases: the acute phase (4-8 weeks), where the objective is to achieve remission; the continuation phase, to maintain remission; and the maintenance phase, to prevent possible recurrences. Most of the studies reviewed support antidepressive therapy during continuation and/or maintenance phases, in patients who have responded to acute and/or continuation treatment with antidepressants. Current scientific evidence suggests that the effect of treatment persists for at least two years of maintenance treatment with antidepressants.

Characteristics of bulimic patients whose parents do or do not abuse alcohol.

OBJECTIVES: This study attempts to understand the effects of a parental history of alcohol abuse on the psychopathology and symptoms of bulimia nervosa (BN). METHOD: The study involved 121 female BN patients consecutively admitted to the Eating Disorders Unit of the University Hospital of Bellvitge. The sample was divided post hoc into two subgroups on the basis of the presence (PAA, n=25) or not of parental abuse of alcohol (NPAA, n=96). All of the patients fulfilled the DSM-IV criteria for BN. EVALUATION: The assessment measures were the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40), the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI), the Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh (BITE), the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), as well as clinical and psychopathological variables. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Only 7.4% of the patients reported current alcohol abuse and this correlated positively with the presence of other impulsive behaviours (p<0.001). Furthermore, PAA was observed in 20.7% of cases. When the PAA and NPAA subgroups were compared, no significant differences were found in the symptomatological or psychopathological variables, but the PAA group showed more frequent parental obesity (p<0.001) and its members lived less frequently with their parents (p<0.001). The results of this study suggest that there is little correlation between parental abuse of alcohol and the severity of BN.

Bulimia nervosa and misuse of orlistat: two case reports.

OBJECTIVE: Orlistat (tetrahydrolipstatin) is an intestinal lipase inhibitor that was approved recently for the management and treatment of obesity. This is the first report of the misuse of orlistat in two normal-weight purging bulimia nervosa (BN) patients. METHOD AND RESULTS We report two diagnosed cases of BN in two Spanish women who used orlistat as a purging mechanism after binge episodes. In both cases, the onset of the eating disorder was in adolescence. From the beginning, a restrictive diet, binging, and purging behavior (vomiting and using laxatives) were present. Both patients misused this substance as their only purging mechanism after every binge episode. CONCLUSION: BN patients have used many substances and bizarre behaviors as purging mechanisms. Nevertheless, to the authors' knowledge, these are the first reported cases of orlistat misuse as the only purging mechanism in two BN patients.