The medicalization of suicide in 19th century Spain: theoretical, professional and cultural aspects

This paper analyzes the medicalization process of suicide in Spain during the 19th century. It describes the transition of suicide seen as an act of free will to a model, developed by mental doctors, which considered it a pathological behavior. Against this model, other conservative positions from the fields of Law and Medicine continued to defend the traditional view. The initial interest of mental medicine regarding the social aspects of suicide was developed during this period. The social factor that authors considered to be the most influential to suicide was the loss of religious ideas, which was understandable considering that religion was very present in Spanish science and society t…

Is melatonin an adjunctive stabilizer?

MELATONIN (MLT) IS a main synchronizer of the sleep/wake cycle control. We performed a prospective naturalistic study that included 14 euthymic bipolar patients that suffered from insomnia (six type I, six type II and two schizoaffective disorder) according to DSM-IV-TR criteria.1 After giving their written consent, patients began the treatment with MLT. Evaluation tools used were: Oviedo Sleep Questionnaire (OSQ),2 Chinese Polarity Inventory (CPI),3 Numeric Evaluation Scale (NES),4 and Clinical Global Impressions Scale foruse in bipolar illness (CGI-BP-M).5 Side-effects and time until improvement of sleep were evaluated. Euthymia had to be confirmed by a score <30 on the CPI-Depression and…

Objetivaciones bioeléctricas de la fenomenología de los rendimientos intelectuales

El papel de la pérdida en la génesis de los trastornos depresivos.

Introducción. En la investigación de la depresión, el papel de la pérdida ha sido examinado en detalle, puesto que constituye un aspecto central de la mayoría de los acontecimientos vitales que llevan a la depresión. Material y método. En el presente trabajo se realizó una revisión acerca de los estudios previos sobre la importancia de la pérdida centrándonos en diversos aspectos como sus diferentes tipos, la asociación con algunas enfermedades mentales, pérdida y pronóstico, relación entre desesperanza y pérdida, y variaciones de los acontecimientos de pérdida en función de diversos factores, considerando también la pérdida en la infancia. Resultados. La pérdida ejerce un papel clave en la…

Validation of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in Mexican population with eating disorders

Abstract Eating disorders (ED) are psychiatric diseases characterized by the alteration of the caloric intake. Besides, ED have a high comorbidity with depression and anxiety. In Mexico, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) has shown to be a valid and reliable instrument in patients with HIV, cancer, and obesity but its psychometric properties have not been assessed in patients with ED, being the latter the aim of this research. A total of 325 patients (Mage = 22.0, SD = 9.7), completed the HADS. Based on principal axis factoring and oblimin rotation the scale yielded 12 items divided into two subscales: Depression (with nine items) and Anxiety (with three items). With this stru…

Nuevos eutimizantes y ciclo reproductivo

Introduction. The use of new mood stabilizers in the treatment of bipolar disorder has supposed a revolution, especially due to its more favorable profile in many aspects. Nevertheless, therapeutic decisions on treatment during pregnancy and the breastfeeding period are still being debated. Since these new anticonvulsants appeared in the decade of 1990, less naturalistic experience in its use exists during these periods than with other older anticonvulsants. Methods. A Medline and Embase search was conducted from 1970 to 2003 to review the articles published on the use of the new mood stabilizers during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and its effects on contraception. Neurology and psychiatry …

Eating disorders: Considerations on nosology, etiology and treatment in the XXI century

Amazing advances have been made in medical sciences since the first international conference on eating disorders (ED) was held in the 1970s, and there have been remarkable changes in the field of ED itself. Back then, virtually all that was talked about was anorexia nervosa; clinicians and researchers were mainly concerned about the possible hypothalamic and endocrine factors that seemed to be involved and there had been no epidemiological studies or controlled trials with psychiatric drugs or psychotherapy. Although the picture today is quite different, there are still significant gaps which even affect the classification of these disorders, as well as their neurobiological bases and both …

Los trastornos de la conducta alimentaria: consideraciones sobre nosología, etiopatogenia y tratamiento en el siglo xxi

Resumen Desde la primera conferencia internacional sobre los trastornos alimentarios, celebrada en los anos 70, hasta la actualidad, el desarrollo de las ciencias medicas ha sido sorprendente. En el campo de los trastornos de la conducta alimentaria (TCA) tambien se han producido cambios notables. En las fechas iniciales practicamente solo se hacia mencion de la anorexia nerviosa y sus posibles factores hipotalamicos y endocrinos; no habia estudios epidemiologicos ni ensayos controlados con psicofarmacos o psicoterapia. El panorama actual es bien diferente aunque hay carencias importantes que afectan a la propia nosografia de estas patologias, al conocimiento de sus bases neurobiologicas y …

Influence of Attitudes towards Change and Self-directness on Dropout in Eating Disorders: A 2-Year Follow-up Study

Objective This study examined dropout-related factors at the Outpatient Eating Disorders Treatment Programme. Method One hundred ninety-six eating disorders patients following DSM-IV diagnostic criteria that consecutively commenced treatment were recruited and followed up for a 2-year period. A total of 151 patients completed the whole assessment with a set of questionnaires evaluating eating and general psychopathology. The Attitudes towards Change in Eating Disorders questionnaire was used, and personality was evaluated using the Temperament and Character Inventory. During the follow-up period, patients were re-assessed. Two years later, 102 patients continued on treatment. Results Scores…

The treatment of madness in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: discourses about curability in Spanish mental health care, 1890-1917

Resumen En el trabajo se estudian los discursos sobre la cura que elaboraron los médicos mentalistas españoles en la transición del siglo XIX al XX. Si en las décadas de los años 1870 y 1880 el discurso preponderante promulgado por los médicos pertenecientes a instituciones privadas era extremadamente optimista, posteriormente cambió y se orientó hacia un mayor pesimismo terapéutico. Sin embargo, dadas las necesidades profesionales de los frenópatas, siguieron mostrando una confianza más o menos firme hacia las capacidades terapéuticas de la psiquiatría. La recepción de las nuevas nosologías, como la de Kraepelin, estuvo condicionada, en parte, por la actitud hacia la cura de los médicos me…