RESUMEN
The consumption of psychoactive drugs is frequently the reason of consultation in a psychiatric emergency unit. We present here the evolution over time of the consumption pattern of patients consulting the psychiatric emergency unit of the Brugmann University Hospital. Major modifications were observed during this period. Mainly, problematic consumption of opiates was progressively overwhelmed by this of cannabis, psychostimulants and recently synthesis drugs. We suggest that this reflects the situation of psychoactive drugs consumption in the general population. This implicates a modification of prevention and treatment attitudes in drug consuming persons.
Asunto(s)
Conducta Adictiva , Servicios de Urgencia Psiquiátrica , Psicotrópicos/administración & dosificación , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/psicología , Bélgica , Humanos , Conducta Social , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/prevención & controlRESUMEN
Owing to the multifactorial origin of obesity, we have created an interdisciplinary team devoted to a limited-in-time treatment, following three axles : nutritional education, body self-perception and emotions expression. The philosophy of this approach and some results are presented.
Asunto(s)
Obesidad/terapia , Grupo de Atención al Paciente , Humanos , Obesidad/dietoterapia , Psicoterapia , Terapia por RelajaciónRESUMEN
PURPOSE: Adverse social experiences are frequently invoked to explain the higher rate of psychosis among migrant groups. The aim of the present study was to establish the socio-environmental factors distinguishing migrant psychotic patients from autochthonous patients. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We conducted a cross-sectional survey involving 341 migrant psychotic patients matched for age and gender with 341 autochthonous psychotic patients. RESULTS: Migrant patients lived more often with their parental family, were less often enrolled with a referral psychiatrist, presented a lower rate of employment, a lower percentage of alcohol misuse and of suicide attempts. DISCUSSION: Our findings add to the growing body of results showing that more attention needs to be focused on socio-environmental variables in psychosis research. However, several limitations have to be taken into account, particularly with regard to selection biases and age of onset of the psychotic illness. CONCLUSION: Our results are compatible with the hypothesis that unemployment is a contributing factor in the risk for psychosis among migrant groups. Migrants' families are an important keystone in the mental health care process of their sick relatives. Our service models need to be adapted with the aim to make the treatment easier for migrant patients.
Asunto(s)
Emigración e Inmigración , Trastornos Psicóticos/etnología , Trastornos Psicóticos/psicología , Medio Social , Adulto , Distribución por Edad , Bélgica/epidemiología , Estudios Transversales , Familia , Femenino , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de Salud , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Servicios de Salud Mental/estadística & datos numéricos , Marruecos/etnología , Psicología , Trastornos Psicóticos/epidemiología , Derivación y Consulta/estadística & datos numéricos , Factores de Riesgo , Distribución por Sexo , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/epidemiología , Intento de Suicidio/estadística & datos numéricos , Desempleo/estadística & datos numéricosRESUMEN
PURPOSE: Clinically, one of the most consistent clinical findings among migrant patients is an increase in the rate of psychosis. The aim of the present study was to confirm this finding in Belgium by comparing second-generation Moroccan migrant patients with Belgian patients, matched for the variables of age and gender. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: We conducted a cross-sectional survey on 272 patients admitted in a psychiatric emergency unit during the year 1998. We used univariate and multivariate analyses to compare the two subgroups. RESULTS: Multivariate analyses showed that migrant patients lived more often with their parental family and that they presented a higher rate of admission for psychotic disorders and a lower rate of employment. DISCUSSION: Our findings add to the growing body of results showing increased incidence of psychosis among immigrants to European countries, but several factors have to be taken into account, particularly with regard to selection biases and differences in help-seeking behaviour and in family perception of the mental illness. CONCLUSION: Our results are compatible with the hypothesis that unemployment is a contributing factor in the risk for psychosis among migrant groups. Further studies would be needed to better explain some of our results, particularly the role played by the families of migrant patients.