Michael G. Wise

The clinical and financial burden of mood disorders. Cost and outcome.

Depressive disorders are a chronic, recurrent, and severe burden to both patients and their families. Depressive disorders represent a major national public health problem, ranking within the top 10 most costly diseases in the United States. In 1990, depressive disorders afflicted at least 11 million Americans and cost the U.S. economy an estimated

Neurosyphilis: A psychiatric perspective

44 billion. In addition, affective disorders are associated with increased accident rates, increased rates of substance abuse (especially alcoholism), increased medical hospitalization, and an increase in somatic illnesses and outpatient medical utilization. Despite their ranking as a major health problem, depressive disorders are often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Brief treatment strategies that focus only on acute episodes are often ineffective and result in chronic impairment, impairing performance at work and socially. Inadequate treatment increases costs, suffering, and lost productivity. Recent data suggest that effective treatment of depression requires long-term, skillful follow-up and active pharmacotherapy.

Textbook of consultation-liaison psychiatry

Abstract The clinical picture of neurosyphilis has changed in recent years, and its manifestations may mimic virtually any psychiatric disorder, including depression, dementia, mania, psychosis, and delirium. Consequently, a high index of suspicion and routine serologic screening of psychiatric and neurologic patients are needed. Following a short survey of the medical aspects of neurosyphilis, this review of the literature examines the psychiatric manifestations and discusses the somewhat complex problem of confirming the diagnosis.