The effectiveness of a voluntary organization which aimed to help destitute men contacted by means of a ‘soup run’ was evaluated. The assessment was carried out in stages. At the end of each stage results were discussed with the organization and a set of recommendations for further action put forward. At the end of the first stage, it was agreed that the organization's aim should be restricted to attempting to help men settle in one of its houses (staffed by young volunteer workers) for a period of at least three months. A number of recommendations intended to achieve this result were unsuccessful. Following the setting up of a night shelter, it was observed that many men attended regularly. An assessment procedure was instituted which resulted in the selection of men who did settle in the houses for long periods, so much so that no further admissions became possible.

A 10 per cent probability sample of the population of Clydebank was interviewed, using an indirect questionnaire, to assess the extent of alcohol-related disabilities. Eighty-two per cent of 4,397 persons gave information and weighted symptom-scoring analysis showed 5.0 per cent of adult males and 1.1 per cent of adult females could be classified as problem drinkers and 5.2 per cent and 0.5 per cent respectively could be labelled alcoholics. These figures are compared to existing Scottish and English alcoholism prevalence statistics.

The routine air ventriculograms of 66 psychiatric patients, aged from 22 to 73 years, taken during the psychosurgical operation of stereotactic subcaudate tractotomy, were studied. Ventricular size was unrelated to progressive ageing, but a minority of patients over 60 years had abnormally large ventricles, not invariably associated with cognitive impairment on testing. Enlargement was associated with a clinical diagnosis of schizoaffective illness but not with past ECT.

As part of a prospective study of closed head injury, 54 relatives were interviewed within a month of the patient's accident and again six and twelve months later.

The degree of stress on the relatives was measured by means of the Wakefield Depression Scale and by interview questions.

The worst period of stress for the majority of relatives appeared to be during the first month after the accident. However, the degree of stress appeared to level off by the sixth month and no further diminution was found at twelve months.

Stress was apparently mediated by the relatives' perception of personality changes and subjective defects. It was not affected by the severity of the head injury or associated disabilities, nor by whether the patient had resumed work and leisure activities.

The nature of the stress is analysed and methods of alleviating it discussed.

Two groups of 16 patients with depressive psychosis took part in a controlled evaluation of electro-convulsive therapy (ECT). One group received six brief pulse unilateral shocks under conventional anaesthesia and muscle relaxation; the second group underwent the same procedure without receiving shocks. Outcome was assessed by a separate investigator using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression under double-blind conditions. The results showed that this form of ECT was only superior to the control treatment for one item in the scale, a finding which could have occurred by chance. The results suggest that the ECT pre-treatment procedure has an important therapeutic effect. This casts some doubt on current views of the effectiveness of electro-convulsive therapy in general, and of brief pulse unilateral ECT in particular.

A field study of 14 treatment centres found broad agreement between clinical practice and the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Memorandum on the use of ECT. Differences in electrode placement and anaesthetic agents and a poor standard of safety and reliability in the electrical equipment was noted.

Nine elderly depressed patients were given ECT in courses which alternated unilateral and bilateral electrode placement; recovery times were measured. When compared with similar times for younger patients, recovery took on average five times as long from unilateral treatment and nine times as long from bilateral. Within the group, bilateral treatment took significantly longer for recovery than unilateral treatment and was significantly more sensitive to cumulative effect and interval effect.

Thirty-five people labelled as baa (crazy or insane) were studied in Laos—a country without psychiatrists or psychiatric institutions. Informant information was obtained for violence prior to becoming baa, violence during the course of their baa condition, and violence during the seven days prior to interview. Observation for violence was made for a one day period at the time of the interview. Use of restraints was also assessed.

Subjects were significantly more apt to have assaulted others, posed a risk to themselves, and been restrained (although not incarcerated) during their baa condition as compared to their previous state. Those in early stages of their condition (two years or less) manifested more violence than those later in their condition. ‘Folk’ use of restraints was applied only after dangerous or violent behaviour had occurred. Restraints were released as soon as practicable, but there was an ‘ascending’ use of certain restraint measures if violence persisted.

A consecutive series of 110 undetermined deaths (U.D.) was compared with matched samples of suicides and accidents recorded in the same metropolitan Coroner's District. The hypothesis tested was that U.D. are mostly concealed suicides and will resemble known suicides more closely than accidents. The samples were compared on social and demographic variables, psychiatric and physical illness, evidence of suicide intent, information available to the Coroner and the circumstances of death. The results did not confirm the hypothesis. The study widens the investigation of the mortality of mental disorder from unnatural causes beyond the category of suicide.

The bond between human and pet depends on their commonality as animals and their mutual need for attachment. Under abnormal circumstances of developmental frustration a human may displace an overdetermined need for attachment to the pet. The attachment relationship is pathological because of its defensive purpose, and its interruption can create enduring psychiatric reactions. The paper details the developmental determinants for this interaction.

On the basis of reports of reduced MAO activity in migraine and cluster headaches and on a report that lithium carbonate activates MAO, the authors administered lithium carbonate to two patients whose cluster headaches had brought them to the point of contemplating suicide. Both patients responded quite dramatically. Case 1 has now been virtually free of headaches for over two years and Case 2 has been in remission for over twelve months.