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Atlanta Medical Psychology The clinical practice of Dr. David B. Adams is located in The Medical Quarters in the northside of Atlanta at the junction of Scottish Rite, Northside and Saint Joseph's Hospitals. Dr. Adams consults to occupational medicine, surgeons, nurse case managers, insurers and employers regarding the psychological impact of work-related injury and the role of psychological factors in short- and long-term disability.

• Better, earlier education may be the answer to reducing inappropriate behavior exhibited by psychiatrists toward their patients. In a study in the March issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers say the profession has an obligation to address issues like sexual contact with patients and to help colleagues who have been disciplined get the counseling and treatment they need."
• Women who are stable alcoholics report significantly more physical and emotional disability than men who are stable alcoholics or heavy or nondrinkers of either gender. Stable alcoholics on the whole reported more disability than nonalcoholics and female alcoholics reported more disability than the male alcoholics. For example, female alcoholics reported more difficulty in activities such as walking over 1 mile or several blocks or going up one flight of stairs, as well as greater pain and poorer physical health. There was also more depression and more serious depression in female alcoholics than in their male counterparts. 
• For some of the nation's workforce, vacations and even run-of-the-mill weekends are fraught with headaches and migraines, colds, nausea, and flu-like fevers -- even though these same people are rarely sick during workdays. It's a phenomenon called leisure sickness, and attitudes toward work, leisure, and relaxation seem to be at the heart of the matter. People suffering from leisure typically have a burdensome workload -- and they simply cannot relax, triggering a host of symptoms. The leisure sickness group actually showed a stronger appreciation for vacations and weekends than did the others, he says -- they just weren't able to enjoy their time off
• Despite advances made in the field of mental health, many patients suffering from major depression are still not getting adequate care. Part of the obstacle may be patients' perceptions of being stigmatized for seeking treatment, according to a study in the March issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry
• Alternative practices tare widely popular among a public seeking natural cures and more control over their healthcare. A 1998 JAMA study reported that 42% of Americans surveyed said they used alternative therapies. In 1997, Americans spent more than $27 billion on these treatments, a sum that exceeded out-of-pocket spending for all U.S. hospitalizations. JAMA reported in 1998 that 75 of 117 U.S. medical schools offered elective courses in alternative medicine, or alternative medicine topics in required courses.
• "Researchers found that 9 million Americans have silent ischemic strokes each year and another 1.9 million have silent hemorrhagic strokes. The actual numbers of silent strokes are even more daunting given that they often come in clusters: 16.9 million silent ischemic strokes and 4.9 million silent hemorrhagic strokes.
• Parents who believe in tough love may find it hard to believe, but children who turn blue or pale and then pass out following a temper tantrum may not be faking it: They may be suffering from severe breath-holding spells, a recognized clinical entity related to autonomic dysregulation of respiratory functions. The natural history of breath-holding spells is described the February issue of Pediatrics
• A new study suggests exactly why Sigmund Freud, referred to as the father of modern psychoanalysis, may have lived to the ripe old age of 83 in a time when the average life span was only about 50 years. A soon-to-be published study in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of The American Psychoanalytic Association found that psychoanalysts live longer, on average, than men in the general population and men in other  specialties. Analysts and those in analysis hope that all this talk may help lessen stress, which is known to have a negative effect on the immune system.
• Anorexia nervosa is a serious disorder characterized by: 1) disturbed body image, 2) morbid fear of obesity, 3) weight loss to >15% below normal body weight, and 4) amenorrhea (in females). Bulimic behavior (binge eating and purging) occurs in 50% of the patients; the rest simply restrict food intake. Onset is usually in adolescence or young adulthood, and 90-95% of patients are female. The cause is unknown. Although patients have multiple endocrine abnormalities, these may be secondary to malnutrition. Patients often have perfectionistic, obsessive personality characteristics; depression and anxiety are also common. Denial of the disorder and resistance to treatment are prominent features. The course is frequently chronic and life-threatening. Treatment has two phases: 1) stabilization of nutritional, fluid, and electrolyte status, usually in a hospital; and 2) long-term psychotherapy, cognitive/behavioral therapy, and/or family therapy. Antidepressant medications may be helpful even in the absence of depression. Despite treatment, mortality rates of 10-20% have been reported. (Zipfel S, Lowe B, Reas DL, et al. Long-term prognosis in anorexia nervosa: lessons from a 21-year follow-up study. Research Letter. Lancet. 2000;26:721.)
• Depression or Its Treatment Can Cause Sleepless Nights. Some Antidepressants Affect Sleep Architecture, Researchers Caution. Aside from any changes associated with antidepressants, depressive disorders themselves have an impact on sleep.  The SSRI's are currently the most commonly prescribed antidepressants. They are typically the first-line treatment for depression and anxiety disorders because of their 'benign' side-effect profile. Unfortunately, many patients taking these agents experience a worsening of their insomnia.
• All the antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) used in a recent Finnish study led to "noticeable changes in the reproductive endocrine function in men with epilepsy," the authors report in the Jan. 9 issue of Neurology. According to a U.S. expert, these findings highlight the need to assess sexual functioning in epileptic patients more carefully and to switch medications if problems are identified. In light of the fact that sexuality is generally a neglected area. Overall, 18% of patients taking carbamazepine, 17% taking oxcarbazepine, and just 5% taking valproate reported impaired sexual function, compared with 8% of controls. Interestingly, 19% of male patients on valproate reported enhanced sexual function. This should make physicians more aware of the problems with sexual functioning that their patients might have. If there are sexual problems, it might be a reason for switching drugs.
• Mental illness is a broad term that refers to those diagnosable, physiological brain disorders that can profoundly impair a person's ability to think, feel, and relate to others. Some common forms of mental disorders are anxiety, psychosis, and mood and cognitive disturbances which, if left untreated, can result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life. Currently, it is estimated that about 20% of the US population is affected by some form of mental illness, and 1 in 5 families is likely to be affected by a severe form of mental illness within their lifetimes. In fact, mental illness is considered to be more prevalent than cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. Many hospitals and clinics across the country offer free screenings and information about referrals, treatment, and rehabilitation. Despite advances made in treatments for mental illness, US Surgeon General David Satcher underscored in his 1999 landmark report on mental health that "stigma remains the single most significant barrier to people getting the help they need." Public awareness is important in overcoming this stigma, but clinicians also need to be aware of the important issues in recognizing and treating mental illness as well as its impact on individuals and families. By asking the appropriate questions, and learning to interpret the responses, a diagnosis can be established within a primary care setting. Moreover, informing the patient or family in a discreet and sensitive manner is often the first step toward effective treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery.
• More than half a million Australian children have some form of mental illness, though only one in four receives professional treatment, according to Australia's first-ever national survey on child and adolescent mental health. The survey results showed that 14% of Australian children and adolescents — some 520,000 in all — have significant behavior problems, including chronic lying and truancy. Up to 20% may suffer from anxiety and depression. As many as 12% of adolescents surveyed reported behavior classified as antisocial, while just as many complained of suicidal thoughts, reported the newspaper The Australian. Among children, aggressive behavior was reported by the parents of 5.9% of boys and 5.2% of girls.