Drug Use among Croatian Students

The subject of this study was to determine the frequency of drug use and attitudes toward drug use in Croatian high school students. The study was carried out in a middle-class high school in Zagreb. Out of 273 students who participated in an anonymous, self-report, 23-item questionnaire, 69 reported that they had at least once used drugs. The most frequently used drug was cannabis. While one third of students have been offered drugs, even 41% of the students would have take the drug if it becoms available. It can be concluded that the drugs appear to be highly available among Croatian students. According to our results, even more stronger increase in the number of drug users in Croatia could be expected

Gender Differences in Depression

Depression is twice as common in women as in men, although some concern has been raised in terms of misdiagnosing depression in men. The incidence of depression in women varies during the life span. The peak incidence during childbearing years appears to be associated with cyclic hormonal changes. Women also present with reproductive -specific mood disorders: pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), depression in pregnancy, postpartal mood disorder (PDD) and perimenopausal depressive disorder. Gender differences were repeatedly observed in response to antidepressant medication. Premenopausal women appear to respond poorly and to show low tolerability to TCAs, but they tend to show greater responsiveness to the SSRIs. In contrast, men and postmenopausal women can respond equally to the TCAs and SSRIs. These differences are contributed to gender differences in pharmacokinetics of antidepressants and to the influence of menstrual cycle. These findings suggest the need for a gender-specific approach to the evaluation and management of depression

Quetiapine augmentation in treatment-resistant depression: a naturalistic study

Rationale Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a common clinical problem, often complicated with suicidal ideations and greater lifetime functional impairment, and represents a considerable challenge to management and treatment. - - - - - Objective The aim of a prospective, open-label, noncomparative, flexible-dosed 20-week study was to evaluate the effects of quetiapine, as an add-on therapy, in patients with TRD who were refractory to previous treatments. - - - - - Method Eighteen patients with major depressive disorder (DSM-IV criteria) were treated for 20 weeks with quetiapine (mean dose 315 +/- 109 mg/day). Patients were evaluated at baseline, weekly from 1 to 9 weeks, and then after 12, 16, and 20 weeks of treatment, using Hamilton rating scale for depression-17 items (HAMD) scale. - - - - - Results Fourteen patients with TRD completed the 20-week open trial with quetiapine. The augmentation with quetiapine significantly reduced total scores and scores listed in the anxiety subscale on the HAMD, and these effects were observed after the fourth week of treatment, while the depressed mood scores were significantly reduced after the fifth week of treatment. Quetiapine add-on treatment significantly decreased the scores listed in the insomnia subscale on the HAMD subscale after the second week of treatment. - - - - - Conclusions Our preliminary data indicate that quetiapine add-on therapy appears to have beneficial effects in the treatment of patients with TRD