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Predicting costs of mental health care: a critical literature review
Cost evaluation research in the mental health field is being increasingly recognized as a way to achieve a more effective deployment of scarce resources. However, there is a paucity of studies that seek to identify predictors of psychiatric service utilization and costs. This paper aims to critically review the published research in the field of psychiatric service utilization and costs, and discusses current methodological developments in this field
Achievements, concerns and (unanswered) questions
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Mapping the selection, availability, price and affordability of essential medicines for mental health conditions at a global level
Aims: To provide a cross-country analysis of selection, availability, prices and affordability of essential medicines for mental health conditions, aiming to identify areas for improvement. Methods: We used the World Health Organization (WHO) online repository of national essential medicines lists (EMLs) to extract information on the inclusion of essential psychotropic medicines within each country's EML. Data on psychotropic medicine availability, price and affordability were obtained from the Health Action International global database. Additional information on country availability, prices and affordability of essential medicines for mental disorders was identified by searching, up to January 2021, PubMed/Medline, CINAHIL, Scopus and the WHO Regional Databases. We summarised and compared the indicators across lowest-price generic and originator brand medicines in the public and private sectors, and by country income groups. Results: A total of 112 national EMLs were analysed, and data on psychotropic medicine availability, price and affordability were obtained from 87 surveys. While some WHO essential psychotropic medicines, such as chlorpromazine, haloperidol, amitriptyline, carbamazepine and diazepam, were selected by most national lists, irrespective of the country income level, other essential medicines, such as risperidone or clozapine, were included by most national lists in high-income countries, but only by a minority of lists in low-income countries. Up to 40% of low-income countries did not include medicines that have been in the WHO list for decades, such as long-acting fluphenazine, lithium carbonate and clomipramine. The availability of generic and originator psychotropic medicines in the public sector was below 50% for all medicines, with low-income countries showing rates lower than the overall average. Analysis of price data revealed that procurement prices were lower than patient prices in the public sector, and medicines in the private sector were associated with the highest prices. In low-income countries, the average patient price for amitriptyline and fluoxetine was three times the international unit reference price, while the average patient price for diazepam was ten times the international unit reference price. Affordability was higher in the public than the private sector, and in high-income than low-income countries. Conclusion: Access to medicines for mental health conditions is an ongoing challenge for health systems worldwide, and no countries can claim to be fully aligned with the general principle of providing full access to essential psychotropic medicines. Low availability and high costs are major barriers to the use of and adherence to essential psychotropic medicines, particularly in low-and middle-income countries
Esketamine for treatment resistant depression: a trick of smoke and mirrors?
Abstract
In March 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a nasal spray formulation of esketamine for the treatment of resistant depression in adults. Esketamine is the S-enantiomer of ketamine, an FDA-approved anaesthetic, known to cause dissociation and, occasionally, hallucinations. While ketamine has not been approved for depression in the USA or in any other country, it has been used off-label in cases of severe depression. This commentary critically reviewed the evidence on esketamine submitted to the FDA, aiming to draw implications for clinical practice, research and regulatory science
What is a multiple treatments meta-analysis?
Standard meta-analyses are an effective tool in evidence-based medicine, but one of their main drawbacks is that they can compare only two alternative treatments at a time. Moreover, if no trials exist which directly compare two interventions, it is not possible to estimate their relative efficacy. Multiple treatments meta-analyses use a meta-analytical technique that allows the incorporation of evidence from both direct and indirect comparisons from a network of trials of different interventions to estimate summary treatment effects as comprehensively and precisely as possible
Cocirculation of Hajj and non-Hajj strains among serogroup W meningococci in Italy, 2000 to 2016
In Italy, B and C are the predominant serogroups among meningococci causing invasive diseases. Nevertheless, in the period from 2013 to 2016, an increase in serogroup W Neisseria meningitidis (MenW) was observed. This study intends to define the main characteristics of 63 MenW isolates responsible of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in Italy from 2000 to 2016. We performed whole genome sequencing on bacterial isolates or single gene sequencing on culturenegative samples to evaluate molecular heterogeneity. Our main finding was the cocirculation of the Hajj and the South American sublineages belonging to MenW/ clonal complex (cc)11, which gradually surpassed the MenW/cc22 in Italy. All MenW/cc11 isolates were fully susceptible to cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, penicillin G and rifampicin. We identified the fulllength NadA protein variant 2/3, present in all the MenW/cc11. We also identified the fHbp variant 1, which we found exclusively in the MenW/cc11/Hajj sublineage. Concern about the epidemic potential of MenW/cc11 has increased worldwide since the year 2000. Continued surveillance, supported by genomic characterisation, allows high-resolution tracking of pathogen dissemination and the detection of epidemicassociated strains
Isobaric Yield Ratios and The Symmetry Energy In Fermi Energy Heavy Ion Reactions
The relative isobaric yields of fragments produced in a series of heavy ion
induced multifragmentation reactions have been analyzed in the framework of a
Modified Fisher Model, primarily to determine the ratio of the symmetry energy
coefficient to the temperature, , as a function of fragment mass A. The
extracted values increase from 5 to ~16 as A increases from 9 to 37. These
values have been compared to the results of calculations using the
Antisymmetrized Molecular Dynamics (AMD) model together with the statistical
decay code Gemini. The calculated ratios are in good agreement with those
extracted from the experiment. In contrast, the ratios determined from fitting
the primary fragment distributions from the AMD model calculation are ~ 4 and
show little variation with A. This observation indicates that the value of the
symmetry energy coefficient derived from final fragment observables may be
significantly different than the actual value at the time of fragment
formation. The experimentally observed pairing effect is also studied within
the same simulations. The Coulomb coefficient is also discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figure
An experimental survey of the production of alpha decaying heavy elements in the reactions of U +Th at 7.5-6.1 MeV/nucleon
The production of alpha particle decaying heavy nuclei in reactions of
7.5-6.1 MeV/nucleon U +Th has been explored using an in-beam
detection array composed of YAP scintillators and gas ionization chamber-Si
telescopes. Comparisons of alpha energies and half-lives for the observed
products with those of the previously known isotopes and with theoretically
predicted values indicate the observation of a number of previously unreported
alpha emitters. Alpha particle decay energies reaching as high as 12 MeV are
observed. Many of these are expected to be from decay of previously unseen
relatively neutron rich products. While the contributions of isomeric states
require further exploration and specific isotope identifications need to be
made, the production of heavy isotopes with quite high atomic numbers is
suggested by the data.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figure
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