Active clinical trials for "Mental Disorders"

Obesity and physical inactivity have reached epidemic proportions, resulting in increased rates of a variety of chronic diseases, increased risk of death, and substantial health care costs. Individuals with serious mental illness are even more likely to be overweight or obese, which contributes to the high rate of co-morbid medical disease and early mortality found among this population. Specific individual and group-based psychoeducational interventions have repeatedly and consistently been shown to help adults with serious mental illness improve their weight. However, these require substantial time from mental health clinicians, and frequent visits by patients to mental health clinics. This creates challenges for patients who may need to travel to a medical center that provides these services, and who often have limited transportation options. It is likely that these barriers can be addressed with a computerized, web-based intervention focused on diet and exercise education, and tailored for veterans with serious mental illness. Web-based systems can deliver content that is intensive, engaging, and tailored to the needs and preferences of specific patients. Web-based systems can be delivered using computers at community-based outpatient Clinics or other settings in the community. The objective of this project is to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based intervention to help patients with serious mental illness lose weight.

This trial is to investigate the effect on next-day driving performance and psychomotor performance in healthy volunteers.

Severe mood dysregulation (SMD) is a very common syndrome in children. Its symptoms include very severe irritability, including persistent anger and frequent outbursts, as well as distractibility, hyperactivity, and other symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Many children with SMD receive the diagnosis of bipolar disorder (BD) in the community, although they do not have clear manic episodes (with symptoms such as extreme happiness and decreased need for sleep). Because SMD has not been studied in depth, we do not know which medications are most helpful to those with SMD. This study will evaluate the effectiveness of the stimulant medication methylphenidate (MPH, more commonly known as Ritalin ) when combined (or not combined) with the antidepressant citalopram (Celexa ) in treating symptoms of SMD in children and adolescents. This study will provide information about how to treat SMD in youth. This study will include approximately 80 patients between 7 and 17 years of age with SMD. The patient s symptoms must have started before age 12. The study will consist of four phases carried out over 4 to 5 months. During Phase 1, the patient will undergo blood and urine tests, and will gradually taper off his or her medication. The duration of this phase depends on the patient s medication before starting the study. In Phase 2, the patient remains off all medication for 1 week. In Phase 3, the patient will be treated with MPH for 2 weeks, and then will be randomly assigned to receive either MPH plus citalopram or MPH plus a placebo for a further 8 weeks. In Phase 4, the researchers will evaluate the effectiveness of the medications taken, and begin an open treatment phase using medications that they deem appropriate for that patient (this may include MPH with citalopram and/or other medication combinations). Most patients will be admitted to the Pediatric Behavioral Health Unit at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center during the medication withdrawal part of the study (Phases 1 and 2). From Phase 3 on, a patient may participate as an inpatient, outpatient, or in day treatment, depending on what is in his or her best interests. ...

The purpose of this study is to develop a treatment manual for mindfulness meditation to be taught in a group format to individuals with schizophrenia who are engaged in vocational rehabilitation. This study will also determine whether mindfulness meditation is beneficial in terms of improving work function by reducing distressing emotional states and thinking patterns.

To investigate and compare the efficacy, safety and tolerability of ziprasidone versus placebo in the treatment of conduct disorder (CD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and disruptive behavior disorder not otherwise specified (DBD-NOS) of older children and adolescents in an outpatient setting. Conduct and other behavior disorders are some of the most common forms of psychopathology in children and adolescents. The main characteristic of these disorders is a repetitive and persistent pattern of antisocial, aggressive or defiant behavior that involves major violations of age-appropriate expectations or norms. According to the guidelines of the German Society for Child & Adolescent Psychiatry & Psychotherapy (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und -psychotherapie DGKJPP), the European Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (ESCAP), and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) currently no standard pharmacotherapy is established and recommended for children and adolescents. However Risperidone has been shown to be effective in the treatment of patients with disruptive behavior disorders and below average IQ.

To assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of intramuscular ziprasidone in the treatment of the acute exacerbation of non-organic psychosis of any etiology, including schizophrenia, acute mania, delusional disorder and others.

Emotional and behavioural problems as well as a lack of social competence are supposed to be common phenomena in adolescents with borderline intellectual functioning, consequently impairing their social and vocational integration. Considering the lack of evaluated group interventions for this population, a cognitive-behavioural training is developed and its effectiveness is examined in a population of students attending special vocational schools. 77 adolescents with borderline intelligence are enrolled participated in the study. They are randomized either to the intervention group, who received 9 group sessions over a period of 3 months additionally to the standard vocational training (Social Competence Training for Adolescents with Borderline Intelligence, SCT-ABI) or to the control group who received only the standard vocational training. Outcome measures at the end of the intervention and at a 6-months follow-up assessment comprise self-reports, caregiver-reports, and behavioural observations of cognitive, emotional, and behavioural factors of social competence.

The investigators have developed an intervention called Behavioral Treatment of Smoking Cessation in SPMI (BTSCS), an innovative intervention that supplements pharmacotherapy and education with contingency management and a multifaceted behavioral group treatment program that lasts for three months (24 group meetings). BTSCS is designed to address the cognitive, motivational, and social support problems characteristic of people with SPMI. The investigators propose to conduct a randomized trial for persons with SPMI that compares (1) BTSCS: a 6-month manualized smoking cessation program adapted from an effective substance abuse treatment program for this population to (2) StSST: a standard manualized smoking cessation program which reflects current best practices.

The purpose of the study is to compare the effects of using or not using a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in an acute psychiatric department.

The purpose of the study is to assess the effectiveness and safety of an oral solution of risperidone (an antipsychotic medication) versus placebo in the treatment of conduct disorder in children with mild, moderate, or borderline mental retardation.