This study provides evidence for the validity of the BDRS for the measurement of depression in bipolar disorder. These results suggest good internal validity, provisional evidence of inter-rater reliability and strong correlations with other depression rating scales.

6 Ettlinger RW. Evaluation of the suicide prevention after attempted suicide. Acta PsYchitar Scaiid 1975;260(suppl):84-99. 7 Dahlgren KG. Attempted suicides-35 years aftenrard. Stitcide Life Tltriat Beha 1977;7:77- AbstractObjective-To determine factors associated with completed suicide in young parasuicide patients.Design-Case-control study. Setting-Regional poisoning treatment centre in a teaching general hospital.Subjects-Patients who, between 1968 and 1985 when aged 15-24 years, were admitted to the regional poisoning treatment centre because of deliberate self poisoning or self injury. Cases (n=62) consisted of those who by the end of 1985 had died locally from either suicide (n=41) or possible suicide (n=21). Controls (n= 124) were patients who were known not to have died locally during the study period. Two controls were selected for each case, matched by sex, age (within two years), and length of follow up.Main outcome measures-Possible predictors of completed suicide.Results-Univariate analysis (conditional logistic regression) showed that risk of death due to suicide and possible suicide was associated with six factors: social class V (odds ratio 2-7, 95%/o confidence interval 1 1 to 6.7), unemployment (2.8, 1-4 to 5.8), previous inpatient psychiatric treatment (4.9, 2-2 to 10.9), substance misuse (3.3, 1-6 to 6 8), personality disorder (2.1, 1-03 to 4 4), and previous attempted suicide (2.3, 1-2 to 4.4). Multivariate analysis identified two factors as significantly contributing to the model that best discriminated between the cases and controls: substance misuse (alcohol or drugs, or both) (adjusted odds ratio 3.9) and previous inpatient psychiatric treatment (3.7). These factors seemed to be associated with suicide after attempted suicide in both the short term (less than 12 months) and the long term (one year or more) and were also identified when the analysis was restricted to subjects who definitely died by suicide and their controls.Conclusions-Suicide after parasuicide in young people is associated with substance misuse. This suggests that prevention of suicide in young people who attempt suicide might be improved by close liaison between general hospital services for patients who have attempted suicide and services for young substance misusers and by measures aimed at preventing substance misuse in young people.

Caring for someone with dementia is burdensome and challenging. In Australia, respite services help carers to cope with these demands. In this descriptive study, 62 carers of people with dementia provided information on their use of respite care, its effectiveness and their satisfaction with services provided during the preceding 12 months. Results indicated that carers used day centre, in-home, residential, regular outings and cottage care. The main reasons for use were to assist with managing care, take a break, or attend to health problems. Although 78% of carers rated respite as beneficial to their care recipients, most suggested areas that required attention. Improvements included the need for more time and flexibility, better quality and more permanent staff, improved communication, bureaucracy, administration and affordability. Respite providers need to recognize these limitations and develop strategies to improve the delivery of diverse respite care for carers of people with dementia.

This article responds to recent calls for a focus on successful development in young people and examination of its developmental precursors, in order to identify potentially modifiable targets for interventions. The current study examined child and adolescent precursors of positive functioning in emerging adulthood, including individual characteristics, relationship factors, and connections to the community, using a multidimensional positive development measure at 19-20 years. The sample consisted of 511 males and 647 females who were participants in the Australian Temperament Project, a population based longitudinal study that has followed young people's psychosocial adjustment from infancy to early adulthood. Higher levels of positive development in emerging adulthood were associated with stronger family and peer relationships, better adjustment to the school setting, higher family socioeconomic status, and better emotional control. Some significant gender differences were observed, with emotional control, family relationships, and community orientation all being stronger predictors of males' than of females' positive development. The findings provide possible targets for child and adolescent interventions to promote positive development in early adulthood.