We investigated the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) among patients who were primarily diagnosed with schizophrenia. We investigated the differences in the neuropsychiatric features and motor symptoms between patients with schizophrenia who did or did not have OCD. Seventy-one subjects with the DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia were evaluated by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders, the Yale-Brown Obsessivecompulsive Scale and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. To assess their motor symptoms, the Abnormal Involuntary Movements Scale, the Barnes rating scale for drug-induced akathisia and the Simpson and Angus extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) rating scale were used. The 13 subjects with OCD (18.3%) had significantly more severe motor symptoms than the non-OCD subjects. Patients with schizophrenia who exhibit moderate to severe motor symptoms as sideeffects of neuroleptics, should be examined for OCD comorbidity. Patients who are found to have OCD comorbidity must be treated with carefully chosen medications, including serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

The purpose of the present article was to review the literature on disaster mental health in relation to natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and cyclones throughout Asia. Articles reviewed show that disaster psychiatry in Asia is beginning to emerge from and leave behind the stigma attached to mental health. The emergence of the acceptance of disaster mental health throughout Asia can be attributed in part to the acceptance of the notion of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This has allowed greater involvement of mental health professionals in providing ongoing support to survivors of natural disasters as well as providing greater opportunities for further research. Also, articles reviewed in the present paper commonly suggested the need for using standardized diagnostic tools for PTSD to appropriately interpret the discrepancy of results among studies. The importance of post-disaster support services and cultural differences is highlighted.

There are an increasing number of reports on an association between the alteration of circulating cytokine levels and pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. Plasma concentrations of interleukin (IL)-18 were measured in 13 nonmedicated patients with psychiatric disorders. There was a significant elevation of IL-18 levels in patients with major depression (n = 8) and panic disorder (n = 5), compared with normal controls. The mean IL-18 value of our psychiatric patients was comparable with that of various somatic disorders reported. We suggest that the elevation of plasma IL-18 levels reflects the increased production and release of IL-18 in the central nervous system under stressful settings. We propose that the measurement of IL-18 plasma levels may provide a useful index for the involvement of immune system in psychiatric disorders.

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