A total of 201 women were interviewed four weeks before elective interval tubal sterilisation, of whom 190 (94-5%) were assessed again six months postoperatively and 193 (96 0%) 18 months postoperatively. Before sterilisation the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity as measured by the present state examination was 104% (21 patients), no greater than might be expected in a general population sample; six months after the operation the prevalence was significantly reduced to 4-7% (nine patients); and 18 months postoperatively it had returned almost to the preoperative value (9-3%; 18 patients). Postoperative psychosexual disturbance was rare, only 3% of patients reporting reduced enjoyment of sexual intercourse at either follow-up. Considerable regret was reported by only five patients (2-6%) six months after the operation and by eight (4 1%) 18 months after the operation; however, some dissatisfaction was reported by 15 patients (7-9%) at six months and 21 patients (10-9%) at 18 months. Postoperative psychiatric disturbance and dissatisfaction were largely associated with preoperative psychiatric disturbance.Thus there was no evidence that elective interval sterilisation increased the risk of psychiatric disturbance up to 18 months after the operation.

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Self‐poisoning patients and their relatives or friends were interviewed following admission to a general hospital. Events involving a key person, especially quarrels, were common in the two days preceding the overdose. Quarrels were more common events in women than men. It is argued that the frequency of quarrels supports the idea that hostility is important in the motivation of self‐poisoners. It is hypothesized that differences in the frequency of key events and those under and over 36 years might arise from depressive illness being more frequently found in the older group.

In studying the process of psychotherapy, detailed and reliable methods of describing the components are required. Such a method for content analysis of brief psychotherapy sessions is described. It is comprehensive and has satisfactory inter‐rater reliability. It proved to have predictive validity in that it identified characteristics of the treatment approach, and most of the changes in therapeutic activity during the course of treatment, that had been predicted beforehand. In addition, similar patterns in the use of therapeutic strategies were found for therapists from different professional backgrounds trained in the same treatment approach. This method of analysis is recommended for future studies of content of psychotherapeutic treatments, including investigations of the relationship between content of treatment and outcome.

Pre-Membership training tends to concentrate on the acquisition of knowledge and gaining clinical experience, especially in the assessment of patients. In postgraduate training the learning of various management skills, the development of special interests and filling gaps in previous training are the primary tasks. Theoretical learning through books and journals alone is insufficient in these areas. Opportunities must be available for the senior registrar to use his clinical time to achieve satisfactory training. If the senior registrar's position is largely supernumerary this is easily achieved; however, this happy situation is a rarity.