A455used data from the EuroSC study, a longitudinal cohort of 1208 patients with schizophrenia followed for 2 years. Every 6 months, the collected information included QoL-Interview, from which the Global Satisfaction Score (GLS) and the frequency of social contacts score were derived, and the Positive And Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS), from which EW score was derived. After bivariate and correlation analyses, we tested whether few social contacts at baseline would predict greater EW and lower GLS after 2 years when adjusted on baseline level. Finally, randomeffects regression analyses were performed to test the longitudinal effect of social contact, adjusting on potential confounding factors. Results: Bivariate and correlation analyses established a link between frequency of social contact and both EW score (-0.24, p< 0.001) and negative factor scale (-0.30, p< 0.0001) at each time point. Few social contacts at baseline were associated with greater EW (p= 0.013) and worse negative factor score (p= 0.009), when compared to baseline. A trend for prediction of better QoL was also found, although not reaching significance. Random effects regressions confirmed the significant impact of social contacts over time on EW (p< 0.0001), negative factor score (p< 0.0001) and QoL (p< 0.001). ConClusions: Given consistent effects of social contacts on reduction of negative symptoms and improvement of QoL in schizophrenic patients, social contacts should be used as a therapeutic tool. A higher frequency of social contacts could be obtained by regular therapeutic groups offered to these patients.

Chemical (ATC-2012edition) System. A systematic approach was also used to compare national results of the current study to similar results of other countries. Results: More than 425 million prescriptions were reviewed. The total price of antidepressant prescription and dispensation was about 40 million and 210 million US$ respectively. The most frequently prescribed medicines were nortriptyline, fluoxetine, and citalopram, which were accounted for 63% of all prescriptions. 87 articles were retrieved from various databases and other sources after excluding the duplicated articles. 17 articles were screened by titles and abstracts. After excluding the non relevant studies, there were 6 articles remained which were eligible for full text assessment. ConClusions: In compliance with the global trend, there was a growing tendency obviously observed towards prescribing SSRIs in Iran. In the face of rising burden of depression, on the one hand and the rising cost of medication and lack of funding resources on the other hand, we need to adopt strategies for promoting rational antidepressant medications use. These finding has important value for priority setting in planning and implementation of strategies for promoting rational drug use.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effective midwifery care from pregnancy to postpartum in order to promote evidence-based midwifery practice in improving childbirth satisfaction and breastfeeding. The subjects were one-month postpartum mothers who came to one-month check-up during July to October in 2010. The purpose of the self-administered questionnaire developed by the research group was explained, then provided to mothers who agreed to participate in the survey at 4 hospitals each with more than 300 beds and 1 clinic with more than 500 deliveries annually in Okinawa. The questionnaire was collected on the same day or via postal mail. A total of 540 mothers agreed to complete the survey, and 434 responses were considered valid for this study (valid response rate: 80.4%). Vaginal delivery group was 223 (82.3% with medical intervention rate of 15.2%), and the cesarean section group was 48 (17.7%). The most helpful one-on-one guidance was "nipple care in preparation for breastfeeding" during pregnancy, "encouragement" during delivery, and "Kangaroo (skin-to-skin) care" immediately after the delivery. An Application rate of episiotomy was 65.2% for primiparous women and 30.5% for multiparous women. The rate of perineal laceration enlarged to more than third degree in cases with episiotomy is three times more than the cases with no episiotomy. Additionally, the prevalence of breastfeeding at one-month postpartum was significantly higher in the mothers rooming-in with the baby (76.2%) than mothers in separate room (28.3%). Moreover, 60.3% of the mothers in the complete rooming-in group answered they had not felt difficulty with childcare while it dropped to 46.2% among the mothers in the separate room group.

Objectives: To examine the discharge prescription patterns of antipsychotics in patients with mental illness hospitalized compulsorily by prefectural governors in accordance with the provisions of Article 29 of the Japanese Mental Health Act. MethOds: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted on the Article 29 patients admitted during fiscal year 2010 to 79 Japanese mental hospitals. We analyzed patients who were diagnosed with psychotic disorders (ICD-10: F2) and prescribed at least one antipsychotic. Extracted data included gender, age, principal psychiatric diagnosis (based on ICD-10), treatment history, and types and doses of antipsychotics at discharge. Results: The cohort consisted of 440 males and 222 females, with an average age (standard deviation) of 43.6 years (13.3). The most frequent diagnostic subcategory was schizophrenia (F20; n= 542), followed by acute and transient psychotic disorders (F23; n= 33), schizoaffective disorders (F25; n= 29), and persistent delusional disorders (F22; n= 26). Of the 662 patients, 258 had never experienced psychiatric hospitalization before the index admission, and 133 of these had never undergone psychiatric treatment. Oral antipsychotics were prescribed for 651 patients; of these, 241 and 588 were prescribed first-generation and secondgeneration antipsychotics (SGAs), respectively. Among the SGAs, risperidone (39.7%; n= 263) had the highest prescription rate, followed by olanzapine (n= 223), aripiprazole (n= 70), quetiapine (n= 66), blonanserin (n= 42), perospirone (n= 8), paliperidone (n= 8), and clozapine (n= 2). Antipsychotic long-acting injections (LAIs) were administered in 84 (12.7%) patients; of these, haloperidol LAI (5.6%; n= 37) had the highest utilization rate, followed by risperidone LAI (4.4%; n= 29) and fluphenazine LAI (3.0%; n= 20). Antipsychotic polypharmacy was conducted in 297 (44.9%) patients; of these, 89 (13.4%) were prescribed three or more concurrent antipsychotics. cOnclusiOns: At discharge, about four ninths of the Article 29 patients in Japan are apparently treated with antipsychotic polypharmacy.