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American Optometric Association Approves Optometric Board Certification At Annual Meeting
At the annual meeting of the American Optometric Association (AOA), members voted Friday 1,126 to 887 in favor of establishing the American Board of Optometry (ABO) as the entity to develop and implement the framework for board certification and maintenance of certification.
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Verdict Reached In Landmark Mental Health Employment Case
Cheltenham Borough Council has today lost its case to sue former employee Christine Laird for ÷£1million for not disclosing her past experience of depression. Leading mental health charity Mind says the landmark ruling serves as an important reminder to employers about the importance of providing adequate support to people with mental health problems in the workplace.
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New Urine Test Detects Chlamydia In Men
A new rapid urine test for chlamydia in men identified 84% of infections, according to a study of 1,200 men published Tuesday in the British Medical Journal, Reuters reports. Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection among women and can be treated easily with antibiotics. However, the STI often goes undiagnosed and causes no symptoms in 70% of cases. It can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and infertility. It also can make women more vulnerable to HIV.Rapid tests for chlamydia in men often have been inconclusive and uncomfortable, involving a painful swab of the urethra. The developer of the new test, Helen Lee of the University of Cambridge, said, "This has led to many cases of infection in men going undiagnosed and being transmitted to their female partners, with potentially more serious complications." The new test is "both accurate and swift, allowing men attending the clinics to be tested and treated on site in one visit," according to Lee. She said that the test already is approved in France and soon will be available in Italy, Spain, Portugal and other European countries (Reuters, 7/28).
Mental Health

Evidence That Cognitive Therapy Is Of No Value In Schizophrenia

Research co-led by an academic at the University of Hertfordshire, concludes that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is of no value in schizophrenia and has limited effect on depression. Professor Keith Laws, at the University"s School of Psychology, is one of the lead authors on a paper entitled: Cognitive behavioural therapy for major psychiatric disorder: does it really work? A meta-analytical review of well-controlled trials, which has just been published online in the journal Psychological Medicine. The paper reviews the use of CBT in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression. The results of the review suggest that not only is CBT ineffective in treating schizophrenia and in preventing relapse, it is also ineffective in preventing relapses in bipolar disorder. The review also suggests that CBT has only a weak effect in treating depression, but it has a greater effect in preventing relapses in this disorder. The authors focused particularly on methodologically rigorous trials that compared CBT to a "psychological placebo" and also investigated the impact of "blinding", i.e. whether or not the people who assessed the patients knew if they were receiving active treatment or not. Both factors are considered essential before a drug treatment is approved for use in psychiatric disorders. The authors noted that not a single trial employing both blinding and psychological placebo has found CBT to be effective in schizophrenia and surprisingly few well-controlled studies of CBT in depression. "The results of this review are important because in March NICE re-approved CBT for use in all people with schizophrenia. The Government is also investing millions of pounds to provide CBT for depression and anxiety in 250 dedicated therapy centres across England," said Professor Laws. "Yet the evidence here is that the effectiveness of this form of therapy may be less than previously thought, to the point of being non-existent in schizophrenia." The other authors of the paper are Professor Peter McKenna, Benito Menni Complex Assistencial en Salut Mental, Barcelona and Dr Damian Lynch, University of Glasgow. A copy of the paper can be accessed here. The University of Hertfordshire is an ambitious and entrepreneurial university. It offers excellence in teaching, learning and research and puts students at the heart of its activities. It is a model of a 21st century university, international, business-facing and business-like in its approach - making it distinctive in an ever changing higher education environment. The University of Hertfordshire


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