Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in NSW

Jack Dikian

June 2011

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), formerly known as electroshock, is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in anesthetized patients for therapeutic effect. Today, ECT is most often recommended for use as a treatment for severe depression which has not responded to other treatment, and is also used in the treatment of mania and catatonia.

ECT was first introduced in 1938 and gained widespread use as a form of treatment in the 1940s and 1950s.

According to Medicare figures, it seems the use of ECT has increased by almost 30% in the past five years in NSW, particularly among young women. This is significantly greater than Victoria.

Jack Dikian

Dementia rates are set to double within the next 20 years in Australia

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimates that the number of elderly dementia sufferers will jump to more than 450,000 by 2031 – a rate that is twice as large as current figures.

According to the Australia's Health 2010 study, among those aged 75 years and over, dementia in Australia is estimated to be the leading cause of the burden of disease among both males and females in 2010. Across all ages it is the fifth highest specific cause of disease burden, accounting for 4% of the total disease burden.

Less risk in the United States

The Journal of Alzheimer's & Dementia found 8.7 percent of participants age 70 and older had cognitive impairment — from significant memory loss to full-blown Alzheimer's disease — compared to 12.2 percent in 1993.

According to a nationwide study co-authored by a Group Health researcher older Americans appear to have significantly less risk of memory loss and dementia than a decade ago. The rationale offered is likely due to people being better-educated, wealthier and receive better health care for cardiovascular disease.

The study found that more years of education may have influenced the prevalence and outcomes of dementia. The proportion of adults 65 and older with a high-school diploma increased from 53 percent in 1990 to 72 percent in 2003. The proportion of those with a college degree increased from 11 percent to 17 percent during the same time period.

The Narcissism Epidemic

Jack Dikian

May 2011

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health asked if people had ever experienced symptoms associated with NPD in their lifetime. They expected that older people would have a much higher rate than younger people since they have lived more years. However, the data showed only 3% of people over 65 had ever experienced NPD, compared to nearly 10% of people in their twenties.

According to researchers at the University of South Alabama, from 2002 to 2007, college students' scores on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) rose twice as fast as was found in an earlier study that covered changes between 1982 and 2006.

Post War Generation and Start of Google Searches

Cultural generations, unlike familial generations are cohorts of people who were born in the same date range and share similar cultural experience. In the Western world various attempts have been made to enumerate generations. Interestingly, the commencement of Generation-Y is generally regarded to be people born in/or around the early 1980’s and yet the bulk of Google searches for “gen y” commenced around 2005. Those born between 1990’s and now are commonly regarded as Gen-Z and yet the bulk of Google search volume for “”gen z” commenced around 2009.

• The lost generation 1914 those fighting in WW1
• The greatest generation 1901 - 1924
• Silent generation 1925 - 1945
• The baby boomers 1946 - 1964
• Generation X 1960’s – 1970’s
• Generation Y 1980’s - 1995 Substantial Google search commenced in '05
• Generation Z 1990’s - current Substantial Google search commenced in '08
• Generation slashers Informal mentions

Fragile X