BACKGROUND: The mustard gas (MG) exposure can impair physical health and therefore increase the probability of the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychological disorders. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate long-term effects of MG exposure on veterans' mental health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. In order to assess prevalence of mental health and PTSD of 100 MG victims 25 years after the exposure to MG in Iran-Iraq conflict, the general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) and Impact of Event Scale-Revised, respectively was administered. RESULTS: The mean (±standard deviation (SD)) age of participants was 40.63 (±5.86) years. The mean GHQ-28 (47.34) of the study group was higher compared to standardized cutoff point (23) of the Iranian community. Also, it was found that 38 participants (38%) suffer from PTSD. The results of this study showed that academic education in the PTSD group was less than that in the non-PTSD group (P=0.03). In addition, in multivariate analysis it was found that only education level of the veterans and their wives were effective on the mental health score (adjusted P=0.036 and 0.041, respectively). The mean score of depression and psychosocial activity subscale in patients at higher education level was lower than patients at lower education level (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study found that sulfur mustard (SM) exposure can be effect on mental health even 25 years after exposure. Therefore, the psychological state should be more considered in chemical injured veterans and it is important that providing more mental health centers for this community.

Ind Psychiatry J. 2013 Jan;22(1):22-5. doi: 10.4103/0972-6748.123604. Karami GR(1), Ameli J(2), Roeintan R(3), Jonaidi-Jafari N(4), Saburi A(5). (1)Department of Psychiatry, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. (2)Department of Neurology, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. (3)Department of Neurosurgery, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. (4)Health Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. (5)Chemical Injuries Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Mollasadra St, Vanak Sq, Tehran, Iran ; Atherosclerosis and Coronary Artery Research Centre, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Vali-e-Asr Hospital, Ghaffari St, Birjand, Iran.

Full title: Hypnotizability, Hypnosis and Prepulse Inhibition of the Startle Reflex in Healthy Women: An ERP Analysis.

A working model of the neurophysiology of hypnosis suggests that highly hypnotizable individuals (HHs) have more effective frontal attentional systems implementing control, monitoring performance, and inhibiting unwanted stimuli from conscious awareness, than low hypnotizable individuals (LHs). Recent studies, using prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the auditory startle reflex (ASR), suggest that HHs, in the waking condition, may show reduced sensory gating although they may selectively attend and disattend different stimuli. Using a within subject design and a strict subject selection procedure, in waking and hypnosis conditions we tested whether HHs compared to LHs showed a significantly lower inhibition of the ASR and startle-related brain activity in both time and intracerebral source localization domains. HHs, as compared to LH participants, exhibited (a) longer latency of the eyeblink startle reflex, (b) reduced N100 responses to startle stimuli, and (c) higher PPI of eyeblink startle and of the P200 and P300 waves. Hypnosis yielded smaller N100 waves to startle stimuli and greater PPI of this component than in the waking condition. sLORETA analysis revealed that, for the N100 (107 msec) elicited during startle trials, HHs had a smaller activation in the left parietal lobe (BA2/40) than LHs. Auditory pulses of pulse-with prepulse trials in HHs yielded less activity of the P300 (280 msec) wave than LHs, in the cingulate and posterior cingulate gyrus (BA23/31). The present results, on the whole, are in the opposite direction to PPI findings on hypnotizability previously reported in the literature. These results provide support to the neuropsychophysiological model that HHs have more effective sensory integration and gating (or filtering) of irrelevant stimuli than LHs.

PLoS One. 2013 Nov 22;8(11):e79605. De Pascalis V, Russo E. Department of Psychology "La Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

Full title: "I Just Have to Stick with It and It'll Work": Experiences of Adolescents and Young Adults with Mental Health Concerns.

Mental health issues are common among adolescents and young adults but service utilization in this group is low. This study aimed to better understand the experiences of older adolescents and young adults who were experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, including the factors that affected their decision to seek treatment and their feelings about their experience of mental health issues. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 37 older adolescents and young adults. Participants tended to have a sophisticated understanding of the causes of mental disorders, but to have been unsure about whether their own experiences of depression or anxiety were the result of a mental disorder, or just "normal" experiences. They reported concerns about taking medication and about keeping information about their condition private. They also felt that it was important to them to be active participants in their own care.

Community Ment Health J. 2014 Jan 24. [Epub ahead of print] Bluhm RL, Covin R, Chow M, Wrath A, Osuch EA. Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA.

Full title: The management of dental anxiety and impact of psychosomatic factors on dentistry: is recent scientific research translated into German dental practices? This study investigated the dentists' knowledge about psychosomatic medicine. Anxiolytic techniques, considerations about psychosomatic medicine, and referrals to psychotherapists were examined by a questionnaire. Overall, 65 percent felt negatively affected by patients with dental fear. Few dentists used relaxation techniques and hypnosis. The relationship between psychosomatic factors and pain perception was well known, but not their impact on wound healing. The frequency of continuing education courses correlated with a broader range of treatment techniques and less difficulties in treatment. Research evidence about the impact of psychological factors on dental treatment has not been translated into dental practice.

J Health Psychol. 2013 Dec;18(12):1519-28. Diercke K, Bürger GD, Bermejo JL, Lux CJ, Brunner M. University of Heidelberg, Germany.

Full title: Depression during pregnancy: Prevalence and obstetric risk factors among pregnant women attending a tertiary care hospital in Navi Mumbai.

CONTEXT: Depression affects about 20% of women during their lifetime, with pregnancy being a period of high vulnerability. Prevalence of depression during pregnancy ranges from 4% to 20%. Several risk factors predispose to depression during pregnancy including obstetric factors. Depression during pregnancy is not only the strongest risk factor for post-natal depression but also leads to adverse obstetric outcomes. AIMS: To study the prevalence of depression during pregnancy and its associated obstetric risk factors among pregnant women attending routine antenatal checkup. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational survey done at the outpatient department (OPD) of the department of obstetrics of a tertiary care hospital in Navi Mumbai. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and eighty-five pregnant women were randomly administered the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for detecting depression. Additional socio-demographic and obstetric history was recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Prevalence of depression during pregnancy was found to be 9.18% based upon BDI, and it was significantly associated with several obstetric risk factors like gravidity (P = 0.0092), unplanned pregnancy (P = 0.001), history of abortions (P = 0.0001), and a history of obstetric complications, both present (P = 0.0001) and past (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Depression during pregnancy is prevalent among pregnant women in Navi-Mumbai, and several obstetric risk factors were associated to depression during pregnancy. Future research in this area is needed, which will clearly elucidate the potential long-term impact of depression during pregnancy and associated obstetric risk factors so as to help health professionals identify vulnerable groups for early detection, diagnosis, and providing effective interventions for depression during pregnancy.

Ind Psychiatry J. 2013 Jan;22(1):37-40. doi: 10.4103/0972-6748.123615 Ajinkya S(1), Jadhav PR(2), Srivastava NN(3). (1)Department of Psychiatry, MGM Medical College and Hospital, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. (2)Department of Pharmacology, MGM Medical College and Hospital, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. (3)MGM Medical College and Hospital, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The percentage of induced live birth has more than doubled from the 1990s to 2008. Induction of labour can either be based on medical indications, or performed as an elective procedure. A large range of pharmacological and non-pharmacological modalities are available for the induction of labour and the optimal method for labour induction is unknown. This article is aimed to examine literature on non-hormonal methods for labour induction, published from January 2012 to May 2013. RECENT FINDINGS: Eleven studies were identified in our search and included into the review. Foley balloon catheter appears to be more cost-effective and commonly used non-hormonal technique for induction of labour, although further meta-analysis is required in this area. Currently, there is not enough evidence to support routine use in all women for labour induction among other methods including amniotomy, acupuncture, sexual intercourse, isosorbide mononitrate, hypnosis, castor oil and breast stimulation. The latest three studies suggest that amniotomy may increase need for oxytocin augmentation during labour induction. SUMMARY: Many non-hormonal methods for labour induction still require further evidence to support their use within the clinical setting. Balloon catheter seems to be a more widely accepted non-hormonal method that has been supported by various literatures.

Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2013 Dec;25(6):441-7. Lim CE, Ng RW, Xu K. Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia.

Full title: Recovery from sleep disturbance precedes that of depression and anxiety following mild traumatic brain injury: a 6-week follow-up study.

OBJECTIVES: The detailed course of mental disorders at the acute and subacute stages of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), especially with regard to recovery from sleep disturbances, has not been well characterised. The aim of this study was to determine the course of depression, anxiety and sleep disturbance, following an mTBI. SETTING: We recruited patients with mTBI from three university hospitals in Taipei and healthy participants as control group for this study. PARTICIPANTS: 100 patients with mTBI (35 men) who were older than 20 years, with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 13-15 and loss of consciousness for <30 min, completed the baseline and 6-week follow-up assessments. 137 controls (47 men) without TBI were recruited in the study. None of the participants had a history of cerebrovascular disease, mental retardation, previous TBI, epilepsy or severe systemic medical illness. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were assessed for the patients with mTBI at baseline and 6 weeks after mTBI and for the controls. RESULTS: The ESS scores were not significantly different between the mTBI at baseline or at 6 weeks after mTBI and controls. Although the BAI, BDI and PSQI scores of the mTBI group were significantly different than those of the control group at baseline, all had improved significantly 6 weeks later. However, only the PSQI score improved to a level that was not significantly different from that of the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Daytime sleepiness is not affected by mTBI. However, mTBI causes depression and anxiety and diminished sleep quality. Although all these conditions improve significantly within 6 weeks post-mTBI, only sleep quality improves to a pre-mTBI level. Thus, recovery from mTBI-induced sleep disturbance occurs more rapidly than that of mTBI-induced depression and anxiety.

BMJ Open. 2014 Jan 23;4(1):e004205. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004205. Ma HP, Ou JC, Yeh CT, Wu D, Tsai SH, Chiu WT, Hu CJ. Department of Emergency Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.

Full title: Prevention of Post-Stroke Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Using Escitalopram or Problem-Solving Therapy.

This study examined the efficacy of antidepressant treatment for preventing the onset of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) among patients with recent stroke. Of 799 patients assessed, 176 were randomized, and 149 patients without evidence of GAD at the initial visit were included in this double-blind treatment with escitalopram (N=47) or placebo (N=49) or non-blinded problem-solving therapy (PST; 12 total sessions; N=53). Participants given placebo over 12 months were 4.95 times more likely to develop GAD than patients given escitalopram and 4.00 times more likely to develop GAD than patients given PST. Although these results should be considered preliminary, the authors found that both escitalopram and PST were effective in preventing new onset of post-stroke GAD.

J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2014 Jan 23. doi: 10.1176/appi.neuropsych.11020047. [Epub ahead of print] Mikami K, Jorge RE, Moser DJ, Arndt S, Jang M, Solodkin A, Small SL, Fonzetti P, Hegel MT, Robinson RG.

The "memory wars" of the 1990s refers to the controversy between some clinicians and memory scientists about the reliability of repressed memories. To investigate whether such disagreement persists, we compared various groups' beliefs about memory and compared their current beliefs with beliefs expressed in past studies. In Study 1, we found high rates of belief in repressed memory among undergraduates. We also found that greater critical-thinking ability was associated with more skepticism about repressed memories. In Study 2, we found less belief in repressed memory among mainstream clinicians today compared with the 1990s. Groups that contained research-oriented psychologists and memory experts expressed more skepticism about the validity of repressed memories relative to other groups. Thus, a substantial gap between the memory beliefs of clinical-psychology researchers and those of practitioners persists today.

These results hold implications for the potential resolution of the science-practice gap and for the dissemination of memory research in the training of mental-health professionals.

Psychol Sci. 2013 Dec 13. Patihis L, Ho LY, Tingen IW, Lilienfeld SO, Loftus EF. Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine.

BACKGROUND: There is a dearth of specialized mental health services for Indian paramilitary service personnel. Those requiring psychiatric evaluation are referred to government psychiatric services often with minimal information. Hence, major diagnostic and decision making relies on the psychiatrist's clinical evaluation and judgment. The aim of the present study was to quantitatively evaluate the paramilitary referrals to psychiatric services at a tertiary care referral center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart analysis of all consecutive referrals by various Indian paramilitary services to a tertiary care hospital (2008-2010) was carried out. RESULTS: Among the sample of 18 referrals, all were males (mean age: 37 years ± standard deviation (SD) =7.79). Various reasons for referral included: Evaluation of fitness for duty (83.3%), fitness to handle firearms (16.7%), and for disability certification (5.6%). There were no informants at all in 22.2%, and family members were available in only 11.1%. Hence, most referrals were admitted to the psychiatry ward for observation for various lengths of time. The mean duration of assessment (outpatient and inpatient) was 17.89 days (SD = 20.74) and final reported diagnoses were schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder in 16.7, 11.1, and 11.1%, respectively. There was concurrent history of alcohol and nicotine dependence (40%). A large group (40%) was diagnosed not to suffer from a major mental illness, while a firm and final diagnosis could not be arrived at in 16.7% subjects. Only one subject was given the fitness to handle firearms, fitness for duty was refused in three (16.7%) subjects, and one subject was referred to neurology after being diagnosed as a case of seizure disorder. CONCLUSION: There is an urgent need for intensive training both to paramilitary physicians as well as to general hospital psychiatrists regarding proper assessment of paramilitary personnel, as there are frequent chances of the cases being undiagnosed or improperly diagnosed.

Ind Psychiatry J. 2013 Jan;22(1):54-9. doi: 10.4103/0972-6748.123622. Verma R(1), Mina S(1), Deshpande SN(2). (1)Department of Psychiatry, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Smt. S. K. Hospital, New Delhi, India. (2)Departments of Psychiatry, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, India.

OBJECTIVES: The effects of hypnosis on physiological (gastrointestinal) functions are incompletely understood, and it is unknown whether they are hypnosis-specific and gut-specific, or simply unspecific effects of relaxation. DESIGN: Sixty-two healthy female volunteers were randomly assigned to either a single session of hypnotic suggestion of ingesting an appetizing meal and an unappetizing meal, or to relax and concentrate on having an appetizing or unappetizing meal, while the electrogastrogram (EGG) was recorded. At the end of the session, participants drank water until they felt full, in order to detect EGG-signal changes after ingestion of a true gastric load. During both conditions participants reported their subjective well-being, hunger and disgust at several time points. RESULTS: Imagining eating food induced subjective feelings of hunger and disgust as well as changes in the EGG similar to, but more pronounced than those seen with a real gastric water load during both hypnosis and relaxation conditions. These effects were more pronounced when imagining an appetizing meal than with an unappetizing meal. There was no significant difference between the hypnosis and relaxation conditions. CONCLUSION: Imagination with and without hypnosis exhibits similar changes in subjective and objective measures in response to imagining an appetizing and an unappetizing food, indicating high sensitivity but low specificity.

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 16;8(12):e83486. Enck P(1), Hefner J(2), Herbert BM(3), Mazurak N(4), Weimer K(1), Muth ER(5), Zipfel S(1), Martens U(1). (1)Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital, Tübingen, Germany. (2)Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital, Würzburg, Germany. (3)Department of Health Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. (4)Central Research Department, Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. (5)Department of Psychology, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States of America.

Studies investigating effectiveness of group psychotherapy intervention in depression in persons with HIV have showed varying results with differing effect sizes. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of group psychotherapy in depression in persons with HIV has been conducted to present the best available evidence in relation to its effect on depressive symptomatology. Electronic databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials. Selected studies were quality assessed and data extracted by two reviewers. If feasible, it was planned to conduct a meta-analysis to obtain a pooled effect size of group psychotherapeutic interventions on depressive symptoms. Odds ratio for drop out from group was calculated. The studies were assessed for their quality using the Quality Rating Scale and other parameters for quality assessment set out by COCHRANE. The quality of reporting of the trials was compared against the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) checklist for non-pharmacological studies (CONSORT-NPT). Four studies met the full inclusion criteria for systematic review. The trials included in the review examined group interventions based on the Cognitive behavioral therapy model against other therapeutic interventions or waiting list controls. In all four studies, group psychotherapy was an effective intervention for reducing depressive symptoms in persons with HIV in comparison to waiting list controls. The reported benefits from the group psychotherapy in comparison to active controls were less impressive. There were no statistically significant differences in drop outs at post treatments across group psychotherapy, wait list control, and other active interventions. The methodological quality of the studies varied. The quality of reporting of the studies was sub-optimal. The results of this systematic review support that group psychological interventions for depression in persons with HIV have a significant effect on depressive symptomatology. This review also indicates that group cognitive behavioral therapies are an acceptable psychological intervention for persons with HIV and comorbid depression.

Indian J Psychiatry. 2013 Oct;55(4):323-330. Honagodu AR(1), Krishna M(2), Sundarachar R(3), Lepping P(4). (1)Department of Psychiatry, Chethana Trust, Mysore, Karnataka, India. (2)Holdsworth Memorial Hospital Mandi Mohalla, Mysore, Karnataka, India ; Department of Biostatistics, University of Edgehill, Lancashire, UK. (3)Holdsworth Memorial Hospital Mandi Mohalla, Mysore, Karnataka, India. (4)BCULHB Department of Psychiatry, Centre for Mental Health and Society, Bangor University, UK.

Studies investigating effectiveness of group psychotherapy intervention in depression in persons with HIV have showed varying results with differing effect sizes. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of group psychotherapy in depression in persons with HIV has been conducted to present the best available evidence in relation to its effect on depressive symptomatology. Electronic databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials. Selected studies were quality assessed and data extracted by two reviewers. If feasible, it was planned to conduct a meta-analysis to obtain a pooled effect size of group psychotherapeutic interventions on depressive symptoms. Odds ratio for drop out from group was calculated. The studies were assessed for their quality using the Quality Rating Scale and other parameters for quality assessment set out by COCHRANE. The quality of reporting of the trials was compared against the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) checklist for non-pharmacological studies (CONSORT-NPT). Four studies met the full inclusion criteria for systematic review. The trials included in the review examined group interventions based on the Cognitive behavioral therapy model against other therapeutic interventions or waiting list controls. In all four studies, group psychotherapy was an effective intervention for reducing depressive symptoms in persons with HIV in comparison to waiting list controls. The reported benefits from the group psychotherapy in comparison to active controls were less impressive. There were no statistically significant differences in drop outs at post treatments across group psychotherapy, wait list control, and other active interventions. The methodological quality of the studies varied. The quality of reporting of the studies was sub-optimal. The results of this systematic review support that group psychological interventions for depression in persons with HIV have a significant effect on depressive symptomatology. This review also indicates that group cognitive behavioral therapies are an acceptable psychological intervention for persons with HIV and comorbid depression.

Indian J Psychiatry. 2013 Oct;55(4):323-330. Honagodu AR(1), Krishna M(2), Sundarachar R(3), Lepping P(4). (1)Department of Psychiatry, Chethana Trust, Mysore, Karnataka, India. (2)Holdsworth Memorial Hospital Mandi Mohalla, Mysore, Karnataka, India ; Department of Biostatistics, University of Edgehill, Lancashire, UK. (3)Holdsworth Memorial Hospital Mandi Mohalla, Mysore, Karnataka, India. (4)BCULHB Department of Psychiatry, Centre for Mental Health and Society, Bangor University, UK.

Full title: UK population norms for the modified dental anxiety scale with percentile calculator: adult dental health survey 2009 results.

Free calculator to provide a read out for a patient's dental anxiety score (www.st-andrews.ac.uk/dentalanxiety/).

Br Dent J. 2014 Jan 23;216(2):77. doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2014.12.

Functional (psychogenic) movement disorders are a common source of disability and distress. Despite this, little systematic evidence is available to guide treatment decisions. This situation is likely to have been influenced by the "no man's land" that such patients occupy between neurologists and psychiatrists, often with neither side feeling a clear responsibility or ability to direct management. The aim of this narrative review is to provide an overview of the current state of the evidence regarding management of functional movement disorders. This reveals that there is some evidence to support the use of specific forms of cognitive behavioral therapy and physiotherapy. Such treatments may be facilitated in selected patients with the use of antidepressant medication, and may be more effective for those with severe symptoms when given as part of inpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation. Other treatments, for example hypnosis and transcranial magnetic stimulation, are of interest, but further evidence is required regarding mechanism of effect and long-term benefit. Though prognosis is poor in general, improvement in symptoms is possible in patients with functional movement disorders, and there is a clear challenge to clinicians and therapists involved in their care to conduct and advocate for high-quality clinical trials.

Neurotherapeutics. 2013 Dec 20. Ricciardi L, Edwards MJ. sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.

Deficits in brain networks that support cognitive regulatory functions are prevalent in many psychiatric disorders. Findings across neuropsychology and neuroimaging point to broad-based impairments that cross traditional diagnostic boundaries. These dysfunctions are largely separate from the classical symptoms of the disorders, and manifest in regulatory problems in both traditional cognitive and emotional domains. As such, they relate to the capacity of patients to engage effectively in their daily lives and activity, often persist even in the face of symptomatically effective treatment, and are poorly targeted by current treatments. Advances in cognitive neuroscience now allow us to ground an understanding of these cognitive regulatory deficits in the function and interaction of key brain networks. This emerging neurobiological understanding furthermore points to several promising routes for novel neuroscience-informed treatments targeted more specifically at improving cognitive function in a range of psychiatric disorders.

Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2013 Dec;15(4):419-29. Etkin A(1), Gyurak A(2), O'Hara R(1). (1)Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA. (2)Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA, Sierra-Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California, USA.

Full title: Use of Provider-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine by Adult Smokers in the United States: Comparison From the 2002 and 2007 NHIS Survey.

To provide a snapshot of provider-based complementary and alternative medicine (pbCAM) use among adult smokers and assess the opportunity for these providers to deliver tobacco cessation interventions. Design. Cross-sectional analysis of data from the 2002 and 2007 National Health Interview Surveys. Setting . Nationally representative sample. Subjects . A total of 54,437 (31,044 from 2002; 23,393 from 2007) adults 18 years and older. Measures . The analysis focuses on 10 types of pbCAM, including acupuncture, Ayurveda, biofeedback, chelation therapy, chiropractic care, energy therapy, folk medicine, hypnosis, massage, and naturopathy. Analysis . The proportions of current smokers using any pbCAM as well as specific types of pbCAM in 2002 and 2007 are compared using SAS SURVEYLOGISTIC. Results . Between 2002 and 2007, the percentage of recent users of any pbCAM therapy increased from 12.5% to 15.4% (p = .001). The largest increases occurred in massage, chiropractic, and acupuncture. Despite a decrease in the national average of current smokers (22.0% to 19.4%; p = .001), proportions of smokers within specific pbCAM disciplines remained consistent. Conclusion . Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners, particularly those in chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage, represent new cohorts in the health care community to promote tobacco cessation. There is an opportunity to provide brief tobacco intervention training to CAM practitioners and engage them in public health efforts to reduce the burden of tobacco use in the United States.

Am J Health Promot. 2013 Dec 20. Hamm E, Muramoto ML, Howerter A, Floden L, Govindarajan L.