Stressful life events, distal and proximal, contribute significantly and independently to the prediction of major psychiatric disorders among South Africans, underscoring the importance of screening adversities in adults with common mental disorders, and of providing appropriate adjunctive interventions.

Gray's behavioural inhibition and behavioural activation (BIS/BAS) neural systems model has led to research on approach and withdrawal as the two most fundamental dimensions of affective behaviour, and their role in psychopathology. Although Gray proposed the BIS as the neurological basis of anxiety, there are no reports examining approach and withdrawal predispositions in social anxiety disorder. Here we report approach and withdrawal predispositions in a group of 23 non-medicated individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) without co-morbid depression and in 48 normal controls. Results show increased BIS and decreased BAS fun-seeking in SAD subjects thereby underscoring Gray's dimensional model.

Psychiatrists have long had practices that focus on particular areas within the field, and sub-specialty journals have published research from these areas for some time. Nevertheless, the formal literature on psychiatric sub-specialization is remarkably sparse. A recent edition of World Psychiatry on the future of psychiatry, for example, had only a few words on sub-specialization. Nevertheless, a number of articles from high income countries have focused attention on the value of developing sub-specialties or even sub-sub-specialties, including forensic psychiatry, geriatric psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and liaison psychiatry.

When monitoring those on LTSA, one should be aware of the high mortality among those who obtain DP and male workers with low income, and preventive actions should be considered.

The lack of appropriate forms of behaviour change to prevent HIV transmission, despite increased levels of HIV-related fear and perceived risk, underscores the need for HIV risk reduction interventions for individuals living with common mental disorders in South Africa.

Socio-demographic profiles of perpetrators of HRV and DV in South Africa differ. While the causal relationship between perpetration and psychiatric disorders deserves further study, it is possible that some HRV and DV perpetrators were themselves once victims. The association between accidental perpetration and mood disorder also deserves further attention.

DTI enables visualization and characterization of the median nerve in healthy subjects and CTS patients. DTI indices show clear-cut discrimination between the two groups and in fact enables the of use DTI in the diagnosis of CTS.

There are few data from South Africa and other low- and middle-income countries on how mental disorders in childhood and adolescence may influence different aspects of socio-economic position, including educational attainment. We examined the association between early-onset disorders and subsequent educational achievement in a nationally representative sample of 4 351 South African adults. After adjusting for participant demographic characteristics and traumatic life events, post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder and substance-related disorders were each associated with increased odds of failing to complete secondary education (odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals 2.3, 1.0-5.1; 1.7, 1.2-2.5, and 1.7, 1.2-2.5, respectively). These data point to the role that early-life mental disorders may play in educational achievement and subsequent socio-economic position over the life course.

Anxiety disorders are the most common of the psychiatric disorders, with an estimated prevalence of 2% to 18% worldwide. Psychiatry is gradually progressing towards a clinical neuroscience with an improved understanding of the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, an individualized approach to diagnosis and treatment of patients, and the potential for early disorder detection and prevention. Recently, there has been not only a growing literature on effective interventions for anxiety disorders, but also new proof of principle treatment studies based on laboratory research. Anxiety disorders are frequently discussed at international psychiatric conferences; however, the attention these disorders receive by researchers at large is often minimal compared with their overall contribution to the substantial clinical burden and economic costs of mental disorders. There are potential advantages for clinicians and researchers to convene for the purpose of reviewing recent advances in anxiety disorder research and to exchange ideas about future progress in this field. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America has sponsored highly productive meetings in the United States for many years as well as successful meetings in other countries. Positive outcomes from these meetings encouraged the initiation of an international conference series that centers specifically on anxiety disorders.