______________________________________________________________
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3    THE INTERPSYCH NEWSLETTER       DEC, 1994
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                           SECTION C:

            INTERPSYCH AND SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP
                             UPDATE

 ------------------------------------------------------------
|This section serves to foster awareness among InterPsych's  |
|members of discussions in different SIGs and to encourage   |
|people to become active in InterPsych. This section contains|
|two general article types: a) Short articles discussing     |
|current developments at Interpsych and b) summarizations of |
|recent discussions in the SIGs.  If you are interested in   |
|writing a summary for a group that you belong to, please    |
|contact Sean Sullivan (ssulliva@opal.tufts.edu).  To comment|
|on an article in this section, send a message to            |
|(udipn@badlands.nodak.edu).                                 |
 ------------------------------------------------------------

                          *********
                          * INDEX *
                          *********

     1:   INTERPSYCH UPDATE
     2:   SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP (SIG) UPDATE:
          A. CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
          B. MANAGED-BEHAVIOURAL-HEALTHCARE
          C. PSYCH-COUNS
          D. TRANSCULTURAL-PSYCHOLOGY
     3.   NEW LISTS ON INTERPSYCH
          A. ADDICTION MEDICINE
          B. CHILD AND ADOLESCENT ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION
          C. GERIATRIC-NEUROPSYCHIATRY

==============================================================
                          1. INTERPSYCH UPDATE
==============================================================

In response to Mailbase's withdrawn support, InterPsych has
established an account at Netcom (SEE NEWS, SECTION B1) and
is in the process of transferring its mailing lists there.
Nancy Tice is coordinating the effort. The transfer will be
complete before Mailbase's December 31 deadline.

The Traumatic Stress Research Group was awarded a development
grant to be used in the furthering of the Rural-Care e-
conference.  This seed money, combined with the .25 release
time provided to Beth Hudnall Stamm, Ph.D. by the College of
Arts and Sciences of UAA will allow the group to purchase
minimal equipment and hire two part-time graduate assistant
with which to prepare applications for larger grants for the
sustanance and expansion of the Rural-Care program.

InterPsych's new groups seem to be attracting a good deal of
interest based on the following membership numbers.

List                        Members
----                        -------
rural-care:                   182
geriatric-neuropsychiatry:    152
hypnosis:                     164
youth-anx-dep:                152
addiction-medicine:           104

==============================================================
                 2. SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP (SIG) UPDATE
==============================================================

A.   CLINICAL-PSYCHOLOGY
     -------------------
The clinical-psychology list has continued to remain an active
forum for interchange on topics relevant to the discipline.
The move from Mailbase to NetCom, however, will bring with it
a significant change in the list as well.  Presently the
clinical-psychology list is open to anyone, though it was
originally founded as a list for members and affiliates of APA

Division 12.  In keeping with the original intent of the list,
as well as the need for discussion geared towards mental
health professionals, it was decided that the move to NetCom
would bring with it membership criteria.  In line with other
IP lists such as psycho-therapy and psycho-pharmacology, the
clinical-psychology list will be open to all clinical
psychologists (who have obtained a terminal degree or its
equivalent in the field), graduate students in clinical
psychology (as well as counseling psychology), psychiatrists,
non-psychiatric physicians with related interests, master's
level social workers and above, and others whose
accomplishments or credentials are not specific to the above,
but who have a demonstratable appropriate background in these
and related areas. [JJP]

B.   MANAGED-BEHAVIOURAL-HEALTHCARE
     ------------------------------
The list, "managed-behavioural-healthcare", is sponsored by
the Institute for Behavioral Healthcare; the list-owner is
Greg Alter, Ph.D., who may be reached directly at
alter@ix.netcom.com. Currently, the list is unmoderated and
open.

This list provides an opportunity for the international
discussion of ideas encompassing the area of managed
behavioural healthcare, including, but not limited to, the
impact of health care reform in the U.S. and comparison with
other systems of behavioural health care around the world.

The list also provides an opportunity for communication among
members of the Institute for Behavioral HealthCare (Tiburon,
CA., U.S.A.), and its component organizations, including the
Council of Behavioral Group Practices and the National
Leadership Council. Contributed by Gregory Alter.

C.   PSYCH-COUNS
     -----------
PSYCH-COUNS is in the process of becoming a part on
InterPysch, but possibly won't switch over to netcom until
early January, as it isn't on the mailbase "hit-list".
PSYCH-COUNS is a maillist based discussion group for people
who are interested in theoretical or research issues in
counselling and psychotherapy. PSYCH-COUNS began in November
1994 and has, so far, been a focussed, relatively quiet
maillist. It is an open, unmoderated list. The owner is Peter
Booth.  Contributed by Peter Booth.

D.   TRANSCULTURAL-PSYCHOLOGY
     ------------------------
TRANSCULTURAL-PSYCHOLOGY has thus far been a scholarly
discussion forum of mental health service delivery to diverse
cultures. Invited topics include, cultural differences in
views on mental disorders, culture-specific syndromes,
collaboration between Western and traditional healers, and
cultural variance in symptoms. However, current and past
discussions have gone well beyond these issues, encompassing a
wide range of debates and inquiries.  The discussion highlight
has been on somatized depression, started by a member who's
Indian patient showed this symptomatology; issues of nosology,
theory, and treatment were discussed. The discussion faded
away with a short exchange on possible stereotyping (i.e.
somatizing Asians and psychologizing Westerners). There were
various comments to a posting on indigeous (Maori) women and
body image. Inquiries were on acculturation scales for Puerto
Ricans, attributional styles, cross-cultural aspects of
alcohol treatment. Consensus in the forum was reached to put
forth announcements of calls for papers, conferences and other
news, general and related to transcultural-psychology to the
list; input in this regard is welcome from all members and
non-members. A number of old and new members introduced
themselves, illustrating again that the background of the
subscribers - psychology in research and practice, literature,
social work, different minority group members and nations - is
quite diverse. Beginning in 1995, probably Feb./March, there
will be some changes in the discussion forum, expanding from
mental health service delivery to broader topics in
cross-cultural psychology and minority issues. Everybody is
welcome to help in the facelift, either by subscription to the
list and active participation in the discussion, and/or by
forwarding comments to the list moderator. Sunkyo Kwon.
fu03c2dj@fub46.zedat.fu-berlin.de.  [SK]

==============================================================
                       3. NEW LISTS ON INTERPSYCH
==============================================================

A.   ADDICTION MEDICINE
     ------------------
This conference has been set up to encourage an exchange of
ideas, opinions, and information among health care
professionals working in the field of addiction to alcohol
and/or other psychoactive substances. A broad working
definition of addiction follows: "Addiction is a disease
characterized by continuous or periodic; impaired control
over the use of drugs or alcohol, preoccupation with drugs or
alcohol, continued use of these chemicals despite adverse
consequences related to their use, and distortions in
thinking, most notably denial." (Adapted from the American
Society of Addiction Medicine).

We recognize that there is a spectrum of use of alcohol and
some psychoactive drugs, from intermittent use that does not
interfere with health, to malignant destructive use. For the
purposes of this list we would in general encourage open
discussion about all aspects of addiction as defined above.

Please note that this list is intended for those working in
the field and is not to be used as a recovery list to work on
individual issues. Such work is supported by many lists on
Internet. Strong opinions are welcomed, but flaming will NOT
be tolerated!

To join the addiction-medicine conference, send the following
message to Majordomo@avocado.pc.helsinki.fi -- leaving the
subject line blank: subscribe addiction-medicine.  Contributed
by Peter Mezciems.

B.   CHILD AND ADOLESCENT ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION
     -------------------------------------------
This special interest group has been set up to encourage an
exchange of ideas, opinions, and information amongst those
involved in research and clinical practice in the areas of
child and adolescent anxiety and depression. The group is an
interdisciplinary one involving a variety of mental health
professions.

The group will take a scientist-practitioner approach to the
nature, etiology, assessment, and treatment of anxiety and
depression problems amongst children and adolescents. It is
hoped that the network will serve several functions such as:
*    drawing attention of other members to recent relevant
     publications in the field
*    summarizing one's own research and recent findings that
     are likely to be of interest to others (It is planned to
     invite contributions from group members on an occasional
     basis)
*    requesting information, comment or advice from others re:
     relevant topics
*    discussion of new assessment or treatment approaches

The group is NOT a forum for on line diagnostic advice. Nor is
it a forum for airing your own subjective personal views that
are unsupported by empirical evidence or strong theoretical
bases. Given that the group is an interdisciplinary one it
should not focus excessively upon medication issues. To join
the youth-anx-dep network, send the following message to
Majordomo@avocado.pc.helsinki.fi -- leaving the subject line
blank: subscribe youth-anx-dep.  Contributed by Sue Spence.

C.   GERIATRIC-NEUROPSYCHIATRY
     -------------------------
A new electronic conference, geriatric-neuropsychiatry, has
been started as part of InterPsych, the international
consortium of resources in psychiatry and abnormal psychology.
This conference has been set up to encourage an exchange of
ideas, opinions, and information among persons concerned with
neurobehavioral disorders in middle-aged and elderly adults.
For purposes of this discussion, 'neurobehavioral disorders'
are defined as medical or neurologic disorders leading to
changes in cognition, mood, perception or behavior. Although
this list is primarily
intended for clinicians, input from caregivers, basic
scientists and other concerned individuals is welcomed.

To join the geriatric-neuropsychiatry conference, send the
following message to Majordomo@avocado.pc.helsinki.fi --
leaving the subject line blank: subscribe
geriatric-neuropsychiatry.  Contributed by Mike Usman.