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Many European-born Israelis who lived through the Holocaust were subject to severe starvation, extreme mental stress, exposure to a variety of infectious agents, and hypothermia. Perhaps it is no coincidence that these Jews now have higher rates of all types of cancers—especially breast and colon cancer—than other Jewish or non-Jewish ethnic groups who currently live in Israel. The authors of a study recently published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute comment that experiences during WWII appear to have had a direct impact on the long-term health of survivors.

Among all the problematic suggestions for DSM5, the proposal for a "Psychosis Risk Syndrome" stands out as the most ill-conceived and potentially harmful. It aims to solve a pressing problem in psychiatry-- the need for early identification and preventive treatment. Psychotic episodes create tremendous short-term impairment and may impact negatively on long-term prognosis and treatment efficacy. It would save great suffering if we could get there early and do something useful to reduce the lifetime burden of illness before too much damage is done.

I have been closely following the discussions of the proposed DSM5 in Psychiatric Times. Your publication of this discourse is a significant contribution to our field. As a research psychiatrist who has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers, I strongly support Allen Frances’ emphasis on the importance of continuity in diagnostic criteria for DSM5.

A new study appears to add a new dimension to mothers’ sage advice. Researchers in Austria have found that fish oil with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduced the risk of progression to psychotic disorder in young people who had subthreshold psychotic symptoms—with none of the adverse effects associated with drug treatment. Click here for more details.

I have been a member of our American Psychiatric Association (APA) for over 30 years. I've also been a Fellow for many years, served on the Assembly 3 different times, served on the Managed Care Committee twice, and was once asked if I would consider running for President. On the other hand, I did resign from a request to run for District Branch President because of some unexpected (and what I and some others thought was unethical) collegial conflict.