NCJ Number
48783
Journal
CURRENT THERAPEUTIC RESEARCH Volume: 19 Issue: 3 Dated: (MARCH 1976) Pages: 332-336
Date Published
1976
Length
4 pages
Annotation
TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF DIPHENYLHYDANTOIN (DPH) ON CHILD-ABUSING PARENTS, 13 WOMEN AND 2 MEN SUSPECTED OF PHYSICAL ABUSE OR COMPLAINING OF DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING ABUSIVE IMPULSES WERE STUDIED.
Abstract
A DOUBLE-BLIND CROSSOVER METHODOLOGY (200 MG DPH OR PLACEBO) WAS USED. A SERIES OF ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS WERE ADMINISTERED WEEKLY TO ALL SUBJECTS TO ASSESS ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, ATTITUDES TOWARD CHILDREN, HOSTILITY, AND PSYCHIC AND SOMATIC COMPLAINTS. ONLY THREE FEMALE SUBJECTS WERE SEEN OVER THE ENTIRE 16 WEEK TEST PERIOD; THE REMAINING SUBJECTS WERE SEEN INTERMITTENTLY OR DROPPED OUT OF THE STUDY. CONSEQUENTLY, STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ON OVERALL DPH EFFECTS WAS CARRIED OUT ON DATA FROM ONLY THOSE EIGHT SUBJECTS WHO WERE SEEN IN AT LEAST SIX INTERVIEWS. OF THESE, 5 RECEIVED DPH AND 3 RECEIVED PLACEBO DURING THE FIRST 6 WEEKS. A COMPARISON OF DRUG RESPONSE DURING THE INITIAL TREATMENT WEEK INDICATED THAT THE DPH SUBJECTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER IMPROVEMENT THAN THE PLACEBO SUBJECTS IN DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND SOMATIC SYMPTOM COMPLAINTS. NO SIGNIFICANT BETWEEN-GROUP DIFFERENCES IN ATTITUDES TOWARD CHILDREN, AGGRESSIVENESS, IMPULSIVENESS, OR HOSTILITY WERE NOTED. ALTHOUGH BOTH GROUPS SHOWED IMPROVEMENT AT THE END OF THE FIRST 6 WEEKS OF THE TEST PERIOD, BETWEEN-GROUP DIFFERENCES FAILED TO REACH AN APPRECIABLE LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE. THESE FINDINGS ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE OF PREVIOUS STUDIES OF DPH EFFECTS AND SUGGEST A CLINICAL ACTION SIMILAR TO THAT OF A MINOR TRANQUILIZER. THE FAILURE TO FIND STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS AT 6 WEEKS MAY BE ATTRIBUTABLE TO INTERVENING VARIABLES SUCH AS THE INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE OR CHANGES IN LIFE SITUATION. TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (JAP)