Psychological Medicine

• A/P Vladan Starcevic || Selected publications
• Dr Vlasios Brakoulias
• Ms Pauline Fenech
• Research

MD, PhD, FRANZCP

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY FACULTY OF MEDICINE
CONSULTANT PSYCHIATRIST
HEAD, ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE, NEPEAN HOSPITAL

Vladan Starcevic has had medical education, psychiatric training and clinical, teaching and research experience and career in the former Yugoslavia, United States and Australia. He is currently Associate Professor at the University of Sydney Faculty of Medicine, Consultant Psychiatrist and Head of the Academic Department of Psychological Medicine at Nepean Hospital. He is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Belgrade and University of Novi Sad.

Dr Starcevic’s main professional and research interests include psychopathology, psychopharmacology and psychotherapy of anxiety, mood, somatoform, and personality disorders, combined pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, and psychiatric classifications. He has authored or co-authored more than 150 book chapters and articles in various international journals. He has co-edited a book Hypochondriasis: Modern Perspectives on an Ancient Malady, published in 2001, and is the author of three other books on various aspects of anxiety disorders. His last book, Anxiety Disorders in Adults: A Clinical Guide was published by Oxford University Press in 2005. He has lectured widely and organised symposia and workshops at psychiatric conferences around the world.

Dr Starcevic’s research activities occur mainly through the Nepean Anxiety Disorders Clinic. His current projects involve studies of the cognitive styles in various anxiety disorders, health anxiety in panic disorder, effectiveness of psychological and pharmacological approaches to panic disorder, validity of the symptom subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder, the novel concept of dysphoria, and psychopathology of excessive use of video games.

Dr Starcevic serves on the panel for the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry Task Force on Treatment Guidelines for Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive and Posttraumatic Stress Disorders. He has also been an adviser for Anxiety Disorders Measures in the Handbook of Psychiatric Measures, published by the American Psychiatric Association. He is a member of the editorial boards of several professional journals and has been a manuscript reviewer for 20 journals.


Contact:

Phone: +61 2 47342585
Fax: +61 2 47343343
Email:

Address: Department of Psychological Medicine
Nepean Hospital, Level 5 South Block
PO Box 63, Penrith NSW 2751 Australia

• 2008
  Berle, D, Starcevic, V, Hannan, A, Milicevic, D, Lamplugh, C, Fenech, P. Cognitive factors in panic disorder, agoraphobic avoidance and agoraphobia. Behaviour research and therapy. 2008; 46: 282-291
• 2007
  Porter, G, Starcevic, V. Are violent video games harmful?. Australasian psychiatry : bulletin of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. 2007; 15: 422-426 [Abstract]
• Starcevic, V. Dysphoric about dysphoria: towards a greater conceptual clarity of the term. Australasian psychiatry : bulletin of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. 2007; 15: 9-13
• Starcevic, V, Berle, D, Milicevic, D, Hannan, A, Lamplugh, C, Eslick, G. Pathological worry, anxiety disorders and the impact of co-occurrence with depressive and other anxiety disorders. Journal of anxiety disorders. 2007; 21: 1016-10127
• Berle, D, Starcevic, V. Inconsistencies between reported test statistics and p-values in two psychiatry journals. International journal of methods in psychiatric research. 2007; 16: 202-207
• 2006
• Starcevic, V, Latas, M, Kolar, D, Berle, D. Are there gender differences in catastrophic appraisals in panic disorder with agoraphobia?. Depression and anxiety. 2006; 0: 0
• Starcevic, V. Review: worldwide lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorders is 16.6%, with considerable heterogeneity between studies. Evidence-based mental health. 2006; 9: 115 [Abstract]
• Uhlenhuth, E, Starcevic, V, Qualls, C, Antal, E, Matuzas, W, Javaid, J, Barnhill, J. Abrupt Discontinuation of Alprazolam and Cognitive Style in Patients With Panic Disorder: Early Effects on Mood, Performance, and Vital Signs. Journal of clinical psychopharmacology. 2006; 26: 519-523
• Lipsitt, D, Starcevic, V. Psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of somatoform disorders. Psychiatric Annals. 2006; 36: 341-348 [Abstract]
• Starcevic, V. Somatoform disorders and DSM-V: conceptual and political issues in the debate. Psychosomatics. 2006; 47: 277-81
• Starcevic, V. Anxiety states: a review of conceptual and treatment issues. Current opinion in psychiatry. 2006; 19: 79-83 [Abstract]
• Starcevic, V, Berle, D. Cognitive specificity of anxiety disorders: a review of selected key constructs. Depression and anxiety. 2006; 23: 51-61
• 2005
• Berle, D, Starcevic, V. Thought-action fusion: review of the literature and future directions. Clinical psychology review. 2005; 25: 263-84
• Starcevic, V. Issues in the pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders. Australasian Psychiatry. 2005; 13: 371-374
• Starcevic, V. Hypochondriasis: An endless source of controversies?. In: Somatoform Disorders, Volume 9. World Psychiatric Association Series “Evidence and Experience in Psychiatry”. Chichester, England: Wiley 2005. p. 167-169.
• Starcevic, V. Psychiatric comorbidity: Concepts, controversies and alternatives. Australasian Psychiatry. 2005; 13: 375-378
• Starcevic, V. Fear of Death in Hypochondriasis: Bodily Threat and Its Treatment Implications. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy. 2005; 35: 227-237
• Starcevic, V. Anxiety Disorders in Adults: A Clinical Guide. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
• 2004
• Latas, M, Starcevic, V, Vucinic, D. Predictors of work disabilities in patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia. European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists. 2004; 19: 280-4
• Starcevic, V, Linden, M, Uhlenhuth, E, Kolar, D, Latas, M. Treatment of panic disorder with agoraphobia in an anxiety disorders clinic: factors influencing psychiatrists'' treatment choices. Psychiatry research. 2004; 125: 41-52
• Starcevic, V. Recent advances in the treatment of panic disorder. International Congress of Biological Psychiatry. 2004; Sydney; 2004
• Starcevic, V, Latas, M, Trajkovic, G, Bogojevic, G. Age of onset of panic disorder with vs. without comorbid anxiety disorders. World Psychiatric Association International Congress "Treatments in Psychiatry: An Update". 2004; Florence, Italy; 2004
• Starcevic, V. Anxiety disorders and depression: Overlap, co-occurrence and their treatment implications. 11th Scientific Meeting of the Pacific Rim College of Psychiatrists. 2004; Hong Kong; 2004
• Starcevic, V. Balancing between the myths and the facts in the treatment of panic disorder and agoraphobia. 39th Congress of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. 2004; Christchurch, New Zealand; 2004
• Starcevic, V. Hypochondriasis: A challenge for psychopathology and treatment. Medical Investigations. 2004; 38: 26-32
• 2003
• Starcevic, V, Linden, M, Uhlenhuth, E, Kolar, D, Latas, M. Treatment of panic disorder with agoraphobia in an anxiety disorders clinic: factors influencing psychiatrists' treatment choices. Psychiatry Research. 2003; 125: 41-52
• Starcevic, V. Psychotherapy in the era of evidence-based medicine. Australasian Psychiatry. 2003; 11(3): 278-281
• Under research
• Preliminary validation of the Nepean Dysphoria Scale
• Symptom-based subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder

MBBS (Hons), MPsychiatry, FRANZCP,Cert.Psychotherapies FRANZCP

Dr Brakoulias is a staff specialist and clinical lecturer in Psychiatry working with the Department of Psychological Medicine at the Nepean Clinical School. He has completed advanced training in Psychotherapy and his interests include belief formation and modification, obsessive-compulsive disorder, delusions, cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy, and psychodynamic therapy. In 2006, Dr Brakoulias was awarded a prestigious twelve month fellowship by the NSW Institute of Psychiatry where he assessed psychotherapeutic approaches for patients suffering from delusions, and was a recent co-recipient of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Young Investigator Grant. In 2007 he received a grant of $16,925 from the Nepean Research Foundation. He has published in the areas of deliberate self-harm, and the epidemiology of delusions and their treatment with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Dr Brakoulias works as a consultant at the Pialla Unit and pursues his academic interests within the Department of Psychological Medicine under the supervision of A/Professor Vladan Starcevic. Dr Brakoulias will continue to assess beliefs ranging from delusions, over-valued ideas and obsessions. He plans to complete a PhD looking at symptom based subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Contact:

Phone: +61 2 47342585
Fax: +61 2 47343343

Address: Department of Psychological Medicine
Nepean Hospital, Level 5 South Block
PO Box 63, Penrith NSW 2751 Australia

• Brakoulias V, Langdon R, Sloss G, Coltheart M, Harris A, Meares R.
  Reasoning styles and resistant delusions: a study involving cognitive
  behavioural therapy. Accepted by Cognitive Neuropsychiatry.
• Brakoulias V, Starcevic V. A cross sectional ward survey of the
  prevalence and characteristics of delusions. Accepted by Australasian
  Psychiatry.
• Brakoulias V, Ryan C, Byth K. Deliberate self-harm in a
  consultation-liaison service. Australasian Psychiatry (2006); 14(2):
  192-197.
• Brakoulias V, Bannan E, Cohen P, Geary G. Amisulpride and
  cardiomyopathy. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry (2005);
  39(8): 738.
• Nagaratnam N, Brakoulias V, Ng K. Multiple cerebral infarcts following
  septic shock. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience (2002); 9(4): 473-476.

Pauline joined the Department of Psychological Medicine as a Research Assistant in July 2006. She graduated with a Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) degree in April 2006, having completed her tertiary studies by distance education through the University of New England. She is provisionally registered as an Intern Psychologist with the NSW Psychologists Registration Board. Pauline’s role involves assisting with research projects conducted by the Department of Psychological Medicine, in collaboration with the Nepean Anxiety Disorders Clinic.

Contact:

Phone: +61 2 47342585
Fax: +61 2 47343343

Address: Department of Psychological Medicine
Nepean Hospital, Level 5 South Block
PO Box 63, Penrith NSW 2751 Australia

Research activities in the Department revolve around the psychopathology, psychopharmacology and psychotherapy of anxiety disorders, mood disorders, somatoform disorders and personality disorders. Current and future projects involve studies of the following:

• Psychopathology, co-occurrence, cognitive styles and longitudinal course of various anxiety disorders
• Effectiveness of psychological strategies and combined pharmacotherapy and cognitive-behaviour therapy for treating anxiety disorders
• Relationships between health anxiety, somatization, anxiety disorders, personality disorders and other psychiatric disorders
• OCD Study: The Department of Psychological Medicine at Nepean Hospital has commenced a large and comprehensive study of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In this study participants are asked to attend a structured interview and complete several questionnaires that aim to assess their symptoms comprehensively and to obtain data that aims to answer several key research questions in the field of OCD. Some of the assessment is repeated at 6 months, 12 months and 2 years. The key question that the study wishes to answer is whether patients with different symptoms of OCD (eg. people that repetitively hand wash compared to people that repeatedly check) also have other factors that differentiate them from other patients with OCD. We will also be able to assess how these factors respond to treatment and how they change over time. If you are interested in taking part in this study please call Ms Vicki Anthony on the telephone number +61 2 47342585 .