The mental health of 523 medical students was examined one month after enrolment and two years later. The point prevalence rates of all mental disorders were 16.1% and 17.5% respectively. The incidence rate was 5.3% per year, with neuroses being the most frequent diagnoses (3.5%).

Dependence on mephentermine, a widely used sympathomimetic pressor agent, is so far unreported, although misuse of inhalers is recognised. A case of mephentermine dependence associated with chronic psychosis is reported here. Psychosis initially surfaced with chronic dexamphetamine abuse, but was sustained for 3 years by mephentermine. After a period of remission lasting for 4 years, the patient again developed psychosis on restarting abuse of mephentermine, which lasted for 5 years.

A case of benign hereditary chorea is reported, along with a brief review of the condition. It is a rare and little known autosomal dominant disorder which may be confused with Huntington's chorea, which has a more serious prognosis. The case described shows some characteristic features. It is difficult to decide how many of the patient's psychiatric difficulties are a reaction to his disabilities and how many have an organic substrate.

A case is reported of a severely depressed patient in whom treatment with electroconvulsive therapy was abandoned because of repeated failure to induce a convulsion. Reasons for the failure to convulse and alternative treatment approaches are discussed.

Depressive disorders are commonly found among selected groups of patients with epilepsy, but hypomania is seldom seen. Three cases of hypomania seen at a unit specialising in epilepsy are presented. The cases are of interest because of their association with recent seizures, and location in the non-dominant temporal lobe.

Pastoral psychology is the application of modern psychology to the ancient ministry of the pastoral care exercised within the various Christian Churches. Today this care draws on insights and techniques from three primary sources: contemporary understandings of human personality and interpersonal relationships from the human sciences (especially psychology); therapeutic methods from one or more of the current counselling and psychotherapeutic approaches; and biblical, theological, and historical resources from the Judeo-Christian heritage.