http://www.psychiatrictimes.com Psychiatric News, Features, Special Reports and Career Opportunities - Psychiatric Times en Copyright 2009, CMPMedica US Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:01 GMT Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:00:01 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1489126?CID=rss Charles Bowden, MD, clinical professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, describes the challenges physicians face when they assess and diagnose bipolar depression. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1488619?CID=rss Marc E. Agronin, MD, medical director for mental health and clinical research in the Miami Jewish Health Systems, and associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Florida, discusses therapeutic strategies for older patients. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1488614?CID=rss Laurence J. Kinsella, MD, FAAN, professor of neurology at St. Louis University and chief in the division of neurology and neurophysiology at Forest Park Hospital, St. Louis, discusses serotonin syndrome and P450 drug interactions. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1488571?CID=rss Because an increasing number of patients pay for care out-of-pocket, marketing has become an essential part of any practice, said David Sprague, chief operating officer at Physicians’ Ally, Inc, Denver. In a presentation at the US Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress in Las Vegas, he provided tips to help physicians market their practice and avoid common pitfalls. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1488521?CID=rss Four simple steps can help you reduce missed patient appointments and boost profitability. So said Mark Rosenberg, MD, PhD, president of Behavioral Health Management, PC, in St Louis, who spoke at the US Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress in Las Vegas. Not only do missed appointments result in lost revenue, said Rosenberg, but also they “interrupt the flow of patient care and impede clinic productivity.” Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1487328?CID=rss The following medical and behavioral health providers were killed or wounded during the November 5 Fort Hood shooting rampage that left 13 dead and 29 wounded. While the Army’s Public Affairs Office released the names of those killed, it has not released the names of all wounded because of privacy laws. The wounded list and additional descriptions of the providers were compiled from multiple news reports around the country and may be incomplete. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1486345?CID=rss Of the screening tools available to help identify early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is best? In a presentation at the U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress in Las Vegas, Kevin Gray, MD, director of the Geriatric Neuropsychiatry Clinic, Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System, Dallas, gave a withering critique of the widely used Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and instead recommended simple and quickly administered tests that he says are more sensitive and specific. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1486340?CID=rss Bill H. McCarberg, MD, founding director of the chronic pain management program at Kaiser Permanente, Escondido, California, discusses the need for collaboration between psychiatrists and primary care providers to identify and treat patients with fibromyalgia. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1486334?CID=rss It is usually traumatic when parents learn that their child has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Be clear about the diagnosis and let families know that treatment will begin as soon as possible, said Doris Greenberg, MD, associate clinical professor of pediatrics at Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah, Ga. In her presentation at the US Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress in Las Vegas, Dr Greenberg discussed strategies for talking to the families of children with ASDs. “Don’t talk around the diagnosis—identify the elephant in the room and get on with it,” she said. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1486329?CID=rss Many patients with HIV/AIDS experience numerous challenges beyond those posed by the physical effects of their disease—including poverty, mental illness, drug addiction, social alienation, racism, and homophobia. Counseling patients who face these issues can be difficult, but a careful risk assessment along with patient education can improve a patient’s ability to cope and lead to better outcomes, said Marshall Forstein, MD, associate professor of psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Mass, in a presentation at the US Psychiatric Congress in Las Vegas. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1485085?CID=rss Researchers have found evidence that the placebo effect is not all “in your mind.” This study, recently published in Science, suggests that the spinal column—specifically, the dorsal horn—may be involved in blocking pain after placebo has been administered. Mon, 9 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1485107?CID=rss Current guidelines for the management of bipolar depression are outdated because they are based on the definition and treatment of unipolar depression, according to Eduard Vieta, MD, PhD, director of the bipolar disorders program at the University Clinic Hospital of Barcelona, Spain. Dr Vieta led a study to create new definitions and algorithms for the management of treatment-resistant bipolar I and bipolar II depression. Mon, 9 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1484284?CID=rss Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may be an effective therapy for treatment-resistant bipolar depression, according to the results of a recent pilot study led by Guohua Xia, MD, PhD, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Davis. Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1484242?CID=rss Although rapid-cycling bipolar disorder has been linked to the use of antidepressants, these treatments may still have a role in the management of patients with bipolar depression, said Stephen V. Sobel, MD, clinical instructor at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, in a presentation at the U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress in Las Vegas. Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1483830?CID=rss A few simple steps can enhance your assessment of a patient’s suicide risk—and thereby reduce your own risk for liability if the patient does commit suicide. Phillip J. Resnick, MD, professor of psychiatry and director of forensic psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, described those measures in a lecture today at the US Psychiatric Congress in Las Vegas. Tue, 3 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1483405?CID=rss A clinic for patients with bipolar disorder at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) was the scene of yet another attack by a patient on a psychiatrist. Mon, 2 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/1483072?CID=rss Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common during childbearing. Depression that interferes with function develops in an estimated 14.5% of pregnant women.1 In a recent population-based study, Munk-Olsen and colleagues2 determined the prevalence of psychiatric disorders relative to childbearing. The overall risk for any psychiatric episode after delivery was elevated for women during the first 3 postpartum months. However, the increased risk specifically for major depression remained elevated for 5 months after birth. These statistics are troubling in that only 13.8% of pregnant women who screen positive for depression actually receive treatment.3 Wed, 4 Nov 2009 12:00:00 GMT