Psychiatrists who are concerned with the perils of misdiagnosing a psychiatric presentation as primary mental illness will find Susannah Cahalan’s Brain on Fire of great interest.
This book draws together the entire spectrum of the relevant psychosocial dimensions and data necessary to adequately assist in the evaluation and treatment of patients who may be candidates for bariatric surgery.
Periprocedural advancements, including liberalization of concomitant and pre-treatment medications, add to the comfort and tolerability of ECT, but adverse effects do exist. More in this quiz.
Psychiatric Times presents exclusive coverage of the American Psychiatric Association Conference. Here we will report the latest news, resources, and updates from the 2013 APA Conference, the 166th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, May 18-22, 2013, in San Francisco, CA. Read More
Test your diagnostic skills and knowledge by quickly identifying and assessing various mental health disorders. The Psychiatric Times Diagnostic Champions' Challenge is meant to educate and entertain. Test your clinical acumen in this activity that is sure to make you think.… Read More
We've put many of the clinical scales online, hoping healthcare professionals—whether in specialty practices, primary-care settings, or emergency services—will find this format convenient. … Read More
With ECT‚ the response rate for treatment-refractory patients is sobering‚ and the treatment is not without risks and adverse effects. This article describes in detail how to recognize under which circumstances electroconvulsive therapy is most effective and to differentiate when ECT is indicated and when it is contraindicated.
When it comes to aging, is there anything to look forward to from a neurocognitive perspective? What can we do to protect our brains from cognitive and functional decline? In this podcast, geriatric psychiatrist Helen Lavretksy outlines strategies to stimluate and revitalize an aging brain.
Eco-psychiatry? If you’re thinking, “Aren’t I already dealing with a lot in my daily practice?” you are invited to spend the next few minutes listening to what Dr Steven Moffic has to say about how the environment may be affecting your patients and what impact ecologically-related syndromes might have on DSM-5.
Thinking about suicidal behavior as a diagnosable problem will help bridge the gap in how psychiatrists think about suicidality and how it is perceived by patients and their families. Dr Maria Oquendo elaborates in this video.
Which of the following complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies may have beneficial effects on symptoms of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer disease (AD)?
Quick . . . name a class of prescription medications that, by most evidence, appears to be overprescribed and abused and the use of which has resulted in an increasing number of emergency department visits. If you said "opioids," you would be right.
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DSM-5: If You Don't Like the Effects, Look at the Causes •“‘Post-modern’” outlook on psychiatric diagnosis often leads to cynicism and nihilism—as if to say, ‘Nobody really knows anything about anything, and we shouldn’t trust anybody!’ Actually, there is a good deal of secure and well-founded scientific knowledge in psychiatry. ” Add your response...
Migraine and Psychiatric Comorbidity •“Sleep-related bruxism is high among those with fibromyalgia, anxiety, and migraines—but it is often overlooked as a dental problem. A long-acting benzodiazepine at night can make a big difference in patients with migraines who clinch or grind their teeth.” Add your response...
Can a Suicide Scale Predict the Unpredictable? •“The multifaceted nature of suicide requires both formal tools indicated in this article, as well as an awareness of changes in the patient (eg, outlook, behavior, attitude)—these and other factors may indicate suicide risk.” Add your response...
When it comes to aging, is there anything to look forward to from a neurocognitive perspective? What can we do to protect our brains from cognitive and functional decline? In this podcast, geriatric psychiatrist Helen Lavretksy outlines strategies to stimluate and revitalize an aging brain.
Five Steps to Improving Patient Access Judy Capko, May 21, 2013 Patient access is getting increased attention through reform initiatives. Here are five steps you can take to make sure patients get appropriate access to care in your office.
Growing HIPAA Threat – Ignore Windows XP at Your Own Peril Marion K. Jenkins, May 21, 2013 Chances are good that you have some major ticking software time bombs lurking in your medical practice's computer environment, namely Windows XP and Server 2003.
Three Areas to Reduce Costs at Your Medical Practice Greg Mertz, May 19, 2013 By taking a hard look at reducing costs for staffing, overhead, and technology at your medical practice, you may see increased physician compensation.
Dos and Don’ts for Starting a Physician Blog Michael Woo-Ming, MD, May 18, 2013 Starting a physician blog can provide your medical practice with marketing benefits, but it's important to do it right.
ADHD can persist into adulthood and have a significant impact on a person's relationships, careers, and even safety. The ASRS (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale) is a checklist of 18 questions about symptoms that are based on the diagnostic criteria of DSM-IV. The patient answers the questions and a positive score suggests the need for a thorough clinical evaluation with a healthcare professional.
The Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale (BSDS) was developed by Ronald Pies, MD and was later refined and tested by S. Nassir Ghaemi, MD, MPH and colleagues. The BSDS arose from Pies’s experience as a psychopharmacology consultant, where he was frequently called on to manage cases of “treatment-resistant depression.” In Pies’s experience, most of these cases eventually proved to be undiagnosed bipolar spectrum disorder.