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.
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
In the two years since receiving a $1.5 million private grant from William and Joy Ruane to study the effects of psychiatric medications in children and adolescents, the division of child psychiatry at New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI)-the nation's oldest psychiatric research facility-has opened a pediatric psychopharmacology research unit and established a federally supported research unit in pediatric psychopharmacology (RUPP), one of the first in the United States.
Today, average young adults report sleeping about seven to seven and one-half hours each night. Compare this to sleep patterns in 1910, before the electric lightbulb, the average person slept nine hours each night. This means that today's population sleeps one to two hours less than people did early in the century.
Previous research on the effects of early child care had led to controversy and confusion. The most provocative finding was that when infants were in nonmaternal child care 20 or more hours a week, starting in the first year of life, they were less likely than infants without such experience to form a secure emotional attachment to their mothers. But this finding was open to interpretation. Was the difference robust and substantial? Was the measure of attachment appropriate? Were the children in child care at risk for psychological maladjustment because they lacked a secure relationship with their mothers?
All families have such belief systems, which include expectations, values, attitudes-the basic assumptions-that govern family interactions. Because they determine the structure and organization of a family, the traditions they follow, the rules they abide by, and the values they hold, these beliefs shape the kinds of problems a family has and how they go about trying to solve them.
Recent headlines in national newspapers declaring that mentally ill patients are often denied care by psychiatric hospitals merely confirmed what most psychiatrists have known for years. A study published last December, however, created a stir when the authors released what they called "the first national analysis of the factors that promote or constrain economically motivated transfers of patients in relation to competitive pressures, hospital ownership, and managed care practices."
There is and has been much debate about the issue of assisted suicide as physicians, lawyers and lay people argue the pros and cons of assisting in someone's death. The physician who agrees to participate in this endeavor points out that his or her concern is to alleviate suffering. Notwithstanding that, painkillers are notoriously prescribed in inadequate, understrength doses; people with serious illness who are depressed are considered unlikely candidates for treatment of their depression because, sayeth the physician: "It is only natural, understandable, to be depressed with that kind of terrible illness."
It is estimated that 60% to 70% of American people who have health insurance have a plan which falls under the provisions of the Employee Retirement Insurance Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). ERISA was designed to protect and enhance pensions and benefits for employees of nationwide companies, and was heavily lobbied for by business as more and more employers established facilities in multiple states.
The ERISA shield has become a favorite of employers and benefits providers, because its overwhelming effect is to reduce the situations in which they can be held legally responsible for misdeeds. Even in cases where a violation can be established, the statutory penalties are insufficient to make bringing cases to court worthwhile, or are inadequate to deter future improper conduct. Efforts over the years to enact an amendment to ERISA have failed because of powerful lobbying by business and health care interests. re reluctant to utilize, inform or confront their care providers, impairing collaboration in treatment.
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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.
Major depression is a common chronic illness within the general US population. What is the approximate prevalence for MDD in the US population?
DSM-5: If You Don't Like the Effects, Look at the Causes
