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
This article presents addictive behavior as a chronic illness rather than an acute illness. Studies of characteristics and treatment of addiction, similar to that of other chronic illnesses, are discussed.
With more and more Americans engaging in gambling activities, odds are high that psychiatrists may see patients who have some sort of gambling problem. What can be done about this problem, and how can these patients best be treated?
Two studies of patients who switched from Clozaril to generic clozapine are being evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to determine whether the rating of the generic drug as bioequivalent (AB) to the brand-reference drug should be reconsidered and whether additional bioavailability assessment should be undertaken.
Results from the 1999 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse show significant increases in rates of prescription drug abuse. Other surveys show similar findings. An overview of the most commonly abused drugs and suggestions for preventing abuse are reviewed.
Arguing that participation in any aspect of death penalty cases is an ethical conflict for physicians-and specifically psychiatrists-Dr. Freedman calls for physicians' organizations to join the American Bar Association's goal of a moratorium on executions. The author himself opposes the death penalty.
The totalitarian system as we know it today may also be called 'managerial capitalism' since the decisions dictated by technical and economic considerations are no longer hampered by the rights of ownership and title holders. Yet it should be emphasized, speaking of 'managers,' that the true technical directors have nowhere acquired the disposing power of technocrats; the real power rests mainly with economic and business managers. This was written by H. Bruggers in 1941 in his "Stages of Totalitarian Economy," in the publication Living Marxism.
The totalitarian system as we know it today may also be called 'managerial capitalism' since the decisions dictated by technical and economic considerations are no longer hampered by the rights of ownership and title holders. Yet it should be emphasized, speaking of 'managers,' that the true technical directors have nowhere acquired the disposing power of technocrats; the real power rests mainly with economic and business managers. This was written by H. Bruggers in 1941 in his "Stages of Totalitarian Economy," in the publication Living Marxism.
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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
