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Effective Note-Writing: A Primer for Psychiatry ResidentsAn overview of various aspects of taking notes and suggestions for effective documentation.
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Mini Quiz: OCD? Phobia? Or Something Else?The inability or difficulty to experience vaginal penetration is most similar to which DSM-5 disorder? Find out in this quiz.
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Toga Alba: The Mysterious White CoatThe art of creating patient-centered care requires effective collaboration, not only between psychiatrists, but between physicians in a bevy of other specialties as well.
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Can Atypical Antipsychotics Reduce Suicide Risk in Patients With Schizophrenia?Suicide is a devastating, tragically frequent outcome for persons with varying psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia. An estimated 5% to 10% of persons with schizophrenia commit suicide and 20% to 50% attempt suicide during their lifetime.1,2 Patients with schizophrenia have more than an 8-fold increased risk of completing suicide (based on the standardized mortality ratio) than the general population.3
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Psychiatrists and LawDr Allen Frances pleads for the United States Supreme Court to “step up to the plate” and halt the “disturbing misuse” of the “makeshift” psychiatric diagnosis of Paraphilia NOS (nonconsent).
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Psychiatric Disability: A Step-by-Step Guide to Assessment and DeterminationThe epidemiology and management of psychiatric disability have gained increased attention for a variety of reasons in the past 3 decades. There are issues of empowerment, advocacy, and reduction of stigma. There are also concerns about cost containment as well as reliability, validity, and efficacy of the determination process.
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Exploring the Neurobiology of OCDThe authors discuss common neurobiological processes that may contribute to OCD vulnerability and its persistence.
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Intimate Partner Violence Among Women With Severe Mental IllnessThe 1994 death of Nicole Brown Simpson and the subsequent highly publicized murder trial of her ex-husband, O.J. Simpson, brought increasing national attention to the problems of domestic violence and intimate partner murder. In 2000, there were 1247 female victims of intimate partner murder in the United States.1 Fully one third of female murder victims were killed by an intimate partner.1 On the positive side, rates of female victimization by intimate partner violence and murder appear to have decreased in the recent past.
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Therapeutic Neurostimulation and SchizophreniaThe authors review the evidence for the use of ECT and other novel neurostimulation techniques in the treatment of schizophrenia.
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Defusing CatastropheHere’s how to help patients—and ourselves—recognize cognitive distortions.
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Therapeutic Aspects of the Human-Companion Animal InteractionAlthough the majority of American households includes a pet, it is only recently that we have begun to explore the relationship between people and their pets and the possible physical and emotional benefits of that relationship.
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The Importance of Personal Experiences in Daily Psychiatric PracticeIn psychiatry, we do not complete physical exams; much of our diagnosis is born out of our observations, interviews, and conversations. Other medical fields, particularly surgery, require manual, technical, and motor skills. In this manner, psychiatry is unique. More in this commentary.
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10 Facts About Geriatric PharmacotherapyIt is important to monitor and alter psychotropic medications and dosages in older patients as needed. This slideshow serves as quick reference on the effects of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes in the elderly.
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Anxiety in Women With Heart DiseaseWomen are more vulnerable to anxiety and depression, which are linked with the development and progression of heart disease. What has been discovered about the specific psychological outcomes for women with heart disease?
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Psychiatric Issues in Children and Adolescents With DiabetesThe diagnosis of T1DM can be devastating to both the child and family. Because of the potential for immediate life-threatening complications of poorly controlled diabetes, family members must readjust their approach to daily living.
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Examining Anger in 'Culture-Bound' Syndromes"Hwa-byung" and "ataque de nervios," listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) as culture-bound syndromes, can serve as gateways to understanding anger's role in psychiatric morbidity, according to a panel of experts.
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Networking, Professionalism, and the InternetIn psychiatry, professional challenges are heightened by the importance of the psychiatrist-patient relationship.
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The Psychiatrist as Novelist: A Discussion with Keith AblowMy best advice is that whatever you're going to branch out into, it's like Abraham Lincoln said: 'If I had nine hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend eight sharpening my axe.' If you really want to write a novel and use your psychiatric expertise to do that, first really dedicate yourself to learning the structure of a novel. Even if it's something as simple as buying a series of tapes, taking a class or buying a book. Do that before you put pen to paper. And then, actually do the work.
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‘What I Didn’t Learn in Residency’Pediatrician Sandy L. Chung on getting schooled in the business of medicine during her first year of practice.
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Update on Diagnosis and Treatment of Alzheimer DiseaseAlzheimer disease (AD) affects between 6% and 8% of Americans older than 65 years. As the population of older adults increases, the number of persons with AD is expected to rise from 4.5 million in 2000 to 13.2 million by 2050.1 This disease is important not only because of the number of patients affected but also because it leads to significant physical and emotional burdens on families and caregivers.
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Management of Antipsychotic-Induced Weight GainIndividuals with schizophrenia are at greater risk for weight gain than the general population. From recent research, it appears that some of the second-generation antipsychotics may be more likely to cause weight gain than others. Recommendations for treatment strategies are provided.
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Revisiting the Hallucinogenic Potential of KetamineAn exploration of findings from contemporary research that hint at the unexplored hallucinogenic potential of ketamine and considerations for future investigation.
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Mini Quiz: Capital PunishmentThe 1990s can be considered a high-water mark for support of the death penalty, as well as for imposing it. Where does that figure stand now? Take the quiz and learn more.
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Psychiatric Care of Patients With Hepatitis C: A Clinical UpdateThe prevalence of chronic hepatitis C virus infection is among the highest in patients with severe underlying mental illness. Here: clinical information on the interface of HCV infection and psychiatric disorders.
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Atypical Antipsychotics for Children and Adolescents With Schizophrenia-Spectrum DisordersAlthough the onset of psychotic symptoms before the age of 13 years is exceedingly rare, the incidence of schizophrenia rises sharply after the onset of puberty.1 Only 1% of the population has schizophrenia and 30% of these patients experience an onset of psychotic symptoms by age 18 years.2-8 The period that precedes the onset of frank psychotic symptoms (ie, the prodromal phase) has not been well characterized in early-onset schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (EOSS), but retrospective reports have shown that symptoms include high levels of depression and anxiety, emerging cognitive and social deficits, unusual thought content, and (not infrequently) school failure.
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Treating Adolescent Depression With Psychotherapy: A QuizEmpirically supported psychotherapeutic treatments have been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and build problem-solving skills in adolescents. Three of those treatments are discussed in this 10-question quiz.
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Perspectives on Consultation-Liaison in Child and Adolescent PsychiatryChild and adolescent psychosomatic medicine, usually in the realm of the pediatric psychiatric consultation-liaison service, seeks to address the complex relationship between a child's physical illness and affective state with the goal of improving the child's emotional well-being.
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Using the Internet to Increase Access to Evidence-Based Treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive DisorderInternet-based CBT has shown promise to improve access to therapy for patients with OCD, which is associated with a profoundly diminished quality of life and social isolation.
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A Case of Pseudosomatization DisorderParticularly because 25% to 50% of patients with conversion disorder eventually have a nonpsychiatric illness that explains their symptoms, it behooves us as psychiatrists to remember that we are physicians too.
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The Case of a Female Teacher Who Sexually Abuses Her StudentIn treating a female who sexually abuses a minor, what should the clinician keep in mind? Is the treatment plan different for a female offender than a male?
