There is evidence that the combination of medication and psychotherapy improves outcomes for many psychiatric illnesses. Among the several forms of psychotherapy that might be considered, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most extensively studied.

Combining High-Yield CBT Methods and Pharmacotherapy in Brief Sessions

Morally motivated decision making has been increasingly studied by the social sciences, and distinctive patterns are emerging. Most subjects begin to have serious moral reservations as their decisions come closer to directly affecting a human life.

Moral Judgments and Emotional Pain

The preface explains why Prime Time is so needed. It provides a refreshing, nonjudgmental summary of how and why we’ve arrived at the 20-minute hour. This is important for disgruntled clinicians from the “good old days” as well as for early-career clinicians who have not learned anything better.

Prime Time: Maximizing the Therapeutic Experience-A Primer for Psychiatric Clinicians

This essay does not proffer a change in the classification of specific conditions but will sketch a new meta-concept of evaluative disorders that encompasses a number of prevalent and serious psychiatric diagnoses.

Evaluative Disorders

 AUDIO
A good apple pie fixes every pain.
Your grandmother baked them to be sure you’d know-
Cinnamon for heartbreak, cloves for shame . . .

Advice From Moody’s Diner

Harvard professor, Marc Hauser, PhD-whose views on the evolution of morality have been widely accepted by many psychiatrists and others-was recently found by a university investigating committee to be “solely responsible for 8 instances of scientific misconduct.”

“Morality” Professor Responsible for Research Misconduct

Clinicians who treat children with ADHD face a challenging conundrum. Although our understanding of ADHD and its evidence-based treatments has increased significantly in recent years, the number of successful treatment outcomes has not.

Keys to Success in ADHD Treatment

In essence, screen media constitute neurologically potent, arousing input to the developing brain. Unlike conventional toxins, their effects are mediated by sense organs. However, they have demonstrable effects on brain activity, and on behavior and function.

The Impact of Screen Media on Children

Autism is demanding increased attention by professional and lay audiences; prevalence seems to be increasing. There are differing opinions about whether the increase is due to greater recognition and reporting, diagnostic expansion and substitution, or increasing acceptability.

Update on Autism

This is both an exciting and challenging time to be a child and adolescent psychiatrist. New findings are changing our knowledge of childhood psychopathology. This Special Report discusses current developments in diagnosis, treatments, and problems for children and adolescents.

What the Future Holds

Just imagine. If you are not a transgender individual, what must it feel like to always think, as far back as you may remember, that you should have the body of the opposite gender? That you were “born in the wrong body”.

If I Am Not For Myself: The Trials and the Triumphs of the Transgendered

In the debates around DSM-5, a central figure has been Allen Frances, whose views seem to elicit sympathy from many unhappy with the DSM system (the 4th edition of which Dr. Frances led).

Couch-Pragmatism

Despite these divergent books, it is important to avoid characterizing ECT as controversial. The Shorter-Healy and Dukakis books should dampen the controversy, because they characterize ECT as a safe, effective, and important treatment that psychiatry almost forgot. With its emotion-laden accusations and name-calling, the Andre book will inflame opinions.

The Perplexing History of ECT in Three Books

The varied proponents of models for the regulation of CME programs for physicians would all agree that the primary charge of these programs is to provide physicians with scientifically unbiased information on issues or knowledge that affects medical practice.

Integrity in CME: Understanding the Problem of Bias

Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and understand what they are feeling. This is something that psychiatrists try to do in our everyday work. Those of us who have worked in medical schools have struggled with the question of whether or not this is something that can be taught.

How Can Medical Schools Graduate Students Who Are Empathic?

Surprisingly, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has never established formal guidelines that address what qualifications are required for one to use DSM.

APA Guidelines for DSM-5 Users

In 5 minutes, so much can be accomplished.

Psychiatric Times Vol 27 No 10