News

Hopefully, the season will bring us a new sense of freedom, as we make progress in the fight against COVID and the possibility of returning to a more normal life.

The country has erupted into a wave of anger that demands justice and reform; but what can we, psychiatrists, do when we hear “code black”?

My initial glance before my patient sees me usually tells me a lot about how they are doing and what to expect during the appointment.

Drs Zuardi and Crippa discuss the current stage of scientific evidence that supports the use of cannabidiol in schizophrenia, anxiety, and Parkinson disease. 

A breakdown of how we are living up to the ideals and standards proposed by the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, including the pandemic's impact on parity.

Although it may seem a bit of a luxury to begin an examination of countertransference at a time when life itself hangs in the balance, clinicians may be working with patients whose political views make it very difficult to address their emotional needs.

Until a study demonstrates the non-inferiority of home-based telepsychiatry, the standard of care outside of a public health emergency requires patients to be seen face to face in an office, or with a nurse present at federally qualified health centers with a telepsychiatry set up.

Predicting suicide remains challenging at best. For each suicide there is often a complex web of life experiences, personality traits, psychiatric diagnoses, cultural beliefs, relationship issues, and acute stressors that ultimately converge on a person’s decision to take one’s life.

In the midst of this current head-spinning, mentally straining, emotionally draining, perplexing pandemic that is leaving many with a jaded, burned-out weariness, mental health and allied professionals can alleviate considerable pain.

Critical brain maturation occurs from fetal development through adolescence; given the complex and variable nature of these changes, disentangling abnormal neurodevelopment from neuroprogression is a formidable task.

The pandemic has brought about uneasy feelings that can exacerbate mental illness and cause further mental health issues. In its current state, our mental health system is not prepared to deal with what may become a global mental health pandemic, but there are ways to address it.

A physician who is also long-term patient living with depression discusses a pervasive problem in the house of medicine.

While it may be challenging to differentiate between OCD and other anxiety disorders, using a multi-informant assessment and understanding the content of a patient’s fears is a fundamental start to outlining an effective treatment plan.

COVID-19 has spurred many changes leading to wider adoption of various technologies to support public health efforts. But even data collected for the greater good can have unintended negative or punitive consequences.

It might be advisable to bring in psychiatrists to keep the peace and not federal troops.

Familiarity with self-disorders is an indispensable tool in diagnosing a patient suspected for developing schizophrenia. Such knowledge improves communication with the patient and may serve as a starting point for therapeutic intervention.

Frank A. Clark, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina School of Medicine – Greenville, SC, presents a timely slice of poetic history.

Fangs dripping of bigotry hasten to attack human black deer. Such is a line in the work of this African American psychiatrist.

A patient's sleep deprivation started to affect her overall well-being and compromised her ability to enjoy life.

In just 3 months, the virus has changed the lives of our psychiatric patients and of psychiatry forever. What are the next best steps?

Psychomotor speed may be a relevant target in studies of the immune system and its impact on the brain in patients with schizophrenia.

Last year, the FDA approved esketamine, a rapidly acting adjunctive intranasal therapy for treatment-resistant depression. Now, researchers are exploring its efficacy in major depressive disorder.

There is inadequate information regarding optimal antipsychotic doses in the treatment of acute schizophrenia that balance efficacy and safety. This article helps you get it right.

Amidst the fear, worry, and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, each day seems to bring news that is worse than the day before.

Frontline residents and fellows complain of “being forced to work harder than I can handle,” “being pushed to my limits,” “no availability of PPEs,” etc.

How can psychiatry constructively address our nation’s crisis?

A patient with refractory MDD continued to suffer and feel as though her life was turned upside down, despite treatment. Learn the outcome of the case.

Emergency Psychiatry: Principles and Practice has something for everyone and is easily applicable to emergency and primary care.

Living with a mental illness is all too often accompanied by poverty and social disadvantage, which contribute to shortened life spans and reduced quality of life. However, there approaches for addressing many of the preventable causes of poor health and mortality in this patient population.

Policy initiatives can improve both physical and mental health care quality and outcomes for those with serious mental illnesses.