Tips for Treating Comorbid Depression and Anxiety
October 9th 2012Comorbid depressive and anxiety disorders are commonly seen in both primary care and the specialty setting. Such comorbidity can present as major depression with subsyndromal anxiety symptoms or unipolar/bipolar depression with an anxiety disorder.
The Military Can Do More To Prevent Suicides
October 8th 2012James Dao reports in the New York Times that the military is considering 2 steps to reduce its startling rate of active duty suicides-which is approaching an unacceptable one suicide every day. Both measures are completely sensible, but neither goes nearly far enough.
Are Psychiatric Disorders Inflammatory-Based Conditions?
A plethora of studies support the hypothesis that inflammation plays a role in the pathophysiology of major psychiatric disorders.
Gender Identity Disorder in Prison: Depending on a Diagnosis That Is Soon to Disappear?
September 28th 2012A recent case has caused a flurry of opposing opinions. Not surprisingly, transgender advocacy groups have praised the judge's decision that the inmate in question has an eighth amendment right requiring the state to support and pay for sex reassignment surgery.
An Autistic Child With Psychotic Symptoms
September 20th 2012Autism and schizophrenia may present as 2 separate disorders that need to be differentiated, or treated as comorbid conditions. It is important to remember that some individuals may have both disorders, which has implications when designing appropriate biopsychosocial interventions.
The Epidemic of Military Suicide
September 20th 2012With understandable urgency, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has made suicide one of his top priorities, instructing commanders at all levels to feel acutely accountable for it. The numbers are startling. On average 1 active duty soldier is killing himself each day--twice the number of combat deaths and twice the civilian rate.
Should Physicians Be Experts on Cost?
September 19th 2012Earlier this year the American College of Physicians had to spell out that it is ethically appropriate for physicians to talk about cost with patients. This speaks to how far we as physicians have to go to be fully engaged in this conversation.
Mental Illness Is No Metaphor: Five Uneasy Pieces
September 14th 2012Is the expression “mental illness” merely a metaphor? If so, does that tell us something about the persons we identify as having a mental illness? To clinicians who deal with devastating psychiatric disorders every day-and to those afflicted with these conditions-these questions may seem like a lot of semantic nonsense.