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Mental Health Services in a Single Payer SystemWith so many Americans lacking appropriate health care insurance and so much of the large insurance companies' premiums going to overhead and profit, it makes sense to move forward with a single payer system. The author discusses some of the basic features of a proposed system.
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Differential Diagnosis of Psychotic Symptoms: Medical “Mimics”The number of medical diseases that can present with psychotic symptoms (ie, delusions, hallucinations) is legion. A thorough differential diagnosis of possible medical and toxic causes of psychosis is necessary to avoid the mistaken attribution of psychosis to a psychiatric disorder.
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Understanding Comorbid Depression and AnxietyComorbidity of psychiatric syndromes is quite common-in a 12-month period, almost 50% of adults in the United States with any psychiatric disorder had 2 or more disorders.
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Euthanasia in Animals and Humans: Distinctions to ConsiderHere’s why the euthanasia of animals as an argument for physician-assisted suicide is invalid…
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Substance Abuse in Aging and Elderly AdultsAs we are faced with a growing population of older adults, a better understanding of the issues that they confront is crucial.
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Mini Quiz: Cultural Diversity and the Young PatientWhat are the benefits of exploring cultural issues with a young patient and family before proceeding with treatment?
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Diabetes-Related Risk Factors and Cognitive AgingFocus on Obesity, Insulin Resistance, and the Metabolic Syndrome
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Mini Quiz: Psychogenic Non-Epileptic SeizuresWhich psychiatric disorder has the highest rate of co-occurrence with patients suffering from PNES? Take the quiz and learn more.
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Reporting Under Fire: Understanding Psychopathology of War JournalistsThe dozens of journalists killed while covering the current war in Iraq gives currency to the dangers encountered by those who bring us the news from the world's conflict zones. Despite the risks inherent in their profession, it is only recently that the psychological health of war reporters has been captured in a systematic and empirical manner.
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How Catastrophe Can Change PersonalityThis article explores why Enduring Personality Change After Catastrophic Experience (EPCACE) is a clinically useful diagnosis.
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Introduction: The Connection Between Medical Illness and Psychiatric DisordersThis Special Report focuses on the psychiatric and medical interface of some common medical problems.
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Issues in Treating Anxiety Disorders in PregnancyAnxiety disorders are a frequent occurrence in pregnancy. While some worries and anxiety are experienced by more than 50% of pregnant women, a full-blown anxiety disorder involves risk to both mother and fetus and increases the risk of postpartum depression.
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How Does Your Practice Compare? A How-To Guide to Practice BenchmarkingEveryone is talking about the decline in reimbursements and the increase in overhead costs. While most practices are faltering, some are quite successful--that is, they are economically thriving. So what makes the difference?
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The Crisis of Present-Day Psychiatry: Regaining the PersonalPresent-day psychiatry has fallen into crisis because of the severe limitations of its conception of the person and, as a result, its conception of the patient. It objectifies the patient in a number of ways. Because of this reductionism, psychiatry fails to distinguish between healthy and pathological features of human life. It fails to consider adequately the psychological and social factors that cause and maintain each patient's problems.
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New Agents of AbuseUnderstanding Prescription Drug Misuse by AdolescentsA large percentage of youths use and abuse psychoactive substances. According to the 2007 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey, the percentage of US adolescents who used illicit drugs or drank alcohol continued a decade-long drop, revealing that 19% of 8th graders, more than 36% of 10th graders, and 47% of all 12th graders have taken an illicit drug (other than alcohol) during their lifetime.1 According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the rate was 3.3% for misuse or nonmedical use of prescription drugs.2 The misuse of prescription drugs among adolescents was second only to marijuana use. In fact, prescription drugs increasingly have become a part of the repertoire of drug-using adolescents.
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Reactivation of PTSD Symptoms Resulting From Sandy Hook Media ExposureCombat veterans who have suffered a moral injury in the past may be predisposed to a recurrence of the painful memories associated with previous trauma after exposure to similar traumatic events with moral overtones.
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Eating Disorders: Much Progress but Still Far to GoPsychiatry has seen a transition from art to science in the past century and, largely because of 2 developments in the past several decades, this has also been the case for the field of eating disorders.
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Black Psychiatrists of America Speak About Desmond TutuOn behalf of the Black Psychiatrists of America, we are writing to the American Psychiatric Association regarding the recent “issues” that have been raised by some members of your association with respect to Archbishop Tutu being this year’s convocation speaker at your annual meeting in Hawaii in May.
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Peer Specialists as Educators for Recovery-Based Systems TransformationProject GREAT efforts in psychoeducation are geared toward educating providers about recovery so that they can, in turn, transform their own practices to be in concert with the recovery model.
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The Impact of Life Stresses on Semen QualityA recently published study found that certain types of stress affect the quality and quantity of men's sperm. The senior author of that study addresses the topic and provides take-away points for psychiatrists in this brief podcast.
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Purging DisorderA syndrome described as purging following the ingestion of normal or small amounts of food in normal-weight persons has gained increasing attention in the field of eating disorders. Various terms have been used in the literature for this newly characterized syndrome, with purging disorder and eating disorder not otherwise specified-purging (only), or EDNOS-P, used most frequently.
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Opportunities and Challenges in Treating Adolescents and Young Adults With Major Depressive DisorderHalf of all mental health disorders occur by age 14. Early interventions may mitigate progression to more serious and persistent mental health concerns.
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Issues in Treating Anxiety Disorders in PregnancyAnxiety disorders are a frequent occurrence in pregnancy. While some worries and anxiety are experienced by more than 50% of pregnant women, a full-blown anxiety disorder involves risk to both mother and fetus and increases the risk of postpartum depression.
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Managing the Adverse Effects of AntidepressantsMost, if not all, antidepressants can cause bothersome adverse effects. These are described here along with strategies to help patients cope.
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Psychotherapy for Late-Life DepressionThis article provides a practical overview of the available evidence-based treatment and discusses circumstances in which certain interventions may be preferred over others.
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Apathy and Its Treatment in Alzheimer's Disease and Other DementiasAffecting 70% of patients with Alzheimer's disease and common in patients suffering from other dementing illnesses, apathy is associated with functional impairment and caregiver distress at all levels of disease severity. Assessment and treatment for this under-recognized syndrome are discussed.
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Adjustment Disorders: Diagnostic and Treatment IssuesAdjustment disorder is one of the few psychiatric diagnoses for which the etiology, symptoms, and course, rather than symptoms alone, are central to making the diagnosis. Both emotional and behavioral disturbances are present and include low mood, tearfulness, anxiety, self-harm, withdrawal, anger, and irritability.
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“Designer Drug” Use and Abuse: Implications for PsychiatristsPsychiatrists are urged to familiarize themselves with these new drugs and the typical presentations of patients who use them since implications of misdiagnosis can be far-reaching.
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Neurobiology and Neurophysiology of Breath Practices in Psychiatric CareSlow voluntarily regulated breathing practices are noninvasive, easy to learn, and generally safe for treating patients with symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, depression, stress- and trauma-related disorders, ADHD, schizophrenia, and substance abuse.
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The Long War Comes HomeMost military families successfully adapt to a service member's deployments for military duties. Nevertheless, almost a decade of wartime stress associated with the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has presented unprecedented challenges for military families.
