Couch in Crisis

Editor in chief emeritus of Psychiatric Times, James L. Knoll IV, MD, was recently recognized for notable achievements in the education and teaching of forensic psychiatry.

Although this year has thrown us off, there is much to be thankful for.

Writing for big media outlets like CNN is not always easy, but it is a great opportunity to educate the public.

The viewing of horror films, though paradoxical, can be therapeutic through sensation-seeking, catharsis, and existential relief of our deepest fears.

A psychiatrist steeped in the scientific method considers the healing power of the placebo effect.

The risk of “false positive” screening in primary care settings is reduced by a thorough clinical evaluation.

Bipolar disorder screening scales have modest sensitivity; thus, a negative result does not preclude a clinical evaluation.

There are epidemiological and clinical reasons why we should drop that term.

It is time for psychiatrists to tackle the toughest philosophical questions in their field.

A psychiatrist considers the role of race in American culture, psychiatry, and his own life.

With partisan political warfare, civil unrest, and the presidential race, how can mental health professionals assess and address “election anxiety”?

In many clinical situations to "do no harm" requires us to know what we know, know what we don’t know, and consult with a colleague who likely knows more than we do.

The chairman of Psychiatric Times' parent company, MJH Life Sciences, introduces the October issue.

A Psychiatrist Looks Back on His Career and Considers the Role of the Placebo Effect in Treatment.

Mental health providers who battle a pandemic may find that it unsettles their deepest sense of self.

In the early 20th century, British and American doctors looked for the causes of mental illnesses elsewhere in the body, with gruesome results.

What happens when a clinician has to give herself news she does not want to hear?

Psychiatry, at this moment anyway, remains blood-test and imaging-free. It offers the last frontier of semi-free thought to the thinking person who wishes to enter medicine. More in this opinion piece.

Avicenna may have been among the first physicians to document that anger is often a transitional state from melancholic depression to mania—implicitly recognizing the “switch” phenomenon.

The COVID-19 pandemic reveals existing weaknesses in the mental health system, but also presents opportunities for reform.

His symptoms worsened throughout most of his hospitalization, leaving him to ponder a grim reality: “This is it. This is how your story ends.”

Sometimes, life’s lessons appear unexpectedly.

Our eulogies remind us of how psychiatrists have worked for the underserved and misunderstood.

It has been a tough and unusual summer, but perhaps it is best to focus on gratitude for what we have learned and what we can do with that information.

We have been here before. In fact, we have survived more challenging times. The truth serves as the foundational first brick of the edifice of knowledge and problem-solving.

One can only hope today's challenges will become a “corrective emotional experience."

At one time, most medical school classes took the Hippocratic oath, but that is no longer the case.

The medical community must examine how and what we can do to welcome and serve the black and brown communities that may view us as the authority they dare not call.

Psychiatrists should be experts at hearing and seeing what is not visible. That is exactly what we need to do to let the sun shine through the racist dust.

Reflections on the current psychiatric literature as well as the many accomplishments psychiatry has seen since the 1950s.