To Treat or Not to Treat: That Is the Question With Perinatal Mood Disorders
October 4th 2013In a PsychCongress presentation on perinatal mood disorders, Marlene Freeman, MD, stressed that treatment is essential for women with mood disorders-but whether to treat becomes complicated during a women’s reproductive years.
Modest-But Clinically Useful-Changes for Psychotic Disorders in DSM-5
October 4th 2013This member of the DSM-5 Work Group for Psychotic Disorders describes the 8 dimensions used to define the presentation of psychosis-the biggest and most clinically important of the changes in the schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders section.
Limited Progress Made in Schizophrenia Understanding and Treatment
October 4th 2013You’ve come a long way, baby. But maybe not long enough, according to Dr Rajiv Tandon, who shared the evolution of schizophrenia diagnosis and highlighted the current status for attendees at the US Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress.
From the Streets to the Rx Pad: Do Party Drugs Have a Place in the Medical Office?
October 3rd 2013Can drugs be categorized as good (eg, medicinal), bad (eg, recreational with deleterious side effects and addiction issues), or is there a middle ground? That was the underlying theme in a lecture at PsychCongress, “Perils and Promise of Psychoactive Drugs: A Focus on Harm Reduction Psychiatry.”
Mass Murderers: Lack of Communication and Myths May Hinder Recognition
October 1st 2013Lack of communication is often a key factor in mass murder, according Phillip Resnick, MD. Although HIPAA is important, the safety of the individual and the public should outweigh privacy issues, and “risk to human life always trumps confidentiality.”
Warning: Antidepressants May Cause Bank Robbery
September 27th 2013Some attorneys have argued that SSRIs cause serious adverse events, capable of compelling defendants to engage in strikingly complex criminal behavior. On close examination, however, these phenomena may be clearly distinguished from criminal behavior.
Learning the Ropes of Medical School: A Boxer’s Wisdom
September 26th 2013"Although at times we may need to wipe away blood and tears, through the process we become better physicians and ultimately, better people. These are the victories that we can attain in our ring," says this 4th-year medical student.
We Are All at Least a Little Lost and Off-Putting: On Transformation
September 25th 2013We avoid a basic aspect of human existence-namely, we are all a little lost and not knowing, and we had better accept this. In reminding our patients that the worst fate in life is not to suffer-but to suffer alone-we also remind ourselves.
Natural Products Used to Treat Depressed Mood as Monotherapies and Adjuvants to Antidepressants
September 23rd 2013Most persons who use CAM modalities to self-treat a mental health problem take prescription antidepressants concurrently. Combined use can result in serious supplement-drug interactions.
Take a Cup o’ Joe and Call Me in the Morning-Coffee Consumption Linked to Lower Suicide Risk
September 13th 2013Most people look forward to their morning jolt from coffee, but could that cup of Joe be doing more than keeping us alert? According to researchers from Harvard University, java may indeed have another benefit-that of reducing suicide risk.
Inflammation and Treatment Resistance in Major Depression: The Perfect Storm
September 12th 2013New findings provide powerful evidence that inhibition of inflammation or its downstream effects on mood may open up a host of new approaches to treatment for depression, especially for patients with treatment-resistant depression.
Depression-Related Disparities Among Older, Low-Acculturated US Latinos
September 11th 2013Older Latinos with depression report higher levels of impairment and are more persistently ill than non-Hispanic white older adults, yet they have lower rates of guideline-concordant treatment. Cognitive and problem-solving psychosocial modalities are emerging as key treatment considerations for older Latinos.
Special Issues in Menopause and Major Depressive Disorder
September 11th 2013A risk to benefit ratio of treatment must be established to determine the optimal treatment for perimenopausal depression. Untreated depression during the perimenopause exacerbates heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Details about management options here.
Introduction: Treatment Along the Life Cycle
September 11th 2013The diagnosis and management of unipolar depression remain challenging. The articles in this Special Report remind us of the wide knowledge base that is needed in the management of the depressed patient and of the multiple conceptual levels that must be integrated in the care of our patients.