Fostering “Buy-In”: Step One in Bipolar Spectrum Treatment
August 1st 2006A look at how to use the spectrum concept to promote understanding and acceptance of bipolar II and soft bipolar diagnoses. In this article, you will find 5 tools for fostering what has been called “concordance” or, more simply, “buy-in.”
Bipolar Disorder: Diagnostic Challenges and Treatment Strategies
August 1st 2006The past few years have seen substantial progress in recognizing and treating several of the subtypes of bipolar disorder. This Special Report addresses the diagnostic challenges and the different strategies for managing these subtypes.
Interventions to Improve Adherence to Antipsychotic Medications
August 1st 2006New ways to address medication adherence problems in patients with schizophrenia offer the hope of better treatment outcomes. Two new and promising approaches for individuals with schizophrenia are the use of environmental supports and cognitive adaptation training and cognitive-behavioral therapy.
The Clinical Challenge of Comorbid Bipolar Disorder and Substance Use Disorder
August 1st 2006Bipolar disorder I and II have the highest association with substance use disorder, compared with any other major psychiatric disorder. Treatment requires an integrated approach that includes specific psychotherapy as well as the use of medication.
Are Veterans Receiving Adequate Mental Health Care?
August 1st 2006Questions concerning the adequacy of mental health care for returning Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans continue to capture congressional attention. The latest reminder was a Government Accounting Office (GAO) report issued in May stating that of the 5 percent of returning veterans between 2001 and 2004 who tested as being at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), only 2 percent were referred by Department of Defense (DOD) health care providers for further mental health or combat/operational stress reaction evaluations.
Is an electronic medical record useful in the PES setting?
August 1st 2006Electronic medical records (EMRs) are becoming increasingly common in health care. Many hospitals use computer systems for some aspects of patient care, including gathering demographic and insurance information, posting laboratory results or radiology reports, providing access to transcribed dictations, and listing currently prescribed medications.
Assessment and Evaluation of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Emergencies
August 1st 2006The incidence of child and adolescent psychiatric emergencies has increased over the past 20 years. This rise in emergency department (ED) mental health visits coincides with an overall increase in ED use from 89.8 million visits in 1992 to 107.5 million visits in 2001. Psychiatric presentations by children and adolescents (often in the absence of medical complaints) account for up to of the total visits to an ED in a given year and, in some reports, such presentations account for as many as 16% of ED visits.