Integrative Psychiatry

What are the pros and cons of integrative psychiatry? Integrative Medicine columnist for Psychiatric Times, James Lake, MD, addresses common myths in this Q&A.

Most psychiatrists do not fit neatly into the biological or psychodynamic camps. Instead, like surgeons, they will implement tools that reduce the suffering and enhance the well-being of the patient.

Recent studies find powerful biological changes associated with mind-body interventions comparable to those associated with conventional antidepressants or psychotherapies.

The authors examine anxiety in the medically ill: its presence secondary to or as an impersonator of physical illness and its diagnostic and management challenges.

We in mental health care may be the last bastion of defense in the deterioration of the doctor-patient relationship. However, this role seems to be underplayed in the call for more integrated medicine of psychiatry with general medicine.

The limited effectiveness of current approaches provide compelling arguments for effective conventional and complementary interventions aimed at preventing PTSD and treating chronic PTSD. Specifics here.

Although there is limited evidence for mind-body treatments for schizophrenia, these approaches may improve overall quality of life without associated risks. More in this slideshow.

Select natural products have been evaluated as adjunctive agents that may be combined with conventional antipsychotics, with promising preliminary findings. Music therapy, meditation, and mindfulness training may improve quality of life for individuals with schizophrenia. Details here.

Emergency psychiatry is helping to redefine acute mental health treatment-facilitating timely access, in less restrictive, outpatient levels of care, for patients in crisis.

In this podcast, B. Andrew Farah, MD, looks at shortcomings of current therapy that make treatment-resistant depression so common, offers insights into the genetic underpinnings of TRD, and focuses on a new treatment paradigm.

Experts address specific concerns when treating the immigrant sector and describe supervised mental health services for uninsured, largely undocumented patients.

The depth and duration of medical training in psychiatric residency is yet to be determined, but given the increasing emphasis on integrated care, the role of psychiatrists is changing. More in this video.

The challenges of identifying patients at risk for alcohol withdrawal have been found to be mitigated by the development of a Risk Stratification Questionnaire, now being adopted by the VA regionally throughout New England. More in this video.

Behavioral problems “masquerade” as physical symptoms. The time has come to treat the whole patient and to make psychiatry part and parcel of primary care.

Most 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.

Nonpharmacological interventions-such as mind-body interventions-can improve a partial response to antidepressants via stress reduction, improved physical functioning, increased socialization, and reduced risks of polypharmacy.

Therapeutic farms that offer psychotherapy and psychopharmacology give patients an opportunity to learn about themselves.

This article highlights evidence-based treatment with herbs and nutrients with good tolerability and potential benefit when integrated into psychiatric practices.

Before recommending any natural product to a patient with bipolar disorder, the clinician should be familiar with important safety considerations. This article summarizes provisional guidelines for the use of CAM and integrative therapies in patients with bipolar disorder.

It is important for mental health professionals to be familiar with research findings about widely used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments of ADHD in order to provide patients with accurate information on efficacy, safety, and appropriate use. Presented here are some of the results from several pivotal studies.

Which of the following complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies may have beneficial effects on symptoms of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer disease (AD)?

Engaging in mindfulness activities either individually or with patients who come to us for brief medication visits can have a profound influence on the therapeutic process.

A recently published NIH study of 112 children suggested that some children might possibly outgrow autism.

There is promising evidence that some complementary and alternative medicine therapies can alleviate ADHD symptoms. These may include herbals such as Bacopa and Pycnogenol, as well as supplements such as zinc.

Ongoing advances in functional brain imaging will permit studies on postulated roles of magnetic fields, biophotons, and macroscopic highly coherent quantum field effects on normal brain functioning and mental illness.

Consumers, mental healthcare professionals, researchers and public health advocates can now access comprehensive information on all aspects of integrative mental healthcare via a new Web site launched by the International Network of Integrative Mental Health.

The DSM-5 attempt to “dimensionalize” the diagnosis of personality disorder has worthy goals, but has suffered from grievously incompetent implementation.

In a childhood obesity article, the JAMA authors suggest "involvement of state protective services . . . including placement into foster care in carefully selected situations" as an alternative to treatment at newly established pediatric surgical weight loss programs. Do you agree?

Daily meditation over a consistent period of time changes gray matter density in parts of the brain associated with memory, sense of self, empathy, and stress. But more research is needed.

LIVE FROM PSYCHIATRIC CONGRESS It is no surprise that pain, depression, and anxiety form a "terrible triad"--but now there’s proof, according to results from research presented1 at the 2010 US Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress (Psych Congress).