Asking Questions, Finding Answers

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

Progress is dependent on evaluating where you have been, examining what you have done, and considering how you can do better. This issue of Psychiatric Times™ does just that.

For instance, Guitelle St Victor, MD, FAPA, FACLP, and colleagues explore the emerging literature on the neuropsychiatric issues associated with COVID-19 to help determine the next best steps. They review the literature detailing a subset of patients who present sans the usual telltale symptoms and instead have display behavioral changes that include depression, delirium, and even psychosis. By asking some pointed questions, perhaps we can not only better understand how the virus affects human neuropsychiatry, but we can also better prevent, identify, and treat these issues as we continue dealing with the pandemic.

Sometimes questions allow us to dig deeper and get a broader depth of understanding. Nowhere is that more important than in providing culturally competent care, as Merranda McLaughlin, MS, and Amy Weisman de Mamani, PhD, explain. Using examples from various backgrounds, they illustrate cultural issues that may arise in patients with psychosis and how care helps address their unique situations.

This month’s continuing medical education article poses an ethical question as the country grapples with the ongoing substance use epidemic. On November 17, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made the grim announcement that annual overdoses passed the 100,000 mark, representing a nearly 30% increase from the prior year. Our Ethics Section editor Cynthia M.A. Geppert, MD, MA, MPH, explores the use of civil commitment—is it coercion or a form of compassion?

These are just the tip of the iceberg. Cover to cover, you will find scholarly articles, commentaries, and features exploring clinical questions and conundrums and reviewing research in the hopes that Psychiatric Times™ can help you find the answers to best support your patients. ❒