From the Pages of Psychiatric Times: May 2023

In the May issue of Psychiatric Times®, we worked with experts from multiple psychiatric areas to bring you thoughtful articles about a wide variety of psychiatric topics, from social media and self-diagnosis to the use of collaborative care for patients with schizophrenia and COVID-19. Here are some highlights from the issue.

Psychoeducation or Psychiatric Contagion? Social Media and Self-Diagnosis

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"I have autism. All my friends say so,” announced “Asher,” the cheerful nonbinary 17-year-old sitting in my office. “I need a diagnosis for school so I can be excused from class when I get overwhelmed.” I was taken aback. Asher was one of the most engaging, expressive, and social adolescents in our Partial Hospital program, and they had no history of developmental concerns of any kind. Subsequent interviews with their mother, teacher, and therapist revealed no symptoms related to autism, except for sensitivity to loud noises. However, relating my opinion to Asher that they do not have autism was met not with relief but frustration: “I do have autism. You just don’t get it.”

Social Media: Chronically Online?

Humans are social beings. The complexity of our relationships can be credited for much of our success as a species. Organization into tribal groups allowed our ancestors to coordinate defense and delegate vital tasks such as hunting and care of the young. Understanding one another was necessary for effective competition for mates and resources. Social thinking is perhaps most relevant for adolescents—typically preoccupied with how they are perceived and valued by peers. Continue Reading

What the Public Does Not Know About Involuntary Hospitalization

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On November 29, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced that New York City would step up efforts to involuntarily hospitalize homeless persons with severe mental illness even if they did not represent a threat of violence. The announcement provoked wary, anxious responses from all sides, according to The New York Times.

One government official called the effort “deeply problematic” while others predicted legal challenges to the policy. Questions were immediately raised about exactly how the policy would be applied and whether the police were the best positioned group to apply it. Continue Reading

Using Collaborative Care to Improve Outcomes for Patients With Schizophrenia and COVID-19

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Individuals with schizophrenia have experienced an increase in psychiatric, medical, and treatment risks because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The following is an overview of risk factors and an example of patient-centered, collaborative care that promotes stabilization and safety while providing available treatment options for cooccurring diagnoses of COVID-19 and schizophrenia spectrum disorder.

Increased Risks

The stress of the COVID-19 crisis crashed in waves across the United States and its care continuum. Hospitals, medical offices, and care centers were all impacted significantly, and the psychiatric service line was unquestionably negatively affected. Modifications in mental health services occurred in response to growing concerns related to the pandemic and the impacted workforce. Continue Reading

Art and Science of Forming a Multidisciplinary Group Practice

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Business ownership runs in my family. I come from a long line of individuals who owned clothing stores, boot manufacturers, medical and accounting practices, HVAC businesses, and training firms. When I earned my first undergraduate degree, I minored in business administration. Today, as the founder and CEO of Enlighten Health Care, LLC, I know there is both an art and a science to most things in life—including starting a multidisciplinary group practice.

The science is the finance portion: payroll, rent, utilities, budgeting, advertising, overhead, etc. The art pertains to managerial aspects, human interactions, motivating and exciting others, and the like. However, the art and the science would never have a chance at synergizing if not for the why of the organization. It is truly the why that takes precedence. Continue Reading

See the full May issue of Psychiatric Times here. And be sure to stay up-to-date by subscribing to the Psychiatric Times E-newsletter.

Do you have a comment on any of these or other articles? Have a good idea for an article and want to write? Interested in sharing your perspectives? Write to us at PTeditor@mmhgroup.com.