In Case You Missed It: January 2022

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Psychiatric Times^TM welcomed the new year by discussing a wide variety of psychiatric issues throughout January, from treatment of alcohol use disorders and psychiatry workforce shortages to learning from the recent synagogue hostage crisis and navigating COVID-19. Here are some highlights from our January 2022 coverage:

Addressing Shortages in the Psychiatry Workforce

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The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the psychiatry shortage, particularly in rural areas and small towns. Depression, anxiety, grief, and substance abuse have soared during the pandemic, but 111 million Americans live in a psychiatry shortage area, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services—and the current shortage of 6% is expected to be between 14,280 and 31,109 psychiatrists by 2024.¹ The number of physicians entering specialties increased between 2003 and 2013; however, during that same period, the number of physicians entering psychiatry decreased by 0.2%.² Continue Reading

Social Psychiatric Lessons Learned and Relearned

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On January 18, 2022, the group SPIRIT (Social Psychiatrists Interested in Recovery from International Trauma) wrote an article “We Refuse to Hate” in response to the hostage crisis in a synagogue outside of Dallas, Texas. Because the issues seemed so complex and new information came out afterward, some of us thought it would be useful to summarize and convey 10 key conclusions. January 27th was the annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and all Holocaust-related anniversaries remind us “Never Again!” However, the rise in anti-Semitism in the world, as shown in the Texas event, indicates that psychiatry still has work to do not only in helping to reduce anti-Semitism, but also to protect scapegoated groups from hate with xenophilia. Continue Reading

COVID Dodgeball

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Your space capsule has just landed after 4 years of hurtling about in the galaxy. All radio communication was lost some years earlier when your ship was hit by a movie camera from a Brad Pitt film. You cannot sue because Star Trek has yet to open an intergalactic court. You are oblivious to how you immediately will be thrown into the game. Perhaps by the rescue folks in the helicopter—why are they wearing masks instead of helmets? Unbeknownst, you now have been tagged to play COVID Dodgeball. Funny, NASA thought you might bring back some horrific infectious disease from exposure to a contagious asteroid growth. Continue Reading

Everyone Relapses Anyway. Or Do They?

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“Ms Frank” is a young woman with a history of alcohol use disorder (AUD), cocaine use disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and bipolar disorder who is currently receiving psychiatric care at an outpatient program. She has a severe trauma history that has never been fully discussed with a therapist or psychiatrist, despite years of treatment. She has chronic suicidal thoughts after multiple previous attempts by overdose. Suicidality is increased in times of intoxication, and suicidal thoughts have never completely gone away even with the switch to lithium. She has failed over 15 medications and is often sensitive to adverse effects. Continue Reading

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