The 2024 APA Annual Meeting: Tuesday, May 7

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CONFERENCE REPORTER

The 2024 American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting is in full swing. Here are some highlights from Tuesday, May 7, in Psychiatric Times®.

Experts Shed Light on Workplace Violence in Health Care Settings

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Workplace violence is on the rise in all health care settings, Laura T. Safar, MD, told attendees at the 2024 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting. According to Safar between 50% and 90% of health care workers have been exposed to workplace violence, which includes verbal violence, and 40% of psychiatrists reported physical assault in psychiatry settings (more often in inpatient settings as opposed to outpatient settings).

Safar, vice chair of psychiatry and director of the Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology Fellowship, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center at Harvard University, explained the various classification and types of workplace violence. First, it can be categorized as verbal vs physical, she said. The majority of incidents of workplace violence in health care settings are verbal, which include verbal abuse, bullying, and threats. Assault, battery, domestic violence, stalking, sexual harassment and assault, and homicide are examples of physical workplace violence. Continue Reading

Investigators Share Baseline Data From Study on Iclepertin for Schizophrenia at APA Annual Meeting

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A poster at the 2024 American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting discussed the baseline data from the CONNEX-X study, which delves into the potential of iclepertin (BI 425809), a glycine transporter-1 inhibitor, to address the cognitive impairment often observed in schizophrenia.

According to the study’s researchers, cognitive deficits are a hallmark of schizophrenia and significantly impact functional outcomes for patients, yet effective pharmacological interventions remain elusive. Building on promising results from earlier phase 2 trials indicating iclepertin's ability to enhance cognition in schizophrenia, phase 3 trials are now underway. The current study, CONNEX-X (NCT05211947), serves as an extension trial aimed at gathering additional safety data regarding the long-term use of iclepertin in patients who have completed phase 3 trials. Continue Reading

Benzodiazepines: The Considerable Risk of Abuse & How to Taper

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Benzodiazepines, a controversial treatment widely prescribed for anxiety and insomnia, carry a considerable risk of abuse.

The poster, “Mood over Matter: literature review on benzodiazepine tapering, current practices and updates on adjunct mood stabilizers,” presented at the 2024 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, summarized a literature review of current benzodiazepine tapering practices, outpatient detoxification challenges, and potential barriers to discontinuation. The presenters also prioritized reviewing literature that highlighted mood stabilizer adjunct use. Continue Reading

See more coverage from the 2024 APA Annual Meeting in Psychiatric Times here. And be sure to stay up-to-date by subscribing to the Psychiatric Times E-newsletter.

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