The Week in Review: January 15-19

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This week, Psychiatric Times® discussed a wide variety of psychiatric issues and industry updates, from clinician wellness to THC use in adolescents.

THC and Adolescents: An Overlooked Issue in Youth Mental Health

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Although an epidemic of mental disorders in youth has been widely acknowledged, the role of cannabis has largely been ignored. Opioid and alcohol use disorders have long been recognized as substantial risks to the adolescent population, but the negative effects of cannabis tend to be overlooked.

Although adolescents do not die from cannabis overdoses as they may from opiate overdoses, cannabis presents a significant danger. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the euphoria-inducing cannabinoid in cannabis, is toxic to the adolescent brain, which is not fully developed until the age of 25 years. This toxicity is present even with non-disordered use (cannabis use that does not meet the DSM 5-TR criteria for a substance use disorder) and can lead to increased susceptibility to mental illness. Continue Reading

Chemotherapy-Induced Psychosis Treated With Clozapine in an Adolescent With Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

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“Mr Devon” is a Black 16-year-old young man with past psychiatric history of autism spectrum disorder and oppositional defiant disorder. He has a past medical history of recently diagnosed nasopharyngeal carcinoma with metastatic disease to left cervical lymph node (Tis, N2b, M0-stage IVA per NCCN and T1, N1, M0-stage IIB per AJCC staging). Mr Devon recently developed religious delusions, command auditory hallucinations, thoughts of auto-enucleation and coprophagia, and disorganizations of speech and behavior during chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil.

Oncology Medical History

Mr Devon noticed a neck mass in May 2022 but did not report his symptoms until 6 months later. He also experienced a 20-pound weight loss and persistent symptoms of rhinorrhea and hemoptysis from nasal bleeding. ENT examined Mr Devon, conducted CT imaging, and a neck mass fine needle aspiration revealed indeterminate pathology which necessitated further evaluation. Continue Reading

Wellness in Physician Colleagues

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Working in the health care profession is a privilege, yet it also carries some personal risks that we often don’t fully recognize. Medicine attracts high achievers with a strong work ethic and social and moral responsibility, devoted to the well-being of others and skilled in controlling complex situations. However, this may result in repeated exposure to stressful work conditions, affecting our well-being and leading to psychological distress that may manifest in various ways. How one copes with their emotions can affect one’s sense of well-being and the care they provide to patients and family members.

Psychological well-being is an ongoing multidimensional process geared toward a life that is balanced and whole, and it is engaged in the 6 dimensions from the Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being model. Ryff’s model is multidimensional and is not restricted to happiness or positive emotions. These are consistent with Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 8 dimensions of wellness. Continue Reading

Resolution #8: the Value of the Cultural Diversity of Happiness

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Besides the usual personal resolutions individuals tend to make at the beginning of a new year, we have covered the other side of the resolution coin, that being some ways to enhance the happiness and psychological well-being of society. This 8th one will end this series.

When we wish others a Happy New Year, as you probably did many times, how is such happiness most likely to actually increase and how can that greeting help achieve that? The wish is just that, a well-meaning and usually well-received optimistic wish, not a process or path to action that will bring more happiness or sustainability. Continue Reading

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