Psychiatry

There has been much speculation about whether the implementation of complex mental health parity rules will actually yield equal coverage of care.

Several factors should be considered when choosing a medication and dosing schedule for this depressed adult male who reports being "very sensitive" to medication and expresses particular concern about being either sedated or "revved up" from an antidepressant.

Although boosted self-esteem and increased confidence are added benefits to fixing an embarrassing physical flaw, they can also lead both the patient and surgeon down a slippery slope.

In addition to treating episodes of major depression, Brintellix (vortioxentine) has demonstrated superiority to placebo on measures of cognitive function in adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Results from animal models of depression and a human clinical trial show that enhancing, instead of blocking, the NMDA glutamate receptor can cause antidepressant-like effects.

The effective therapist will practice what he preaches, pun intended.

During the limited period in which the cosmetic surgeon consults with a body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) patient before rhinoplasty, several factors must be assessed and discussed.

Creating a safer environment for clinicians and patients starts with better formalized reporting of aggressive and violent behavior, and should also include more rigorous screening and assessment for risk markers of violent behavior.

One treatment-resistant depression patient's response to over-the-counter cough medicine led Steven P. Levine, MD, to study the mechanism and effects of dextromethorphan in depression.

Study results show patients with the disorder report a sever burden of illness, with high rates of hospital and emergency room visits and significant negative impact on activities of daily living.

Two studies at the American College of Gastroenterology's 78th Annual Scientific Meeting analyzed the health outcomes of inflammatory bowel disease in the U.S. and Canada.

Steven P. Levine, MD, says the implications of altering the microbiome may extend beyond C. difficile to mental health, given the new insight into the connection between the gut and mind.

Study shows that somatization and low job security are independently associated with low back pain prevalence.

Study results presented at the 2013 United States Conference on AIDS show that both combo drugs have a similar efficacy profile in ART-naïve patients, but patients treated with Complera reported fewer and less severe side effects.

A survey of pediatric subspecialists found that 9 in 10 do not follow guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics for treating preschoolers with ADHD.

Steven P. Levine, MD, reminds prescribers to satisfy the voices in their heads by acknowledging that any medicine may be poisonous to patients.

Steven P. Levine, MD, recommends selecting a biologic intervention from column A and a psychotherapy agent from column B to effectively treat depression and anxiety.

Treating patients with multiple sclerosis who opt to use only supplements and other complementary and alternative approaches requires a great deal of tact and education, and input and support from all members of the multidisciplinary treatment team.

Sorting through and demystifying the toolkit of antidepressants, anxiolytics, and other psychiatric medications available to hospital physicians.

Results from a small study indicate patients with difficult-to-treat diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) may benefit from therapy with tanezumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against nerve growth factor.

The stigma attached to chronic diseases such as IBS has been shown to negatively affect patients' self-image and sense of worth, leading to worse outcomes. Being aware of this and working to counteract the psychological effects of stigma can improve the patient-physician relationship and lead to better outcomes.

Understanding and addressing these disorders can improve the patient's mental health as well as their chronic pain and other comorbid conditions. Incorporating cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy into the management of chronic pain has been shown to improve pain outcomes.

The push to provide better pain care and ensure adequate analgesia for patients living with chronic pain led to liberalized opioid prescription practices that have been accompanied by a massive increase in the abuse, misuse, and diversion of prescription opioids. Efforts to combat this include technological remedies such as "abuse-deterrent" formulations of opioids and educational approaches such as the REMS program approved by the FDA in 2012.

"Urine drug testing (UDT) has become a widely utilized tool across many specialties. Although it was traditionally used more by pain specialists due to concerns over prescription drug abuse, diversion, and misuse, it has become something that family physicians and non-pain specialists rely on more than ever..." A Q&A with Joshua Gunn, PhD

According to a new study of mothers in the New Orleans area, survivors of Hurricane Katrina have suffered from poor mental health for years after the storm, including many who suffer from post-traumatic stress symptoms and psychological distress.