Articles related to MENTAL HEALTH

This article provides a brief review of three important books on the thinking and experience around psychedelics in medicine: The Promise of Psychedelics, by Peter Silverstone, MD; Psychedelic Medicine, by Richard Louis Miller, MA, PhD; How to Change Your Mind, by Michael Pollan.

The way that physician burnout is currently framed contributes to misconceptions about and stigma surrounding depression and discourages us from fully utilizing the resources available to prevent and treat depression.

After supporting a number of significant clinical trials in psychiatry more than ten years ago, NIMH abruptly shifted its approach and began allocating 90% of its money to neuroscience. The policy is still in place even though this “has yet to deliver major clinical gains.” Clinical advancement has been halted as a result of the devaluation of mental clinical trials and the meticulously designed, essential methodologies they demand.

In this randomized study of 1,000 patients with delirium admitted to the ICU, patients receiving haloperidol showed no significant difference in survival compared with patients who received placebo.

This review of three recent publications in Schizophrenia Bulletin, Expert Opinion in Pharmacotherapy, and Frontiers in Psychiatry highlights some potential opportunity to change standard practice and improve patient outcomes. Emerging research indicates that once-daily dosing before bed is likely effective, reduces adverse effects, and boosts adherence. Furthermore, when switching agents, immediate discontinuation may be preferable, with no need to taper.

Digital tools are emerging modalities for behavior modification in major depressive disorder, chronic insomnia, and substance use disorders. These evidence-based therapeutic software systems intervene in the prevention, management, or treatment of a medical disorder or disease. Examples of digital therapeutics include apps that deliver cognitive behavior therapy for chronic insomnia or psychoeducation for opioid use disorder. Because digital tools capture real-time patient data they can provide clinicians with a more accurate picture of a patient’s mental status or treatment progress than one-time self-reports during office visits.