Elham Hatef, MD, a clinical informatician at the Johns Hopkins Center for Population Health IT, discussed the findings of her recent study, “Outcomes of in-person and telehealth ambulatory encounters during COVID-19 within a large commercially insured cohort,” in this Q&A with Psych Congress Network.

News, comments, and analysis from the field of psychiatry, including the FDA’s clearance of a new neuromodulation device for people with significant depression, a phase III safety and efficacy trial of an injectable subcutaneous formulation of olanzapine for schizophrenia, melatonin dependence, and much more.

According to experts, one of the most important strategies for tackling the psychiatrist shortage is to assist primary care physicians in treating patients with mental illness, as the US anticipates a projected shortfall of 14,280 to 31,109 psychiatrists due to the fact that over 150 million people reside in places where there is a nationally acknowledged lack of mental health professionals.

The recent United States Supreme Court ruling raises the bar for evidence that must be shown by the government in order to successfully prosecute doctors who prescribe excessive dosages of painkillers — a huge win for prescribers.

A quick quiz that asks you to fill in the blank: “Prolonged grief disorder is characterized by intense, prolonged grief (intense yearning for the decreased or preoccupation with thoughts of the deceased) occurring nearly every day that persists beyond ____________ months post-loss that causes clinically significant distress or impairment.”

The optimal dose of daily steps—the amount with the greatest dementia risk reduction—was 9,826 steps, with the minimum step dose, or the amount at which dementia risk was half of the maximal reduction, was 3,826 steps per day. See the original article on JAMA Neurology.