Month: July 2018

Reading of the Week: Suicide Notes & Lessons Learned – the New CJP Paper; Also, Mukherjee on Case Reports

July 26, 2018 /

From the Editor

Many people didn’t write one. But some did. The notes were usually short, typically only 600 words or so, and were often handwritten. Some talked about their illness; others didn’t.

What lessons can we learn from these suicide notes?

In the first selection, University of Toronto psychiatry resident Dr. Zainab Furqan and her co-authors consider notes left by those who suicided in a paper just published in The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. They argue that we can learn from them, and offer clinical suggestions.

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In the second selection, Columbia University’s Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee argues that the obscure is relevant – he notes the decline and fall of the case report, and calls for its return.

DG

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Reading of the Week: Common Medications and the Link to Depression – the New JAMA Psychiatry Paper

July 19, 2018 /

From the Editor

“Many may be surprised to learn that their medications, despite having nothing to do with mood or anxiety or any other condition normally associated with depression, can increase their risk of experiencing depressive symptoms, and may lead to a depression diagnosis.”

JAMA Psychiatry papers rarely make international news. A new paper by the University of Illinois’ Dima Mazen Qato (who is quoted above) and her co-authors has, however. In looking at prescribed drugs like proton pump inhibitors, they find that many are linked to depressive symptoms. One online news report began with the headline: “37% of US Adults Are Using Common Meds They Don’t Realise Could Cause Depression: It’s even worse if you use several medications together.”

It’s a big study with a big result. For the record, a couple of patients have already brought up the findings with me.

statin_2819148bMany small pills, one big problem?

What to think and how should it affect patient care? In this week’s Reading, we consider the paper.

DG

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Reading of the Week: Higher Volume, Better Care? The Rasmussen Paper

July 12, 2018 /

From the Editor

How do we improve mental health services?

Past Readings have explored many topics from measurement-based care to better access. This week, we consider a new paper by Aalborg University’s Line Ryberg Rasmussen et al. The study authors look at volume and quality of mental health care, drawing on Danish inpatient admissions.

Their finding? “This nationwide, population-based cohort study demonstrated that patients with depression who were admitted to psychiatric hospitals with very-high-volume wards were more likely to receive care in accordance with clinical guidelines, compared with those admitted to low-volume wards.”

ptelemnursing01High volume, better care (if not better cafeteria food)?

This week, we look at the Rasmussen et al. paper and consider its implications.

DG

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