Tag: psychiatric services

Reading of the Week: Contingency Management for Stimulant Use – the New AJP Paper; Also, LLMs as Mental Health Providers and Kumpf on Her ED Visit

October 9, 2025 /

From the Editor

Her housing is unstable; major relationships have ended; she is deeply in debt. She presented to the emergency department hoping for help with her crystal methamphetamine addiction. “That drug just grabs you and holds you.” No medications have demonstrated efficacy for stimulant use disorder. But could contingency management be part of a meaningful plan for her recovery?

In the first selection, a paper published last month in The American Journal of Psychiatry, Lara N. Coughlin (of the University of Michigan) and her co-authors attempt to answer that question. They did a retrospective cohort study, comparing those who received contingency management with those who didn’t, looking at outcomes and 12 months of data, and involving 1 481 patients and an equal number of people in the control group. “This study provides the first evidence that contingency management use in real-world health care settings is associated with reduced risk of mortality among patients with stimulant use disorder.” We consider the paper and its implications.

In the second selection, Tony Rousmaniere (of Sentio University) and his co-authors examine large language models as health providers. In a timely paper for The Lancet Psychiatry, they weigh the regulatory and legal contexts. “LLMs have entered everyday use for mental health. Developers who embrace transparency and collaborative research can transform the mental health landscape and define the future of digital care for the better.”

And in the third selection, Emily A. Kumpf (of Johns Hopkins University) writes personally about her first-episode psychosis in Psychiatric Services. While she is grateful for the care she received in the emergency room, she was traumatized by the experience. “When I was restrained, every part of me genuinely believed the medications they were injecting into me were chemicals intended to kill me. My scream pierced through the hospital walls; I thought I was dying. To my surprise, I woke up the next morning.”

DG

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Reading of the Week: ADHD – with Papers from JAMA Psych, PLOS One & Psych Services

April 3, 2025 /

From the Editor

He had struggled for years with mood and ADHD. While we discussed different medication options, my patient was very focused on psychedelics; he explained that his friends had found microdosing to be helpful, especially for their attentional problems.

Psychedelics have entered the mainstream: research is active; patients seem increasingly interested; and, yes, investors offer up billions in the rush to find potential treatments (and profit). But is there evidence for psychedelics for those with ADHD?  Dr. Lorenz Mueller (of the University of Basel) and his colleagues attempt to answer that question with a new paper, just published in JAMA Psychiatry. They describe the first double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2A randomized clinical trial. 52 participants received repeated doses of LSD (twice weekly) or placebo over six weeks. “In this randomized clinical trial, repeated low-dose LSD administration was safe in an outpatient setting, but it was not more efficacious than placebo in reducing ADHD symptoms.” We consider the paper and its implications.

The molecular structure of LSD – pretty but useful for ADHD?

In the second selection, Vasileia Karasavva (of the University of British Columbia) and her co-authors look at ADHD and social media in a new paper for PLOS One. In a two-part study, they analyzed 100 popular videos on ADHD, finding many views but uneven quality. While they note the “democratizing” of mental health information, they warn: “TikTok’s anecdotal content could lead some viewers to misattribute normal behaviors or those better explained by other conditions to be signs of ADHD…”

In the third selection, Dr. Zilin Cui (of Boston University) writes about ADHD – as a provider and also as a patient. In a personal Psychiatric Services paper, the physician discloses long-standing problems and a diagnosis. She also writes about cultural considerations. “Instead of continuing to dwell on what I cannot do, I now have different tools and strategies to chart my path forward. Now, I can finally tell myself that I am enough.”

DG


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Reading of the Week: Psychiatric Care in 21 Countries – The JAMA Psych Study; Also, Industry Payments to Psychiatrists and Batterman on Relating

February 13, 2025 /

From the Editor

Our patients often struggle to access care. But what is the global experience? What percentage of patients in other countries receive care that meets basic standards?

In the first selection, Dr. Daniel V. Vigo (of the University of British Columbia) and his co-authors attempt to answer these questions in a new paper for JAMA Psychiatry. They analyzed effective treatment and its key components for nine mental disorders drawing on the World Mental Health surveys which included structured interviews. Vigo et al. cover familiar ground, but the study stands out due to its unusually robust dataset which includes almost 57 000 people in 21 countries. “The proportion of 12-month person-disorders receiving effective treatment was 6.9%.” We consider the paper and its implications.

In the second selection, Dr. John L. Havlik (of Stanford University) and his co-authors weigh in on industry payment to US psychiatrists. In this Psychiatric Services paper, they analyzed six years of data covering nearly 60 000 physicians, drawing on government databases, finding: “a small number of psychiatrists (<600 psychiatrists per year) received approximately 75% of industry’s compensation to psychiatrists each year.”

And, in the third selection, medical student Alexander I. Batterman (of Rowan University) writes about a patient encounter for Academic Psychiatry. He notes the challenges of connecting with a patient who has psychosis and is dismissive. Batterman persists – and understands. “As a former epilepsy patient who is intimately aware of what it is like to be questioned and observed by clinicians and students in the emergency department, as if I were an animal at the zoo on display, I could relate to the human experience of being judged.”

DG

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Reading of the Week: Exercise for Depression – the new BMJ Study; Also, Pogue on Her Career & Illness

February 22, 2024 /

From the Editor

Studies have shown that exercise is helpful for those with depression. But is one type of exercise better than the others? How much exercise? And what should you tell your patients when they ask?

Michael Noetel (of the University of Queensland) and his co-authors attempt to answer these questions in a new study for The BMJ. They did a systematic review and network meta-analysis, drawing on 218 studies with almost 14  200 participants. “Exercise is an effective treatment for depression, with walking or jogging, yoga, and strength training more effective than other exercises, particularly when intense.” We look at the study, the accompanying editorial, and consider the implications for practice.

And, in the other selection from Psychiatric Services, Ye Zhang Pogue (of RTI International) writes about her advocacy for those with mental illness and her hesitation in disclosing her own diagnosis. In a personal essay, she talks about her aspirations, her fears, and her experiences with discrimination. She calls for a change to corporate culture. “Changing corporate culture will be a slow process, but the cumulative efforts of individuals will make a difference on a systemic level.” Note that this was the most-read paper in any APA journal in 2023.

DG

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Reading of the Week: Peer Support – the New Psych Services Paper; Also, BMJ on Dr. Smith & Drs. Stergiopoulos and Hwang on TTC Violence (Tor Star)

March 2, 2023 /

From the Editor

Anxiety provoking. That’s how a patient recently described the first few days of hospitalization in an unfamiliar environment and feeling unwell. Would peer support have helped?

In the first selection, Cecilie Høgh Egmose (of the University of Copenhagen) and her colleagues conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis for Psychiatric Services. In this study, they analyzed 49 RCTs involving more than 12,000 participants and with different types of services and peer support. They find: “peer support interventions generally but only slightly improve outcomes of personal recovery and slightly reduce symptoms of anxiety among individuals with any mental illness.” We look at the paper and its clinical implications.

In the second selection, writer Adele Waters interviews the incoming president of the UK’s Royal College of Psychiatrists in a front cover article for The BMJ. Dr. Lade Smith’s new position is like a British combination of two Canadian presidencies: of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons and of the Canadian Psychiatric Association. She has had a big career as an educator, clinician, and researcher. And Dr. Smith is clear in her advocacy: “The chronic underfunding of mental health care must be tackled urgently. We have the evidence to make the case. Investing in mental healthcare is cost effective, saves lives, and enhances our economy.”

And in the third selection, Drs. Vicky Stergiopoulos and Stephen Hwang (both of the University of Toronto) mull violence and Toronto’s transit system. In an essay for the Toronto Star, they push past the headlines and suggest that we address core issues. They write: “Simply adding police officers and security guards on the TTC will not be sufficient. This is not a TTC problem but, rather, a whole system problem.”

DG

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Reading of the Week: Smoking Cessation – Doing Bad, Feeling Good? Also, Ethnicity & Opioids (JAMA Psych) and Dr. Freedman on Lunches (Acad Psych)

December 1, 2022 /

From the Editor

We ask our patients about cannabis. We inquire about illicit drugs. But are we forgetting tobacco? A new paper in Psychiatric Services helps answer that question – and, perhaps, raises other questions, including about how we could do better. 

In the first selection, Sarah A. White (of Johns Hopkins University) and her co-authors draw on American data to look at smoking cessation medications in a new Psychiatric Services paper. Among more than 55,000 smokers (many of whom have mental illness), they find that: “Cessation pharmacotherapy for smokers remained vastly underprescribed across all groups. At least 83% of smokers with or without mental illness did not receive varenicline, NRT, or bupropion during the 14-year study period.” We consider the paper and its clinical implications.

In the second selection, Huiru Dong (of Harvard University) and her co-authors look at buprenorphine treatment and demographics in the United States. Their JAMA Psychiatry research letter, which was just published, finds a growing gap. “The observed heterogeneity in buprenorphine treatment duration among racial and ethnic groups may reflect disproportionate structural barriers in treatment retention for Opioid Use Disorder.”

In the third selection, Dr. David Freedman (of the University of Toronto) writes about resident lunches for Academic Psychiatry. Dr. Freedman, who is a resident, notes that in-person lunches shifted to virtual ones for more than two years because of the pandemic – something that was necessary but unfortunate. He argues that the gatherings are important. “Yet, as a collective of residents munch on the last bites of their sandwiches, say goodbye, and return to work, I am struck by the camaraderie. Funded resident lunches nurture the professional identities of psychiatry trainees – an essential element of medical education.”

DG

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Reading of the Week: African Nova Scotian Youth & Stigma; Also, Engaging Health Care Workers (Psych Services) and Therapy & Psychiatry (Psych Times)

September 22, 2022 /

From the Editor

Many with mental disorders don’t engage in psychiatric care or, if they do, it is after significant delays – problematic for obvious reasons. Some groups are less likely to engage, including young Black individuals with psychosis.

Why the hesitation? What are the concerns of these patients and their larger communities? In the first selection, a paper just published by the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, Ingrid Waldron (of McMaster University) and her co-authors take a qualitative interpretive narrative approach, to engage African Nova Scotians – including those in a first episode psychosis program – attempting to answer these questions and more. Among their key findings: “barriers include a lack of trust in health care services and a dearth of African Nova Scotian service providers.” We discuss the paper and its implications.

In this week’s second selection, Dr. Doron Amsalem (of Columbia University) and his co-authors aim to improve health care workers treatment seeking; in a paper for Psychiatric Services, they describe an RCT for a brief video intervention, finding positive results. They write: “This easily administered intervention could increase the likelihood of care seeking by proactively encouraging health care workers with mental health challenges to pursue treatment.”

Finally, in the third selection, Mark L. Ruffalo (of the University of Central Florida College of Medicine) and Dr. Daniel Morehead (of the Tufts Medical Center) consider psychotherapy and psychiatry. In an essay for Psychiatric Times, they argue that this is “the great divorce that never happened.” They write: “For decades, critics and leading psychiatrists have worried that psychotherapy among psychiatrists will one day die out and be forgotten. Yet for decades, reports of its demise have been greatly exaggerated.”

DG

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Reading of the Week: Prevention With Mindfulness for Kids? The New EBMH Study; Also, Ending Seclusion (Psych Services) & Morrison on Her Silence (CBC)

July 28, 2022 /

From the Editor

Our patients tell similar stories about their experiences with depression: of strained and lost relationships, of job opportunities that didn’t work out, of the pain of the illness itself.

Could all this be avoided? The attractiveness of prevention is obvious. In the first selection, Willem Kuyken (of the University of Oxford) and his co-authors describe a program focused on those 11 to 16 years of age. In this new EBMH paper, they use mindfulness training. The intervention is randomized, involving 84 schools. They conclude: “In a fully powered, rigorous, cluster randomised controlled trial we found no support for our hypothesis that school-based mindfulness training is superior in terms of mental health and well-being compared with usual provision over 1 year of follow-up in young people in secondary schools.” We consider the paper and its implications.

In the second selection from Psychiatric Services, Gregory M. Smith (of the Allentown State Hospital) and his co-authors analyze Pennsylvania’s move to eliminate seclusion and restraint events. Drawing on nine years of data, they conclude: “The findings of this study provide compelling evidence that uses of seclusion and restraints can be reduced or eliminated in both civil and forensic populations, with benefits to both the persons being served and their support staff.”

And, in the third selection, lawyer Helen Morrison considers mental illness and stigma. In this essay for CBC First Person, she notes her own journey and her fears about how people would react to her having bipolar disorder. She finds support with her faith group and others. She writes: “I want people to know that being diagnosed with a mental illness need not be earth-shattering. Faulty brain chemistry should be seen as just another chronic medical condition.”

DG

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Reading of the Week: Bipolar and Lithium – the New BJP Paper; Also, Inpatient Therapy (Psych Service) and Stulberg on His OCD (NYT)

July 7, 2022 /

From the Editor

What’s the best medication for bipolar disorder? Today, we have a variety of options from the old (lithium) to the new (modern antipsychotics). But what to prescribe?

In the first selection from The British Journal of Psychiatry, Cecilie Fitzgerald (of the Danish Research Institute for Suicide Prevention) and her co-authors try to answer these questions with a cohort study including those diagnosed with bipolar and living in Denmark between 1995 and 2016. They employ two types of analyses and focus on suicide, self-harm, and psychiatric hospital admissions. They conclude: “Although confounding by indication cannot be excluded, lithium seems to have better outcomes in the treatment of bipolar disorder than other mood stabilisers.” We consider the paper and its implications.

Lithium: not just for Teslas?

In the second selection, Stef Kouvaras (of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust) and her co-authors consider a single-session psychotherapy intervention for an inpatient unit. In this recently published brief report for Psychiatric Services, they do a feasibility and acceptability study of positive psychotherapy. “The findings of this study indicate that positive psychotherapy is feasible and acceptable on acute psychiatric wards and that service users with severe and complex mental health conditions find the intervention helpful.”

In the final selection, executive coach Brad Stulberg writes about his experiences with OCD for The New York Times. He notes that his diagnosis helped him find care – but he worries about labels. “The stigma around mental illness has certainly not disappeared. But increasingly, mental health diagnoses are being embraced as identity statements.”

DG

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Reading of the Week: Mental Health Literacy & Skills for Students – the New CJP Paper; Also, Benzodiazepine Use and the Latest Mental Health Headlines

June 16, 2022 /

From the Editor

Postsecondary education can be incredibly stressful for students – and, not surprisingly, mental health problems may surface. Is it possible to inform (and thus empower) students with a simple intervention?

In the first selection, Yifeng Wei (of the University of Alberta) and her co-authors consider a trial of Transitions, a program that includes both mental health literacy and comprehensive life skills resources “for those transitioning from secondary to postsecondary education.” In a new Canadian Journal of Psychiatry paper, they describe a study involving nearly 2 400 students across five institutions. “Students in the intervention significantly improved mental health knowledge, decreased stigma against mental illness, increased positive attitudes toward help-seeking, improved help-seeking behaviours, and decreased perceived stress compared to the control group.” We review the paper.

Beautiful campus – and a place to reduce stigma?

In the second selection, Christine Timko (of Stanford University) and her co-authors consider benzodiazepine use. In a new Psychiatric Services paper, they note: “This study’s findings suggest that challenges remain in discontinuing long-term benzodiazepine use among patients who are older than 45 years, White, taking higher doses for longer, and diagnosed as having anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, or psychosis.”

And finally, in a new section, we consider some recent news items relevant to those of us in mental health care. Our aim: not simply to draw from interesting reports, but to include those that our patients may read and bring up. This week: the focus (and TikTok videos) on the vagus nerve, the Freud who hated Freud, and ADHD in adults.

DG

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