PsychPearls by Psychiatric Times

62: Here's to a Psychedelic Revolution

Amir Inamdar MBBS, DNB (Psych), MFPM

61: Upcoming Podcast on ADHD Treatment Options

60: How to Talk to Teenagers About Substance Use

Scare tactics don’t work. But scientific education might. Here are tips for talking with teenaged patients about keeping themselves and their friends safe.

59: Blue Light Blockers: A Behavior Therapy for Mania

Last month we taught you how evening light can worsen mood. Today, we teach you how to fix that.

58: A Forensic Psychiatrist Takes the Stand

[Note: this is the second half of the Psych Pearls interview with James L. Knoll IV, MD. In the first half of the conversation, Knoll discussed the challenges of treating patients with traits like psychopathy or anti-social personality disorders . – Ed] Forensic psychiatrists have emotionally taxing jobs: They spend countless hours studying acts of violence and the individuals who commit them. How could anyone endure this job for more than a few years? James L. Knoll IV, MD, has survived decades...

57: Treating ‘Morally Objectionable’ Patients

Psychiatrists are not strangers to difficult and even potentially dangerous patients, but James L. Knoll IV, MD, has made these populations one of his specialties. With decades of experience in forensic psychiatry, Knoll takes listeners deep into the US criminal justice system, where he treats both inmates suffering from detention-related psychiatric disorders and an especially challenging group that he has dubbed morally objectionable patients . In this conversation, Psychiatric Times and Knoll...

56: 5 Personality Traits of Olympic Athletes

In this edition of PsychPearls , Hannah Simon, MD, introduces a new series on teen and tween mental health. Her first guest is Andrew Chen, MD, MS, the chief medical officer for USA Nordic, the national leadership organization for Nordic Combined and Ski Jumping in the United States. They discuss the importance of mental wellbeing for peak athletic performance, the programs available for Olympic athletes, and how health care providers can help students succeed—in everything from the big game to ...

55: Four Myths About Lamotrigine

Lamotrigine was launched for bipolar disorder in 2003, but it was a quiet launch, and since then a few myths have gathered around it as if to fill that vacuum. Today, we will address 4 of them.

54: Blue Light, Depression, and Bipolar Disorder

Blue light is getting blamed for everything from eye strain to cancer lately, but what does it do to our patients with depression and bipolar disorder. A lot, as you will see in this podcast, but it depends on what time of day it is shining.

53: What Will the Future of Alzheimer Disease Treatment Look Like?

PSYCHPEARLS PODCAST Alzheimer disease (AD) remains one of the most dreaded diagnoses a patient can get. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised hopes when it approved aducanumab, which promised to be the first disease-modifying drug for AD. But the approval immediately proved controversial. Three FDA board members resigned , the FDA then narrowed its patient label, and in mid-July, major hospitals announced that they would not administer the drug . In this edition of Psych Pearls , Hele...

52: What Makes Men’s Depression Different?

Jonathan E. Alpert, MD, PhD PSYCHPEARLS PODCAST June is National Men’s Health Month, a good time to consider the unique mental health needs of men. In this edition of PsychPearls , Jonathan E. Alpert, MD, PhD discusses mood disorders and the surprising symptoms that male patients may present. In this conversation, Alpert also covers: 1. The etiology of major depressive disorder in men and women 2. Common comorbidities to depression among men 3. How to build a therapeutic alliance with men and en...

51: Teamwork and Trauma: a Conversation With Kasey Grewe, MD, and Niesha Voigt, MD

PSYCHPEARLS PODCAST The initial wave of COVID-19 cases flooded New York City hospitals with patients who urgently needed medical attention. Despite the potential dangers, psychiatrists and other physicians rushed to their aid. There were examples of inspiring teamwork and mutual support everywhere. At the same time, many physicians found themselves in new and unfamiliar roles, sometimes without the necessary mental health resources to cope with what they were seeing and doing. In this edition of...

50: Dosing Tips for Lithium: How to Improve Tolerability

PSYCHPEARLS PODCAST Although lithium is a first-line treatment that ranks high on the list of patient’s favorites, it has fallen out of general use, particularly in the United States. When lithium works well, however, its benefits tend to last. It is among the top medications that prevent hospitalization. For the full transcript, see https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/dosing-tips-lithium-how-improve-tolerability About the hosts: Chris Aiken, MD, is the Mood Disorders Section Editor for Psychi...

49: Facing the First Days of the Pandemic: a Conversation With David Chong, MD, and Sara Nash, MD

PSYCHPEARLS PODCAST During the first wave of COVID-19 cases in New York City, physicians of all kinds took on unfamiliar roles and, in many cases, potentially risked their lives to help their patients. In this edition of Psych Pearls , a quartet of doctors remember the early, uncertain days the pandemic. Hosts Angela Coombs, MD, and Jennifer Sotsky, MD, talk to Sara Nash , MD, MS, and David Chong, MD , about their personal experiences, how the challenges of the pandemic have evolved over time, w...

48: More Than Postpartum Depression: Addressing Maternal Mental Health Through the Life Cycle

May is Maternal Mental Health Month, and moms around the world could probably use a break. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they have done even more of the childcare and housework, while also, in many cases, keeping up with their careers . How has the pandemic affected their mental health—either by creating new problems or by exacerbating perennial concerns ? In this edition of Psych Pearls , Anita H. Clayton, MD, explores the wide and varied field of maternal mental health. Along with the effects ...

47: How Can One Mental Illness Generate the Opposite Mood Experiences?

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many patients were already waiting months to see a psychiatrist. In this edition of Psych Pearls , we speak to James Phelps, MD, about the roots of the crisis and what psychiatrists can do to meet the nation’s mental health needs, especially through new models of collaborate care . Phelps also reviews his long career treating bipolar and other mood disorders. He discusses some of the most exciting recent discoveries, including research on inflammation and c...

46: David Hellerstein, MD: Psychedelic Treatments for Psychiatric Disorders

In this episode of PsychPearls and the Columbia University Breakthrough Session, hosts Angela Coombs, MD, and Jennifer Sotsky, MD, discuss the possibilities and promise of psilocybin in treating psychiatric disorders and in enhancing everyday experiences with David Hellerstein, MD . Landmark studies and new research about the use of hallucinogens includes potential to treat: Advanced stage cancer & death anxiety Treatment-resistent depression Eating disorders Posttraumatic stress disorder Su...

45: Anne Marie Albano, PhD: A Conversation on the Spectrum of Anxiety

PSYCHPEARLS PODCAST In this installment of PsychPearls and the Columbia University Breakthrough Session, hosts Angela Coombs, MD, and Jennifer Sotsky, MD, discuss anxiety with Anne Marie Albano, PhD. When does anxiety become a disorder? Anxiety as cultural phenomenon vs individual illness Self-care as a way to conquer anxiety Help-seeking as a sign of strength and self-knowledge Strategies to recognize anxiety The role of technology Dr Albano is professor of medical psychology (in Psychiatry) at...

44: Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Widespread and Potentially Deadly

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental health disorder in which you cannot stop thinking about perceived defects or flaws in your appearance, flaws that are often minor or even invisible to others. This condition currently affects around 2-3% of the general population. In this edition of Psych Pearls , we speak to Katharine Phillips, MD, about how her pioneering research on BDD, she books on the topic, and options for treatment. Dr Phillips is currently professor of psychiatry, DeWitt Wallac...

43: Lloyd Sederer, MD: A Conversation About Addiction and the Opioid Epidemic

PSYCHPEARLS What is addiction, and how can psychiatrists best respond to the opioid (and other drug) epidemic? What have we done wrong about it in the medication and other effective treatments for addiction? What does addiction do to the brain? Lloyd I Sederer, MD, a psychiatrist, public health expert, and writer provides key insights on what we can do to save more lives from overdose deaths. Dr Sederer is adjunct professor at the Columbia University School of Public Health; director of Columbia...

42: A Conversation With Drew Ramsey, MD, on Nutrition and Mental Health

Dr Drew Ramsey discusses the role of diet and nutrition in brain and mental health, promising areas of nutrition, and the importance of evidence-based treatment with food. Good nutrition is not a contest between zucchini and medications. Dr Ramsey is assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. His clinical work focuses on the treatment of depression and anxiety with a combination of psychotherapy, diet and lifestyle modification, and ps...

41: Learn to Recognize and Treat Traumatic Brain Injury

PSYCHPEARLS PODCAST Learn to Recognize and Treat Traumatic Brain Injury David Arciniengas, MD March is brain injury awareness month. According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control, nearly 3 million individuals a year suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and psychiatric disturbances are the most-common long-term effects of these injuries . In this edition of Psych Pearls , we speak to David Arciniegas, MD, about how to spot TBI and its psychiatric sequalae—and how to give effective tre...

40: Psychiatry’s Gender Trouble

PSYCHPEARLS PODCAST LGBTQ issues are some of the most pressing and difficult topics facing psychiatrists today. In this podcast, Psychiatric Times interviews Michael F. Myers, MD, about gender and sexuality. Topics of discussion include: 1. Current subjects in gender and sexuality, including gender dysmorphia 2. How psychiatry’s understanding of sexuality and gender has changed over time 3. His own experience as a doctor during the AIDS crisis Find out more about Dr Myers and his experience trea...

39: The Road Less Travelled: An Immigrant’s Story

Psychiatric Times interviews Omar Reda, MD, about international medical graduates (IMG) and his own personal and professional journey. In this podcast he discusses: 1. His childhood and medical training in war-torn Libya 2. The challenges facing immigrants who want to become doctors in the United States 3. How his colleagues, and the American medical establishment at large, can help IMGs realize their dreams Dr Reda is a practicing psychiatrist, Providence Healthcare System, Portland, OR. See mo...

38: When the War Comes Home

Psychiatric Times interviews Charles Figley, PhD , about his work in the area of PTSD, trauma, and disaster. In this podcast he discusses: 1. Female combat medics 2. What the military is (and is not) doing to help veterans with PTSD 3. His own experiences as a marine in Vietnam Dr Figley is the Paul Henry Kurzweg, MD Distinguished Chair in Disaster Mental Health at Tulane University and founder and director of the Tulane Traumatology Institute . See more podcasts at PsychPearls by Psychiatric Ti...

37: Preventing Suicide in the Age of COVID-19

PSYCHPEARLS Many factors have come into play during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, not the least of which has been meeting the flood of challenges in the realm of mental health. Rather than paint a bleak picture, Christine Moutier, MD, presents the unique opportunities for clinicians in identifying risk and preventing suicide. In this podcast, Moutier discusses her recent paper published in JAMA Psychiatry , " Suicide Prevention in the COVID-19 Era: Transforming Threat Into Opportunit...

36: Navigating Addiction Treatment in the Face of Difficulties

How can clinicians help patients struggling with addiction, especially during this time when uncovering past traumas might feel impractical? Psychiatric Times interviews child and adolescent and addiction psychiatrist, John Calvin Chatlos, MD. Dr Chatlos is affiliated with Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, in New Brunswick, NJ, and medical director of the Wei Ji Point Ambulatory Withdrawal Management program and the Specialized Addiction Treatment Services outpatient program.

35: When Children Get Worse on Antidepressants

There are many reasons why symptoms worsen in younger patients who are prescribed antidepressants. Five possible scenarios are discussed in this podcast with Chris Aiken, MD. The full report can be accessed here: When Children Get Worse on Antidepressants: Activation or Bipolar?

34: Dosing Tips for Bipolar Disorder: Quetiapine

Chris Aiken, MD, and Kellie Newsome, PMH-NP, discuss how to dose quetiapine for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Dr Aiken is the Mood Disorders Section Editor for Psychiatric Times, the Editor in Chief of The Carlat Psychiatry Report, and the Director of the Mood Treatment Center. His written several books on mood disorders, most recently The Depression and Bipolar Workbook . He can be heard in the weekly Carlat Psychiatry Podcast with his co-host Kellie Newsome, PMH-NP. Dr Aiken does not acce...

9: Dosing Tips: Lithium for Bipolar Disorder

In a recent podcast , the presenters listed 4 mood stabilizers that stand out in bipolar disorder treatment. In this podcast, Chris Aiken, MD, and Kellie Newsome, PMH-NP, will discuss how to dose one of them: lithium.