Nearly one in three foster children have significant psychiatric problems during their time in foster care—especially those related to trauma and neglect that brought them into the system. This article is a brief primer on how foster care works, and how psychiatrists get involved.
Foster children tend to be over-medicated. Surveys show that foster youth receive 5 times the number of psychotropic medications, frequently three or four simultaneously, as privately insured children. What else, beside medications, can we offer foster children who are often struggling with psychiatric issues and difficult and unfamiliar family environments?
If a patient comes in and says, “doc, I think I need to go to rehab,” what should you do? Most people think of rehabs as residential facilities, but these days, the term “rehab” includes a broad spectrum of treatment settings, most of which, in fact, are not residential—only 10% of people receiving specialized addiction services go to residential rehab.
What goes on inside a residential rehab program? Inquiring minds would love to know, especially those of us who are treating addicts and counseling concerned family members. Rehab has traditionally been a kind of black box, an opaque entity where addicts enter, and 30 days later exit with an epiphany and a lifelong commitment to sobriety. Until they relapse and go back to another rehab, that is.
There is a wide array of treatment options for patients with various levels of addiction issues, but of those rehab is one of the most well-known. Dr. Willenbring makes the argument that inpatient rehab is not an effective method to combat addiction.
An intervention has become the starting place for an addict's journey to rehab. We all have a notion of family and friends gathering around a patient and sharing their feelinings. Mr. Gallant is a professional interventionist, who has planned and executed interventions for 28 years. This interview shares his expertise in the area and provides his sense of how interventions fit into the addiction treatment process.
Talia Puzantian, PharmD, BCPP
Clinical psychopharmacology consultant in private practice, Los Angeles, CA. www.taliapuzantian.comDr. Puzantian has disclosed that she has no relevant relationships or financial interests in any commercial company pertaining to this educational activity.Daniel Carlat, MD
Editor-in-Chief, Publisher, The Carlat Report.
Dr. Carlat has disclosed that he has no relevant relationships or financial interests in any commercial company pertaining to this educational activity.
In January of this year, the FDA approved the stimulant lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) as the first drug with an indication for binge eating disorder (BED). Patients are hearing the buzz and may be asking you to prescribe it, but you may have some questions first.
Dr. Eissenberg discusses e-cigarettes, including an overview of the product, ways they are used and misused, and how they fit into the landscape of smoking cessation methods.
What steps should clinicians take if psychopharmacologic treatments and school behavioral strategies are insufficient for managing a child with ADHD? We've all been there. ADHD,...