Depression - Articles - Page 13

EXPERT Q&A

Probiotics in Psychiatry

December 31, 2020

Ted Dinan, MD, PhD
Professor of psychiatry at University College Cork, Ireland. Dr. Dinan’s research focuses on depression, irritable bowel syndrome, and the influence of the gut microbiota on brain function. He has published over 500 scientific papers and numerous books, including 2019’s The Psychobiotic Revolution. Dr. Dinan has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

The gut microbiome is one of the newest entries in the list of causes of depression. Ted Dinan explains how the bacteria in the GI tract influence the brain, and whether a probiotic or a lifestyle change is the best way to address it.

EXPERT Q&A

Opioid Use Disorders and Serious Mental Illness

December 10, 2020

Sandra Gomez-Luna, MD

Sandra Gomez-Luna, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor at Yale University. Adult, adolescent, and child psychiatrist in Darien, CT. Dr. Gomez-Luna has disclosed that she has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Those with serious mental illness and unhealthy opioid use have special treatment considerations due to polypharmacy and overlapping stigma. Dr. Gomez-Luna walks us through these nuances and explains microdosing of buprenorphine—a helpful technique for starting treatment in patients who may have other opioids on board.

RESEARCH UPDATE

Beta Blockers and Depression: The Controversy Revisited

November 12, 2020

Sean Ransom, PhD, MP.

Sean Ransom, PhD, MP. Dr. Ransom has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Antihypertensives are among the world’s most widely prescribed drugs, but many of them impact pathways associated with depression. Beta blockers have long been believed to cause depression, but most of these studies were carried out decades ago and their findings have been inconsistent.

Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation in Depression Reconsidered

November 12, 2020

Deepti Anbarasan, MD.

Deepti Anbarasan, MD. Dr. Anbarasan has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

The case builds for this DIY antidepressant device.

EXPERT Q&A

Duty to Warn? Debating Antidepressant Suicidality

October 30, 2020

Martha J. Ignaszewski, MD and Glen Spielmans, PhD

Martha J. Ignaszewski, MD
Fellow, University of California, San Francisco

Glen Spielmans, PhD
Professor of Psychology, Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, MN

Dr. Ignaszewski and Dr. Spielmans have disclosed that they have no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

For 16 years, since the FDA black box warning about suicidality with antidepressants, our community has been quoting data that downplays this concern. We were wrong. We were deceived. Antidepressants can be lifesaving, but there really is a duty to warn. Drs. Martha Ignazewski and Glen Speilmans talk with us about what went on and how to talk about it with our families.

Oral Contraceptive Users and Depressive Symptoms

October 30, 2020

Kristen Gardner, PharmD.

Kristen Gardner, PharmD. Dr. Gardner has disclosed that she has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

We worry that oral contraceptives impact mood, particularly in adolescents who are prone to depression and other mood disorders. This research review on the Dutch TRAILS (Tracking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey) helps balance our decision making so that we avoid either extreme of universally counseling against their use nor dismissing the possible impact of OCs on mood.

Tips on the Doubts about Ketamine/Esketamine

August 19, 2020

Ketamine and esketamine have been shown to provide rapid relief of suicidality, however, many lingering doubts have been raised about these medicines. In a previous article from The Carlat Psychiatry Report, Nolan Williams, M.D., discusses the potential negative consequences of ketamine/esketamine treatment. Here are some of Dr. Williams’s tips:It might...

Navigating the World of Mental Health Apps

August 18, 2020

Many mental health apps can be problematic because "most of the apps that are available are poorly designed and lack research support.” Dr. Torous discusses these apps in an article from The Carlat Psychiatry Report. Here is some of his advice.

EXPERT Q&A

Communicating With Patients About Gender

August 5, 2020

Alex Keuroghlian, MD, MPH

Alex Keuroghlian, MD, MPH

Director, National LGBT Health Education Center at The Fenway Institute; Director, Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Psychiatry Gender Identity Program; Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School Dr. Keuroghlian has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

What are the risks for depression and suicide with transgender patients and how can we provide the best care for them? Alex Keuroghlian, MD, MPH, answers that question and more.

When Further Medication Trials Seem Futile

June 10, 2020

Joseph Goldberg, MD

Joseph Goldberg, MD

Dr. Goldberg is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and maintains a private practice focused on mood disorders. He has published three psychiatric textbooks and is completing a fourth on psychopharmacology. Dr. Goldberg has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Joe Goldberg believes we do a disservice by shuffling patients through medication trials that have little chance of working. He shares techniques to engage patients, motivate change, combat demoralization, as well as his top pharmacologic strategies for highly resistant depression.