What’s the optimal treatment for a first episode of psychosis? Few would argue against antipsychotic treatment, but what happens when the patient achieves remission?

In July 2013, the FDA approved the SNRI Fetzima (levomilnacipran) for major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults (Forest Laboratories, Inc). The efficacy of Fetzima at doses 40 mg to 120 mg once daily was established in three, eight-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies in adults diagnosed MDD.

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More than 38% of Americans use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) yearly, with 12.7% using so-called “natural products." More than a third of people over age 50 report use of supplements, yet only about half have discussed this with their doctors.

With an ongoing desire for “natural” products, and disappointment with the cost and efficacy of current prescription medications, more patients have turned to supplements. As a psychiatrist, the more you know about these supplements, the better you can have a conversation about their known risks and benefits.

Is acupuncture a useful alternative therapy for your patients? Perhaps. In 2007, the National Health Interview Survey noted that more than three million American adults were using acupuncture each year to ease chronic pain, a number that is likely to have risen in the past five years.

Documents:  Complementary and Alternative Medicines in Psychiatry...

Drew Ramsey, PhD, author of “50 Shades of Kale,” discusses how diet is tied to mental health and offers tips on how to help your patients improve their diets and improve their minds.

James Lake, MD, of the International Network of Integrative Mental Health, discusses details on integrative mental health care and how it is the best way to care for our patients.

Patients often report alcohol use as a way to “self-medicate” mood symptoms. A new study demonstrates that this self-medication may serve as a precursor to the development or persistence of alcohol dependence, as defined by the DSM-IV.