We all know that substance abuse and dependence are serious, difficult-to-treat conditions. But ideas about what exactly constitutes substance abuse and addictions are changing.

When is hospitalization necessary for a patient with an eating disorder? And what are the benefits of care in this setting? Dr. Schwartz discusses the finer points in this Expert Q&A.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, was approved by the FDA for treatment of major depression in October 2008. A newly published observational study evaluating the effectiveness of TMS treatment in more than 300 patients at 42 clinical settings across the United States has found that most patients responded well to this intervention, with few adverse effects (Carpenter LL et al, Dep Anx 2012;29(8):587–596).

A major thrust of much psychiatric research is to identify predictors of suicidality, in hopes of intervening earlier to prevent this devastating outcome. In a recent study, a Danish group made a surprising contribution to this endeavor by identifying Toxoplasma gondii infection as a possible precursor to suicidal behavior.

A new study, however, finds that DCS does not improve treatment responses in patients undergoing prolonged exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

After reading these articles, you should be able to…

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A 32-year-old pregnant woman with bipolar disorder, well-controlled on valproic acid (Depakote), comes into your office wanting advice on medications. What do you do?

While bipolar disorder is something we all encounter in practice, views are mixed as to how best to diagnose and treat it.

Whether you work in a hospital or an office setting, you’ve probably seen many patients who come to you with a “history of bipolar disorder.” We’ve seen it, too, in multiple settings at an academic medical center. Is this a new epidemic? Or a redefinition of what it means to be “bipolar”?