In a draft report issued December 28, 2018 by the US Department of Health and Human Services-sponsored Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force, recommendations for a multidisciplinary approach to pain management were formulated.
Experts suggest evaluation of sleep patterns, including keeping track of insomnia in patients with schizophrenia.
Because the dopaminergic system is sexually dimorphic, researchers found that the same treatment compounds manifest differently for men and women with schizophrenia.
Ketamine, originally approved by the FDA in 1970 as an anesthetic, is increasingly being recognized as an option in treatment-resistant depression.
The guideline formulated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in an effort to curb opioid overdose-related deaths included a recommendation for steep reductions in opioid doses for patients taking high doses of the drug for chronic pain.
Although the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the US Preventive Services Task Force recommend screening for depression in the general adult population, including pregnant and postpartum women, evidence for such screening in the perinatal setting is limited.
The Lancet Commission, “Improving Physical Health Outcomes in People With Mental Illness, will launch in August 2019 with a goal summarizing recent advances, identifying high-priority areas, and presenting updated recommendations regarding physical health inequalities in patients with mental illness.
Eligibility criteria employed in clinical trials assessing pharmacologic treatment of bipolar disorder typically preclude many affected patients, casting doubt about the generalizability of their results.
Rapid onset of antidepressant effects, mild and infrequent adverse effects, and cost-effectiveness position light therapy as an alternative to pharmacologic treatments for depression.
Despite concerns that the digital revolution in psychiatry might lessen the importance of interpersonal relationships between patient and clinician, digital apps have the potential to make the therapeutic alliance even more powerful.
