Join Drs. Rakesh Jain and Charles Raison, 2015 Psych Congress Co-Chairs, as they kick off the 28th Annual U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress with their welcome address.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an emerging treatment that has shown great promise for patients with treatment-resistent depression (TRD), yet many mental health professionals remain unclear as to how and when this therapuetic option should be utilized. Is TMS an appropriate option for your patients with complex depression? Should you refer patients with TRD for TMS? Would a TMS device benefit your practice? This session will seek to answer these questions by focusing on the history of TMS, reviewing the evidence-based data related to its use in TRD, and exploring novel research that may extend the use of TMS beyond therapy for TRD.
It is no coincidence that 3 out of every 4 depressed patients in the United States are overweight. Yet, we as mental health professionals often neglect this key area of practice, focusing strictly on the mind and ignoring the body. Systemic inflammation has long been associated with and has been found to perpetuate depression, and a growing body of data indicates that one of the principal sources of inflammation is obesity, particularly visceral fat mass. In this evidence-based session, Dr. Shelton will highlight strategies for incorporating obesity as an end point for the treatment of depression and offer practical ways to prescribe a diet and exercise regimen designed to improve depressed mood.
The majority of individuals suffering from a neurocognitive disorder face associated psychiatric disturbances at some point in the course of their disease. Timely recognition of the presence of depression, anxiety, agitation, psychosis, and apathy within the context of a neurocognitive disorder is essential. While the treatment of these disturbances may follow the form of that for individuals without cognitive impairment, it often involves unique approaches in order to optimize outcomes. This session will review key considerations for the selection and dosing of psychotropic medications for major psychiatric illnesses associated with neurocognitive disorders. Strategies for minimizing adverse effects of treatment, particularly in elderly individuals, will also be discussed.
With rapid advances being made in basic neuroscience research, it is often difficult for clinicians to remain abreast of these findings. The advances made in these areas are increasingly impacting clinical practice in terms of how we consider and formulate diagnoses and treatment plans. This session will provide specific information translating some of the most important recent neuroscience advances to clinical practice. Strategies for providing informed council to patients about how recent neuroscience research advances impact their treatment course will also be discussed.
Sleep disturbances remain common problems among patients with mental health disorders. The challenges in providing effective treatment to these patients may relate to the use of medications that may not optimally address a patient’s symptom complex. Knowledge about comorbid conditions that may complicate insomnia therapy and the pharmacological properties of available insomnia medications are essential to formulating effective treatment plans. This session will explore these treatment challenges, reviewing the multiple influences that may contribute to difficulty with sleep onset and maintenance. Dr. Neubauer will review a variety of therapeutic options, and will include an update on the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of medications approved for insomnia treatment.
As many as half of patients experiencing a major depressive episode will have 3 or more subsyndromal manic or hypomanic symptoms, complicating the diagnosis and treatment choices. In an effort to better define this patient cohort, the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders includes the option of the “with mixed features” specifier for patients experiencing depressive episodes. The goal of this Evidence-Based Best-Practices™ program is to provide psychiatrists and other health care providers with practical recommendations for identifying depressed patients with mixed features and tailoring evidence-based therapy to address their subsyndromal symptoms.
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Many patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) continue to have residual symptoms despite meeting criteria for remission. The goal of this symposium is to help mental health professionals develop and implement individualized management strategies for patients with MDD. Topics will focus on how to assess and identify residual symptoms using evidence-based screening tools and rating scales, as well as data on newer and emerging treatments.
Psychopharmacology Credit: 1.0
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. and Lundbeck.
Can medications be used to accelerate the psychotherapeutic process? Psychotherapy catalyzed by psychedelic drugs has received considerable attention recently in both the evidenced-based literature and popular press. Because these drugs are typically only described as drugs of abuse, most mental health professionals know little of their potential therapeutic benefit. How could these compounds—historically associated with both traditional plant medicine and substance abuse—be useful to accelerate the psychotherapeutic process? This session will explore this question by examining the pharmacology, mechanism of action, and neurobiology of psilocybin, 3,4,-methylenedioxymethamphetmine (MDMA), and other psychedelic compounds, and their potential use in the treatment of end-of-life anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance dependence.
The number of people with autism and intellectual disability has shown a dramatic increase in prevalence in the past 20 years. Once viewed as the province of pediatric trained mental health specialists, practitioners are increasingly asked to manage the growing number of patients with these mental disorders and their comorbidities as they age beyond adolescence to older age and often feel poorly prepared to do so. This session will describe key developmental lines and ways to help patients and their families with the complex mental health challenges throughout the lifespan.
The use of exercise in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) has gained support, as evidenced by the inclusion of exercise treatment in the American Psychiatric Association’s most recent treatment guidelines. However, data suggest that mental health professionals infrequently prescribe or discuss exercise with their patients. This session will review the current evidence supporting exercise in the treatment of MDD. Dr. Rethorst will also highlight strategies to effectively prescribe exercise to patients with MDD by including interactive activities in this session.
Writing a memoir about mental illness, especially if one is a professor of psychiatry, has consequences. Responses to one such, An Unquiet Mind, were many and complicated. From colleagues, they ranged from compassion and encouragement to criticism and silence. Public response ranged from support and appreciation to religious and political tirades. It is not surprising that students and young doctors with mental illness continue to express deep concern about the consequences of seeking treatment or talking openly with their clinical supervisors, mentors, or professors. By sharing her own battles with bipolar disorder, Dr. Jamison will explore the benefits and consquences of publically disclosing mental illness.
Join Dr. Maletic and Dr. McEvoy as they discuss the latest evidence on investigational therapies for cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia. An in-depth review of developing insights into the pathophysiology and neurobiology of schizophrenia and potential targets for cognitive enhancement will be discussed, as well as the importance of employing validated measurement tools to better identify treatment gaps in symptom domains, cognitive functioning, and medication adherence to maximize quality of life and maintain recovery.
Psychopharmacology Credit: 1.25
This activity is supported by an educational grant from FORUM Pharmaceuticals.
Join Dr. Jackson and Dr. Kane as they discuss symptoms of schizophrenia and its impact on treatment outcomes and quality of life. The goal of this session is to help mental healthcare professionals stay up-to-date on newer antipsychotics and translate available clinical data to a patient-centric selection of antipsychotic therapies to improve adherence and treatment outcomes.
Psychopharmacology Credit: 1.25
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Allergan.
Non-adherence is the primary clinical problem associated with treating bipolar illness. This talk will discuss the extent of the problem, the reasons for it, and the best strategies for increasing the likelihood of adherence.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurobehavioral disorder presenting for treatment in children and adolescents, and is a growing presentation in adults. However, few mental health professionals currently feel comfortable diagnosing ADHD across the lifespan; and even fewer are comfortable with their knowledge base on treatment strategies for these patients. Little is known by mental health professionals about the long-term effects of chronic treatment on the course and associated problems of ADHD despite an expanding international literature. This session will provide an update on the course, comorbidity, and long-term treatment of ADHD.
Ongoing clinical and research priorities in psychiatry are identifying and leveraging factors that influence illness trajectory and outcome. With depressive disorders as the leading source of disability globally, the identification of new targets for prevention and management is imperative. A rapidly emerging field of research suggests that the microbiome-gut-brain axis is of substantial relevance to mood and behavior. The evolving concept of a microbiota-gut-brain axis indicates that modulation of the gut microbiota may provide novel therapeutic targets for the treatment and/or prevention of mood and anxiety disorders. This session will describe the association between dysfunction of the microbiota-gut-brain axis and stress-related disorders (ie, depression, anxiety disorders, and irritable bowl syndrome) and neurodevelopmental disorders (ie, austism spectrum disorders). Dr. Scheiderer will discuss how to utilize prebiotics, probiotics, antibiotics, fecal transplants, and dietary changes to manipulate gut microbiota, as well as provide insight on when, how, and in which patients to incorporate gut strategies for the evaluation and treatment of psychiatric illness.
Health disparities arising from geographic isolation, travel and parking expense, and simple logistics related to not being able to get to and from treatment sites are being addressed through adaptation of best practice treatments to telemedicine formats. However, this process has been unnecessarily slowed by administrative and clinical fears related to patient safety, reimbursement, and limits of technology. In this interactive session, Drs. Acierno and Hamner will discuss common issues confronting psychiatric and behavioral providers using telemedicine to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other related disorders, including suicidality and safety risk, technology requirements and barriers, modifications to content and style, billing and reimbursement standards, and lessons learned. Emerging data comparing outcomes of televideo vs. in-person treatments will also be covered.
Non-CME. Lunch will be served. Seating is limited.
Uncover the latest information, data, and research findings with disease-state or product-specific presentations. Ask questions of key experts and industry representatives and assess the value to your patient care. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. PME presentations are not intended or eligible for CME/CE credit.
This comprehensive session will address the needs of the mental health professionals who care for the large proportion of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) who have cardiometabolic risk factors, in particular, metabolic syndrome. Meta-analyses have indicated that at least 1 out of 3 patients with SMI has metabolic syndrome. This session aims to familiarize the audience with the complex reasons for the elevated risk for metabolic syndrome, as well as highlight the adverse downstream effects, both medically and psychiatrically, and point out clinically useful ways to identify and manage this aspect of health in patients with SMI.
This session will demonstrate a dialogue between a mental health professional and patient with complex symptomatology, including anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder with psychotic features, substance abuse, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The dialogue will focus on how to teach patients the relationship of neurobiology and psychopharmacology with symptom management while ascertaining their lived experience. This session will anchor symptoms in a neurobiological frame of reference to facilitate patient understanding that it is possible to learn to manage symptoms. Mr. Arauz and Dr. Moller will demonstrate how motivational interviewing techniques encourage patients to articulate their lived experience and connect symptoms with their neurobiological origins.
Traditionally, mental health has focused on illness rather than wellness. More recently, the field of mental health has adopted the very old concept of wellness into clinical practice. Instead of focusing solely on symptom reduction, some practitioners in mental health have incorporated wellness into their treatment plans. Others have created practices based solely on the concept of wellness. This session will consider the power of creating a wellness-based practice by reviewing its 5 key elements: exercise, meditation, sleep, connectedness, and nutrition. In addition to exploring these 5 wellness principles, Dr. Jain will review a small pilot study researching the combination of such wellness elements in a 30-day program.
When it comes to the topic of adherence to antipsychotic medication for the treatment of schizophrenia, the vast majority of studies focus on nonadherence and how to “correct” nonadherence. This begs the question—why would patients want to take antipsychotic medication anyway? This session will flip the topic around and assume that stopping medication is “normal” given the diagnosis of schizophrenia and that it is our job as clinicians to figure out a patient-centered strategy to help our patients understand in a real way that antipsychotic medication might be worth all of the challenges and difficulties.
Our population is aging rapidly, and memory loss is the most common complaint in individuals 65 years of age and older. Whereas we may have once been resigned to believe that cognitive impairment was an inevitable part of life, data now suggest that appropriate assessment and intervention can protect brain health in our older patients. In this session, Dr. Small will demonstrate how the latest evidence can be translated into practical strategies for diagnosing and treating age-related cognitive decline, including mood disorders that often accompany memory impairment. In addition to highlighting the recent research in this area, Dr. Small will discuss treatments and lifestyle strategies that protect brain health in patients of all ages.
Non-CME. Dinner will be served. Seating is limited.
Uncover the latest information, data, and research findings with disease-state or product-specific presentations. Ask questions of key experts and industry representatives, and assess the value to your patient care. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. PME presentations are not intended or eligible for CME/CE credit.
Adolescents with bipolar disorder often exhibit a variety of symptoms that can be commonly confused with other disorders, resulting in misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. This interactive symposium will provide mental health professionals with the tools to differentiate bipolar disorder from other psychiatric disorders in adolescents, and an up-to-date review of available therapies to optimize treatment selection and outcomes in adolescent patients with bipolar disorder.
Psychopharmacology Credit: 0.75
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Allergan.
Join Dr. Weiden as he outlines expert recommendations and evidence for the use of long acting injectables (LAIs) in patients with early schizophrenia. Safety, efficacy, and the clinical role of LAIs for the management of schizophrenia will be discussed, in addition to addressing how a patient centric treatment approach and shared-decision making can help improve adherence to schizophrenia therapy.
Psychopharmacology Credit: 1.25
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Alkermes, Inc.
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is often a hidden disorder that, once discovered, poses challenges to accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. In this session, Dr. Jefferson will explore strategies for a timely diagnosis and effective psychopharmcology to manage symptoms. Common and uncommon comorbidities, as well as ways to integrate nonpharmacologic approaches to treatment, will also be discussed.
Antidepressants are commonly used in bipolar disorder despite limited data to support their efficacy and substantive psychiatric tolerability concerns in this condition. Why do mental health professionals continue to prescribe these agents to treat bipolar? Are antidepressants ever appropriate for patients with this disorder? In this case-based session, Dr. Ketter will draw attention to the strengths and limitations of using antidepressants in bipolar disorder and demontrate how to distinguish bipolar disorder patients who are more likely to encounter problems with antidepressant use.
Session developed in collaboration with the International Bipolar Foundation.
The majority of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are males, and we are only scratching the surface in understanding a comprehensive approach to these patients and the behavioral health problems they encounter. Yet there is another group of autistic patients who are rarely discussed—females on the spectrum face unique challenges, especially during puberty, courtship, motherhood, and employment. Dr. Greenberg will focus on this often overlooked group, delving into issues such as sexuality and inappropriate sexual behaviors, birth control and fertility problems, and how these difficulties impact daily living. This session will also highlight factors that often precipitate a visit to the mental health provider and how we as clinicians can be a resource to these patients and families.
Mental health professionals continue to struggle with the 2013 CPT code changes. As Medicare and other payers initiate audits, this session will help improve mental health professionals’ knowledge base and documentation abilities. Drs. Shah and Lustig will review the 2013 CPT code changes, introduce new CPT codes for Applied Behavior Analysis, and discuss medical record audits by payers and documentation requirements to support billed services. Additionally, there are new CPT codes for the intensive behavioral interventions that will interest mental health professionals who specialize in autism spectrum disorders.
The Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) made a number of changes to neurocognitive disorders, including changes to Alzheimer’s dementia and delirium. This session will focus on teaching clinicians about the DSM-5 approach to diagnosing neurocognitive disorders, as well as help clinicians understand pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches to Alzheimer’s disease treatments. Participants will develop skills to assist in earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and other neurocognitive disorders, as well as improve their ability to treat and manage behavioral symptoms of these disorders.
Women of reproductive age suffer in great proportions from mood and anxiety disorders, the treatment of which during pregnancy and the postpartum poses unique dilemmas. In part 1 of this 2-part series, Dr. Freeman will address the ever evolving body of literature regarding pharmacologic management of psychiatric disorders during pregnancy, as well as recent labeling changes issued by the US Food and Drug Administration designed to provide a greater understanding of data pertaining to pregnancy exposure. Part 1 will focus primarily on depression during pregnancy and the postpartum, including implications for breastfeeding.
Non-CME. Lunch will be served. Seating is limited.
Uncover the latest information, data, and research findings with disease-state or product-specific presentations. Ask questions of key experts and industry representatives and assess the value to your patient care. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. PME presentations are not intended or eligible for CME/CE credit.
Part 2 of this 2-part women’s mental health series will take an in-depth look at the common presentation and risks for bipolar disoder, postpartum psychosis, anxiety, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in women of childbearing age. Dr. Freeman will examine the risks and benefits for using mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, stimulants, and anxiolytics during pregnancy and postpartum, including fetal exposure and the impact of these medications in breastfeeding.
Insomnia is the second most commonly encountered symptom in clinical medicine, reported by 80% of psychiatric patients. It is also one of the most challenging complaints in psychiatric practice, as it complicates the care of many mental illnesses. Although numerous hypnotic agents are available for insomnia management, they are predominantly agents with the same mechanism (ie, activation at the GABA-BZ receptor complex). Over the past few years, however, a variety of agents have been introduced with several more under development that possess novel mechanisms for the management of insomnia. These agents have introduced the possibility of enhanced safety and unique suitability for specific psychiatric populations. This session will review the basic sleep mechanisms and traditional GABA-ergic medications, as well as novel agents acting as melatonin, histamine, and orexin receptors. It will also present strategies for tailoring available pharmacologic agents to the patient’s clinical need to optimize clinical efficacy.
Research has established the deleterious effects of both acute and chronic occupational stress on health, wellness, productivity, and job satisfaction. Employing a stress first aid model that leverages preclinical health promotion and illness prevention measures has great potential to positively influence occupational health and wellness. This session will examine the US Navy and Marine Corp’s Occupational Stress Continuum and Stress First Aid models as preclinical interventions that target occupational stress-related injury and illness, and discuss ways in which to incorporate these models into your practice.
Despite the paucity of FDA-approved treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschool aged children and the relative dearth of well-controlled clinical research in this population, increasing numbers of preschoolers are being treated for ADHD. In this session, Dr. Donnelly will present state-of-the art research evidence for psychosocial and pharmacologic treatments in this age group. Participants will receive practical clinical guidance, as well as a review of the major practice parameter guidelines of clinical relevance for screening, diagnosing, and treating ADHD in this vulnerable population.
Many mental health professionals have no training in detecting malingered mental illness. Since deinstitutionalization, it has become much more difficult for patients to be admitted to private psychiatric hospitals and state hospitals. Some patients resort to grossly exaggerating their symptoms and others make up symptoms for “3 hots and a cot.” The goal of this session is to provide mental health professionals with clues and signs to detect lies and to distinguish between feigned and genuine psychotic symptoms. Mental health professionals will be able to provide appropriate assistance to patients desperate enough to misrepresent their symptoms and better utilize limited mental health resources.
In this highly personal featured session, Dr. Saks will begin by narrating the story of her own struggles with schizophrenia to provide a window into the mind of someone suffering from psychosis. The presentation will challenge the audience to see mental illness through the eyes of their patients, with the ultimate goal of increasing understanding and reducing stigma of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Dr. Saks will then shift gears to focus on ethical dimensions of psychiatric research and forced treatment of patients with mental illness. Issues surrounding right/competency to make treatment decisions will be discussed.
Non-CME, Dinner will be served. Seating is limited.
Uncover the latest information, data, and research findings with disease-state or product-specific presentations. Ask questions of key experts and industry representatives and assess the value to your patient care. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. PME presentations are not intended or eligible for CME/CE credit.
The goal of this symposium is to help mental health professionals stay up-to-date on current and newer pharmacotherapies for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). This symposium will focus on the importance of using validated instruments to improve treatment adherence and the role of shared decision making to optimize treatment outcomes in patients with MDD.
Psychopharmacology Credit: 0.75
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Allergan.
Psychiatric medications are often an important component of a patient’s treatment. Nevertheless, drug-drug interactions (STET) and drug-gene interactions can profoundly alter the response to a drug regimen with clinical outcomes ranging from increased efficacy or loss of efficacy to clinically meaningful or life-threatening adverse effects. This session will review the growth in knowledge of DDIs and DGIs that have occurred over the past 20 years. Dr. Preskorn will provide practical tips on how to integrate these concepts into everyday practice.
The release of the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in 2013 represented the first significant revision of the diagnostic manual in 20 years. Many of the changes, especially in the mood disorders section, were intended to enhance clinician recognition of new disorders and specifiers that have specific treatment implications. Through a series of case vignettes, Dr. First will outline the changes to the mood disorders in the DSM-5 and highlight those modifications intended to improve decision-making about patient management. Controversies surrounding some of these changes will also be discussed.
Patients with chronic pain typically see many specialists, and communication among these providers and with the patient is essential for successful pain management. Yet although multimodal approaches are common, the role of the mental health professional in pain management has not been well defined. Is this an area where behavioral and psychopharmacologic intervention may improve patient outcomes? Should mental health professionals be involved in the care of patients with chronic pain? This session will explore answers to these questions and evaluate the role of the mental health provider in pain management.
A deeper understanding of pediatric bipolar spectrum disorders has been gained in recent years through neuroimaging and neuropsychologic testing, both of which implicate specific brain regions and functions that are distinct among children and adolescents with these disorders. Such research has led to exciting new interventions that incorporate these findings to specifically address these circuitry connections. In this session, Dr. Carbray will highlight the latest data and discuss how to integrate theoretical underpinnings of brain circuitry dysfunction into neurobiologically informed treatments for children and adolescents affected by pediatric bipolar spectrum disorders.
Developed in collaboration with the International Bipolar Foundation.
There is no evidence for the effectiveness of polypharmacy in the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD), yet clinical experience reveals that many patients with BPD often take 2 or more medications simultaneously. In addition to the lack of data to support clinical improvement from this multiple psychotropic medication approach, the use of polypharmacy has a much greater chance of inducing adverse effects and weight gain than it does in leading to clinical improvement. This session will review the value, as well as the limitations, of psychopharmacologic treatment in BPD in order to mitigate the current propensity toward polypharmacy.
Have you completed your American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc. (ABPN) Maintainence of Certification (MOC) requirements? All psychiatrists certified by the ABPN after 1994 are required to take part in the MOC program, yet many remain unclear as to where to begin the process. This session, led by MOC Ambassador Dr. Rita Hargrave, will provide an easy-to-follow road map to MOC, outlining the rationale and backround of MOC, as well as the 4-part ABPN MOC program components.
Anxiety disorders are collectively the most prevalent mental illnesses in the US. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), in particular, is often misidentified and consequently mismanaged with less than 20% of all patients receiving adequate care. The goal of this symposium is to identify overlapping disorders that may confound GAD treatment, addressing their implications for individualized management strategies as well as discuss the latest clinical data on available and emerging pharmacotherapies for the treatment of GAD.
Psychopharmacology Credit: 0.25
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Allergan.
The relative explosion in psychopharmacology over recent decades has placed a variety of useful medications in our therapeutic armamentarium, offering a number of treatment modalities and challenging the mental health professional to keep track of new developments and clinical findings. However, less attention has focused on what might be called the ethical underpinnings of this specialty field—an area that takes us beyond the science of prescribing and into the ethics of prescribing. This oversight creates both knowledge and practice gaps. This session draws not only on theory and decision-making paradigms, but also on Dr. Gutheil’s extensive experience as an expert witness and consultant in the medicolegal arena. The goal of this session is to underscore ethical issues in psychopharmacologic prescribing, provide analyses of commonly encountered ethical dilemmas faced by mental health professionals, as well as review case examples illustrating the problems that may arise in clinical practice.
Much of current clinical psychiatry, especially for older adults, is focused on assessment and pharmacologic treatment of mental and/or cognitive disorder symptoms despite recent medical and psychological research that has shown limitations of the present practice. In contrast, there is mounting evidence pointing toward the value of assessing and strengthening positive traits such as resilience, self-efficacy, and social engagement in our elderly patients. Additionally, the use of technology in medicine has increased, yet most mental health professionals have not been trained to utilize these methods in routine practice. This session will discuss clinical strategies for promoting resilience, wisdom, and optimism in older adults with mental illnesses, providing practical suggestions for those seeking to assess and enhance the well-being and overall health of their aging patients.
Trauma survivors often report suffering from dreams that reference traumatic incidents. The re-occurrence of trauma memories during sleep has long-term negative ramifications and emotional impact among survivors. If providers are knowledgeable about techniques to address recurrent nightmares, then they are more likely to effectively facilitate appropriate interventions to decrease nightmares, enhance sleep, and improve overall functioning. The goal of this session is to educate practitioners about interventions that can improve the quality of sleep for their patients struggling with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder by using medication and psychotherapy. Through their respective clinical experience, the presenters will share practical methods to assess and treat one of the most distressing symptoms of traumatic stress: recurrent, traumatically-based nightmares.
Our focus as mental health professionals rightly falls to the patient portion of the therapeutic dyad. However, recent research reveals that clinicians are at risk for some of the same negative outcomes as patients with respect to depression and substance use. Over 400 physicians commit suicide annually, often influenced by preventable and predictable risk factors. This session will highlight the problems of clinician mental illness, lack of self-care, and comorbid substance abuse that can increase risks of serious adverse events, including suicide. The presenters will review the literature around clinician suicide, provide a case-based exploration of salient themes, and offer evidence-based approaches for self-care and professional support.
Join Psych Congress 2015 Co-Chairs, Drs. Rakesh Jain and Charles Raison, and the entire Steering Committee for an interactive “wrap up” and panel discussion, focusing on conference highlights from the previous 4 days of educational sessions.
