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Quick hits on what you’ll find in this issue.

“I think I have ADHD” is a common complaint of psychiatric patients. Just about every disorder in the DSM can cause symptoms of ADHD, as can a host of medical problems. In this article we’ll show you how to sort through the possibilities.

Vitamins like B12 and folate have mental benefits, but what happens when you combine dozens of vitamins and nutrients in a single pill? We were skeptical, but the studies were positive, so we invited Julia Rucklidge to explain how these “micronutrients” work in ADHD, depression, autism, and general mental health.

In this issue, we tackle one of the vexing problems in outpatient psychiatry: adults who present with ADHD.

From the Oval Office to the college dorm, stimulants are often used as performance-enhancing drugs. The ethics of this practice are questionable, but so is the science. New research suggests their pro-cognitive effects are mild at best and come with an unexpected cost on working memory.

Few natural therapies perform well when stacked head-to-head with medication. Light therapy is an exception. When used correctly, it can treat winter and non-winter depression and augment antidepressants. Learn which lightboxes work, how to use them, and a new light therapy protocol for bipolar depression.

Pitolisant (Wakix) is now FDA-approved for narcolepsy and is the first histamine H3 agonist released. Though used for a neurologic condition, its novel mechanism has potential psychiatric effects that are worth monitoring.

Secuado, the first transdermal patch for schizophrenia, is newly approved version of asenapine (aka Saphris). It promises to reduce side effects and enhance adherence. However, it adds a new side effect of its own, and transdermal delivery isn’t clearly better than sublingual, which is how the older Saphris is absorbed.

A meta-analysis of 25 medications in over 25,000 patients with generalized anxiety disorder. The usual FDA-approved options are there, along with some surprises. Not all are equal, but the most effective of the bunch carries so many side effects that we can only recommend it as a last resort.