Wernicke’s encephalopathy arises from thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency and can evolve into Korsakoff's syndrome, marked by memory deficits and confabulation. Timely detection is key to halting the progression of symptoms. Here: A guide to what signs to watch for and how to treat this disorder.
Substance-induced psychosis (SIP) presents diagnostic challenges in distinguishing it from primary psychotic disorders, with substance timing, symptom type, and duration being key differentiators. Effective treatment combines antipsychotic medications and substance cessation strategies. Dr. Athanasiou reviews key points in the management of SIP.
Dr. Ponce Martinez highlights the need to identify and manage alcohol withdrawal in psychiatric settings, underscoring the use of the CIWA-Ar scale for monitoring symptom progression. While benzodiazepines remain the primary treatment, she reviews alternative treatment strategies and tells us which patients are so high risk that they must be transferred to a medical unit for care.
Benzodiazepines are highly beneficial for managing anxiety and agitation in psychiatric inpatient settings, but we must be cautious about prescribing them to patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). Here we review strategies to reduce the risk of benzodiazepine misuse and discuss alternative medication options, including second-generation antipsychotics, antidepressants, gabapentin, and pregabalin.
A survey of gun ownership and gun purchasing plans found that individuals with depressive symptoms were significantly more likely to purchase a gun, or plan to purchase a gun, compared to non-depressed individuals, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A study on gender-affirming hormones in adolescents and adults found they are linked to better mental health in transgender people, leading to reduced psychological distress and suicidal thoughts. The findings reinforce the Endocrine Society's advice to provide transgender adolescents with access to GAH.
Dr. Hendrick is a clinical professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and is the director of inpatient psychiatry at Olive View—UCLA Medical Center, where she carries a caseload of patients and provides teaching and supervision for medical students and psychiatry residents. After completing medical school and psychiatric residency at UCLA, she spent several years working as a principal investigator and co-investigator on N.I.M.H. funded research studies. She has authored or co-authored over 75 research papers, editorials, books and other publications. She has a long-standing interest in the needs of severely mentally ill patients from underserved populations and has worked in community mental health settings her entire career.
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