Psychiatry

Supervised machine learning appears to identify 800 different variables that place patients at increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to researchers at NYU.

Medical marijuana's effectiveness is far from scientifically proven, physicans argue in an editorial and research article published in JAMA. They also question whether the rush to try cannabinoids on patients is merely a way to justify recreational use.

Researchers from Northwestern University have suggested that many mental disorders do not appear to predict future violent behavior, with the exception of substance use disorders.

A large percentage of acute lung injury survivors in the ICU may have clinically significant general anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms that tend to co-occur across domains.

The days of patients requesting stacks of paper medical records being sent to a new healthcare professional are largely over in many places. How the information is transmitted and who gets to see that information is now a topic of discussion in the community.

Feelings of social acceptance or rejection were felt in both depressed and non-depressed patients in a study from the University of Michigan Health System.

Immigrant populations tend to have nearly 2 times the prevalence of psychotic disorders compared to the general population of the host country.

The field of electronic health records has made big advancements in recent years but there is still more work to be done. How that work is done will depend on input not only from the healthcare field but also the patients who use it.

Many hospitals around the country are eliminating their paper records all together which is changing the way patient records are shared. This can have a long reach into a patient's life as different parts of their lives depend on having their records to send to various entities.

Now that it has been shown that more control can be given to patients in regards to their electronic health records, the question becomes whether it should be done and how it should be done.

When converting medical records into an electronic form most of the work can be done without much consideration. However, when it comes to observations and other notes by healthcare professionals, how they are included and made available to patients can present the need for more in depth thought.

When deciding how or even if to give patients access to their medical records, a recent study found there are many areas that need to be considered before the access is made available.

When given the choice of what parts of their records patients wanted made available to healthcare professionals, the results showed a mixed reaction to the ability. There were also questions raised about the risks associated with only making the records available to certain people.

Having one of the oldest electronic health record systems in the country the state of Indiana has been at the forefront of the field for close to 30 years. Using those records and networks in the state a group from the Regenstrief Institute looked at how patients might want to control who can see their records.

For the first time, a direct biophysical link has been identified that connects chronic pain with mental health and substance abuse.

Although commercial support for continuing medical education has been on the decline since 2008, it nevertheless continues to be a major revenue source for CME providers and a cause for potential concern.

Last month's Pain Perspectives focused on the benefits of psychotherapy in depressed patients with chronic pain. However, quality psychotherapy is not always available, and not all patients are open to it. This month, I will be looking at rational pharmacotherapy for the primary care physician in treating the depression that is generally an aspect of chronic pain syndromes.

Results from a 104-week phase 3 study may have important implications for the way patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus tackle weight loss.

A growing trend in the medical community is the use of a technique known as mindfulness based stress reduction. While the results have shown to be inconclusive in the treatment of multiple sclerosis there is work being done to show its efficacy in helping patients.

Patients with multiple sclerosis face stress from a variety of sources. How they address that stress can make a significant difference in their overall quality of life.

When looking at ways to help patients with multiple sclerosis, one alternative method to use could be progressive muscle relaxation.

There can be specific times when patients with multiple sclerosis can experience a spike in their stress level. At times like these alternative medicine options like guided imagery can help reduce their stress as the progress through treatment.

Bruce Jenner's transformation into Caitlyn Jenner is global news. It's a good time to discuss gender issues--but how?

Euthanasia is a widely debated topic among physicians, and a study of doctors in the Netherlands found that where the process is legal, it is still divisive.

Low back pain and symptoms of depression are linked, according to a study conducted with twins in Spain.

In a study approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, California researchers are launching a pilot program to see if MDMA, the recreational drug known as "Ecstasy" will alleviate social anxiety in adults with autism.

Compared to healthy individuals, ADHD patients are 2 times more likely to die prematurely – and the risk is higher in women and girls.

A recent review article summarized the socioeconomic consequences of Klinefelter syndrome, which is the most frequent chromosomal aberration in humans and is associated with hypogonadism and neurocognitive deficits.

Research from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System published online in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry suggests that patients with post-traumatic stress disorder appear to be at risk for accelerated aging, or premature senescence.

Dementia is linked to comorbid diabetes and psychiatric conditions like depression, according to research from University College London.