Psychiatry & Mental Health

Medscape's Ask the Experts allows you to ask members of a panel of leading experts for advice or information. You also have the opportunity to share your own views and insights by clicking the "Discuss this" link at the top of each response.

• How Can I Help Teens Who Are Victims of Cyberbullying? I cared for an adolescent recently who told me about some disturbing experiences she had online with other teens. It sounds like cyberbullying. How can I help her?
  Primary Care for Advanced Practice Nurses, September 2008
• What Is My Legal Obligation if I Allow an Intoxicated Patient to Drive Home? Can you be sued if you allow an intoxicated patient to drive home from an appointment?
  Legal/Professional Issues for Advanced Practice Nurses, August 2008
• How Does TMS Work in Treating Refractory Depression? What is the pharmacologic mechanism of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)?
  Pharmacotherapy, May 2008
• How Can I Recognize Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy? When should I suspect Munchausen syndrome by proxy in a patient?
  Primary Care for Advanced Practice Nurses, April 2008
• CME ADHD and Social Anxiety; Treatment During Pregnancy Stimulants work but exacerbate nail biting and other nervous habits; any suggestions? What treatments are safe during pregnancy?
  February 2008
• Does Quetiapine Produce False-Positive Methadone Tests? Recent reports have alleged false-positive methadone blood tests attributed to quetiapine.
  Pharmacotherapy, January 2008
• Are Duloxetine's Side Effects Dose Related? A patient with depression and fibromyalgia pain experiences sleepiness, fatigue, and dizziness after her dosage of duloxetine is increased to 120 mg. Is this because of the higher dosage?
  Pharmacotherapy, December 2007
• How Can I Help the Family of a Convicted Pedophile? I am counseling a client whose husband was recently incarcerated for sexually abusing young girls. She has many questions about pedophilia. Can you give me some guidance?
  Psychiatry/Mental Health for Advanced Practice Nurses, October 2007
• Is It Safe to Use "Natural" Sleep Aids While Taking Antidepressants? Patients on antidepressants frequently have trouble sleeping, but should they use therapies such as melatonin or tryptophan to address the problem?
  Pharmacotherapy, October 2007
• Insight and Schizophrenia What evidence-based treatment improves insight? In what phase of the illness is such intervention best? What undesirable clinical effects can insight have?
  Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia, August 2007
• Smoking and Schizophrenia What evidence-based treatment improves insight? In what phase of the illness is such intervention best? What undesirable clinical effects can insight have?
  Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia, August 2007
• State-of-the-art Treatment for Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia What are primary negative symptoms? How can you treat them? What are secondary negative symptoms and what 3 factors are responsible for them? How can you treat secondary negative symptoms?
  Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia, July 2007
• Lithium and Hair Loss What can you do if your patient's thyroid test results are normal, but she is losing her hair? Why? If that option does not work, what other choices do you have?
  Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia, July 2007
• Prescribing an Afternoon 'Booster;' Patient Variations in Duration of Effect When are short-acting, afternoon doses of stimulant contraindicated in adults with ADHD?
  June 2007
• Antipsychotics and Diabetes Which antipsychotics have the best metabolic profile? What should you do if your patient develops new-onset diabetes after taking antipsychotics? How can you best manage diabetes?
  Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia, June 2007
• Antidepressant Withdrawal Mania as a Predictor of Bipolarity What is antidepressant withdrawal mania? What medications may be associated with this phenomenon and why? Does antidepressant withdrawal mania predict bipolarity?
  Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia, June 2007
• The Effectiveness of ECT for Bipolar Disorder How effective is ECT for bipolar depression, depression with a switch into mania, refractory mania, and maintenance? For what 2 types of patients should it be considered a first-line treatment?
  Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia, May 2007
• The Meaning of the Term "Bipolar Disorder" What differentiates bipolar from unipolar depression? What factors are relevant when considering antidepressants?
  Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia, May 2007
• What Can I Do to Help Patients With Belonephobia (Fear of Needles)? I frequently encounter patients with severe belonephobia. Some actually refuse injections of pain medication after major surgery. Others faint just waiting in line for injections. What can be done?
  Primary Care for Advanced Practice Nurses, April 2007
• Distinguishing Bipolar From Unipolar Depression How can you recognize the depressed patient who is at increased risk for development of bipolar disorder? Here are some practical tips.
  Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia, April 2007

More