Topiramate Improves Weight in Schizophrenia in South Asians

Topics: Metabolic syndrome | Schizophrenia | Special populations | Topiramate | Weight gain

REVIEW OF: Chandradasa M et al, Asian J Psychiatr 2022;68:102963 STUDY TYPE: Randomized placebo-controlled trial People with schizophrenia have higher rates of cardiometabolic mortality. There is meta-analytic evidence that adjunctive topiramate reduces weight and improves psychiatric symptoms in schizophrenia. However, there are few studies of th

Personal Privacy Versus Public Safety: Addiction Among Health Professionals

Topics: Abstinence | Addiction Treatment | Alcohol use disorder | Legal issues | Opioid Use Disorder | Special populations

CATR: Tell us how your interest in addiction came about. Dr. Earley: When I started working in the world of addiction treatment 35 years ago, there wasn’t much specific training. I was trained as a neurologist and always had an interest in patients with substance use disorders. Ultimately, I decided to shift my specialty and wound up cobbling togethe

Learning From the Successes of Physician Health Programs

Topics: Abstinence | Addiction Treatment | Alcohol use disorder | Legal issues | Opioid Use Disorder | Special populations

The rate of substance use disorders among physicians is around the same if not slightly higher than in the general population. Impaired physicians, however, are a public health threat, and in most states there is mandated reporting of impaired ­physicians (­Mossman D, Current Psychiatry 2011; 10(9):67–71). So what is to be done for an addicted or im

Despair, Loneliness, and Substance Use Disorders

Topics: Alcohol | Alcohol use disorder | Opioid Use Disorder | Opioids | Relationships | Special populations | treatment

Despair and loneliness are underappreciated contributors to substance use disorders (SUD). Their impact can be seen particularly in rural areas hit hard by industrial restructuring and poverty. This article will explore the interplay between despair, loneliness, and SUD and will review some strategies to use in your patients. Hardship From 1999 to 2

Telemedicine for Addiction Treatment: Evidence and Implementation Strategies

Topics: Addiction | Addiction Treatment | pandemic | Special populations | Telehealth | Telemed | Telemedicine | Telepsychiatry

CATR: What gaps can technology fill when we work with patients with substance use disorders? Dr. Swendeman: Really, it’s about accessibility. In some ways, an in-person model where you require people to come to in-person visits could be considered a form of rationing of care. COVID-19 is creating silver-lining opportunities for telehealth to improve