Residency
Adult ADHD: Beyond Childhood
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a common neuropsychiatric condition impacting 4.4% of the adult population age 18-44 according to a recent epidemiological survey. As in childhood, the condition is often marked by challenges with attention, organization and forgetfulness, although adults who were hyperactive as children often grow out of physical hyperactivity. There is evidence that ADHD is associated with poorer outcomes in domestic and occupational endeavors, as well as higher rates of motor vehicle accidents.
Management of Depression in Post-stroke Patients
Although the prevalence of PSD depends upon whether the patients are examined in community settings or acute hospitals, the mean prevalence of major depressive disorder based on pooled data from the world’s literature is 20% during acute poststroke period for major depression and 19% for minor depression. The diagnosis of depression is based on DSM-IV criteria for major or minor depression. There is relatively little effect of physical illness on the manifestations of depressive symptoms. The major risk factors for developing poststroke depression include severity of impairment in activities of daily living, in cognitive function and in social support.
Antidepressants and Suicide Risk in Children and Adults: Using Evidence to Separate Fact from Fiction
Suicide is considered rare in non-depressed individuals but it occurs in between 5 and 15% of those suffering from depression. The Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) is recommended for assessing an individual patient’s suicide risk. Suicide risk factors in children, adolescents and adults include untreated depression, psychosis, access to firearms. Additional factors that increase suicide risk in children and adolescents include maternal depression, witnessing suicide attempts or sexual abuse or experiencing sexual abuse or trauma themselves. Cyber-bullying is becoming more recognized as a contributing factor to suicide in youth.
Recommendation for a new book "Anatomy of an Epidemic" by Robert Whitaker
MTM - Psychiatry
Meet a Member: Ericka L. Breden
Ericka L. Breden, PharmD, BCPP, CGP, FASCP, is a clinical pharmacy specialist in psychiatry and clinical assistant professor with both the Departments of Pharmacy and Psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System in Richmond, VA. She also is the Director of a PGY-2 Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency program. Dr. Breden began her career at VCUHS after completion of both a geriatric residency and a psychiatric residency. Her current position entails rounding primarily with the geropsychiatry and the medical psychiatry teams. Her role is to ensure medication safety, educate patients and family members, and educate psychiatrists-in-training on the safe use of medications. She feels the greatest impact she makes in her practice is ensuring patients and families have access to and can afford their medications and helping them to understand the importance of taking their medications.