Mental Health

Screening for postpartum depression while patients are pregnant is a crucial step to ensuring they get access to treatment if they need it postpartum, according to Rachel Dalthorp, MD, of LifeStance Health.

Using the modified Tinkertoy Test (m-TTT), recent findings further the understanding of specific cognitive deficits affecting life skills in individuals with schizophrenia, revealing a critical link between divergent thinking and daily functioning.

Ron Grunstein, MD, PhD, head of sleep and circadian research, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, details results from the ALKS 2680 trial and the study's next steps.

The 2025 Physician Fee Schedule includes a conversion factor reduction, expanded behavioral health services, extended telehealth waivers, new Quality Payment Program pathways, and measures to address suspect billing, alongside a Biden administration initiative introducing federal maternal health standards for hospitals.

Rachel Dalthorp, MD, explains that zuranolone is recommended as the first-line medication, alongside psychotherapy, to effectively manage postpartum depression (PPD) and mitigate long-term impacts.

Despite extensive research into patient-level differences in antidepressant treatment outcomes, the variability among clinicians themselves hasn’t been thoroughly evaluated.

Donanemab-azbt is the first and only amyloid plaque-targeting therapy approved for adults with early symptomatic Alzheimer disease.

Douglas Weber, MD, explains how zuranolone has changed the landscape for postpartum depression treatment, addressing a gap in care within maternal health.

Patients who received long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) in the hospital but discontinued them early faced a 22% to 25% higher readmission risk than those who did not receive LAIs.

In our fourth Pride Month podcast episode, we are speaking with Domenico Ruggerio, executive director of We Are Family, in Charleston, South Carolina, the state's oldest nonprofit to provide life-affirming and life-saving programs for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus (LGBTQ+) youth.

With an effective therapy available for treating postpartum depression, Rachel Dalthorp, MD, believes health care providers need to focus on educating patients and helping them navigate the health system so zuranolone can reach those who need it.

As health care leaders, it’s our responsibility to know the importance of psychological safety and actively promote an environment that supports emotional and mental well-being, no matter one’s position or background, notes Carolyn Tandy of Humana.

"As a health care provider and as a psychiatrist, it's something that I think about first—instead of step therapy, when I have a patient with postpartum depression, this is what they need to be on," Rachel Dalthorp, MD, explains.

Ali Khawar, principal deputy assistant secretary with the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), US Department of Labor, explains how the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) aims to address the mental health crisis in the US.

An analysis drawing on data from the 2021 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) highlights that a significant portion of telehealth visits were for mental health services despite the overall telehealth utilization being relatively low.

There are effective strategies that can be employed concurrently to promote adherence to medications for schizophrenia, including but not limited to pharmacological, technological, and psychosocial interventions.

According to data from HHS' Office of Minority Health, Asian Americans are 60% less likely to utilize mental health services, even though 16.8% of those in the community experience mental illness.

The data refute the rapid-onset gender dysphoria hypothesis by showing that the initially higher depressive symptoms reported by youths transitioning from cisgender to transgender or gender diverse were not significant after accounting for exposure to LGBT violence, the researchers wrote.

Covering antiobesity medications like semaglutide could save Medicare around $500 million annually; preliminary CDC data showed a 3% decline in the number of US overdose deaths last year; the Biden administration recently announced the first national maternal mental health strategy.

Chris Pagnani, MD, medical director and founder of Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates in Philadelphia, explains the importance of offering college students consistent care via telehealth while collaborating with their campus counseling centers.

Gaps in the delivery and coverage of behavioral health care can be addressed through continued advocacy for better policies and financial incentives surrounding treatment.

In this interview, Chris Pagnani, MD, PC, emphasizes the benefits of telemedicine and its role in improving accessibility, particularly in the realm of mental health care.

In this interview, Chris Pagnani, MD, PC, shares how telemedicine is transforming mental health care by making psychiatry accessible for patients, especially for those in health care deserts.

While behavioral health care utilization has been rising, the treatment landscape has been worsening. New findings show that 20% of youths did not receive any form of treatment within 3 months of their initial behavioral health diagnosis.

While health plans often employ reimbursement rates as a tool to incentivize provider participation within their networks, study results showed reimbursement rates for office visits with medical/surgical clinicians were on average 22% higher than behavioral health clinicians.

Contrary to previous assumptions, the analysis found that mortality rates from deaths of despair among middle-aged Black Americans exceeded those of their White counterparts in 2022.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals announces the FDA approval of iloperidone (Fanapt) for the acute treatment of bipolar 1 disorder.

“Policies that require and reimburse universal mental health screening at postpartum visits, ensure connection to care, reduce gaps in postpartum insurance coverage, and require clinician training in culturally responsive resources could improve equity of postpartum depression diagnoses and care in the US,” study authors wrote.

For World Bipolar Day, Roger Rivera, DNP, board-certified PMHNP, shares his insight on integrating psychotherapeutic techniques and medication regimens for bipolar disorder.

The often-overlooked perspective of the caregiver was brought to the forefront of a presentation by Julia Cohen Sebastien at the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health 2024 Women’s Health Summit.