Behavioral Health
Behavioral Health
Postpartum anxiety: More common than you think
Postpartum anxiety is more common than postpartum depression, but is often overlooked. Here’s when to suspect it.
Behavioral Health
Alcohol use disorder: How best to screen and intervene
The USPSTF recommends the AUDIT, the AUDIT-C, or the single-question NIAAA screen. The CAGE screening tool has low sensitivity at lower levels of...
Behavioral Health
How to treat complicated grief
Several DSM-5 criteria lasting 6 months or longer can help identify complicated grief, as can available assessment tools. Treatment has a...
Behavioral Health
Combine these screening tools to detect bipolar depression
Used together, brief assessment tools, such as the PHQ9 and MDQ, have greater sensitivity and accuracy than clinician assessment alone.
Behavioral Health
Schizophrenia: Ensuring an accurate Dx, optimizing treatment
First rule out secondary psychosis with appropriate lab tests and imaging studies, as needed. Give an antipsychotic for at least 4 weeks to judge...
Behavioral Health
Ensuring prompt recognition and treatment of panic disorder
Pharmacologic and/or psychotherapeutic interventions are effective for most patients. But first, you must rule out organic causes of the patient’s...
Behavioral Health
Posttraumatic stress disorder: Often missed in primary care
Most PTSD cases occur among civilians—not combat veterans. And most sufferers avoid talking about their experiences, making attentiveness to...
Behavioral Health
Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Under-recognized and responsive to treatment
Mood or anxiety concerns, when explored, may reveal associated OCD symptoms. Pharmacotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy have proven...
Behavioral Health
Bipolar disorder: Making the Dx, selecting the right Rx
Patient questionnaires and certain lab tests can help rule out other diagnoses and establish baselines before giving psychotropics. Empiric Tx is...
Behavioral Health
Targeting depression: Primary care tips and tools
The resources provided here can help you determine if depression is to blame for your patient’s symptoms. A handy antidepressant guide can inform...