Development of Autonomic Nervous System Assays as Point-of-Care Tests to Supplement Clinical Judgment in Risk Assessment for Suicidal Behavior: A Review
AbstractPurpose of ReviewA biomarker point-of-care (POC) test that supplements the psychiatric interview and improves detection of patients at risk for suicide would be of value, and assays of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity would satisfy the logistical requirements for a POC test. We performed a selective review of the available literature of ANS assays related to risk for suicide.Recent FindingsWe searched PubMed and Web of Science with the strategy: “suicide OR suicidal” AND “electrodermal OR heart rate variability OR pupillometry OR pupillography.” The search produced 119 items, 21 of which provided ori...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - January 25, 2022 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research

Moderators of Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Insomnia on Depression and Anxiety Outcomes
AbstractPurpose of ReviewWith a focus on reviewing adequately powered randomized controlled trials, we present recent research on the potential of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) to improve depression and anxiety outcomes among patients with insomnia and one of the following comorbid psychiatric disorders: major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We also examine potential moderators of CBT-I on depression and anxiety outcomes in this population.Recent FindingsDespite high comorbidity rates, current behavioral and pharmacological treatmen...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - January 21, 2022 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research

Gastrointestinal Interoception in Eating Disorders: Charting a New Path
AbstractPurpose of ReviewAbnormal interoception has been consistently observed across eating disorders despite limited inclusion in diagnostic conceptualization. Using the alimentary tract as well as recent developments in interoceptive neuroscience and predictive processing as a guide, the current review summarizes evidence of gastrointestinal interoceptive dysfunction in eating disorders.Recent FindingsEating is a complex process that begins well before and ends well after food consumption. Abnormal prediction and prediction-error signals may occur at any stage, resulting in aberrant gastrointestinal interoception and dy...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - January 21, 2022 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research

The Effects of Climate Change on Child and Adolescent Mental Health: Clinical Considerations
AbstractPurpose of ReviewWe review recent literature on the effects of climate change on child and adolescent mental health and discuss treatment and engagement by clinicians.Recent FindingsClimate change affects child and adolescent mental health in many intersecting ways, including as a social and ecological determinant of health, a threat amplifier, and a source of trauma and distress. Single extreme weather events contribute to significant negative mental health consequences; however, subacute and chronic climate events also have mental health sequelae. Furthermore, awareness of the climate crisis is associated with em...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - December 7, 2021 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research

New Antipsychotic Medications in the Last Decade
AbstractPurpose of ReviewOver the last ten years, the treatment of psychosis has seen a near explosion of creative development in both novel agents and new delivery modalities. The current review summarizes these developments over the past decade (2011 –2020). We performed a systematic review utilizing PubMed and PsychInfo with the aim of identifying all the RCT and related analyses in adults with psychosis (schizophrenia and mania).Recent FindingsWe identified 11 significant developments: the introduction of new antipsychotics cariprazine, brexpiprazole, lumateperone, and pimavanserin; introduction of new delivery metho...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - November 29, 2021 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research

Lessons Learned or Forgotten? Impacts of COVID-19 on the Future Direction of Global (e-)Mental Health Care
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe COVID-19 pandemic has impacted lives globally, posing unique challenges to mental health services exposing vulnerability and limitations within these systems. During the course of the pandemic, telecommunications technologies (e-mental health care) have served a critical role in psychiatric care. It is important to understand current lessons learned in e-mental health care and implications for global mental health systems for both emerging from the pandemic and after the pandemic has ended.Recent FindingsThere are significant regulatory, policy, and evaluation challenges for global e-mental hea...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - November 29, 2021 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research

EEG Neurofeedback for Anxiety Disorders and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders: A Blueprint for a Promising Brain-Based Therapy
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review provides an overview of current knowledge and understanding of EEG neurofeedback for anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders.Recent FindingsThe manifestations of anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) are associated with dysfunctions of neurophysiological stress axes and brain arousal circuits, which are important dimensions of the research domain criteria (RDoC). Even if the pathophysiology of these disorders is complex, one of its defining signatures is behavioral and physiological over-arousal. Interestingly, arousal-related brain activity can be m...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - October 29, 2021 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research

Relevance of Objective Measures in Psychiatric Disorders —Rest-Activity Rhythm and Psychophysiological Measures
We present a review of recent methods of objective measurement in psychiatry and psychology with a focus on home monitoring and its utility in guiding treatment.Recent FindingsFor individualized diagnostics and treatment of insomnia, actigraphy can generate clinically useful graphical presentations of sleep timing and patterns. Psychophysiological measures may complement psychometrics by tracking parallel changes in physiological responses and emotional functioning, especially during therapy for trauma symptoms and emotion regulation. It seems that rather than defining universal cut-offs, an individualised range of variabi...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - October 29, 2021 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research

EEG Neurofeedback for Anxiety Disorders and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders: A Blueprint for a Promising Brain-Based Therapy
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review provides an overview of current knowledge and understanding of EEG neurofeedback for anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders.Recent FindingsThe manifestations of anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) are associated with dysfunctions of neurophysiological stress axes and brain arousal circuits, which are important dimensions of the research domain criteria (RDoC). Even if the pathophysiology of these disorders is complex, one of its defining signatures is behavioral and physiological over-arousal. Interestingly, arousal-related brain activity can be m...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - October 29, 2021 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research

Relevance of Objective Measures in Psychiatric Disorders —Rest-Activity Rhythm and Psychophysiological Measures
We present a review of recent methods of objective measurement in psychiatry and psychology with a focus on home monitoring and its utility in guiding treatment.Recent FindingsFor individualized diagnostics and treatment of insomnia, actigraphy can generate clinically useful graphical presentations of sleep timing and patterns. Psychophysiological measures may complement psychometrics by tracking parallel changes in physiological responses and emotional functioning, especially during therapy for trauma symptoms and emotion regulation. It seems that rather than defining universal cut-offs, an individualised range of variabi...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - October 29, 2021 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research

COVID-19 Pandemic and Eating Disorders: What Can We Learn About Psychopathology and Treatment? A Systematic Review
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis systematic review aims to collect evidence regarding the impact of the SarsCov-2 pandemic on people affected by eating disorders (EDs) targeting the following variables: psychopathology changes, mechanisms of vulnerability or resilience, and perception of treatment modifications during the pandemic.Recent FindingsSince the beginning of the pandemic, a mental health deterioration has been detected in the general population and especially in people affected by pre-existing psychiatric conditions. Furthermore, mental healthcare has moved toward online treatment.SummaryED people showed a trend tow...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - October 21, 2021 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research

Child and Adolescent Psychosocial Support Programs Following Natural Disasters —a Scoping Review of Emerging Evidence
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review aimed to identify and describe evidence published in the past 3  years from trials of psychosocial support programs for children and adolescents affected by natural disasters.Recent FindingsPrevious reviews have indicated these programs are beneficial overall. Positive impacts were documented in school-based programs conducted by trained teachers and paraprofessionals with stronger effects achieved by more qualified professionals.SummaryThe review found supporting evidence for positive impacts of post-disaster psychosocial programs. However, the strength of evidence is limited due to h...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - October 15, 2021 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research

Impact of Racial Discrimination on the Mental Health of Minoritized Youth
AbstractPurpose of ReviewThe impacts of racism and discrimination on developing minoritized youth are increasingly shown as having the potential to create long-lasting adverse outcomes on children ’s developmental trajectories.Recent FindingsFrom the quality of the schools they attend, to the level and amount of toxicants in the air they breathe, to equitable access to health care, and within interpersonal relationships and experiences with their peers, multiple forms of racism, systemic/structural, interpersonal/personally mediated, and internalized shape the health status of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPo...
Source: Current Psychiatry Reports - October 14, 2021 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research