APA: American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting

It’s crucial to have support from the numerous community settings that young people interact with so that they can feel understood and better manage their mental illness, according to Steven Adelsheim, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine.

Early intervention in potential cases of psychosis among young people hinges on multiple settings being aware of the early signs of the illness and able to link people to treatment, said Steven Adelsheim, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine.

Jacob Ballon, MD, MPH, clinical associate professor, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University, explained how large databases can help researchers understand the variety of psychotic illnesses, potentially leading to more personalized treatments.

When assessing young people for potential early psychosis, psychiatrists should keep in mind that reassurance is particularly important for this patient group, explained Steven Adelsheim, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine.

Providers should treat patients with schizophrenia by thinking about them as people and understanding the full context of their lives, according to Jacob Ballon, MD, MPH, clinical associate professor, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University.

Providers who treat young people with psychosis must navigate a host of issues unique to this population, including confidentiality and consent rules, the role of the family, and support from schools, according to Steven Adelsheim, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine.

Early intervention is important in many illnesses, including psychosis, so treatment can begin as early as possible for best outcomes, explained Jacob Ballon, MD, MPH, clinical associate professor, psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University. He also discussed a resource for learning more about early intervention.

Data presented at the 175th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) support the potential of the investigational drug ALKS 3831 to provide the antipsychotic efficacy of olanzapine without the associated weight gain, said Adam Simmons, director of clinical program management, Alkermes. He also discussed the timing of when the data might be filed with the FDA.

Adam Simmons, director of clinical program management, Alkermes, explains that an investigational antipsychotic drug, ALKS 3831, provides the efficacy of olanzapine without the associated weight gain can provide benefits in the short and long term to payers and patients. Simmons spoke about data presented at the 175th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in San Francisco, California.

Increasing awareness of psychosis can help communities engage with patients on a human level and work together to improve, according to David Kingdon, MD, professor of mental health care delivery, University of Southampton.

Isaac Galatzer-Levy, PhD, assistant professor in psychiatry and bioinformatics, NYU School of Medicine, and vice president of clinical and computational neuroscience, AiCure, said that technological solutions like artificial intelligence can help identify and monitor signs of mental illness so patients can be connected with the help they need.

Patients with both physical and behavioral health conditions have significantly higher healthcare costs, so integrating both sides of their care can help lower those costs, explained Lori Raney, MD, principal, Health Management Associates.

Classifying mental disorders using traditional tools like the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual misses the vast differences in biomarkers that can exist in patients with the same diagnosis, which is why research is looking to biological measures and “biotypes” to provide more information, according to Godfrey Pearlson, MD, professor of psychiatry and neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine.

David Kingdon, MD, professor of mental health care delivery, University of Southampton, explained that mental health professionals have been receptive to the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in psychosis, but there needs to be greater expansion to increase availability.

Intervening early when someone is at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can drastically improve their outcomes, but current predictive methods are lacking, according to Isaac Galatzer-Levy, PhD, assistant professor in psychiatry and bioinformatics, NYU School of Medicine, and vice president of clinical and computational neuroscience, AiCure.

Olanzapine is an effective antipsychotic medication, but the associated weight gain is the number one cause of discontinuation, explained Adam Simmons, director of clinical program management, Alkermes, during an interview at the 175th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in San Francisco, California. An investigational drug, ALKS 3831, aims to mitigate the weight gain associated with olanzapine.

David Kingdon, MD, professor of mental health care delivery, University of Southampton, outlined some future avenues for research on the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in psychosis, including the benefits of “worry periods” and studies on sleep.

Isaac Galatzer-Levy, PhD, assistant professor in psychiatry and bioinformatics, NYU School of Medicine, and vice president of clinical and computational neuroscience, AiCure, says that the solution to expanding access to mental health assessment and treatment in the aftermath of traumatic events is likely technological.

Adam Simmons, director of clinical program management, Alkermes, explained why researchers are seeking new treatments for schizophrenia, such as the investigational treatment ALKS 3831, despite the efficacy of a commonly used antipsychotic, olanzapine. Simmons was interviewed at the 175th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in San Francisco, California.

David Kingdon, MD, professor of mental health care delivery, University of Southampton, discussed the settings and circumstances that make it more likely that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) will have a positive impact on patients with psychosis.

Jonathan Avery, MD, director of addiction psychiatry, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center, discussed how some psychiatrists will back away when treating a patient with co-occurring substance use and mental illness, when instead they should be leaning in to deliver evidence-based treatment.

Machine learning algorithms can help clinicians understand risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and match them to appropriate individualized treatments, according to Isaac Galatzer-Levy, PhD, assistant professor in psychiatry and bioinformatics, NYU School of Medicine, and vice president of clinical and computational neuroscience, AiCure.

Steven Adelsheim, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, outlined the concept of duration of untreated psychosis, which connects time to treatment with outcomes, particularly in young people with psychosis.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be used in conjunction with medication and community care to treat psychosis and incorporate families and caregivers into the treatment process, according to David Kingdon, MD, professor of mental health care delivery, University of Southampton.

Lori Raney, MD, principal, Health Management Associates, provided a definition and examples of integrated care for physical and behavioral health, in addition to explaining the strengths of the collaborative care model.

Adam Simmons, director of clinical program management, Alkermes, interviewed at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting, discussed the efficacy of the investigational drug ALKS 3831 (olanzapine/samidorphan) in various patient populations.

People with mental illnesses often turn to using substances for self-medication, but this combination causes many problems that worsen quality of life, said Jonathan Avery, MD, director of addiction psychiatry, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Psychiatrists can use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to help patients with psychosis understand and explore their own beliefs and to develop the therapeutic relationship, according to David Kingdon, MD, professor of mental health care delivery, University of Southampton.

More and more archives and databases, including psychiatric hospital records, are being digitized for preservation, but this can present privacy risks from hacking, cautioned King Davis, PhD, faculty member, University of Texas at Austin School of Information.

Isaac Galatzer-Levy, PhD, assistant professor in psychiatry and bioinformatics, NYU School of Medicine, and vice president of clinical and computational neuroscience, AiCure, describes how his team built a predictive algorithm using machine learning to predict the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).