Veterans who served in military occupations with repeated blast overpressure exposure were significantly more likely to have evidence of anger, aggression and violence documented in their medical records than veterans in lower-risk occupations, according to a new study led by researchers at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System and the University of Utah.
Expert Panel Recommended Regular Review of Psychotropic Medications
Psychotropic medications are often prescribed for many complex, difficult-to-treat psychiatric disorders and include antidepressants, anti-anxiety agents, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers and stimulants. New guidance has suggested there’s a need for greater recognition of clinical psychopharmacology endpoints.
New Executive Order Fast-Tracks the Use of Psychedelics to Treat Mental Health Disorders in Veterans
An executive order recently signed by President Donald Trump paves the way for expanded federal research into the use of psychedelics to treat mental health disorders, as well as directing the Food and Drug Administration to fast-track products shown to have promising results.
Multiancestor Genomics Sharpens Understanding of Schizophrenia Risk
Schizophrenia is one of the most heritable and biologically complex psychiatric disorders, with decades of research confirming a highly polygenic architecture.
Senate VA Committee Hears About Staff Burnout at Veterans Crisis Line
According to former workers at the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), staff burnout is putting veterans at risk because of managers who have no experience as responders, abusive spam callers and a focus on the number of callers served over the quality of that service.
Newer Epilepsy Drugs Could Pose Cognitive, Psychiatric Risks for Veterans
Epilepsy affects about 50 million people worldwide, and veterans often face additional risks for both seizures and mental health conditions.
Memory Recall Differs Across Common Neurological, Psychiatric Conditions
Memory performance is a vital cognitive function crucial for daily life and overall well-being. Impairments in memory are associated with various neurological, neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Bipolar Disorder Symptoms Linked to Sleep Disturbance, Cannabis-Use Disorder
In bipolar disorder patients, having cannabis-use disorder and a natural tendency to go to sleep and awaken late are associated with more severe mood symptoms, according to a recent study.
Probability of Unique Symptom Combinations in Mental Health Disorders
Using common diagnostic criteria might have limited generalizability to the large group of individuals with a low-probability symptom combination, according to a new study.
How Anxiety Disorder Can Exist Without ‘Excessive Worry’
Should “excessive worry” be a requirement for a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder?
New Research Finds Service Dogs Beneficial for Veterans With PTSD
The VA covers the veterinary care and the equipment costs of service dogs for veterans with physical disabilities such as blindness or vision impairment, but the use of service dogs for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues has remained controversial.
Psychiatric, Health Factors Should Be Considered in Veterans With Cognitive Decline
While cognitive decline in older people often raises suspicion of early Alzheimer’s disease, a new VA study underscores the importance of considering how factors beyond Alzheimer’s—including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), pain and sleep difficulties—might also impact cognition in older veterans.
Social Avoidance, Other Deficits Appear to Be Features of Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Not Just the Consequences of Social Isolation
While individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder often have difficulty with relationships and being part of a community, a recent study involving U.S. veterans has found that social cognitive deficits and high social avoidance motivation appear to be actual features of the clinical conditions and not the result of living in social isolation.
Psychoactive Drug Ibogaine Effectively Treats TBI Complications
The signature injury of U.S. veterans from recent military conflicts, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of injury-related disability.
Women Veterans With Epilepsy Have More Psychiatric Diagnoses
Women Veterans with epilepsy (WVE) might have unique psychiatric comorbidities that affect presentation, treatment and outcomes.
Veterans’ Disinhibited Behaviors Linked to Range of Physical, Mental Conditions
Behavioral disinhibition is an externalizing (EXT) disorder common with many psychiatric conditions. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have demonstrated the overlap between EXT disorders and important aspects of veterans’ health, such as suicide-related behaviors and substance-use disorders (SUDs).
Social Determinants of Health Can Predict Schizophrenia in Veterans
Among the most complex patients treated in the VA healthcare system are those with serious mental illnesses, including the more than 120,000 diagnosed with schizophrenia. Those patients not only tend to have worse physical function as they age, but also are more likely to engage in suicidal behavior. To better understand what increases the risk of schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses, VA researchers are taking a close look at social determinants of health.
Military Surgeons Deployed to Combat Environments Face Moral Injury, Distress
A new VA study may be the first to examine moral injury and distress at the intersection of these populations—that is, military healthcare professionals, specifically surgeons
Clozapine Underused in Veterans With Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder
Although clozapine is the only pharmacologic intervention approved for treating patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who have had suicidal behaviors or inadequate response to other antipsychotics, the medication is underutilized in veterans with these mental health issues, according to a new study.
What Factors Help Decrease Benzodiazepine Prescriptions in Older Veterans?
Benzodiazepines, including alprazolam (Xanax) and clonazepam (Klonopin), are among the most commonly prescribed drugs for anxiety and sleep disorders. They also carry a significant risk of side effects.
Problematic Anger Impedes Transition to Civilian Life
How does problematic anger in long-term adjustment of service members transitioning out of the military?
Collaborative Care Works Well for Bipolar Patients Seeing PCPs
For patients with bipolar disorder, medication management appears to work as well with primary care clinicians supported by psychiatrists as direct psychiatrist care.
Veterans With Schizophrenia Face High Rates of Adverse Societal Outcomes
In addition to their substantial healthcare burdens, veterans with schizophrenia face a much higher risk of adverse societal outcomes, according to a new report.
Psychologist Colleen Richardson Makes Sure VA Properly Cares for Caregivers
During her four years of active duty with the Navy, Colleen Richardson, PsyD, saw the immediate effects of trauma first-hand. In 2008, as the first woman Operational Stress Control and Readiness Provider embedded with the 1st Marine Division’s Regimental Combat Team, the clinical psychologist provided mental health care to servicemembers on the front lines in Iraq.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Is Uncommon in Brains of Military Personnel
Military personnel exposed to attacks with high explosives frequently experience neuropsychiatric symptoms, including cognitive dysfunction, behavioral changes, mood disturbances and suicidality.
Acute Stress Reactions Can Endanger Military Combat Teams, Others
A recent report from military researchers put the spotlight on combat-related acute stress reactions (ASRs) in servicemembers.
VHA Offers Inconsistent Benzodiazepine Dosing for AWS
Hospitalized patients with alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) —which is not uncommon—often have increased intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital lengths of stay, more hospital-acquired infections or sepsis and higher in-hospital mortality.
Transition to Civilian Life Remains Difficult Years After Military Discharge
Each year, more than 200,000 servicemembers leave the U.S. military—a transition that can prove difficult.
Sleep, Mental Health Surveys Useful for Seizure Patients
How useful are mental health and sleep screening questionnaires for patients admitted to a seizure monitoring unit?
What Soldiers Are Most at Risk of Acting on Suicide Ideation?
The statistics are alarming. More soldiers die from self-inflicted gunshot wounds than combat injuries. Eighty-three percent of firearm deaths in the military are from suicide.