Psychiatry Boot Camp

Dr. Laura Watkins, Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Emory University School of Medicine, introduces us to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We walk though the diagnostic criteria and discuss how these symptoms can impact a person's day-to-day life. We then learn to conceptualize PTSD in terms of both classical and operant conditioning. Finally, we explain evidence based psychotherapies for PTSD and conclude with a primer on psychopharmacology for PTSD. Essential references: 1) Osser Psychopharmacology Algorithm for PTSD 2) Clinical Guidelines for PTSD (United States Department of Veteran's Affairs and Department of Defense) 3) This American Life: Ten Sessions

Dr. John Walkup, Chair of the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Professor of Psychiatry at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, and president-elect of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, introduces us to anxiety disorders. We discuss the phenomenon of normal, adaptive anxiety and contrast this with symptomatology that may warrant a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder. We learn to appreciate anxiety disorders from a developmental lens, discuss clinical pearls for building a therapeutic alliance with anxious patients, and explore psychotherapies for anxiety disorders. We also discuss psychopharmacological considerations for both SSRIs and benzodiazapines.

Dr. Roger McIntyre, Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at the University of Toronto and Head of the Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit at the University Health Network in Toronto, Canada, returns to introduce depressive disorders. We differentiate normal "low mood" from conditions that warrant a psychiatric diagnosis. We discuss historical subtypes of depression and the current DSM specifiers for major depressive disorder. We review epidemiology, discuss the neurophysiology of depressive disorders, and then dive into treatment options.

Dr. Lois Choi-Kain, Director of the Gunderson Personality Disorders Institute at McLean Hospital and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, introduces us to borderline personality disorder (BPD). We discuss the prevalence, naturalistic course, and treatments for BPD. We explore BPD using the “Good Psychiatric Management” (GPM) model, which is intended to empower clinicians of all disciplines to manage patients with BPD effectively. We discuss the principles of GPM and walk through some examples of how it might be used in the clinical setting.  Book: Applications of Good Psychiatric Management for Borderline Personality Disorder: A Practical Guide (Check your academic library!)  References:  (11:30) Grant BF, Chou SP, Goldstein RB, et al. Prevalence, correlates, disability, and comorbidity of DSM-IV borderline personality disorder: results from the Wave 2 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. J Clin Psychiatry. 2008;69(4):533-545.  (12:30) Trull TJ, Jahng S, Tomko RL, Wood PK, Sher KJ. Revised NESARC personality disorder diagnoses: gender, prevalence, and comorbidity with substance dependence disorders. J Pers Disord. 2010;24(4):412-426.  (15:00) Gregory R, Sperry SD, Williamson D, Kuch-Cecconi R, Spink GL Jr. High Prevalence of Borderline Personality Disorder Among Psychiatric Inpatients Admitted for Suicidality. J Pers Disord. 2021;35(5):776-787.  (20:45) Kernberg O. Borderline personality organization. J Am Psychoanal Assoc. 1967;15(3):641-685.  (29:30) Choi-Kain LW, Finch EF, Masland SR, Jenkins JA, Unruh BT. What Works in the Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep. 2017;4(1):21-30.  (33:00) Skodol AE, Gunderson JG, Shea MT, et al. The Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study (CLPS): overview and implications. J Pers Disord. 2005;19(5):487-504. (33:00) Temes CM, Zanarini MC. The Longitudinal Course of Borderline Personality Disorder. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2018;41(4):685-694.