With publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) in 2013, autism’s prevalence in the United States nearly doubled to more than 2% of the population. In reconceptualizing the condition, DSM-5 collapsed 4 diagnoses into 1 diagnosis: autism spectrum disorder. What the 4 had in common were deficits in 2 broad areas: restricted, repetitive behaviors or interests; and deficits in social communication. Three of the 4 were severe forms easily recognized in childhood. The fourth, constituting most of the increase in prevalence, was Asperger disorder, or high-functioning autism, frequently going undiagnosed until adulthood. These patients typically have fluent language, intact intellect, and highly developed compensatory strategies including social “masking.” The adult diagnosis is manifested in struggles to maintain employment or friendships both platonic and intimate. Nonpsychiatric providers are likely to encounter patients with autism spectrum disorder seeking care for myriad comorbid psychiatric and physical problems. Complicating matters is that many adult psychiatrists are unfamiliar with what was until recently the purview of child psychiatrists. Autism has neither cure nor specific pharmacologic treatments, but addressing comorbidities, with psychiatric and medical referrals where indicated, mitigates suffering. Services targeting employment and educational support, occupational therapy focused on activities of daily living, and skill-based psychotherapies that aim to improve social interactions can reduce stress and anxiety while enhancing function, reducing isolation, and encouraging satisfying relationships.

Since the discovery of the first psychoactive medications, their psychiatric and medical uses have overlapped. Designating a medication psychiatric or psychotropic is thus arbitrary, based on its most common usage, but labeling it so obscures the full range of its pharmacologic activity and clinical utility. Psychotropic medications (PMs) are frequently used to treat medical conditions or symptoms in the areas of neurology (e.g., migraine, seizure disorder), dermatology (e.g., itching), gastroenterology, and chronic pain, among many others. It is important for both primary care and specialty physicians to be aware of the potential non-psychiatric indications for the use of common PMs such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anxiolytics. This review examines the potential benefits and risks of PMs when used for non-psychiatric indications, highlighting how their pharmacologic effects on neurotransmitters contribute to both therapeutic outcomes and adverse effects. It also provides guiding principles for prescribers, including the importance of adjusting doses based on the specific indication, monitoring for harmful side effects, considering age-related factors, and addressing the risks associated with polypharmacy.

BACKGROUND:Asthma, characterized by chronic inflammatory burden, may increase the risk of developing bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ). Emerging evidence suggests that sex differences can further influence the presentation and course of these conditions. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the impact of antecedent asthma diagnosis on the clinical trajectory and age at first episode of mania (FEM) or psychosis (FEP) in individuals and explore sex differences in these associations. METHODS:We identified patients with FEM or FEP within the Rochester Epidemiology Project. Patient demographics, psychiatric antecedents, and prior medical diagnoses were collected. Antecedent asthma diagnoses were extracted using International Classification of Diseases-10 codes via the Rochester Epidemiology Project records-linkage system. RESULTS:Among 201 patients with FEM (n = 72) or FEP (n = 129), 50 (24.9%) had a prior diagnosis of asthma. There was no difference in asthma prevalence by diagnosis (24.8% BD vs. 25.0% SZ; P = 0.976) or sex (male 22.4% vs. female 31.5%, P = 0.189). Patients with asthma were more likely to have an antecedent psychiatric disorder prior to their first episode (P = 0.008), particularly depressive disorders (P = 0.006). A significant interaction effect was found between sex and asthma on age at first episode, with females with asthma experiencing a significantly earlier illness onset (F [1197] = 8.20, P = 0.006). These findings remained significant in sensitivity analyses excluding patients without at least one year of follow-up prior to the first episode. CONCLUSIONS:Antecedent asthma was prevalent in our cohort and associated with increased psychiatric illness burden and an earlier age of onset in females with BD or SZ. These findings highlight important comorbidity patterns to consider in the antecedent illness trajectory and the need for further research into the inflammatory and sex-specific mechanisms underlying serious mental illness.

Importance The rates of suicide and suicide attempts are rising precipitously among early adolescents aged 10 to 14 years in the US. While suicide attempts in this age group are more common and associated with lower lethality than in older age groups, very little is known about these individuals’ long-term social and psychiatric outcomes. Objectives To examine the adult outcomes of individuals making index suicide attempts that came to medical attention between the ages of 10 and 14 years. Design, Setting, and Participants This population-based cohort constitutes a subsample (n = 164) of a previously reported retrospective-prospective study examining individuals who made index suicide attempts during a 22-year period (1986-2007) in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Main Outcomes and Measures To collect outcome measures, the medical records of all individuals were queried until March 31, 2023, comprising up to 36 years of follow-up data after the index attempt. Measures included current social, psychiatric, and mortality outcomes as well as lifetime measures of psychiatric hospitalizations and repeat suicide attempts. K-means clustering generated adult groupings based on aggregates of psychiatric hospitalizations and repeat attempts. Multivariable logistic regression identified index attempt factors associated with poor adult outcomes. Results Of 164 individuals aged 10 to 14 years who made index attempts (128 [78.0%] female; mean [SD] age at index attempt, 13.7 [1.1] years), 3 (1.8%) died on the index attempt. In the follow-up period, no individuals died by suicide. K-means clustering generated a 2-group solution reflecting low (120 [80%]) and high (30 [20%]) rates of adult psychopathology. While a minority of the sample belonged to the high-rate group, characterized by multiple repeat attempts and hospitalizations, the majority had favorable social indicators and fewer reattempts and hospitalizations. Poor adult outcomes were associated with being male (odds ratio, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.00-5.80; P = .04) and having a psychiatric diagnosis prior to the index attempt (odds ratio, 3.27; 95% CI, 1.42-8.07; P = .007). Conclusions and Relevance In this sample of early adolescents with index suicide attempts followed into adulthood, all who died by suicide did so on the index attempt. While a small number of individuals went on to develop chronic severe psychopathology, the majority demonstrated little evidence of long-term impairment. Given this discrepancy, future studies should focus on using risk stratification after index attempts to direct postvention resources toward adolescents more susceptible to poor outcomes.

Fundamental to medical education, gross anatomy first introduces medical students to human mortality, often provoking stress. Sense of purpose, a key aspect of well-being, may serve as a protective factor. We studied students' sense of purpose during an anatomy course, examining its links to performance, spirituality, and belief in an afterlife. Fifty medical students who took a 7-week gross anatomy course in 2022 or 2023 completed the Life Engagement Test at the beginning, middle, and end of the course. We collected other data including demographics, religious/spiritual beliefs, and previous exposure to body donors. Practical and final examinations assessed course performance. Strong sense of purpose at the three measurement points was positively correlated with practical exam performance (r = 0.40, P = .004; r = 0.44, P = .003; r = 0.30, P = .047, respectively) but not National Board of Medical Examiners' anatomy subject exam performance. Staunch believers and non-believers in an afterlife maintained a stable sense of purpose, while students uncertain about the afterlife experienced a decline from the beginning to the middle of the course and even more to the end (P = .046; P = .008, respectively). These students also had significantly lower practical examination performance as compared to other students (95% CI [-10.84, -0.52]). In conclusion, a strong sense of purpose predicts better performance in a 7-week anatomy course. Both believers and non-believers in an afterlife do well, but students wavering in their beliefs experience a declining sense of purpose and lower grades. Supporting these students when they confront human mortality, including in other contexts such as palliative care/hospice settings, may be beneficial.

Background: Isotretinoin treatment for acne can reduce adverse psychiatric outcomes in adults, but there has been little investigation of the incidence of psychiatric outcomes in treated adolescents. Methods: This retrospective cohort study using the Rochester Epidemiology Project identified 606 patients aged 12-18 prescribed isotretinoin over a 10-year period between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2017. Medical records were reviewed to identify psychiatric diagnoses before and during isotretinoin therapy, as well as psychiatric symptoms not captured by formal diagnoses and changes to isotretinoin dosing because of psychiatric diagnoses or symptoms. Results: One hundred seventy-seven (29.2%) had a psychiatric diagnosis prior to isotretinoin initiation, but 98 (16.2%) had a new psychiatric diagnosis or psychiatric symptom while taking isotretinoin. Patients with a psychiatric history were no more likely than those without to receive a new psychiatric diagnosis during treatment (4.5% vs. 3.7%; p = .650), but did experience more psychiatric symptoms, primarily low mood and mood swings (23.7% vs. 7.7%; p < .001). Only 25.5% of the 98 with a new psychiatric diagnosis or psychiatric symptom had a subsequent dose change. A dose change was more likely if patients received a new psychiatric diagnosis (41.7% vs. 20.3%; p = .037) or patients did not have a psychosocial explanation for psychiatric symptoms (34.4% vs. 10.8%; p = .009). Conclusions: A substantial proportion of adolescent patients prescribed isotretinoin had a prior psychiatric diagnosis. This predicts more psychiatric symptoms during isotretinoin treatment. Adolescents with a psychiatric history who have worsening symptoms and those with new-onset psychiatric symptoms would benefit from close monitoring while taking isotretinoin.

As more and more American states legalize medical aid in dying (MAID), consultation/liaison psychiatrists will increasingly be asked to assist medical and surgical colleagues in differentiating this end-of-life practice from suicide. Where suicide is traditionally understood as an act clouded by depression, desperation, or both, MAID represents a terminally medically ill patient's effort to take control of their dying process when death is imminent, likely to occur within 6 months, and inevitable. Rendering opinions on patient suicidality in the setting of a complex co-occurring medical illness is a consultation/liaison psychiatrist's bread and butter. This paper seeks to elucidate 4 points that distinguish MAID from suicide: (1) Hastening death when the end of natural life is approaching is not synonymous with suicide in the vernacular American usage of the term. (2) Unlike suicide, MAID is a highly collaborative process in which dying, mentally capable adults involve their doctors and loved ones in legally recognized decisions to hasten death. (3) The clinical presentation of patients requesting MAID differs from that of individuals whose suicidality is driven by psychopathology. (4) Certain behavioral traits differentiate such MAID patients from suicidal ones. Understanding and applying these distinctions in the consultation/liaison arena will help remove the stigma of suicide from end-of-life care deliberations where it does not belong while ensuring appropriate end-of-life care for dying individuals for whom MAID is the culmination of a carefully considered process of self-determination rather than suicide.

Background: In 2021, suicide was the second leading cause of death in early adolescent Americans ages 10-14. Research into suicidal behavior in this age group is limited. We report on prior psychiatric care, attempt method, and attempt outcomes in a cohort of 164 early adolescents accrued by first suicide attempt coming to medical attention. Methods: Our cohort constitutes a subsample from a previously reported retrospective- prospective study identified through the Rochester Epidemiology Project that recruited individuals making first suicide attempts coming to medical attention (index attempt [IA]) during a 22-year period (1/1/1986-31/12/ 07). Among 1490 all-age index attempters followed until 12/31/2010, 164 (11.0%) were aged 10-14. Results: 3/ 164 died on IA (1.8% of the cohort; two females, one male). Nearly half (72/164, 43.9%) had no prior psychiatric history. Females were less likely than males to have seen a mental health provider (P = 0.029) or been prescribed psychiatric medications (P < 0.001) prior to IA. Medication overdose was the most common attempt method in females (81/128, 63.3%), while cutting or piercing wounds were the most common method in males (13/36, 36.1%). Females were significantly more likely than males to overdose (P = 0.001). Of IA survivors, 19.9% (32/161) were initially medically hospitalized, 52.8% (85/161) were psychiatrically hospitalized- initially or in transfer-and 37.2% (60/161) were discharged without hospitalization. Conclusion: Medication overdoses accounted for over half of all IAs and were significantly more common in females. While IA mortality was low relative to older patients from the all- age-cohort, morbidity was substantial with nearly a fifth of attempts severe enough to warrant medical hospitalization and more than half initial or eventual psychiatric hospitalization. These findings emphasize the importance of both means restriction and identification of early adolescents at risk before they make their first attempt.

This study investigated the impact of prior antidepressant and stimulant exposure on the age at onset (AAO) of first episode mania (FEM) or psychosis (FEP). Patients with FEP and FEM born after 1985 in Olmsted County, Minnesota, were identified using the Rochester Epidemiology Project. Duration and peak dose of antidepressant and stimulant exposure were quantified by review of the electronic health record. Peak doses were converted to defined daily dose (DDD), and cumulative exposure was calculated as DDD multiplied by treatment duration. Linear models were used to assess relationships between AAO with any exposures, and cumulative antidepressant and stimulant exposures. A total of 190 FEM/FEP patients (mean AAO=20.8 ± 3.7 years) were included. There was no significant difference in AAO with vs. without exposure to antidepressants or stimulants. Cumulative antidepressant exposure correlated with a later AAO in overall sample (r = 0.28, p < 0.001), and in FEP (r = 0.33, p < 0.001). No significant correlation emerged between cumulative stimulant exposure and AAO. Multivariable modeling confirmed that cumulative antidepressant exposure (Estimate=2.42, 95 %CI=1.66-3.18, p < 0.001), but not cumulative stimulant exposure (Estimate=-0.04, 95 %CI=-1.10-1.02, p = 0.94), was associated with later AAO. Antidepressant and stimulant exposures were not associated with earlier AAO. However, cumulative antidepressant exposure was associated with later AAO. Limitations include retrospective design and relatively small sample size. Our findings may inform adolescent treatment recommendations when assessing risk for psychotropic-related adverse events. Further risk modeling investigations of antidepressants and stimulants with larger sample sizes are needed to explore the role of antidepressant and stimulant exposure in the trajectory leading to FEM/FEP.

Transgender youth experience high rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. This systematic review sought to examine interventions for suicide prevention in transgender children and adolescents. Literature related to suicide in the transgender population was systematically collected in accordance with PRISMA criteria. Searches identified studies with at least one suicide prevention method for participants ages 24 years or younger with gender identity and sex clearly defined. Primary outcomes include suicide-related thoughts and behaviors. A total of 1558 citations were identified with 17 articles meeting inclusion criteria. Interventions with potential effectiveness included a gender-affirming crisis hotline, medical care via interdisciplinary gender clinics, online media-based outreach, safety and connectedness in schools, and family system-based interventions. In the included studies, the overall quality of evidence was low and the risk of bias high. Further high-quality studies are needed.

Background:There is evidence suggesting racial disparities in diagnosis and treatment in bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ). The purpose of this study is to compare psychiatric diagnoses and psychotropic use preceding a first episode of mania (FEM) or psychosis (FEP) in racially diverse patients. Methods:Using a comprehensive medical records linkage system (Rochester Epidemiology Project, REP), we retrospectively identified individuals diagnosed with BD or SZ and a documented first episode of mania or psychosis. Illness trajectory before FEP/FEM were characterized as the time from first visit for a mental health complaint to incident case. Pathways to care and clinical events preceding FEP/FEM were compared based on subsequent incident case diagnosis (BD or SZ) and self-reported race (White vs. non-White). Results:A total of 205 (FEM = 74; FEP = 131) incident cases were identified in the REP. Duration of psychiatric antecedents was significantly shorter in non-White patients, compared to White patients (2.2 ± 4.3 vs. 7.4 ± 6.6 years; p < 0.001) with an older age at time of first visit for a mental health complaint (15.7 ± 6.3 vs. 11.1 ± 6.0 years; p = 0.005). There were no significant differences by race in FEM pathway to care or age of first seeking mental health. Overall non-White patients had lower rates of psychotropic use. Conclusion:These data are unable to ascertain reasons for shorter duration of psychiatric antecedents and later age of seeking care, and more broadly first age of initial symptom presentation. If symptoms are confirmed to be earlier than first time seeking care in both groups, it would be important to identify barriers that racial minorities face to access timely psychiatric care and optimize early intervention strategies.

Background Factors associated with suicide attempts during the antecedent illness trajectory of bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ) are poorly understood. Methods Utilizing the Rochester Epidemiology Project, individuals born after 1985 in Olmsted County, MN, presented with first episode mania (FEM) or psychosis (FEP), subsequently diagnosed with BD or SZ were identified. Patient demographics, suicidal ideation with plan, self-harm, suicide attempts, psychiatric hospitalizations, substance use, and childhood adversities were quantified using the electronic health record. Analyses pooled BD and SZ groups with a transdiagnostic approach given the two diseases were not yet differentiated. Factors associated with suicide attempts were examined using bivariate methods and multivariable logistic regression modeling. Results A total of 205 individuals with FEM or FEP (BD = 74, SZ = 131) were included. Suicide attempts were identified in 39 (19%) patients. Those with suicide attempts during antecedent illness trajectory were more likely to be female, victims of domestic violence or bullying behavior, and have higher rates of psychiatric hospitalizations, suicidal ideation with plan and/or self-harm, as well as alcohol, drug, and nicotine use before FEM/FEP onset. Based on multivariable logistic regression, three factors remained independently associated with suicidal attempts: psychiatric hospitalization (OR = 5.84, 95% CI 2.09–16.33, p < 0.001), self-harm (OR = 3.46, 95% CI 1.29–9.30, p = 0.014), and nicotine use (OR = 3.02, 95% CI 1.17–7.76, p = 0.022). Conclusion Suicidal attempts were prevalent during the antecedents of BD and SZ and were associated with several risk factors before FEM/FEP. Their clinical recognition could contribute to improve early prediction and prevention of suicide during the antecedent illness trajectory of BD and SZ.

Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) is characterized by visual disturbances that resemble psychedelic intoxication and linger after use has ceased. The most common substances precipitating HPPD, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin, are posited to do so via damage to serotonergic neurons involved in vision. Mr. N is a 37-year-old with a history of alcohol, cannabis, LSD, cocaine, and nicotine use disorders who described visual distortions that resolved when he drank heavily or received benzodiazepines for withdrawal. He did not appear psychotic. Over 20 years after his last LSD use, he continued to experience illusions of halos around objects, moving walls, and figures appearing cartoonish. He understood that his perceptual disturbances were not reality based. During hospitalization for suicidal ideation, laboratory tests, head computed tomography (CT), and electroencephalogram (EEG) studies offered no explanation for his visual disturbances other than HPPD. The visual distortions remitted with scheduled clonazepam treatment, although chemical dependency treatment programs were hesitant to accept him while on a benzodiazepine. This case emphasizes the importance of diagnostic clarification when patients present with perceptual disturbances that do not fit typical psychotic presentations. Our discussion will distinguish misperceptions from hallucinations and review the pathophysiology of HPPD. Last, we will discuss management strategies for patients with co-occurring HPPD and substance use disorders. It is necessary to discern the correct cause of visual disturbances in order to provide proper treatment. The risks and benefits of long-term benzodiazepine use must be weighed when deciding whether to prescribe them for patients with comorbid HPPD and alcohol use disorder. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Abdelwahab, Rewan BA; Aden, Aisha BS; Bearden, Brenda DHA, MSN, RN; Sada, Alaa MD; Bostwick, J Michael MD Author Information

As a hijabi, I devote myself to living modestly; externally through my attire, and internally through ongoing development of humility. Many medical educators may not appreciate how institutional policies and day-to-day interactions can dissuade medical students like me from pursuing certain specialties. I confronted this hard reality within the first few weeks of medical school. Opportunities to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion begin in the surgical locker room. For my first shadowing experience, I was happy to find scrub jackets next to the scrub tops. These would make it possible for me to adhere to surgical attire guidelines while also keeping my forearms covered, an integral part of my hijab practice. When I joined my surgical skills group, however, the preceptor demanded I remove the scrub jacket, claiming it violated hospital protocol. Surely institution-provided scrub attire would be within regulations, I thought. Internally, I questioned my memory of the protocol I had carefully read just the day before. This was a serious breach. I was being told to bare my arms in public for the first time in 8 years. The optimism I felt entering the workshop turned into bitterness and gloom. How could I explore my interest in becoming a surgeon if my teachers could not help me identify appropriate, acceptable personal protective equipment (PPE)? For months after the workshop, I felt frustrated and behind. I was already battling imposter syndrome, and this experience taught me that beyond battling prejudice generally, my identity as an observant Muslim woman was creating tangible barriers to my training. Were there other specialties that would not be able to accommodate people like me with values like mine? It was exhausting to have to fight for inclusion and I was only months into my first year of medical school, with decades in the medical profession ahead of me. As I struggled to find someone who could teach me how to scrub in so that I could literally and figuratively get my foot in the operating suite door, I was fortunate to connect with a hijab-observing surgical resident. With help from her, other mentors, and a fellow hijabi peer, I wrote a multicultural surgical guide 1 outlining how to scrub in safely and comfortably for anyone—male or female—wearing religious garb. Subsequently, the Association of Perioperative Nurses updated its national guidelines 2 according to our recommendations. Still, it takes time for institutions to adopt new guidelines. A few months later, I encountered a new problem. When trying to join a case, I went to the designated location for specialized PPE and found it unstocked with the surgical hood I had written about in the guide. I had earlier tried to use the routinely available bouffant but found it sorely lacking. I laughed at how it teetered off the top of my head, completely unsuited to containing the flowing hijab fabric draped around my neck. “This bouffant is the best I can do,” I thought, but even without formal training, I knew it would not meet operating room (OR) sterility guidelines. I consulted nearby staff members who seemed puzzled by why I needed the hood and why the available bouffant was inadequate. Eventually a nurse volunteered to help me find what I needed, but by the time our wild goose chase had ended and we had located a hood, I was late to the operation. I recognize no one meant ill, but when resources promoting inclusivity are not promptly incorporated into surgical suites, trainees and staff from underrepresented groups face needless, easily rectified obstacles to full participation. I struggle with balancing personal assertiveness with the perception of minority women as stubborn troublemakers, particularly since I am fundamentally reserved and demure, not the pushy persona I have had to adopt to be heard. There is growth in speaking up for myself and others in my position, but I do not want to have to sacrifice inner serenity as the price of advocacy.