Other Psychiatry and Psychology Commons^™

A Retrospective Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Buprenorphine Versus Baclofen For Acute Opioid Withdrawal, Matthew Hermenau, Benton Stamper, Kitty Leung, Raymond Pomm, Christina Guerrier, Joseph Cammilleri, Brittany Johnson

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

A significant impediment to opioid cessation or dose reduction is mitigating withdrawal severity that has been shown to affect the course of opioid dependence. Current guidelines recommend the use of buprenorphine and methadone over alpha-2 adrenergic agonists. Baclofen, a GABA-B agonist, has promising results as an adjunct agent for opioid withdrawal but has not been compared to buprenorphine. This study compared the ability of buprenorphine and baclofen to mitigate acute opioid withdrawal.

Methods

This was a single-center, retrospective chart review of 63 patients with diagnosed opioid use disorder that received scheduled buprenorphine or baclofen for 3 days, in addition …

Through The Cracks: The Disposition Of Patients With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders In The Post-Asylum Era, Briana Tillman, Erin Smith, Alicia Cho, Colt Kennington, Alexandra Kreis

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

This paper aims to explore current disposition options for patients with psychosis in light of shifts toward community care and changes in mental healthcare funding in the post-asylum era and to propose systemic-level improvements based upon local successes. It evaluates critiques of long-term psychiatric care programs, claims of transinstitutionalization to incarceration, shelters, and emergency rooms, and programs initiated to address deinstitutionalization. The authors conclude that while Assertive Community Treatment, Partial Hospitalization Programs, intermediate-level care, and housing interventions can improve outcomes for many persons with psychotic illness, a significant portion of these patients would still be best served in long-term psychiatric …

Covid-19 As A Traumatic Event: Mental Health Lessons From Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Briana Tillman, Christopher Rogers

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

As a psychiatry resident working on an internal medicine rotation during the COVID-19 crisis in April, 2020, I witnessed signs of the burgeoning mental health crisis first-hand—among patients, friends, and healthcare workers. It quickly became evident that this experience was akin to a mass trauma, and in this paper we explore this concept and propose using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address the secondary mental health pandemic of anxiety and stress disorders that is developing in real time.