Psychiatry Unbound – Details, episodes & analysis

Release date: December 29th, 2023

Welcome back to Psychiatry Unbound, the podcast from the Publishing department of the American Psychiatric Association. In this episode, Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Dr. John Barry, and Dr. “Dr.” Sepideh Bajestan to discuss their careers in the realms of Neuropsychiatry and Neurology, and their roles in the creation of the Concise Guide to Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology, Third Edition.

In this episode:

Introduction (0:45)
The background to the book’s creation and Neuropsychiatry (3:42)
Bias in diagnosing and treating patients (14:28)
Dr. Barry’s professional journey (20:20)
Dr. Bajestan’s professional journey (23:32)
When to reach for a second opinion (27:55)
Thinking Fast and Slow (33:15)
Keeping the curiosity ‘on’ and the importance of saying “I don’t know” (38:10)
Empathy (39:12)
Last thoughts (42:20)

Show Notes and Resources:
Concise Guide to Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology, Third Edition
(American Psychiatric Association Publishing) 2023

John J. Barry, M.D., is Fellowship Director of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology, Director of the Neuropsychiatry Clinic, Co-Director of the Individual Psychiatry Clinic, and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine and Stanford University Hospital in Stanford, California.

Sepideh N. Bajestan, M.D., Ph.D., is Chief of Neuropsychiatry Services, Associate Director of the Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology Fellowship, Co-Director of the Individual Psychotherapy Clinic, and Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California.

Transcript and Further Episodes here.

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Art Walaszek to discuss his recent book Late-Life Depression and Anxiety, which he created using a rich and deep team of contributors. The conversation explores our preconceptions of the aging population and their “default mindset”, how to identify the early-warning signs, mitigating the risk of suicide, access to medical and MH services, and thoughts about the motivations our writers have while creating their books.

In this episode:
Introduction (0:32)
Why we need this book (2:24)
Our assumptions about mindset in an aging population (4:30)
Early warning signs – what to look out for (8:18)
What should a primary care physician look for? (14.10)
Suicide risk reduction and social isolation (19:32)
Access to services (25:56)
Principles of management (31:04)
Community action and responses (39:10)
Writing books to reinforce and support (44:48)
Exciting news about the future of Unbound! (47:15)

Show Notes and Resources:
Late-Life Depression and Anxiety by Dr. Art Walaszek
(American Psychiatric Association Publishing) 2023
Learn more about Dr. Art Walaszek.
Transcript and More Episodes:
https://psychiatryonline.org/psychiatry-unbound

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Lucy Hutner MD and Lauren Osborne, MD, two of the editorial group who developed The Textbook of Women’s Reproductive Mental Health, written along with 60 contributing authors. As is touched upon in the episode, it is unbelievable that this is not a reissue or a new edition, but a pioneering, flag-on-the-moon, brand-new title. Especially timely given recent decisions made by the Supreme Court, this book is an invaluable textbook on this fundamental topic.

In this episode:

Introduction (0:25)
Motivation for, and intention behind, book (3:12)
How the writers were assembled (12.23)
The very first textbook on Women’s reproductive mental health (18:10)
Overturning of Roe v. Wade (24:00)
A living document (27:50)


Show Notes and Resources:
Textbook of Women's Reproductive Mental Health (American Psychiatric Association Publishing) 2022
Learn more about Lucy Hutner and Lauren Osborne

Transcript and More Episodes:
https://psychiatryonline.org/psychiatry-unbound

Release date: July 29th, 2022

In the latest episode of APA Publishing’s Psychiatry Unbound, host Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Paul Summergrad, M.D., to discuss his recent Textbook of Medical Psychiatry, written for the wide range of clinicians who grapple with the diagnostic and treatment challenges inherent in this clinical reality: medical and psychiatric illnesses do not occur in isolation from one another. Because assessment in these cases may be challenging, the book addresses general medical conditions that directly cause psychiatric illness and the medical differential diagnosis of common psychiatric illnesses. It’s a hugely readable, elegantly-structured, and well-written book which took over thirty years to gestate, and covers a wealth of subjects, making for a truly invaluable read – which in turn has made for a very entertaining episode of the podcast.

In this episode:

Introduction (0:25)
Other contributors to the book (1:10)
Genesis of the book (1:29)
What distinguishes this book from other titles in the field? (6:57)
“A textbook you could sit down and read from cover to cover” (14:35)
Thoughts on effects of Covid-19 on global mental health (19:20)
Conclusion (26:45)

Show Notes and Resources:

Textbook of Medical Psychiatry (American Psychiatric Association Publishing, 2020) 
Learn more about Dr. Paul Summergrad. 

Transcript and Other Episodes

Dr Laura Roberts is joined by Professor Douglas Noordsy, M.D., from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, to discuss his book Lifestyle Psychiatry (2019) which examines the impact of lifestyle interventions -from exercise, yoga, and tai chi to mindfulness and meditation, diet and nutrition, and sleep management- on psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and addiction. With chapters that focus on developing a robust therapeutic alliance and inspiring patients to assume responsibility for their own well-being, Dr. Noordsy’s book provides a framework for lasting, sustainable lifestyle changes.

In this episode:

Introduction (0:15)
Genesis of the book (1:30)
Evidence for lifestyle as a valid area for treatment (3:00)
Structure of the book (4:00)
Defining and defending the lay-term “lifestyle” (9:15)
Treating psychosis with exercise (11:35)
Intervening Early in Psychosis (book) (17:35)
Call to action for lifestyle psychiatry as a vital discipline (21:00)
Consciously avoiding judgmental stances (24:25)

Resources:

Lifestyle Psychiatry (2019) - American Psychiatric Association Publishing

Intervening Early in Psychosis (2019) - American Psychiatric Association Publishing

To learn more about Dr. Noordsy, please visit: https://profiles.stanford.edu/douglas-noordsy

Other APA podcasts: www.psychiatryonline.org/podcasts

Dr Laura Roberts is joined by Dr. Victor G. Carrion, Vice-Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University and Director of the Stanford Early Life Stress and Resilience Program, to discuss two books he co-authored: Assessing and Treating Youth Exposed to Traumatic Stress (2019) and Applied Mindfulness (2019) which both focus on the resilience and well-being of children, and new ways of thinking about child mindfulness.

In this episode:

Introduction (0:22)
Genesis of Carrion’s work in traumatic stress (2:47)
origins of “Applied Mindfulness” (11:02)
Mindfulness in kindergarteners (13:45)
Metrics and tracking (14:58)
Process of writing a book (16:50)
Managing your own mindfulness regime (20:27)

Show Notes and Resources:

American Psychiatric Association Publishing: Assessing and Treating Youth Exposed to Traumatic Stress (2019)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing: Applied Mindfulness (2019)

For more information on Dr Victor Carrion, please visit: profiles.stanford.edu/victor-carrion

Other APA podcasts: https//www.psychiatryonline.org/podcasts

Dr. Susan Hatters Freidman, a forensic and perinatal psychiatrist and editor of the award-winning Family Murder: Pathologies of Love and Hate (2019) joins Dr. Roberts in an intimate conversation about her experiences in this emotive and difficult field, and the risks to practitioners of secondary trauma from working in such potentially distressing areas

Dr. Freidman talks about the origins of the book as well as her work and famous cases

In this episode:

Introduction (0:22)
The genesis of the project (3:25)
Prevention issues for at-risk mothers (6:54)
Andrea Yates case (8:00)
Importance of academic rigor and avoidance of sensationalism (11:06)
Susan Smith case (12:45)
Intended audience and hopes for the book (15:20)
Intimate-partner homicide in the elderly (16:30)
Increased risk during the pandemic era (18:38)
Risk of secondary trauma (20:20)

Show Notes and Resources:

available in print and as an audiobook
Family Murder: Pathologies of Love and Hate (2019)

More about  Dr. Susan Hatters Freidman 

Journal articles by Dr. Hatters Friedman

Textbook of Women's Reproductive Mental Health  Dr. Hatters Friedman contributor 

Other APA Podcasts

There is functional, healthy engagement with technology – ubiquitous and necessary in our everyday lives – and addictive use, and it can be difficult to know when that line has been crossed,” Petros Levounis, 

In a return to Psychiatry Unbound Dr. Petros Levounis, incoming president-elect of the American Psychiatry Association, and professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, discusses  Technological Addictions (2022) co-edited with Dr. James Sherer.  Drs. Roberts and Levounis explore the ways new technologies are impacting us, where the potential dangers are, early approaches to treatment, and how the pandemic has increased everyone’s dependency on the devices and applications that helped us through the lockdown.

In this episode:

Introduction (0:20)
working with Dr. James Sherer (2:13)
When does extreme technology usage become an addiction? (3:30)
The legitimacy of “technology addiction” as a newly emergent diagnosis (5:45)
How widespread are these addictions? (7:13)
Diagnosing the condition in younger patients (8:10)
Impact of technological addiction across the population in the short-term future (9:55)
The process of writing the book (11:55)
Likely effects of the pandemic upon technological addiction (17:28)
Possible effects of healthcare disparities (20:13)
Understanding and treating technological addictions (22:37)
Reacting to “new” forms of addiction (25:50)

For more information on Dr. Petros Levounis, please visit: https://njms-web.njms.rutgers.edu/profile/myProfile.php?mbmid=levounpe

Books edited by Petros Levounis

 Technological Addictions (2022)
 The Pocket Guide to LGBTQ Mental Health (2020)
 Office-Based Buprenorphine Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder, 2nd Edition (2018)
Motivational Interviewing for Clinical Practice (2017)
 Pocket Guide to Addiction, Assessment and Treatment (2016)
The Behavioral Addictions (2015)
Addiction Casebook (2014)
The LGBT Casebook (2012)

Other resources

Are You Addicted to Technology?

APA bookstore

Psychiatric News article

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Dr. Petros Levounis, president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association, deputy editor at APA  Books to discuss The Pocket Guide to LGBTQ Mental Health (2020) and understanding the spectrum of human sexuality and fluidity. He also discusses his approach to motivational interviewing and his other published works.

In this episode:

The Pocket Guide to LGBTQ Mental Health (1:20)
Understanding sexual fluidity (6:50)
Understanding barriers to care (8:00)
Other writings (11:02)
Motivational Interviewing (12:30)
the Buprenorphine waiver (20:09)

Petros Levounis is professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University where he studied chemistry and biophysics, before receiving his medical education at Stanford University School of Medicine and the Medical College of Pennsylvania. During medical school, he received an MA degree in sociology from Stanford before moving to New York City where he trained in psychiatry at Columbia University. He graduated from Columbia receiving the National Institute of Mental Health Outstanding Resident Award and went on to complete his fellowship in addiction psychiatry at New York University.
He has written numerous articles and monographs; has lectured extensively on addiction topics throughout the United States and abroad; and has been interviewed by all major television networks. Dr. Levounis is a Betty Ford Scholar, a recipient of a U.S. State Department Speaker and Specialist Award, and an honorary member of the World Psychiatric Association.

Resources:
American Psychiatric Association Publishing: Technological Addictions (2022)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing: The Pocket Guide to LGBTQ Mental Health (2020)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing: Office-Based Buprenorphine Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder, 2nd Edition (2018)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing:  Motivational Interviewing for Clinical Practice (2017)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing: Pocket Guide to Addiction, Assessment and Treatment (2016)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing:  The Behavioral Addictions (2015)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing:  Addiction Casebook (2014)
American Psychiatric Association Publishing: The LGBT Casebook (2012)

Dr. Lawrence Fung, a leader in the field of Neurodiversity discusses his new book Neurodiversity: From Phenomenology to Neurobiology and Enhancing Technologies with Dr. Laura Roberts to explore this fascinating new area. Because the field is in its infancy, there are few authoritative resources for clinicians and educators who wish to understand their neurodiverse patients and students. Dr. Fung and Dr. Roberts provide real-life examples of Neurodiversity in our world.

In this episode

The benefits of SBNM (strengths-based model of neurodiversity) vs deficit model

The opportunities for the neurodiverse workforce and benefits to the companies who hire them

Guidance for families with neurodiverse members

Neurodiversity, is it a disorder or a trait? 

Lawrence K. Fung, M.D., Ph.D., is Director of the Stanford University Project and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California.  More about Dr. Fung

Purchase Neurodiversity here

For more podcasts by the APA including Mentally Healthy Nation, our newest podcast visit here