Psychopharmacology: Straight Talk on Mental Health Medications
This course examines the mental disorders frequently encountered in clinical practice, accompanied by a discussion of the medication management and evidence-based behavioral approaches employed in treatment.
Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Outline the mental syndromes for which psychiatric medications are often prescribed – Unipolar Depression, Bipolar, Anxiety spectrum, Psychotic spectrum, ADHD
- Describe the clinical indications for use of the major psychiatric medication categories – Antidepressants, Mood stabilizers, Anxiolytics, Antipsychotics, Psychostimulants
- Examine the therapeutic benefits, risk factors and common side effects of the various medication classes
- Discuss proven, relatable approaches for the behavioral management of the mental syndromes discussed
- Address the ongoing opioid crisis, opioid disorders and treatment
- Discuss complementary and alternative medicines and their role in treating mental syndromes
Topics
Unipolar Depression
- Etiology, Influences on clinical depression
- 4 primary unipolar depression symptom domains, medication interest model
- Antidepressants and sexual dysfunction, treatment-resistance
Unipolar Depression, Bipolar Disorder
- Suicide issues – assessment, risk factors, safety plans, documentation
- Practical steps and tips for assessing bipolar
- Bipolar medication management
Anxiety disorders, Psychotic Spectrum
- How anxious people get duped, anxiety-related fears
- Specific interventions for worry and anxiety
- Schizophrenia, antipsychotics
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Opioid Disorder
- ADHD causes, assessment
- Medications – stimulants and non-stimulants, side effects
- Medicinal treatments for opioid disorders, motivational interviewing
Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology: Medication and Behavioral Strategies for Improvement
This course examines the mental disorders most often diagnosed in children and adolescents today – depression, anxiety, bipolar, ADHD, and disruptive behaviors. This seminar also addresses what to look for when assessing for these mental syndromes, how to proceed toward getting youth proper help – in conjunction with primary caretakers.
Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Discuss the best practices in managing depression, bipolar, anxiety, and ADHD in children and adolescents
- Review and provide direction on case examples specific to the mental disorders routinely diagnosed in youth
- Examine the disruptive behavior disorder spectrum, and address best practice treatment strategies
- Explore the exploding rates of suicide occurrences in young people, the factors influencing this rise, and why suicide is the real pandemic among youth
- Address the circumstances driving the rise in substance abuse among children and adolescents, substances most often abused, and contemporary treatment protocols
Topics
Mood disorders in children and adolescents
- Characteristics of depression in youth
- Demoralization Issues, clinical depression
- Medication management, CBT for depression
Bipolar Anxiety in Children
- Medication management of bipolar
- Worry, generalized anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder in youth
- Medicating pediatric anxiety, ADHD, Disruptive behavior spectrum
ADHD – causes, assessment
- The “5P’s” of medication management, behavioral approaches
- Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment
Substance Abuse in youth, Digital distraction
- Trends in youth substance abuse, Screening: The CRAFFT tool
- The rabbit hole of digital distraction, social media and the illusion of real connection
- Parental disconnect, reconnecting our disconnected kids