The diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is becoming increasingly prevalent, in part because of better assessments, but also in part because of misdiagnosis and jumping too early to diagnose. The effect is that the diagnosis of ADHD is being given at younger and younger ages. This leads to the question of the best […]
Category Archives: Newsletter
An Important Community Resource: 2-1-1 San Diego
For those of us working in health care, we are increasingly aware that many of the health challenges our patients face are rooted in the social, economic and environmental context in which they live. Access to healthcare services is only one piece of the puzzle for our patients to achieve better health. There are numerous […]
Is There a Link Between Vitamin D Deficiency and Depression?
There has been a lot of discussion recently in the scientific world and the lay press about the prevalence and consequences of vitamin D deficiency. As part of that discussion, there has been a suggestion that vitamin D deficiency could contribute to depression and that vitamin D supplementation could be a viable treatment option for […]
Screening for Suicide Risk Among Teens
Suicide is now the second leading cause of death in adolescents, in the United States, surpassing homicide and second only behind unintentional injuries (motor vehicle accidents, accidental overdose). This switch occurred because of both a reduction in deaths from homicide and a modest increase in deaths from suicide. Deaths from suicide had been decreasing from […]
Light Therapy
Light therapy is a non-pharmacological treatment that is best studied for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) but has also been found to be useful in other depressive disorders. It can be tried as the primary treatment for mild depression or for antepartum or postpartum depression and as an adjunctive treatment for moderate-severe depression. It has been […]
Treating Anxiety in the Primary Care Setting: A Case Review
A recent case consultation highlighted medication treatment for an anxiety disorder in the primary care setting. This is a 33 year old male with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder. He has some benefit from Celexa 40 mg qday, but continues to engage in avoidance behavior, which makes it difficult to sustain work and social […]
Guidelines for Tapering Benzodiazepines
Psychological and physiological dependence on benzodiazepines can occur in as little as two weeks of daily moderate use. It can occur in the most benign of clinical situations, and it is important for providers to be aware of the risk for dependence when prescribing this class of medications. If a patient has been on a […]
Appropriate Use of Benzodiazepines
Millions of prescriptions are written every year for benzodiazepines. In a large percentage of these cases, the provider is uncomfortable with the prescription. For this reason and many others, it is important to have a good understanding of when it might be appropriate to prescribe a benzodiazepine for a patient. This is also becoming particularly […]
Treatment for Anxiety in Children and Adolescents
The presenting symptoms of anxiety in children and adolescents were discussed in last week’s edition and today’s focuses on treatment in pediatric populations. Primary care pediatric providers can play a major role in diagnosis, treatment planning, prescribing and, as needed, referring for consultation or specialty intervention. Treatment options include therapy or a combination of therapy […]
Anxiety in Children and Adolescents
Up to one in three children and adolescents experience clinically significant anxiety, and it is often under-recognized and under-treated. It is particularly important for primary care providers to be aware of the symptoms of anxiety in pediatric patients, because patients typically present first in this setting. Often the presenting complaint is a physical symptom, rather […]