• Sexual dysfunction is very common in patients with schizophrenia who are receiving antipsychotics.
• The rate of sexual dysfunction varies with the assessment questionnaire that is used.
• There is a need to develop a valid and relevant instrument for assessing sexual dysfunction associated with use of psychotropics.

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• Vitamin D deficiency has metabolic and mental health consequences beyond abnormalities in bone metabolism.
• Current evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among patients with psychiatric disorders.
• Screening for vitamin D deficiency should be part of the health assessment of patients with major psychiatric illnesses.

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• Clinical excellence comprises several domains, all of which are applicable and relevant to psychiatric patient care.
• Mastery of these domains enables clinicians to provide the best possible care for all patients, including those with psychiatric illness.
• Excellent patient care can be fostered in the academic medical setting by recognizing those clinicians who exemplify clinical excellence.

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• Measures of processing speed in A Quick Test of Cognitive Speed may complement standard psychiatric intake procedures to differentiate adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder from referrals with mild psychiatric disorders.
• Current evidence indicates a high degree of clinical utility (sensitivity 89%) when applying fail criteria for dual-dimension processing of color-form combinations and overhead, a measure of processing efficiency.
• A Quick Test of Cognitive Speed may provide objective, clinical baselines for evaluating the effects of treatment with pharmaceuticals.

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• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder that impacts a large percentage of the US population, in particular, veterans.
• Current FDA-approved and unapproved treatments for PTSD are less than ideal due to their potential to produce insomnia.
• Prazosin has been shown, in several published studies, to significantly reduce nightmares and improve sleep in patients suffering from PTSD.

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• Patients with type 1 diabetes and depression have poorer adherence and worse clinical outcomes than patients without depression.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for adherence and depression has shown promise in improving depression and adherence in type 2 diabetes.
• Integration of the treatment of depression with CBT-informed strategies to improve self-care and treatment adherence may improve health outcomes for adult patients with type 1 diabetes and depression.

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• Guidelines addressing the treatment of veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) strongly recommend a therapeutic trial of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).
• There may be obstacles in engaging Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans with PTSD, who also have a diagnosis of depression, to complete this recommended pharmacotherapy.
• Clinicians should actively involve veterans in treatment planning. It would appear to be important to specifically inform veterans about the consequences of prematurely stopping SSRIs/SNRIs.

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• Head injury and metallic plate implantation with subsequent severe depression is a challenging clinical problem, and a high suicide risk makes effective treatment imperative.
• A course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in such patients and, if needed, maintenance ECT is a safe and effective option.

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• Careful review of medications taken by a patient with dementia should be performed to eliminate untoward side effects and improve quality of life.
• Benzodiazepine use in patients with dementia could result in ataxia, falls, confusion, and sedation and should be limited if possible.
• Tricyclic antidepressants have anticholinergic properties and could worsen confusion in patients with dementia as well as diminish the therapeutic effect of cholinesterase inhibitors that are used to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

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