No Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Events in Adults Who Take ADHD Medications. A new study published in JAMA has found no evidence of an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, or sudden cardiac death in young and middle-aged adults who use medications to control attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The medications studied include stimulants (amphetamine products and methylphenidate), atomoxetine, and pemoline.

ADHD Medications and Cardiovascular Complications. The FDA is updating healthcare professionals and the public that a recently completed large study on children and young adults treated with medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) showed no association between the use of certain ADHD medications and adverse cardiovascular events.

FDA Drug Safety Communication About Celexa and Abnormal Heart Rhythms. The FDA is notifying healthcare professionals and patients that the antidepressant citalopram hydrobromide (Celexa) should no longer be used at doses greater than 40 mg per day because it can cause abnormal changes in the electrical activity of the heart. These changes (prolongation of the QT interval of the electrocardiogram) can lead to an abnormal heart rhythm, which can be fatal.

Antidepressant Use Growing in Primary Care. Americans are no strangers to antidepressants, according to a new study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. During the last 20 years, the use of antidepressants has grown significantly, making them one of the most costly and the third most commonly prescribed class of medications in the United States. Most of the recent increase in antidepressant use is a consequence of the growing number of prescriptions written by physicians who are not psychiatrists4. In the United States, nearly four out of every five antidepressant prescriptions are written by such providers.

Recognizing and Treating Late Life Depression. Like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, depression is a chronic illness that is common, recurrent, and costly. More than 57.7 million people are currently living with depression in the United States. Depression is the second leading cause of disability for all ages and the leading cause of disability and premature death in individuals aged 15 up to 44 years.

The Emotional Patient. By its very nature our profession is emotionally laden--our patients will experience emotion related to concern over their future health and are affected by events leading up to the initiation of care or receiving a diagnosis. Emotions not only impact our ability to communicate with patients, but also our patients ability to understand and act on the information we provide.

Teenagers Who Cut: Adolescent Self-Injury. The increasing number of stories in the mainstream press and the growing number of anecdotal reports by clinicians, therapists, and school counselors suggests that self-injury may be the “next teen disorder.” Self-injury is defined as deliberate, repetitive, impulsive, and harmful behavior without suicidal intent.

Kids Corner—Psychological Factors in Childhood Headaches. Recurrent headaches that alter the behavior of a child are usually migraine. These headaches result from the combination of a genetic predisposition to migraine and disruptions to the child’s environment that then trigger migraine attacks. There are certain characteristics of a child predisposed to migraine that can influence the frequency and severity of attacks.

Getting Better Is Not Good Enough: Assessing and Addressing Treatment Response in Major Depressive Disorder. Up to 40% of primary care patients will seek treatment for depression at some time in their lives; 14.4% of Americans will have major depressive disorder. The economic impact of depression is significant, with annual direct costs of treatment and indirect costs due to loss of productivity estimated at $83 billion.