August, 2018

Marijuana use is rising among pregnant patients. Not so fast, doctors warn

By drwong
August 29, 2018

Los Angeles Times By Jenny Gold Aug. 27, 2018             Marijuana may be losing its image as a dangerous drug, but mounting research suggests women should steer clear of it if they are pregnant or breastfeeding, according to new recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The advice comes as more...   read more


With an epidemic of mental illness on the streets, counties struggle to spend huge cash reserves

By drwong
August 20, 2018

Los Angeles Times By Thomas Curwen Aug 19, 2018               When California voters passed a tax on high-income residents in 2004, backers said it would make good on the state’s “failed promise” to help counties pay for the treatment of the mentally ill. After nearly 15 years, Proposition 63...   read more


Tri-City Medical Center to reconsider decision to close psychiatric ward

By drwong
August 20, 2018

The San Diego Union-Tribune By Paul Sisson August 17, 2018             With just days to go before it was to shutter its psychiatric ward, Tri-City Medical Center announced Friday afternoon that its board of directors will hear public testimony and take a fresh vote on the matter next week. The Oceanside...   read more


Tri-City Medical Center closes crisis-Stabilization unit

By drwong
August 15, 2018

The San Diego Union-Tribune By Paul Sisson August 8, 2018           Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside has closed its 12-person crisis-stabilization unit, a move that precedes plans to shut down the hospital’s 18-bed behavioral health unit later this month. In a short statement made Wednesday afternoon, Tri-City management confirmed that it closed...   read more


Task Force on Gene Testing for Antidepressant Efficacy Concludes Tests Not Yet Ready for Widespread Use

By drwong
August 15, 2018

Psychiatric News By Mark Moran July 19, 2018   One problem is lack of transparency regarding algorithms used by commercial entities to determine treatment recommendations on the basis of testing of genetic variations. Individualized medicine employing pharmacogenomics to guide psychiatric treatment is the future, experts agree. But the future is not here yet. That’s the...   read more


The Great God of Depression

By drwong
August 8, 2018

How mental illness stopped being “A terrible dark secret.” The New York Times By Pagan Kennedy Aug 3, 2018                 Nearly 30 years ago, the author William Styron outed himself in these pages as mentally ill. “My days were pervaded by a gray drizzle of unrelenting horror,” he wrote...   read more


When Medicines Affect a Child's Mind and Behavior

By drwong
August 8, 2018

The New York Times By Perri Klass, M.D. July 30, 2018             Whenever I write about children getting medications for anxiety, for depression, or especially for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a certain number of readers respond with anger and suspicion, accusing me of being part of a conspiracy to medicate...   read more


APA Joins in Urging House, Senate to Investigate Treatment of Immigrant Children

By drwong
August 8, 2018

American Psychiatric Association Tuesday, July 24, 2018             APA and 13 other medical organizations today called on members of the House and Senate oversight committees to hold hearings as soon as possible with officials of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding...   read more