Increasing Awareness on Health Care Access in Florida: A Community-Based Medical-Legal Practicum Project.

PROBLEM: Service learning and experiential coursework has become a requirement for medical students and law students. Advocacy for the underinsured and uninsured is of ethical importance to both the practice of law and medicine, however engaging professional students in meaningful advocacy work with community partners can be challenging. PURPOSE: The article describes a partnership between medical and law students in a community-based service learning project to promote health care access. KEY POINTS: Law and medical students at Florida International University partnered with community members and Florida Legal Services to collect patient narratives, disseminate information on Medicaid expansion to community members, and present patient stories to state lawmakers. CONCLUSIONS: The medical and law students learned about each other's professional roles and gained skills in interviewing, and legislative and policy advocacy through this service learning project by providing legislative testimony to key stakeholders and community education on Medicaid expansion.

Antidepressants in Type II Versus Type I Bipolar Depression: A Randomized Discontinuation Trial.

BACKGROUND: We sought to test the hypothesis that antidepressants (ADs) may show preferential efficacy and safety among patients with type II bipolar disorder (BD, BD-II) more than patients with type I BD (BD-I). METHODS: Patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, BD-I (n = 21) and BD-II (n = 49) in acute major depressive episodes were treated with ADs plus mood stabilizers to euthymia sustained for 2 months and then randomized openly to continue or discontinue ADs for up to 3 years. Outcomes were episode recurrences and changes in standardized symptom ratings. RESULTS: In follow-up averaging 1.64 years, both subgroups showed improvement in depressive episode frequency with AD continuation, but contrary to the hypothesis, more improvement was seen in BD-I than in BD-II (for type II, mean [standard deviation] decrease in depressive episodes per year, 0.21 [0.26]; for type I, mean (SD) decrease, 0.35 [0.15]). Subjects with BD-II who continued on ADs had slightly more depressive, but fewer manic/hypomanic, episodes than subjects with BD-I. No notable differences were seen in either group in time to a recurrence of mood episodes or total time-in-remission. CONCLUSIONS: The findings do not confirm the hypothesis that long-term AD treatment in patients with BP-II has better outcomes than in patients with BD-I, except somewhat lower risk of manic/hypomanic episodes.

Antidepressants worsen rapid-cycling course in bipolar depression: A STEP-BD randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: The use of antidepressants in rapid-cycling bipolar disorder has been controversial. We report the first randomized clinical trial with modern antidepressants on this topic. METHODS: As part of the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP-BD) study, we analyzed, as an a priori secondary outcome, rapid cycling as a predictor of response in 68 patients randomized to continue vs. discontinue antidepressant treatment, after initial response for an acute major depressive episode. Outcomes assessed were percent time well and total number of episodes. All patients received standard mood stabilizers. RESULTS: In those continued on antidepressants (AD), rapid cycling (RC) subjects experienced 268% (3.14/1.17) more total mood episodes/year, and 293% (1.29/0.44) more depressive episodes/year, compared with non-rapid cycling (NRC) subjects (mean difference in depressive episodes per year RC vs. NRC was 0.85 ± 0.37 (SE), df = 28, p = 0.03). In the AD continuation group, RC patients also had 28.8% less time in remission than NRC patients (95% confidence intervals (9.9%, 46.5%), p = 0.004). No such differences between RC and NRC subjects were seen in the AD discontinuation group (Table 1). Analyses within the rapid-cycling subgroup alone were consistent with the above comparisons between RC and NRC subjects, stratified by maintenance antidepressant treatment, though limited by sample size. CONCLUSIONS: In an a priori analysis, despite preselection for good antidepressant response and concurrent mood stabilizer treatment, antidepressant continuation in rapid-cycling was associated with worsened maintenance outcomes, especially for depressive morbidity, vs. antidepressant discontinuation.

A 6 week randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of ziprasidone for the acute depressive mixed state.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of ziprasidone vs. placebo for the depressive mixed state in patients with bipolar disorder type II or major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: 73 patients were randomized in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study to ziprasidone (40-160 mg/d) or placebo for 6 weeks. They met DSM-IV criteria for a major depressive episode (MDE), while also meeting 2 or 3 (but not more nor less) DSM-IV manic criteria. They did not meet DSM-IV criteria for a mixed or manic episode. Baseline psychotropic drugs were continued unchanged. The primary endpoint measured was Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores over time. The mean dose of ziprasidone was 129.7±45.3 mg/day and 126.1±47.1 mg/day for placebo. RESULTS: The primary outcome analysis indicated efficacy of ziprasidone versus placebo (p = 0.0038). Efficacy was more pronounced in type II bipolar disorder than in MDD (p = 0.036). Overall ziprasidone was well tolerated, without notable worsening of weight or extrapyramidal symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: There was a statistically significant benefit with ziprasidone versus placebo in this first RCT of any medication for the provisional diagnostic concept of the depressive mixed state. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00490542.

Mixed depression: a study of its phenomenology and relation to treatment response.

BACKGROUND: Mixed depression reflects the occurrence of a major depressive episode with subsyndromal manic symptoms. Not recognized in DSM-IV, it is included in the proposed changes for DSM-5. Observational and cross-sectional studies have suggested that mixed depression is present in up to one-half of major depressive episodes, whether in MDD or bipolar disorder. Based on observational studies, antidepressants appear to be less effective, and neuroleptics more effective, in mixed than pure depression (major depressive episodes with no manic symptoms). In this report, we examine the specific manic symptoms that are most present in mixed depression, especially as they correlate with prospectively assessed treatment response. METHODS: In 72 patients treated in a randomized clinical trial (ziprasidone versus placebo), we assessed the phenomenology of manic symptom type at study entry and their influence as predictors of treatment response. RESULTS: The most common symptom presentation was a clinical triad of flight of ideas (60%), distractibility (58%), and irritable mood (55%). Irritable mood was the major predictor of treatment response. DSM-based diagnostic distinctions between MDD and bipolar disorder (type II) did not predict treatment response. CONCLUSION: In this prospective study, mixed depression seems to be most commonly associated with irritable mood, flight of ideas, and distractibility, with irritability being an important predictor of treatment outcome with neuroleptic agents. If these data are correct, in the presence of mixed depression, the DSM-based dichotomy between MDD and bipolar disorder does not appear to influence treatment response.

Positive aspects of mental illness: a review in bipolar disorder.

INTRODUCTION: There is growing interest to understand the role of positive psychological features on the outcomes of medical illnesses. Unfortunately this topic is less studied in relation to mental health, and almost completely neglected in relation to one of the most common severe psychiatric illnesses, bipolar disorder. Certain specific psychological characteristics, that are generally viewed as valuable and beneficial morally or socially, may grow out of the experience of having this affective disorder. OBJECTIVE: We describe the sources, research and impact of these positive psychological traits in the lives of persons with bipolar disorder based on the few published literature available to date. These include, but are not limited to: spirituality, empathy, creativity, realism, and resilience. METHODS: After an extensive search in the literature, we found 81 articles that involve descriptions of positive psychological characteristics of bipolar disorder. RESULTS: We found evidence for enhancement of the five above positive psychological traits in persons with bipolar disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Bipolar disorder is associated with the positive psychological traits of spirituality, empathy, creativity, realism, and resilience. Clinical and research attention to preserving and enhancing these traits may improve outcomes in bipolar disorder.

The pharmacogenetics of antidepressant-induced mania: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Antidepressant-induced mania (AIM) has been associated with the serotonin-transporter-linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) polymorphism in some studies but not in others. We conducted a meta-analysis of those studies and other studies of genetic predictors of AIM. METHODS: MEDLINE-based searches of genetic studies of AIM were conducted, and a meta-analysis of six studies of 5-HTTLPR was performed. Other polymorphisms were insufficiently studied to allow for meta-analysis. RESULTS: There was an association of the short (s) variant of 5-HTTLPR and AIM [risk ratio (RR) = 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04-1.76, p=0.02]. There was a higher frequency of s carriers (sl and ss genotypes) in those who developed AIM [RR = 1.38, 95% CI: 0.98-1.93), p=0.06]. CONCLUSION: The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism appears to have a moderate effect size association with AIM in patients with bipolar disorder.