Blinded Clinical Ratings of Social Media Data are Correlated with In-Person Clinical Ratings in Participants Diagnosed with Either Depression, Schizophrenia, or Healthy Controls.

This study investigates clinically valid signals about psychiatric symptoms in social media data, by rating severity of psychiatric symptoms in donated, de-identified Facebook posts and comparing to in-person clinical assessments. Participants with schizophrenia (N=8), depression (N=7), or who were healthy controls (N=8) also consented to the collection of their Facebook activity from three months before the in-person assessments to six weeks after this evaluation. Depressive symptoms were assessed in- person using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), psychotic symptoms were assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and global functioning was assessed using the Community Assessment of Psychotic Experiences (CAPE-42). Independent raters (psychiatrists, non-psychiatrist mental health clinicians, and two staff members) rated depression, psychosis, and global functioning symptoms from the social media activity of deidentified participants. The correlations between in-person clinical ratings and blinded ratings based on social media data were evaluated. Significant correlations (and trends for significance in the mixed model controlling for multiple raters) were found for psychotic symptoms, global symptom ratings and depressive symptoms. Results like these, indicating the presence of clinically valid signal in social media, are an important step toward developing computational tools that could assist clinicians by providing additional data outside the context of clinical encounters.

Current Understanding of the Neurobiology of Agitation.

INTRODUCTION: Managing agitation in the clinical setting is a challenge that many practitioners face regularly. Our evolving understanding of the etiological factors involved in aggressive acts has better informed our interventions through pharmacologic and behavioral strategies. This paper reviews the literature on the neurobiological underpinnings of aggressive behaviors, linking psychopathology with proposed mechanisms of action of psychiatric medications shown to be effective in mitigating agitation. METHODS: We performed a review of the extant literature using PubMed as a primary database. Investigation focused on neurobiology of agitation and its relation to the current evidence base for particular interventions. RESULTS: There are well-established pathways that can lead to increased autonomic response and the potential for violence. Psychopathology and substance-induced perceptual distortions may lead to magnification and overestimation of environmental threat, heightening the potential for aggression. Additional challenges have arisen with the advent of several novel drugs of abuse, many of which lead to atypical clinical presentations and which can elude standard drug screens. Our interventions still lean on the evidence base found in Project BETA (Best Practices in Evaluation and Treatment of Agitation). Although not a new drug and not included in the Project BETA guidelines, ketamine and its use are also discussed, given its unique pharmacology and potential benefits when other protocoled interventions have failed. CONCLUSION: Aggression can occur due to manifold reasons in the clinical setting. Having an informed understanding of the possible determinants of agitation can help with more tailored responses to individual patients, limiting the unnecessary use of medications or of interventions that could be deemed forceful.

Annotated Bibliography for Supervising Psychiatry Residents in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: This paper sought to compile an annotated bibliography for the outpatient year of adult psychiatry residents, providing resources for a foundation in psychodynamic theory which can be utilized in supervision to aid in ongoing psychotherapeutic work. METHODS: In selecting the readings, the ACGME Milestones sub-competencies considered were (i) empathy and process, (ii) boundaries, (iii) alliance and provision of psychotherapies, (iv) seeking and providing supervision, and (v) knowledge of psychotherapy (theories, practice, and evidence base). Once the readings were selected, two authors independently reviewed the articles to determine which key sub-competencies each article addressed. Chance corrected agreement between the reviewers was assessed using the Cohen kappa statistic. The kappa for interrater agreement was 0.83. RESULTS: A list of 32 readings was compiled sequentially, allowing for theoretical concepts to be progressively built upon. The content of the papers aligned well with multiple sub-competencies in the medical knowledge (MK) and patient care (PC) domains. The bibliography allows for close examination of therapeutic frame; active listening and reflecting on the meaning of the therapist's interventions; transference and the use of countertransference as a diagnostic/therapeutic tool; defense mechanisms; patient pressures towards reenactment; theoretical viewpoints on therapeutic action (e.g., ego psychology, self-psychology, relational therapy, object relations, classical/modern Kleinian); and meaning of lateness, treatment breaks, and termination. CONCLUSIONS: This list serves as an ancillary resource which can augment discussions in therapy supervision, while also aiding in standardizing the minimal knowledge base achieved in psychodynamic theory.