DSM-5 Criteria and Its Implications for Diagnosing PTSD in Military Service Members and Veterans.

This review addresses how changes in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) criteria has the potential to affect the care and careers of those who have served in the military, where the diagnosis often determines fitness for duty and veterans' benefits. PTSD criteria changes were intended to integrate new knowledge acquired since previous DSM editions. Many believe the changes will improve diagnosis and treatment, but some worry these could have negative clinical, occupational, and legal consequences. We analyze the changes in classification, trauma definition, symptoms, symptom clusters, and subtypes and possible impacts on the military (e.g., over- and under-diagnosis, "drone" video exposure, subthreshold PTSD, and secondary PTSD). We also discuss critiques and proposals for future changes. Our objectives are to improve the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of those service members who have survived trauma and to improve policies related to the military mental healthcare and disability systems.

The Best of Both Worlds: Psychiatry Training at Combined Civilian-Military Programs.

Air Force psychiatry faces the task of training competent military psychiatrists in an era of continuing reductions. Beginning in the 1980s, the Air Force started collaborating with University partners to create hybrid training programs, civilian-military psychiatry residencies. These mergers provide stability for Air Force psychiatry training in the face of increased operational missions and uncertain military recruiting. As a result of these combined programs, Air Force psychiatry residents gain access to a broader range of civilian clinical experience and expertise while maintaining a focus on distinctive military requirements. The combining of programs opens up options for academic activities which may not have otherwise existed. Both military and civilian residents benefit from the occupational psychiatry experiences available within military clinical sites. These programs give civilian residents a chance to assist active duty members and their families and provide insight into the military "lifecycle." These collaborations benefit the universities by providing access to a larger pool of residents and faculty. The synthesis of the military and civilian programs raises some ongoing obstacles such as civilian residents' ability to gain access to military resources. The programs must also accommodate separate mechanisms for selecting residents (the National Residency Matching Program versus the Joint Selection Board for Graduate Medical Education). Military residents must also comply with military standards and requirements while maintaining the universities' standards of conduct and professionalism. Merging military training programs into university programs creates a vibrant opportunity to create exceptional military and civilian psychiatrists.

Caffeine and psychiatric medication interactions: a review.

Caffeine can cause or worsen psychiatric symptoms but also has the potential to interact with many psychiatric medications. This article provides a literature review regarding interactions between caffeine and psychiatric medications. Caffeine is metabolized by the CYP1A2 enzyme and also acts as a competitive inhibitor of this enzyme. Thus, caffeine can interact with a wide range of psychiatric medications, including antidepressant agents, antipsychotic agents, antimanic agents, antianxiety agents, and sedative agents. These interactions may lead to caffeine-related or medication-related side effects that may complicate psychiatric treatment. By recognizing this potential, along with educating the patient, and utilizing a tapering approach, prevention of caffeine interactions is achievable.