Highlights From the Residents’ Journal: June 2022

Ketamine has emerged as an increasingly utilized treatment option as augmentation for refractory depression for adults and is noted for its rapid antidepressant and antisuicidality effects, with a large effect size of 0.9, compared with placebo. Several international task forces have reviewed the evidence for efficacy and safety of ketamine and have provided recommendations for its use in clinical practice for adults but not for adolescents. Here we review the current literature on use of ketamine for adolescent depression.

Modafinil is a eugeroic agent approved for treating fatigue in narcolepsy and shift-work sleep disorder. It has been shown to have antioxidant effects preclinically and clinical efficacy in treating neurocognitive symptoms. This article describes findings from a literature review that focused on modafinil’s mechanisms of action and its possible role in treating the fatigue and neurocognitive deficits of long COVID.

In this article, the origin of community treatment orders in Canada following the era of deinstitutionalization is explored. The goal is not to argue either for or against but to help provide the reader with context, highlight both perspectives, and encourage thought. Ethical considerations in the COVID-19 pandemic are used to highlight areas of controversy and encourage further discussion and research interest regarding community care for people with SMI.