Psychiatry Unbound

Episode 28: Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology

Welcome back to Psychiatry Unbound, the podcast from the Publishing department of the American Psychiatric Association. In this episode, Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Dr. John Barry, and Dr. “Dr.” Sepideh Bajestan to discuss their careers in the realms of Neuropsychiatry and Neurology, and their roles in the creation of the Concise Guide to Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Neurology, Third Edition.

Episode 27: Late-Life Depression and Anxiety

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Art Walaszek to discuss his recent book Late-Life Depression and Anxiety, which he created using a rich and deep team of contributors. The conversation explores our preconceptions of the aging population and their “default mindset”, how to identify the early-warning signs, mitigating the risk of suicide, access to medical and MH services, and thoughts about the motivations our writers have while creating their books.

Episode 26: Hoarding Disorder

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Dr. Carolyn Rodriguez and Dr. Randy Frost, authors of the new book Hoarding Disorder – A Comprehensive Clinical Guide, which tackles a condition which has been part of the zeitgeist for a while now (just ask fans of Marie Kondo) yet was only codified as a disorder in the DSM-5 in 2013. This is therefore a pioneering new work in the field, and the authors discuss the book’s genesis and their ambitions for understanding and treating a condition now thought to be more prevalent than OCD.

Episode 25: Lived Experience

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined once again by Ezra Griffith, M.D. -Professor Emeritus of and Senior Research Scientist in Psychiatry; Deputy Chair for Diversity and Organizational Ethics, Department of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine and Emeritus Professor of African and African-American Studies at Yale University- to discuss his new book: Race and Excellence - My Dialogue with Chester Pierce, published by American Psychiatric Publishing. On this episode they discuss the life and work of the author.

Episode 24: On the Basis of Dignity

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Ezra Griffith, M.D. -Professor Emeritus of and Senior Research Scientist in Psychiatry; Deputy Chair for Diversity and Organizational Ethics, Department of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine and Emeritus Professor of African and African-American Studies at Yale University- to discuss his new book: Race and Excellence - My Dialogue with Chester Pierce, published by American Psychiatric Publishing. They discuss the pioneering and inspirational figure and consider Pierce's legacy.

Episode 23: Problem-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Fredric N. Busch, M.D. -a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst in New York City specializing in Depression, Panic and other Anxiety Disorders, and Bipolar Disorder- to discuss his new book: Problem-Focused Psychodynamic Psychotherapy published by American Psychiatric Publishing. Amongst the topics they discuss: how the psychodynamic approach can seem initially overwhelming, that the key concepts are easy to assimilate and can be applied with confidence by trainees, and, in an unexpected outlier of a tangent, how Freud helped revive the composer Mahler’s sex life.

Episode 22: Companion Animals

With a foreword by Patricia McConnell, author of The Other End of the Leash, APA is very excited to publish a brand-new book on Companion Animals. In this 22nd episode of Psychiatry Unbound, Nancy R. Gee, Ph.D., editor of The Role of Companion Animals in the Treatment of Mental Disorders sits down with Dr. Laura Roberts to go between the covers of this fabulous book -a passion project for Nancy and the contributors- which examines the therapeutic bond between humans and animals. Gee also discusses her work at the Centre for Human Animal Interaction at VCU.

Episode 21: Thinking About Prescribing

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Shashank V. Joshi, M.D., FAAP, DFAACAP, and Andrés Martin, M.D., M.P.H. to discuss their new book, Thinking About Prescribing, which explores the psychology of psychopharmacology with diverse youth and families. They discuss the creation and editorial approaches taken, their hopes for the book, and what areas of the work might endure as the profession and practices evolve over the coming years. This is an erudite and incisive conversation about a book whose appeal to a wide-ranging readership is -already- beyond question.

Episode 20: Psychotherapy in Corrections

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Peter Novalis M.D., Ph.D, and Carol Novalis, M.A., two of the editors of a new book: Psychotherapy in Corrections. Where so many existing books on psychiatry in a prison setting focus on either standards or issues of medication, this is unique in its focus on the actual practice of psychotherapy in correctional facilities. With a particular emphasis on supportive psychotherapy with adult patients, this guide draws on the authors' extensive experience in the field and features case vignettes that serve to bring some of the most important points to life. The editors discuss their paths to the creation of the book, and career experiences which have shaped their thinking.

Episode 19: Refugee Mental Health

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by J. David Kinzie M.D., co-editor of The Psychiatric Evaluation and Treatment of Refugees. They discuss Kinzie’s career-spanning work in this field, and hear his thoughts on treating people suffering from intense trauma and stigmatization, some of whom have suffered horrific experiences in their lives. He discusses the toll such work can have upon clinicians and counsellors, but also outlines his approach to the work and how to lean into it for the best results.

Episode 18: Women's Reproductive Mental Health

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Lucy Hutner MD and Lauren Osborne, MD, two of the editorial group who developed Textbook of Women's Reproductive Mental Health, (2022) written along with 60 contributing authors. As is touched upon in the episode, it is unbelievable that this is not a reissue or a new edition, but a pioneering, flag-on-the-moon, brand-new title. Especially timely given recent decisions made by the Supreme Court, this book is an invaluable textbook on this fundamental topic.

Episode 17: Medical Psychiatry

Dr Laura Roberts is joined by Paul Summergrad, M.D., chair of the department of Psychiatry at Tufts Medical School, Boston, to discuss his book Textbook of Medical Psychiatry, (2020) written for the wide range of clinicians who grapple with the diagnostic and treatment challenges inherent in this clinical reality: medical and psychiatric illnesses do not occur in isolation from one another. Because assessment in these cases may be challenging, the book addresses general medical conditions that directly cause psychiatric illness and the medical differential diagnosis of common psychiatric illnesses.

Episode 16: Lifestyle Psychiatry

Dr Laura Roberts is joined by Professor Douglas Noordsy, M.D., from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, to discuss his book Lifestyle Psychiatry, (2019) which examines the impact of lifestyle interventions -from exercise, yoga, and tai chi to mindfulness and meditation, diet and nutrition, and sleep management- on psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and addiction. With chapters that focus on developing a robust therapeutic alliance and inspiring patients to assume responsibility for their own well-being, Dr. Noordsy’s book provides a framework for lasting, sustainable lifestyle changes.

Episode 15: Applied Mindfulness

Dr Laura Roberts is joined by Dr. Victor G. Carrion, Vice-Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University and Director of the Stanford Early Life Stress and Resilience Program, to discuss two books he co-authored: Assessing and Treating Youth Exposed to Traumatic Stress (2019) and Applied Mindfulness (2019) which both focus on the resilience and well-being of children, and new ways of thinking about child mindfulness.

Episode 14: Family Murder: Pathologies of Love and Hate

Dr Laura Roberts is joined by Dr. Susan Hatters Freidman, forensic and perinatal psychiatrist and author of the award-winning Family Murder: Pathologies of Love and Hate (2019) to discuss the origins of the book as well as her work and experiences in this emotive and difficult field, famous cases, and the risks to practitioners of secondary trauma from working in such potentially distressing areas.

Episode 13: Technological Addictions

In a return to Psychiatry Unbound Dr. Petros Levounis, president-elect of the American Psychiatry Association, and professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, discusses Technological Addictions (2022) co-edited with Dr. James Sherer. Drs. Roberts and Levounis explore the ways new technologies are impacting us, where the potential dangers are, early approaches to treatment, and how the pandemic has increased everyone’s dependency on the devices and applications that helped us through the lockdown.

Episode 12: LGBT Mental Health

Dr. Laura Roberts is joined by Dr. Petros Levounis, president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association, deputy editor at APA Books to discuss The Pocket Guide to LGBTQ Mental Health (2020) and understanding the spectrum of human sexuality and fluidity. He also discusses his approach to motivational interviewing and his other published works.

Episode 11: Neurodiversity

Dr. Lawrence Fung, a leader in the field of Neurodiversity discusses his new book Neurodiversity: From Phenomenology to Neurobiology and Enhancing Technologies with Dr. Laura Roberts to explore this fascinating new area. Because the field is in its infancy, there are few authoritative resources for clinicians and educators who wish to understand their neurodiverse patients and students. Dr. Fung and Dr. Roberts provide real-life examples of Neurodiversity in our world.

Episode 10: Rational Psychopharmacology

Dr. Laura Roberts interviews Dr. Paul Putman, the author of Rational Psychopharmacology: A Book of Clinical Skills . Rational Psychopharmacology is designed to advance practitioner's clinical knowledge, methodical assessment expertise, and diagnostic sophistication. Unlike other psychopharmacology books, this guide transcends lists and tables of dosages and side effects, instructing the reader in the reasoning that undergirds treatment decisions.

Episode 9: Advocacy in Mental Health

The editors of the new book A Psychiatrist’s Guide to Advocacy join Laura Roberts for a discussion exploring the diverse definitions of advocacy and how personal passions in medicine and life can have an impact on the world.

During this spirited round table conversation, they discuss efforts to include advocacy training during residency, a blueprint to build best practices, making the material in the book applicable to any type of advocacy, public policy and medicine, the inspiration for bringing a volume that would work as a toolkit for mental health advocacy in its myriad forms.

A Psychiatrist’s Guide to Advocacy is a call for action and a blueprint for change, providing clinicians with the foundation for recognizing their opportunities and embracing their roles as advocates.

Episode 8: Dementia

With an aging population, the rates of Major and Mild Neurocognitive Disorders are due to rise dramatically. Join Dr. Laura Roberts as she welcomes Dr. Art Walaszek, a board-certified geriatric psychiatrist and an expert in the field of dementia to Unbound. Dr. Walaszek’s research focuses on public health approaches to improving the care of people with dementia. He is the author of the recently published book, Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia.

Episode 7: Black Mental Health

Altha J. Stewart, M.D. comes from a family of storytellers and in this episode of Psychiatry Unbound she brings her own personal stories to life in rich detail. During an intimate conversation with Laura Roberts, M.D., M.A., she relives her own stories about how she came to be the person she grew into and the significance of becoming the first black President of the APA.

From the point of view of doctors and patients, Dr. Stewart and her fellow editors, Ezra E. H. Griffith, M.D., Billy E. Jones, M.D., M.S., brought together Black Mental Health to contribute to the conversation about the role of race in mental healthcare and education with the hope that it will provide a path forward for the next 50 years.

Episode 6: Supervision in Psychiatric Practice

Despite the importance of supervision to the field of mental health—it is a building block of learning and a fundamental stepping-stone to unsupervised practice—most mental health supervisors receive little to no training in how to supervise. Supervision also remains the least developed and researched aspect of clinical training. APA Publishing Books Editor-in-Chief Laura Roberts, M.D. talks with editors Sallie G. De Golia, M.D. M.P.H., and Kathleen M. Corcoran, Ph.D. about applying approaches to supervision in the clinical practice setting and the challenges as first-time editors in bringing together this important work.

Episode 5: Telepsychiatry and Health Technologies

Peter Yellowlees, MBBS, M.D., and Jay H. Shore, M.D., M.P.H. believe that psychiatry increasingly will focus on the treatment of populations and that technology offers the best hope of doing so efficiently and effectively.

Listen as Laura Roberts, M.D. discusses with her guests the way telepsychiatry is revolutionizing Psychiatry and standardized care

Episode 4: Transgender and LGBTQ Mental Health

Societal awareness of transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) individuals is greater now than at any point in history, owing to the education of policy makers by advocacy organizations, the education of clinicians by research and scientific organizations, and the education of the general public by movies, television, and other media. However, most professional training programs for mental health professionals provide little to no education regarding gender diversity.

Psychiatry Unbound examines these issues in an honest and intimate conversation between Drs Laura Roberts and Eric Yarbrough. Dr. Roberts then discusses with Dr. Lawrence McGlynn his experience working within the LGBTQ community.

Episode 3: Psychopharmacology

Dr. Laura Roberts discusses the history and future of psychopharmacology with Alan. F. Schatzberg, M.D., editor of The American Psychiatric Association Publishing Textbook of Psychopharmacology, Fifth Edition. Dr. Schatzberg talks about the most recent edition and reveals the history of this groundbreaking textbook. A work of uncommon scientific rigor and clinical utility, this resource provides state-of-the-art information on both the principles and the practice of psychopharmacological treatment of psychiatric disorders.

Dr. Roberts second guest, Christopher M. Bartley, M.D., Ph.D. covers the application of psychopharmacology in clinical settings.

Producers Note: The most current edition, The American Psychiatric Association Publishing Textbook of Psychopharmacology, Sixth Edition was released in 2024. This Podcast discusses the previous edition.

Episode 2: Physician Suicide

Dr. Laura Roberts talks with Peter Yellowlees, MBBS, M.D. author of Physician Suicide, Cases and Commentaries. Together they examine the multiple risk factors that account for the higher rates of burnout, depressive symptoms, and suicide risk physicians experience compared with the general population. Burnout is especially common and is frequently due to workload, work inefficiency, lack of autonomy and meaning, and work-home conflict.

On the second half of the show, Dr. Roberts discusses physician wellness with Dr. Grace Gengoux. See Episode Details.

Episode 1: Narcissism and Its Discontents

The definition of narcissism can be a moving target. Is it an excess of self-love? Profound insecurity? Low self-esteem? Too much self-esteem? Because of the multifaceted nature of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), treating this disorder presents clinicians with a range of wholly unique challenges.

Dr. Laura Roberts, M.D. unwraps Narcissism with Glen O. Gabbard, M.D., and Holly Crisp-Han, M.D. authors of the book Narcissism and Its Discontents, Diagnostic Dilemmas and Treatment Strategies with Narcissistic Patients.