You searched for Psychiatry - CLOSLER

"Corridor in the Asylum," Vincent van Gogh, 1889. The Met Museum.

March 5, 2018 | 3 min read

Demystifying Psychiatry

By Margaret Chisolm, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Demystifying psychiatry for patients is the heart of my work. In its existential aspects, psychotherapy calls for the imagination of alternative possibilities.

August 28, 2018 | 4 min read

6 things you need to know about geriatric psychiatry

By Susan Lehmann, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

In older adults, as in younger people, poor mental health undermines general health, quality of life, and overall functioning. Given the dearth of specialty-trained geriatric psychiatrists and geriatricians, it is crucial for all clinicians to have skills in the diagnosis and management of common mental health conditions affecting older adults.

Georgia O'Keeffe, Series 1, Number 8.

November 20, 2018 | 2 min read

The Healing Power of Words

By Helen Bradshaw, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

What we say to patients has the power to promote healing.

"Wheat Field with Cypresses," Vincent van Gogh, 1889. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

May 7, 2019 | 2 min read

Finding Balance

By Danielle Johnson, MD, Lindner Center of HOPE, University of Cincinnati

Small gestures while supporting patients through trauma and grief can make a big difference.

Evening Star, Number III, Georgia O'Keefe, 1917, Museum of Modern Art

November 21, 2018 | 1 min read

Asking Difficult Questions

By Julia Ross, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Asking probing questions is difficult, but can make a difference in understanding your patient.

"The Persistence of Memory," Salvador Dali, 1931, The Museum of Modern Art.

November 19, 2018 | 2 min read

Learning from Learners

By Margaret Chisolm, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Teaching is the best way to learn. In the end, I am not only a teacher and my residents are not only learners, but we are both a little of each.

November 18, 2024 | 3 min read

Starting from scratch

By Erica Richards, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Eliciting detailed stories about patients’ experiences is invaluable in healthcare. Approaching history-taking in a thorough manner allowed me to discover that a brain tumor was causing a patient’s psychiatric symptoms.

August 8, 2024 | 2 min read

Unspoken

From my experience working on an inpatient psychiatry unit, I learned to look for hidden messages in the patient’s story and explore these with curiosity. Sometimes a patient’s cry for help is cloaked in other behaviors.

March 21, 2024 | 2 min read

Young LGBTQ+ patients deserve more

By Brady Hanshaw, medical student, Harvard Medical School, Thara Nagarajan, MD, UCSF

36% of LGBTQ+ youth are unsure they’ll live until the age of 35. These mental health outcomes are even more severe for LGBTQ+ youth of color. It’s critical that clinicians create a safe space to talk about anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation.

August 6, 2020 | 3 min read

5 tips for supporting people with autism

By Roma Vasa, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

It’s critical to make time to understand how your patient communicates best, learn their strengths, empathize with their challenges, and give them as much autonomy and choice as possible.

February 19, 2019 | 4 min read

On Feeling Helpless: A Psychiatrist Reflects on the Aftermath of a Patient Suicide

By Dinah Miller, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

If you've been distressed by the loss of a patient to suicide, I hope my story will provide a moment of relief as you begin the process of healing; I hope that you may feel less alone.

October 27, 2021 | 4 min read

Digital Media Addiction: It’s Complicated

By Natalie Gukasyan, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

It’s tempting to resort to simple explanations for complex behaviors like digital media use. Deep relationships with patients can help you understand what’s behind the behavior.

March 19, 2018 | 5 min read

Deep and Active Listening

By Susan Lehmann, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

The essence of good doctoring is to listen attentively and respectfully to the concerns of your patient.

A crowd organized by the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee sang “We Shall Overcome” in Farmville, Virginia, in 1966, after a speech by Stokely Carmichael.

January 18, 2019 | 9 min read

From Clinic to Senate

By Kali Cyrus, MD, MPH, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Advocacy does not have to mean changing legal precedents; it can also be taking a mentee out for coffee, giving feedback about your colleague’s stereotyping of a patient, or not patronizing restaurants with unfair wage practices.

January 8, 2019 | 1 min read

Book Review of “Wolf Constellation”

By Deirdre Johnston, MBBCh, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

This novel prompts us to consider a family's story across generations and its influence on the emergence, manifestation, diagnosis, and treatment of illness in an individual. We routinely inquire about, and document, every patient's family history, but the simple listing of a diagnosis in other family members does not tell the whole story. We need to be curious about that story, because it can tell us much about our patients' strengths and vulnerabilities.

December 20, 2018 | 9 min read

You’re not getting my f-ing box cutter: paradoxical ways kids ask for limits

By Hal Kronsberg, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

The most important lesson I’ve learned as a child psychiatrist is how badly kids want limits when they’re struggling, even when they keep that wish to themselves. Kids are smart, and when we catch them breaking a rule, we need to be curious about why it happened.

November 6, 2023 | 2 min read

Believing Patients

By Chloe Lee, MD, MPH, University of Rochester

When patients share their traumatic experiences, trust that they are almost always telling the truth. We must be empathic and compassionate to build therapeutic connections.

A patient's Maine coon kitten, pug puppy, and knitting project.

September 14, 2020 | 3 min read

The Unexpected Benefits of Seeing Patients Virtually

By Susan Lehmann, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Telemedicine allows patients and clinicians to see and respond to each other’s facial expressions. Plus, clinicians are offered deeper insight into their patient’s world.

August 26, 2020 | 6 min read

How to Discuss Minority Stress With Patients

By Chase Anderson, MD, University of California San Francisco

If your patient identifies as part of a minority group, it could be helpful to ask if they’ve experienced stress because of this. Doing so may allow you to better understand your patient’s story.

April 14, 2022 | 3 min read

Equity and Ethical Considerations With The Use of Psychedelics

By Ian Pocock, LICSW, Washington

Psychedelic medicines may help patients suffering with PTSD and treatment-resistant depression. As with many new therapies, ethical considerations and ensuring equal access for everyone are works in progress.

January 20, 2022 | 2 min read

Reflecting on Boundaries During Times of Loss

By Leslie Miller, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Recently, my eyes filled with tears upon learning of a death in my patient’s family. Empathizing with patients who have suffered a loss can bring up strong feelings. How much of this is ok for clinicians to reveal?

June 22, 2020 | 4 min read

Doing Something or Doing Nothing: Health Disparities, Racial Justice, and the Risk of Failing to Meet This Moment

By Hal Kronsberg, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Truly addressing health disparities and racial justice requires an intense and challenging examination of our own clinical practices and how they may perpetuate inequalities. We must continually hold ourselves and our institutions accountable on the path to building a more just medicine.

October 19, 2021 | 2 min read

Asking About Your Patient’s Pet

By Elizabeth Steuber, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Todd Brenner, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Ask patients about their pets. This can build a bridge to talking about topics like functional status, home life, and family dynamics.

July 14, 2021 | 1 min read

How to Respond to Off-putting Comments from Patients

By Elizabeth Steuber, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Sometimes comments from patients are rooted in their own unmet fears or needs. Instead of reacting to your own discomfort in the face of such comments, remaining curious and asking open-ended questions may help you understand what’s behind such unpleasant remarks.

June 23, 2021 | 6 min read

Aducanumab: The Clinical Wisdom of Being Conservative, Careful, And Transparent

By Constantine Lyketsos, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Clinicians frequently face thorny ethical dilemmas when caring for patients. Take time to reflect on all components of these issues before discussions with patients.

March 5, 2019 | 3 min read

From Film School to Medical School (Part 3 of 3)

By Margaret Chisolm, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Using both words and images, John Berger and Jean Mohr's photo-essay, "A Fortunate Man," provides an intimate glimpse into the role of the doctor: "To cure sometimes, to relieve often, and to comfort always."

January 27, 2022 | 2 min read

Fostering Connections During the Pandemic

By Leslie Miller, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

It’s been challenging for everyone to stay social through the ongoing pandemic. Trying a new hobby with a friend, and encouraging our patients to do the same, will help us stay connected through these difficult times.

January 22, 2020 | 2 min read

How to Help Patients who Feel Angry

By Leslie Miller, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Asking your patient open-ended questions about how they're doing can lead to a much deeper conversation that not only illuminates the origin of their anger and suggests treatment strategies, but can also be therapeutic in itself.

December 2, 2021 | 3 min read

TikTok: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

By Colleen Schreyer, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

For patients who are on social media, encourage them to engage with pro-mental health content on TikTok by watching, liking, and sharing.

Saint Brides Bay (Bae Sain Ffraid), Pembrokeshire, Wales, Author's Photo.

January 24, 2019 | 4 min read

Cultivating Caring

By David Kopacz, MD, University of Washington

Compassion begins with caring for ourselves and working to grow as full human beings. It is not just the lives of our patients that depend on us learning this component of caring, the quality of our own lives depend upon learning this as well.

October 26, 2021 | 3 min read

What is The Scope of a Clinician’s Work?

By Margaret Chisolm, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

We must help our patients achieve a state where body, mind, and spirit are working as a whole. We can help them do more than survive. Let’s help them thrive!

June 10, 2025 | 2 min read

Reflections on the Netflix series “Adolescence”

In the course of patient care, clinicians are often witness to powerful, emotion-filled stories. To continue to do this work, we must find ways to replenish ourselves and reach out for support when needed.

October 13, 2021 | 2 min read

Social Media During The Pandemic

By Carol Vidal, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

While social media is contributing to increased rates of depression during the pandemic, it also keeps us socially connected during challenging times.

May 21, 2025 | 3 min read

What a drag it is getting old

If patients ask for benzodiazepines, explain the significant risks and offer safer alternatives—both pharmacologic and especially non-pharmacological. Taking the time to build rapport and form a therapeutic relationship is far more effective than simply prescribing a pill that may cause harm.

August 30, 2021 | 3 min read

TIPPS For Reducing Patients’ Anxiety

By Elizabeth Steuber, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Helping patients engage in paced breathing and progressive muscle relaxation can be calming when they are feeling stressed.

September 26, 2018 | <1 min read

Dr. Susan Lehmann: A CLOSLER Look

By Gretchen Miller, Managing Editor

Enjoy a three-minute video interview with Dr. Susan Lehmann, who shares how playing the piano helped her become adept at listening to patients while maintaining eye contact and writing notes.

June 30, 2021 | 2 min read

Promoting Wellness Through Intergenerational Connections

By Susan Lehmann, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Bridging the generations can enhance emotional well-being for young and old. Encourage patients to reach out to older family members and neighbors!

May 12, 2025 | 2 min read

Avoiding “scapegoat diagnoses”

Recognize gender biases that may lead to premature psychological diagnoses in women presenting with physical symptoms. Prioritize thoughtful clinical investigation of the patient before considering labeling symptoms with mental health explanations.

Encourage parents to support their teens in connecting with friends safely.

April 8, 2021 | 3 min read

How to Support Teens’ Mental Health During The Pandemic

By Leslie Miller, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Now more than ever, it's critical for parents to check in with their teens on a regular basis. Encourage parents to ask their children directly how they’re doing and to validate that these are hard times.

April 21, 2025 | 3 min read

There’s been a suicide

I wrote this poem recently after learning of a veteran’s death by suicide. This prompted me to reflect on my work as a psychiatrist, systemic failures, and the cyclical nature of grief.

Gardening creates an opportunity to take a mini-rest from the world, connect with nature, and experience the healing power of plants.

April 12, 2021 | 4 min read

Making the Most of Your Daily “Nervous Breakdown”

By David Kopacz, MD, University of Washington

A century ago, a “nervous breakdown” was a socially acceptable way to just take a break and recharge. Now, it’s not. In order to refresh yourself and mitigate burnout, consider scheduling regular time off.

Asking about stress levels, mood, sleep quality, and coping strategies in routine medical discussions can provide insight into a patient’s emotional well-being and open the door for further discussion.

March 31, 2025 | 2 min read

Care of the mind

By Paige Seegan, PhD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

By proactively discussing mental health, using non-stigmatizing language, and having a list of resources on hand, healthcare professionals can help patients get the support they need.

March 22, 2021 | 2 min read

Why I Care About The Costumes in “Little Women”

By Leslie Miller, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine

We can build deeper relationships with our patients by talking with them about their passions—from Broadway to zinnias.

February 18, 2025 | 3 min read

Screening for, diagnosing, and treating OCD

By Ghida Kassir, MD, University of Toronto, Canada

To accurately diagnose OCD, clinicians must move beyond general inquiries about "unwanted thoughts" and instead ask specific, sensitive questions about the diverse ways obsessions and compulsions can manifest. Effective treatment often includes a combination of medication and psychotherapy—specifically Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).

Employers must cultivate a nurturing culture that supports the emotional and physical needs of their employees.

February 9, 2021 | 3 min read

How to Support Patients With Chronic Pain and Substance Use Disorder

By Juliette Perzhinsky, MD, MSc, Central Michigan University

All patients must be treated with empathy. Those suffering with chronic pain and addiction may be especially deserving of compassion.

February 17, 2025 | 1 min read

Educating patients about OCD

By Ghida Kassir, MD, University of Toronto, Canada

Clinicians can help patients with OCD understand the condition by emphasizing that intrusive thoughts are symptoms, not character flaws, and that compulsions, though temporarily relieving anxiety, ultimately perpetuate the cycle.

January 19, 2021 | 2 min read

How to Mitigate Compassion Fatigue

By Dimitrios Tsatiris, MD, Cleveland, Ohio

Prioritizing self-care and making an effort to connect with others may prevent burnout and allow us to continue to give clinically excellent care to patients.

August 14, 2018 | 3 min read

Seeing Your Patients Through New Perspectives

By Patrick Hemming, MD, Duke University

We can enhance our patient care if we incorporate the perspectives of life story and behavior.

January 12, 2021 | 2 min read

6 ways to engage families to support child mental health

By Barbara Robles, MD, University of Texas

Strong relationships with clinicians can empower children and their families to engage more fully in their mental health treatment.

January 22, 2025 | 2 min read

The ulcer: a window into a patient’s emotional distress

By Margret Nassuuna, DCP, Innerspark Recovery, Naalya, Uganda

The body, a masterful storyteller, often reveals insights into a patient’s mental state. By deciphering its narratives, clinicians may also be able to better address both the mental and emotional aspects of care.