Most patients with psychiatric disorders receive care in non-psychiatric general medical settings, and the majority of psychiatric drugs in the U.S. are prescribed by primary care physicians. This course will review six topics related to problems encountered in every general adult medical practice, including depression, anxiety disorders, somatization, adult attention deficit disorder, psychiatric symptoms in dementia, and using psychiatric drugs in medically ill patients. Sessions will be case-based, focused on answering FAQs raised by internists about their own patients.

The faculty will address evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, management, and referral and will rely on evidence-based, available practice guidelines, as well as their own experience.

Learning Objectives:

1. To improve efficiency in recognition and management of common psychiatric problems encountered in every general medical practice.
2. To deepen the physician's differential diagnosis for psychiatric symptoms.
3. To provide physicians with the most current information on treatment of common psychiatric problems.
4. To clarify when an internist should refer patients with these psychiatric problems to mental health professionals, from clinical and risk management perspectives.
5. To explore in detail ways in which serious medical illnesses affect how psychiatric drugs can be safely used.

Co-Directors:

James L. Levenson, MD
Professor of Psychiatry, Medicine, and Surgery, Vice Chair, Psychiatry; Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA

Robert K. Schneider, MD, FACP
Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Medicine, Chair, Division of Ambulatory Psychiatry, Departments of Psychiatry, Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA