The American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines for the Psychiatric Evaluation of Adults

by American Psychiatric Association

2015 · American Psychiatric Pub

Since the publication of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust in 2011, there has been an increasing emphasis on assuring that clinical practice guidelines are trustworthy, developed in a transparent fashion, and based on a systematic review of the available research evidence. To align with the IOM recommendations and to meet the new requirements for inclusion of a guideline in the National Guidelines Clearinghouse of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), American Psychiatric Association (APA) has adopted a new process for practice guideline development. Under this new process APA's practice guidelines also seek to provide better clinical utility and usability. Rather than a broad overview of treatment for a disorder, new practice guidelines focus on a set of discrete clinical questions of relevance to an overarching subject area. A systematic review of evidence is conducted to address these clinical questions and involves a detailed assessment of individual studies. The quality of the overall body of evidence is also rated and is summarized in the practice guideline. With the new process, recommendations are determined by weighing potential benefits and harms of an intervention in a specific clinical context. Clear, concise, and actionable recommendation statements help clinicians to incorporate recommendations into clinical practice, with the goal of improving quality of care. The new practice guideline format is also designed to be more user friendly by dividing information into modules on specific clinical questions. Each module has a consistent organization, which will assist users in finding clinically useful and relevant information quickly and easily. This new edition of the practice guidelines on psychiatric evaluation for adults is the first set of the APA's guidelines developed under the new guideline development process. These guidelines address the following nine topics, in the context of an initial psychiatric evaluation: review of psychiatric symptoms, trauma history, and treatment history; substance use assessment; assessment of suicide risk; assessment for risk of aggressive behaviors; assessment of cultural factors; assessment of medical health; quantitative assessment; involvement of the patient in treatment decision making; and documentation of the psychiatric evaluation. Each guideline recommends or suggests topics to include during an initial psychiatric evaluation. Findings from an expert opinion survey have also been taken into consideration in making recommendations or suggestions. In addition to reviewing the available evidence on psychiatry evaluation, each guideline also provides guidance to clinicians on implementing these recommendations to enhance patient care.

The American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline on the Use of Antipsychotics to Treat Agitation or Psychosis in Patients With Dementia

by American Psychiatric Association

2016 · American Psychiatric Pub

The guideline offers clear, concise, and actionable recommendation statements to help clinicians to incorporate recommendations into clinical practice, with the goal of improving quality of care. Each recommendation is given a rating that reflects the level of confidence that potential benefits of an intervention outweigh potential harms.

The American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder

by American Psychiatric Association

2024 · American Psychiatric Pub

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is estimated to have a lifetime prevalence in the United States of approximately 1.4%–2.7%. It is characterized by a long-term pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, unstable self-image, marked impulsivity, and/or affective instability. In addition, features can be evidenced by efforts to avoid real or feared abandonment, chronic feelings of emptiness, mood reactivity, recurrent self-injurious or suicidal behavior, other impulsive behaviors with potential for self-damaging effects, intense anger or difficulty with anger control, and transient paranoid ideation or stress-related dissociative symptoms. Although these manifestations can be quite heterogeneous, the lived experience of BPD can be associated with significant emotional pain and a diminished quality of life. Many individuals with BPD have co-occurring psychiatric or somatic conditions, and all-cause mortality is increased among those with BPD. Furthermore, the lifetime burden and psychosocial impairment associated with BPD can be substantial because it typically has an early onset and can persist for many years. These significant consequences support the need for early identification of BPD. Importantly, in contrast to many earlier views on BPD, treatment is effective, and symptoms can be reduced and managed. The American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder reviews current evidence and provides evidence-based statements that are intended to optimize the treatment of BPD. The guideline focuses on evidence-based treatments and includes additional information on assessment and treatment planning, which are an integral part of patient-centered care. It describes approaches to implementing recommendations and suggestions in clinical practice. By providing up-to-date knowledge, the guideline aims to help clinicians feel more confident in their skills for treating patients with BPD, thereby improving the care and well-being of their patients.

Proceedings of the American Medico-Psychological Association ... Annual Meeting

by American Psychiatric Association

1895

List of members in each volume except v. 27.