Adolescence is a sensitive window for the development of depressive and social anxiety disorders, particularly among girls. Models of depression and social anxiety suggest that individuals with or at high risk for these conditions may exhibit interpersonal behaviors in early adolescence—such as social avoidance and withdrawal—that can evoke negative reactions from others and lead teens to miss out on potential...

Disruption to a predictable 24-hour activity pattern, in which humans are active during the day and rest at night, is not an inevitable consequence of aging. Instead, such disruption in older adults is linked with diseases such as depression and dementia. Loss of robust activity and rest patterns throughout the day and night may be a contributor to, marker of, and/or consequence of underlying disease. To improve...

The October 2022 Behavioral Health and Aging Conference addressed helping patients and families make informed decisions about late-life and end-of-life psychiatric care. The conference was attended by a diverse group of physicians, nurses, front-line staff, case managers, service coordinators, and therapists serving the aging population. Ellen Whyte, MD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry; Service Chief & Medical...

We are delighted to announce that Priyanka Amin, MD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), Claudia Chapa, MD (Medical Director, Behavioral Health, UPMC Northwest), Caroline Franke, MD (PGY3), Darcy Moschenross, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), and Joseph Pierri, MD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), were honored at the 2022 Dr. Loren Roth Quality and Patient Safety Awards Celebration. Dr. Amin and Dr...

We are pleased to announce that Ana Lupu, PharmD, has received the American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists 2022 Annals of Clinical Psychiatry Winokur Award for her article, “Less is more: Deprescribing anticholinergic medications in persons with severe mental illness.” K.N. Roy Chengappa, MD (Professor of Psychiatry), is Dr. Lupu’s mentor, and is a corresponding author on the paper. The team of scientists...

The Department of Psychiatry and UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH) Predoctoral Clinical Psychology Internship Program provides a unique training experience, in a broad range of clinical settings, for clinical psychology graduate students pursuing a doctoral degree. The internship program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical...

Congratulations to Patrick Buckley, MD, MBA (consultation-liaison psychiatry fellow), who has been named an American College of Medical Quality (ACMQ) Quality Scholar for his project, “Patient safety and quality improvement resident representative: A peer-led approach to increase residents’ knowledge and comfort with root cause analysis.” In addition, Dr. Buckley received an ACMQ 2022 Abstract Award for...

Substance use relapse is a major barrier in treating substance use disorders. Withdrawal from substance use often causes sleep disruptions, which can aggravate withdrawal symptoms and increase the likelihood of relapse. A group of investigators, including Pitt Psychiatry scientists Rong Guo, PhD (Scientist, Allen Institute; former Pitt Psychiatry postdoctoral scholar), Yao Wang, PhD (Research Assistant Professor of...

The Psychiatry Research Pathway (PRP) Symposium provides UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital residents engaged in research the opportunity to present their work to an audience of fellow residents, faculty mentors, T32 postdoctoral research program directors, and other members of our academic community. This year, seven residents presented current and/or future research, followed by Q&A and lively discussion among the...

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects 2.5% of adults worldwide. Pharmacotherapy is the recommended initial treatment for most adults, but patient adherence can be low due to adverse effects and other concerns. Therefore, the investigation of nonpharmaceutical treatments for ADHD is critical. One option is transcranial direct current stimulation, a noninvasive...