Psychiatry Flashcards
What is the Mental Health Act?
- 1983 and updated 2007
- legal framework for informal and compulsory care and treatment
- keeping pt in hospital against their wishes
- for people diagnosed with a mental disorder
What is an informal admission?
- patient with capacity
- agrees to be admitted voluntarily
- does not involve the MHA
Who is involved in the MHA?
- Approved mental health professional
- section 12 doctor
- responsible clinician
- nearest relative
- independent mental health advocate
What is an approved mental health professional?
- social worker
- MH nurse
- occupational therapist
- psychiatrist
- helps to organise and contribute to assessments
What is a mental disorder?
- mental illness
- personality disorder
- learning disability (associated w aggressive behaviour/irresponsible conduct
- disorders of sexual preference
What is section 2?
- compulsory detention for assessment
- max period 28 days, can’t be renewed
- ends in section 3 or discharge
- admission by AMHP/ nearest relative and TWO doctors (1 is section 12 approved)
What are the 2 criteria needed for section 2?
- person suffers from a mental disorder that warrants detention
- person ought to be detained in interests of their own health and safety or protection of others
What is section 3?
- compulsory admission for treatment
- max period 6 months can be renewed
- responsible clinician can arrange for further review
- requires MHA assessment
- well-known pts can be detained straight from community
- application by AMHP/relative and TWO doctors (1 is section 12)
What are the 3 criteria for section 3?
- person suffers from a mental disorder requiring hospital treatment
- necessary for health of pt and protection of others
- appropriate medical treatment available
What is section 4?
- admission in emergency
- detain patients for up to 72hrs > section 2
- requires AMHP/relative and 1 doctor
- primarily used in outpatient
What is section 5(2)?
- used in emergency
- detain patients already in hosp voluntarily
- changes status from informal to formal
- lasts up to 72hrs
- requires 1 doctor
- followed by MHA assessment
What is section 5(4)?
- used in emergency when clinican not present
- detain pt already in hosp voluntarily
- requires 1 nurse
- lasts up to 6hrs
- followed by MHA assessment
What is section 136?
- used by police
- remove someone who appears to have mental health disorder from public
- take to safe place for assessment
- lasts up to 24h
- followed by MHA assessment
What is section 135?
- requires magistrates warrant
- allows police to enter private property
- accompanied by AMHP and doctor
- remove to a place of safety
- assessment at home or in safe place
- lasts up to 24hrs (can be extended up to 12h)
What are the criteria for section 135?
- have a mental disorder
- being ill-treated or neglected
- or unable to look after themselves
What is section 135(2)?
- allows entry to private property
- return a person previously detained in hospital who left without permission
- subject to a CTO or guardianship but non-compliant
- application by AMHP/doctor
What is section 131?
- voluntary informal admission
- admitted w/out formal restrictions
- free to leave at any time
What are the 3 criteria for section 131?
- must have capacity
- must consent to admission
- must not resist admission
What is the pathophysiology of depression?
- disturbance in neurotransmitter activity in the CNS
- particularly in serotonin (5-HT)
What are the 3 core symptoms of depression?
- anhedonia
- low mood
- anergia/fatigue
What are some emotional symptoms of depression?
- anxiety
- irritability
- low self-esteem
- guilt
- hopelessness
What are some cognitive symptoms of depression?
- poor concentration
- slow thoughts
- poor memory
What are some physical symptoms of depression?
- low energy
- abnormal sleep
- poor appetite/overeating
- slow movements
How do SSRIs work?
- block reuptake of serotonin by presynaptic membrane
- results in more serotonin in synapses in CNS
- boosts communication between neurones
What are some examples of SSRIs?
- sertraline
- citalopram
- fluoxetine
- paroxetine
What is the risk of citalopram?
- prolong QT interval
- leading to torsades de pointes
- least safe SSRI
What are the contraindications to SSRIs?
- omitted in mania
- caution in children and adolescents
- avoided in warfarin
What is the management of serotonin syndrome?
- bloods
- benzodiazepines
- cyproheptadine
What is serotonin syndrome?
- drug induced
- excess serotonin in CNS due to SSRI
- onset within hours
- supportive management
What is the triad seen in serotonin syndrome?
- altered mental state: anxiety, delirium
- autonomic hyperactivity : hyperthermia, tachycardia
- neuromuscular abnormalities: tremor, clonus, rigidity
What are side effects of SSRIs?
- GI symptoms
- headaches
- sexual dysfunction
- insomnia
- increased risk of bleeding esp with anticoags or NSAIDs
How do SNRIs work?
- block reuptake of serotonin and noradrenaline
- resulting in more in synapses in CNS
What are some examples of SNRIs?
- duloxetine
- venlafaxine
What psychiatric symptoms can occur when starting antidepressants?
- worsened agitation
- anxiety
- suicidal thoughts or acts
When should patients be reviewed after starting antidepressants?
- within two weeks
- one week if aged 18-25/high suicide
- noticeable response within 2-4 weeks
Can antidepressants be swapped?
- SSRIs and SNRIs can be directly swapped
- cross-tapered e.g. SSRI to mirtazapine > reduce existing drug and increase new one
What is the procedure for stopping antidepressants?
- should be continued for at least 6mo after starting
- dose reduced over 4 weeks to minimise discontinuation symptoms
What are discontinuation symptoms?
- flu-like symptoms
- electric shock like sensations
- irritability
- insomnia
- vivid dreams
What are the key side effects of mirtazapine and when should it be taken?
- sedation (more in low doses but take @ night)
- increased appetite
- weight gain
How do tricyclic antidepressants work?
- block reuptake of serotonin and noradrenaline
- block Ach and histamine
- giving sedative side effects
What are some examples of tricyclic antidepressants?
- amitriptyline
- nortriptyline
What are some cardiovascular effects of tricyclic antidepressants?
- arrythmia
- tachycardia
- prolonged QT
- bundle branch block
- dangerous in overdose - so not used in suicide risk
What are some anticholinergic side effects of tricyclic antidepressants?
- dry mouth
- constipation
- urinary retention
- blurred vision
- cognitive impairment
What is the mechanism of action of typical psychotics?
- dopamine receptor antagonists
- inhibit dopaminergic neurotransmission
- noradrenergic, cholinergic, histaminergic blocking properties
What are some examples of typical antipsychotics?
- haloperidol
- chlorpromazine
- flupentixol
What is the action of atypical antipsychotics?
- dopamine and serotonin antagonists
- block D2 dopamine receptors
- block 5-HT2A serotonin receptors
What are atypical antipsychotics?
- second generation
- effective against positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia
What are examples of atypical antipsychotics?
- risperidone
- quetiapine
- olanzapine
- clozapine
What are side effects of atypical antipsychotics?
- weight gain
- dyslipidaemia
- seizures
When is clozapine used?
- atypical antipsychotic
- used in treatment resistant schizophrenia
- after trial of 2 antipsychotic drugs
What is clozapine induced neutropenia?
- can cause neutropenia (low neutrophils) or agranulocytosis (+low basophils and eosinophils)
- FBC weekly for 18 weeks, then fortnightly until 1 year, after which monthly
How does neutropenia present?
- fever (flu like symptoms)
- rigors
- hypotension
- tachycardia
- altered mental status
How do patients with clozapine induced myocarditis present?
- tachycardia at rest
- chest pain
- abnormal rhythm
- palpitations
How is myocarditis investigated?
- ECG
- cardiac exam
- troponin
- CRP
- echocardiogram
How does clozapine affect the GI system?
- impairs motility of GI system
- constipation
- intestinal obstruction
- faecal impaction
- paralytic ileus
What is bipolar disorder?
- characterised by recurrent episodes of depression, mania or hypomania
- symptoms start <25
- high suicide rate
What are manic episodes?
- excessively elevated mood and energy
- persisting >7 days
- significantly impacts normal functioning
What is hypomania?
- increased/decreased function for >4 days without psychotic symptoms
- milder
What is bipolar I disorder?
- at least one episode of mania
What is bipolar II disorder?
- at least one episode of major depression
- at least 1 ep of hypomania
What is cyclothymia?
- milder symptoms of hypomania and low mood
- symptoms not severe enough to impact function
What is unipolar depression?
- person only has episodes of depression
- without mania or hypomania
What is the long term management of bipolar disorder?
- lithium
- alternatives: sodium valproate and olanzapine
What are side effects of lithium?
- fine tremor
- weight gain
- seizures
- CKD
- hypothyroidism and goitre
- hyperpth and hypercalcaemia
- nephrogenic diabetes insipidus
What are the dangers of sodium valproate?
- teratogenic: neural tube defects
What are the symptoms of mania?
- abnormally elevated mood
- significant irritability
- increased energy
- decreased sleep
- grandiosity, excessive spending, risk-taking
- disinhibition
- flight of ideas
- pressured speech
- psychosis
How is an acute manic episode managed?
- antipsychotic medications
- existing antidepressants tapered and stopped
- lithium and sodium valproate
How is an acute depressive episode in bipolar disorder managed?
- olanzapine plus fluoxetine
- antipsychotics
- lamotrigine
What is the non-pharmacological management of bipolar disorder?
- psychoeducation
- IPT
- CBT
- social support
What is schizophrenia?
- severe, long-term mental health disorder
- characterised by psychosis
- lasts 6+ months
When is schizophrenia most commonly diagnosed?
- presents between 15-30 years old
- diagnosed earlier in men than women
What is schizoaffective disorder?
- combining the symptoms of schizophrenia with bipolar disorder
- psychosis, depression and mania
What is schizophreniform disorder?
- presents w/ same features as schizophrenia
- lasts <6 months
What is the cause of schizophrenia?
- genetic
- environmental
- affected family member is RF
What is a prodrome phase?
- subtle symptoms
- precedes full symptoms
What symptoms are experienced in a prodrome phase of schizophrenia?
- poor memory
- reduced concentration
- mood swings
- suspicion of others
- loss of appetite
- difficulty sleeping
- social withdrawal
- decreased motivation
What are the key features of psychosis?
- delusions
- hallucinations
- thought disorder
What are delusions?
- beliefs that are strongly held and clearly untrue
What are hallucinations?
- perceiving things that aren’t real
What is a thought disorder?
- disorganised thoughts causing abnormal speech and behaviour
What are key positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
- auditory hallucinations
- somatic passivity
- thought disturbance: insertion, withdrawal, broadcasting
- delusions: persecutory, delusional perceptions, ideas of reference
What is thought broadcasting?
the belief that others are overhearing their thoughts
What is thought insertion/withdrawal?
- the idea that an external entity is inserting or removing their thoughts
What are persecutory delusions?
false belief that a person or group is going to harm them
What is a delusional perception?
- when an ordinary event triggers a sudden self-related delusion
- e.g. seeing the cat > knew I was going to meet an alien
What is the ABCD mnemonic for positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
- auditory hallucinations
- broadcasting of thoughts
- control issues
- delusional perception
What are ideas of reference?
- false belief that unconnected events or details in the world directly relate to them
What is somatic passivity?
- believing an external entity is controlling their sensation and action
What are negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
- affective flattening
- alogia
- anhedonia
- avolition
What is affective flattening?
- minimal emotional reaction to emotive subjects or events
What is alogia?
- poverty of speech
- reduced speech
What is avolition?
- lack of motivation in completing tasks or working towards goals
What types of functioning are reduced in schizophrenia?
- social engagement
- productivity at work or school
- self-care
What is the pattern of symptoms in schizophrenia?
- continuous
- episodic
- a single episode
What does the DSM-5 criteria require for the diagnosis of schizophrenia?
- prodrome phase for >6 months
- active phase for > 1 month
How is schizophrenia treated?
- antipsychotic medications
- CBT
Which psychiatric teams manage patients with schizophrenia?
- early intervention in psychosis
- crisis resolution and home treatment teams
- acute hospital admission
- community mental health team
What medical conditions are associated with schizophrenia and antipsychotics?
- metabolic syndrome
- cardiovascular disease
What are side effects of antipsychotic drugs?
- weight gain
- diabetes
- prolonged QT interval
- raised prolactin
- extrapyramidal symptoms
What are some extra pyramidal symptoms?
- akathisia (restlessness)
- dystonia (abnormal muscle tone)
- pseudo-parkinsonism
- tardive dyskinesia
What are depot antipsychotics?
- IM injections
- given every 2 weeks - 3 months
- helpful with lack of adherence
What are examples of depot antipsychotics?
- aripiprazole
- flupentoxil
- paliperidone
- risperidone
What are the possible adverse effects of clozapine?
- agranulocytosis
- myocarditis
- constipation
- seizures
- excess salivation
What must be monitored during antipsychotic treatment?
- weight and waist circumference
- blood pressure and pulse rate
- bloods (HbA1c, lipids, prolactin)
- ECG
What is a personality disorder?
- maladaptive personality traits causing significant psychosocial stress
- interfere with functioning
What are the Class A personality disorders?
- suspicious type
- paranoid
- schizoid
- schizotypal
What is paranoid personality disorder?
- difficulty trusting people
- difficulty revealing personal info
- hypersensitive to criticism
- believes others are plotting against them
What is a schizoid personality disorder?
- lack of interest in relationships with others
- emotional coldness
- indifference to praise/criticism
- preference for solitary activity
What is a schizotypal personality disorder?
- unusual beliefs, thoughts and behaviours
- ideas of reference
- social anxiety
- similar to schizophrenia but more connected to reality
What are Class B personality disorders?
- emotional or impulsive
- antisocial
- borderline
- histrionic
- narcissistic
What is antisocial personality disorder?
- reckless and harmful behaviour
- lack of concern for consequences
- aggressive and unremorseful
- criminal misconduct
What is borderline personality disorder?
- fluctuating strong emotions
- difficulties with identity
- struggles to maintain healthy relationships