Psychiatry Boot Camp

• Malingering and Factitious Disorder: An Approach to Clinical Deception with Dr. Nicholas Kontos

  In this episode, I speak with Dr. Nicholas Kontos, Program Director of the Consultation–Liaison Psychiatry Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, about one of the field’s most challenging topics: malingering and factitious disorder. We discuss how to move beyond the impulse to “catch deception” and instead adopt a framework of clinical curiosity, empathy, and ethical clarity. Dr. Kontos introduces the concept of “thinking dirty”, the disciplined consideration of complex motives such as safety, shelter, or secondary gain, while preserving therapeutic respect. The conversation covers practical strategies for differential diagnosis, documentation, and the therapeutic discharge, reframing it as a compassionate boundary rather than a punishment.  Takeaways: Clinicians must be willing to consider non-altruistic motives (sex, money, drugs, safety, attention) without moral judgment. This mindset sharpens diagnostic reasoning while maintaining therapeutic respect.The classical distinction between factitious disorder and malingering is often clinically unstable. Both exist on a behavioral spectrum shaped by unmet needs, structural deprivation, and adaptive strategiesProperly framed, discharge is not punitive but restorative, a boundary that ends maladaptive cycles while affirming the patient’s moral agencyThe note itself is a clinical act. A comprehensive chart review, clear description of inconsistencies, and transparent reasoning both protect the patient and clarify physician thought Effective care balances compassion with stewardship of finite resources. Clinicians serve both patient and system by refusing to reinforce maladaptive behavior while still honoring human dignity Teaching Psychiatric Trainees to “Think Dirty”: Addressing Hidden Motivations in the Consultation Setting (Beach, 2017) The Therapeutic Discharge I: An Approach to the Management of Deceptive Suicidality (Kontos, 2017) The Therapeutic Discharge II: An Approach to Documentation in the Setting of Feigned Suicidal Ideation (Kontos, 2018) SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS: ⁠⁠⁠⁠SimplePractice.com/bootcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Now with AI documentation! Exclusive 7 day free trial and 50% off four months) ⁠⁠⁠⁠Beat the Boards⁠⁠⁠⁠ Boot camp listeners now get FREE access to over 4400 exam-style questions) Learn more and get transcripts for EVERY episode at https://www.psychiatrybootcamp.com/ For Sales Inquiries & Ad Rates, Please Contact:⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ Connect with HumanContent on Socials: @humancontentpods Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠Human Content⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Functional Neurological Disorders: Modern Diagnosis & Evidence-Based Management | Dr. Caitlin Adams

  Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) sits at the crossroads of neurology and psychiatry and for many clinicians, it’s still one of the most challenging diagnoses to understand, explain, and treat. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Caitlin Adams, psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital, for a deep dive into how to recognize, diagnose, and manage FND using a modern, evidence-based, and patient-centered approach.We trace the evolution of the diagnosis from hysteria to conversion disorder to today’s understanding of FND and explore what neuroscience now tells us about how these symptoms arise. Dr. Adams breaks down the myths around voluntary control, shows how to make a positive diagnosis based on key exam findings like Hoover’s sign, tremor variability, and seizure features distinguishing PNES from epilepsy, and shares how to communicate the diagnosis in a way that reduces stigma and builds engagement. We also unpack the biopsychosocial model of FND: the predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating factors that keep symptoms alive and how to intervene through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), specialized physical therapy, mindfulness, and psychodynamic approaches. Takeaways: FND is a positive diagnosis, not a diagnosis of exclusion. Key findings like Hoover’s sign and tremor variability distinguish functional from organic presentations.Symptoms are not “faked.” FND symptoms are involuntary and arise from disrupted brain networks controlling movement, sensation, and perception.How you explain the diagnosis matters. Patients do better when clinicians validate symptoms, offer clear language, and emphasize that FND is common and treatable.Treatment is multidisciplinary. Evidence-based care combines psychoeducation, CBT, and physiotherapy that retrains motor and sensory patterns.Chronic cases require flexibility. Reassess the diagnosis, re-engage the patient, and adjust treatment around functional goals, not full symptom elimination. Key References:   ​Incidence and prevalence of functional neurological disorder: a systematic review (Finkelstein 2025)   ​Neurosymptoms.org   ​Cognitive behavioural therapy for adults with dissociative seizures (CODES): a pragmatic, multicentre, randomised controlled trial- (Goldstein 2020)  ​FND Hope   ​Overcoming Functional Neurological Symptoms Workbook (Williams)  SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS: ⁠⁠⁠⁠SimplePractice.com/bootcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Now with AI documentation! Exclusive 7 day free trial and 50% off four months) ⁠⁠⁠⁠Beat the Boards⁠⁠⁠⁠ Boot camp listeners now get FREE access to over 4400 exam-style questions) Learn more and get transcripts for EVERY episode at https://www.psychiatrybootcamp.com/ For Sales Inquiries & Ad Rates, Please Contact:⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ Connect with HumanContent on Socials: @humancontentpods Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠Human Content⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Perinatal Psychiatry: Risk, Ethics, and Clinical Decision-Making with Dr. Christina Wichman

  Pregnancy and postpartum are times of profound change and nowhere is that complexity more visible than in psychiatry. In this episode, Dr. Christina Wichman, Professor of Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynecology, Medical Director of The Periscope Project, and Director of Women’s Mental Health at the Medical College of Wisconsin, joins us for a deep dive into reproductive psychiatry. Co-hosted by Erica Browne, an M4 at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, this conversation explores how to care for both mother and baby with empathy, evidence, and balance. We walk through distinctions between baby blues, perinatal depression, and major depressive disorder, discuss how to identify red flags for perinatal psychosis, and explore the ethical and clinical nuances of treating psychiatric illness during pregnancy and lactation. Dr. Wichman explains how to approach risk–benefit decisions around psychotropic medications, highlights validated screening tools, and offers real-world strategies for supporting patients who face barriers to care. We also spotlight The Periscope Project, a pioneering model for connecting clinicians with reproductive psychiatry expertise—and discuss how the field is expanding training, access, and awareness for the next generation of women’s mental health specialists.Takeaways:Pregnancy changes everything, but not always for the worse. Psychiatric treatment during pregnancy can and should be individualized, balancing the safety of both mother and baby.Know the distinctions. Baby blues typically resolve within two weeks; perinatal depression lasts longer, while postpartum psychosis requires urgent evaluation.Medication decisions are about risk versus risk. Untreated psychiatric illness carries real dangers, sometimes greater than the medications themselves.Access matters. Programs like The Periscope Project expand reproductive psychiatry consultation to clinicians everywhere, improving outcomes system-wide.The future is integrated care. Psychiatrists, OB-GYNs, and primary care providers working together can transform perinatal mental health into standard, not specialized, care. Key References & Clinical Resources ⁠The Periscope Project⁠ – A perinatal psychiatry consultation and resource program based in Wisconsin. ⁠National Access Programs – Lifeline for Moms⁠ – A directory of statewide perinatal mental health access programs. ⁠National Curriculum in Reproductive Psychiatry (NCRP)⁠ – Free, evidence-based training for clinicians in reproductive psychiatry. ⁠MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health⁠ – Clinical and research resource for perinatal and reproductive psychiatry. ⁠MotherToBaby⁠ – Trusted information on medication and other exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding. ⁠Pharmacologic Treatments for Mania (Kishi 2021)⁠ – Meta-analysis regarding antimanic effects of selective estrogen receptor modulators. SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS: ⁠⁠⁠⁠SimplePractice.com/bootcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Now with AI documentation! Exclusive 7 day free trial and 50% off four months) ⁠⁠⁠⁠Beat the Boards⁠⁠⁠⁠ Boot camp listeners now get FREE access to over 4400 exam-style questions) Learn more and get transcripts for EVERY episode at https://www.psychiatrybootcamp.com/ For Sales Inquiries & Ad Rates, Please Contact:⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ Connect with HumanContent on Socials: @humancontentpods Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠Human Content⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Assessment And Management Of Eating Disorders with Dr. Patricia Westmoreland and Dr. Anne O’Melia

  Eating disorders are among the most lethal conditions in psychiatry and some of the most misunderstood. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Patricia Westmoreland and Dr. Anne O’Melia, two internationally recognized experts with eight combined board certifications spanning psychiatry, internal medicine, pediatrics, and consultation-liaison psychiatry. Together, we take a deep dive into the medical, psychiatric, ethical, and forensic complexities of eating disorders, especially as they appear in the general medical hospital. We talk through how to recognize eating disorders in patients who may not even identify as ill, when to intervene, and what the thresholds for medical stabilization really look like. We also explore the psychological underpinnings, how control, trauma, and insight all intersect, and the delicate balance between autonomy and safety when capacity is limited. Takeaways: Eating disorders are both psychiatric and medical emergencies. Anorexia nervosa has one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric illness, surpassed only by opioid use disorder.Early recognition saves lives. Common signs include unexplained bradycardia, electrolyte disturbances, fatigue, hypoglycemia, or rapid weight loss, even in patients who deny an eating disorder.Patients often lack insight. Many individuals with severe anorexia are highly intelligent but unable to apply their knowledge to themselves, leading to deceptive presentations of “capacity.”Treatment is multidisciplinary and stepwise. Levels of care range from outpatient and intensive outpatient programs to residential, psychiatric inpatient, and medical stabilization units, depending on weight, vitals, and lab findings.Recovery is possible and expected. Full restoration of nutrition and function can reverse nearly every medical complication of starvation, and with the right care, patients can go on to live full, independent lives. Key References: 1. The American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Eating Disorders (Crone 2023) 2. Ethical Challenges in the Treatment of Patients With Severe Anorexia Nervosa (Westmoreland 2024) SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS: ⁠⁠⁠⁠SimplePractice.com/bootcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Now with AI documentation! Exclusive 7 day free trial and 50% off four months) ⁠⁠⁠⁠Beat the Boards⁠⁠⁠⁠ Boot camp listeners now get FREE access to over 4400 exam-style questions) Learn more and get transcripts for EVERY episode at https://www.psychiatrybootcamp.com/ For Sales Inquiries & Ad Rates, Please Contact:⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ Connect with HumanContent on Socials: @humancontentpods Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠Human Content⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Assessment of Decisional Capacity: Guidelines, Ethics, and Evidence with Dr. Mira Zein

  In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Mira Zein, clinical associate professor at Stanford and co-author of the APA Resource Document on Decisional Capacity Determinations, to break down one of the most frequent and misunderstood consults in psychiatry.We go deep into the Appelbaum–Grisso criteria and discuss how they apply to real-world cases where the answer isn’t always clear. Dr. Zein walks us through difficult scenarios, from life-saving refusals to medically complex delirium cases, highlighting how to think, document, and communicate clearly when capacity is in question. This episode will help you shine on rounds, guide your primary team through their own assessments, and remind you that capacity isn’t about saying “yes” or “no”, it’s about respecting autonomy while protecting patients at their most vulnerable. Takeaways: Capacity is decision-specific and time-specific. It’s not a global judgment, and it can fluctuate with illness, treatment, or environment.The Appelbaum–Grisso framework defines the process. Every evaluation should include communication, understanding, appreciation, and reasoning.Primary teams can and should do their own assessments. Psychiatrists are consultants, not gatekeepers; the best work happens through collaboration.Delirium, dementia, and psychosis are common culprits. Each affects different aspects of capacity, requiring tailored interventions and re-evaluation.Documentation is key. Define the specific decision, describe your assessment of each criterion, and explain your reasoning clearly for the record. Key resources: 1) APA Resource Document on Decisional Capacity Determinations in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry: A Guide for the General Psychiatrist (2019) 2) Seminal Article on Appelbaum-Grisso Criteria (Appelbaum 1988) 3) Evaluating Capacity: Appelbaum’s Framework Interpreted Diagrammatically (Bari 2023) SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS: ⁠⁠⁠⁠SimplePractice.com/bootcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Now with AI documentation! Exclusive 7 day free trial and 50% off four months) ⁠⁠⁠⁠Beat the Boards⁠⁠⁠⁠ Boot camp listeners now get FREE access to over 4400 exam-style questions) Learn more and get transcripts for EVERY episode at https://www.psychiatrybootcamp.com/ For Sales Inquiries & Ad Rates, Please Contact:⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ Connect with HumanContent on Socials: @humancontentpods Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠Human Content⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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