Long-acting injectable vs oral risperidone for schizophrenia and co-occurring alcohol use disorder: a randomized trial.

Objective: Alcohol use disorders worsen the course of schizophrenia. Although the atypical antipsychotic clozapine appears to decrease alcohol use in schizophrenia, risperidone does not. We have proposed that risperidone's relatively potent dopamine D2 receptor blockade may partly underlie its lack of effect on alcohol use.

Effects of switching from olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone to aripiprazole on 10-year coronary heart disease risk and metabolic syndrome status: results from a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: This study examined the clinical significance of switching from olanzapine, quetiapine, or risperidone to aripiprazole by examining changes in predicted risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) according to the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and metabolic syndrome status. FRS estimates 10-year risk of "hard" coronary heart disease (CHD) outcomes (myocardial infarction and coronary death) while metabolic syndrome is associated with increased risk of CVD, stroke, and diabetes mellitus.

Method: Changes in FRS and metabolic syndrome status were compared between patients with BMI ≥ 27 and non-HDL-C ≥ 130 mg/dL randomly assigned to stay on stable current treatment (olanzapine, quetiapine, or risperidone) or switch to treatment with aripiprazole with 24 weeks of follow-up.

Continuity clinics in psychiatric residency training.

Objective: This article evaluates the impact of establishing extensive continuity clinics on a psychiatry residency training program.

Method: The PGY-2 , -3, and -4 residents completed a 15-item attitude survey, and patients were surveyed for their satisfaction.

Results: The residency survey revealed increasing satisfaction with the continuity clinics as residents advance in their training.

A module for training residents in public mental health systems and community resources.

The authors describe a six-month training module in public psychiatry developed in 1991 at the University of Miami Medical School. The module is centered on weekly intensive site visits to a range of community and advocacy programs, including the state hospital, services targeted to different groups at various community mental health centers, substance abuse treatment programs, forensic sites, rehabilitation centers, and family and consumer groups. Preliminary evaluation results indicate that residents gain a better understanding of community services and of system linkages and barriers and appear to develop a more positive prognostic attitude.