IECA Fall Conference Follow-up
Photos from IECA / Lindner Center of HOPE Event on November 4, 2010, click here.
A Note of Appreciation from Dr. Paul Keck
Having worked in mental healthcare for as many years as I have, I am no stranger to the fact that the mental healthcare system is a challenging labyrinth. It is difficult for even the most knowledgeable individuals to navigate successfully. Throughout the week of the IECA conference, I had the pleasure of meeting and becoming acquainted with many individuals and programs whose mission it is to help families through the system, guiding them to fi nd the help their loved ones need.
I am impressed by the quality, depth of compassion and breadth of knowledge with which each of you approaches your work. As President and CEO of Lindner Center of HOPE, I am hopeful that our Center makes the short-list of facilities to which you will refer families for acute crisis stabilization, comprehensive diagnostic assessments and short-term residential treatment. I understand your expectations are high, and if you are willing to give us a chance, we will partner with you to meet those expectations. For admissions, please call Kathleen Neher at 888-537-4229. Likewise, we look forward to working closely with you to meet our patients ongoing care needs.
If you were unable to attend one of our tours or connect with our staff members, we welcome your calls and your visits. Please contact Tom Parker at 513-536-0308.
Thank you again for the opportunity to be a part of your experience at the IECA conference in Cincinnati!
Sincerely,
Paul E. Keck, Jr., MD
President and CEO, Lindner Center of HOPE
Key Recommendations from IECA Master Class, Co-Morbidity in Bipolar Disorder: The Rule, Not the Exception
Paul E. Keck, Jr., MD presented Co-Morbidity in Bipolar Disorder: The Rule, Not the Exception as the IECA Fall Master Class on Saturday, November 6, 2010.
Bipolar disorder is THE most complex mental health disorder, making identification and treatment very challenging. What makes this common mood disorder particularly complex is the high incidence of co-morbidity. Key recommendations from Dr. Keck’s presentation include:
- Realize that comorbidity is the rule, not the exception in bipolar disorder.
- Assess affective and comorbid symptoms concurrently.
- Focus pharmacotherapy on achieving mood stabilization. Use psychological treatments – eg, patient education or illness management – to address comorbidity issues.
- Know the evidence – or the lack thereof – for the therapies used to treat bipolar disorder with comorbidities.
- Avoid prematurely treating comorbidities with mood-stabilizing agents.
- Before using antidepressants to treat anxiety disorders comorbid with bipolar disorder, consider mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics with demonstrated efficacy in anxiety.
- Rethink requiring active alcoholics to “stop drinking” before treating their bipolar disorder, and select bipolar disorder therapies accordingly.