PsyQ: Journal Club
Episodes
Dementia in Severe Schizophrenia - PsyQ Episode 41
20 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of PsyQ, we critically examine the etiology of cognitive decline in severe, extremely treatment-resistant schizophrenia (SETRS) throug...
Metabolic Psychiatry: Ketosis for TRD - PsyQ Episode 40
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of PsyQ, we critically evaluate the recent randomized clinical trial by Gao et al. published in JAMA Psychiatry investigating the keto...
Brain and Blood Biomarkers in MDD - PsyQ Episode 39
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit upathak.substack.com
In-Utero Antipsychotic Medication Exposure - PsyQ Episode 38
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit upathak.substack.com
The Psychic Tourniquet: Ultra-Low-Dose Buprenorphine for Acute Suicidality - PsyQ Episode 37
07 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of PsyQ, we confront the "zone of danger" in acute suicidality—the critical lag period where standard antidepressants often fail to ...
Cannabis Use Disorder and Adolescent Suicide Risk - PsyQ Episode 36
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of PsyQ, we review a large national inpatient study examining the association between cannabis use disorder (CUD) and suicide attempts...
STEP-BD: The Efficacy of Adjunctive Antidepressants in Bipolar Depression
25 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of PsyQ, we review the landmark STEP-BD randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of adjunctive antidepressant treatmen...
TMS in Older Veterans with MDD - PsyQ Episode 34
18 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit upathak.substack.com
Switch vs. Augment: Rewriting the Rules for Geriatric TRD - PsyQ Episode 33
10 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of PsyQ, we perform a forensic analysis of the landmark OPTIMUM trial, a study that fundamentally reshapes the treatment algorithm for...
Combination Antidepressants in Acute MDD: How Much Better Is “Better”? - PsyQ Episode 32
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit upathak.substack.com
Childhood ADHD Is Not Benign: What 30 Years of Data Reveals - PsyQ Episode 31
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we break down a major longitudinal synthesis of seven North American cohort studies following children with ADHD into adulthood over ...
Event-Driven Dosing: Rethinking Binge Drinking Treatment - PsyQ Episode 30
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dissect a landmark 2022 randomized controlled trial published in the American Journal of Psychiatrythat challenges the traditional...
Ketogenic Psychiatry: Mental Health, Ketones, and Clinical Implications - PsyQ Episode 29
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we unpack the psychiatric relevance of the ketogenic diet through the lens of a recent and compelling systematic review and meta-anal...
Antidepressant Discontinuation: Separating Data from Dogma - PsyQ Episode 28
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Antidepressant discontinuation is one of the most contentious topics in psychiatry, fueling both patient fear and clinical uncertainty. But what does ...
Bush Francis Made Simple - PsyQ Episode 27
02 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of PsyQ, our psych journal club dives deep into the Bush–Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS), guided by the 2022 BFCRS Training M...
Journal Club - Ketamine for Depression: Relief at a Price? - PsyQ Episode 26
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode of PsyQ, we break down the American Journal of Psychiatry review “Ketamine for Depression, but at What Cost?” by Li and c...
Psychedelic Psychiatry: MDMA, Psilocybin, and What Comes Next - PsyQ Episode 25
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we take a clinical look at psychedelic-assisted therapy — what it is, how it works, and where it’s headed. We cover MDMA for PTSD...
STAR*D Struck: Remission and the Future of Depression Treatment - PsyQ Episode 24
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of PsyQ, we take a critical look at the evolution of major depression treatment over the past two decades. We start with the foundatio...
Six Days to Liftoff: BrainsWay’s 6-Day Accelerated Deep TMS (SWIFT Protocol) - PsyQ Episode 23
05 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we break down BrainsWay’s 6-day accelerated Deep TMS for major depression—how its iTBS, 5-sessions-per-day schedule compresses a ...
Profit Over Patients: Private Equity in Psychiatry - PsyQ Episode 22
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we dissect the alarming 75.6% rise in private equity (PE) ownership of US psychiatric hospitals and unpack the central paradox from a...
Violence in America: Implications for Psychiatric Training and Practice - PsyQ Episode 21
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode of PsyQ, we explore psychiatry’s role in decreasing violence in America. While mental illness is often blamed for violent a...
The CATIE-AD Trial: A Cognitive Cost for Calm? - PsyQ Episode 20
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit upathak.substack.com
Ketamine for Resistant Catatonia: A Promising New Avenue: PsyQ Episode 19
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we’ll orient listeners to catatonia’s core features and standard pathways (lorazepam → ECT), then pivot to emerging third-line o...
Managing Racist Patient Behavior in Psychiatric Settings - PsyQ Episode 18
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How should psychiatrists respond when patients use racist language or refuse care based on a clinician’s identity? In this episode, we translate the...
Palliative Psychiatry: Comfort, Capacity, and Care - PsyQ Episode 17
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit upathak.substack.com
Balancing Efficacy and Metabolic Risk: Olanzapine/Samidorphan (OLZ/SAM) in Clinical Practice - PsyQ Episode 16
17 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the role of olanzapine/samidorphan (OLZ/SAM) in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder. While olanzapine is...
The Dopamine Dialogues: Combining D2 Full and Partial Agonists - PsyQ Episode 15
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Combining aripiprazole and haloperidol presents a clinical and pharmacological puzzle. On one hand, you have haloperidol, a potent D₂ antagonist tha...
Gut Feelings: How Microbes Shape Your Mind - PsyQ Episode 14
03 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of PsyQ, we journey from the historical notion of "gut feelings" to the cutting edge of psychiatric research: the microbiota-gut-brain...
Unmasking Non-Catatonic Mutism in Schizophrenia - PsyQ Episode 13
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of PsyQ delves into the rare and puzzling condition of non-catatonic mutism in individuals with schizophrenia, a profound silence that is...
AI in Psychiatry: The Promise and the Peril - PsyQ Episode 12
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The field of psychiatry is at a technological crossroads, with Artificial Intelligence promising to revolutionize care delivery amidst a global mental...
The Essentials of Violence Risk Assessment - PsyQ Episode 11
13 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Public perception often creates a direct and frightening link between mental illness and violence, but what does the evidence actually show? In this e...
Retraining the OCD Brain: ERP and Beyond - PsyQ Episode 10
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we tackle one of psychiatry's most complex challenges: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. We begin with a deep dive into the landmark 200...
The Bipolar Blueprint: Translating Genetic Discoveries into Clinical Care - PsyQ Episode 9
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We dive into two landmark studies that have dramatically expanded the genetic map of bipolar disorder, identifying nearly 300 risk loci from over 150,...
Focused Ultrasound and the Future of Mood Disorders - PsyQ Episode 8
15 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit upathak.substack.com
The TADS Trial: A Playbook for Adolescent Depression - PsyQ Episode 7
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Treating adolescent depression is one of the most significant challenges in mental health, a landscape complicated by the FDA's black box warning abou...
ADHD Treatment Over the Long Term: The MTA Study - PsyQ Episode 6
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we explore the landmark MTA study, unraveling its insights into ADHD treatment from childhood to adulthood. We'll cover the initial tr...
GLP-1s in Psychiatry: Beyond Weight Loss - PsyQ Episode 5
24 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode, we delve into the rapidly evolving landscape of GLP-1 receptor agonists in psychiatry. We'll critically appraise Hendershot et al.'s (20...
Clozapine: Atypical Origins & Clinical Pearls - PsyQ Episode 4
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This two-part episode takes a comprehensive look at clozapine, one of psychiatry's most impactful and complex medications. The two parts are (1) conte...
Olanzapine + Benzos: Rethinking the Risk - PsyQ Episode 3
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on PsyQ, we dive into the controversial practice of co-administering parenteral olanzapine and benzodiazepines for agitation. We revisit the...
Peripartum Bipolar Disorder Management - PsyQ Episode 2
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is an AI generated podcast with human review. This episode provides guidance on the prophylactic management of bipolar disorder during pregnancy ...
The CATIE Trial - PsyQ Episode 1
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Timestamps(0:00) Context & Rationale(11:25) Methods & Findings(27:06) Critical Appraisal(43:26) Impact & Clinical TakeawayThis is a journal club discu...