Insights from the APA Meeting

The American Psychiatric Association has canceled its 2020 Annual Meeting, scheduled to be held April 25-29 in Philadelphia, in light of travel restrictions and public health guidance related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

SAN FRANCISCO—The antipsychotic cariprazine was effective in improving depressive symptoms in patients with bipolar depression and concurrent manic symptoms, according to a poster presented at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting.

SAN FRANCISCO—Treatment with a novel combination of 2 common medications was associated with “a rapid and significant reduction in symptoms of depression,” compared with treatment with one of the components, according to a poster presented at the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Meeting.

SAN FRANCISCO—Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is strongly linked with older age, medical comorbidity, and hospitalizations, according to a study of US veterans with serious mental illness presented during a poster session at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting.

SAN FRANCISCO—A once-daily asenapine patch is effective for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults, researchers reported during a poster session at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting.

SAN FRANCISCO—Combining the cognitive enhancer memantine with the antidepressant escitalopram was more effective than escitalopram alone in easing depression and apathy in older adults with depression, according to a study presented during a poster session at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting.

SAN FRANCISCO—People directly exposed as children to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in New York City have higher rates of psychiatric and physical disorders, compared with people not directly exposed to the mass trauma event in childhood, according to a study presented at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting.

SAN FRANCISCO—Alcohol use and cravings decreased in participants with higher scores on the Mystical Experience Questionnaire in a controlled study assessing psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol dependence, according to preliminary results presented at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting.

SAN FRANCISCO—Machine learning shows potential for predicting postpartum depression using clinical data routinely collected in electronic health records, according to a study presented during a poster session at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting.

SAN FRANCISCO—Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), commonly recommended as part of a treatment plan for mood disorders, can also be an effective intervention for psychotic disorders, a presenter at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting argued.