Psychiatric Times

The US Department of Veterans Affairs has implemented new consent requirements for certain psychiatric drugs, according to a New York Times report. The policy means veterans will need to give informed consent before receiving some of these medications. The move is drawing attention to how the VA handles psychiatric treatment for former service members.

Researchers have concluded that there is no solid evidence linking daylight saving time to effects on mental health, the Guardian reports. The finding pushes back against widespread claims that the clock changes trigger depression, anxiety or other psychiatric problems, and may inform ongoing debates in several countries about whether to abolish seasonal time changes altogether.

Attorneys for Luigi Mangione, accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, say they plan to present an affirmative psychiatric defense in his case. The strategy would involve presenting mental health evidence to address questions of his state of mind at the time of the shooting. The announcement adds a new dimension to a case that has drawn intense national attention.

Nurse Lindsay Clancy, accused of killing her three children in Duxbury, Massachusetts in 2023, has returned to court for the first time since her trial ended in a mistrial. The case has drawn sustained national attention, with debate centering on her mental state, the psychiatric medication she was taking, and questions over whether she can receive a fair trial in the area.

A St. Louis Post-Dispatch Messenger column asks why Missouri is not repurposing vacant hospital buildings to address the state's mental health crisis. The argument: as hospitals consolidate and close facilities, empty beds and wards could be converted into treatment space at a time when demand for psychiatric care far outstrips capacity. The piece frames the idea as a practical fix for a shortage that leaves many Missourians without timely care.

Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts woman charged with killing her three young children in January 2023, has returned to court as her defense team argues the murder charges should be dismissed. Lawyers contend she was experiencing severe mental illness and psychiatric medication effects at the time. The hearing keeps the case, already among the most closely followed in the region, in the headlines.

Psychiatric Times has published guidance on the menopause transition and its impact on mental health, aimed at clinicians. The piece outlines what psychiatric and primary care providers need to know when treating women in perimenopause and menopause, a period associated with elevated risk of depression, anxiety and mood changes.

Tennessee state officials have reversed their decision on where to build a replacement hospital for the Moccasin Bend mental health facility in Chattanooga, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The change of plans affects the site selected for the new psychiatric hospital, though details on the new preferred location or the reasons for the reversal have not yet been laid out.

Psychiatric Times reports on metabolic psychiatry, an emerging approach that combines nutritional interventions with pharmacological treatment to address mental health disorders. The field focuses on how metabolic health, including diet and factors like insulin resistance, may influence psychiatric conditions, and clinicians are increasingly exploring diet-based strategies alongside conventional medication to improve patient outcomes.

Psychiatric Times reports on the potential of ketogenic metabolic therapy as an adjunct treatment for serious mental illness. The article examines how a ketogenic diet, already used for epilepsy, may help address metabolic dysfunction linked to conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder when combined with standard psychiatric care, while clinicians weigh the evidence and practical challenges of dietary interventions in mental health treatment.

Behavioral Health Business reports on how 'connected safety' systems are being positioned as a defining feature of the psychiatric hospital of the future. The piece examines how real-time monitoring and connected devices are being used to protect patients in behavioral health settings and reduce risk, framing technology integration as a shift in how inpatient psychiatric care is designed and delivered.

Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother charged with killing her three young children in 2023, appeared in court as her defence lawyer argued for the murder case to be dismissed. The case has drawn wide attention because of questions over her mental state and the psychiatric medication she was taking at the time. A ruling on the dismissal motion remains pending.