Mind Dive

Patient portals, consumer privacy and mental health apps, oh my! How has the continual progression of informatics affected psychiatric care and what can we expect in the future?

Dive into this episode of Mind Dive Podcast with John Torous, MD, MBI, director of the digital psychiatry division in the Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center—a Harvard Medical School affiliated teaching hospital. Hosts Dr. Bob Boland and Dr. Kerry Horrell lead this lively conversation on navigating mental health care in a modern age as a clinician and approaches to advising patients on the dos and don’ts of integrating technology in their treatment. 

“It’s worth asking your patients if they’re using any apps,” said Dr. Torous. “About half your patients will try a supplementary mental health app at some point. It’s always good to open up an informed discussion about how their privacy is handled in these cases.” 

To view an index of mental health apps, visit mindapps.org. 

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Listen to Episode 14: The Measurement of Wisdom with Dr. Dilip Jeste 

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Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

The concept of wisdom may be younger than you think, dating only back to the 1970s. Join hosts Dr. Bob Boland and Dr. Kerry Horrell on this episode of Mind Dive podcast as they speak with Dr. Dilip Jeste. Dive into this conversation with one of the most prolific researchers on the topic as the great questions of wisdom are explored, including “Can you measure it?” and “Do we become wiser with age?” 

Dr. Jeste previously served as the Senior Associate Dean for Healthy Aging and Senior Care, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Estelle and Edgar Levi Memorial Chair in Aging, Director of the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, and Co-Director of the UC San Diego Center on Artificial Intelligence for Healthy Living. He is a geriatric neuropsychiatrist specializing in successful psychosocial aging and the neurobiology of wisdom. 

“We teach the facets of reading, writing and arithmetic, but not how someone can fully understand another’s emotions through empathy, compassion, self-compassion, self-reflection and emotional regulation,” said Dr. Jeste. “These factors make us happy and contented—the most important thing in our lives. If we make it a habit to work on this, I do believe in society’s capacity to change for the better.” 

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Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership roles in mental health.

Listen to Episode 13: The Psychiatry of Youth Gang Violence with Dr. Christopher Thomas 

Resources mentioned in this episode: “Wiser: The Scientific Roots of Wisdom, Compassion, and What Makes Us Good”

Follow The Menninger Clinic on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email [email protected]. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! 

Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

How dangerous can extreme antisocial behavior become in a young person’s life? When mixed with truancy and the drug trade, a perfect storm brewed in the 1990s as youth gangs proliferated across the country. While tales of gang-related violence once dominated nightly news in households nationwide, it has experienced a steep decline in the last 20 years. In some cities, like Galveston, Texas, the decrease can be partially attributed to a collection of local officials and mental health professionals who approached the situation with an “it takes a village to raise a child” mindset. 

Dr. Christopher Thomas, the Robbert L. Stubblefield Professor of Child Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston joins this episode of the Mind Dive podcast alongside hosts Dr. Bob Boland and Dr. Kerry Horrell to discuss the transformative work he spearheaded on the island of Galveston. 

Dr. Thomas shares his experience heading a 1992 mayoral task force that strategically targeted the roots of the youth gang issue through teaching empathy in schools, addressing deprogramming needed in post-gang life and uplifting positive role models. Community leaders, nonprofit organizations, teachers, law enforcement and mental health professionals came together to pave better futures for the young islanders by addressing mental health factors and other challenges. Through these efforts, the community saw an 80% reduction in gang-related violent crimes and an unprecedented homicide rate of 0% in under three years. 

Dr. Thomas talks about the communitywide nature of the effort.  “We can’t tell the difference between the ones that we can save and the ones we can’t,” said Dr. Thomas. “Ultimately, everyone is worthy of a chance.” 

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Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership roles in mental health.

Listen to Episode 12: The Cases That Changed Neuropsychiatry with Dr. Sheldon Benjamin 

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Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

Does a case from the 1940s of a man with no frontal lobe greatly impact what modern clinicians know about mental health treatment? When “old school” brain imaging found the patient now known as “JP” to be missing a severe amount of his frontal lobe, the neuropsychiatry case became the first of its kind in understanding how the physical components of the brain affect a patient’s psychiatric health. Named in the 2018 article, “Six Landmark Case Reports Essential for Neuropsychiatric Literacy”, by Dr. Sheldon Benjamin, the study of JP became crucial to modern neuropsychiatric understanding of the frontal lobe’s function. 

On this episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast, Dr. Benjamin joins hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell and Dr. Bob Boland to discuss his experience curating a collection of landmark cases in neuropsychiatry, now considered a valued resource in the field. Awarded with the UMass Chan Chancellor’s Medal for Distinguished Teaching as well as the  ANPA’s Gary J. Tucker Lifetime Achievement Award in Neuropsychiatry, Dr. Benjamin is a professor of psychiatry and neurology and serves as Director of Neuropsychiatry and Vice Chair for Education at University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine. 

“The reason this case is so important is that it shows, where we now have the brain pathology to back it up, that prefrontal damage can cause a permanent, lasting personality change and certain cognitive changes without affecting others,” said Dr. Benjamin. “It transformed the understanding of the prefrontal cortex’s role in child development.” 

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Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership roles in mental health.

Listen to Episode 11: Practicing Mental Health Care in the Age of Technology with Dr. John Luo 

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Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

While psychologists, psychiatrists and counselors are not yet concerned about robots taking their jobs, the question arises that, with ever-evolving technology resources at our fingertips, has treatment in the mental health field become simpler or more complex for clinicians? From increased legibility of doctors’ notes and prescriptions to medical records being more accessible than ever for patients and providers, many aspects of healthcare have become streamlined. In tandem, the digitization of everything can also cause new, unique challenges. 

Dive into this episode of The Menninger Clinic’s Mind Dive Podcast alongside hosts Dr. Bob Boland and Dr. Kerry Horrell as they speak with one of the first adopters of technology in psychiatry, Dr. John Luo. Dr. Luo is the Director of Emergency & Consultation-Liaison at University of California Irvine Medical Center and considered a pioneer of informatics in mental health care.  

On this episode, Dr. Luo offers advice to fellow clinicians on “meaningful use” of technology, how the digital age calls for much needed boundaries concerning social media and how clinicians roles in their patients’ lives will not become obsolete in favor of artificial intelligence.  

“One of the strengths of our profession in mental health is the connection to people,” said Dr. Luo, “That’s going to be very hard to replicate by any technological advance.” 

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Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership roles in mental health.

Listen to Episode 10: Treating Sexual Assault Survivors with Dr. Laura Wilson 

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Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

As an expert in post-trauma functioning, particularly in survivors of sexual violence or mass trauma, clinical psychologist Dr. Laura Wilson brings to light the importance of understanding risk factors associated with multiple forms off victimization and finding the right language to use in the process of treating survivors. 

On this episode of the Mind Dive Podcast, hosts Dr. Bob Boland and Dr. Kerry Horrell are joined by Dr. Wilson, an Associate Professor of Psychological Science at the University of Mary Washington, to discuss the intricacies of treating sexual assault survivors. 

“Tailor your intervention approach to the specific needs of the survivor,” said Dr. Wilson, “Each person is going to have a different lived experience and reactions from people in their lives. We must be flexible and pause and think about what this person would benefit from. This can be challenging because it’s a different skillset than more manualized treatments.” 

From a clinician’s first reaction to a disclosure to their cultivation of meaningful language and continued introspection into personal feelings around the topic, mental health clinicians must approach treating a survivor of sexual assault with utmost care. As professionals navigate helping their patients through high profile societal conversations about sexual assault, coping mechanisms and more, Dr. Wilson says the most valuable skills to employ are patience and empathy. 

For further education into this topic, see Dr. Wilson’s book with co-author Amie R. Newins, “A Clinician’s Guide to Disclosures of Sexual Assault (ABCT Clinical Practice Series)”

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Listen to Episode 9: Understanding Projective Identification with Dr. Philip Muskin

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Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

Defense mechanisms: we all have them. One of the trickier defense mechanisms for most clinicians to understand is projective identification, in which an individual projects qualities deemed unacceptable to the self onto another individual, who internalizes the feeling while believing it to be their own. What steps should a clinician take when projective identification infiltrates relationships with patients or fellow clinicians? Dr. Philip Muskin of the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry offers advice to mental health professionals on how to manage these dilemmas through always valuing a second opinion.  

On this episode of Mind Dive podcast, Dr. Bob Boland and Dr. Kerry Horrell speak with Dr. Muskin on the seemingly elusive definition of projective identification and its relationship to the work of therapists.. Dive into this exploration of how the issue presents itself in personal, professional and clinician-patient relationships, in which feelings of hopelessness or anxiety can occur even when they are not our own. 

“The important thing to remember about projective identification is that it is a normal human phenomenon,” said Dr. Muskin, “Don’t interpret feelings to anyone until you’re able to understand what you’re feeling and normalize it for yourself.” 

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Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership roles in mental health.

Listen to Episode 8: Exploring Autism Spectrum Disorder with Dr. Temple Grandin

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Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

Not all great minds think alike. The path to understanding how to best nurture an autistic individual often begins with understanding their way of thinking. Dr. Temple Grandin poses that a great disservice is done to both society and the individual when we fail to focus on the strengths of those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), limiting their lifestyle based on perceived weaknesses instead. 

Join this episode of Mind Dive podcast alongside hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell and Dr. Bob Boland as they discuss with Dr. Grandin the ways clinicians, parents and other role models can better advocate for their autistic children and nurture growth for a productive and fulfilling future. Also explored are the notable differences between object visualization and pattern visualization and how this relates to the understanding of neurodivergent thinking. 

“The first step is realizing the thinking is different, and then figuring out how you have complimentary skills,” said Dr. Grandin, using her own experiences on a food processing plant as an example, “You need to have these different kinds of minds to succeed in a large-scale operation.” 

Dr. Grandin is a world-renowned author, inventor, Doctor of Animal Science and expert of both animal behavior and autism. Diagnosed with autism herself, she is one of the first individuals to write of her personal experiences and is a leading advocate for autism rights and the neurodiversity movement. 

Dr. Temple Grandin’s books mentioned in this episode: Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns and Abstractions and The Outdoor Scientist: The Wonder of Observing the Natural World.

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Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership roles in mental health. 

Listen to Episode 7: Religion & Spirituality in Therapeutic Approaches with Dr. Jim Lomax

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Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

Can you fully understand your patient’s perspective without first understanding their religious or spiritual inclinations? When it comes to treating spiritual patients, Dr. Jim Lomax, M.D., contends that knowing their steadfast beliefs is a crucial factor in understanding their reactions and needs in mental health care. He urges clinicians to leave behind the notion that understanding a patient’s spirituality is antithetical to therapy or “anti-science.” 

Dr. Jim Lomax is the Karl Menninger Chair for Psychiatric Education, former Brown Foundation Chair for Psychoanalysis, and Associate Chairman and Director of Educational Programs in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine.

Join hosts Dr. Bob Boland and Dr. Kerry Horrell on this episode of Mind Dive podcast as Dr. Lomax draws on his expertise and experience to express to clinicians the importance of understanding a patient in the midst of spiritual struggle. He explores the notion that positive religious coping can be a beneficial tool in some mental health journeys. 

“To simply be curious and to wonder with patients is a real value,” said Dr. Lomax, “This is one of the best ways to produce a sense of healing as restoration to community for your patients.” 

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Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership roles in mental health. 

Listen to Episode 6: Building Trust in Therapeutic Relationships with Dr. Jon Allen

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Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health. 

The analysis of the patient is an expected part of therapy, but clinicians may forget this dynamic creates an equal analysis of the doctor by the patient. Rather than a process of therapy, the two-way street of trust is an ideal outcome of a relationship between patient and clinician that must be nourished. Some argue that this is, by far, the most important fundamental element in a successful therapeutic approach. 

On this episode of Mind Dive podcast, Dr. Jon Allen brings attention to the functions of trust in a therapeutic relationship, noting something often neglected in psychotherapy literature. Dr. Allen, author of Trusting in Psychotherapy, previously served 40 years as a senior staff psychologist at The Menninger Clinic, and currently holds a position as a clinical professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Baylor College of Medicine. 

Dive into this episode alongside hosts Dr. Kerry Horrell and Dr. Bob Boland as they explore how clinicians can better nurture a therapeutic relationship built on trust to support the overall quality of mental health care for their patients.

“Think about the quality of the relationship as the fundamental, impactful aspect of psychotherapy,” said Dr. Allen, “Trust is not a common factor that’s been studied, but I think of trust as the superordinate common factor.” 

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Visit www.menningerclinic.org to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership roles in mental health. 

Listen to Episode 5: Reducing Suicide Risk Through Wearable Technology with Dr. Michelle Patriquin

Follow The Menninger Clinic on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date on new Mind Dive episodes. To submit a topic for discussion, email [email protected]. If you are a new or regular listener, please leave us a review on your favorite listening platform! 

Visit The Menninger Clinic website to learn more about The Menninger Clinic’s research and leadership role in mental health.