Psychiatry Boot Camp

By Mark Mullen, MD

Your clear, practical introduction to the field of psychiatry. Each episode features a leading expert unpacking complex topics like suicide risk, schizophrenia, catatonia, and childhood anxiety.... more

4.8

193193 ratings

FAQs about Psychiatry Boot Camp:

How many episodes does Psychiatry Boot Camp have?

The podcast currently has 57 episodes available.

Best of Psychiatry Boot Camp

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: NAMI to FNIH: Grand Rounds on Mental Health Innovation w/ Dr. Christine Crawford & Steve Hoffmann
Dr. Mark Mullen welcomes Dr. Christine Crawford, Chief Medical Officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and author of You Are Not Alone: For Parents and Caregivers, alongside Steve Hoffmann, Senior Vice President and Chief Preclinical Officer at the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH). Dr. Crawford discusses NAMI's mission and its 650 chapters nationwide, the concept of the "distress radius" as a framework for identifying when a child's behavioral changes warrant professional evaluation, and practical strategies for engaging skeptical patients and families through primary care. She also highlights dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) as a broadly applicable clinical tool and underscores the importance of evidence-based education for patients and caregivers navigating the mental health system. The conversation then shifts to Steve Hoffmann's work at the FNIH, including the newly launching Multimodal Assessment and Phenotyping in Depression (MAPD) study, a longitudinal, multi-site initiative designed to identify biological, clinical, and digital biomarkers associated with depression subtypes. Hoffmann outlines the study's design, including neuroimaging, genetic testing, digital wearables, and patient-reported outcomes, with the goal of moving depression treatment away from a trial-and-error model toward a precision medicine approach. Dr. Crawford and Hoffmann both emphasize the importance of including patient voices in research design, drawing parallels to the foundational impact of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) on that field. Takeaways: The "distress radius" framework encourages parents to evaluate whether a child's behavioral changes extend beyond the home into school, social, and extracurricular settings as a signal for further evaluation. NAMI operates 650 chapters nationwide and offers peer-led support groups and educational workshops that clinicians can use as a clinical resource for patients and families. Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) skills, including emotional regulation and mindfulness techniques, have broad applicability beyond borderline personality disorder and may benefit general populations. The MAPD study aims to identify multimodal biomarkers, including neuroimaging, genetic, sleep, and digital data, to enable more precise, individualized depression treatment selection. Engaging primary care providers early in the mental health conversation can reduce reliance on long specialist wait lists and help identify safety concerns sooner. SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SimplePractice.com/bootcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Now with AI documentation! Exclusive 7 day free trial and 50% off four months) Learn more and get transcripts for EVERY episode at https://www.psychiatrybootcamp.com/ For Sales Inquiries & Ad Rates, Please Contact:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with HumanContent on Socials: @humancontentpods Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Human Content⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Chapters: 00:00 Meet the Guests 00:58 What NAMI Does 02:31 Why NAMI Matters 04:24 Why Write You Are Not Alone 05:38 Building a Parent Roadmap 09:08 Distress Radius Warning Signs 12:46 NAMI as a Clinical Resource 18:37 Skeptical Patients and Primary Care 23:29 DBT Skills Everyone Needs 26:56 Sponsor Break 29:26 What Is the FNIH 33:32 MAPD Mapping Depression 46:40 Hopes and Takeaways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 24, 202658min
Number 2: Inside Pediatric Emergency Psychiatry with Dr. Megan Schott
Dr. Mark Mullen welcomes Dr. Megan Schott, a child and adolescent psychiatrist specializing in pediatric emergency psychiatry, for a discussion on the escalating boarding crisis affecting youth in psychiatric emergencies. Dr. Schott, who has built pediatric emergency psychiatry programs from the ground up across multiple academic health systems, details how the presence of a trained child psychiatrist in the emergency department can reduce unnecessary admissions by more than half. The conversation examines the definition of boarding, the systemic and financial pressures that limit psychiatric bed availability for children, and the often-overlooked risks of inpatient hospitalization, including social, academic, and long-term consequences for young patients. The episode also features a supervision-style case discussion on managing a challenging conduct disorder presentation, along with a series of rapid-fire "hot takes" covering healthcare parity legislation, the risks social media platforms pose to adolescent safety, and practical guidance for emergency staff without access to a child psychiatrist. Takeaways: Having a trained child and adolescent psychiatrist in the pediatric ED can drastically reduce psychiatric admission rates Boarding is technically defined as remaining in the ED or on a medical floor for eight or more hours after a disposition decision has been made. Inpatient psychiatric admission carries real risks for children, including social stigma, academic disruption, and potential long-term consequences. Mobile crisis teams and psychiatric urgent care models offer promising alternatives to traditional ED-based psychiatric evaluation for lower-acuity cases. Clinicians should openly acknowledge systemic limitations to patients and families rather than overpromising solutions that the current system cannot deliver. SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SimplePractice.com/bootcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Now with AI documentation! Exclusive 7 day free trial and 50% off four months) Learn more and get transcripts for EVERY episode at https://www.psychiatrybootcamp.com/For Sales Inquiries & Ad Rates, Please Contact:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Human Content on Socials: @humancontentpodsProduced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Human Content⁠ Chapters 00:00 Meet Dr Megan Schott 01:44 Why CAPs in the ED 03:23 What Boarding Means 04:31 Why Beds Are Scarce 07:23 When Not to Admit 13:59 System Fixes and Crisis Teams 17:28 Tough Case Supervision 23:34 Cut Admin Burden 24:47 Medlines Podcast Plug 26:02 CPS Boarding Clash 32:33 Advocacy Beyond Psychiatry 34:02 Parity Law Hot Take 36:01 Social Media Dangers 38:31 ER Tips And Wrap Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 10, 202651min
Number 3: Connection, Not Correction: Motivational Interviewing with Dr. Allison Hadley
Dr. Mark Mullen welcomes Dr. Allison Hadley, a psychiatrist and medical director of the psychiatric emergency service at Oregon Health & Science University, for a discussion on motivational interviewing in high-acuity psychiatric settings. Dr. Hadley introduces a novel teaching framework that draws on Tina Fey's rules of improv from her memoir Bossy Pants, mapping core improv principles, including "yes, and," making statements rather than only asking questions, and treating perceived mistakes as opportunities, onto the foundational techniques of motivational interviewing. The conversation covers the OARS mnemonic (open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries), the relationship between motivational interviewing and trauma-informed care, and practical strategies for identifying and reinforcing patient change talk. The discussion also addresses the stages of change model and the ask-tell-ask method for delivering psychoeducation in a patient-centered way, along with harm reduction interventions used in the psychiatric emergency department, including methamphetamine safety kits. The episode concludes with an extended clinical role-play demonstrating how to apply these techniques with a patient presenting with anxiety and co-occurring cannabis use, illustrating how motivational interviewing can be used to build therapeutic alliance without alienating patients who are ambivalent about behavioral change. Takeaways: Motivational interviewing is considered a cornerstone, evidence-based treatment approach for substance use disorders in psychiatric practice. The improv principle of "yes, and" can be applied clinically by affirming an emotionally salient part of a patient's statement before introducing a new therapeutic direction. The OARS framework, open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries, provides a structured method for conducting motivational interviewing conversations. The ask-tell-ask method allows clinicians to deliver psychoeducation only when a patient has explicitly consented to receive it, preserving patient autonomy. Harm reduction tools, such as methamphetamine safety kits distributed in emergency settings, reflect an evidence-based, non-judgmental approach to meeting patients where they are in their stage of change. SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SimplePractice.com/bootcamp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Now with AI documentation! Exclusive 7 day free trial and 50% off four months) Learn more and get transcripts for EVERY episode at https://www.psychiatrybootcamp.com/ For Sales Inquiries & Ad Rates, Please Contact:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with HumanContent on Socials: @humancontentpods Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Human Content⁠ Chapters: 00:00 Why Motivational Interviewing 01:09 Meet Dr Allison Hadley 02:33 Who MI Is For 04:37 How MI Works 07:27 Tina Fey Improv Lens 09:06 Improv Rules In Practice 19:19 OARS Core Skills 23:13 Reflections That Land 24:25 Summaries And Change Talk 25:01 Sponsor Break 27:38 Spotting Change Talk Cues 32:08 Stages Of Change Basics 34:23 Ask Tell Ask In Practice 39:30 Roleplay And Final Takeaways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 07, 202651min
Number 4: Complex PTSD, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Diagnostic Validity with Dr. Mark L. Ruffalo
In this episode of Psychiatry Bootcamp, Dr. Mark Mullen is joined by Dr. Mark Ruffalo for an in-depth examination of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), a construct widely discussed in academic and public discourse, but not currently recognized as a distinct DSM diagnosis. The conversation situates C-PTSD within the historical and theoretical landscape of psychiatry, tracing its origins to Judith Herman’s work and examining its proposed relationship to borderline personality disorder and classical PTSD. Dr. Ruffalo explores core questions of diagnostic validity versus reliability, drawing on foundational psychiatric theory, communication models such as the double bind, and contemporary critiques of the DSM’s proliferation of categories. Listeners will gain a framework for understanding why diagnostic labels matter, how trauma-informed care can coexist with diagnostic rigor, and the potential clinical consequences of adopting constructs without clear discriminant validity. The episode emphasizes careful formulation, treatment matching, and ethical responsibility in an era of expanding diagnostic language. Takeaways: Complex PTSD lacks consensus diagnostic criteria, raising concerns about discriminant validity when compared with borderline personality disorder and PTSD. Diagnostic reliability is not the same as validity, a central limitation of DSM-based classification systems. Borderline personality disorder encompasses heterogeneous pathways, including, but not limited to, trauma exposure. Mislabeling can lead to mismatched treatment, particularly when trauma-focused approaches obscure underlying personality pathology. Thoughtful diagnosis strengthens, rather than harms, therapeutic alliance when delivered with empathy, dimensional framing, and attention to prognosis. SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Beat the Boards⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Boot camp listeners now get FREE access to over 4400 exam-style questions) Cozy Earth: Start the New Year off right and give your home the luxury it deserves, and make home the best part of life. Head to http://www.cozyearth.com and use my code BOOTCAMP for up to 20% off. And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth right here! Learn more and get transcripts for EVERY episode at https://www.psychiatrybootcamp.com/ For Sales Inquiries & Ad Rates, Please Contact:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with HumanContent on Socials: @humancontentpods Produced by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Human Content Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
February 23, 20261h 4min
Number 5: 1.4 Suicide Risk Assessment
Dr. Tyler Black, a suicidologist and child psychiatrist at British Columbia Children's Hospital, walks through common suicide myths, structuring the suicide risk assessment interview, common motivations for suicide, clinical decision making, best practices for documentation, and what works in preventing suicide. SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS: ⁠SimplePractice.com/bootcamp⁠ (Now with AI documentation! Exclusive 7 day free trial and 70% off four months) ⁠Oasis Psychiatry Conferences ⁠(enter code BOOTCAMP at checkout for additional 10% savings) ⁠Beat the Boards⁠ (enter code BOOTCAMP at checkout for addition 10% savings) ⁠CME to Go⁠ (enter code BOOTCAMP at checkout for addition 10% savings) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
February 27, 20231h 52min