While it might seem as if the Kirks are trading one addiction for another, Christian Hopfer, a substance abuse expert at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, says it’s good they’ve found healthy habits to replace time spent drinking. “When people quit using [drugs or alcohol], they often find they have a lot of time on their hands,” Hopfer says. “You have to fill it doing something else, and it has to be rewarding.”
5280, December 2019
Emergency doctors at Denver Health have noticed the age of their patients has been dropping over the last six months. Audrey Dumas, who works in the Psychiatric Emergency Department at Denver Health [and is assistant professor of psychiatry at CU School of Medicine], said they’re seeing children come through the hospital emergency doors every day.
9News, Dec. 4, 2019
In 2018, Children’s Hospital saw the most psychiatric emergency visits — about 4,100 — in a 10-year period. However the number has decreased slightly, with the facility estimating it will have 3,700 visits this year, said Jason Williams, operations director for the Pediatric Mental Health Institute at the hospital [and associate adjunct professor of psychiatry at CU School of Medicine].
As the nation struggles with a persistent epidemic of opioid addiction, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is taking a critical step that will allow its graduates to better treat patients and save lives.
Jay Shore, director of telemedicine at the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, sees native Alaskan patients via video links…. Video consultations are also increasingly being used in emergency medicine. “Most emergency departments are challenged to deal with psychiatric emergencies,” explains Shore.
The number one risk factor for becoming depressed during pregnancy is having a prior history of depression, Helen L. Coons, psychiatry professor at University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, tells Health.
As part of World Alzheimer’s Month in September, CU Anschutz Today interviewed Neill Epperson, MD, Chair of the CU Department of Psychiatry.
In this interview, Dr. Epperson and Kristin O'Neill discuss the relationship between women’s brain health and dementia, in an effort to better understand why Alzheimer’s affects women more than men, and what, if any, preventative strategies women can use to protect themselves against the onset of dementia.
The Colorado Journal of Psychiatry and Psychology is now seeking contributions for issues in 2020. Past issues have been topical but each future issue will include a variety of articles of general interest.
Five Colorado-based philanthropic funders came together in a tremendous effort to address the state’s workforce shortage related to infant and early childhood mental health.
Jon Blank underwent deep brain stimulation to help control his obsessive-compulsive disorder. Today, he’s reaching new heights on his snowboard, earning his master’s degree and feeling happiness for the first time in years. Watch Jon’s journey and subscribe to the Best of Us channel to see more extraordinary stories.
Bruce Gordon was in incredible shape. Suddenly he was sweating and had tightness in his chest. He couldn't believe he was having a heart attack. Something Bruce had always feared would happen. After his experience, he now understands the importance of taking care of your mental health as much as your physical health.
A hugely successful annual gala put the focus on the Friends of the Haven, with proceeds going to support unfunded programs and services at the Haven and Baby Haven. The programs are located within the Addiction Research & Treatment Services (ARTS) organization in the Department of Psychiatry, CU School of Medicine.
A crowd of 229 guests, including more than 100 new supporters, attended the springtime event at CU South Denver in Lone Tree. The gala raised $177,000 – the most in the event’s history.
The Neuropsychiatric Special Care (NSC) Unit used to experience an OSHA-recordable team member injury every 20 days. Learn how they increased the time between OSHA-recordable events by 2,900% — all while reducing the amount of time patients in the unit spend in restraints by 408%. That success earned them the first-ever We Are Target Zero Award.