Current Research in Psychiatry

The past decade in science has seen an influx of new research articles showing the relationship between the human gut microbiome and its direct or indirect effect on the Central Nervous System (CNS). Much of the current research points to microbial therapy as a potential treatment option for many mental health disorders and conditions.

Our previous article, Technology-Based Mental Health Treatment and the Impact on the Therapeutic Alliance, explored factors that influence the therapeutic alliance when treatment was delivered via telemental health, such as video conferencing or telephone. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of telemental health became a necessity rather than simply a preference. In this commentary, we explore the use of telemental health in direct response to COVID-19 social distancing orders and offer updated suggestions around best practices for building and maintaining alliance in technology-based mental health treatments.

Though the term “treatment resistance” (TR) is increasingly applied in psychiatry, consensus regarding definition, criteria, and utility of the concept are missing, and treatments beyond pharmacological are seldom considered in diagnosis or staging methods. Resultingly, calculations of the incidence and prevalence of TR and meta-analysis of interventional strategies are not possible.

In sports and exercise medicine, the conversation around performance has matured. Once defined almost exclusively by physiological metrics—speed, endurance, strength—the field now acknowledges a broader truth: athletic excellence and mental well-being are inseparable.