Encouraging Adherence to Care for People with Schizophrenia
Receiving a diagnosis of schizophrenia can be difficult to understand and accept, both as a caregiver and as a patient, due to stigma surrounding the disease. Caregivers can play a significant role in adherence to care. Even patients who understand their diagnosis still may have questions and concerns, and they can benefit from the support of a caregiver.
Recommended on NP Psych Navigator

NP Spotlights
NP Spotlight: Moushumi Mukerji, MSN, PMHNP-BC, CNM, RN
A career as a psychiatric nurse practitioner can be replete with challenges and opportunities. The NP Psych Navigator Spotlight is your chance to learn more about nurse practitioners who are working to advance the profession and mental health in general. In this installment of this series, we profile Moushumi Mukerji, MSN, PMHNP-BC, CNM, RN.

Clinical Article
Combining Medications to Enhance Depression Outcomes (CO-MED): Acute and Long-term Outcomes of a Single-blind Randomized Study
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic and disabling condition that affects up to 12% of men and 25% of women. MDD is recurrent, with many patients not achieving complete recovery between depressive episodes. The aim of treatment for MDD is remission, which is associated with improved functioning and prognosis.

Clinical Article
Effect of Antidepressant Switching vs Augmentation on Remission Among Patients With Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) Unresponsive to Antidepressant Treatment: the VAST-D Randomized Clinical Trial
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic condition that affects millions of Americans. Unfortunately, first-line monotherapy does not adequately address depressive symptoms for some MDD patients. The VA Augmentation and Switching Treatments for Improving Depression Outcomes (VAST-D) trial set out to determine the relative effectiveness and safety of 3 next-step treatments for MDD in patients who failed to respond adequately to at least 1 antidepressant treatment trial of adequate dose and duration. This clinical article summary shares the key findings of this landmark trial.