So, You’ve Been Told You Have Bipolar Disorder
Help them process a new diagnosis. Refer your patients who were just diagnosed with bipolar disorder to this useful handout, which explains the basics of the condition and what to do next in simple, easy to understand terms.
New on NP Psych Navigator

Clinical Insights
Understanding the Unique Training and Value of Nurse Practitioners
In this podcast, Pradeep Manudhane, MD of Phoenix Rising Behavioral Health, interviews Jessica Giddens-Whelan, DNP, BA, APRN, FPMHNP-BC, RN-BC of Holon Inclusive Health System, to better understand the role NPs play in the primary care setting and explore areas of need which NPs could fill.

Psychiatric Scales
Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)
The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is used to assess daytime sleepiness in adults.1 The prevalence of daytime sleepiness in people with depressive symptoms is high—ranging from about 40%-50%.2 Clinicians can consider using the ESS to measure daytime sleepiness in patients experiencing depressive episodes. The ESS has demonstrated a positive association with depressive scores (e.g., on the Beck Depression Inventory) in people with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).3

Clinical Article
Clinician Descriptions of Communication Strategies to Improve Treatment Engagement by Racial/Ethnic Minorities in Mental Health Services: A Systematic Review
Aggarwal et al. (2016) conducted a systematic literature review to identify patient-clinician communication factors that could account for low mental health treatment engagement rates among patients of racial/ethnic minority status.