Medical conditions with psychiatric manifestations

Area of Science:

• Adolescent medicine
• Psychiatry
• General medicine

Background:

• Medical conditions can manifest with psychiatric symptoms, sometimes overshadowing the primary illness.
• Adolescents presenting with psychiatric symptoms may have an underlying treatable medical condition.
• A biopsychosocial approach highlights the interaction between medical and psychiatric domains.

Purpose of the Study:

• To emphasize the importance of considering medical conditions in adolescents with psychiatric symptoms.
• To advocate for a collaborative model between primary care, mental health, and specialty care providers.

Main Methods:

• Review of the interplay between medical conditions and psychiatric symptoms in adolescents.
• Discussion of the biopsychosocial model in adolescent healthcare.
• Case examples illustrating the impact of medical treatment on psychiatric symptoms.

Main Results:

• Treating underlying medical conditions can resolve psychiatric symptoms (e.g., adrenal insufficiency).
• Treatment of medical conditions may sometimes exacerbate psychiatric symptoms (e.g., Systemic Lupus Erythematosus).
• Comprehensive care requires integrated services from multiple medical specialists.

Conclusions:

• Mental health providers must be vigilant for underlying medical conditions in adolescents.
• Primary care providers should perform thorough evaluations for psychiatric symptoms.
• A collaborative, integrated care model is essential for managing adolescents with medical conditions presenting with psychiatric symptoms.