Psychiatry Consultation Liaison Service Research

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The clinical interactions between members of the Psychiatric Consultation Liaison Service and clinicians throughout the NIH intramural research program allows for unique research collaborations in the areas of psychiatric and psychosocial research in the medically ill. Patient-subjects enrolled in research trials in other Institutes at the NIH offer unparalleled opportunities to explore the roles of specific genes (e.g., monogenic diseases) and specific therapies (e.g., interferon alpha in hepatitis) in psychiatry and neurodevelopment. PCLS Neuropsychology Consultations were initiated in October 2008. The service has performed over 200 neuropsychological evaluations. Two-thirds of these evaluations for neurocognitive phenotyping of medical disorders have been as a result of research collaborations between NIMH and other Institutes such as NIAMS, NHGRI, NIAID. NHLBI, NINDS and others. Our suicide screen tool revalidation and suicide screening of medically ill children in a pediatric emergency room is well-underway with enrollment at all three sites (Washington, D.C., Boston, Massachusetts, and Columbus, Ohio) proceeding. Collaboration with mental health and pediatric oncology clinicians has led to the development of a robust research program on psychiatric and psychosocial aspects of pediatric oncology care, culminating in the production of a handbook on psychological and psychiatric aspects of pediatric oncology care (see below). Several protocols are in data-collection phase including evaluation of a distress thermometer in pediatric medically ill populations and characterization of "lone" parenting. The Clinical Research Advocates of the Human Subjects Protections Unit (HSPU), in the Office of the Clinical Director, have produced an informed consent training video that will be piloted in the coming year. In addition, they will presenting this coming year on their experiences regarding implementing processes to standardize the evaluation and protection of vulnerable subjects in research. This research has resulted in multiple publications listed below, several posters, and more than a dozen national presentations in the past year.