Recent Pharmacological Guidelines for Difficult-to-Treat Mental Disorders

Reassessment and adjustments in pharmacological treatment are common in the care of serious mental illness. Common adulthood mental disorders that are associated with significant personal risks for poor functional outcomes if response to treatment is inadequate are major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. The current review of clinical practice guidelines, published within the past 3 years, examines stepwise treatment recommendations based on level of response to first-line treatment trials of adequate dose and duration.