Ryan E. Behren

By Ryan E. Behren Introduction The use of substances commonly known as “psychedelics” has garnered bipartisan support for the treatment of mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and treatment-resistant depression (TRD). In 2017, 2018, and 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted a Breakthrough Therapy Designation to psilocybin (commonly known as psychedelic mushrooms) for the treatment of MDD[1] and TRD[2] and...

By Ryan E. Behren The United States healthcare system is currently facing a devastating, yet complex, ethical dilemma in its hospitals. A shortage of psychiatric beds in U.S. hospitals has created a crisis where it is possible for patients suffering from psychiatric emergencies to wait months in an emergency department (ED) for a psychiatric bed. The practice of holding patients in EDs as they await a bed is known as “boarding.” [1] Psychiatric boarding has become a pressing issue due to...