Publications

Disruptions of the circadian clock can contribute to or exacerbate vulnerability to substance use disorder in some populations. The laboratory of Dr. Colleen McClung (Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical and Translational Science) investigates the mechanisms by which circadian genes that regulate mood and impulsivity are involved in the risk for substance abuse. In a recent study published in the Journal of...

Compulsive behaviors are some of the most debilitating symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Unfortunately, these behaviors are notoriously resistant to current treatments. A recent study by Pitt Department of Psychiatry researchers is the first to identify abnormal connectivity between two brain regions, secondary motor area and striatum, as a possible cause of compulsive behavior, potentially opening...

For people living with bipolar disorder, challenging family relations can both result from and aggravate the disorder’s symptoms. Existing studies that examine the family environment of young people with familial risk for bipolar disorder have not distinguished whether stressors—such as high rates of conflict—are uniquely related to this disorder or are similarly experienced by families affected by other, non...

Non-prescribed use of stimulant medications, such as Adderall®, by young adults is a growing problem, particularly among college students. It is often fueled by drug diversion, or the transfer of a legally prescribed medication to another person for illicit use. Among college students, stimulant use is frequently motivated by a desire to enhance academic performance or to use the drug recreationally. A team of...

Major psychiatric disorders often arise during childhood and adolescence, especially among children whose parents have a psychiatric illness. Sleep patterns also shift substantially during the transition from childhood to adolescence. Sleep disturbances, often associated with most forms of psychopathology, have been identified as a promising behavioral intervention target to help treat young people with psychiatric...

Department of Psychiatry clinician-educator faculty devote their time, energy and passion to treating patients and training medical students and residents at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH). To fulfill WPH’s mission of providing the highest quality psychiatric care for our patients, they seek opportunities, on an ongoing basis, to refine and improve our services and treatments, as well as our medical...