Psychiatrist Effect in First-Episode Psychosis: HAMLETT Study, Antipsychotic Tapering, Dopamine Supersensitivity & Sex Differences with Franciska de Beer

In this episode, Dr. Puder sits down with Franciska de Beer, MSc, first author of landmark HAMLETT-OPHELIA Consortium papers in JAMA Psychiatry, World Psychiatry, and Psychological Medicine. They dive deep into the psychiatrist effect in first-episode psychosis, revealing that individual psychiatrists explain approximately 10% of variance in positive symptom improvement and daily functioning, even after controlling for medication dose. The conversation explores groundbreaking HAMLETT findings on early antipsychotic tapering versus maintenance, dopamine supersensitivity after high-affinity D2 blockers, sex differences in treatment outcomes and clozapine levels during menopause, and why shared decision-making and reflective functioning matter more than ever in psychosis care.

 

By listening to this episode, you can earn 1.25 Psychiatry CME Credits.

Link to blog

Link to YouTube video