The Academy by Psych Scene

Addiction is not just about reward.

It reflects predictable dysfunction across brain systems governing behaviour, learning, and control.

Here are 5 core neurobiological processes underlying addiction and relapse

(Click through to see all 5)

To learn more about addiction and its implications in clinical practice, click the link in the comments below and check our course in The Academy.

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2 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 13

The Academy by Psych Scene

More than 50% of patients with schizophrenia smoke tobacco. [Fond et al 2017]; [Dickerson et al 2018]; [Oluwoye et al 2019]

Despite heavily substantiated nicotine-induced metabolic and pharmacokinetic risks, this number refuses to drop.

This raises the question: “What does nicotine do that makes this specific patient population so uniquely dependent on it?”

Here’s a neurobiological breakdown of nicotine dependence in schizophrenic patients clinicians should know.

Want to learn more about the underlying neurobiology of schizophrenia and what updated clinical guidelines recommend to further optimise its management?

Join our webinar on The ANZJP GRADE Guidelines for the Management of Schizophrenia 2026, where we break down how latest evidence-based recommendations translate into real-world clinical decision-making.

Click the link in the comments below and save your spot now.

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3 days ago | [YT] | 11

The Academy by Psych Scene

“Concise, brief yet comprehensive. This course offers a simple overview of melancholic and psychotic depression.”

Melancholic and psychotic depression are distinct, severe forms of depression associated with high morbidity and suicide risk. Missing the specific clinical features of either condition can contribute to misdiagnosis and lead to delayed or suboptimal management.

That said, clinicians benefit from a systematic approach to differentiate these presentations from each other and from other forms of severe depression, using a structured diagnostic framework that translates findings into practical treatment decisions.

Led by Dr Sanil Rege, our Melancholic and Psychotic Depression – A Practical Guide offers a clinically focused discussion to strengthen diagnostic confidence and support practical management skills through evidence-based teaching and case studies.

In this course, you’ll learn how to:

- Differentiate melancholic depression and psychotic depression from each other and from other depressive presentations

- Diagnose both conditions using a structured diagnostic approach and clear diagnostic criteria

- Outline evidence-based management across pharmacological and psychotherapeutic strategies

- Apply practical management principles through real-world clinical scenarios

Accreditation:
✅ 2.5 CPD
✅ Self-accreditable with RANZCP
✅ RACGP accredited
✅ Certificate of completion

Start learning today. Click the link in the comments below.

4 days ago | [YT] | 3

The Academy by Psych Scene

Depression is not a single, uniform brain pattern.

It does not present the same way in every patient.

Sometimes it appears as rumination.
Sometimes as cognitive dysfunction.
Sometimes as emotional over-reactivity.

So how do we make sense of what’s happening beneath the surface? There is a structured way to approach this.

To learn how to apply models like the triple network model in clinical practice plus access over 150 hours of psychiatric content, click the link in the comments below and check out The Academy.

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4 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 7

The Academy by Psych Scene

PTSD treatment is not just about reducing symptoms.

The other half of the clinical equation is about interrupting the mechanisms that make the brain increasingly reactive over time.

To do so, there are 2 clinical PTSD concepts clinicians must take into full consideration in treatment planning.

To learn more about how to integrate neurobiological concepts such as kindling and sensitisation into effective PTSD treatment planning, click the link in the comments below and check out the full course inside The Academy.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 5

The Academy by Psych Scene

On average, Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is diagnosed 10 years after its onset. [Andrews et al 2018]

The reason? GAD-type worry is frequently confused with non-pathological worry, dismissed as a "normal" personality trait by both patients and clinicians.

But the boundary between the two isn't as blurry as it seems.

Here are 5 key differentiating factors clinicians may use to distinguish between GAD and non-pathological worry.

To learn more about the nuanced clinical differences between Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and non-pathological worry, click the link in the comments below and check out the full article inside Psych Scene Hub.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 9

The Academy by Psych Scene

For decades, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) has been clinically framed primarily through mood symptoms.

However, recent clinical studies have described a potential emerging biotype of MDD whose core pathology leans more towards cognition than just mood symptoms.

Here are 5 key clinical insights clinicians need to know about this emerging cognitive MDD biotype.

To learn more about the cognitive aspects of depression and nuances behind the potential emerging cognitive MDD biotype, click the link in the comments below and check out the full course inside The Academy.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 5

The Academy by Psych Scene

“I would 100% recommend this activity to colleagues, including psychiatry registrars and GPs seeking a comprehensive ADHD upskill. Dr Sanil Rege's clear, engaging presentation and excellent visuals made complex topics accessible.”

ADHD care does not work as simply as “one diagnosis, one manner of approach.” Rather, its presentation evolves across the lifespan, and so do the clinical blind spots that can lead to missed diagnoses, delayed treatment, or ineffective management efforts.

To bridge this gap, every clinician needs a structured, developmental approach that links diagnostic accuracy with practical, stage-specific management formulations.

Led by Dr Sanil Rege, our ADHD Excellence across the Lifespan: A Practical Guide for General Practitioners equips clinicians with evidence-based strategies and advanced, case-based prescribing methodologies designed for day-to-day ADHD care at every life stage.

In this course, you’ll learn how to:

Build a structured approach to assessing and diagnosing ADHD across the lifespan, including the use of validated screening tools

Differentiate ADHD presentations in children, adolescents, and adults, including frequently overlapping comorbidities

Implement evidence-based treatment strategies that combine pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches

Navigate complex ADHD prescribing decisions using safe, legal, and effective principles for stimulant and non-stimulant medications

Improve patient outcomes through personalised, guideline-based ADHD care across life stages

Accreditation:
✅ RACGP accredited
✅ GPMHSC approved for 8 FPS CPD hours
✅ 8 CPD hours (EA 5, RP 2, MO 1)
✅ Certificate of completion

Start learning today. Link in the comments below.

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 3

The Academy by Psych Scene

Addiction vulnerability is heritable.

While often framed as a brain reward-system dysfunction, clinical studies suggest that genetic factors are estimated to account for around 40-60% of addiction risk, with inherited vulnerability contributing to susceptibility. [Volkow et al., 2019]

This raises the next question: How does inherited risk translate into biological vulnerability, and what does that mean in clinical practice?

To learn more about genetic vulnerability to addiction and its clinical implications, click the link in the comments below and check out the full article on Psych Scene Hub.

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1 week ago | [YT] | 8

The Academy by Psych Scene

Around 70% of adults globally experience at least one traumatic event, with a proportion of individuals subsequently developing PTSD. [Benjet et al., 2016]

However, standard clinical approaches to PTSD remain largely binary: patients either meet the symptom checklist, or they don't.

But what if underlying pathological processes begin long before the DSM checklist is met?

To bridge this gap, here’s a 5-stage clinical staging approach to PTSD clinicians can apply in practice.

To learn more about how to personalise PTSD treatment based on neurobiological and psychological staging, click the link in the comments below and check out the full course inside The Academy.

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 7