Mastering Psychiatry for NEET-PG and INI-CET in Just 2 Days

2‑Day Plan (quick)

  • Day 1: Diagnostic foundations, mood disorders, anxiety/OCD, trauma‑related, psychosis/catatonia.
  • Day 2: Substance use, child psychiatry, personality, somatic/eating/sleep, psychotherapies, psychopharmacology.
  • Revision: High‑yield differentials, emergencies, drug side effects and monitoring, top screening tools.

1) Diagnostic foundations

  • Mental Status Examination (appearance, behavior, speech, mood/affect, thought form/content, perception, cognition, insight, judgment).
  • Psychopathology terms: delusion types, hallucinations vs illusions, thought blocking, loosening, obsession vs compulsion, overvalued idea.
  • DSM/ICD basics at concept level; symptom duration cut‑offs for key disorders.
  • Risk assessment: suicide/homicide/self‑neglect; safety planning basics.

2) Capacity, consent, confidentiality (concepts)

  • Decision‑making capacity: understand, appreciate, reason, express a choice.
  • Informed consent; emergencies; when to break confidentiality (imminent risk).
  • Fitness for interview statement (concept); documentation basics.

3) Mood disorders

  • Major depressive disorder: core symptoms, atypical features, specifiers (melancholic, psychotic, seasonal).
  • Bipolar I/II: mania vs hypomania features; mixed features; rapid cycling (concept).
  • Dysthymia (persistent depressive disorder); cyclothymia.
  • Treatment overview: SSRIs/SNRIs, bupropion/mirtazapine, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics for bipolar; ECT for severe/psychotic depression or suicidality.

4) Anxiety disorders and OCD

  • Panic disorder; agoraphobia; specific phobias; social anxiety; generalized anxiety disorder.
  • Obsessive‑compulsive disorder: obsession vs compulsion; contamination/checking/symmetry themes.
  • Treatment overview: CBT/exposure, SSRIs/SNRIs; benzodiazepines short‑term only; clomipramine for OCD.

5) Trauma‑ and stress‑related

  • Acute stress disorder vs PTSD (duration difference); intrusion/avoidance/negative cognitions/hyperarousal.
  • Adjustment disorder basics.
  • First‑line therapy: trauma‑focused psychotherapy; SSRIs for PTSD; prazosin for nightmares (concept).

6) Psychotic disorders and catatonia

  • Schizophrenia spectrum: positive vs negative symptoms; brief psychotic, schizophreniform, schizophrenia.
  • Schizoaffective vs mood disorder with psychotic features (timing logic).
  • Catatonia: immobility, mutism, posturing, negativism; lorazepam challenge; ECT if refractory.

7) Substance use disorders (high‑yield)

  • Alcohol: intoxication, withdrawal, delirium tremens; thiamine before glucose; relapse prevention (naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfiram concept).
  • Opioids: intoxication (miosis, respiratory depression); withdrawal (yawning, lacrimation, piloerection); naloxone for overdose; buprenorphine/methadone for maintenance.
  • Benzodiazepines: withdrawal seizures risk; gradual taper; flumazenil caution.
  • Stimulants (cocaine/amphetamines): sympathetic surge; complications.
  • Nicotine: dependence, withdrawal; NRT, varenicline, bupropion.
  • Cannabis: intoxication features; cannabinoid hyperemesis (concept).

8) Child & adolescent psychiatry

  • ADHD: symptoms in ≥2 settings; stimulants and behavioral therapy.
  • Autism spectrum: social communication deficits; restricted/repetitive behaviors; early intervention.
  • Conduct disorder vs oppositional defiant disorder: key differences.
  • Tourette syndrome: motor+vocal tics; behavioral therapy; meds when severe.
  • Elimination disorders: enuresis (bed‑wetting) basics.

9) Somatic symptom, factitious, malingering

  • Somatic symptom disorder vs illness anxiety disorder (preoccupation vs symptoms).
  • Conversion (functional neurological) disorder basics.
  • Factitious (intentional symptoms without external gain) vs malingering (external gain).

10) Eating & feeding disorders

  • Anorexia nervosa (restricting vs binge/purge); medical complications (electrolytes, bradycardia); refeeding risk.
  • Bulimia nervosa: binge+compensation; normal/overweight; parotid swelling, dental erosion.
  • Binge‑eating disorder basics.

11) Sleep‑wake basics

  • Insomnia disorder overview; sleep hygiene.
  • Circadian rhythm disorders (shift work) concept.
  • Parasomnias vs dyssomnias (simple differentiators).

12) Personality disorders (clusters)

  • Cluster A: paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal.
  • Cluster B: antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic.
  • Cluster C: avoidant, dependent, obsessive‑compulsive (personality).
  • Hallmark features and quick differentiators.

13) Sexual dysfunctions & related concepts

  • Desire, arousal, orgasm, pain disorders (concept level); rule out medical/substance causes.
  • Gender dysphoria (concept only).
  • Paraphilic disorders: brief awareness only.

14) Psychotherapies (what to match to what)

  • CBT (distorted thoughts/behaviors), exposure/response prevention (OCD), DBT (borderline), motivational interviewing (substance), family therapy (adolescents), supportive therapy.
  • Psychoeducation and relapse prevention plans.

15) Psychopharmacology quick hits

  • Antidepressants: SSRIs/SNRIs first line; mirtazapine (weight gain/sedation), bupropion (avoid in seizures/eating disorders); TCAs (anticholinergic, cardiotoxicity); MAOIs (tyramine crisis).
  • Antipsychotics: typical vs atypical; EPS (dystonia, akathisia, parkinsonism, tardive dyskinesia); NMS; hyperprolactinemia; metabolic syndrome; QTc concerns; clozapine (agranulocytosis, myocarditis, seizures; monitoring basics).
  • Mood stabilizers: lithium (levels, hypothyroidism, nephrogenic DI, Ebstein anomaly risk; renal/thyroid monitoring); valproate (hepatotoxicity, pancreatitis, teratogenicity); carbamazepine (agranulocytosis, hyponatremia, SJS); lamotrigine (rash/SJS).
  • Anxiolytics/sleep: benzodiazepines (short‑term), buspirone, hydroxyzine; Z‑drugs overview.
  • ECT: main indications (severe depression with suicidality/psychosis, catatonia, pregnancy); common adverse effects (transient memory issues).

16) Emergencies & differentials

  • Serotonin syndrome vs NMS: onset, neuromuscular findings, autonomic changes, key treatments (cyproheptadine vs dantrolene/supportive).
  • Lithium toxicity: GI, neuro signs; stop drug, fluids; consider dialysis in severe.
  • Agitated patient approach: rule out medical causes; de‑escalation; IM antipsychotic/benzodiazepine when needed; monitor vitals.

17) Scales & screening tools (know names/purpose)

  • PHQ‑9, HAM‑D for depression (concept); GAD‑7 for anxiety.
  • Y‑BOCS for OCD; PANSS for schizophrenia (concept level); MDQ for bipolar screening.
  • MMSE/MoCA for cognition; CAGE/AUDIT for alcohol.

18) Last‑day revision

  • Diagnostic time cut‑offs and quick differentiators (PTSD vs ASD; schizoaffective vs mood with psychosis).
  • EPS types and first‑line management; NMS flags.
  • Lithium/valproate/carbamazepine/lamotrigine: one‑line side effect + monitor.
  • Clozapine must‑knows (agranulocytosis, myocarditis, seizures; monitoring).
  • Suicide risk factors and immediate safety steps.

19) Practice pattern

  • MCQs in timed blocks (25–50); write one rule you learned from each error.
  • Mix recall with vignettes; simulate decision steps (diagnosis → first line → monitor).
  • Keep small cards for: EPS management, bipolar drug choices, antidepressant side‑effect patterns, suicide assessment steps.
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