Explain stress hormones, inflammation, and prolactin side-effects to a patient and partner — CASC communication station

Station brief

Format. Communication station, approximately 7–10 minutes after reading. You are the psychiatry registrar in an outpatient clinic. ^[2]

Candidate instructions. Build rapport. Explain how stress systems (HPA) and inflammation can influence energy, motivation, and mood without claiming cortisol or CRP diagnose depression. Place interferon as a known risk context for mood change. Address childhood trauma as a vulnerability factor, not irreversible doom. Explain risperidone-related prolactin effects in plain language and what monitoring/management means. Invite questions; safety-net severe medical symptoms. Avoid jargon dumps and invented certainty. ^[1][3][4][5]