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Article Title
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09/03/2010
The suicide rate among soldiers at Fort Carson is on track to drop by about 45 percent this year compared with 2008, as the U.S. military takes steps to ease what has been an increasing problem.
09/03/2010
A provocative new study suggests an over-the-counter dietary supplement can assist treatment of adults with major depressive disorders.
09/03/2010
Of all the things that people do, few are as puzzling to psychiatrists as compulsive drug use.
09/03/2010
About 3 million people in the US have an intellectual disability, and many of them also have a mental health condition complicating their lives and care.
09/03/2010
A series of studies published in recent years suggests that in people with depression, autism, schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder, the default mode network, that curious pattern of brain activity that ramps up when we daydream, works differently than it does in healthy control subjects.
09/03/2010
"My spirit feels broken. Sometimes I wonder if I'll even have the energy to continue fighting this disorder one more day . . ."
These words come from the journals kept by a beautiful, intelligent, accomplished young woman in the throes of an eating disorder that threatened to destroy her life.
These words come from the journals kept by a beautiful, intelligent, accomplished young woman in the throes of an eating disorder that threatened to destroy her life.
09/02/2010
"This finding suggests a possible link between the neurochemical pathways for addiction and compulsive eating," says principal investigator Selena Bartlett, PhD, Director of the Pre-Clinical Development Group at the Gallo Center.
09/02/2010
If surveys conducted by physician recruiting companies accurately reflect current trends in the job market, the news is very good for psychiatrists—and less promising for many patients with mental health disorders.
09/02/2010
Young people who become sleep deprived by using the internet into the small hours are much more likely to become mentally ill in later life, research shows.
09/02/2010
At 18 months, Kyle Warren started taking a daily antipsychotic drug on the orders of a pediatrician trying to quell the boy’s severe temper tantrums.
09/02/2010
A parental history of serious mental disorder (SMD) is associated with an increased risk for a wide range of mental health disorders in children, including disorders that were previously thought to be unrelated, researchers have found.
09/02/2010
The problems facing today's inner city students, particularly those with behavioral and emotional problems, are innumerable and daunting.
09/01/2010
Susan Hyder was as shocked as anyone to discover 20 distinct identities were switching personalities inside her delicate mind for decades before she was diagnosed with a rare mental disorder.
09/01/2010
When the weight of her husband's cancer and the stress of her corporate job became too heavy to bear, Karen Huber did as many of her friends had done and started taking an antidepressant.
09/01/2010
A growing number of uninsured Mainers with mental illness are falling through the cracks of the health care system because of state budget cuts and financial strains on nonprofits, according to state officials and private agencies.
08/31/2010
Both St. Charles Unit District 303 and Barrington Unit District 220, in Chicago, have taken the problem head on, encouraging students, parents, teachers and the community as a whole to talk about suicide and help those in need find the resources they need before they take their own lives.
08/31/2010
About 100,000 Americans a year get ECT, a number that has more than tripled since dipping to 30,000 in the 1980s.
08/31/2010
Knowing firsthand how to battle addiction, Jeanne McAlister shows others the way.
08/31/2010
Scientists note that high rates of schizophrenia in large cities, and among immigrants, cannabis users, and traumatized individuals reflect the influence of environmental exposures.
08/31/2010
The issue of mental health and the military has been getting a lot of attention recently.
08/31/2010
Mental health professionals say that more and more children are receiving diagnoses of and treatment for bipolar disorder, and at younger ages.
08/31/2010
While pursuing a bachelor's degree in psychology at Bradley University, Jason Langman studied mental illness in a theoretical, almost antiseptic way
08/30/2010
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown got a bit of an eye-opener Thursday during a roundtable about prescription drug abuse.
08/30/2010
A new international study suggests traditional genetic linkages may not be a good predictor of the presence of mutations predisposing a person to either autism or schizophrenia.
08/30/2010
A local hospital emergency room struggling to cope with 10 patients with severe mental illness last summer put two patients with paranoid schizophrenia in the same room.
08/30/2010
A new report shows that behavioral health problems affect every community throughout America - but in unique, and sometimes surprising ways.
08/30/2010
When asked, regarding the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex, "what has to happen now?" and "who is accountable?" the answers are far from simple.
08/27/2010
Scandinavian researchers have found significant correlation between the number of manic episodes experienced and the extent of grey matter volume reduction in patients with bipolar disorder.
08/27/2010
A combination of cannabis use and childhood trauma increases the risk for psychotic symptoms in adolescence to a greater extent than would be expected from the additive effect of these two risk factors alone, researchers have found.
08/27/2010
Eleven research institutions in 11 states will receive more than $6 million in federal funding from fiscal year 2010 to support research on substance abuse and associated problems among U.S. military personnel, veterans, and their families.
08/27/2010
More than half of babies in poverty are being raised by mothers who show symptoms of mild to severe depression, potentially creating problems in parenting and in child development, according to a study.
08/27/2010
Hit by rising suicide rates in the wake of two long wars, the Pentagon has suddenly become a prime mover in researching treatments for the suicidal.
08/26/2010
The mental health industry ignores the 35,000 people a year who commit suicide. A few researchers are trying to change that.
08/26/2010
Medco Research Institute and SureGene said they have entered into a research collaboration to evaluate whether variation in genetic biomarkers can predict how patients will respond to widely prescribed antipsychotic drugs.
08/26/2010
A three-month course of cognitive behavioral therapy significantly improved symptoms of ADHD in adults previously taking medication alone, researchers found.
08/26/2010
Foreclosed out of his home, a mentally ill Schaumburg man sleeping in his van tests the patience of village officials, police and neighbors.
08/26/2010
Alcohol dependence (AD) has negative effects on cognitive processes such as memory. Metamemory refers to the subjective knowledge that people have of their own cognitive processing abilities, such as their monitoring and control of memory.
08/25/2010
For most, settling into a routine can be boring. For Monte Marrocco Jr., it’s the only thing that allows him to focus.
08/25/2010
Children who are bullied at school do worse academically and once children are labeled as "dumb" they get bullied even more, U.S. researchers found.
Lead author Jaana Juvonen, a University of California, Los Angeles, professor of psychology, says the study involved some 2,300 students in 11 Los Angeles-area public middle schools and their teachers. The students were asked to rate on a four-point scale whether they get bullied and to list which of their classmate were bullied the most -- physically, verbally and as the subject of nasty rumors. The teachers were asked about academic performance.
Lead author Jaana Juvonen, a University of California, Los Angeles, professor of psychology, says the study involved some 2,300 students in 11 Los Angeles-area public middle schools and their teachers. The students were asked to rate on a four-point scale whether they get bullied and to list which of their classmate were bullied the most -- physically, verbally and as the subject of nasty rumors. The teachers were asked about academic performance.
08/25/2010
This week, Health-e News Service visited Middelburg, in the Eastern Cape, and saw how children suffer and are forced to fend for themselves as their parents live under the spell of alcohol abuse.
It's in the middle of the day in Middelburg, in the Eastern Cape, long before school is out. Children of school-going age are roaming the dusty streets of the small town. If one didn't know better they could easily pass off as street kids. They approach each car as it stops at the robot, begging for food or a coin. Their chapped lips and dry faces bear evidence of their hunger. They make their way to the Emmanuel Children's Home where they will be given lunch.
It's in the middle of the day in Middelburg, in the Eastern Cape, long before school is out. Children of school-going age are roaming the dusty streets of the small town. If one didn't know better they could easily pass off as street kids. They approach each car as it stops at the robot, begging for food or a coin. Their chapped lips and dry faces bear evidence of their hunger. They make their way to the Emmanuel Children's Home where they will be given lunch.
08/25/2010
Ajeng Puspitasari was thousands of miles away from home, living her dream of studying abroad. What she didn't anticipate was the emotional impact the transoceanic move would have on her freshman year in college.
Virtual game for teens created to help them say no to sex: Latina "avatar" characters would guide pl
08/25/2010
The all-too-common complaint is that sex and violence on television, computers and video games encourages risky behavior among teens.
But University of Central Florida professor Anne Norris, a social psychologist and nurse, thinks that virtual reality could be at least part of the solution in helping teens say no to sex.
Norris and a team of experts are developing a computer simulation game to teach young Latinas, who have a high rate of teen pregnancies, how to resist peer pressure in their middle school years.
Unlike other abstinence programs, this one won't include adults giving awkward talks to bored teens. The game relies on preteen and teen students chatting with virtual characters -- known as avatars -- that will reinforce their self-esteem and guide them through the maze of relationships.
But University of Central Florida professor Anne Norris, a social psychologist and nurse, thinks that virtual reality could be at least part of the solution in helping teens say no to sex.
Norris and a team of experts are developing a computer simulation game to teach young Latinas, who have a high rate of teen pregnancies, how to resist peer pressure in their middle school years.
Unlike other abstinence programs, this one won't include adults giving awkward talks to bored teens. The game relies on preteen and teen students chatting with virtual characters -- known as avatars -- that will reinforce their self-esteem and guide them through the maze of relationships.
Calling drug users "junkies" hinders recovery, says study: Prejudice about addiction risks thwarting
08/25/2010
The use of stigmatising terms such as "junkie" and "addict" is proving a major obstacle to the rehabilitation and recovery of problem drug users, according to a report published today by a leading drug policy thinktank.
The UK Drugs Policy Commission says a shift by the government towards a more abstinence-based approach to treatment is unlikely to work unless prejudices about addiction are tackled.
The UKDPC study, Sinning and Sinned Against: The Stigmatisation of Problem Drug Users, suggests that celebrities and public figures who are prepared to talk openly about their recovery from drug addiction should be encouraged.
The report also says that unthinking media reporting of drug addiction should be challenged, education campaigns should be mounted and greater use made of voluntary work placement schemes to help get beyond the "junkie" stereotype.
The UK Drugs Policy Commission says a shift by the government towards a more abstinence-based approach to treatment is unlikely to work unless prejudices about addiction are tackled.
The UKDPC study, Sinning and Sinned Against: The Stigmatisation of Problem Drug Users, suggests that celebrities and public figures who are prepared to talk openly about their recovery from drug addiction should be encouraged.
The report also says that unthinking media reporting of drug addiction should be challenged, education campaigns should be mounted and greater use made of voluntary work placement schemes to help get beyond the "junkie" stereotype.
08/24/2010
Children at high risk for developing schizophrenia display poorer results on neurocognition testing in several domains than other children of similar age who are not at risk for the disorder, researchers have found.
08/24/2010
New research suggests addiction often begins with legitimate use of prescription medications.
08/24/2010
A startling number of Gulf coast area children displaced by Hurricane Katrina still have serious emotional or behavioral problems five years later, a new study found.
08/24/2010
If you’ve ever wondered what led people to outlaw alcohol in the early days of the 20th century, studying the path of where addiction to alcohol leads can shed a lot of light on a subject that many people would just as soon not talk about.
08/24/2010
Nine months after an Army psychiatrist was charged with fatally shooting 13 soldiers and wounding 30, the nation's largest Army post can measure the toll of war in the more than 10,000 mental health evaluations, referrals or therapy sessions held every month.
08/24/2010
Stress caused by social situations, such as giving a speech or going to a job interview, can affect some people's immune system in ways that harm their health, researchers have found.
The study included 124 volunteers who were purposely put into awkward social situations. Those who exhibited greater neural sensitivity to social rejection also had greater increases in inflammatory activity when exposed to social stress.
The study included 124 volunteers who were purposely put into awkward social situations. Those who exhibited greater neural sensitivity to social rejection also had greater increases in inflammatory activity when exposed to social stress.
08/23/2010
I was reminded recently about what can happen to a person’s support system when he/she is dealing with a mental health crisis.
08/23/2010
Authorities say the man had a prescription in his name for every pill he had. All 5,000 of them.
Drug Addicts Get Hooked Via Prescriptions, Keep Using 'to Feel Like a Better Person,' Research Shows
08/23/2010
If you want to know how people become addicted and why they keep using drugs, ask the people who are addicted.
08/23/2010
Chris O'Dell doesn't merely offer support when women in the Tucson drug- rehabilitation program she leads say they can't be sober.
08/23/2010
A local mental health organization holds a workshop that gives people a hint of what it's like in the head of someone with mental illness.
08/23/2010
The campaign firefights rage on this weekend with no ceasefire in sight as those who seek to lead us continue to assault us with messages about why their opponents are a bunch of no-account sleazebags. An Arizona company this week lost a $3 million contract to build mobile homes for Santa Monica, Calif., fallout from Senate Bill 1070. And the economy?
Don't mention it. Please.
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2010/08/21/20100821roberts0821.html#ixzz0xRfdzd00
Don't mention it. Please.
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2010/08/21/20100821roberts0821.html#ixzz0xRfdzd00
08/23/2010
The criminal case against six alleged bullies, now winding through the courts of central Massachusetts, wasn’t just a quest for justice in the case of Phoebe Prince, the 15-year-old who hanged herself last winter after months of high school torment. It felt like a victory for victims past and present, a step toward eradicating teenage cruelty.
08/23/2010
Homeless and unemployed, Tianne Hill said she dreads getting mail at the city shelter on Guilford Avenue where she lives because it often includes medical bills she can't pay.
The 40-year-old former waitress and short-order cook owes about $6,000 for abdominal surgery. She's expecting another bill soon for emergency treatment of a seizure. And she has other conditions that require expensive care: asthma, arthritis, anxiety and depression.
The 40-year-old former waitress and short-order cook owes about $6,000 for abdominal surgery. She's expecting another bill soon for emergency treatment of a seizure. And she has other conditions that require expensive care: asthma, arthritis, anxiety and depression.
08/23/2010
A little boy named Lei Lei in China loves to eat and weighs 43 pounds. Unusual, according to the British paper The Daily Mail, because he's only 10 months old.
According to China University of Hong Kong, most Chinese boys weigh around 18 pounds at that age.
His mother told the paper that he has a "ravenous" appetite.
Experts say that if he continues to eat that way, he's at risk for serious health problems, even at a young age.
"When kids are overweight at any age, they're much more at risk for diabetes," said Keith Ayoob, associate clinical professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
According to China University of Hong Kong, most Chinese boys weigh around 18 pounds at that age.
His mother told the paper that he has a "ravenous" appetite.
Experts say that if he continues to eat that way, he's at risk for serious health problems, even at a young age.
"When kids are overweight at any age, they're much more at risk for diabetes," said Keith Ayoob, associate clinical professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
08/20/2010
More Americans with psychiatric conditions are being treated with drugs alone compared with a decade ago, while "talk therapy" -- either by itself or in combination with medication -- is on the decline, a new study finds.
08/20/2010
At his worst, Ken Start popped 100 painkillers a day, and still craved more.
08/20/2010
Schizophrenia patients have better subjective quality of life (SQOL) than those with other mental health conditions, researchers have found.
08/20/2010
Two not-for-profit companies are finding ways to create jobs for special-needs clients during one of the worst unemployment eras in recent memory.
08/20/2010
An anti-depressant medication that starts working within hours of first taking it is “like a magic drug,” according to Yale researchers.
08/20/2010
Missouri Housing Development Commission to pass a multi-million dollar package to provide housing for Missourians suffering from a mental illness.
08/19/2010
Neuroscientists may have discovered why depression and other stress-related psychiatric disorders are more common among women than men.
08/19/2010
College can be an exciting time, though for some it can be overwhelming and stressful. Depression, anxiety, substance use, and eating disorders are common mental health issues on college campuses.
08/18/2010
Young adults who abuse amphetamines may be more likely to suffer an often fatal tear in the body's main artery, the aorta, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
A study of medical records from 31 million people aged 18 to 49 and hospitalized from 1995 to 2007 found that those who had abused amphetamines had triple the odds of aortic dissection, the team at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center said.
A study of medical records from 31 million people aged 18 to 49 and hospitalized from 1995 to 2007 found that those who had abused amphetamines had triple the odds of aortic dissection, the team at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center said.
08/18/2010
Nearly 40 percent of Americans with major depression also have brief but recurring episodes of manic behavior, a new study suggests.
Researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reported that these patients have what's called "subthreshold hypomania" -- meaning a milder form of mania that lasts fewer than four days, and is therefore below the threshold for bipolar disorder.
Researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reported that these patients have what's called "subthreshold hypomania" -- meaning a milder form of mania that lasts fewer than four days, and is therefore below the threshold for bipolar disorder.
08/18/2010
It's back to school in Arizona and across the country, and teachers and parents are realizing some children could use help with the simplest of social skills, like greeting a stranger or carrying on casual conversation. The National Association of School Psychologists now includes the training in its recommended curriculum.
08/18/2010
With fewer places to turn, mental health patients are overwhelming Sacramento County emergency rooms – increasing wait times, straining law enforcement and exposing the limited ability of ERs to deal with serious mental disorders.
08/18/2010
A 19-year-old man facing no criminal charges spent 36 days in the Lafayette County jail waiting for a bed at North Mississippi State Hospital, which finally admitted him Aug. 5
08/18/2010
Researchers have discovered clues that may help identify which people with depression are at risk of developing bipolar disorder. The new findings appear in the online version of The American Journal of Psychiatry.
Bipolar disorder is a serious condition characterized by the extreme highs of mania and devastating lows of depression. Nearly 40% of people with a history of major depression also report recurrent episodes of low level, subtle hypomania, the new study showed.
Bipolar disorder is a serious condition characterized by the extreme highs of mania and devastating lows of depression. Nearly 40% of people with a history of major depression also report recurrent episodes of low level, subtle hypomania, the new study showed.
08/18/2010
These days, it’s tough to find a social service agency that is adding services rather than cutting them. But the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, serving the Chicago metro area, has found a way—and for less than $2,000. Through its newly developed Alumni Association outreach program, the Cook County Jail’s Day Reporting and Pre-Release Centers (DRC/PRC) network substance users, either on probation or awaiting trial for non-violent crimes, with program alumni committed to recovery.
08/17/2010
Nearly 40 percent of people with major depression may also have subthreshold hypomania, a form of mania that does not fully meet current diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder, according to a new NIMH-funded study. The study was published online ahead of print August 15, 2010, in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
08/17/2010
Mr. Braver, a psychology professor at Washington University in St. Louis, was one of five neuroscientists on an unusual journey. They spent a week in late May in this remote area of southern Utah, rafting the San Juan River, camping on the soft banks and hiking the tributary canyons.
08/17/2010
Back in the days of authoritarian parenting in the '50s, obedience and propriety were high values. Digressions from good manners, respect and good behavior were often met with punishment. But then in the '60s and '70s, things changed. Parents wanted higher self-esteem for their kids and closer relationships with them. Fear-based, power-coercive relationships went the way of the rod in classrooms.
08/17/2010
On the street it's known as meth, speed, ice, chalk, crank, fire, glass or crystal. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive drug that wreaks havoc on the entire body, including the user's oral health. Approximately 10 million Americans have tried methamphetamine, while more than 1.4 million are habitual users.
As the effects of methamphetamine use are devastating, the Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) wants to educate the public about this destructive drug.
An individual can become almost immediately addicted after their first use of the drug. Methamphetamine is a potent central nervous system stimulant that mirrors chemicals in the brain that transmit messages of gratification and euphoria. It releases large amounts of dopamine, creating an intense high or feeling of pleasure. It then damages and blocks dopamine transporters, which affect motor skills, memory, attention and the ability to feel pleasure. Eventually, it depletes the brain's production of normal chemical messages that create pleasurable feelings.
As the effects of methamphetamine use are devastating, the Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) wants to educate the public about this destructive drug.
An individual can become almost immediately addicted after their first use of the drug. Methamphetamine is a potent central nervous system stimulant that mirrors chemicals in the brain that transmit messages of gratification and euphoria. It releases large amounts of dopamine, creating an intense high or feeling of pleasure. It then damages and blocks dopamine transporters, which affect motor skills, memory, attention and the ability to feel pleasure. Eventually, it depletes the brain's production of normal chemical messages that create pleasurable feelings.
08/17/2010
There is a saying that a dog is a man’s best friend. According to Rachel Howard, if a friend can be someone you can turn to when you need to talk, that saying very well could be true. To test that theory, she and the Cherokee Nation are trying it out as a way to help adolescents combat drug and alcohol addiction.
08/17/2010
It is safe to say that everyone encounters stress on a regular basis: infants, children, adults, seniors, and especially those that are dealing with illness. Because addiction is defined as a chronic and progressive disease, it follows that someone afflicted with the disease is also under stress: in actuality an addict is most likely under severe stress.
08/17/2010
The following is a joint letter sent by the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) and Veterans for Common Sense (VCS) to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. The military's practice of substituting religion for professional mental health care for PTSD and suicide prevention has become increasingly frequent, with alarming reports coming in to MRFF from active duty troops, and reports coming in to VCS from veterans who were subjected to this practice while on active duty and are now suffering the consequences of not getting the professional help they needed when they needed it.
08/17/2010
Over the last few years, my family has weathered our share of crises. First our younger daughter was hospitalized for a week with Kawasaki disease, a rare condition in children that involves inflammation of the blood vessels, and spent several months convalescing at home. Soon after she recovered, our older daughter landed in the hospital with anorexia, which proved to be the start of a yearlong fight for her life.
08/17/2010
Mental health illnesses are real medical illnesses. Nearly half of all Americans have signs of a mental illness at some point in life. So if it happens to you or someone close to you, you are not alone. Getting help from a therapist because you are feeling sad or anxious is no different than getting help from a doctor because you have a broken arm. So don’t be embarrassed or afraid to go to the therapist.
08/16/2010
When people who abuse substances enter our addiction treatment center in British Columbia, they often show signs of malnutrition. For heroin addicts the malnutrition is due to the loss of appetite that the drug induces. Chronic alcoholics also suffer malnutrition, especially a shortage of thiamine (vitamin B).
08/16/2010
The recipient of this week's Ben's Bell is Don Blascak, an advocate for the homeless.
He was nominated by Thomas and Claire Brown, who share Blascak's interest in volunteerism. In their nomination, the couple wrote of Blascak's "burning desire to bring dignity, hope, basic services and a pathway out of homelessness" to the indigent.
He was nominated by Thomas and Claire Brown, who share Blascak's interest in volunteerism. In their nomination, the couple wrote of Blascak's "burning desire to bring dignity, hope, basic services and a pathway out of homelessness" to the indigent.
08/16/2010
A startling suggestion is buried in the fine print describing proposed changes for the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders — perhaps better known as the D.S.M. 5, the book that will set the new boundary between mental disorder and normality. If this suggestion is adopted, many people who experience completely normal grief could be mislabeled as having a psychiatric problem.
08/16/2010
Even after they grow up, some kids don't stop giving their parents grief. And new research presented Thursday shows that an adult child with problems has a negative impact on a parent's mental health, even if the family's other kids are successful.
The study of 633 parents and their 1,251 adult children was part of a program on social relationships and well-being presented here on the opening day of the American Psychological Association's annual meeting, where about 12,600 psychological professionals gathered.
The study of 633 parents and their 1,251 adult children was part of a program on social relationships and well-being presented here on the opening day of the American Psychological Association's annual meeting, where about 12,600 psychological professionals gathered.
08/16/2010
Childhood trauma can cut your life short, according to new research that shows how adversity during childhood can shave a decade or more off your life.
"Our latest research shows that those reporting multiple adversities could shorten their lifespan by 7 to 15 years," Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, a health psychologist at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, told a Saturday sesson of the American Psychological Association meeting here.
"Our latest research shows that those reporting multiple adversities could shorten their lifespan by 7 to 15 years," Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, a health psychologist at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, told a Saturday sesson of the American Psychological Association meeting here.
08/13/2010
The number of college students who are afflicted with a serious mental illness is rising, according to data presented Thursday at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Assn. in San Diego
The findings came from an analysis of 3,265 college students who used campus counseling services between September 1997 and August 2009. The students were screened for mental disorders, suicidal thoughts and self-injurious behavior.
The findings came from an analysis of 3,265 college students who used campus counseling services between September 1997 and August 2009. The students were screened for mental disorders, suicidal thoughts and self-injurious behavior.
08/13/2010
Cases of mental illness among college students have become increasingly more serious over the last decade, according to a new study that backs up what mental health professionals at university counseling centers have been saying for years.
But college life might not be the reason for the increase, they say. Part of the rise is likely due to an increase in students coming into college with pre-existing mental health issues.
But college life might not be the reason for the increase, they say. Part of the rise is likely due to an increase in students coming into college with pre-existing mental health issues.
08/13/2010
These days, it’s tough to find a social service agency that is adding services rather than cutting them. But the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, serving the Chicago metro area, has found a way—and for less than $2,000. Through its newly developed Alumni Association outreach program, the Cook County Jail’s Day Reporting and Pre-Release Centers (DRC/PRC) network substance users, either on probation or awaiting trial for non-violent crimes, with program alumni committed to recovery.
08/12/2010
Clinical depression is a devastating illness, and profound sadness is just the beginning. Depression can rob people of their energy, memory, concentration, sex drive, interest in usual activities - and in severe cases, even the will to live. Seventy million Americans will be afflicted at some point.
08/12/2010
As a toddler, Ian Barrier got expelled from day care.
"They just said that he was all over the place, he couldn't handle the structure, they didn't have the staff or the skills to deal with it," said his mother, Amy Barr. "They said, 'We think he has ADD or ADHD' and I'm like, 'What is that?"
Ian, now 11, and his 9-year-old brother Aidan are just two examples of some 5 million children in the United States who have received the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition marked by impulsive behavior and a lack of focus.
"They just said that he was all over the place, he couldn't handle the structure, they didn't have the staff or the skills to deal with it," said his mother, Amy Barr. "They said, 'We think he has ADD or ADHD' and I'm like, 'What is that?"
Ian, now 11, and his 9-year-old brother Aidan are just two examples of some 5 million children in the United States who have received the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition marked by impulsive behavior and a lack of focus.
08/12/2010
As companies expand worldwide, firms learn that they must develop a managerial style that can fit a variety of cultures.
This means corporations should not take a “one size fits all” approach to their leadership style.
A new article in a special section on Culture and Psychology in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, explains that people in different cultures think about work in different ways.
This means corporations should not take a “one size fits all” approach to their leadership style.
A new article in a special section on Culture and Psychology in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, explains that people in different cultures think about work in different ways.
08/12/2010
Labeling people in a negative manner has a lasting detrimental impact on those who experience the prejudice, suggests a new study.
“Past studies have shown that people perform poorly in situations where they feel they are being stereotyped,” says University of Toronto Scarborough’s Michael Inzlicht, who led the research.
“Past studies have shown that people perform poorly in situations where they feel they are being stereotyped,” says University of Toronto Scarborough’s Michael Inzlicht, who led the research.
08/12/2010
The authors of a new study in Biological Psychiatry explore pharmacological strategies for reducing cocaine self-administration in animals that may have implications for treating cocaine dependence in humans.
08/12/2010
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.
A study of American Indian teen-agers reports that good families and religious ties reduce the chances that the teens take drugs.
ManSoo Yu of the University of Missouri says teens who said they enjoyed being around their family and who had a form of religious affiliation were less likely to have issues associated with drug use. These include addicted family members, and friends who get in trouble.
A study of American Indian teen-agers reports that good families and religious ties reduce the chances that the teens take drugs.
ManSoo Yu of the University of Missouri says teens who said they enjoyed being around their family and who had a form of religious affiliation were less likely to have issues associated with drug use. These include addicted family members, and friends who get in trouble.
08/12/2010
While antidepressants are commonly given to people with autism, there is no evidence from clinical trials that the drugs are helpful for children with the disorder, and only limited evidence that they benefit adults, a new research review finds.
The analysis, reported in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, adds to doubts about the use of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in autism.
The analysis, reported in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, adds to doubts about the use of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in autism.
08/12/2010
Women with mental stress may have more trouble conceiving than their unstressed peers, a new study shows. Among 274 English women, all trying to get pregnant, those with the highest levels of alpha-amylase -- a salivary biomarker for stress -- had an estimated 12% reduction in their chance of getting pregnant each menstrual cycle, compared to women with the lowest levels.
08/12/2010
A new study suggests that a 50-year-old drug commonly used as an anesthetic for humans and animals — and abused, as the drug called Special K — may deliver almost instant relief in some of the most troublesome cases of bipolar depression.
08/12/2010
It's been nearly 40 years since Rosalynn Carter met a weary and stooped woman leaving her night-shift job at a cotton mill in Georgia. The woman told Carter, who was campaigning for her husband, Jimmy, then running for governor, that she was heading home to care for her mentally ill daughter.
08/11/2010
For years, researchers have known that exercise can affect certain moods. Running, bike riding and other exercise programs have repeatedly been found to combat clinical depression. Similarly, a study from Germany published in April found that light-duty activity like walking or gardening made participants “happy,” in the estimation of the scientists. Even laboratory rats and mice respond emotionally to exercise; although their precise “moods” are hard to parse, their behavior indicates that exercise makes them more relaxed and confident.
08/11/2010
In India, people with severe mental illnesses often turn to temples and shrines, not to doctors. Some social workers are trying to change this by focusing their efforts on India's schools.
At a small rural high school in Goa, along the Arabian Sea, child psychologist Prachi Kandayparker is leading a workshop to train teachers to deal with mental health issues among their students.
At a small rural high school in Goa, along the Arabian Sea, child psychologist Prachi Kandayparker is leading a workshop to train teachers to deal with mental health issues among their students.
08/11/2010
Did I remember to lock the door? Is the oven off? Many of us think of these questions in the car; or worse, just after we get on a plane. But people with obsessive-compulsive disorder never forget to ask. In fact, the questions and the worry and the fretting about them can overtake their lives. So they go back to check the door or the oven, over and over. In extreme cases, an OCD sufferer never makes it to the car at all. He or she keeps going back to see if the door is locked or inside to look at the oven dial. Or they think their hands aren't really clean, so they keep washing them, sometimes for hours every day, just like Lady MacBeth. And if they get dressed out of order, they have to start all over again.
08/11/2010
When you have a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, you're confused. You deny it. You wonder why your kid has to take Ritalin when you did absolutely fine without it.
08/11/2010
A lack of minority doctors and nurses is one of many challenges facing certain ethnic groups in California. That’s the finding of a new report out of UC Berkeley.
Perfecto Munoz is a researcher with the California Program on Access to Care at UC Berkeley. He says they studied the largest minority groups in the state: Latinos, Asians, Pacific Islanders, African-Americans and Native Americans. And they found a real lack of doctors and nurses from some minority groups. Munoz says that presents a challenge.
Perfecto Munoz is a researcher with the California Program on Access to Care at UC Berkeley. He says they studied the largest minority groups in the state: Latinos, Asians, Pacific Islanders, African-Americans and Native Americans. And they found a real lack of doctors and nurses from some minority groups. Munoz says that presents a challenge.
08/11/2010
Mentoring and relationship skills programs can improve the mental health of foster children, a new study from the University of Colorado suggests.
The study appears in the August issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
The study appears in the August issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
08/09/2010
The man had been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. He had been in federal immigration detention in Arizona for two years, facing deportation. He said he had told the immigration judge, "I'm from here." A lawyer familiar with his case said that even the immigration officers had inconsistent files on what country they thought he was from. At least one of his jail records said he was a U.S. citizen.
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2010/08/08/20100808your-turn-mehta.html#ixzz0w7dJiYpB
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2010/08/08/20100808your-turn-mehta.html#ixzz0w7dJiYpB
08/09/2010
Downtown Rocky Mount in eastern North Carolina offers a horizon of shuttered businesses, along with a stretch of houses with boarded-up windows and vacant porches.
Forbes magazine now ranks Rocky Mount, once a vibrant manufacturing hub, as one of the 10 most impoverished cities in America, with an unemployment rate hovering at a dismal 13 percent and a county crime rate that's almost double the national average.
The area's woes have contributed to another number that's rising: homeless children.
Forbes magazine now ranks Rocky Mount, once a vibrant manufacturing hub, as one of the 10 most impoverished cities in America, with an unemployment rate hovering at a dismal 13 percent and a county crime rate that's almost double the national average.
The area's woes have contributed to another number that's rising: homeless children.
08/09/2010
It’s been an exciting summer what with the largest oil spill in history, the battle over regulating Wall Street, the overturning of Prop 8, and Chelsea Clinton’s wedding. It’s a lot, I know, but I want to revisit something else that happened right around the time the whole Shirley Sherrod disaster hit the front page. About two weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Health’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), reported that abuse of opioid painkillers has risen more than 400 percent over the last decade. And, while it was dutifully reported here and here, there was no real outcry.
08/08/2010
The Cancer Centers of Northern Arizona Healthcare are proud to sponsor YogaTHRIVE! classes. Yoga has helped many people improve their physical and mental health while learning breathing techniques and relaxing positions.
08/06/2010
U.S. Army specialist Ethan McCord was one of the first on the scene when a group of suspected insurgents was blown up on a Baghdad street in 2007, hit by 30-mm bursts from an Apache helicopter. "The top of one guy's head was completely off," he recalls. "Another guy was ripped open from groin to neck. A third had lost a leg ... Their insides were out and exposed. I'd never seen anything like this before." Then McCord heard a child crying from a black minivan caught in the barrage. Inside, he found a frightened and wounded girl, perhaps 4. Next to her was a boy of 7 or so, soaked in blood. Their father, McCord says, "was slumped over on his side, like he was trying to protect the children, but he was just destroyed." McCord couldn't look away from the kids. "I started seeing images of my own two children back home in Kansas."
08/06/2010
From the day they pulled him off the pavement, Paul Sigler, a haunted-looking man with striking pale blue eyes, presented a mystery to Carrie Bach's team. He wasn't like the rest of the skid row crowd, he insisted.
"I used to be a millionaire," he muttered. "I fell off the Empire State Building. They just fell off the curb."
"I used to be a millionaire," he muttered. "I fell off the Empire State Building. They just fell off the curb."
08/06/2010
No one truly chooses to be homeless.
Certainly, the nearly 50 percent of homeless people who are women and children don't choose homelessness over being housed.
Further, the 25 percent to 40 percent of homeless people who are reportedly veterans would presumably prefer to re-establish the lives that they had before their military service rather than choose to become homeless.
Certainly, the nearly 50 percent of homeless people who are women and children don't choose homelessness over being housed.
Further, the 25 percent to 40 percent of homeless people who are reportedly veterans would presumably prefer to re-establish the lives that they had before their military service rather than choose to become homeless.
08/06/2010
Journal of Abnormal Psychology and the other in Psychological Science. Unlike many previous efforts focused on biological markers of suicidal behavior, their work identifies two behavioral markers: subjects’ attention to suicide-related stimuli, and the extent to which they associate death or suicide with themselves.
In one study by Nock’s group, 124 patients in a psychiatric emergency department were administered a modified Stroop test measuring speed in articulating the color of words on a computer screen. Suicidal individuals were found to pay more attention to suicide-related words than to neutral words.
In one study by Nock’s group, 124 patients in a psychiatric emergency department were administered a modified Stroop test measuring speed in articulating the color of words on a computer screen. Suicidal individuals were found to pay more attention to suicide-related words than to neutral words.
08/05/2010
Having a therapist talk to kids who go to an emergency room with a violent injury and who also admit to previous alcohol use can reduce repeat episodes, new research finds.
The authors calculated that for every 10 kids seen, a single 30-minute intervention would prevent one violent episode in the future.
The study was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
The authors calculated that for every 10 kids seen, a single 30-minute intervention would prevent one violent episode in the future.
The study was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
08/05/2010
All those years, all that money, all that unrequited love. It began way back when I was a child, an anxiety-riddled 10-year-old who didn’t want to go to school in the morning and had difficulty falling asleep at night. Even in a family like mine, where there were many siblings (six in all) and little attention paid to dispositional differences, I stood out as a neurotic specimen. And so I was sent to what would prove to be the first of many psychiatrists in the four and a half decades to follow — indeed, I could be said to be a one-person boon to the therapeutic establishment — and was initiated into the curious and slippery business of self-disclosure. I learned, that is, to construct an ongoing narrative of the self, composed of what the psychoanalyst Robert Stoller calls “microdots” (“the consciously experienced moments selected from the whole and arranged to present a point of view”), one that might have been more or less cohesive than my actual self but that at any rate was supposed to illuminate puzzling behavior and onerous symptoms — my behavior and my symptoms.
08/05/2010
Hispanic-American adults have lower rates of alcohol and illicit drug use than the national averages, a federal government study has found.
The research revealed that 46.1 percent of Hispanic-American adults drink alcohol and 6.6 percent use illicit drugs, compared with national average rates of 55.2 percent and 7.9 percent, respectively.
The research revealed that 46.1 percent of Hispanic-American adults drink alcohol and 6.6 percent use illicit drugs, compared with national average rates of 55.2 percent and 7.9 percent, respectively.
08/04/2010
On July 1st the state cut funding support for 12,000 mental health patients who do not qualify for the state's Medicaid program. In fiscal 2008, the state put $127 million into caring for adults who are deemed seriously mentally ill but not poor enough to qualify for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System and federal funding. For the coming fiscal year, the budget is $62 million. Those affected will be expected to cope with their illnesses, without most of the services that have been in place for decades.
08/04/2010
Nightmares , which are more common in children, affect about 4 to 8 percent of adults, sometimes as often as once a week or more. They can make insomnia worse and even cause psychiatric distress. Some of the most important research is coming from studies of the rising number of war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress -- 90 percent of whom have nightmares.
08/04/2010
Signs of autism may show up in babies as young as 1 month old, a new study shows.
But the tip-offs are not the usual red flags, such as a lack of eye contact or smiling, the researchers noted.
Instead, they found babies who needed neonatal intensive care and were later diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder were more likely to have abnormal muscle tone and differences in their visual processing than babies who went on to develop normally after time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
But the tip-offs are not the usual red flags, such as a lack of eye contact or smiling, the researchers noted.
Instead, they found babies who needed neonatal intensive care and were later diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder were more likely to have abnormal muscle tone and differences in their visual processing than babies who went on to develop normally after time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
08/03/2010
In another sign that autism is at least partly inherited, a new study reveals that close relatives of people with the disorder share something in common: their eyes are much more likely than those of other people to function abnormally.
"There are brain abnormalities that run in families with autism," said study co-author John A. Sweeney. "These findings might be telling us that there's an important genetic contribution to autism."
"There are brain abnormalities that run in families with autism," said study co-author John A. Sweeney. "These findings might be telling us that there's an important genetic contribution to autism."
08/03/2010
Teenagers who spend excessive amounts of time on the Internet are one and a half times more likely to develop depression than moderate web users, a study in China has found.
08/03/2010
Going hungry is a major contributor to ill health, particularly among children, and now a new report reveals how long-lasting the damage can be.
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the University of Calgary performed the first long-term study on the effects of hunger on general health, tracking children from birth to 21 years. Most studies to date have offered only snapshots of child health, assessing the short-term impact of hunger over a given period of time.
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the University of Calgary performed the first long-term study on the effects of hunger on general health, tracking children from birth to 21 years. Most studies to date have offered only snapshots of child health, assessing the short-term impact of hunger over a given period of time.
08/03/2010
Whether it’s a glass of wine at dinner or a martini during happy hour – Americans are consuming alcohol at the highest rate in 25 years, according to a new Gallup Poll.
The poll found 67 percent of U.S. adults drink alcohol, which is the highest percentage since 1985. Beer remains the favorite choice, followed by wine and liquor.
The poll found 67 percent of U.S. adults drink alcohol, which is the highest percentage since 1985. Beer remains the favorite choice, followed by wine and liquor.
04/16/2010
These 19 famous people have scored gold medals, started up Fortune 500 companies, starred in TV shows, won Super Bowls -- and they all have ADD or ADHD.
03/08/2010
West Yavapai Guidance Clinic has provided high-quality treatment for thousands upon thousands of people for 44 years and knows all about what offering hope through effective treatment and recovery is all about.
As CEO of the largest nationally accredited agency for mental health, addiction, and crisis services in Yavapai County, I know well the tough choices lawmakers are making in Phoenix as a result of the state's budget crisis. I've been told that we just don't have the resources.
As CEO of the largest nationally accredited agency for mental health, addiction, and crisis services in Yavapai County, I know well the tough choices lawmakers are making in Phoenix as a result of the state's budget crisis. I've been told that we just don't have the resources.
02/11/2010
For Mary Calhoun Brown, the term "Asperger's" is crucial to conveying to schools that although her 15-year-old son has had social difficulties, he has a near-genius IQ and great speaking ability.
02/04/2010
Preventing patients from leaving psychiatric wards without staff agreement could avoid up to 50 suicide deaths every year, say University of Manchester researchers.
12/28/2009
A study of the adverse effects of 4 second-generation antipsychotics in children and adolescents documented substantial weight gain during 11 weeks of treatment with each agent, with the increased abdominal fat that has been associated with development of metabolic syndrome in adults. Metabolic abnormalities emerged with 3 of the 4 agents, differing in type and severity with the agent and, in some cases, with the dose.
12/03/2009
The Arizona Department of Health Services has teamed with Google to create a flu shot finder link on a new Web site.
Visitors to www.StopTheSpreadAZ.org also can learn how to prevent flu spread and determine what they need to do if they have flu-like symptoms.
Visitors to www.StopTheSpreadAZ.org also can learn how to prevent flu spread and determine what they need to do if they have flu-like symptoms.
12/01/2009
Feelings of unhappiness, decreased energy, insomnia and irritability are all symptoms of depression. And antidepressants can help relieve depression.
11/27/2009
America is a country that worships personal tales of redemption. If public figures are caught out drunk or on drugs, cheating on their wives, then they quickly head off to Betty Ford or Hazelden, apologize to their families and constituents, and promise not to stray or drink again. And we forgive them.
11/03/2009
You have seen movies in which characters have acted violently. Many times, these characters also have a mental illness. Violence is one common stereotype of psychological disorders, along with rebellion and child-like behavior. In The Dark Knightand Me, Myself, and Irene, a character has multiple personality disorder, which is said to cause demonic or mean behavior. Harvey Dent develops a second, evil personality called Two-Face, while Charley Baileygates is known to lash out at random due to his other, less friendly, personality. In each character, mental illness is shown to bring out violence, instead of many other possible behaviors. As such, these movies add to the stigma that surrounds mental disorders.
11/02/2009
It is one of the most intriguing labels in psychiatry. Children with Asperger’s syndrome, a mild form of autism, are socially awkward and often physically clumsy, but many are verbal prodigies, speaking in complex sentences at early ages, reading newspapers fluently by age 5 or 6 and acquiring expertise in some preferred topic — stegosaurs, clipper ships, Interstate highways — that will astonish adults and bore their playmates to tears.
10/20/2009
The U.S. Health & Human Services Department's National Institutes of Health has discretionary grant opportunities to support research for the development of treatment for drug and other substance abuse and dependence among populations with pain. This funding opportunity uses the R03 award mechanism.
10/15/2009
With licensing fees set to rise dramatically Jan. 1, leaders of after-school programs, health-care facilities and other groups are working to oppose the increases before they take effect.
09/10/2009
Individuals with a mental illness rarely receive a basic health promotion message – stop smoking. The reason, according to an expert, is a concern that the mental disorders will exacerbate as the tobacco addiction is addressed.
09/09/2009
On May 26, Schala Vera was taken to Chandler Regional Medical Center. Apparently, her mother feared the young child had been molested while living with relatives in another state. A social worker at the hospital had called Child Protective Services, reporting that the girl seemed uncomfortable around the mother's boyfriend.
09/03/2009
Every Wednesday, Rowena Gutierrez sets up a large plywood sign and opens her garage door, inviting people to browse through her possessions -- lamps, a dining table, small angel statues, clothes. If they find something, both people benefit. The buyer takes home the trinket, and Gutierrez puts that money toward the estimated $11,000 she owes in medical bills.
09/03/2009
Can traumatic brain injury cause a person to develop a mental health problem or trigger an underlying problem not yet discovered, which then causes the person to create a fantasy world while in a coma, which, when they awake they are adamant is real?
06/04/2009
Centuries ago, people who needed help asked their pastor or a neighbor for help. Now this age-old practice has evolved into a full-fledged profession, and Grand Canyon University (GCU) has seen interest in its degreed counseling programs growing by the day.