Researchers Push to ID Anxiety and Depression at Birth

6
"Factors such as genetics, environment, and experiences all have an influence on a person's likelihood of exhibiting signs of mental illness, but the study,...

Study Finds Phone Apps Effective for Reducing Mental Health Symptoms

1
Researchers found that participants using coach-assisted apps designed for depression and anxiety experienced symptom reductions in both conditions

Study Finds Parents Need More Support to Identify PTSD in Children

5
A new study, published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, investigates the presence of posttraumatic stress symptomatology in children involved in motor vehicle collisions...

Kids Diagnosed with Autism More Likely to Get Psychotropic Drugs

4
Children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are much more likely to be prescribed a psychotropic medication.

“Kids’ Anxiety – it’s a Normal Part of Growing up”

0
Psychology professor Line Caes writes for The Conversation: “While it’s important to acknowledge children’s worries and reassure them that things are okay, children at...

Massage Therapy May Be Useful in Treating Symptoms of Anxiety

3
The study finds that twice-weekly massage therapy may be a useful alternative treatment for anxiety in terms of reducing both, psychological and somatic symptoms.

Study Finds Music Therapy May Be Effective in Clinical Practice

3
In a new study published in The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Professor Sam Porter and co-authors, present the results of a music...

iPad Use Before Surgery as Effective as Sedatives for Children

4
A group of French doctors presented a new study in the area of pediatric anesthesiology at this year’s World Congress of Anaesthesiologists in Hong...

Financial Difficulties Facing College Students Lead to Mental Health Issues

4
A new study published open-access this month in Community Mental Health Journal finds that the increased financial difficulties facing college students lead to greater...

Most People with Common ‘Mental Disorders’ Get Better Without Treatment, Study Finds

27
A new study suggests that most people diagnosed with depressive, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders recover without treatment within a year of diagnosis. “This...

New Trial Finds Trauma-Focused Therapy Effective in Children

0
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (Tf-CBT) is effective at reducing the symptoms associated with PTSD in children and adolescents, according to a new trial out...

Air Pollution Linked to Mental Health Problems in Children

8
A new study, published in BMJ Open-Access this week, found a significant link between the level of air pollution in a community and the mental health of the children living there. After controlling for socio-economic status and other potential variables, researchers in Sweden discovered a strong association between the concentration of air pollution in a neighborhood and the amount of ‘antipsychotic’ and psychiatric drugs prescribed to children. The link remained strong even at pollution levels well below half of what is considered acceptable by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Does Your Child Have ‘ADHD’? It Might Depend On Your Doctor

11
A study published in the journal Pediatrics reveals large differences from one pediatrician to the next when it comes to diagnosing and prescribing drugs for ‘ADHD.’ The researchers found that the percentage of children being diagnosed with ‘ADHD’ varied from as high as 16% of patients at some offices to as little as 1% of patients at others. The data also revealed significant but lower variability in the pediatric diagnosis of anxiety and depression.

Update: Massachusetts Benzodiazepine Bill Hearing

11
The hearing for Bill H4062: Informed Consent for Benzodiazepines and Non-benzodiazepine Hypnotics took place on Monday – in the middle of an April snowstorm! The discussion clarified some important points in the legislation and gave survivors an opportunity to tell their stories. I was so proud to be there and witness the courage, camaraderie, resilience, advocacy, and vulnerability of fellow survivors. This legislation is our chance to be heard. As one survivor said, through tears, to the committee, “Do not let my suffering be in vain. I beg you to pass this bill.”

“Social Media Use and Depression Linked in Large Study”

0
New research coming out of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine suggests that the more time young adults spend on social media, the...

“Young Americans Have Been Getting More Anxious and Depressed, Why?”

0
According to Jesse Singal, “ever since the 1930s, young people in America have reported feeling increasingly anxious and depressed. And no one knows exactly...

 “Why are More Children Being Prescribed Antidepressants? Funding Cuts”

3
Eleanor Morgan writes in the Guardian opinions that the long waiting times for talk therapy and the increasing use of drugs in the UK...

Relatively Younger Age Leads to ADHD Diagnosis

5
A study of 378,881 subjects aged 4-17 years by the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database found that the likelihood of receiving an ADHD diagnosis and treatment was...

Is Long-term Use of Benzodiazepines a Risk for Cancer?

8
A large study of the population in Taiwan reveals that long-term use of benzodiazepine drugs, commonly prescribed for anxiety, significantly increases the risk for brain, colorectal, and lung cancers. The research, published open-access in the journal Medicine, also identifies the types of benzodiazepines that carry the greatest cancer risk.

“Study Links Mobile Device Addiction to Depression and Anxiety”

0
A study published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior found that addictions to mobile devices are linked to anxiety and depression in college students....

Benzodiazepine Prescriptions Increase with Overdose Deaths

8
A recent article in the American Journal of Public Health calls for policy level interventions to reduce the use of benzodiazepines, drugs commonly prescribed...

In Case You Missed This

69
On November 12th, 2015, the third anniversary of the day that I abruptly stopped taking benzodiazepines, my dear friend, J. Doe, published a two-part article here on Mad in America examining the language that is commonly used to describe benzodiazepine (benzo) iatrogenesis. I wanted a summary of these articles captured in a Youtube video so that those in the thick of benzo neurotoxicity could tune into these ideas in a way that might be more easily digestible. I hoped more benzo sufferers would begin to question how they describe (and allow others to describe) an illness that remains decades behind in understanding and recognition. I also wanted to draw attention to the content again in hopes that more medical professionals would read and understand the crucial distinctions in language surrounding this problem.

“Too Many PA Foster Children are on Psychiatric Meds”

0
For Philly.com, staff writer Stacey Burling reports on the PolicyLab analysis of psychiatric drug use among Pennsylvania children on Medicaid.  “Many children in foster...

Omega-3 Screening for Psychiatric Symptoms?

7
There is a substantial body of evidence suggesting that not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in your diet may be connected to a diverse array of psychiatric symptoms. In a new study published this month, psychiatrist Robert McNamara and Erik Messamore provide an overview of the evidence and call for screening of omega-3 deficiency in people experiencing symptoms associated with ADHD, depression, mood disorders, and psychosis.

“Sugar May be as Damaging to the Brain as Extreme Stress or Abuse”

1
“The fact that drinking sugar or exposure to early life stress reduced the expression of genes critical for brain development and growth is of...