Yearly Archives: 2017
Lack of Sleep May be a Cause of Mental Health Conditions
From Live Science: A new study published in The Lancet Psychiatry found that participants who completed an online cognitive behavioral therapy program specifically for insomnia experienced...
Workplaces Will Only Get More Toxic, Says Stanford Professor
From Business Insider: According to Stanford professor Robert Sutton, some rising workplace trends seem sure to make the office a more toxic place in the...
Study Investigates Long-Term Effects of Social and Emotional Learning Programs
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs have gained popularity in U.S. schools in recent years. A new study examines the nature and longevity of their impact on students.
Overtreatment is Common, Doctors Say
From The New York Times: In a recent study, researchers surveyed 2,106 physicians in various specialities regarding their beliefs about overtreatment. On average, the doctors...
Eating Oily Fish While Pregnant Could Prevent Schizophrenia
From The Conversation: According to a recent study from Japan, pregnant mice that are deprived of an essential fatty acid, called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are...
Stimulant Medication Use Linked to Sharp Increase in BMI by Eighth Grade
New evidence suggests that children on ADHD medication may have stunted growth initially but more rapid increases in body mass over time.
In Memoriam: Matt Stevenson
MIA blogger Matt Stevenson, who was best known to the MIA community for his frequentâand insightfulâcomments on MIA posts, died last Thursday. He took his own life, at age 32. His last message was this: Don't let a psychiatric diagnosis rob you of your hope.
How Avocados and Nuts Could Boost Intelligence
From Medical News Today: A new study suggests that higher levels of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in the bloodstream are correlated with greater general intelligence in...
There is No Such Thing as the True Self, but it’s a Useful Concept
From The British Psychological Society: The idea that each of us has a true or authentic self is a very common belief in many different...
Review Finds Little Evidence that Electroconvulsive Therapy is Effective for Depression
Researchers examined the dearth of support for Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for depressive symptoms in light of studies detailing the associated risks.
Does a Psychiatric Diagnosis Have the Impact of a Medical Curse?
Over and over I've seen the aftermath of that ritual of receiving and internalizing a lifelong, pathologizing diagnosis. I don't think we can underestimate the uncanny power of receiving such proclamations about our personhood by people sanctioned by our culture to serve as arbiters of truth.
How to Die
From The Atlantic: The existential psychotherapist Irvin Yalom, who has helped countless people grapple with their mortality and fear of death, is now coming to...
Self-Differentiation and Why it Matters in Relationships
From GoodTherapy.org: Research shows the tremendous impact we each have on one another's emotional and psychological health; our emotions, especially those that are negative, are...
Why Being Aware of Your Mortality Can Be Good for You
From Medical Xpress: While being aware of one's own mortality can produce anxiety and fearfulness, a recent study found that mortality awareness can also have...
Leading Researchers Critique Current Paradigm for Studying ‘Schizophrenia’ Risk
Re-conceptualizing the Clinical-High-Risk/Ultra-High-Risk Paradigm: A critique and reappraisal
Irving Kirsch: The Placebo Effect and What It Tells Us About Antidepressant Efficacy
Dr Irving Kirsch is Associate Director of the Program in Placebo Studies and lecturer in medicine at the Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He joins us this week to discuss his research into the placebo effect and what it tells us about the efficacy of antidepressant drugs.
Why Philosophy Matters?
Whole social systems depend on the assumption that what we call âmental illnessâ or âmental disorderâ (a piggy-back term) originates in the body. In particular, this notion is fundamental to the current social response to certain forms of behaviour, and to processes for allocating resources for assistance or welfare.
What is Brain Fog: The Mental Fatigue That Ruins Your Mood
From ZME Science: More people than ever before are regularly experiencing "brain fog," a collection of symptoms including fatigue, inability to focus, memory deficiency, confusion,...
Thou Shall Not Criticize Our Drugs
A medical journal is expected to promote an open-minded discussion of treatments, even if findingsâor criticismsâthreaten conventional beliefs. But the American Journal of Psychiatry will not find space for criticism even if it comes from one of the best-known psychiatrists in the world.
A Pediatrician Talks About the Dangers of Bullying
From MinnPost: According to pediatrician Michael Pitt, M.D., pediatricians see a spike in suicide attempts at back-to-school time, in part due to anxiety over bullying...
What Happens When You Stop Taking Psychiatric Medications
From Pacific Standard: A new study surveyed people who have come off psychiatric medications to come up with information doctors can use to help support their...
Psychiatry Ignores an Elephant in the Room
Large cohort studies of people with a first-episode psychosis provide a unique opportunity for finding out why so many young people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders die at a young age. However, it seems that those psychiatrists who have access to the mortality data generally do not want the facts to come out.
Renowned Psychiatrist Warns That Trump is a Danger to Us All
From Alternet: A new book, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, written by 27 psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health experts to warn the public of President Trump's...
Marijuana Research: Overcoming the Barriers
From APA Science Advocacy: As an increasing number of states are beginning to legalize the medicinal and/or recreational use of marijuana, it is clear that...
Coroner Finds Anti-Smoking Drug Contributed to Man’s Suicide
From ABC: A Queensland Coroner has found that the anti-smoking drug Champix played a role in the suicide of a 22-year-old man, Timothy John, who...
