AHCA Puts Disabled People One Step Closer to Institutions
From Talk Poverty: Last week, the House passed the American Health Care Act, which would cut funding from in-home care programs and community support for seniors...
“How We’re Missing the Real Story on Mental Health in Massachusetts”
MIA contributor Sera Davidow writes an opinion piece in the Boston Globe critiquing those who argue fiercely for more access to mental health treatment...
“Some Hospitals Still Refuse to Let Mental Health Patients Go Outside, Despite Laws to...
Sarah Beller from The Influence: “On Friday, the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health issued new ‘Fresh Air’ rules for psychiatric patients in the state. The rules require...
“Plan for Your Next Breakdown”
Start shopping for the best hospitals, doctors and therapies while you're feeling good, suggests Lisa Keith on her PsychCentral blog Bipolar Lifehacks, because when...
Can Auditing Scientific Research Fix its Reproducibility Crisis?
"The study predicts that audits would reduce the number of false positive results from 30.2 per 100 papers to 12.3 per 100—far from perfect,...
How Melissa Lucio Went From Abuse Survivor to Death Row
From The 19th: Some trauma victims are more likely to take responsibility for crimes even when they may be innocent.
Our Mental Health System May Be Unfixable. But There’s an Alternative
From Salon: Our healing journeys are not just about individuals. They are about transforming society and shifting the culture.
Mass Shootings and the News Media: Catching Up to the Science of PACEs
From ACEs Too High: Over the last 25 years, the main development that has changed our understanding of violence is the CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences Study.
“AstraZeneca to Disclose Trial Data, but how Independent is its Review Panel?”
-Experts comment on AstraZeneca's latest way of attempting to comply with pressures to provide open data.
Hearing Voices Network Responds to Susan Inman HuffPo Piece
On Saturday morning, Susan Inman, writing for HuffPost Canada, published “What You’re not Hearing About the Hearing Voices Movement.” In it, she criticizes HVM for “failing to differentiate between the needs of people who actually have psychotic disorders and those who don't.” On Sunday the Bay Area Hearing Voices Network published an open letter in response, writing: “Ms. Inman has profoundly mischaracterized hearing voices networks (HVNs) and also demonstrates a troubling lack of understanding of the empirical literature on psychosis, optimal psychosocial intervention and recovery.”
Could the Blackfoot Wisdom That Inspired Maslow Guide Us Now?
From GatherFor/Medium: At the Blackfoot Reserve, "Maslow saw a place where what he would later call self-actualization was the norm," said researcher Ryan Heavy Head. This observation "totally changed his trajectory."
“What Will President Trump Mean for Science?
Sarah Kaplan for the Washington Post reports that while “Trump has pledged to cut federal spending he hasn’t offered details on how this will affect funding for scientific research.”
Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?
From The Atlantic: The pattern of constant smartphone and social media use among post-Millennials may be leading to a public mental health crisis. Research shows that...
“Learning to Live With the Voices in Your Head”
In the The Atlantic, journalist Ric Morin explores alternative perspectives on and approaches to schizophrenic and psychotic experiences through a lengthy interview with psychiatrist...
“FAA: No Psychological Testing Needed of Airline Pilots”
The Federal Aviation Administration has ruled out requiring psychological testing for airline pilots in favor of enhanced mental health support programs in response to a crash...
The Secret History of “Criminally Insane”
From Aeon: Until the 20th century, little was known about mental illness. Judging whether a person was deranged – seriously mentally ill and irrational – was seen as a matter for common knowledge.
US Soldiers Are Carrying the Hidden Trauma of Our Endless Wars
From The Nation: Though it remains controversial in the military world, the concept of "moral injury" has come to be fairly widely regarded as the signature wound of today’s wars.
“Driven to Suicide by an ‘Inhuman and Unnatural’ Pressure to Sell”
Today’s New York Times features a story of a drug salesman, Ashish Awasthi, who committed suicide when he felt he couldn’t keep up with...
“Why We Need to Abandon the Disease-Model of Mental Health Care”
In a guest blog for the Scientific American, Peter Kinderman takes on the “harmful myth” that our more distressing emotions can best be understood as symptoms of physical illnesses. “Our present approach to helping vulnerable people in acute emotional distress is severely hampered by old-fashioned, inhumane and fundamentally unscientific ideas about the nature and origins of mental health problems.”
‘Speaking Grief’ Documentary Asks, ‘What if We Got Better at Grief?’
From WPSU Creative Services: What would happen if we could speak the truth about our pain, and hear the truth about other people's pain? What if we got better at grief?
An Antidote to the Age of Anxiety
From Brain Pickings: According to philosopher Alan Watts, the antidote to human frustration and daily anxiety is mindfulness and staying fully present in the moment.
"He...
“Science Journalist Takes a Skeptical Look at Capital-S Skepticism”
Scientific American journalist John Horgan criticizes self-identified “Skeptics” for focusing on easy targets and ignoring the failings of modern science and medicine. Among his...
Are Psychiatric Medications Safe? The FDA’s Answer May Surprise You
From the Inner Compass Initiative: The real responsibility for determining if a drug is "safe enough" or "worth it", said the Deputy Director for Safety at the FDA’s Division of Psychiatry Products, lies with individual physicians and patients.
Bill Would let Employers Demand Workers’ Genetic Test Results
From STAT: Last week, the House approved a bill that will grant employers access to employees' genetic test results and other health information.
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The Reasons why Some of us Just Can’t Stop Worrying
From The British Psychological Society: A new review in Biological Psychiatry highlights the cognitive and emotional factors that contribute to prolonged bouts of worry.
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