Depathologize Shyness Now!
In this piece for Medium, Jenny Karlsson makes the case for depathologizing shyness by removing "social anxiety disorder" from the DSM.
"Shyness, under the label of,...
Nunavut Declares Suicide Epidemic a State of Emergency
Nunavut, Canada’s largest and northernmost territory, is suffering from a suicide rate that is 10 times the national average. “In the case of Inuit boys 15 to 19,” CBC News reports, “the suicide rate is 40 times higher than those of their peers in the rest of Canada.”
Changing Society’s Whole Approach to ‘Psychosis’
Fifteen years ago this month we were sitting together in the basement of Peter’s house. We had felt a sense of despair at the widespread misinformation and atrocious stereotypes that were dominating media coverage of mental health at the time. We felt that our profession had a responsibility to challenge these stereotypes, and that as psychologists we had something unique to contribute. That was the time when research into the psychology of psychosis was beginning to burgeon, and many of our findings challenged not only the stereotypes but – perhaps more significantly - much ‘accepted wisdom’ within mental health services as well.
Antidepressants and Withdrawal: Readers Tell Their Stories
More than 8,000 people responded to the recent New York Times article on antidepressant withdrawal. Here, reporter Benedict Carey describes differences in the way various...
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...
The Foods That Can Help and Harm Your Brain
From The Guardian: Nutrition can have a major impact on the health of our brains, including our risk for dementia and cognitive decline. Here is...
Targets are Damaging Students’ Mental Health
In this piece for The Guardian, a schoolteacher explains how unrealistic expectations of students' academic performance as well as a strong emphasis on test scores have harmed students'...
Temperamentally Blessed
From Aeon: The finding that only one in five people avoid any kind of mental health problems or psychiatric diagnoses through their lives has prompted...
Dickinson’s Legacy is Incomplete Without Discussing Trauma
In this piece for The Establishment, physician Isabel C. Legarda explores the possibility that the poet Emily Dickinson may have been a survivor of sexual violence.
"Absent...
The Persistence of the Radioactive Bogeyman
From Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Since 1950, a noteworthy number of American and European horror movies have used radiation as a plot device. The...
“A Bad Job is Harder on Your Mental Health Than Unemployment”
Writing for Mashable, Stephan Bevan- the director of the Centre for Workforce Effectiveness- explains how an increase in poor quality, precarious, and temporary jobs “threatens our productivity and competitiveness, levels of social inclusion and, ultimately, the health of the workforce.”
The Link Between Opioids and Unemployment
From The Atlantic: A recent study found that increases in unemployment rates are associated with increased opioid overdoses and emergency room visits.
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When the Cure is the Cause
From Undark Magazine: In late 1970, a pharmacologist discovered that an antibiotic drug designed to cure a disease called SMON (subacute myelo-optic neuropathy) was actually causing...
Suffering From Nature Deficit Disorder? Try Forest Bathing
From NPR: People who live in urban areas may experience a poorer quality of life due to spending insufficient time outdoors. In a new book, Forest...
13 Reasons to Watch 13 Reasons Why
From Acting NT: Many mental health advocates have objected to the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, which centers around the suicide of a teenage girl. Here...
“The Decline of Play in Preschoolers and the Rise in Sensory Issues”
“We are consistently seeing sensory, motor, and cognitive issues pop up more and more in later childhood, partly because of inadequate opportunities to move and play at an early age,” writes Angela Hanscom in The Washington Post.
Psychologist Debunks Common Misconceptions of Maslow’s Hierarchy
Utilizing Maslow’s published books and essays, psychologist William Compton delineates common myths and attempts to respond to them.
Suicide Rate for Teen Girls Hits 40-Year High
From TIME: According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the suicide rate among teen girls reached a 40-year high in 2015. From 2007...
America’s Opioid Crisis Proves the Limits of Capitalism
In this piece for RT, Slavoj Žižek discusses the impact of capitalism on America's opioid crisis, exploring the factors that have driven people to use drugs...
Risk of Suicide After Hospitalization Even Higher Than Previously Estimated
New analysis of post-discharge suicide rates finds estimates 6 times higher than recent studies.
Psychologists Suggest Mental Health is Based on Environment
In a new review for Molecular Psychiatry, psychologists Elaine Fox and Chris Beevers examine the connection between mental health genetics and cognitive biases. “'If...
“Fructose Alters Hundreds of Brain Genes, Leading to Wide Range of Diseases”
A new study out of UCLA finds that genes related to Alzheimer’s and “ADHD” can be damaged by fructose, a sugar common in the...
What Is “Normal” Anyway?
From Scientific American: Although "normal" technically means average or typical, both researchers and the general public often view normality as a standard we should all...
The Industrial Revolution Left Scars That Can Still Be Seen Today
From the Harvard Business Review: While the Industrial Revolution brought about unprecedented technological and economic progress, it has also left a negative psychological impact. Research shows...
Study Finds Heavy Metal Music Beneficial to Mental Health
A new study highlights the role heavy metal music plays in the mental health of adolescents facing adversity.