Prozac Nation is Now the United States of Xanax
In this piece for The New York Times, Alex Williams discusses the social, political, cultural, and economic trends that have led to the recent rise in...
FBI Raids Lab That Pays Doctors to Promote Genetic Tests
From STAT: Federal investigators recently searched Proove Biosciences, a genetic testing company that purports to determine an individual's likelihood of becoming addicted to opioids. Proove's genetic...
How to Really Help LGBT Teens Thrive
From The Atlantic: Although acceptance of LGBT individuals is growing, LGBT teens still on average experience lower life satisfaction and more depression than their straight peers,...
Dealing With Changes in Psychiatry Through the Years
In this guest post for Shrink Rap, Dr. Maher critiques the ways psychiatry has changed over the years. While psychiatry used to be humanistically, psychodynamically oriented,...
United Nations Report Calls for Revolution in Mental Health Care
In a new report, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Dr. Dainius Pūras, calls for a move away from the biomedical model and “excessive use of psychotropic medicines.”
Study Explores Professional Help-seeking Among Persons with Depression
A large review of studies finds that men, young and elderly adults, ethnic minorities, and individuals with lower education status are most at risk for not seeking help.
Fixing Genes Won’t Fix Us
From The Boston Globe: Scientists' focus on biology and genetics research downplays the role of socioeconomic factors in causing distress and health problems.
"Science is threatening a new era of...
Stories from the Psych Ward: Why Drugs Aren’t the Cure
In this piece for Elephant Journal, one man tells his story of being locked up and forcibly drugged in the psych ward, and how he...
A Traumatic Experience Can Reshape Your Microbiome
From Science of Us: A recent study suggests that our guts may harbor evidence of traumatic life experiences many years after the fact, impacting our...
Humanistic Counseling Effective in Schools, Study Finds
Pilot study finds school-based humanistic counseling reduces emotional symptoms in students.
Hold Your Heads Together to Reduce Prejudice of Mental Health
From Openforwards: The biomedical model of mental illness does not reduce prejudice against those who are suffering from mental health concerns. Words like "illness" and...
Using Paint, Pen on Paper or Song to Revisit Trauma
From The Conversation: The literary, visual, and performing arts can play an important role in helping people process trauma, especially for those who have difficulty...
Researchers Reveal Misconceptions About ADHD
A new article explains common misconceptions about ADHD that are held by teachers and mental health professionals and may lead to overdiagnosis and overmedication in schools.
The Case Against Empathy
In this interview for Vox, Yale psychologist Paul Bloom provides a critical perspective on empathy and explains why empathy may be harmful in the long run.
"My beef...
Thomas Insel Leaves the Google-Spawned Verily for a Start-Up
From Wired: Thomas Insel, neuroscientist and former head of the National Institutes of Mental Health, is leaving his role at the Google-spawned health science company...
Childhood Anxiety Disorders Are Treatable With Therapies
From MinnPost: According to psychologist Hal Pickett, childhood anxiety is best reduced through self-care and common-sense therapies such as getting enough sleep, maintaining a balanced...
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.
Risk of Psychosis Greater for People from Ethnic Minorities
From The Guardian: A new UK study shows that people from ethnic minorities have up to a five times greater risk of psychotic disorders than...
Here’s How Witnessing Violence Harms Children’s Mental Health
From The Conversation: Witnessing violence, via both media coverage of disturbing events and in-person aggression, can have a serious, long-term impact on children's mental health.
Article...
Is Mindfulness Meditation Good for Kids?
From Vox: Mindfulness-based interventions are increasingly being introduced in schools and touted as helpful methods of reducing students' anxiety and attention problems. However, the research...
Who Names Diseases?
From Aeon: The World Health Organization (WHO) recently issued new guidelines requiring diseases to be named for generic descriptive terms, instead of regional or politically...
The Surprising Science of Fidgeting
In this piece for The Conversation, Harriet Dempsey-Jones provides a variety of possible explanations for why we fidget, as well as the increasing popularity of...
Stand Firm: Resisting the Self-Improvement Craze
From ABC: The self-help and self-improvement industry are more popular and widely accepted than ever. However, the moral imperative to constantly think positive and always...
‘A Little Bit of OCD’: The Downside of Mental Health Awareness
From The Guardian: People often claim to experience mental health problems only to excuse their unpleasant or hurtful behaviors. This can exacerbate prejudice toward those...
Study Explores Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence in College Women with Disabilities
A new study explores sexual violence and intimate partner violence in college women with mental health related disabilities.
