“Psychiatry and Efforts to Build Community in Iraq”

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In a commentary in the American Journal of Psychiatry, George Washington University psychiatrist Amir Afkhami writes that the US State Department-funded Iraq Mental Health...

Minority and Immigration Status Associated with Psychosis Risk

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Ethnic minorities and those who migrated during childhood have an elevated risk for psychosis, study finds.

Transition into Poverty May Worsen Child and Maternal Mental Health

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Transitioning into poverty linked to behavioral issues in children, but may be mitigated by mother’s mental health.

Study Explores Meanings of Bipolar Disorder to Those Diagnosed

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The narratives about Bipolar Disorder promoted by drug companies may influence how those diagnosed understand themselves.

Increasing Prevalence of Mood Disorders Among Teens and Young Adults

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Depression, serious psychological distress, and suicide attempts have risen substantially since the early 2000s among young adults – what’s changed?

Experts Concerned That Depression Screening Will Lead to Overdiagnosis

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Behind the U.S. task force recommendation to screen all children and adults for depression.

“Powerful Pill is Called Toxic Fuel for Fighters in Syrian War”

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Peter Holley reports for the Washington Post that a powerfuland highly addictive amphetamine drug known as fenethylline or Captagon is being used to fuel ISIS fighters in Syria and Iraq. “Captagon has been around in the West since the 1960s, when it was given to people suffering from hyperactivity, narcolepsy, and depression.”

Psychologists Argue for Decolonial Approach to Global Poverty

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Individualist psychological models of poverty pathologize poor communities, decolonial approaches that emphasize context and interdependence may be more sustainable.

Sunday Oddity: “How do you diagnose and treat an illness that doesn’t linguistically exist?”

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Canoe.ca reports on the doings of Canadian psychiatrist Dr. Stanley Kutcher, previously exposed by MIA Blogger Alison Bass for his role as a co-author...

“Letter to the Editor: Guns and Mental Illness”

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The president and president-elect of the American Psychological Association penned a letter to the New York Times calling on “Congress and other policy makers to address these factors with interventions supported by evidence rather than avoiding them by scapegoating the mentally ill.”

Psychotropic Medications Serve as Powerful Tools for U.S. Military, Imperialism

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Ethnographic research sheds light on extensive psychopharmaceutical use by soldiers in post 9/11 U.S. wars.

Rethinking Psychiatry Teaches about Despair, Resilience, and the Great Turning

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Rethinking Psychiatry is an independent, grassroots group in Portland, Oregon that advocates for a paradigm shift in mental health care. On January 20, we hosted a film and discussion by activist and artist Barbara Ford. The subject was “Despair and Resilience: How to Face this Mess We’re in Without Giving Up.” Ford also showed film called Joanna Macy and the Great Turning, featuring philosopher, writer, and activist Joanna Macy.

Bringing Structural Competency to Global Mental Health

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Structural competency is put forth as a framework that addresses social and structural determinants in global mental health.

Researchers Explore the Relationship Between Religiosity and Psychotic Experiences

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Individuals who identify as religious may be more likely to have symptoms associated with psychosis.

Lay Health Worker Intervention Effective at Decreasing Symptoms

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Compared with standard care, results of a lay health worker intervention in Zimbabwe suggest that this is effective for reduction of common mental health symptoms

Case Study of Liberation Approach to International Mental Health Care

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Study in Brazil demonstrates how the exploration of contextual determinants of distress in mental health care can inform therapeutic change.

Researchers Identify Demographic, Ideological Factors Associated With Refugee Prejudice

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A new analysis finds multiple antecedents of refugee prejudice, including religiousness, conservatism, and education.

Experts Stress Importance of Social Networks for Psychosis and Bipolar Interventions

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Researchers develop a novel approach to mapping personal well-being networks for those diagnosed with severe mental illness (SMI) that incorporates social ties, connections to place, and meaningful activities.

Training Health Workers in Therapy Leads to Improvements and Less Medication Use

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A Nigerian study finds that more than three-quarters of patients improved, even when only 13% were prescribed medication.

“Personalized Medicine: A Faustian Bargain?”

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In a guest blog for the Scientific American, Eleonore Pauwels and Jim Drawta write about the “dark side of the data revolution —the successor to the Industrial Revolution, with personal data as the new coal, oil or shale gas to be extracted or traded away, enshrined in an updated Faustian pact.”

“The Impact of Shift Work on Health”

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Medical News Today provides an overview of the research on the effects of shift work on the physical and mental well-being of employees. "Although...

Smartphone Based Interventions for Depressive Symptoms

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New meta-analysis of smartphone based interventions demonstrates small-to-moderate effect.

Food Insecurity Linked to Mental Health Globally

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Global analysis of 149 countries finds food insecurity is associated with poorer mental health.

Current Immigration Policies Create Mental Health Vulnerabilities for Families

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Researchers investigate the impact of immigration policies on the mental health of arriving Mexican and Central American immigrants.

Mental Health Apps May Lead to Overdiagnosis, Study Finds

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A new study finds that mental health apps promote a one-dimensional view of mental health.