Large German Anti-Stigma Campaign Shows Little Effect on Attitudes
âOverall, this study showed that the information and awareness campaign had almost no significant effects on the general public's attitudes toward people affected by either schizophrenia or depression,â the researchers, led by German medical sociologist Anna Makowski, wrote. âOne could assume that deeply rooted convictions cannot be modified by rather time-limited and general activities targeted at the public.â
Envisioning Psychiatric Drug Freedom
Psychiatric meds can shut down the emotions and consciousness enough to make it possible to tolerate dynamics that would inspire rage or surges of empowered activity without the meds. It can be helpful to look closely at these blocks and start to create a map to freedom, understanding that it is a complex process that involves not only the physiology of the body of the individual taking meds, but the architecture of the social system around that person.
How Relational Therapy Enhances a Sense of Self and Relationships
Relational therapy can be informed by the intersubjective dynamics observed in early childhood to facilitate the development of healthy relational patterns and a strong sense of self.
Philosophers Question the Separation of Medicine and Culture
Radically questioning the distinction between the objectivity of science and the subjectivity of culture can give way to powerful biocultural methods of healing.
âGroup Drumming Bangs Away at Anxiety and Depressionâ
âProzac? Actually, percussion.â Researchers in the UK found that a ten-week drumming intervention significantly improved anxiety and depression for people seeking mental health treatment....
Reading Suggestions for Bibliotherapy
From Notes From a Typewriter: Bibliotherapy, i.e., the use of books in coping with emotional distress, can be a great source of comfort and support.
"Reading is...
Creatively Managing Voice-Hearing Through Spiritual Writing
I am a psychiatric survivor of over thirty-six years. Since my nervous breakdown in 1978, I have undergone multitudinous experiences ranging from the subtly humiliating to the horrifically debilitating at the hands of incompetent psychiatrists and psychopharmacologists who, in the name of medicine, did more harm than good.
Agency and Activism as Protective Factors for Children in the Gaza Strip
Researchers recommend a âpolitically-informed focus', including activism, when assessing children and designing interventions in areas of chronic political violence.
Karen Pence Picks a Cause, and Art Therapists Feel Angst
From the New York Times:Â On Inauguration Day, Karen Pence announced her support for the mental health profession of art therapy. While many art therapists...
Why âStabilizingâ People is Entirely the Wrong Idea
If human beings were meant to be entirely stable entities, then âstabilizingâ them would be an entirely good thing; a target for mental health treatment that all could agree on. But itâs way more complex than that: healthy humans are constantly moving and changing. They have a complex mix of stability and instability that is hard to pin down. All this relates to one of my favorite subjects, the intersection of creativity and madness.
Colleges Get Proactive in Addressing Depression on Campus
From The New York Times: The number of college students with mental health concerns is rapidly increasing, straining many universities' mental health and counseling centers. Colleges...
“Making Theater Autism-Friendly”
-The Atlantic reports on the growth of "autism-friendly" movie theaters, sports arenas and now live theaters.
âMedication and Female Moodsâ
Listen: NPRâs On Point with Tom Ashbrook discusses the new book âMoody Bitches: The Truth About the Drugs Youâre Taking, The Sleep Youâre Missing, the Sex Youâre Not Having and Whatâs Really Making You Crazy,â by the psychiatrist Julie Holland.
âCan Madness Save the World?â
Writing for CounterPunch, Paris Williams writes that when an individual is experiencing what has been termed âpsychosis,â it is important to recognize that this may also be the manifestation of a breakdown in their larger social groups, the family, society, and even the species.
Why There’s Growing Interest in Art By People Diagnosed with Mental Illnesses
-Artists who have "outsider" ways of thinking and expressing are reportedly becoming more popular with some galleries and collectors.
âLife, Animated: A Remarkable Story of How a Family Reached Their Autistic Son Through...
A new documentary âLife, Animated,â which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, tells the story of a man with autism who learned to interact...
Creativity and Feelings of Madness Closely Linked in Most People
In his Scientific American blog, Scott Barry Kaufman discusses a study that provides new perspectives on the controversial question of the links between "mental...
Arts Participation May Improve Mental Well-Being and Social Inclusion
Introductory arts courses at Open Arts Essex show improvements in mental well-being and social inclusion for individuals with mental health challenges.
Rap Embraces Schizophrenia and Owns It
Vanderbilt University psychiatrist Jonathan Metzl, author of The Protest Psychosis, has published a brief history of "schizophrenia" in relation to African American culture in...
The Therapist who Saved my Life
In this creative nonfiction piece for Literary Hub, one woman shares her story of trauma, depression, and suicidality, and recounts the unconventional approach of the...
âConstructing the Modern Mindâ
Psychiatrist and historian George Makari tries to illuminate the historical evolution of our understanding of the conscious mind and how it relates to the...
Social Prescribing May Improve Self-Esteem and Mental Well-Being
Systematic review suggests social prescribing benefits individuals with mental and physical health issues, but more program evaluations are needed.
Research Shows Art Courses Can Improve Mental Wellbeing
From PsyPost: A new study has found that a course of arts-on-prescription can provide a significant improvement in mental wellbeing, including in those with very...
Hopeless But Not Broken: From George Carlin to Protest Music
From CounterPunch: Although people are often pathologized and shamed for feeling hopeless, hopelessness is sometimes a natural reaction to an oppressive political climate. George Carlin...
Asylum Magazine: Mad Studies Comes of R/Age, Part Two
A new issue of Asylum Magazine is available. This issue is the second in a two-part series highlighting new and original work on the theme...
