Racial Discrimination a Clear Contributor to Youth Mental Health Disparities

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Greater perceptions of discrimination during adolescence are linked to more depressive and internalizing symptoms.

New Findings Suggest Masculinity is a Risk Factor for Suicidal Thinking

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Men who report being self-reliant may be at greater risk of suicidal thinking.

People With Schizophrenia Diagnoses Actually Do Listen

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Contrary to the hypothesis that delusional beliefs in schizophrenia are a persistent general deficit, patients using a well-documented advice-taking task revise their beliefs, taking...

Study Confirms Higher Suicide Risk for Sexual Minority Adolescents

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Researchers report that sexual minority adolescents have considered, planned, and attempted suicide substantially more than their heterosexual peers.

Social Support Improves Antipsychotic Discontinuation, Study Finds

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A new study explores how people manage to discontinue antipsychotic medication and examines how social supports may improve outcomes.

Twenty Years Since My Last Suicide Attempt: Reflections

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It has been twenty years since my last suicide attempt. I was barely eighteen years old, and had already spent the last four years, my entire adolescence, really, in and out of the mental health system. On that day, twenty years ago, I left the hospital with nothing but a prescription for yet another drug in my hand, sent back to the decrepit group home where I began my adult life.

Air Pollution Linked to Mental Health Problems in Children

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A new study, published in BMJ Open-Access this week, found a significant link between the level of air pollution in a community and the mental health of the children living there. After controlling for socio-economic status and other potential variables, researchers in Sweden discovered a strong association between the concentration of air pollution in a neighborhood and the amount of ‘antipsychotic’ and psychiatric drugs prescribed to children. The link remained strong even at pollution levels well below half of what is considered acceptable by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Searching for a Rose Garden: Challenging Psychiatry, Fostering Mad Studies

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Searching for a Rose Garden: Challenging Psychiatry, Fostering Mad Studies is a timely and unique collection of essays that should be of interest to anyone with personal experience with, or research interests in, mental difference, psychiatrization and its resistance.

Green Space in Childhood May Protect Against Adult Mental Health Issues

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A new study suggests proximity to green space as a child is linked to lower rates of mental health issues in adulthood.

Psychosocial Adversities Should be Included in Diagnosis

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Proposal to include psychosocial adversities that impact mental health in ICD and DSM diagnoses.

Social Inclusion and Stipend Enhance Recovery, Study Suggests

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A new study explores the benefits of a befriending program in the recovery of those with “enduring mental illness.”

It’s About the Trauma: How to Truly Address the Roots of Violence and Suffering...

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Representative Tim Murphy is a psychologist who proposes unsatisfactory solutions to our most pressing social problems. In a "shockingly regressive" piece of legislation known as the “Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2013” (H.R. 3717), he proposes to expand the highly controversial practice of Involuntary Outpatient Committment (IOC) for persons with serious mental illnesses. But that approach is not the answer, as documented in a fact sheet authored by the National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery:

Many Patient Advocacy Organizations Are Funded By Industry

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New research investigates the financial conflicts of interest (FCOI) of patient advocacy organizations (PAOs) in the United States.

Do Social Network Sites Help or Harm Well Being?

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How does social network site use influence well-being? Researchers suggest this depends on the extent to which site use is “connection-promoting."

More Physical Activity-Based Mental Health Interventions Needed in Schools

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What physical activity-based programs are being implemented in schools, how are they being researched, and what kind of impact have they made?

Study Explores Impact of Urban vs. Rural Upbringing on Stress Response

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A new study investigates the relationships between early-home environmental factors and later-life physiological response to psychosocial stressors.

Social Adversity and Crime Victimization Increase Risk of Psychotic Experiences Five Fold

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Researchers parse out factors within urbanicity that leads to risk for psychotic experiences.

School Culture May Contribute to Overdiagnosis, Study Finds

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Officials at a school that was more focused on ADHD diagnoses described children’s behavior in terms of individual illnesses, taking children out of the context of their social interactions, race, gender, and socioeconomic status.

Eat Breathe Thrive: Chelsea Roff on Eating Disorders, Trauma, and Healing with Yoga and...

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Chelsea Roff is the Founder and Director of Eat Breathe Thrive (EBT), a non-profit with an inspired mission to bring yoga, mindfulness, and community support to people struggling with negative body image and disordered eating. I reached out to Chelsea to learn more about her life and organization, which she writes, “…is like AA for people with food and body image issues, plus yoga and meditation.” Chelsea shared her journey from life as a patient to yogi, author, and innovative community organizer. With her permission, you can find this interview below.

How Social Dynamics at School Impact Teen Suicide

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Teen suicide risk is influenced by relationships with adults and teachers, perceived popularity, close friendships, and school connectedness.

The Sunrise Center: A Place For Adults To Recover From Psychiatric Drugs

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Many people now using psychiatric drugs have been convinced or forced to use them while being treated in the mental health system. A good number of people are eager to stop using these drugs, but are often discouraged by others from doing so. Many psychiatric survivors believe that they can never stop using these drugs because they were told they would need to use them the rest of their lives. We hope the Sunrise Center will become a catalyst for a movement of people creating places for people who want to stop using psychiatric drugs.

Emotional CPR as a Way of Life

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Many of us are taught to fear the expression of strong emotions, and to hide or suppress big feelings. We have also erroneously been taught that only specially trained people or “professionals” are equipped to handle these experiences. But people knowledgeable in conventional treatment often aren’t exposed to community-based, holistic, common sense, person-to-person approaches. Many people have gained wisdom and resiliency by working through emotional distress, and it is helpful to do this with someone who understands the growth potential in these experiences.

Police Violence Victims at Increased Risk of Psychotic Symptoms

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Researchers examine links between police victimization and psychotic symptoms in a topical new study.

Minimal Exercise Protects Against Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults

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Study of older adults shows those who consistently exercised as little as 15 minutes, 3 times/week are less likely to develop depressive symptoms.

Social Prescribing May Improve Self-Esteem and Mental Well-Being

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Systematic review suggests social prescribing benefits individuals with mental and physical health issues, but more program evaluations are needed.