The Demoralized Mind
From openDemocracy: The distress, boredom, and disillusionment so commonly diagnosed as depression may actually result from the demoralization people experience in consumerist cultures. Large-scale cultural change,...
Johann Hari Continues to Speak Out
Johann Hari, British journalist and author of the new book Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression—and the Unexpected Solutions, continues to speak out...
Vail Place Focuses on Collective Work for Mental Health
Minn Post did a feature story last week on Vail Place, an alternative mental health treatment center run on a community “clubhouse” model where the nearly 900 members and staff work side by side to run the center’s activities. Vail Place was founded in Hopkins, Minnesota in the early eighties by mental health activists and family members as a community for psychosocial rehabilitation. “The work isn’t therapy,” a member explains. “It’s growth. It’s ‘I cans’ rather than ‘I can'ts.’ And that’s important for mental health and survival.”
Disturbed Sleep Patterns May be Key to ADHD
From The Guardian: New research has linked symptoms of ADHD, such as struggling to concentrate, having too much energy, and being unable to control behavior,...
The Town That’s Found a Potent Cure for Illness – Community
From The Guardian: In 2013, general practitioner Helen Kingston launched the Compassionate Frome Project, which provides the town's patients with social services and community support...
“Brain Changes Seen in Veterans with PTSD after Mindfulness Training”
Veterans with PTSD experience observable changes to the brain after mindfulness training, according to new research published in Depression and Anxiety. “The brain findings suggest...
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...
“Helping Others Dampens the Effects of Everyday Stress”
"The holiday season can be a very stressful time, so think about giving directions, asking someone if they need help, or holding that elevator...
How Survivors are Finding Strength in Martial Arts
From Love Fighting Hate Violence: For many women, participation in Muay Thai and other martial arts can play a major role in healing from sexual violence...
Relaxation Techniques for Depression and Anxiety in the Elderly
-Time magazine looks at the effects of a number of relaxation techniques on depression and anxiety in elderly people.
Physical Inactivity Associated with Worse Cognitive Functioning in Psychosis
Higher levels of sedentary behavior are associated with poorer cognitive functioning in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Bringing Meals to People May Reduce Healthcare Costs
From The Los Angeles Times: A recent study found that regularly delivering meals to people with food insecurity can prevent health crises and drive down...
When is Stress Good for You?
In this piece for Aeon, Bruce McEwen discusses how "good stress," "tolerable stress," and "toxic stress" act epigenetically on our brain structure, and how we can...
The Side Effect of Meditation I Didn’t Expect
In this piece for The Elephant Journal, Flavia Simas shares how meditation not only helped reduce her depression and anxiety but also improved her self-esteem.
"It helps...
The Fictions and Futures of Transformative Justice
In this interview for The New Inquiry, two co-editors and three writers of Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories From Social Justice Movements discuss prison abolition and...
Call For Abstracts: Philosophical Perspectives on Critical Psychiatry
The Association for Advancement in Philosophy and Psychiatry is issuing a call for abstracts, with a particular interest in submissions from service users. The...
“Meditation Plus Running as a Treatment for Depression”
“Meditating before running could change the brain in ways that are more beneficial for mental health than practicing either of those activities alone,” Gretchen...
Difficult Decisions About Antidepressants
In this piece for Research with Plymouth University, Richard Byng discusses the difficulty that both doctors and patients experience in discerning the effectiveness of antidepressants in...
Lifestyle Changes, Not a Magic Pill, Can Reverse Alzheimer’s
From Aeon: A recent study at UCLA found that lifestyle changes including diet modifications, exercise, stress management, and increased sleep can significantly improve the memory and...
Yes, Your Sleep Schedule is Making you Sick
From The New York Times: Clinicians have long known that sleep schedules and levels of exposure to sunlight can have a significant impact on...
Storytelling Therapy for Trauma and Bullying
A study out of the University of Buffalo explores the use of Narrative Exposure Therapy to treat youth PTSD and substance abuse. “Trauma is...
When Oregon Sent its Most Troubled Patients Into the Woods
From TIME: In 1972, 51 of the most troubled mental health patients at Oregon State Hospital were sent into the woods for a camping trip....
“The Feeling That Expands Time and Increases Well-Being”
PsyBlog presents research on the experience of awe. “That jaw-dropping moment when coming across something surprising, powerful, beautiful or even sublime can have a transformative effect, they find.”
When Anxiety or Depression Masks a Medical Problem
From The New York Times: The mind and body are more connected than we often think — symptoms of anxiety and depression may result from...
“The Surprising Reason Psychotherapy Works”
For Psychology Today, David Elkins writes that “psychotherapy's power to heal lies mainly in its human and relational aspects,” rather than any specific techniques...
