Friday Flashback for February 29, 2008

By John M Grohol PsyD
February 29, 2008

While I’m down in Texas enjoying some sunshine and the ranch life, I’m happy to present to you some of the golden oldies from Psych Central’s archives. Have a great weekend!

10 Years Ago on Psych Central

The Birth of a New Society:
The International Society for Mental Health Online
Ten years ago this March marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of this Society, dedicated to mental health online (contrary to the organization’s website, it actually remains open to anyone interested in online mental health, not just professionals). As one of the founders and its first president, it still holds a warm place in my heart as an organization dedicated to the exploration and discussion of mental health online.

5 Years Ago on Psych Central

Borderline personality disorder prognosis looks good
In February 2003, we noted that researchers found that symptomatic improvement among patients with borderline personality disorder is both common and stable. The researchers followed the rates of remission and recurrence in 290 patients with borderline personality disorder, and 72 who met DSM-III-R criteria for other axis II disorders over a 6-year period.

Among those with borderline personality disorder, nearly 35% were in remission after 2 years. This status was also achieved by nearly half of the patients after 4 years, and by nearly 70% after 6 years, resulting in a total 74% remission rate for the entire follow-up period.

“This finding suggests that the majority of borderline patients experience substantial reductions in their symptoms far sooner than previously known,” the researchers comment. So for everyone who might suffer from borderline personality disorder and think it’s untreatable, I guess this strongly suggests otherwise.

1 Year Ago on Psych Central

Lost Love
If you’re still reeling from the effects of a February break-up, contributor Sandra Kiume’s post-Valentine’s day entry from last year is for you.
Can a 3 year old Be Accurately Diagnosed?
Well, a year ago I wrote that question, and we still don’t have any new answers as to whether children at such a young age can be reliably and consistently diagnosed with a serious mental disorder like bipolar. Childhood is such a fast-paced time of development, mimicking peer behaviors, and acting-out and learning about boundaries with parents and adults, I’m not sure how any pediatrician or child psychologist would feel comfortable handing out these kinds of diagnoses regularly. Maybe in some rare cases, but I still don’t think a 3 year old can be accurately diagnosed with a mental disorder.
Trouble in jPod
Contributor Sandra Kiume describes a woman who won a settlement from video game maker Electronic Arts after firing a woman for depression-related lost productivity. She describes that while it appeared that Electronic Arts pampered its workers, it didn’t have much compassion or empathy for workers with illnesses, especially those of the mental sort. The ruling upheld that EA had discriminated against the worker and ordered them to pay her a judgment of nearly $150,000 CAD. I’m not sure the message made it to other companies, however, as many still discriminate against employees who admit to mental health or emotional issues.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues, and the intersection of technology and psychology since 1992.