In a newly published report on “Global Alcohol, Tobacco, Cannabis, and Cocaine Use” from the World Health Organization’s series of Mental Health Surveys, Americans’ levels of cocaine and marijuana use were highest among the 17 countries on six different continents surveyed. Researchers found that 16.2% of U.S. survey respondents had at least tried cocaine in […]
In this blog post a few days ago, John mentioned an April 2008 literature review by researchers at Boston University who wanted to explore the efficacy of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in treating anxiety. The authors of the review concluded that CBT, a short-term treatment technique, is generally effective for anxiety orders.
In a related article from […]
Pages: 1 2 Next » Single Page I took a seat at a large conference table in the university’s counseling center. I looked around nervously. I kept my hands in my lap, fingers (figuratively) crossed, hoping that I wouldn’t recognize a single face that walked through the door and into […]
As we read our way through the detailed, insightful articles of The American Prospect’s special issue on the politics of mental health, we’ll share interesting tidbits from them.
Taxpayers historically hate having to pay for public services through increased taxes of any kind. Many of us believe we are taxed enough as it is, and […]
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is probably the most well-known and most-practiced form of modern psychotherapy. Even therapists who don’t identify themselves as a CBT therapist likely uses at least a handful of CBT techniques in their practice. And while much of CBT’s popularity is centered around its use for depression and related mood disorders, it’s […]
In a fascinating bit of research, Stanford University researchers have discovered that a vital part of brain functioning — our neural hubs — might be a key into understanding Alzheimer’s. Neural hubs connect neural paths, which our brains use to communicate. Anything adversely affecting either the paths or the hubs could result in problems with […]
This brief interview with MIT neurobiologist Matt Wilson, posted on the TIME website a few days ago, is an interesting addition to a long-standing debate about memory: do people recall good or bad events more easily?
Convincing research exists for both arguments, but according to Professor Wilson it’s much easier for people to recall negative occurrences:
“We […]
Today’s Boston Globe has one of those feel-good editorials that calls for more of this and more of that aid for children in Massachusetts who have a mental illness. But their insight into this problem is limited, their solutions naive, and they inadvertently continue to promote the stigma attached to mental illness.
As the Globe’s Carey […]
Earlier this month, PsyBlog wrote a brief summary and synopsis of the current research findings for cognitive enhancers — you know, those things that are supposed to help us improve our minds and our memories. He looked at the commonly cited brain aids: brain training games, drugs, vitamins, medication and physical exercise.
And his conclusion […]
As a mental health writer from Canada I’d be remiss if I didn’t link to The Globe and Mail’s feature series Breakdown: Canada’s Mental Health Crisis. They present over a dozen articles and videos on stigma, workplace issues, information on some disorders, and the newspaper is also publishing many reader stories (which they are still […]
Which came first, the beta-amyloid plaque or the Alzheimer’s? It’s the plaque, but only one subtype, according to a new report by Harvard researchers in the online journal Nature Medicine and profiled in this TIME article from Sunday.
Physicians and researchers have long noted the presence of these plaques, made up of “sticky” beta-amyloid proteins, in […]
People magazine broke the story that actress Heather Locklear, 46, has checked into an Arizona treatment facility for psychological treatment of anxiety and depression.
“Heather has been dealing with anxiety and depression,” Locklear’s spokeswoman Cece Yorke said in a statement to Reuters. “She requested an in depth evaluation of her medication and entered into a medical […]
