Disorders Articles
Friday, May 9th, 2008
Earlier this week, the Boston Globe’s health blog dived into the issue of conflicts of interest for the latest mental disorder diagnostic manual being formulated. The diagnostic manual is known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and a fifth version of it is currently in development.
How a disorder makes it […]
Posted in General, Policy and Advocacy, Disorders, Psychology | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008
One of the biggest problems facing the mental health system today is slipshod diagnoses — diagnoses made too quickly, without obtaining enough information, and checking for reasonable alternative diagnoses. Professionals sometimes complain that they are overworked and need to make a diagnosis quickly in order to be reimbursed for the interview. I say that’s rubbish […]
Posted in General, Policy and Advocacy, Brain and Behavior, Disorders, Treatment, Mental Health & Wellness | 3 Comments »
Monday, May 5th, 2008
Earlier today we reported on new research that shows a link between a parent’s mental health and an increase in the likelihood of having a child develop autism. The research examined Swedish hospital records of children born between 1977 and 2003 who were diagnosed with autism and compared them with children who were not diagnosed […]
Posted in General, Parenting, Disorders, Depression, Schizophrenia, Children & Teens, Men's Issues, Women's Issues | 1 Comment »
Saturday, May 3rd, 2008
If it’s May, it must be Mental Health Month, that special, warm, cozy time of the year that we all gather around our medication bottles and sing a little mental health happiness song.
Yes, I’m starting a new tradition. Please join in if you’d like.
But for most Americans, Mental Health Month is meant to highlight mental […]
Posted in General, Policy and Advocacy, Brain and Behavior, Relationships, Disorders, Depression, Psychology, Stress, Mental Health & Wellness | 4 Comments »
Friday, May 2nd, 2008
One of the long-standing concerns amongst professionals and parents alike is the possibility that early treatment of attention deficit disorder (ADHD) with stimulant medication (such as Ritalin or Adderall) could possibly lead to later problems. New research suggests these concerns are largely unfounded, with one possible exception.
The studies were published in the latest issue of […]
Posted in General, Medications, Brain and Behavior, Disorders, ADHD and ADD, Research, Children & Teens | 3 Comments »
Friday, May 2nd, 2008
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) got some grant money from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals to produce an updated brochure on Women and Depression. The result?
A publication that is largely information that’s been regurgitated time and time again (you can see many of the same topics in NIMH’s Women and Depression brochure), culled from a myriad […]
Posted in General, Policy and Advocacy, Medications, Psychotherapy, Technology, Disorders, Depression, Mental Health & Wellness, Women's Issues | 5 Comments »
Thursday, May 1st, 2008
The latest research results on deep brain stimulation (DBS) suggests it is helpful for severe, chronic depression. DBS is a simple surgical procedure that implants electrodes in parts of your brain. Once implanted, they emit tiny electrical pulses that help block the dysfunctional activity in your brain. The key to success in the procedure is […]
Posted in General, Brain and Behavior, Disorders, Depression, Treatment | 1 Comment »
Friday, April 25th, 2008
You’ve got to scratch your head when one of the government’s chief advocates for health care in the Veterans Administration just reinforces the old stigmas associated with mental health concerns. Testifying before a federal judge in San Francisco, Michael Kussman said:
“The number of patients who have adjustment reactions to the experience that they have in […]
Posted in General, Policy and Advocacy, Brain and Behavior, Disorders, Industrial and Workplace, Psychology, PTSD, Health-related, Mental Health & Wellness | 4 Comments »
Friday, April 25th, 2008
Furious Seasons brings us this advice column where a concerned parent is asking about her daughter’s desire to be diagnosed with ADHD to help her get into college:
[… Y]ou can imagine my surprise when she asked that I take her to the doctor to get a prescription for ADHD medication. I was blown away.
She says […]
Posted in General, Medications, Disorders, ADHD and ADD, Children & Teens | 12 Comments »
Friday, April 25th, 2008
In the mental health blogosphere this week my favourite post came from Dr. Shock, in a post that is part of the cool Research Blogging initiative. He reported on a new paper published in Cyberpsychology & Behavior called Lighting in Digital Game Worlds: Effects on Affect and Play Performance, by Igor Knez and Simon […]
Posted in General, Brain and Behavior, Technology, Depression, Psychology, Treatment, Research, Health-related, Sleep | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
Walmart has made $4 generics the talk of medicine. But are generic medications always as good as their name-brand counterparts? Not always.
The Wall Street Journal yesterday wrote an entry yesterday about how they differ — Inexact Copies: How Generics Differ From Brand Names. The spotlight is shining on generics because of their low cost and […]
Posted in General, Policy and Advocacy, Medications, Depression, Health-related | 9 Comments »
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008
Apparently some of the people running the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA), the agency charged with taking care of our military veterans’ health and mental health needs when they leave the service, think nothing of lying about some of the significant issues they’re facing. Especially with regards to veterans’ suicide rates.
According to their own internal emails […]
Posted in General, Policy and Advocacy, Disorders, Depression, Health-related, Mental Health & Wellness | 4 Comments »
Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.
-- Eleanor Roosevelt