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 […]

Therapists have a secret that they would rather most people not know.
Up to 40% of new psychotherapy clients never come back for a second session.
While many therapists would consider such single session clients “failures,” but the fact is that given how often it happens, they must provide people with some benefit or relief in some […]

Forgo genetic testing for mental disorders such as bipolar disorder for now. The commercial tests which are coming on the market now offer little in the way of useful, actionable information, and can only tell you whether you may be at increased risk for a tiny subset of genes which may have a slightly higher […]

Some people wrap themselves in marketing phrases and feel-good privacy statements which mean little in the real world. So just a reminder to our regular readers about what online anonymity entails.
You can’t be anonymous online if you…
1. Join virtually any social network (since, by their very nature, they encourage you to share as much […]

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 […]

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 […]

Richard Florida is a researcher and author whose column, Where Do All the Neurotics Live?, appears in today’s Boston Globe. The article offers some interesting insights into the potential “psychogeography” of the United States.

Psychologists have shown that human personalities can be classified along five key dimensions: agreeableness, conscientiousness, extroversion, neuroticism, and openness to […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

The Second Annual Summit on Behavioral Telehealth: Technology for Behavior Change & Disease Management is June 2-3, 2008 at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass. Psych Central is proud to be a supporting publication for this event, and we encourage our readership that’s interested in getting an update on what’s going on in “behavioral telehealth” […]