Mental Health
Fighting the Stigma of Dual Diagnosis
If you have a dual diagnosis, you more than likely already know how cruel people can be. Those suffer from substance abuse and a mental health disorder are often looked upon in a disparaging light, subject to hurtful comments and rude behavior. Some of this you may know all too well. That’s the reality, but [...] ...
Life in Balance: Part I
“Life balance is the art of balancing such finite things as our time,
our energy, and our thought among the seemingly infinite needs of our work,
our families and our personal interests and obligations.”
-Linda and Richard Eyre
Life today is abundant. Think of all the ways there are to communicate: computers, cell phones, home phones, work phones, iPads [...] ...
Intervention for Eating Disorders
The phone rings at 8:15 a.m. A bright, cheerful voice on the other end says, “Hi! I’ve been given your name as someone who helps with Intervention.” I ask the woman to tell me a little about the person in her life who needs help. The woman’s voice grows softer and more solemn. “My daughter [...] ...
Army to implement new mental health screening procedures
The U.S. Army hopes it can do a better job of preventing mental health problems in the ranks with more aggressive screening of troops -- before they ship out to a war zone.
After nine years of fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, the military is coping with a wave of mental health issues, from post-traumatic stress disorder to depression and suicide.
Army medical experts have been studying the ...
SAD? - You Are Not Alone
Winter officially begins today (Tuesday) and with less sunlight, the days are shorter and temperatures are much colder. These factors can have an adverse effect on the mental health of some in the Granite State. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is more common than many people realize, according to Jesse Bell, a clinician at Genesis Behavioral Health. About nine percent of the state's ...
Accepting Parents Boost Mental Health of LGBT Teens
Parents who accept and advocate for their non-heterosexual teens may be protecting them from depression and ill health as adults, suggests a new study on families with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) children.
Specific parental behaviors, such as advocating for their children when they are mistreated due to their LGBT identity and supporting their teen's gender expression, ...
Hoarding Disorder May Require Precise, Brain-Based Treatments
It’s the stuff of reality television – a person who can’t stop hanging on to their trash, and lives in piles of wrappers, food cans and mail. Or the story can unfold as a person who hoards shoes or clothing to the point of finding their family life unsettled and their marriage in trouble. However, [...] ...
Biola seeks to remove stigma with Mental Health awareness week
Officials at Biola University sought to eliminate the taboo often associated with mental illness last week with a slew of educational events during the campus' first-ever Mental Health Awareness Week. Compared to the emphasis placed on being physically fit, college officials said there haven't been enough events that focus on mental health.
"We realized there is a gap between the ...
Primary care doctors carrying heavier mental health load
As an internist, Charles Cutler, MD, was trained primarily to detect and treat physical problems. But he sees many patients for mental health issues at his practice in Norristown, Pa.
Because psychiatrists in the area frequently do not have openings for new patients, Dr. Cutler often provides mental health treatment.
He is among a growing number of primary care physicians who say they are ...
Princeton House Behavioral Health Begins Women's Emotion Regulation Program
Princeton House Behavioral Health's (PHBH) specialized services for women continue to expand with the addition of a new program called Women's Emotion Regulation.
"The Emotion Regulation Program is for women who struggle with a mood disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder, and have difficulty functioning at their best as a result," said Nathalie Edmond, Psy.D., director of ...
Study Confirms: Whatever Doesn't Kill Us Can Make Us Stronger
We've all heard the adage that whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger, but until now the preponderance of scientific evidence has offered little support for it.
However, a new national multi-year longitudinal study of the effects of adverse life events on mental health has found that adverse experiences do, in fact, appear to foster subsequent adaptability and resilience, with ...
Gap creates risk for young people with mental health problems
A team led by Professor Swaran Singh at Warwick Medical School looked at the transition from child mental health services to adult mental health services and found for the vast majority of users the move was “poorly planned, poorly executed and poorly experienced”.
In a study published in The British Journal of Psychiatry, the research team looked at 154 service users who were crossing the ...
Finding Your Self
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
Do not care
overly much for
wealth or power or fame
or one day you will meet someone
who cares for none of these things
and you might realize
how poor you have become.
In nature, there are neither rewards nor punishments, only consequences. Anger and fear do not exist in reality but only in our minds. Spiritual teachings tell [...] ...
Substance Abuse May be Risk Factor for Suicidal Thoughts or Attempts
Alarming research shows that people recovering from an addiction to drugs, alcohol or other substances may be as uch as three times more likely to try to kill themselves than people not suffering from addiction. Having a substance addiction is believed to be among the highest risk factors for the millions of people who attempt [...] ...
Veterans with PTSD Suffer More Medical Illnesses
Military veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq with troubled mental health may also suffer the burden of more medical illnesses, according to a sweeping study.
Female veterans in particular seem hard hit by the one-two combination of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and additional medical conditions, such as headaches and lower-back disorders.
The most hard-hit veterans ...
Internet overdose harmful for child’s mental health--survey
Is your child spending more time on internet than sharing quality time with you? Get a reality check, as internet addiction might turn your child into a loner, results of a survey warn.
The basic purpose of the survey, conducted by Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), was to ascertain the extent of internet overuse, especially by children between eight to 18 ...
Vets With PTSD Suffer More Medical Illnesses
As of late there has been a great deal of focus on veterans with mental illness. More and more vets have been reported having symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The latest research is now finding that veterans with PTSD suffer more medical illnesses than do those with no mental health condition.
Vets can offer thanks to these finding to Dr. Susan Frayne, from the VA Palo Alto ...
Oil-Spill Damage Spreads to Residents' Mental Health
Psychiatrists and mental health professionals are responding to the emotional aftermath of the massive BP oil spill that disrupted the lives of thousands in states bordering the Gulf of Mexico.
The oil that spilled out of BP's Macondo well fouled the waters and shores of the Gulf of Mexico, then disrupted lives and communities along a coastline already devastated by a cascade of ...
Substance Dependence and Conduct Disorder across Generations
People who struggle with substance use disorders often struggle in other areas as well. Much of the time, an additional mental disorder such as depression, anxiety or even an eating disorder accompany the problems of substance addiction. Conduct disorder also often plays a role with substance use disorder, with both disorders frequently co-occurring in families [...] ...
Who’s Calling? Cell Phone Sociometry!
This past July, I completed my second tour in Indonesia to teach Souldrama to pastoral counselors, health care workers , psychologists and teachers during July 2010. I was invited by the pastoral counselors association and also the Faculty of the University of Saltiga in Java to present four different workshops on the islands of Bali, [...] ...
Kenoi proclaims Suicide Prevention Week (Sept. 5-11)
Mayor Billy Kenoi has proclaimed Sept. 5-11 as Suicide Prevention Week.
As a member of the Suicide Prevention Task Force, Hawaii Family Guidance Center mental health supervisor Charmaine Alameda knows that a suicidal death is most difficult for family, friends and loved ones to comprehend.
Often, red flags of depression and / or mental illness will appear and other times suicide seems to ...
NAMI Offers Local Communities Support Amid State Mental Health Crisis
In a newly released interview filmed at the 2010 NAMI national convention, Mike Fitzpatrick, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), underscores the ongoing impact of the economic recession on state mental health services and highlights the local NAMI supports offered to people affected by mental illnesses such as major depression, bipolar disorder and ...
NAMIWalks Fight Stigma: Fall Dates include Mental Illness Awareness Week and Election 2010 Concerns
NAMIWalks will step forward over the next three months to raise public awareness in state and local communities about mental illness and the need for treatment and recovery.
Sponsored by state and local affiliates of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the walks help raise funds for local programs, including free family education classes and support groups for individuals and ...
Growing up bipolar: 'Nobody was on my side'
Jennifer Konjoian was 10 years old when she put a plastic bag over her head. She remembers doing it impulsively, for no other reason than to get attention.
For her mother, it was the last straw in a series of tantrums that led her to believe something was seriously wrong with Jennifer. After that incident, she took Jennifer to a psychiatric hospital.
But that was far from the end of the ...
Mental health system in N.O. still healing post-Katrina
The mental health delivery system was severely wounded after Hurricane Katrina, and the people on the front lines say there are still big problems five years later.
The picture the experts paint of mental health needs in the region since Hurricane Katrina is of one that needs acute treatment.
"If basic needs aren't met -- food, clothing and housing -- then those are the things that we ...
Thousands strain Fort Hood's mental health system
Nine months after an Army psychiatrist was charged with fatally shooting 13 soldiers and wounding 30, the nation's largest Army post can measure the toll of war in the more than 10,000 mental health evaluations, referrals or therapy sessions held every month.
About every fourth soldier here, where 48,000 troops and their families are based, has been in counseling during the past year, ...
Children's group working to lessen mental health stigma
For many, the words "mental health treatment" are embarrassing, but one Cupertino nonprofit is working to lessen that stigma and reach out to local youth in need of help.
Over the past three years, the Bay Area Children's Association has worked to reach youth early before problems manifest in their adult years. Director Thomas Tarshis estimates that one in five children could use mental ...
Depression often comes with brief, milder mania
Nearly 40% of Americans with major depression also have brief but recurring episodes of manic behavior, a new study suggests.
Researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reported that these patients have what's called "subthreshold hypomania" — meaning a milder form of mania that lasts fewer than four days, and is therefore below the threshold for bipolar ...
Out of Work May Mean Out of Sorts
The economic downturn has put thousands of Americans out of work, but their bank accounts aren't the only things suffering as unemployment remains high and they struggle to find a job.
Surveys by Mental Health America and other researchers have found that people affected by the lousy economy have a higher risk for mental illness, especially such conditions as depression and ...
More mental disorders treated with drugs only
More Americans with psychiatric conditions are being treated with drugs alone compared with a decade ago, while "talk therapy" -- either by itself or in combination with medication -- is on the decline, a new study finds.
The implications of the trend, as well as its underlying causes, are not fully clear, according to researchers. But they say the findings indicate that outpatient mental ...
Hidden Bipolar Disorder in Major Depression
Many people diagnosed with depression actually may have a mild form of bipolar disorder.
According to Dr. Kathleen R. Merikangas from the National Institute of Mental Health and her colleagues, ”Nearly 40 percent of people with a history of major depressive disorder report periods of hypomania that just miss the threshold for a bipolar diagnosis.”
Bipolar disorder, formerly known as ...
Hundreds of PTSD soldiers likely misdiagnosed
At the height of the Iraq war, the Army routinely fired hundreds of soldiers for having a personality disorder when they were more likely suffering from the traumatic stresses of war, discharge data suggests.
Under pressure from Congress and the public, the Army later acknowledged the problem and drastically cut the number of soldiers given the designation. But advocates for veterans say an ...
Why you shouldn't be embarrassed to see a mental health counselor
It is difficult to find yourself in a position where your mental health is faltering. You may be experiencing symptoms that are frightening. They may even be having a profound effect on your physical health, job, relationships, etc. When you find yourself in the position of having compromised mental health, you have a choice. You can try to do something about it or you can let it get worse. ...
College students exhibiting more severe mental illness, study finds
Severe mental illness is more common among college students than it was a decade ago, with more young people arriving on campus with pre-existing conditions and a willingness to seek help for emotional distress, according to a study presented at the 118th annual convention of the American Psychological Association. The data support what college mental health professionals have noted for some ...
Doing whatever it takes
Any routine Internet search for behavioral health issues in military veterans turns up scores of discussions and initiatives taking place at the local, state and national levels. While some observers still argue that service coordination and integrated care for complex diagnoses remain elusive, the treatment community clearly is not lacking for enthusiasm in serving this population. Helping ...
Internet Counseling Aids Mental Health
A new study has found that psychiatrists can accurately assess a patient's mental health by viewing web-based or e-mail files.
Specifically, University of California at Davis investigators found psychiatrists could diagnose and counsel individuals after viewing videotaped interviews that are sent via telecommunications lines.
The approach, called asynchronous telepsychiatry, uses ...
High Rate of Eating Disorders in Bipolar Patients
Eating disorders appear to occur more frequently in individuals with bipolar disorder.
According to a recent study, more than 14 percent of patients with bipolar disorder also suffer from an eating disorder, and these individuals are likely to have a more severe course of illness.
“Our findings are consistent with others suggesting that bipolar disorder may co-occur with eating disorders, ...
Excessive Use of Internet Predicts Later Depression
Could excessive use of the Internet mean teenagers are more likely to be depressed later in life?
According to new research, teens who spend an unreasonable amount of time on the Internet could be at increased risk of depression.
“Young people who are initially free of mental health problems but use the Internet pathologically could develop depression as a consequence,” according to Dr. ...
Ketamine Cuts Depression in Bipolar Illness
The anesthetic ketamine (sometimes illicitly used as a recreational drug) produced rapid alleviation of severe depression in patients with treatment-resistant bipolar illness in a small clinic trial.
In an 18-patient randomized trial, a single infusion of intravenous ketamine knocked 10 points off Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores in 40 minutes compared with a placebo ...
Teens in crisis: mental health issues on the rise
According to the Surgeon General, one in five youth have a mental health disorder. There are 46,000 young people in Utah alone battling a mental illness, and those numbers are growing.
Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff says it's time to get beyond the stigma of mental illness and talk about it openly. Today he talked about the personal heartache of having a daughter that battles ...
One in five Californians say they need mental health care
Almost 5 million California adults say they could use help with a mental or emotional problem, according to a survey released Wednesday by researchers at UCLA. About 1 million of them meet the criteria for "serious psychological distress."
However, only one in three people who perceive a need for mental health services or are in serious distress have seen a professional for treatment, the ...
With a little help from your friends you can live longer
A life of booze, [ciagarettes] and slothfulness may be enough to earn your doctor's disapproval, but there is one last hope: a repeat prescription of mates and good conversation.
A circle of close friends and strong family ties can boost a person's health more than exercise, losing weight or quitting cigarettes and alcohol, psychologists say.
Sociable people seem to reap extra ...
Is Tanning Addictive?
As the potential damage caused by exposure to the sun has been researched, many people flocked to tanning beds, hoping to keep up their bronzed appearance without the risk of developing cancer. As the dangers of tanning beds are explored, however, natural skin tones may soon be the outward sign of healthy living. A new [...] ...
Army trying to improve stress detection
Since 2003, the Army medical community has been working to establish processes that will improve the speed at which post-traumatic stress cases are diagnosed in military members, the Army's surgeon general said recently.
As many as 30 percent of troops redeploying from Iraq and Afghanistan could develop post-traumatic stress symptoms, and early detection is key to their treatment, Army ...
Mental Health America Launches Online Support Community
Mental Health America today announced it has launched the Mental Health America Support Community—a new online community that connects families, friends, and caregivers for support and inspiration.
The community has been created in partnership with Inspire, which works with nonprofits to provide safe, online health and wellness communities to help members live mentally healthier ...
Taking to the Stage to Battle Mental Illness
In small theater spaces across the United States, people fighting psychiatric illness are learning that acting can be a powerful form of therapy, while the shows they put on help educate audiences through deeply personal accounts of mental health issues.
"Theater arts can really give patients a very valuable additional opportunity to piece their lives back together," said David A. Faigin, ...
Mental illness costing military soldiers
The number of soldiers forced to leave the Army solely because of a mental disorder has increased by 64% from 2005 to 2009 and accounts for one in nine medical discharges, according to Army statistics.
Last year, 1,224 soldiers with a mental illness, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, received a medical discharge. That was an increase from 745 soldiers in 2005 or about 7% of medical ...
Mental illness: Support vital to treatment
After someone begins treatment for a mental illness, Lake County's system of care works to keep a level of support in place so it can be as effective as possible.
Sometimes issues creep up during treatment, such as side effects from medication or even the stigma of receiving help, that can make the process more difficult for clients.
"One of the things our agencies work very hard to do ...
PTSD Peaks at Different Ages in Men, Women
Women are most vulnerable to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) between ages 51 and 55, while men are more prone to the condition from ages 41 to 45, a new study finds.
Danish researchers analyzed data from 6,548 participants in previous PTSD studies and found that the total prevalence of PTSD was 21.3 percent. The condition was twice as common in women as in men.
The study was published ...
Despite Parity Law, Mental Health Coverage May Still Fall Short
For decades, mental health advocates have fought to get health insurance "equal rights" for patients with mental illnesses or brain disorders. The first taste of success came when President Bill Clinton signed the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996, which prevented employer health plans from setting different annual or lifetime limits for mental health services than they did for other coverage. And ...
LSU Emergency Mental Health Clinic to Open
A regional emergency mental health unit is set to open in early August on the grounds of LSU's Earl K. Long Medical Center, LSU hospital system chief Roxane Townsend said.
The unit is designed to relieve pressure on the area hospital emergency rooms that handle such cases when a crises occurs.
The opening has been delayed for about a year. First, funds weren't appropriated for ...
A Record Number of Drugs Are Being Tested to Treat Mental Illness
There are a record 313 drugs under research and development to treat mental illness, the pharmaceutical manufacturers' association says in a new report.
The drugs, either in clinical trials or seeking approval by the Food and Drug Administration, are being tested for conditions from Alzheimer's to schizophrenia.
The largest number, 90, would treat forms of dementia, and 71 would ...
Mental Illness: An Equal Opportunity Health Issue
July is National Minority Mental Health Month. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in four people suffer from some form of mental illness.
Mental health issues do not discriminate when it comes to race, gender or income level, says Richard Duran, executive director of the New Hampshire Minority Health Coalition. Duran notes the state has seen an influx of refugees and ...
Martial Arts Like Tai Chi Can May Improve Mental Health
A recent assessment of over 40 studies is giving positive results using Tai Chi for improving mental health. Tai Chi is a gentle Chinese martial art of slow meditative physical exercise designed for relaxation and balance and health. This helps combines mental concentration, slow breathing and dance-like movements to increase life force energy.
Dr. Chenchen Wang, associate professor at Tufts ...
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ‘WILL BE LITMUS TEST’ FOR NHS REFORM PLANS
The Government is being urged to ensure that mental health does not lose out in its plans to reform the NHS. The charity, Mind, said the litmus test of the new-look service would be whether or not it met the needs of people with mental health problems.
Mind is hoping patient involvement and choice will be at the heart of the reforms, which promise patients and doctors a bigger role with GP ...
Mental Disorders Often Follow Sexual Abuse
Researchers have discovered that a history of sexual abuse is frequently linked with a lifetime diagnosis of multiple psychiatric disorders.
Scientists discovered this association held true regardless of the victim's gender or age when the abuse occurred.
Findings presented in the July issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings link a history of sexual abuse with suicide attempts, ...
U.S. Army: Dogs Help Battle PTSD
The Army is using dogs "much more" to help soldiers recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) according to the Army Surgeon General's special assistant for mental health, Col. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, M.D., who spoke today at the annual convention of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
"Animals are not just cute," Ritchie said. "They provide support."
The ...
SAMHSA and the Ad Council Launch National Campaign to Raise Awareness about Mental Health Problems in Hispanic/Latino Communities
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in collaboration with The Advertising Council, announced today the launch of a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign to promote recovery from mental health problems within the Hispanic/Latino community by educating and inspiring young adults to talk openly about issues of mental health. The culturally-targeted ...
Obama Improves Veterans' Care
U.S. President Barack Obama is making it easier for U.S. war veterans to receive treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, a form of mental suffering once considered a taboo subject to discuss.
In his weekly address Saturday, Mr. Obama said the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is ending a years-old practice that made it difficult for veterans to receive care for PTSD. They no ...
Promoting Mental Health Across Cultures
Continuing their Campaign for Mental Health Recovery, the Ad Council and the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration today unveiled a series of culturally targeted public service ads. The new ads, which are being released in conjunction with National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in July, target the Native American, Hispanic/Latino and Chinese American communities.
The ...
Cyberbullying Linked to Mental Health
A new study from Finland has determined that teens who "cyberbully" others via the Internet or cell phones are more likely to suffer from mental health issues. In addition, the victims also suffer from mental and physical issues.
Cyberbullying is defined by the researchers as an aggressive, intentional and repeated use of mobile phones, computers and other electronic equipment to harass ...
Equine Therapy: Reaching Those Who Can’t Find Help Elsewhere
The equine history in this country is fascinating, from mustangs roaming free throughout the plains to providing transportation and farm labor to racing and peaceful pastimes. Today, horses are used in specific therapy applications as they have been proven effective in helping people with physical issues, speech problems, emotional issues, behavioral challenges and other disabilities. [...] ...
UnitedHealth Group Invests $5.87 Million in Petaluma Health Center to Enhance Health Care Access in Southern Sonoma County
Petaluma Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center that offers primary care and mental health services, received $5.87 million in capital lending to help the organization deliver quality primary health care services to residents in southern Sonoma County.
UnitedHealth Group /quotes/comstock/13*!unh/quotes/nls/unh (UNH 28.78, +0.48, +1.70%) purchased Petaluma Health Center's ...
Documentary addresses mental health stigma
Summit Pointe is trying a new approach to reduce the stigma associated with severe depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders.
The Battle Creek-based behavioral health care provider already is behind several area billboards and buses bearing humorous and eye-catching slogans about mental health to help get people talking about it and seeking professional help.
But the agency says ...
Exercise: Activity and Mental Health in Women
People who are physically active appear to be at lower risk for cognitive impairment late in life, and for women, a new study suggests, physical activity during the teenage years may provide the greatest benefit.
The study used data about 9,395 women 65 and older, most of them white, who participated in a multicenter study of osteoporotic fractures. They were asked whether they had been ...
National Geographics will be airing a documentary called, "Drug, Inc." on July 11 at 7 p.m., explaining were cocaine originates; and how it is process
Most of us have felt the healing power of empathy when sharing difficult situations with someone else who has experienced similar distress. This principle, that individuals who have had the same life experiences can help each other, is the basis of peer support.
Peer support has been a staple of the mental health recovery movement for many years. In 1978, President Carter's Commission on ...
Gillibrand: improve military mental health care
Every National Guard and Reserve unit that deploys to war zones should include a mental health professional, Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand said Thursday, as she signed on to legislation to accomplish that.
Mrs. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., cited the shortage of mental health professionals for the Guard and Reserves as one of several issues confronting the services as the nation celebrates Independence ...
Serious Mental Illness Can Take Toll on Life Span
Non-institutionalized individuals struggling with serious mental illness face a shorter life span than the general population, new research reveals.
The conclusion appears to be independent of a range of potential influences, including race, gender, ethnicity, education level and/or marital status.
The finding is reported in the July issue of Psychiatric Services by a team of researchers ...
Recovery From Serious Mental Illness: Sometimes It Takes 'The Village'
Sam, as we will call him, was proudly wearing a luminescent football jersey and a big smile on his face. He had spent 25 years living on the streets and prisons of California when I met him in Long Beach as I toured "The Village." He had achieved four years of being successfully housed, out of prison and away from the brutality of the streets. At first, he told me, he would just show up at "The ...
Forum Focuses On Problem Gambling
There's no real test, no easy-to-spot symptoms.
Still, the number of people seeking help for gambling addiction is expected to rise as Pennsylvania offers more gaming opportunities.
Do you gamble? It's a question that's rarely asked, said Jim Pappas, head of the Council on Compulsive Gambling in Pennsylvania.
The answer could open the door to the right treatment, said ...
Resolving Crisis
"No way out" situations in life cause some to attempt or commit suicide or encourage self mutilation or self destruction in a variety of ways.
There are situations in life that come to us where we feel stuck and that there is no way out and we are doomed forever. We tell ourselves "this is it." I am sure if you have a mental health disorder you have faced those times.
At times they are ...
SAMHSA and Child Development Experts Promote the Importance of Mental Health Starting at Birth
To highlight the importance of promoting children's mental health from birth, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and more than 80 public and private collaborating organizations and federal programs and agencies – including new supporters, such as the Office of Head Start at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Endowment for the ...
National eating disorders conference will have neurochemical focus
While environmental triggers for eating disorders maintain a significant presence in society, research is uncovering genetic links to eating behaviors that offer a more nuanced picture of these disorders’ causes and possible treatments. Clinical professionals will gather in Las Vegas this month to explore advanced treatment strategies reflecting a more balanced perspective on the factors ...
Alone and Miserable – Fighting the Urge to Use
Are you up all night, tossing and turning, unable to sleep because of drug cravings? Or does that gnawing, incessant urge to drink torture your every waking moment – no matter how hard you try to ignore it? Is there no one who can help you through this? If you answer yes to any of ...
'Crazy Heart' Honored for Depiction of Addiction
The Oscar-nominated film "Crazy Heart," which features Jeff Bridges as an alcoholic country singer, was honored in the annual Prism Awards for its accurate portrayal of the disease of addiction. ...
Program that Pays Addicts for Sterilization Expands to Europe
The highly controversial Project Prevention, a North Carolina charity that gives cash payments to drug addicts who undergo sterilization or start on long-term birth control, is receiving a similar mixed reception as it expands into the United Kingdom. ...
Parkinson's disease treatments associated with compulsive behaviors
Pathological gambling, compulsive shopping, binge eating and other impulse control disorders appear to be more common among individuals taking dopamine agonist medications for Parkinson's disease, according to a new study. ...
Keeping kids away from R-rated movies may prevent early drinking
Middle-school children whose parents restrict access to R-rated movies are substantially less likely to start drinking than their peers who are allowed to see such films, a new study suggests. ...
Domestic violence victims have higher health costs for years after abuse ends
Victims of domestic violence endure significantly higher health costs than other women for three years after the abuse ends, a new study finds. Abuse victims had health care costs that averaged more than $1,200 above non-abused women for the first two years after the abuse ended and about $400 above others in the third year. ...
Gay men and lesbians more likely to experience violent events and subsequent PTSD
A new study has found that gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and heterosexuals who have ever had a same-sex sex partner are one-and-a-half to two times as likely to experience violent events, especially in childhood, than the general population and have double the risk of experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a consequence of these events. ...
Good Results Of Bad Habits? Research Explains Paradox
When people are under chronic stress, they tend to smoke, drink, use drugs and overeat to help cope with stress. These behaviors trigger a biological cascade that helps prevent depression, but they also contribute to a host of physical problems that eventually contribute to early death. That is the claim of University of Michigan social scientist James S... ...
Resilience Factor Low In Depression, Protects Mice From Stress
Scientists have discovered a mechanism that helps to explain resilience to stress, vulnerability to depression and how antidepressants work. The new findings, in the reward circuit of mouse and human brains, have spurred a high tech dragnet for compounds that boost the action of a key gene regulator there, called deltaFosB... ...
Long-Term Economic Losses Stem From Childhood Psychological Problems
A first-of-its-kind study examining the long-term economic consequences of childhood psychological disorders finds the conditions diminish people's ability to work and earn as adults, costing $2.1 trillion over the lifetimes of all affected Americans... ...
Study Indicates Significant Changes In Substance Use Treatment Admissions Patterns Over The Past Decade
From 1998 to 2008 there were marked changes in some patterns of substance use treatment admissions according to a study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)... ...
Third National Survey Of Health Plans' Behavioral Health Services By Brandeis University
Brandeis University is launching two surveys of the nation's private health plans to assess how recent legislation affects quality of and consumer access to behavioral health services. Both the federal parity law and national health reform are likely to affect behavioral health care... ...
Advances In Addiction Research Featured In NIDA-Sponsored Track At APA Annual Meeting
Research on the neuroscience of addiction, unique addiction issues facing military personnel, advances in optogenetics, new federal drug control policy, and an update on medications for addiction are among the topics to be addressed in the special track sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse at this year's APA Annual Meeting in New Orleans, May 22-26, 2010... ...
Near Misses Are Like Winning To Problem Gamblers
The brains of problem gamblers react more intensely to near misses than casual gamblers, new research from the University of Cambridge has found. The results could help explain what keeps problem gamblers betting even though they keep losing. The study involved scanning the brains of 20 gamblers using functional magnetic resonance imaging while they played a computerised slot machine... ...
New Study Shows Differences Between Male And Female Mexican-Americans Admitted For Substance Use Treatment
There are pronounced differences in substance use patterns between Mexican-American women and men admitted to treatment according to a national study sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). For example, the study shows that alcohol was the primary substance of abuse among male Mexican-Americans admitted to treatment (40... ...
