Publications - Anxiety Disorders

How to Help Children Cope with Depression and Anxiety Right Now, by Tessa Yannone, Boston Magazine, Jun 16 2020.

“Growing up like a “regular kid” is anything but regular these days. From virtual learning to days on end spent with parents and siblings instead of friends and classmates, plus urgent new Black Lives Matter protests (read more on how to speak to kids about the protest movement here) and nonstop fireworks keeping neighborhoods up at night, parents may be wondering how to gauge how anxious kids are and how to help. This article addresses this issue! ”

These are challenging times — here's how to get free mental health assistance, by Cory Stieg, CNBC, Jun 7 2020.

“As millions of people around the world are protesting police brutality in the wake of George Floyd's death, the Covid-19 pandemic continues to sweep the nation. Many people are experiencing increased levels of stress and anxiety as a result. From therapy to coping mechanisms, here are some free and low-cost resources that can help you during this time: ”

Not a staycation: Isolating at home affects our mental health (and what to do), by Claire McCarthy,MD, Harvard Health , Apr 14 2020.

“Tips from a pediatrician at Havard Medical School, Dr. McCarthy. "There is no way that we can live this without anxiety and sadness — and no way that our children can live it without anxiety and sadness. We all need to do our best, sure, but it’s important that we acknowledge that we are feeling strange and bad, that our kids are too, and this can’t help but affect how we all behave. We have to take care of ourselves in a different way, being proactive about our mental health." ”

Coronavirus is harming the mental health of tens of millions of people in U.S., new poll finds, by Joel Achenbach , Washington Post, Apr 2 2020.

“Nearly half the people in the United States feel the coronavirus crisis is harming their mental health, according to a survey published Thursday that demonstrates how the covid-19 pandemic has escalated into a nationwide psychological trauma. The tracking poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, conducted March 25 to 30, found that 45 percent of adults say the pandemic has affected their mental health, and 19 percent say it has had a “major impact.” The rates are slightly higher among women, Hispanic adults and black adults, the survey found. ”

Single dose of psychedelic drug eased cancer patients' anxiety, depression for years, by Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC News, Jan 28 2020.

“Nearly five years after a group of cancer patients were given a single dose of a psychedelic drug to ease depression and anxiety, new research finds that many of them are still feeling the positive effects. ”

Mental health declining among older U.S. adults, poor hardest hit, by Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, Jan 3 2020.

“Many older Americans have experienced more days of poor mental health in recent years, particularly individuals with limited income and education, a U.S. study suggests. ”

As stigma ebbs, college students seek mental health help, by COLLIN BINKLEY and LARRY FENN, Associated Press, Nov 25 2019.

“More college students are turning to their schools for help with anxiety, depression and other mental health problems, and many must wait weeks for treatment or find help elsewhere as campus clinics struggle to meet demand, an Associated Press review of more than three dozen public universities found ”

More Adolescents Seek Medical Care for Mental Health Issues, by Phillip Reese, U.S. News & World Report, Nov 11 2019.

“ERs throughout California are reporting a sharp increase in adolescents and young adults seeking care for a mental health crisis. ”

Americans spending more out-of-pocket on mental health than physical health, by Linda Carroll, Reuters, Nov 8 2019.

“Many insured Americans go out of network for mental health services, a new study suggests, despite the higher costs to them and despite a federal law mandating that policies’ mental health coverage be at least as good as their physical health coverage ”

There's 'Scarce Evidence' to Suggest Cannabis Improves Mental Health Symptoms, a New Research Review Says, by Jamie Ducharme, Time Magazine, Oct 28 2019.

“Marijuana is more mainstream than it’s ever been. A growing number of states are legalizing it medicinally and recreationally; millions of people are vaping products that contain the compound THC (potentially to the detriment of their health); and non-psychoactive CBD is in everything from beauty products to seltzer water. This spring, Google searches for CBD exceeded searches for buzzy health topics like acupuncture, apple cider vinegar and meditation, according to a recent JAMA Network Open analysis. The problem: Even though many consumers turn to cannabis compounds, known as cannabinoids, to soothe issues like depression and anxiety, these substances don’t seem to do much for mental health, according to a new research review published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry. ”

Lots of Americans have a fear of flying. There are ways to overcome the anxiety disorder., by Sarah Vander Schaaff , The Washington Post, Oct 12 2019.

“Fear of flying, or aviophobia, is an anxiety disorder. About 40 percent of the general population reports some fear of flying, and 2.5 percent have what is classified as a clinical phobia, one in which a person avoids flying or does so with significant distress.  Fear of flying, according to one overview, is far less studied than other conditions that can be detrimental to relationships and careers such as social anxiety, obsessive compulsive and post-traumatic stress disorders. Little is known about what keeps people afraid even after exposure to successful flights.  ”

Should Students Get Mental Health Days Off From School?, by Natalie Proulx, New York Times, Sep 12 2019.

“Two states recently passed laws that allow students to take time off for their mental health. Do you wish your school gave you the option? ”

How to Manage Your Mental Illness at Work, by Eric Ravenscraft, NYT, Sep 3 2019.

“If you suffer from depression, anxiety, PTSD or another mental illness, here are some real-world tips to help you stay happy and healthy at work. ”

The Quick Therapy That Actually Works, by Olga Kazhan, The Atlantic, Aug 21 2019.

“Perhaps to the chagrin of those of us who have sunk entire paychecks into traditional psychotherapy, there is some evidence that extremely brief therapy is indeed effective. Schleider published a meta-analysis of single-session interventions focused on children and teens (not including her own work, which was tested later) that found that a teen who received a single-session intervention had a 58 percent greater chance of having his or her symptoms improve than one who did not. The single sessions worked especially well for decreasing anxiety and behavioral problems. In fact, Schleider says, on these measures, one session of therapy turned out to be about as effective as 16 sessions. ”

College Students (And Their Parents) Face A Campus Mental Health 'Epidemic', by Terry Gross, NPR, May 28 2019.