Publications - Anxiety Disorders

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.

Warning Sign of Mental Illness, by Ranna Parekh, M.D, M.P.H, American Psychiatric Association, May 2019.

“Learning about developing symptoms, or early warning signs, and taking action can help. Early intervention can help reduce the severity of an illness. It may even be possible to delay or prevent a major mental illness altogether ”

Mental Health Screening Tools, by Theresa Nguyen, Mental Health America, May 2019.

“Taking a mental health screening is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition. Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, are real, common and treatable. And recovery is possible. ”

What is cognitive behavioral therapy and how does it work?, by Sarah DiGiuli, NBC News, Apr 29 2019.

“The American Psychological Association (APA) recognizes CBT as one of the most effective forms of psychological therapy and psychiatric medications. And based on the evidence proving it works when it comes to managing anxiety disorders, bulimia, insomnia, personality disorders, stress management, and more, CBT is considered the gold-standard of psychotherapies in the field. CBT aims to uncover unhelpful or problematic ways of thinking in order to change unwanted or unhealthy behaviors. ”

Misophonia: When Life's Noises Drive You Mad, by April Fulton, NPR, Mar 18 2019.

“Misophonia is characterized by intense emotion like rage or fear in response to highly specific sounds, particularly ordinary sounds that other people make. The cause is unknown. For people who suffer from it, mouth sounds are common triggers. "Chewing is almost universal. Gum chewing is almost universal. They also don't like the sound of throat clearing. Coughing, sniffing, nose blowing — a number of things," says Jaelline Jaffe, a psychotherapist in Los Angeles who specializes in misophonia. ”

Even with insurance, getting mental health treatment is a struggle in Mass., study says, by Liz Kowalczyk, Boston Globe, Dec 11 2018.

“Massachusetts residents who need health care are colliding with a hard reality: Having medical insurance doesn’t guarantee you can get treatment, particularly for psychiatric problems. More than half of adults who sought mental health or addiction treatment in recent months had difficulty getting that care, according to a survey of 2,201 residents by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation in Boston...The obstacle wasn’t a lack of insurance; the vast majority of patients were insured. Rather, the problem was that providers either did not accept their insurance or their practices were closed to new patients. ”

Infections May Raise The Risk Of Mental Illness In Children, by Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, Dec 5 2018.

“Researchers have traced a connection between some infections and mental illnesses like schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder. New research from Denmark bolsters that connection. The study, published Thursday in JAMA Psychiatry, shows that a wide variety of infections, even common ones like bronchitis, are linked to a higher risk of many mental illnesses in children and adolescents...For all mental illnesses — excluding depression and bipolar disorder — the team found that being hospitalized for an infection was associated with a 84 percent higher risk of subsequently being diagnosed with a mental health disorder at a hospital and a 42 percent increased risk of being prescribed a medication for mental illness. ”

States may now broaden mental health treatment under Medicaid, by Michael Nedelman, CNN, Nov 13 2018.

“The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services may now allow for states to pursue Medicaid reimbursements for short-term inpatient treatment in mental health facilities despite a decades-old exclusion, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced Tuesday. In a letter to state Medicaid directors, CMS detailed a new Medicaid waiver opportunity through which states may bypass longstanding reimbursement restrictions on inpatient psychiatric treatment, which apply to mental health facilities with more than 16 beds. Azar said the original policy has posed a "significant barrier" to people getting the treatments they need. ”