Publications on Mental Health Topics

Why people share murder, rape on Facebook, by Doug Gross, CNN, Aug 9 2013.

“Social media exposes the crimes, along with the poster's need to feel important or powerful,' said Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Cener at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology. 'However, in most cases, it appears that the need for bravado is much greater than any concerns about getting caught. ”

Llama Llama and the Bully Goat, by Dewdney, Anna, Aug 6 2013.

Mental Illness, Not Combat, Causes Soldier's Suicides, by Jen Christensen, CNN , Aug 6 2013.

“The record number of military suicides seen in recent years may not be directly due to extended deployments or combat experience, according to a new study. This data analysis, funded by the Department of Defense, suggests that the real reason behind the growing number of military suicides is underlying mental health issues in this population ”

Stray Prenatal Gene Network Suspected in Schizophrenia, by National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Mental Health, Aug 1 2013.

“Researchers have reverse-engineered the outlines of a disrupted prenatal gene network in schizophrenia, by tracing spontaneous mutations to where and when they likely cause damage in the brain. Some people with the brain disorder may suffer from impaired birth of new neurons, or neurogenesis, in the front of their brain during prenatal development, suggests the study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health. ”

Being Bullied Throughout Childhood and Teens May Lead to More Arrests, Convictions, Prison Time, by Turner, Michael, Aug 1 2013.

“People who were repeatedly bullied throughout childhood and adolescence were significantly more likely to go to prison than individuals who did not suffer repeated bullying, according to a new analysis presented at the American Psychological Association’s 121st Annual Convention. ”

New Control Study Finds Drug-Free Program is Successful for Eliminating ADHD Symptoms, by Brain Balance Achievement Centers, PR Newswire , Jul 29 2013.

“A new randomized control study conducted by doctors in the Medical Neurology and Neuroscience field found that a drug-free, multi-modal program is significantly effective for eliminating symptoms associated with ADHD, as well as producing significant cognitive improvement. After a 12-week intervention program, the researchers found that 81 percent of children who enrolled in the multi-modal program no longer fit the criteria for ADHD. ”

Outdoor Activities Can Improve Your Mental Health, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central , Jul 26 2013.

“Veterans were surveyed before and after a multi-day wilderness recreation experience, which involved camping and hiking in groups of between six and 12 participants. More than half of participants reported that they frequently experienced physical or mental health problems in everyday life. One week after the experience, veterans reported a greater than 10 percent improvement in several measures of psychological well-being, a 9 percent increase in social functioning, and a nearly 8 percent gain in positive life outlook. ”

Trauma Update: On The 'Tipping Point For Tapping' Therapy, by Rachel Zimmerman, WBUR, Jul 23 2013.

“Called "Energy Psychology," "Emotional Freedom Technique" or simply "tapping," the practice uses exposure and desensitization to "defuse" painful emotions associated with trauma. By tapping a series of acupuncture points on the body, and repeating certain phrases related to the negative event in an accepting way, the emotional intensity of the bad memory deflates, the theory goes, and the grip of trauma melts away. Harvard Medical School psychiatrist Rick Leskowitz, director of the Integrative Medicine Project at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and a longtime practitioner of the technique, called it "the most impressive intervention I've encountered in 25 years of work." ”

Apps for Mastering Your Mood, by Maia Szalavitz, Time Magazine , Jul 18 2013.

“"How do you feel?" can be a surprisingly difficult question to answer, but new apps are making it possible to track the ups and downs of your emotional weather as easily as EKGs graph heart rate. New fitness devices allow you to track your heart rate, the amount of calories you burn, your skin temperature and even changing electrical conductance on your body, so why not the ebb and flow of mood? A recent poll found that nearly 70% of Americans track at least one physical health indicator and 21% of them rely on some type of app to keep them updated on how they’re doing. ”

Anxiety Lingers Long After Cancer, by Jan Hoffman, The New York Times , Jul 12 2013.

“There has been less attention paid to the disease's emotional impact on spouses. They, too, can become depressed. But with the roles of caregiver and cheerleader thrust upon them, they may feel constrained about expressing their darker feelings. Now a new analysis finds that within two years of a cancer diagnosis, the pervasiveness of depression in patients and their spouses tends to drop back to roughly the same levels as in the general population, only to be replaced by another mind-demon: anxiety, which can even intensify as time passes. ”

Soldier's suicide note goes viral; family demands better for veterans, by Chelsea Cook, CNN, Jul 6 2013.

“"Too trapped in a war to be at peace, too damaged to be at war." These are the words of post-traumatic stress disorder. They are the words of Daniel Somers, an Iraq War veteran who took his life last month. He left behind a powerful suicide note that went viral on the Internet after his family shared it with media in Phoenix, where he was from. His note gives readers a clear understanding of what it's like to suffer from crippling depression and war-related psychosis. It also slams the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which he characterized as careless.”

Medication or Talk Therapy? PET Scans May Personalize Depression Treatment, by Traci Pedersen, Psych Central , Jul 5 2013.

“Through the use of high-tech brain imaging, scientists can now tell if a person with depression would be better helped by talk therapy or medication. Researchers have identified a region of the brain that "lights up" in response to either counseling or medication. Currently, most doctors treat patients on a trial-and-error basis, and unfortunately, the first treatment for depression often fails, said Helen Mayberg, M.D., a researcher at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. ”

Minority children less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, by Nadia Kounang, CNN , Jun 25 2013.

“Minority children are far less likely than their white counterparts to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new study in this week's journal Pediatrics. In fact, authors found that African-American children were 69% less likely to be diagnosed, while Hispanic children were 45% less likely to have an ADHD diagnosis. More than 5 million children in the United States have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In fact, it's the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder in U.S. children. A diagnosis can help kids get the proper treatment and medication they need, and early intervention can be key in helping a child learn. ”

Suicidal Teens Turn to Social Media, Not Hotlines & Support Groups, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central , Jun 25 2013.

“Emerging research finds that many teens and young adults use social networking sites and mobile technology to express suicidal thoughts and intentions' often as a way to reach out for help. Conversely, the high risk young adults said they would not use suicide hotlines or online suicide support groups. Ohio State researchers used two studies to determine the impact of social media for suicidal prevention among young adults. ”

Incorporating Community Groups Into Depression Care Can Improve Coping Among Low-Income Patients, by RAND Corporation, RAND Corporation, Jun 25 2013.

“Improving care for depression in low-income communities — places where such help is frequently unavailable or hard to find — provides greater benefits to those in need when community groups such as churches and even barber shops help lead the planning process, according to a new study. ”