Publications on Mental Health Topics

How To Get Unstuck From The Negative Muck: A Kid's Guide To Getting Rid Of Negative Thinking, by Lake Sullivan, 2013.

Body Betrayed, by Kathryn Zerbe, 2013.

The Making of The Modern Refugee, by 2013, 2013.

Spilled Milk: Based On A True Story, by Randis, K.L., 2013.

“ Brooke Nolan is a battered child who makes an anonymous phone call about the escalating brutality in her home. When social services jeopardize her safety condemning her to keep her father's secret, it's a glass of spilled milk at the dinner table that forces her to speak about the cruelty she's been hiding. In her pursuit for safety and justice Brooke battles a broken system that pushes to keep her father in the home. When jury members and a love interest congregate to inspire her to fight, she risks losing the support of family and comes to the realization that some people simply do not want to be saved. Spilled Milk is a novel of shocking narrative, triumph and resiliency. ”

Depression and Your Child: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers, by Deborah Serani, 2013.

Why Teen Victims of Dating Violence Can't Break the Cycle, by Bonnie Rochman, Time, Dec 11 2012.

“According to the Centers for Disease Control, 9.4% of teens in a recent survey reported being physically abused by a romantic partner in the past 12 months -- that included being slapped, hit or intentionally injured. There is also evidence that adolescents who experience violence in early relationships are more vulnerable to being abused again, and indeed the latest study on the issue published in the journal Pediatrics shows that teens who experienced aggression from a romantic partner between the ages of 12 and 18 were up to three times as likely to be revictimized in relationships as young adults. ”

D Is for Divorce: Sesame Street Tackles Another Touchy Topic, by Jessica Bennett and Tumblr Storyboard, Time , Dec 10 2012.

“In early 1992, a census report predicted that 40% of children would soon live in divorced homes. As one of the most famous children's-television programs in the world, Sesame Street was determined to take on a topic most kids shows wouldn't touch. They cast Snuffy, a.k.a. Mr. Snuffleupagus, for the part of a child with divorced parents. With a team of its best writers, researchers and producers, a segment was scripted and shot. It went through a half-dozen revisions, with input from the foremost researchers in the field. And on a typical sunny afternoon on Sesame Street, the furry, red elephantine Muppet prepared to drop the bomb on his loyal preschool viewers. ”

CBT Helps Relieve Depression When Medication Fails, by Janice Wood, Psych Central , Dec 7 2012.

“People who don't respond to antidepressants report improvement with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), according to researchers at the University of Bristol. CBT, a combination of cognitive and behavioral therapy, is a way of helping people with depression change the way they think, which helps improve how they feel and change what they do, researchers said. A research team led by Nicola Wiles, Ph.D., from the University of Bristol recruited 469 adults who had not responded to at least six weeks of treatment with an antidepressant. ”

Greater Odds of Domestic Violence for Two-Income Couples, by Janice Wood, Psych Central, Nov 30 2012.

“Intimate partner violence is two times more likely to occur in two income households, compared to those where only one partner works, according to a new study.Conducted by Sam Houston State University researchers Cortney A. Franklin, Ph.D., and doctoral student Tasha A. Menaker and supported by the Crime Victims' Institute, the study looked at the impact of education levels and employment among heterosexual partners as it relates to domestic violence. ”

Four Major Antipsychotic Drugs Found Lacking in Long Term for Older Adults, by Traci Pedersen, Psych Central , Nov 28 2012.

“A new study has called into question the safety and effectiveness of four antipsychotic drugs commonly used to treat older adults with schizophrenia, dementia, bipolar disorder and other mental health disorders. These drugs--aripiprazole (Abilify), olanzapine (Zyprexa), quetiapine (Seroquel) and risperidone (Risperdal)--are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. ”

Meditation Combined With Art Therapy Can Change Your Brain and Lower Anxiety, by Science Daily, ScienceDaily , Nov 28 2012.

“Cancer and stress go hand-in-hand, and high stress levels can lead to poorer health outcomes in cancer patients. The Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine combined creative art therapy with a Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program for women with breast cancer and showed changes in brain activity associated with lower stress and anxiety after the eight-week program. ”

Bullying Can Lead to PTSD Symptoms, by Janice Wood, Psych Central , Nov 28 2012.

“A new study has found a high incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among teenagers who have been bullied. The study of 963 teens aged 14 and 15 in Norwegian schools found symptoms of the disorder in about 33 percent of the students who said they were victims of bullying--though it did not determine that these students were diagnosed with full-blown PTSD. ”

How Gender Stereotypes Warp Our View of Depression, by Amanda Gardner, Time , Nov 15 2012.

“Stereotypes about male and female roles may influence the way we perceive depressed people. It's a well-known fact that men and women who behave the same way in the exact same situation--whether it's a job interview, a cocktail party, or a traffic stop--are sometimes perceived and treated differently based on their gender. Something similar, it seems, may happen when men and women start to show signs of depression. A new study, published this week in the journal PLoS ONE, suggests that people of both sexes are less likely to view men as being depressed and in need of professional help--even if a man's symptoms are identical to a woman's. ”

Meditaters' Brain Activity Changed Even When Not Practicing, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central , Nov 13 2012.

“A new study discovers participation in a meditation program can impact brain functions even when someone is not actively meditating. Investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston University (BU), and several other research centers also discovered brain changes were specifically linked to the type of meditation practiced. ”

Parents Tend to Downplay Kids' Worries, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central , Oct 25 2012.

“A new study implies that parents, perhaps naturally so, are positively biased toward their child's abilities and emotions. Psychologists at the Center for Mind and Brain, at the University of California, Davis, discovered parents consistently overestimate their children's optimism and downplay their worries. ”