Publications on Mental Health Topics

Teens trained to spot drama before it turns dangerous, by Emanuella Grinberg, CNN, Jun 25 2013.

“The goal is to challenge perceptions of "normal behavior" and make teens aware of the nuanced interactions that create a hostile climate. It could be as simple as diverting a friend's attention when he hollers at a girl on the street, encouraging your sister to talk to her boyfriend instead of secretly checking his texts, sneaking off to call 911 when the popular guys start messing with a girl who's barely conscious. "Bystander intervention gives everyone a role to play in preventing relationship violence," said University of New Hampshire psychology professor Victoria Banyard, whose research has examined bystander intervention in relationship violence prevention programs. ”

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. ”

Mental health clinics cited, by Chelsea Conaboy, Boston Globe , Jun 20 2013.

“Dozens of therapists who were unlicensed or improperly supervised routinely treated mentally ill patients at three clinics owned by a major provider of care to low-income people in Massachusetts, state records show. The findings last year, described in documents obtained by the Globe and filed as part of a lawsuit, highlight a two-tier system in which low-income patients often are treated by mental health workers with less training and expertise than caregivers for privately insured patients. ”

The Criminalization of Mental Illness: Crisis and Opportunity for the Justice System, Second Edition, by Slate, R.; Buffington-Vollum, J.; Johnson, W., Jun 18 2013.

Treatments of physical and mental health are coming together, by Anna Gorman, Los Angeles Times , Jun 9 2013.

“As the nation seeks to extend healthcare coverage to millions of new and in many cases chronically ill patients, one of the great parallel challenges to controlling costs and improving delivery of care will be managing the mental health problems of people like Hunter. Already, about 2 million patients a year receiving care at government-subsidized community health centers also must be treated for depression, anxiety and other mental conditions, according to the National Assn. of Community Health Centers. ”

Smoking Alcohol: The Dangerous Way People Are Getting Drunk, by Alexandra Sifferlin, Time , Jun 5 2013.

“To get drunk, people are getting creative. But a new form of drinking, known as "smoking" alcohol, has doctors concerned. An individual can pour alcohol over dry ice and inhale it directly or with a straw, or make a DIY vaporizing kit using bike pumps. The alcohol of choice is poured into a bottle, the bottle is corked, and the bicycle pump needle is poked through the top of the cork. Air is pumped into the bottle to vaporize the alcohol, and the user inhales. ”

Escaping Control & Abuse: How to Get Out of a Bad Relationship & Recover from Assault, by Cooke, Kaz, Jun 3 2013.

Hundreds of Studies Back Benefits of Psychotherapy for Depression, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central , May 29 2013.

“Treatments for depression that do not involve antidepressant drugs but rather focus on different forms of psychotherapy interventions are all beneficial. The techniques, also sometimes called talk therapy, can take various iterations with no one form of therapy being better than the others, according to a study by international researchers published in PLOS Medicine. Experts believe the findings are important as they suggest that patients with depression should discuss different forms of non-drug therapy with their doctors and explore which type of psychotherapy best suits them. ”

Stress may be causing your cravings, by Amanda Enayati, CNN , May 23 2013.

“What do drug addicts, serial dieters and children from troubled homes have in common? More than you might think. Stress can play a pernicious role in triggering a vicious cycle that leaves these groups overwhelmed by uncontrollable impulses and distracted by negative feelings -- all of which may, in turn, spark subsequent cycles of relapse, bingeing and failure. Through a career that spans almost three decades, Rajita Sinha, psychologist and head of the Yale Stress Center, has sought to understand the processes underlying these stress cycles in hopes they may one day be prevented. ”

New study supports suicide 'contagion' in teens, by Saundra Young, CNN , May 21 2013.

“Having a schoolmate commit suicide significantly increases the chance that a teenager will consider or attempt suicide themselves, according to a new study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). The study surveyed more than 22,000 Canadian children aged 12 to 17. They were asked if anyone in their school, or anyone they knew personally had died by suicide and if they had seriously considered attempting suicide themselves in the past year. The researchers found that the risk of suicide was magnified even if the child did not know the deceased student personally. ”

Domestically Cursed: A Story On Partnership Violence, by Amin, Renair, May 15 2013.

When Helping Hurts, by ELI J. FINKEL and FITZSIMONS, New York Times, May 10 2013.

“American parents are more involved in our children’s lives than ever: we schedule play dates, assist with homework and even choose college courses. We know that all of this assistance has costs — depleted bank balances, constricted social lives — but we endure them happily, believing we are doing what is best for our children. What if, however, the costs included harming our children? ”

Shift in Goals Improves Treatment for Severe Anorexia, by Wood, Janice, Psych Central, May 9 2013.

“A new clinical trial has found that focusing on quality of life and enhanced social adjustment, rather than weight gain, improved results for patients with severe and enduring anorexia nervosa. ”

Learn from my daughter's eating disorder, by Dr. Ismael Nuno, CNN, May 9 2013.

“In 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 33% of girls in high school think they are overweight, while 56% of them said they were actively trying to decrease their weight. ”

Lack of sleep blights pupils' education, by Sean Coughlan, BBC , May 8 2013.

“Sleep deprivation is a significant hidden factor in lowering the achievement of school pupils, according to researchers carrying out international education tests. It is a particular problem in more affluent countries, with sleep experts linking it to the use of mobile phones and computers in bedrooms late at night. Sleep deprivation is such a serious disruption that lessons have to be pitched at a lower level to accommodate sleep-starved learners, the study found. The international comparison, carried out by Boston College, found the United States to have the highest number of sleep-deprived students, with 73% of 9 and 10-year-olds and 80% of 13 and 14-year-olds identified by their teachers as being adversely affected. ”