Publications on Mental Health Topics

How To Raise Confident Multiracial Children, Bicultural Familia , Mar 20 2017.

“While our nation is increasingly diverse, there are still factors that can leave kids feeling less than confident about their heritage and wondering where they fit in.  This can cause them to feel marginalized on both sides or like they have to identify with one ethnicity over the other. Now, through the growth of the internet, nearly unlimited resources are available to modern parents who want to educate their children in a variety of cultures.   ”

Some Gun Laws Tied to Lower Suicide Rates, by Nichola Bakalar, New York Times, Mar 15 2017.

“Background checks and waiting periods for gun purchases are associated with lower suicide rates, a new study reports...'The suicide rate has increased every single year since 2005,” he said. “That you can find any kind of decrease in this environment is monumental.' ”

How Health Care Can Reduce Domestic Violence, by Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, Mar 9 2017.

“HAART, a combination of several HIV drugs, transformed HIV from a death sentence to a chronic, survivable condition, prolonging life by several decades...Now, a new NBER working paper suggests the treatment also gave a group of HIV-positive women a new lease on life—so much so that some of them quit using drugs and left their physically abusive partners. ”

Participation in Contact Sports Increases Risk of Opioid/Heroin Use, by Rick Nauert, PhD, Psych Central, Mar 6 2017.

“Parents may need to take notice as a University of Michigan study suggests high school athletes who play high-contact sports (like hockey or football) are at greater risk for heroin use and nonmedical use of prescription opioids...'The findings provide critical information to inform doctors and parents of the potential risks associated with participating in certain high contact sports and the need to monitor the use and misuse of prescription drugs that have high abuse potential,' Veliz said. ”

Emergency doc training important to improving transgender care, by Andrew M. Seaman, Reuters, Mar 1 2017.

“The negative experiences of transgender and gender nonconforming patients in U.S. emergency departments could be avoided with better training for doctors, suggests a new study.  Based on survey responses from 240 transgender and gender nonconforming people, researchers say negative experiences were often attributable to doctors' lack of knowledge. ”

Facebook artificial intelligence spots suicidal users, by Leo Kelion, BBC, Mar 1 2017.

“Facebook has begun using artificial intelligence to identify members that may be at risk of killing themselves.  The social network has developed algorithms that spot warning signs in users' posts and the comments their friends leave in response.  After confirmation by Facebook's human review team, the company contacts those thought to be at risk of self-harm to suggest ways they can seek help.  A suicide helpline chief said the move was "not just helpful but critical". ”

Scientists test deep brain stimulation as potential anorexia therapy, by Kate Kelland, Reuters, Feb 23 2017.

“A small study in 16 people with severe anorexia has found that implanting stimulation electrodes into the brains of patients could ease their anxiety and help them gain weight. Researchers found that in extreme cases of the eating disorder, the technique - known as deep brain stimulation (DBS) - swiftly helped many of those studied reduce symptoms of either anxiety or depression, and improved their quality of life...results suggest deep brain stimulation - which involves implanting electrodes to stimulate brain areas that control dysfunctional behaviors - might alter the brain circuits that drive anorexia. ”

As They Dig Deeper Into Parenting, Fathers Seek Community, Support, Feb 21 2017.

“Today's dads are participating in aspects of parenting that their own fathers may have neglected, and because of this cultural shift they are less likely to turn to their dads for parenting advice.  According to research conducted by the Fatherhood Initiative, a nonprofit organization that creates fatherhood education programs for community organizations, 50 percent of fathers don't feel prepared for parenthood. ”

Teen Suicide Attempts Down in States with Same-Sex Marriages, by Rick Nauert, PhD, Psych Central, Feb 21 2017.

“A new research study finds that the implementation of state laws legalizing same-sex marriage was associated with a significant reduction in the rate of suicide attempts among high school students...The findings, published in JAMA Pediatrics, estimate that state-level, same-sex marriage policies were associated with more than 134,000 fewer adolescent suicide attempts per year...The results show the effect that social policies can have on behavior, the researchers say. ”

Dads, like moms, are at risk of depression after a child’s birth, researchers report, by Megan Thielking, STAT News, Feb 15 2017.

“New dads are at risk of experiencing the same symptoms of postpartum depression as women who’ve just given birth — despite the fact that their bodies don’t go through the same sort of changes.  A paper published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry finds that just over four percent of new fathers experience elevated symptoms of depression after their children are born.  The idea of postpartum depression among new dads is a relatively new one, and the study’s authors say raising awareness about the issue is a critical first step. That, combined with screenings, could help catch symptoms of depression among new fathers and treat them early. ”

Depression Strikes Today's Teen Girls Especially Hard, by Patti Neighmond, NPR, Feb 13 2017.

“But a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics suggests many more teenage girls in the U.S. may be experiencing major depressive episodes at this age than boys...The findings are just the latest in a steady stream of research showing that women of all ages experience higher rates of depression compared to men, says psychologist and author Catherine Steiner-Adair. And no wonder, she says — despite gains in employment, education and salary, women and girls are still 'continually bombarded by media messages, dominant culture, humor and even political figures about how they look — no matter how smart, gifted, or passionate they are.' ”

Hospice Caregivers at Risk for Depression, by Rick Nauert, PhD, Psych Central, Feb 13 2017.

“A new University of Missouri study discovered that nearly one-quarter of hospice caregivers were moderately or severely depressed and nearly one-third had moderate or severe anxiety...Researchers recommend that health providers remember to treat the whole family, providing ongoing screening to family caregivers to identify early signs of depression and anxiety. ”

Veteran Teaches Therapists How To Talk About Gun Safety When Suicide's A Risk, by April Dembosky , NPR, Feb 9 2017.

“Suicide is often an impulsive act. Nearly half the people who survive an attempt say the time between their first thought of suicide and the attempt itself was less than 10 minutes. But the method can mean the difference between life and death: People who take pills have time to change their minds, or may still be alive when discovered. That's not the case with guns. Almost 70 percent of veterans who commit suicide do so with a gun, which prompted President Barack Obama to order the VA to talk to vets about gun safety and storage options like the ones Zimmerman uses. ”

The Impressive Top-to-Bottom Makeover of the Massachusetts Juvenile Justice System, by Chris Peak, NationSwell, Feb 8 2017.

Almost two-thirds of children worry 'all the time', by Judith Burns, BBC, Feb 6 2017.

“Research among 700 children aged 10 and 11 for the mental-health charity Place2Be suggests almost two-thirds worry "all the time".  Concerns about family and friends and fear of failing at school are the top causes of anxiety, says the charity. ”