Publications on Mental Health Topics

Why Maternity Leave Is Important, by Meredith Melnick, Time Magazine, Jul 21 2011.

“ According to a new demographic analysis from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the answer is a reassuring no. The study found that working doesn’t lower the quality of parenting overall — or even worsen the load of parental stress. ”

Timely Treatment for Depression Hard to Get Even for the Insured, by Maia Szalavitz, Time Magazine , Jul 21 2011.

“Massachusetts requires health insurance for all, is second in the nation in the number of doctors per capita, and mandates equal coverage for mental and physical illnesses. Yet when researchers there posed as well-insured patients seeking treatment for depression, only 6% of calls to mental health facilities resulted in an appointment within two weeks, according to a new study. ”

Mothers with breastfeeding difficulties more likely to suffer postpartum depression, by Tom Hughes, UNC Healthcare , Jul 19 2011.

“A UNC study finds that women who have breastfeeding difficulties in the first two weeks after giving birth are more likely to suffer postpartum depression two months later compared to women without such difficulties. ”

Study: Siblings of Autistic Kids Show Similar Brain Activity, by Alice Park, Time Magazine , Jul 13 2011.

“In a study published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, scientists at the University of Cambridge report that even the unaffected siblings of autistic children show signs of brain differences that set them apart from children in non-autistic families. ”

Genetic Mutations Linked to Schizophrenia, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central , Jul 11 2011.

“A new research study suggests de novo mutations - genetic mistakes that are present in people with a disease, but not in their parents - are more frequent in individuals with schizophrenia. ”

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is seen as effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, by Jan Brogan, Boston Globe , Jul 11 2011.

“Once highly controversial, EMDR has made gains in acceptance. In 2004, both the American Psychiatric Association and the Department of Defense recommended it as an effective treatment for PTSD. In May, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, recognized EMDR as an evidence-based treatment for depression and anxiety as well as for PTSD. ”

Rethinking Addiction's Roots, and Its Treatment, by Quenqua, New York Times , Jul 10 2011.

“There is an age-old debate over alcoholism: is the problem in the sufferer's head - something that can be overcome through willpower, spirituality or talk therapy, perhaps - or is it a physical disease, one that needs continuing medical treatment in much the same way as, say, diabetes or epilepsy? ”

Study Identifies Protective Factors that Help Women Recover from Childhood Violence, by Emily Martin and Kim Anderson, University of Missouri, Jul 7 2011.

“A University of Missouri researcher has found that certain protective factors foster resilience and increase the likelihood that the cycle of violence will end for women who, as children, were exposed to their mothers' battering. ”

Researchers look for ingredients of happiness around the world, by Diana Yates, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Jun 29 2011.

“In a new study, researchers at the University of Illinois put Maslow's ideas to the test with data from 123 countries representing every major region of the world. ”

Rethinking Shaken Baby Syndrome, by Joseph Shapiro, NPR , Jun 29 2011.

“The dispute over shaken baby syndrome is a bitter civil war. On one side, doctors, lawyers and other experts say the diagnosis is key to winning convictions of people accused of the most horrible acts of child abuse. Opponents say the diagnosis is used too freely and that sometimes, innocent people go to prison. ”

Support Program Helps Caregivers of Mentally Ill Cope, by Traci Pedersen, Psych Central , Jun 28 2011.

“Caring for a family member with mental illness can take its toll, but a widely available education and support program for relatives of the mentally ill called Family-to-Family (FTF) can significantly improve a family's coping ability. ”

Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys, by Rios, V., Jun 27 2011.

Expert on Mental Illness Reveals Her Own Fight, by Benedict Carey, New York Times , Jun 23 2011.

“No one knows how many people with severe mental illness live what appear to be normal, successful lives, because such people are not in the habit of announcing themselves. They are too busy juggling responsibilities, paying the bills, studying, raising families - all while weathering gusts of dark emotions or delusions that would quickly overwhelm almost anyone else. Now, an increasing number of them are risking exposure of their secret, saying that the time is right. ”

Incontinence May Increase Risk of Postpartum Depression, by Rick Nauert, Psych Central , Jun 21 2011.

“A new Canadian study discovers that women with urinary incontinence after giving birth are almost twice as likely to develop postpartum depression as those without incontinence. ”

Turning to Software to Help Treat Brain Injuries, by Gordy Slack, New York Times , Jun 17 2011.

“Finding any sort of treatment for traumatic brain injuries, much less a cure, has not been easy. But some neuroscientists now see great potential in techniques of manipulating the brain's "neuroplasticity," its propensity to rearrange its neuronal structure in response to behavior and stimuli. ”