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A Novel Mental Health Treatment Program Dramatically Reduces Suicides

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 16:57:28 +0000

If you've seen the photos of crumbling Detroit buildings that are being circulated lately, you'd probably expect the whole city to be full of miserable, despairing people, a place where a suicide rate of zero is unthinkable. Think again! Detroit is struggling but not nearly as badly as those photos suggest, and this Crain's article on the Henry Ford Health System that serves southeast Michigan suggests that "perfect" depression care is entirely possible even in an area that's going through tough times:

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Mental Health and the Holidays

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:20:49 +0000

As Christmas and New Year's draw closer, many of us are bracing for changes to our routines that could shake anyone's mental health. Travel and jetlag, a break from the rigid schedule of work or school, meals at unusual times, and the distractions of family can all contribute to forgetting to take medication. Many therapists and other mental health providers are out of reach while they enjoy their own celebrations (and hard-earned rest). Holiday stress may worsen mental health conditions, and while holiday joy is a wonderful thing, January can be a real let-down.

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APA Releases New Depression Treatment Guidelines

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 11:50:50 +0000

The American Psychiatric Association (not to be confused with the American Psychological Association) has released new treatment guidelines for depression. According to Medscape Today, the guidelines include:

A clinician- and/or patient-administered rating scale for psychiatric symptoms to help with treatment strategies;
A recommendation for the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT or "shock therapy") to treat depression if many other treatments have been tried unsuccessfully, along with monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), transcranial magnetic stimulation, and vagus nerve stimulation as other potential options;
Aerobic exercise or resistance training to improve mood symptoms, especially in older adults with other physical or mental illness; and
Consideration of long-term maintenance treatment, especially for patients at risk for recurrence.

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Can Toxoplasmosis Cause Schizophrenia?

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:25:35 +0000

Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that infects mice and makes them less afraid of cats. The fearless mice are more likely to be eaten by cats, and the parasite reproduces in the cats' digestive tract. Toxoplasma's ability to alter mouse behavior has led to a bit of evidence and a lot of theories about how human brains might be affected by the parasite. Since about a third of adult humans worldwide have toxoplasmosis, this is a pretty important question.

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May is Mental Health Month

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:31:50 +0000

May is Mental Health Month.

Across the country the National Alliance on Mental Illness will be hosting walks and other events to address the need for an improved mental health treatment program.

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Shootings at Fort Hood; alleged gunman is mental health worker

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:53:33 +0000

Thirteen people were killed and several more wounded in a shooting in Fort Hood, Texas, on Thursday.

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Trauma Therapy from the Client's Perspective

Fri, 28 Jul 2006 06:26:48 +0000

Bonnie Burton is a trauma survivor who writes about therapy from the inside. As a gifted writer, she conveys some essential truths about the process of therapy, and shatters some stereotypes along the way. Her experiences with good therapists and not-so-good therapists are essential reading for client and therapist alike.

Ms. Burton's own experience of therapy convinces her, for example, that trauma survivors don't always make the best trauma therapists. This is especially true if they never completed their own therapy. She has seen them react with fear and dissociation in response to traumatic material or negative emotions expressed in a session.

While we don't learn who her current therapist is, it is clear that they are working together toward healing. She writes with clarity and maturity; and without a chip on her shoulder. It is a privilege to publish an article from a guest author who is such an articulate therapy client. This article will help me be a better therapist.

Read Bonnie Burton's insightful article.

Resilience

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 06:33:45 +0000

Why do some people develop post-traumatic stress disorder after a trauma and others remain symptom free? We are still trying to understand resilience, one ...

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Sustained Release Schizophrenia Drug may be available Soon

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 06:26:03 +0000

AstraZeneca announced last week that they have submitted a New Drug Application to the FDA for a sustained release version of their antipsychotic medication Seroquel (quetiapine). The company reports ...

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FDA issues an advisory on the Use of Triptans and Antidepressants

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 06:47:55 +0000

The U.S.Food and Drug Administration has issued a public health advisory about potential risks of taking certain migraine medications - triptans - together with certain antidepressants. The advisory states, "A life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome may occur when triptans are used together with a SSRI or a SNRI."

Serotonin syndrome occurs when the body has too much of serotonin, a chemical found in the nervous system. Serotonin syndrome may be more likely to occur when starting or increasing the dose of a triptan, SSRI or SNRI. Symptoms of serotonin syndrome may include:

restlessness
hallucinations
loss of coordination
fast heart beat
rapid changes in blood pressure
increased body temperature
overactive reflexes
nausea
vomiting
diarrhea