Article Archives: May July August September
Boost Mental Health - Do Housework
United Press International - June 27, 2008 - Just 20 minutes of weekly housework won’t clean the whole house, but it will boost mental health, a Scottish study says.
Read the rest of the story http://www.wtag.com/cc-common/news/sections/lifestylearticle.html?feed=104715&article=3886053
Twin Cities Daily Planet- June 28, 2008 - Nationally acclaimed author Marya Hornbacher talks with Hannah Dentinger about her new memoir, “Madness: A Bipolar Life,” which offers an unflinchingly candid glimpse into a life periodically upended by mental illness.
Read the rest of the story http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2008/06/19/writer-interrupted.html
Assemblywoman’s mission is to break the culture of silence
Contra Costa Times- June 28, 2008 - The silence helped Mary Hayashi find her voice.
It trapped her older sister in a cage of depression, eventually ending in her suicide at 17. And it enveloped Hayashi’s family afterward. Hayashi’s parents burned her sister Bo Yoon’s clothes and cut her image out of photographs. A funeral was never held, and her parents have quietly avoided the subject in the nearly 30 years since.
Read the rest of the story http://www.contracostatimes.com/politics/ci_9731401?nclick_check=1
Los Angeles Times- June 28, 2008 - Anorexia nervosa struck Janell Smith, a teacher’s assistant, when she was 23. The active young woman loved by her family and friends began to disappear, overtaken by a tyrannical inner voice that told her she was too fat to deserve to eat. Swallowing even one spoonful of food became a monumental act of will; just seeing calorie-rich mayonnaise on a sandwich was enough to send her into a panic. For three years, the disease assaulted her body, mind and spirit, shrinking her to a low of 63 pounds on a 5-foot-3 frame, while the effects of extreme starvation on Smith’s brain made her incapable of thinking rationally.
Read the rest of the story http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-herzog28-2008jun28,0,2427331.story
Suicide’s impact — in animated reality
Los Angeles Times- June 26, 2008 - Real voices, real stories. On lifelinegallery.org, Americans who have lost a loved one to suicide share their heartbreak. And those who have considered suicide — or survived an attempt — share their transformations.
Read the rest of the story http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2008/06/suicides-impact.html
Toronto Globe and Mail - June 27, 2008 - Scotland has become a leader in tackling mental illness, thanks to innovative legislation and high-profile public-awareness campaigns. The suicide-prevention effort features everyone from football teams to the pop duo the Proclaimers
Read the rest of the story http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080627.wmhscotland27/BNStory/mentalhealth
“Closing the Mental Health Gap: Eliminating Disparities in Treatment for Latinos“
This 62-page study, by the Mattie Rhoades Center in Kansas City, looked at more than 1,000 low-income Hispanics from three metropolitan areas in the U.S. It found that suicide is the third-leading cause of death among Hispanics ages 10 to 24 and that Hispanics who do seek care “often end up with ineffective assistance.”
The full text may be found here http://www.mattierhodes.org/UserFiles/File/SAMHSA_full_report.pdf
PTSD books aim to help veterans - book review
Fresno Bee- June 26, 2008 - Dr. Lorie DeCarvalho has spent the past 14 years helping veterans cope with post- traumatic stress disorder — the anger, depression, disconnectedness and nightmares that can linger long after veterans have returned home from the horrors of war.
Read the rest of the story http://www.fresnobee.com/local/sv/story/695849.html
STARVED Anorexia is the bad friend who lies to you
Lompoc Record- June 27, 2008 - Julia, an 18-year-old from Arroyo Grande, got to know her friend ED during her sophomore year of high school.
Read the rest of the story http://www.lompocrecord.com/articles/2008/06/26/lifestyle/life11.txt
Postpartum depression may be next battle for teen moms
New York Daily News- June 25, 2008 - A gynecologist for 26 years, Brodman provides care to new moms and conducts research on the new subspecialty of urogynecology (female urinary-tract health) as well as the HPV vaccine trials.
Read the rest of the article http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2008/06/25/2008-06-25_postpartum_depression_may_be_next_battle-2.html
Rainbow Heights Club Caters To The Mental Health Of LGBT Community
NY1- June 24, 2008 - The LGBT community is often sited as being under-served when it comes to meeting mental health needs, but a local organization is working to fill that void. NY1’s Kafi Drexel filed the following report.
Read the rest of the article http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=19&aid=83028
Mental Health Parity Bill Clears Hurdle
Workforce Management - June 24, 2008 - House and Senate negotiators have resolved the remaining differences in the benefit-related provisions in mental health care benefits parity legislation, moving the bill closer to final passage, business lobbyists say.
Read the rest of the article http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/25/61/35.php
A few facts about doctors and depression
The News and Advance, Lynchburg, VA - June 21, 2008 - Medical students have rates of depression 15 to 30 percent higher than the general population.
Read the rest of the article http://www.newsadvance.com/lna/lifestyles/features/article/a_few_facts_about_doctors_and_depression/5965/
‘We must never give up on the potential of people to recover’
Toronto Globe and Mail - June 20, 2008 - One of the main goals of the Mental Health Commission is to combat stigma. Why — in this age of reality television, tell-alls and a general tendency to publicize the personal — are people still so reluctant to talk openly about mental illness?
Read the rest of the article http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080620.wmhgoldbloom21/BNStory/mentalhealth/home?cid=al_gam_mostemail
Treatment-Resistant Depression Affects Millions of Americans Each Year
NAPSI - June 20, 2008 - Millions of Americans with depression are able to successfully manage their condition with a combination of available therapies. However, according to an article in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, up to 35 percent of patients treated for depression may have a little-known condition called Treatment-Resistant Depression, or TRD.
Read the rest of the article http://www.napsnet.com/articles/58642.html
PTSD Is Normal - Editorial
The Chattanoogan - June 23, 2008 - The recent coverage of Post Traumatic Stress “Disorder” in veterans is long overdue and brings out important aspects of this affliction that affects millions of veterans, their families and friends, as well as others in our society. I am compelled to ponder this in honor of yet another brother who finally succumbed to a war wound of the soul long ago, who found final peace by his own hand.
Read the rest of the story http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_130325.asp
A Welcome Answer To Shyness: Hormone ‘Is Key To Beating Anxiety’
Glasgow Daily Record - Glasgow,Scotland,UK - June 23, 2008 - Being shy is something most of us overcome at a young age. But it’s a crippling condition that can ruin some people’s lives.
Read the rest of the story http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/entertainment-catch-all/2008/06/23/a-welcome-answer-to-shyness-86908-20617989/
Bipolar Illness and Crime: A Difficult Connection To Prove
New York Sun - June 23, 2008 - When a respected local historian and author admitted in court this spring that he had stolen letters written by George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, his attorney disclosed that his client suffers from bipolar disorder, a condition he claimed clouded his judgment.
Read the rest of the story http://www.nysun.com/health-fitness/bipolar-illness-and-crime-a-difficult-connection/80491/
The operations director who worked best when he was ill
Bipolar disorder sufferer makes the case for employees with mental health issues
Crain’s Manchester Business - June 23, 2008 - Don Phillips was working as a business manager for Hewlett Packard when he was diagnosed at 28 with bipolar disorder, once called manic depression.
Read the rest of the story http://www.crainsmanchesterbusiness.co.uk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080623/FREE/478178647/-1/toc/-/-/the-operations-director-who-worked-best-when-he-was-ill
Anorexia Victim’s Suicide Sparks Lawsuit
CBS San Diego - June 19, 2008 - The family of an anorexia sufferer who committed suicide is suing a health insurance company over what the family says is the company’s denial of care.
The San Diego woman’s father says a representative of the company told him it was “pulling the plug” on coverage of her hospitalization.
Read the rest of the story http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/19/earlyshow/health/main4193963.shtml
Brain Activity May Predict Schizophrenia Behavior
US News and World Report- June 18, 2008 - British researchers say they have discovered a means of anticipating how people might behave during a psychotic episode.
Read the rest of the article http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/06/18/brain-activity-may-predict–schizophrenia-behavior.html
Medicaid Program Increases Kids’ Access to Mental Health Care
Newswise- June 17, 2008 - Expansion of Medicaid’s Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program in California has significantly improved children’s access to mental health services, reports a study in the June issue of Medical Care. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, pharmacy and the pharmaceutical industry.
Read the rest of the article http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/541775/
Schizophrenia blood test moves forward following Texan deal
BusinessWeekly.co.UK- June 19, 2008 - A device that can diagnose schizophrenia from a simple blood test could be available within the year following a deal struck between Cambridge University spin-out, Psynova Neurotech, and Texan biomarker expert, Rules-Based Medicine (RBM).
Read the rest of the article http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/2008061832044/life-sciences/schizophrenia-blood-test-moves-forward-following-texan-deal.html
California forbids direct-to-consumer DNA analysis - Editorial
Admin’s note: This may not deal directly with mental health, but this takes a light-hearted look at the issue and, if we can take a moment to relax and laugh, that’s good for mental health…
The Dallas Morning News - June 17, 2008 - You may think you own your blood and saliva and that you’re free to take some of it and send it to a lab for whatever type of analysis you want.
The state of California disagrees.
Read the rest of the article http://techblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/06/ca-forbids-directtoconsumer-dn.html
Haunted by Combat: Understanding PTSD in War Veterans Including Women, Reservists, and Those Coming Back from Iraq - Book Review
New England Journal of Medicine- June 19, 2008 - The publication of Handbook of PTSD represents an extraordinary effort to consolidate the immense, complex, and at times contradictory body of knowledge on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a single textbook. The editors and more than 50 other contributors successfully deliver a book that meets the goal stated in the preface: to provide a sophisticated introduction to the trauma field for graduate students, interns, fellows, scientists, and practitioners. This scholarly textbook, designed for an advanced-level curriculum on PTSD and trauma, is highly organized, balanced, evidence-based, and comprehensive.
Read the rest of the article http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/358/25/2748
Mentally ill face extra-long ER waits
USA Today - June 17, 2008 - Psychiatric patients who need hospitalization wait for hours in emergency departments for admission because hospitals are dropping mental health units and beds are scarce, a new survey says.
Nearly 80% of hospitals said mentally ill patients sometimes wait four hours or more to be admitted, says the American College of Emergency Physicians, which surveyed 328 emergency medical directors. About 10% said patients wait more than a day on average.
Read the rest of the article http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-06-16-ERwaits_N.htm
Ghrelin stress hormone linked to comfort eating, say Texas researchers
UK Times - June 17, 2008 - Comfort eating among people who are stressed or depressed may be explained by the action of a “hunger hormone”, according to research.
Experiments with mice have suggested that the body makes extra amounts of an important appetite hormone to combat the effects of stress-induced depression and anxiety, which in turn prompts overeating.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article4152037.ece
The Relationship Between Depression and Cardiovascular Disease
MedScapevideoblog geared toward the health care professional.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/575676?src=mp&spon=12&uac=100952DX
Patterns of normal brain activity may predispose individuals to different symptoms of psychosis
The Journal of Neuroscience- June 18, 2008 - Washington, DC – A new study released today offers a potential predictive technique to anticipate how individuals might behave during a psychotic episode. The study, in the June 18 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, related the brain activity of healthy participants to how they behaved after exposure to ketamine (a psychosis-inducing drug that mimics schizophrenia symptoms). The findings help explain why schizophrenia symptoms vary greatly from person to person and may ultimately help personalize diagnosis and intervention.
Read the rest of the article www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/sfn-pon061308.php
Exposed: Harvard Shrink Gets Rich Labeling Kids Bipolar
AlterNet- June 18, 2008 - What Dick Cheney is to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, psychiatrist Joseph Biederman is to the explosion of psychiatric medications in American children. Recently, Biederman was nailed by congressional investigators and the New York Times for overestimating just how greedy an elite shrink is entitled to be. Beyond a peek into the corruption of psychiatry at its highest levels, the scandal is an opportunity to reconsider the Big Pharma financed view of why kids become disruptive and destructive.
Read the rest of the article http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/88333/?ses=fd21de6fac3e9b4d0af5f6b98ca80c60
Use of drugs to treat mental problems for youngsters raises concerns
Republican-American- June 15, 2008 - Dr. M. Alex Geerstma is seeing an increasing number of preschoolers on psychiatric drugs coming through Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury.
Researchers now suspect that young children, even toddlers or babies, can suffer from a short list of mental problems, including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Read the rest of the story: http://www.rep-am.com/News/348518.txt
Mental health and the military mind-set
Chicago Tribune - June 15, 2008 - BELLMORE, N.Y - Kristofer Goldsmith was so distressed about the prospect of returning to Iraq that he decided he was willing to kill himself to avoid serving a second tour.
The Army had mandated an extension of his three-year contract, which had been set to expire, as his unit was set to deploy to Baghdad as part of the troop surge. The day before he was to ship out in May 2007, he washed down a dozen Percoset with more than a liter of vodka.
Read the rest of the story http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gisuicide15-2008jun15,0,4012826.story
Wall Street Journal- June 13, 2008 - The genesis of this book took place around 1980, when I gradually became aware that something was going terribly wrong. At the time, I was working in the public mental hospital of Washington, D.C.—St. Elizabeths—on wards with patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and other severe psychiatric disorders. My job was to get them well, then to discharge them to the community.
Read the rest of the article http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121319870711964571.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Eating disorders can mean psychological, physical hazards
Fort Scott, Kansas Herald-Tribune- June 14, 2008 - A person’s attitude about food can have devastating effects on his or her life.
Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center licensed psychologist Antigone Means said a person has an eating disorder when his or her thoughts about food and weight gets in the way of any major area or function in his or her life.
Read the rest of the story http://www.fstribune.com/story/1436993.html
Military Update: Mental wounds said to raise war casualties tenfold
Hanford CA Sentinel - June 14, 2008 - Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, charged Bush administration officials Wednesday with continuing to downplay the mental trauma and brain injuries suffered by veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Read the rest of the article http://www.coalingarecord.com/articles/2008/06/13/opinion/doc4852c5c505dc6221065276.txt
Silicon Valley Mercury News - June 12, 2008 - Ryan Withers had so much fun at his therapist’s office that his older brother got jealous. Robert wanted to play the video games, too.
The 12-year-old Ryan was having trouble paying attention to the home-school tasks his mother, Cindy Withers of San Jose, set for him. Determined to avoid drugs such as Ritalin, Withers opted for brain-training instead.
Read the rest of the story http://origin.mercurynews.com/news/ci_9560783?nclick_check=1
Schizophrenia: Twice as Common as HIV/AIDS, but Survey Shows Americans Misinformed
Baltimore Business Journal - June 9, 2008 - Twice as many Americans live with schizophrenia than with HIV/AIDS, but a major report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reveals most Americans are unfamiliar with the disease.
Read the rest of the article http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/prnewswire/press_releases/national/Virginia/2008/06/09/NYM176
Today@UCI- June 9, 2008 - Listening and learning, walking and working – the ability to concentrate underlies all that and more. A $1.6 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to the UCI Department of Cognitive Sciences and USC’s Department of Psychology will fund research that could lead to a better understanding of human concentration and suggest ways to improve it.
Read the rest of the article http://today.uci.edu/news/release_detail.asp?key=1777
Schizophrenics battle stigma, myths in addition to disease
USA Today - June 9, 2008 - Schizophrenia carries a lot of stigma, and many Americans believe myths about it that may lead them to steer clear of people with the disease, suggests a Harris Interactive poll to be released Tuesday.
Read the rest of the article http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-06-08-schizophrenia_N.htm
Central database to help spot abuse of prescription drugs
Los Angeles Daily News - June 4, 2008 - An online prescription drug database that allows doctors and pharmacists to track a patient’s medication history instantly and deter addicts from “doctor-shopping” is expected to launch statewide next year, officials announced Wednesday.
Read the rest of the article http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_9482817
ScienceDaily - Jun. 4, 2008 - If a better understanding of genes may lead to customized therapies for schizophrenia, can the same be true for new depression treatments? Answering this question is especially important now that a 2006 government study found that a significant number of people with clinical depression – more than half – are not helped by their initial course of antidepressant treatment, whether medication or talk therapy.
Read the rest of the article http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080604155944.htm
Talking Out Trauma: Not Always a Help
Time - June 5, 2008 - Talk it out. That’s the first advice most victims are given in the wake of trauma. Conventional wisdom would suggest that burying one’s emotions after a violent incident — such as a school shooting or terrorist bombing — will only lead to deeper anxiety later on. Yet, while mental health practitioners widely subscribe to this truism, it has rarely been tested outside a laboratory setting — past studies have found a lack of convincing evidence to support the use of psychological debriefing to mitigate trauma — and some experts think the theory doesn’t hold up in every situation.
Read the rest of the article http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1812204,00.html
We’re all to blame for staying mum on mental illness
Toronto Globe and Mail - June 4, 2008 - “Apparently, there is one thing more shameful than being a mass murderer, and that is being crazy.”
The Issue: Talking About Depression at Work
Business Week - June 4, 2008 - It took courage for a journalist to reveal her illness to her colleagues, but it ultimately eased her mind. Diane Coutu had suffered from depression for most of her life, but the revelation that compelled her to seek treatment occurred, surprisingly enough, in the workplace.
Watch a video and read the rest of the article (see related article below) http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jun2008/ca2008064_102058_page_2.htm
The Analysis: Revelation Is Still a Risk
Business Week - June 4, 2008 - Assess the situation before discussing depression with your supervisor and peers
In the 10 years since Diane Coutu came out to her current employer about her clinical depression, the only negative result she has experienced is her own occasional fear that her colleagues will react badly. So far, not one has.
Watch a video and read the rest of the article http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jun2008/ca2008064_102058_page_2.htm
Nipping depression benefits stroke patients
Niagara Gazette - June 4, 2008 - Preventive use of antidepressants slashes the depression rate of stroke patients by more than half and could help them live years longer, a landmark study out Tuesday suggests.
Read the rest of the article http://www.niagara-gazette.com/features/gnnlifestyle_story_156170730.html
New Research Shows Returning To Work Can Aid People With Depression
Medical News Today - June 4, 2008 - The modern workplace is often blamed for increased rates of depression and stress. New research published in the journal Occupational Medicine, shows that resuming work can actually aid recovery and help depressed employees.
Read the rest of the article http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/109790.php
Dr. David Cannon: Research refines views about depression
Upstate Today - June 4, 2008 - In the psychological literature during the last 30 years, there have been over 54,000 abstracts containing the key word “depression, over 41,000 naming “anxiety,” but only around 400 mentioning “joy.” Clearly, the bulk of the research that has examined emotional problems has focused largely on what has been “wrong” with people. In short, find the problem and fix it. Recent evidence suggests that psychology may be turning in a new direction that concentrates more on understanding and building people’s strengths, including qualities such as optimism, perseverance and love.
Read the rest of the article http://www.upstatetoday.com/news/2008/jun/04/dr-david-cannon-research-refines-views-about-depre/
Family Traits Provide Clues To Genes For Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder
Science Daily - June 4, 2008 - It is important to identify the endophenotypes — traits associated with a clinical disorder — that can serve as a roadmap for detecting disease-related genes. That is why Deborah L. Levy, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and director of the Psychology Research Laboratory at McLean Hospital, is studying families to detect relatives who are carriers of the genes for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, even though these individuals don’t have the diseases themselves.
Read the rest of the article http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080604160118.htm
Court: Defendant’s Mental Examination Cannot Be Compelled
Metropolitan New Enterprise - June 3, 2008 - A trial court may not compel a criminal defendant presenting a diminished actuality defense to grant access to a prosecution mental health expert for purposes of a mental examination, the California Supreme Court held yesterday.
Read the rest of the article http://www.metnews.com/
Incense May Relieve Depression and Anxiety Naturally
Natural News - June 2, 2008 - If you think burning incense is just for certain religions or old hippies, it might be time to take a new look. Myriad religious traditions have held to the notion that burning frankincense incense (made out of resin from the Boswellia plant) is good for the soul and now a new study says it apparently is good for the brain.
Read the rest of the article http://www.naturalnews.com/023338.html
Stigma of schizophrenia causes pain…succcesses should be celebrated, promoted
Chronicle Herald - June 2, 2008 - Jerry, dressed in a dark suit and tie, was walking through a pedway when he happened to bump into his psychiatrist. The schizophrenia patient apologized to her for cancelling his most recent appointment but explained that he’s now working at a New Brunswick investment house and needed to reschedule.
Read the rest of the article http://thechronicleherald.ca/Metro/1059588.html
U-M studies impact of sleep, depression
Detroit Free Press - June 2, 2008 - The University of Michigan has opened one of the world’s first laboratories to study the impact of sleep and biological rhythms on depression, substance abuse and mental well-being.
Read the rest of the article http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080602/BUSINESS07/806020321/1020
State’s shameful neglect of mental illness
San Francisco Chronicle - June 1, 2008 - This is the issue that candidates at all levels prefer to avoid. It divides families, contributes to the crowding in our prisons and jails, explains why so many people are living on the streets, and causes more pain and suffering that can be calculated by any government statistic.
Read the rest of the article http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/31/INMF10U5KC.DTL
Author relates nightmares on mental health
Martinsville, Bulletin - June 2, 2008 - Earley tried to get emergency help for his son “Mike,” who was having a psychotic episode, a doctor in Fairfax said there was nothing he could do.
Read the rest of the article http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/article.cfm?ID=14081
Disclaimer: Articles posted here are not meant to reflect the views/beliefs of the site administrator and it may be highly possible to find articles that contradict each other. The administrator does not own stock or is affiliated with any company, nor holds membership in any mental health organizations.
