Blog Category: Mental health

Task Force Report on Antidepressant Use in Bipolar Disorders

The International Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) Task Force Report on Antidepressant Use in Bipolar Disorders has been published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. The task force commented that there is “striking incongruity between the wide use of …

White House Conference on Mental Health

This week, the White House organized a conference on mental health with a particular emphasis on stigma and awareness. President Barack Obama opened the conference by calling for a more robust national discussion on mental illness, saying the time had …

Essential Components of First-Episode Psychosis Services

A study published in May 1st, 2013 Psychiatric Services identified essential evidence-based components of first-episode psychosis services. The research took place in two stages. First a systematic literature review, then, a consensus-building technique, the Delphi, was used with an international …

Nature Nurtures Creativity Without Electronic Devices

Adults and children have been spending more time interacting with media and technology and less time participating in activities in nature. There are ramifications of such a  life-style change not only for our physical well-being, but what impact does this …

Why People Perform Better After Receiving a Compliment

Japanese scientists have found scientific proof that people doing specific tasks appear to perform better when another person compliments them. There seems to be scientific validity behind the message ‘praise to encourage improvement’. [Read more…]…

In-Person and Electronic Interventions for Improving Adherence in Schizophrenia

Research published in October Schizophrenia Bulletin by Velligan and colleagues, evaluated adherence to oral medications in 142 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia living in the community. Three methods of assessment were used: 1) an in-person, weekly home visit; 2) an electronic …

Attention Deficit Disorder Needs Life-Long Treatment

According to a study published in today’s Archives of General Psychiatry, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) does not disappear as children grow older. Prospective studies of childhood ADHD have not previously extended beyond early adulthood. Researchers followed 271 patients …

The MAOA Gene Predicts Happiness in Women

Research published in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry demonstrates the association between happiness and monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) genotype. In women, low expression of MAOA was related significantly to greater happiness. In contrast, no such association was found in …

Therapy in Virtual Environments: Are the Rights and Responsibilities the Same as in the Real World?

There has been a steady increase in the use of therapy for psychological disorders in virtual environments (VE) and using computer-assisted treatment over the last decade. Do the same guidelines and ethical standards apply as they do in the in-person …