Category Archives: Mental Health and Wellness
Friday Factoid Catch-Up: Your Brain on LSD
A Friday Factoid was written by this writer in November 2015 about the research behind psychedelic-assisted therapy. Several studies have shown that positive results can come from short courses or single sessions of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Until recently, there … Continue reading
Friday Factoids: Post-Partum Psychosis
It is safe to say that a good majority of the population has heard of postpartum depression. Many may even know a new mother who has experienced this condition. However, far fewer have heard of or truly understand postpartum … Continue reading
Article Review: Obstacles to Care in First-Episode Psychosis Patients With a Long Duration of Untreated Psychosis
In the field of mental health, both clinical and research efforts have focused on the importance of early detection and intervention in psychosis. Research has shown that this strategy might lead to an increased chance of preventing, delaying the … Continue reading
Friday Factoids: Have Your Chocolate, and Eat It, Too!
Many of us have long been waiting for a justifiable reason to indulge in chocolate that did not first involve having a migraine. It is with great excitement that this writer must announce that our day is coming nearer. … Continue reading
Friday Factoids: Schizophrenia and Premature Death
Schizophrenia has long been one of mental health’s most studied disorders. Our knowledge base regarding the diagnosis has grown by leaps and bounds over many years of research. Most people are aware of the cognitive, negative and psychotic symptoms associated … Continue reading
Article Review: Nancy McWilliams, Psychoanalytic Diagnosis. Chapter 3: Developmental Levels of Personality Organization
Psychologists work with complex diagnostic and treatment issues on a daily basis. Current standards of care (and reimbursement) have guided diagnosis and treatment to seem focused on DSM-5 categories and ICD-10 codes. Clinicians I have interacted with seem to … Continue reading
Friday Factoids: Where Do the 2016 Presidential Candidates Stand on Mental Health Issues?
In an election often dominated by worries about the economy and national security, mental health gets comparatively little exposure as a serious issue on the presidential campaign trail. In fact, during my search for information it was difficult to … Continue reading
Friday Factoid Catch-up: MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
A drug often known as “Ecstasy” or “Molly,” has for decades been used as a party drug in clubs and for all-night raves. But lately, ±3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMD) is also being used in very different settings and for a … Continue reading
Friday Factoid: U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) Recommends Depression Screening for Older Adolescents
National data suggest that up to 8 percent of U.S. adolescents experience an episode of major depression in a given year. Children and adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) typically have functional impairments in their performance at school or work, … Continue reading
Friday Factoids Catch-Up: Optogenetics
Optogenetics involves tweaking the genes of neurons so that they become sensitive to light. By combining this technique with genetic and viral approaches, researchers can insert these channels into very specific populations of neurons. Ultimately, this approach allows researchers … Continue reading