A confluence of topics dealing with mental health, substance abuse, health, public health, Social Work, education, politics, the humanities, and spirituality at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. In short, this blog is devoted to the improvment of the quality of life of human beings in the universe.
Markham's Behavioral Health moving from Typepad to Blogspot
by David Markham28 Jan 2009 at 4:17 pm
OK folks, I've finally figured out what I want to do. I am going to keep this blog's name, Markham's Behavioral Health, but I am going to move the blog from typepad to blogspot. So you will find new articles at http://markhamsbehavioralhealth.blogspot.com/
Please visit me there from now on.
Thank you for your support.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower warns Americans about military-industry complex
by David Markham22 Oct 2008 at 8:16 am
President Eisenhower warns Americans against the military-industrial complex in his exit speech on January 17, 1961. We should have listened to him. He was a Republican.
Video lasts 2:30.
This is article #6 on militarism.
Elderspeak has health consequences - Don't "honey", "Sweetie", or "Dear" me
by David Markham15 Oct 2008 at 7:30 am
There was an interesting article in the October 7, 2008 issue of the New York Times discussing how condescending and patronizing language like calling seniors "Sweetie" and "Dear" actually have longer term health consequences. Here is a snippet from the article:
Professionals call it elderspeak, the sweetly belittling form of address that has always rankled older people: the doctor who talks to t
... read more
12% of United States troops in Iraq and 17% of troops in Afghanistan are on a...
by David Markham14 Oct 2008 at 7:32 am
On June 5, 2008, Time Magazine ran a story entitled, "America's Medicated Army". Here is a snippet from the article:
The medicines are intended not only to help troops keep their cool but also to enable the already strapped Army to preserve its most precious resource: soldiers on the front lines. Data contained in the Army's fifth Mental Health Advisory Team report indicate that, according to an a
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Pediatric drug samples unsafe practice
by David Markham13 Oct 2008 at 7:59 am
Free drug samples pose risk to children's health according to a study in the October, 2008 issue of the journal, Pediatrics, as reported by Reuter's HealthDay on October 6, 2008. Here is a snippet from the Reuters HealthDay article:
Free prescription drug samples distributed to pediatric patients may be unsafe, research suggests.
The study, published in the October 2008 issue of Pediatrics, e
... read more
1/4 - 1/3 of females in the United States military are raped by their fellow ...
by David Markham13 Oct 2008 at 7:52 am
I was reading at article recently which said that 1/3 of female soldiers in the United States military report being raped. I thought, "How can that be? That can't be right," and so I did a little research and it not only is right, but 1/3 may be low. Here is a snippet from an article in the Los Angeles Times from March 31, 2008. Here is a snippet:
The stories are shocking in their simplicity and ... read more
Longer term psychotherapy works according to a study published in JAMA
by David Markham11 Oct 2008 at 8:43 am
Reuters Healthday reported on 09/30/08 on a study which appeared in the October 1, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association which found that long term psychodynamic psychotherapy works. Here is a snippet from the article:
People with complex mental disorders or personality disorders would benefit from long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy that lasts at least a year or longer
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Counter recruiting of Army of None
by David Markham10 Oct 2008 at 7:47 pm
I work with adolescents as part of my general practice and in the last couple of months I have had 3 or 4 young people say that they are thinking about joining the military. As a therapist I am ethically bound not to let my personal values interfere with my client's right to self determination, but I want to tell them about the high rates of PTSD, substance abuse, rape, and suicide among the milit
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Purpose of marriage video 1
by David Markham6 Oct 2008 at 8:09 am
I am planning on doing a series of videos on marriage. I have been a licensed clinical social worker for 40 years and have accumulated a lifetime of experience which I think may be of benefit to people. Here is the first video in the series which I have entitled, "The purpose of marriage." Please leave your comments.
Purpose of marriage video 1, part 1 of 2. Video lasts 4:18.
Part 2 of 2.
... read more
Take The Client Where They're At
by David Markham1 Oct 2008 at 4:59 pm
David G. Markham, L.C.S.W. describes his practice and what he has learned over the years. The video is 6:04.
Children in U.S. 3xs more likely to be prescribed psychotropic medications th...
by David Markham29 Sep 2008 at 11:53 am
Science Daily reported on September 25, 2008 on a study which will appear in an upcoming issue of the journal, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, which found that children in the United States are three times more likely to be prescribed psychotropic medications than children in Western Europe. The authors speculate on the reasons for the difference in practice. If you would like
Antidepressant Scripts Up 16 Million Over 3-Year Period and most not prescrib...
by David Markham25 Sep 2008 at 7:36 am
Reuters HealthDay reported on July 24, 2008 on a report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality which found that the prescription of antidepressant drugs has increased significantly over a 3 year period from 2002 - 2005 and less than a third of the antidepressant prescriptions are prescribed by psychiatrists with the great majority prescribed by primary care physicians.
It is interest
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Unproven therapies used on traumatized kids
by David Markham22 Sep 2008 at 8:26 am
Reuters reported on September 9, 2008 on a CDC report which will appear in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that a lot of therapies provided to kids with PTSD are not proven. Here is a snippet from the article:
Many doctors and therapists use unproven approaches such as drugs, art or play therapy on children suffering trauma when old-fashioned talk therapy has been shown to work, a re
... read more
Cheerleading causes majority of female athlete injuries
by David Markham21 Sep 2008 at 10:28 am
Reuters HealthDay reported on August 25, 2008 on this year's report from the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that the most female sports injuries are sustained in cheerleading. Almost 2/3rds of all female sports injuries to females occur in cheerleading. Often denigrated as even being a sport at all, most people greatly un
Managing your anger can save your life
by David Markham21 Sep 2008 at 10:26 am
The British Health Service has a good video on anger management. It lasts 5:14.